Page 25 of Her Shifter Pack

“What did he say to upset you so much?” I asked Lexie as she frantically wiped at the tears on her face.

“Oh, not much more than you already heard,” she said. “He said I was a loser. A waste of space. A fat... lard.”

An inhuman growl vibrated through my vocal cords as Lexie stopped speaking to sob once more.

I forced my wolf down and spoke softly, “Listen to me, sweetheart. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I don’t want you worried about money or a new job. Or any of that shit. Okay? It isn’t important.”

She didn’t answer me, instead mopping her face and blowing her nose. She wouldn’t be able to understand what I was offering her at this time. Not yet. Not until we explained the Fated mate bond, and even then, I wasn’t sure how she was going to feel about the ménage à trois component. Until then, all I could do was try and make her feel better.

“Let’s go to the store, and we’ll buy chocolate and ice cream and whatever candy you want, then go home and watch a movie. How ‘bout that?”

She wiped at another tear that slid down her cheek. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

I pulled the truck into the closest supermarket and turned off the ignition. “Think of it as fate that I found you, and you found me. Now... tell me about you.”

“What do you want to know?” she asked, her shoulders slouched and defeated-looking.

“Well, how old are you? Where are you from? Anything you want to tell me.” When she didn’t start talking, I gave it a go. “Okay, I’ll start. I’m thirty. An accountant for the largest firm in the city. Love numbers. Don’t love my job, but it pays the bills. I’m super close with my family but can be a bit of a loner. Don’t go out much. Um... and I haven’t traveled much yet but would love to start.”

She gave me half a smile. “I’m twenty-six. Barely finished high school, never went to college. I grew up in the south. Poor. Very poor. Got out when I turned eighteen and I’ve been living hand to mouth ever since.”

“Let’s go.” I tilted my head toward the store, then got out of the truck.

She came with me and when she closed her door, I walked around and reached for her hand, walking inside the market with a skip in my step. “Then you’ve achieved more than I have in my whole life, Lexie. I had it easy. Good family. Support. College scholarship. I don’t know anyone who would have survived the start you got, myself included. You’re amazing.”

She gave me a proper smile this time and moved closer to my side.

I felt like a king as we walked into the store, Lexie on my arm, wearing my hoodie. I wanted to tell the world that she was mine, and I’d start with the first person I saw.

We made our way to the candy aisle and loaded up on everything I thought we’d like.

She only chose one bar and I laughed. “You’re kidding, right? Go nuts. Get everything and anything.”

I respected the fact that she obviously wasn’t a “taker,” but I wanted her to be happy. “Markus loves anything with chocolate and nuts, so grab some stuff for him too.”

She perked up at that idea, starting to choose more bags and bars of chocolate.

We loaded everything into a basket and set off for the registers.

“Hey! Ollie,” a woman’s voice called out and I cringed. I knew that voice. Of all the people to run into...

“Please play along with whatever I say,” I whispered to Lexie. At her small nod, I turned around. “Nancy. Hey.”

I put my arm around Lexie’s shoulders and pulled her tightly into my side.

Nancy, who was a rather stunning female wolf shifter we’d grown up with, sauntered up to us with a come-hither smile on her face.

“Who have you got there?” Nancy asked, giving Lexie an assessing look that would have made most women wither up and die.

Lexie cringed but didn’t step away. Instead, she curled into me a little more.

I stood straighter, raising my chin. “This is Lexie, my mate.”

Nancy’s jaw dropped and I would have high-fived Lexie if she’d known how much of a win that was. “Your what? Since when?”

“Since yesterday,” I said with a smile. “We were on our way home, so should I give Markus a message for you, or...”

Nancy narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, just tell him to call me.” There was an edge in her tone, and she shot another look at Lexie that held no warmth whatsoever.

---