Page 6 of Alpha Wolf Bodyguard

He leaned in and scented the air deeply. “No. Come on in.”

The whole exchange reminded me of getting into rideshare cars and making sure the person driving was the person I was expecting. But I was glad he took even that small precaution of scenting me. It wasn’t a lot, but it was something.

This sweet omega, who was probably about the same age as me, just seemed so…gentle. And his scent…it called to me. Not that I could answer its call. I was there for one reason and one reason only.

To keep him safe. I planned to do exactly that.

Chapter 6

Nate

Why didn’t I hire personal security sooner?

Garin was gorgeous and so much sweeter than I expected an alpha wolf to be. I’d only met a few wolves in the past and they were always cocky, as if I wasn’t also an apex predator. But alphas were just like that. At least, that’s what I thought.

I guess I assumed he would be condescending and only in it for the paycheck, but Garin looked at me like he actually cared about my safety.

It was nice.

“Okay, the doors and windows are all secured, so as long as no one knows you’re here, we should be fine.”

I swallowed hard as I looked up at him. Every time his eyes caught mine, my throat went dry and I forgot how to breathe. “Yeah, I don’t have a lot of people in my life, so no one will come by to check on me, if that’s what you mean.”

Garin frowned as he cocked his head. “No family? Friends?”

“No, my parents were kinda old when I was born, so they’ve both passed, and I was an only child.” I waved toward the floral sofas and drapes in the sitting room. “Hence my grandma-chic look. I haven’t bothered to redecorate.”

He looked around the room and smiled when his gaze caught on the photos lining the mantle. “Is this you?”

“Ugh. My mom was big on portraits… Even through my awkward stage.” I chuckled at that. “Not that I ever really grew out of that.”

He turned his attention away from the photos and looked right at me. “You’re anything but awkward, Nathan.”

“You can call me Nate. When I was a kid, that’s what my friends used to call me.”

“All right, Nate.” He slipped his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Is there anything you need to get done today? Errands? Chores? Lightbulbs that need to be changed.” He winked when he said that, but I could tell he was being serious.

“Sorry, but this is probably gonna be a pretty boring job. I just couldn’t trust a human to have the instincts that…well, that you have.”

His eyes locked with mine. “I’m glad to be here. I wouldn’t trust any random human with your life either.”

My breath hitched, and I could almost feel him undressing me with his eyes. Was I slicking? I sniffed to the side, testing the air as discreetly as possible, but I didn’t scent anything out of the ordinary. “Um, I do have some client work I can do. Did you bring a book or tablet or anything?”

“Yep, I can entertain myself. My day job is programming, so I can work from anywhere.” He stepped toward the window and looked out. “Did you hear something?”

“No.” I crept toward the window, standing just behind Garin as I peeked around him. “Is someone out there?”

He scanned as much of the yard as he could see from where we were standing. “Not sure, but I want to go out and double-check.” He glanced at me. “As my wolf. Will any of the neighbors be freaked out?”

I just shrugged. “I don’t really know my neighbors, but the lot is big enough that I don’t think they’ll notice if they see an exceptionally large dog running around.” I meant that as a joke, but the way Garin tilted his head and raised an eyebrow seemed like he was warning me to watch myself.

“A wolf.”

“Sorry, wolf.” I cleared my throat and took a step back when I realized I was just inches away from his chest now that he had turned to me. “You can get undressed in the kitchen and go out the back door, if you’d like. I’ll, um, wait in here.”

Garin’s lips slowly pulled into a smile. “Okay, you’re a shy bear. Noted.”

“I haven’t spent a lot of time around other shifters.” I shrugged then threw my hands up in defeat. “Like I said, my parents were old, and we don’t have any family out here. I shift a few times a year because my bear gets antsy and wants to stretch his legs, but for the most part, I’m just boring ol’ Nate.”

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