Page 13 of The Alpha's Heart

“You’re lying.”

My heart jumps. “What?”

His brow furrows, a slight frown curving his lips downward. “You’re frightened of me right now, Sofia. Aren’t you?”

Crap.

Another thing thing I forgot. Because it never would’ve occurred to me to lie to Kendall, I forgot that Alphas have a unique gift. If a weaker packmate is lying to them, they can tell.

Am I afraid of him? I was before. No denying that. But if I was so afraid, would I have invited him into the bed with me? Would I be fighting my instincts to crawl over to him and turn his nest into ours?

But I can’t. At the very least, I still have my pride. Crawling to a male who might not ever give me the bite that will make me his forever mate?

I’m staying over here.

He takes my silence as confirmation that Iamafraid, and I don’t correct him. “Take the bed. It’s yours now.”

An Alpha provides for his packmates, even if he goes without—or sleeps on the floor.

“You’re really going to sleep over there?” I ask, feeling even bolder than before.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Ma’am. I’m two years older than him, his intended mate,half-naked in his bed, and the Alpha of the Sylvan Pack just ma’am-ed me.

“I give you my word. You’re safe here. You’re safe with me.”

And if he’s anything like me, nothing will stop him from keeping it.

He folds his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling while I look down at him across the room. “Get some sleep, Sofia. Tomorrow I introduce my intended mate to the rest of the pack.”

Because he’s going to do it. He said he would. He’s going to make me his mate.

Just not tonight.

Hickory isn’t sodifferent from River Run.

That’s my impression over my first few days in my new pack. Though the scents are new and overwhelming my poor wolf, and I miss the splash of the river carrying on the October breeze, the way Bishop’s pack is established is pretty similar. Like my birth pack, my pack by future mating is protected by its own natural border. On the weaker side, where our Alpha is our first line of defense against any threat, is the Alpha’s cabin where I stay with Bishop. It has a den, too, and I’m quickly becoming familiar with that room most of all since my intended insists I spent my time there, seeing how his pack ticks.

It doesn’t take long for me to figure out that I won’t be able to return to teaching. Being a teacher was my identity back in River Run, and I love educated young packmates, but being the Alpha’s mate is a full-time position I’m discovering. True, I feel a pang in my chest about that every time I think about what I’velost, but how will I find the time? I’ve only been here a little more than a week and already most of my time is spent with Bishop, learning the ropes and seeing firsthand just how much an Alpha is responsible for.

More importantly, he wants me to know what he expects from me—and unlike my super wrong first impression, it’s not just sex.

That’s why we spend most of our time in the den, not the other rooms in the cabin. The way Bishop sees it, if I’m going to be the Alpha female for the Sylvan Pack, he wants me to offer my input on any of the concerns his packmates bring to him. Same for when he meets with his Beta, or any of the higher-ranked shifters. Once we’re bonded, I’ll be up there with him. And though I know there are some Alphas who prefer to keep their mates tucked away instead of helping them lead, it’s pretty clear that Bishop is more than happy to have me at his side.

In the den, at least. In the cabin where we’re supposed to forge our relationship and set a foundation for our mating? He’s very, very careful in the way he treats me. After that awkward first night when he gruffly made it clear he was going to rush me into anything now that I’ve agreed to be his intended, we’re more colleagues than future mates.

It’s not for a lack of attraction. I can feel his need for me humming like an electrical wire, skittering down our bond whenever he thinks I’m not paying attention. If only he knew that I’malwaysaware of him. His size. His power. His strength. Luna, that sexy beard of his, that deep rumble, and that look in his eye that tells me that he’s imagining me in his bed even as he stubbornly refuses to share it with me just yet.

At first, my wolf was terrified of his. It’s a normal reaction when facing an Alpha, especially one that I’ve never met before. I’m used to Kendall and he still had my wolf whining deep in my chest. Seeing Bishop in person, being surrounded by hisdominant aura… I was scared, yes, but the more I’m growing accustomed to being in his presence, the more I have to admit that I’m desperately attracted to him, too.

It’s a start. At least the Luna knew what she was doing there. I can’t remember the last time I was so drawn to a wolf, and whether it’s because I feel like I can let my guard down a little, knowing he’s my fated mate… it doesn’t matter. Regardless of that, I made my promise. I’m going to be Bishop Dupuis’s fated mate the next time the moon is full.

And I believe that until about a week into my stay in Hickory…

I’m not too disappointed when Bishop leads me to the outdoor pack circle where communal meals are offered and eaten. One perk about relocating to Louisiana? Even in October, the weather is nice enough for us to spend the time out in nature instead of being cooped up inside. I’ve even traded some of my sweaters for long-sleeved, loose blouses, and though the humidity is giving my long hair a hint of a wave it didn’t have back east, I don’t have to fight the urge to hide inside my new cabin.

I can’t. As the future mate to their Alpha, the pack needs to get used to me as much as I have to get to know them. Seeing me at mealtimes helps, as does my presence in the den when Bishop is meeting with them. By the time we’ll have our Luna Ceremony, he wants me to be fully accepted by the Sylvan Pack. He might notsaythat, but Bishop… he doesn’t say much at all. My intended is definitely the strong, silent type.

---