Page 12 of The Alpha

Kwaku grinned. “Yes. Dat. Until den, stay calm. You do not want to frighten her when we bring her to you.”

Melvale gripped the bars. “No. Never.” He gave them a pleading look. “What did I do? Did she see me?”

“No,” Kwaku said. “She saw de Alpha, if she saw any ting at all.”

He closed his eyes. “Creator help me.”

When he opened them, Kwaku smiled. “I have no doubt He will.”

Melvale rested his forehead against the bars. “Promise me something.”

“What?” Kitty asked.

He looked at her, then Kwaku. “Don’t let me hurt anyone. I couldn’t stand the thought of hurting any of you.”

“We know,” Zara said. She closed the distance between them and put a hand over one of his. “You will have an easier time of it once you and the Alpha side of you are balanced.”

He sighed and looked at her. “You know I’ll kill anything that moves, even when I am balanced.”

“Only if your mate is threatened or injured,” she reminded him.

“Or sick,” he added, staring through the bars. “Don’t forget that part.”

“What?” Kitty said with wide eyes.

Zara gave her a sage nod. “An Alpha’s mate is everything to him. As it is with his Beta and Enforcer and their mates. Their mates are special. They balance them perfectly. But for a Muiraran Alpha, his mate becomes his heart.”

Kitty crossed her arms and rested her weight on her right foot. “I don’t get it. Won’t they have a shared heart like every Muiraran couple?”

“No, little treasure,” Kwaku said. “For an Alpha, his mate is a living heart.”

Kitty’s eyes went wide. “Oh. My. Gawwwsh. You mean… she is a physical form of his second heart? Sort of like when Markhel’s heart shifts into a lion? But… Maida doesn’t shift.”

“An Alpha’s mate controls the shift, not Melvale,” Zara said. “He will shift based on her.”

Kitty’s eyes widened further. “So, he’ll shift into whatever she thinks of?”

“It is more complicated than that,” Zara answered. “But that’s one way of putting it.”

“Wow,” Kitty breathed. “I hope she doesn’t watch a lot of monster movies or anything. I’d hate to see Melvale shift into Godzilla.”

One of Melvale’s eyebrows shot up. “Don’t even suggest such a thing.”

Kwaku eyed Melvale and smiled. “We shall see what happens when we retrieve her. In de mean time, Time Keeper, accept our humble apologies for your accommodations. But de sooner we fetch her de better.”

Melvale nodded in understanding and waved them toward the door. “Hurry then. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to hold him back.”

Kwaku approached the bars. “Your Alpha is strong, but do not be afraid of him. He is a part of you dat has been dereall along.” He turned on his heel and left the room, Zara right behind him.

Kitty gave him one last look. “I’d better go see if they need me. Don’t worry, Kwaku and Dallan will bring her to you.”

He nodded. “Yes, and then what?”

She gave him a heartfelt look. “You fall in love, you big goof.”

He smiled. “Thank you, Kitty.”

She smiled back and left him to his thoughts.

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