Page 14 of Tempted By the Alpha Outlaw

I can’t force myself to care.

"Pretty, isn’t she?" a voice mutters from beside me.

I glance over to see Grant—that redheaded alpha from day one—grinning at me like he’s about to say something I won’t want to hear. I tamp down the growl that churns in my chest, an instinctive response to anyone talking aboutmy woman.

Not that Magnolia’s mine.

Damn it.

“What’s it to you?” I grumble, grabbing a piece of bread from the basket in front of me.

Grant chuckles, his grin widening. “Relax, man. Just making conversation. She’s kind of hard not to notice, you know? Got that whole ‘everybody loves me’ thing going on.”

I grunt, noncommittal, but the way his grin softens catches my attention. He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms loosely over his chest. “Maggie’s special. Golden girl around here, you know? Kids adore her, people light up when she comes around…even Frankie’s got a soft spot for her, though she’d never admit it.”

I glance at him sideways, not sure where he’s going with this. “What’s your point?”

Grant raises his hands in mock surrender. “Just saying, she’s the kind of person people look out for. The pack…they’d go to war for her if it came down to it.”

His words settle in my chest like a weight, but I don’t let it show. “She’s lucky, then.”

He shrugs. “Sure. But Maggie’s no damsel in distress. She’s tough in her own way—doesn’t take crap from anyone.” He pauses, a lopsided grin pulling at his mouth. “I learned that the hard way.”

That gets my attention. I glance at him, narrowing my eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Grant chuckles. “First couple weeks I was here, I thought, ‘Hey, she’s sweet, she’s single, why not try my luck?’ So, I did.” He glances at me, his grin widening. “Didn’t even make it past the first conversation. She shut me down so fast, I think I got whiplash.”

I raise an eyebrow, not quite able to picture it. “What’d you say?”

He winces, a little self-deprecating. “Something dumb, probably. Tried to charm her. Maggie? She just gave me this look. Not angry, not annoyed—just…like she saw right through me. Like she knew I wasn’t serious.”

I let out a low snort, trying not to look too interested. “And?”

Grant laughs, shaking his head. “And that was it. She was polite about it—Maggie’s always polite—but it was clear as day. She’s not the kind of woman you mess around with unless you mean it.”

“Good to know.”

Grant leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Look, I’m not trying to scare you off or anything. Just…Maggie’s the heart of this place. People notice when she smiles, but they notice even more when something bothers her. You’d be smart to remember that.”

I glance at him, his tone catching me off guard. For all his obnoxiousness, there’s a sincerity to his words that throws me off balance.

“Appreciate the advice,” I say after a beat, keeping my voice neutral.

Grant grins, the moment of seriousness fading as he leans back in his chair. “No problem. But hey, good luck. You’re gonna need it.”

I grunt, not dignifying that with a response. He turns back to the conversation on his other side, and I’m left with my thoughts—and my gaze, which keeps drifting back to Magnolia. She’s laughing at something one of her friends said, her whole face lighting up with that warm, easy smile of hers.

She’s good.Toogood.

It makes me want her even more.

I grit my teeth, forcing myself to look away. I focus instead on the old man sitting to my right, his weathered hands reaching for a cup of tea.

The man’s wristwatch catches my eye. It’s simple, an old leather band with a scratched face, but it’s functional. The kind of thing I could use. My fingers twitch at the thought, the familiar pull of an opportunity too good to pass up.

The guilt hits me before I even move. It’s small, but it’s there, annoying the hell out of me.

Bad habits are hard to break.

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