Page 4 of Tempted By the Alpha Outlaw

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MAGNOLIA

Something’s coming.

I feel it in the way the air hums, charged with an energy that wasn’t there yesterday.

But right now, I’m just trying not to let my littlest sister knock me flat on my back.

“Gotcha!” Lucy yelps, springing up from her crouch behind a chair and lunging at me. Her hands catch my waist, tickling relentlessly, and her laughter peals through the community center like bells.

“Lucy!” I gasp, twisting away and grabbing her by the wrists. “That’s not fair! You’re too fast!”

“You’re too slow,” she says, sticking her tongue out before bolting toward the corner where a few other kids are building a precarious tower out of blocks.

“Easy on the furniture!” I call after her..

The room is alive with motion—bare feet slapping against the smooth floor, little paws skidding as shifted pups chase each other in dizzying circles. Sunlight streams through the high windows, catching on dust motes that swirl lazily in the air. It smells like home: warm bread from the kitchen, roasting vegetables…pack.

My pack.

A giggle from behind me has me turning just in time to see a pair of twins trying to balance on top of each other, one kid’s arms wrapped precariously around the other’s shoulders. I step forward, scooping the top twin off before they can topple.

“Nice try, you two,” I say, setting him on his feet. “But let’s save the acrobatics for outside, okay?”

“Sorry, Miss Maggie,” they chime in unison, flashing gap-toothed smiles.

Miss Maggie.That’s who I am here: the teacher, the caretaker, the one everyone looks to when they need a steady hand.

But sometimes, late at night when the den is quiet, I wonder who I am beyond that.

The feeling’s back now, pressing at the edges of my thoughts. A restlessness, a tug low in my stomach, like something—or someone—is waiting just out of reach. I shake it off, crouching to help a little girl gather her scattered crayons. “Dinner soon, everyone,” I call, earning a chorus of disappointed groans. “Put your toys away.”

I rise, brushing my hands off on my dress, and that’s when I smell it.

A new scent.

It’s faint, but unmistakable, threading through the warm air like a whispered secret. It’s not the woodsmoke and wildflowers of the den—it’s…metallic, dangerous.

An alpha.

A stranger.

My wolf stirs, ears pricked, a low growl rumbling in the back of my mind.

Yeah…something’s coming, alright.

My instincts leave me unsettled, and I gather the kids around me. “Alright, everyone—time to go find your families and settle in for dinner, okay?”

“But Miss Maggie!” one of the kids whines. “It's still early?—”

“I know, honey, but I have a feeling the Prime might have an announcement for us tonight, ‘kay?” I scoop up Lucy, my little sister craning her neck toward the door. “Now let's get to it! Come on!”

The kids groan again, dragging their feet as they scatter toward their parents or head off in small packs toward the dining tables. Lucy squirms in my arms, her energy boundless, even at the end of the day.

“Maggie, do you think it’s about the new person?” she asks, her voice bright with curiosity.

“What new person?” I try to keep my tone light, even as my heart skips.

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