Page 59 of Rejected Bullied Mate

Scott leaned back in his chair, giving me a look. "You've changed, Sam. What happened to you?"

I looked between the two of them, shrugging. "Maybe I grew up. Maybe I got tired of being a jerk. But I know what I want for my pack, and I don't see the harm in trying to improve things."

They exchanged a look. "I'll consider it," Joe said finally, and Scott nodded.

"Yeah, let me mull it over."

"For the time being," Joe crossed his arms, looking us over. “Let’s focus on what we can do right now. We’ll keep an eye on the new pack and keep our alliances strong. We can observe how Samson changes his pack, and decide from there what is right for ours."

It was a small victory. I hadn't really started to change until I'd claimed my Omega, and maybe it wouldn't be clear to them until they did the same. But I would prove myself. My pack would grow strong and happy; the other Alphas would see it. They'd see that things could not only change but also change for the better.

***

That evening, Kiera finally made good on her demand to plan a date for us. Honestly, it sounded...boring as hell, but she was excited, and I was happy to humor her.

It turned out to be better than I had anticipated. Her hand was warm in mine as we strolled through the farmer's market, and her joy was infectious. She took me to every booth, pointing out her favorite produce, cheese, wine, and everything else under the sun.

She got giddy over a booth that sold homemade goat milk soaps and lotions, picking up bar after bar and smelling them.

"Do you smell that? It smells like vanilla!" She held up a small brown bar of soap to my nose. "I love vanilla."

I sniffed it dutifully, but it just smelled like soap to me. But I saw the way her face lit up when she smelled it, and I knew I'd buy it for her if it made her happy.

Once we'd acquired the bag of vanilla goat soap, she moved on to another booth, this one filled with handmade jewelry. The woman running it smiled warmly at Kiera. "Welcome, welcome. Looking for anything in particular?"

"Oh, no. Just browsing." Kiera picked up a silver pendant with a blue crystal set in the middle. "This is beautiful."

"You should get it." I put my hands on her hips, pulling her back against my chest. "It would look good on you."

Kiera leaned into me, letting me hold her. "It's pretty, but I don't really need it."

"Doesn't matter. I want you to have it." I took it from her hand, walking over to the merchant. "We'll take it."

The merchant smiled. "Excellent choice. Do you want a bag, sir?"

I nodded, handing the woman a few bills and taking the small brown paper bag from her. I turned back to Kiera, handing it to her. "It's yours."

Kiera looked at me with wonder in her eyes, and I had the briefest urge to just buy her the whole damned market, if it would make her keep looking at me like that.

We bought food for dinner, grass-fed steaks, a wooden puzzle for Kit, and two bottles of blackberry wine. Afterward, we walked along the beach, taking the long way back to the parking lot. The sun was setting, painting the world in burnt oranges, pinks, and reds.

"You know, this was perfect." Kiera squeezed my hand, smiling up at me. "Thank you for letting me take the wheel.”

"You're welcome." I put my arm around her shoulders, holding her close to me. "I've enjoyed it, too."

"I really love the necklace." She fingered the pendant, smiling. "You're so sweet for buying it for me."

I kissed the top of her head, grinning. "It's nothing."

She stopped suddenly, putting her hands on my chest. "It's not nothing. You're...so different from how I always thought you were. You're so kind to me, and I've never been treated like this before."

I leaned down to kiss her lips, loving the way she swayed into me. "I'm always going to take such good care of you, Kiera."

She shivered, a small smile curling her lips. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Good. But you have to be patient with me." I swept a thumb over her cheekbone. "I'm trying, but...you have to know that I don't usually do this. I don't let people in. I don't show weakness."

"I know. I'm just...really glad you're here. You're...I...." Kiera sucked in a breath, turning to me fully, "I love you, Samson."

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