Page 16 of Claiming Xan
She didn’t trust River. We’d had conversations about it, even though River had been working for her in the veterinary office since he’d first arrived in Greymercy. He’d been doing a good job too. Even Mom agreed that River was a good employee who worked hard and didn’t skimp on the details, but she still didn’t trust him.
Not around me, anyway.
She’d have to get over it eventually, though. River wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was I. Besides, I was enjoying getting to know the growly, grumpy Alpha.
Even if he was kind of a hot mess.
I swung into the kitchen Saturday morning, the scent of coffee strong in the air. “Mmm, come to Papi,” I half-moaned as I poured myself a big mug and doctored it up, nice and sweet.
Mom sat at the table, reading something on her phone. Her reading glasses had slipped down her nose, and the dishes in front of her—presumably from breakfast—were empty.
I slid into the chair across from her and took a noisy slurp. Thankfully, the coffee wasn’t too hot. Scalding my tongue was never fun, but I always liked to annoy her a little.
It got her attention, though. Her gaze flicked up to pin me with a stare. She hated it when I chewed with my mouth open or slurped drinks or soups. It drove her crazy. That’s why I did it.
I grinned at her from behind my mug. “Morning, Mom,” I said cheerily. “How are you this fine Saturday?”
“I was just peachy untilsomeonerudely interrupted me,” she retorted dryly, and I laughed. She rolled her eyes. “I’d offer to make you breakfast, but you’re capable of frying up a pan of eggs.”
I pouted at her. “So mean.”
“That’s me. Mama Mean.”
“Speaking of…” I waved a hand in the direction of River’s bedroom. His door was closed, and I assumed he was still asleep—that, or he just didn’t feel like socializing. I couldn’t really blame him. We’d set up a TV in there, so maybe he was watching Saturday morning cartoons? “River needs clothes.”
“He has clothes,” Mom replied curtly.
I held up my hand. “Actual clothes, ones that fit him, not the pack’s hand-me-downs. I’m off today. I can take him to the mall, and we can do a little shopping.”
“Xan—”
“Mom. Stop,” I said, my voice sharper than I’d intended it to be. “He’s not going to hurt me. When are you going to trust me to take care of myself?” I frowned. “Believe it or not, I’m a careful person. I carry mace everywhere I go. If he freaks out, I’ll mace him and drag him home by the collar, and then you can tell me how stupid I am, but not before then. I’m almost twenty-one. I’man adult. I think I can handle taking a single Alpha to the mall and back.”
She stared at me, long and hard, before relenting with a sigh. “Be careful? Please?”
“I’m always careful.” I flashed a bright smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine.”
Later, on the drive to the mall with River in the passenger seat of my Chevy, he turned to me and casually said, “So, you’re gonna mace me, huh?”
I grimaced. Shit. “Oh, you heard all that?”
River shrugged. “I have exceptional senses.”
“I mean, technically, yeah. If you wolf out and go rogue, I’ll mace you and drag you home before you hurt anyone,” I told him. “Do I think you’re going to do that? No. You’re not a monster, River.”
River stared at me, those bi-colored eyes strikingly eerie, but they weren’t as hard as usual. Not the cut-glass sharpness I was becoming accustomed to, but…gentler, somehow. “You sure about that?”
I just smiled. “Pretty sure, yeah. I mean, you already told me you aren’t a serial killer, so…” That earned me a chuckle. “Mom’s a worry-wart, that’s all. I’m the baby of the family. The only pup who hasn’t left the nest to start a family of his own. She’s protective of me.”
I flipped my turn signal on and turned into the lot, perusing for a parking spot before picking one pretty close to the entrance, near the food court. I put the car in park and killed the engine, then turned to him.
“Now, let’s shop till we drop.”
River groaned and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Great.”
“Not excited?” I asked.
“Not exactly. It’s just that I…” He seemed to struggle to find the words. “I haven’t been in a crowd of people since high school.”
