Page 17 of Claiming Xan
I smiled at him. “I’ll hold your hand, if you want.” I paired it with a wink, and to my utmost pleasure, River actuallyblushed.
“I think I can handle it,” he muttered before exiting the car.
My heart did a couple of jumping jacks and I resisted the urge to do a fist-pump. It felt like a breakthrough, but I needed to play it cool. The grumpy Alpha was so easily riled up, so I needed to let it drop and pretend it never existed.
Easier said than done.
We went inside. River balked a bit when he saw just how many humans and shifters were wandering the mall, but I looped my arm in his and led him towards one of the stores I thought he might like. A store that wasn’t my type at all.
“Alright. Start trying on clothes,” I instructed. “We have a budget, but there’s wiggle room, so get what you need. Shirts, pants, blah-de-blah. I’d be happy to help you try them on, but…” I blinked innocently up at him, but my smile was anything but.
River snorted, but the corner of his lip twitched. I saw it. “I think I got it.”
“I’ll wait here then.”
I loitered near the checkout, watching River sort through racks of clothes, holding them up to himself. And it made me wonder, what kind of a teenager had he been? Was he a jock? Did he play football? Did he run track and field? He kind of gave off those vibes sometimes, had life been a little easier on him.
Forty-five minutes later, River came back out with an armful of stuff. I brightened. “Got everything you need?”
“Pretty much. Jeans, shirts, boxers, socks. Didn’t see any shoes,” he said.
“We’ll hit the shoe store next, then.”
We checked out and I swiped Mom’s credit card. I couldn’t help but notice the way the blonde twenty-something girl at the checkout ogled River—or the way that River completely ignored her. It made me smile.
We stopped at the shoe place and River picked out a pair of nice Nike sneakers, and it seemed like our little shopping spree was over. I wasn’t ready for it to end quite yet, though.
So, “Are you hungry?” I asked, tipping my head to one side.
River huffed a laugh. “Starving, honestly.”
“We could grab lunch at the food court?” I offered. “I didn’t eat breakfast, so I’m pretty famished myself, and they have thebestJapanese food here.”
“Sounds amazing. Lead the way.”
As we headed for the food court, I caught a whiff of something familiar, a certain spiced cologne, and my stomach sank.
“Shit,” I mumbled.
“What?” He looked down at me.
“Play along,” I hissed, then grabbed River’s hand, leaning closer to him as we walked so that our arms were brushing. He seemed a little confused, but I hoped to play it off—and right in time too.
TJ spotted me from where he stood in line at Saucy’s Pizza, his face lighting up. I had to admit, I feltkind ofbad?
Abandoning his post at the pizza place, he jogged over. “Xan! Hey!” And then realization dawned on him as he spotted my hand knotted in River’s. His expression fell. “Oh. Who’s this?”
I forced a smile, noting his name badge. “Oh, hi TJ. You working today?”
“Yeah.” He didn’t sound too pleased.
I glanced up at River, then back at the human Alpha. “This is River. He’s new to Greymercy. Just joined my pack a few weeks ago, actually.”
TJ’s expression turned frosty. “You didn’t tell me you were seeing anyone,” he bit out. “That’s kind of shitty.”
“Sorry?” I tried, and failed, to sound genuine. Because I wasn’t sorry. Right now, the way TJ was acting? I was glad to have River at my side. At least I knew I was safe.
“I would’ve liked to have had a head’s up,” TJ continued, his tone sharp. “I’ve only been asking you out for weeks, but whatever. Seems I’m not your type.” He sized River up, then snorted.
