Page 43 of Alpha's Choice
I loved how he didn’t pressure me, not asking for more than I was ready to give him. He could have swept me along and taken everything, but he seemed to sense I wasn’t there yet. Or maybe he didn’t trust his wolf not to mark me if we took it further. Either way, it just deepened my feelings for him as we lay in the afterglow of pleasuring each other.
CHAPTER21
Emma
I wandered the aisles in the library, trying to find the section on mate bonds. I continued visiting Jenny for days, but she refused to come to the door, and when I stopped by earlier today, Helen told me I was no longer needed.
If Jenny were doing okay, I wouldn’t be so worried, but she was staying holed up in her house and I saw the shadows in her mother’s eyes. Louisa taught me about the stages of grief for a werewolf and isolation was a bad sign. They needed the community of the pack to survive.
I stopped when I saw a book titledFinding Your Mate: A Guide to Everlasting Love.I scanned the shelves and pulled out a thick book with the titleAll About the Mate Bond,flipping to the table of contents.
It contained everything from how to recognize a mate to rejection to completing the bond. I put the book to the side. I wanted to read it, but it wasn’t what I needed right now.
Then I found what I wanted.Surviving Loss.The volume was slim, but I hoped it would give me some answers. I took my books to a table and began to read.
“What are you doing here?”
I looked up and saw Megan. Her hand was on her hip, and she had a cart of books in front of her like the kind librarians used to re-shelve books.
“Doing research.” I held up the notebook I was using to take notes. “I didn’t know you worked in the library.”
She peered down at the book I was reading. “What kind of research?”
I resisted pointing out it wasn’t any of her business. Maybe she could help me find more resources. “I’m worried about Jenny Brown. She’s isolating herself from the pack and I want to help her.”
Megan gave me a sharp look. “Why do you care?”
“I bonded with her wolf when Tobias and I told her about Neil. It’s why your mother didn’t take over with her. I feel responsible for her well-being.”
I showed her the book I was reading. “This was the only one I found on the topic. Are there any more?”
“I can ask the librarian, but it’s not a topic wolves like to think about.”
“They should.” Maybe it was something I could put together after I finished researching. “Fewer wolves might be lost if they did.”
Her gaze on me was softer and more considering now. “I’ll see what I can find.”
Within an hour, I had a stack of books. None covered the exact topic, but Megan and the librarian thought they might be helpful. I checked them out and headed back to the apartment to read.
* * *
Tobias
I felt foolish carrying a bouquet of roses through the packhouse, but Emma had struggled this week and I wanted to cheer her up. Jenny refused to see her all week, and I knew it was weighing on her.
I entered the apartment and saw Emma engrossed in a book at the dining table. I snuck up behind her and held the bouquet in front of her. She startled but gave a quick gasp of pleasure at the sight of the flowers.
“They’re beautiful.” She tilted her head back to look at me. I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on her nose. She grinned.
“Are you ready for the pack run tonight?” I moved to the kitchen to get a vase for the flowers. At least I hoped I had a vase. I should have bought one with the flowers.
“I suppose.” She was quiet as she studied the roses, leaning in to sniff them. “Do you think Jenny will be there?”
I grabbed a water pitcher and filled it. It would have to do. I carried it to the table. “Here. For the flowers.”
She put the flowers in the pitcher. “The pack run will help her, right?”
I sat on a chair and pulled her onto my lap. “I have news about Jenny.”
