Page 66 of Stealthy as a Wolf

“Maggie—”

“No.” Her face hardened, an obstinate look entering her eyes. “No one goes out alone.”

As much as I wanted to argue with her about it, she was right. We needed to be smart. “While those three might be on the news, I have no doubt the people who want Matty dead are aware that we were also involved by now. You showed up missing at the same time the three of them disappeared, and enough time has passed that the van must have been discovered at my cabin.”

A cute little furrow appeared between her brows. “I don’t understand. Why has no one reported us, then?”

Matty was the one who answered, his expression grim. “They’re hoping you’ll be spotted and lead them back to us.”

Maggie flinched like she’d been struck, and I clenched my hands into fists as a wave of helplessness swept over me. If I thought I could get away with it, I would wrap her in cotton and stash her somewhere safe until all this was over.

Like she was reading my thoughts, the stubborn female plopped her hands on her hips and glared up at me in defiance. It made me want to put her over my knee and kiss the look off her face at the same time.

And like any besotted male, I gave in to what she wanted without a fight. I would save her goodwill for when I really needed it. “Fine. We’ll go shopping, but you have to follow my rules. You have to promise to do whatever I say without arguing.”

“Deal.” Maggie bounced on her feet, flashing me a triumphant grin over her shoulder as she headed toward the door, like she was afraid I might change my mind if we didn’t leave now. “Let’s go!”

I followed her slowly, taking in her shapely curves, my senses sharpening with the need to keep my mate safe. I was an alpha. If anyone thought to harm her on my watch, I would rip out their heart before they had a chance to touch even a single hair on her head.

The real problem was figuring out how I was going to protect her against an unknown enemy without killing everyone who even glanced sideways at my gorgeous mate.

Chapter Nineteen

MAGGIE

When Grady parked the vehicle, I took a deep breath to center myself. The first rule of hiding without getting caught is to hide in plain sight. The more suspicious your behavior, the more attention you attract.

So when I stepped out of the van, I casually scanned the area, then headed toward the grocery store. Grady fell into step beside me, his arm coming to settle naturally around my waist. I stiffened for a second, not used to being touched so casually…until his natural scent of pine needles and rum soaked into my senses, and I snuggled against him.

It almost felt like we were a real couple.

When we reached the grocery store, Grady smoothly slipped around me and quickly opened the door. I raised an eyebrow, charmed by the romantic gesture, unable to hide my smile.

I headed toward the carts, placed my hands on the bar just as Grady came up behind me. His arms came to settle around me, his hands on either side of mine, and the warmth of him seeped into me as he nuzzled my neck.

“Allow me,” he whispered into my ear, the husky tone of his voice making me squirm. While I was distracted, he kissed my neck, then gently nudged me aside. He pulled out the cart, coming to stop beside me, giving me a quick peck on the cheek. “You lead, and I’ll follow.”

It was a vow, and my heart went all aflutter.

Feeling foolish, unsure how to react, I began wandering blindly down the first aisle…and Grady dutifully followed. I glanced repeatedly behind me, unable to figure out what was bothering me. Part of it was the sensation of being followed—it put me on edge—but the bigger part was it just felt wrong. I stopped suddenly, then turned and pointed to the spot next to me. “I don’t want you to follow me, I want you beside me.”

A breathtaking smile crossed his face, those damned dimples making my breath catch, and he didn’t waste a second taking his spot at my side. Instead of acting like a bored husband, he strutted at my side like it was a position of honor, and it warmed my heart.

Walking the aisles, filling the cart, felt very domestic.

And being part of a couple was a novel sensation. The more things we added to the cart, the more comfortable I became in my role…especially when I studied the items he selected.

Why was I not surprised to see the alpha filling the cart with raw meat until it was nearly full?

I raised an amused brow at his choices, but he only flashed me an unrepentant smile. “A growing boy has to eat.”

I didn’t know why, but his choice of words caused heat to climb up my neck, and I quickly ducked my head. When I heard him chuckle, I realized he was flirting with me, and I stiffened.

He immediately picked up on my emotions, a frown darkening his face. We only went a few more steps before he stopped and snagged my arm, pulling me to a halt. “I made you uncomfortable.”

Remorse thickened his voice, and I immediately felt worse. “No, it’s not that…”

I trailed off, not wanting to admit the truth.

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