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Alpha Picked 31
*** Helen ***I have my baby back home with me and I feel like I can start moving forward with my life. After Manzitti leaves, I contact a solicitor to start formal divorce proceedings and I also call my mother. I need her support right now and although it pains me that I have to ask her to support me, I do it anyway.Her moving to the south of France to be with her latest husband has caused a physical and emotional distance between us and although we were never best friends, we had been close as mother and daughter. I need my mum right now, I need someone to tell me everything is going to be okay, and to help me with my child.“Oh, hello Helen, I meant to call you just last week but I got distracted. How are you and Summer and Alan doing?” My mother’s overly sunny reply feels saccharine sweet, but I push that to one side for now.“Mum, I need you! Please can you come and stay with me for a little while?” I hate the neediness in my voice, I haven’t needed my mother since I was a small
Alpha Picked 32
*** Manzitti ***I settle on my bed before I call Helen. It’s our first phone call as a dating couple and excitement bubbles up in my stomach. I have condemned other men for behaving like this but now that I have found my mate, I will never chastise them ever again because the feeling is immense. I am falling for her.I tap her photo in my phone, and revel at the beauty that will be mine and I send a little message of thanks to the almighty Moon Goddess. She had made me wait but they say the best things are worth waiting for. Only when I’m finished admiring her do I press the call button.I feel genuine nerves for the first time in my life as I wonder what I should say to her? The line rings twice before Helen answers.“Hey, Shortie, did you miss me?” Fuck! I am so lame, why didn’t I just say ‘hey, how are you doing’ or just play it casually?However, I feel like my dreams are coming true when she answers me. “I miss you more than I could ever tell you, Manzitti.”I let out a massive
Alpha Picked 33
*** Helen ***“Tell me about your family,” I ask him as my first question. I already know he has a sister, Slayne, but I wonder about the rest of his family.“Well, you’ve met my sister Slayne, she is my only sibling. My father, Former Alpha John Goldrick, lives on the border of our land with his chosen mate. I believe they will start a family of their own soon. And I suppose my pack is the rest of my family, we are all connected in some way. Now, I want you to answer the same question.”I notice he doesn’t mention his mother, which makes me curious. “I have very little family: there is me and Summer, as you know, and my mother lives in the south of France with her sixth husband. What about your mother, Manzitti?” The line goes quiet until I hear him sigh.“I don’t know much about my mother, she walked out on the family when we were young and we haven’t heard from her since then. She rejected my father and weakened him as Alpha, but she was never a warm person. She wasn’t loving like
Alpha Picked 34
“Did Papa tell you why he chose this ring, Ale? Did he tell you the story behind it?”I shake my head; he had just said Sal would know the message from her father and I didn’t question further.“When Yaya (Nan) died, she left the ring to me, but Papa said it was too precious for a small girl since I might lose it. I insisted Yaya had left it to me and it was my responsibility. Within three days I had lost it, and I wailed like a banshee. I accused people of stealing it, I thought my papa had secretly taken it and hidden it away. I had every drawer out, I searched every nook and cranny trying to find the ring, but it was nowhere to be found.”I can picture her tearing the house apart, her face red with frustration.“I was dHelenstated. I loved my yaya and her parting gift to me was now lost because of my pig-headedness and my aversion to trusting others. My father said there was a lesson in everything that we go through and that I should trust the people who love me to have my best int
Alpha Picked 35
*** Helen ***I don’t feel comfortable leaving Summer after everything that’s happened, so when Manzitti starts planning some big elaborate date for us, I apologise and tell him now isn’t the best time because I don’t want to leave my baby just yet. “Look, Shortie, I don’t give a shit what we do, I just want to spend some time with you. How about we have dinner and a game or a movie at your place once the little one is asleep? We can talk and get to know one another, and I am sure we have another seventeen questions left in our game!” So that settles it, we will have dinner and continue our game in my home while Summer sleeps upstairs. Manzitti says he will bring dessert and wine and I agree to cook the main dish. I have spoken to my mother, and she is arriving the day after tomorrow so if Manzitti were to stay over, he would have to leave early. I cannot believe I am casually contemplating the possibility of Manzitti staying over. He has agreed to take things slow, but him staying
Alpha Picked 36
*** Manzitti *** Helen looks amazing. She has a black dress on that scoops low, showing me her ample bosom, and then it has a full skirt giving her a beautiful hour-glass frame. I have been hard for her since I clapped eyes on her and it’s not just a physical reaction. I love her mannerisms, the way she gets flustered when she is nervous, the way her eyes get bright when she’s being playful. I love the red on her cheeks and the way she looks down when she is feeling unsure. I am falling in love with her and it's scary and yet empowering too. I am scared to love her, and she is scared to be physical with me. So, if Helen can be brave and face her fears then I will too; besides, I don’t think I have much choice. I couldn’t begrudge her my love and I don’t think I stand a cat in hell's chance of withholding it either. She has made a delicious meal and I mean to ask if she enjoys cooking, but I am so distracted by her pink lips and the lingering sweet scent of her arousal. After dinne
Alpha Picked 37
*** Ivan *** As the Alpha goes into his mate’s home, I take his car and drive to the border of our lands as agreed. He will call when he intends to leave so I may resume my watch. My wolf, Zack, senses that Slayne is near and whimpers in pain. Shift and let me talk to Lizzie, she will listen to us. I think about it, and I don’t think this is breaking my word to Slayne. It's Zack who will be presenting himself and if she decides to shift too, well, that’s her choice. I quickly undress before shifting into my wolf form and shake out my fur before handing control to Zack. Behave or I won’t let you take control again, Zack! I tell him firmly. Yeah, yeah, human, be quiet it’s my turn now to turn on the charm. I groan as I am pushed to the recess of Zack's subconscious. I can see and hear everything, but I am powerless to control anything he does now until he hands the reins back to me. I have to trust him. I know he loves Slayne and Lizzie as much as I do, and I know this separation h
Alpha Picked 38
*** Slayne *** I can’t feel Lizzie anymore. She has been whimpering but now she is silent, I can’t feel her presence within me, and I am scared. I need Ivan back. I need to see him, not his wolf. I need to tell him everything that I feel for him. I have never told him how much he means to me because I thought if I didn’t acknowledge it, it would hurt less when he left. For the longest time, I thought that him leaving was inevitable. The mate bond did not keep my mother here, why would it keep Ivan here, tethered to me, the girl no-one had stuck around for? Except he has, despite the fact that I am a fucked-up mess, despite the fact that I hurt him and failed to give him anything, he stayed until I pushed him so far away it was threatening to destroy him. I have never allowed him in, never allowed him to get too comfortable. I have never even told him how much I love him. I am such an idiot, because I do love him. I have loved him for the longest time, but my fear forced me to hide
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Alpha Picked 79
FANEI grabbed another crate of flowers and put them in the cooler. The door to the shop opened and Thorne walked in carrying two more.“Where do you want these?”“Are those the daffodils or the baby’s breath?” I asked.He glanced inside the crate and made a face. “This one is baby’s breath, and this one looks like curly twigs.”I laughed. “They’re curly willow tips.” I pointed to where Liv stood at another cooler. “Let Liv have them. They go in that one.”He walked her way, and I stared at him, still blown away that he was mine. It had only been two weeks since the night at my apartment when I asked him to stay after everything with Brooks happened, but it felt like we’d always been together. There was an ease with Thorne I had never felt with Brooks.Life was magical with him.Liv took the crates from Thorne, and then I noticed her checking her watch. That had to be the tenth time in the last few minutes. When she chewed the inside of her cheek—her telltale sign she was nervous—I kn
Alpha Picked 78
THORNE Nadine had asked me to stay the night, which was more confirmation she wasn’t freaked out by my wolf. This meant everything. My wolf vibrated with triumph. He’d expected things to go this smoothly, though.After all, he had already known she was his mate.He also had high hopes for what would happen between us tonight, and as I walked up the stairs to her apartment, I growled at him mentally. Nothing would happen tonight. Not unless Fane initiated it. She’d been through a lot and I would push for nothing.When we reached her front door, she glanced at me and smiled. I caught sight of the purple bruise shading her cheek and any sexual thoughts fled my mind and my wolf’s.My vision tunneled, and red rage flared through me instead.My teeth gritted together as I tried my damnedest to force my anger away, reminding myself she was safe, and that there was no way Brooks would ever hurt her again. It didn’t help.“What?” she asked, innocently.“You need ice,” I said. “Let’s head ins
Alpha Picked 77
FANE Either Brooks had passed out or he was being really quiet. Goose bumps prickled across my skin, but not in a good way. I gripped my cell tight and shifted my gaze from window to window. Thankfully, my apartment was above my sister’s garage and not at ground level, which meant there was no way for Brooks to climb through any of the back windows. If he got inside, it would be through either of the two windows alongside the front door or through the door itself.Even knowing this, my anxiety was still through the roof.I’d never seen Brooks like this before. Typically, he was controlled while in the public eye, and he rarely let himself get this drunk unless we were home. My heart beat triple time against my ribs, becoming the only thing I could hear. Until the sound of a motorcycle broke through everything.Thorne.Tension melted from my muscles, and my grip on my cell loosened. I pulled in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, glad he was here. When it sounded as though he’d pulle
Alpha Picked 76
THORNE We walked to where we parked by the light of Fane’s flashlight on her phone. I didn’t need it, but I didn’t say so. Thanks to my wolf, I could see just fine in the dark.As soon as we reached her car, she spun around to face me and I knew what words were building on the tip of her tongue.“Nope,” I said with a shake of my head. “I don’t want to hear you say you’re sorry for the things that happened tonight or thank you to me again.”She smiled. Damn, she was pretty when she smiled.“Okay, so what do you want to hear me say, then?” she asked, and I swore she was flirting with me.I liked this side of her. This flirty, confident side that came out from time to time.It was sexy as hell.I took her hand and brought it to my lips, kissing along her knuckles while staring into her eyes. Her pupils dilated and my wolf picked up on a light scent of arousal. He released a howl and urged me to kiss her like before. I didn’t. A kiss on the hand was what she needed right now.Someone to b
Alpha Picked 75
FANE When Thorne pulled into a gas station, I assumed it was because he needed gas for his motorcycle, but when he parked in a space instead of at a pump, I realized that wasn’t the case. I pulled into the parking space beside him, wondering what we were doing here.“I’m heading inside for something. Be right back,” he said, sliding off his bike, looking sexy as hell.I leaned against my seat and exhaled a slow breath while watching him walk inside. This day had been a roller coaster. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as my thoughts drifted from one moment to another. I glanced at my wrist. It was still wrapped like Thorne suggested. While it was tender to the touch, I was glad I’d gone through with covering up Brooks’ name. I wanted nothing to do with him ever again.Thorne came back, his presence pulling me from my thoughts. There was a six-pack in his hand and a lopsided grin on his face. I smiled back, but narrowed my eyes.What did this guy have up his sleeve? He looked like he w
Alpha Picked 74
THORNE I hated Brooks. He was like a pimple that popped up at the most inconvenient time. Fane and I had been having a good time before he’d rudely interrupted us. Our thank-you drink was becoming a celebratory one. It was great she’d worked out a deal with May and was buying May’s Flowers. It was a beautiful thing when someone knew what they wanted to do with their life and made it happen.And then here was this douchebag tripping her up.Fane was moving forward, but he kept pulling her back.“Can we go?” she asked, looking directly at me. There was fear in her eyes. Clearly, she’d seen this side of him before.“Yeah, sure,” I said without hesitation. Bars weren’t really my scene, anyway.I tossed a twenty on the bar to pay for our drinks, even though she said she would buy, and gave Joe a nod before lacing my fingers through Fane’s and steering us toward the exit.“Holy shit!” Brooks shouted from behind us, causing my wolf to go on high alert. He’d picked up on Brooks’ anger escala
Alpha Picked 73
FANE I walked toward the doors of Last Drop, my mind racing. I couldn’t believe I’d asked Thorne Beckett out for a drink. It was a bold move, but after everything with Brooks and my tire, it felt right. Thorne had helped me more than he could ever know today.“Fane,” a familiar voice called from behind me while I walked through the parking lot.I spun around to see Thorne weaving his way toward me.“Hey, you came,” I said, unsure why.“Of course I did. You offered to buy me a drink.”“Right, that I did.” Ugh. I sounded like a complete idiot!“I’m kidding. I would have come even if you hadn’t offered to buy me a drink,” he said, still sauntering toward me. An adorable grin hung from his lips, one that sent butterflies through the pit of my stomach.Thorne was hot—smoking hot.I scolded myself for the thought. This wasn’t a date. It was me buying him a drink because he’d helped me with my shitty Brooks issues more than once today. I shouldn’t feel butterflies while in his presence.“Re
Alpha Picked 72
THORNE Nadine was scared. I could tell. And it was driving my wolf wild. He didn’t like smelling her fear saturating the air around us. All he wanted was for me to fix it. To comfort her and make her feel better.The problem was, I didn’t know how.Talking to her and getting her mind off her asshole ex seemed like the way to do it, but I didn’t know what to say. My mind was drawing a complete blank, and it didn’t help that my wolf was pulling me in multiple directions. While he wanted me to stay here with her, to protect her and make sure she was okay, he also wanted me to track Brooks down and make him bleed for hurting her.I had an internal battle waging inside me, tearing me in two.I outlined the last petal of her lotus and then cleaned her skin. The shop door opened as I covered her tattoo with plastic wrap and secured it. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know who had entered. I could tell from the way Fane’s fear intensified in the air and how her body tensed.Brooks
Alpha Picked 71
FANE I found a parking space on Main Street and cut the engine of my car. To say I was excited to get Brooks’ name covered with a lotus flower was an understatement.However, I was also excited to see Thorne.As I thought about the conversation we’d had on the phone the other night when I called to book my appointment, I wondered for the millionth time if he’d cared that I had shortened his name to Cal.I hoped not.I exhaled a slow breath as I slid out of my car and made my way down the sidewalk toward Inked Wolf. When I spotted Ms. Lynette on the bench beneath the clock tower in town square, I smiled and waved at her. She motioned for me to come over, so I headed in her direction. There was still ten or fifteen minutes before my appointment with Thorne. It was enough time to say a quick hello to her and then make my way back across the street.“Hello, Ms. Lynette,” I said when I reached her.She held up her index finger. “I have something for you,” she said, before rummaging throug
