The Alpha’s Heart (Stolen Mates #3)

4. Helene

CHAPTER 4

HELENE

I can’t help my reaction, though I guess it’s better that I retreated instead of dropping to my belly and baring my throat to him

To be fair, I kind of want to.

This is my one true mate? Bishop is big. Intimidating. Dangerous . He’s angry, but our bond seems to thrum with sudden attraction and pure desire—and though he still calls to me, I know it’s not only mine. Oh, Luna… I can’t tell if he wants to pounce on me or grab me by the scruff and toss me back out of the den. Either way, he hasn’t said a single word yet except to grunt softly at me when I first backed away.

Is he trying to tell me without words that he’s not as much a threat as he appears?

Or is it a warning not to rile up his alpha wolf any further?

I… what am I doing here? My fantasies of my fated mate being my one true love, the Prince Charming in my fairytale… they’re going up in smoke as his hackles raise and my wolf backs herself into a corner.

The she-wolf climbs off of the couch, patting the skirt on her long dress as she moves toward me.

“Hi there. I’m Helene. I’m our Omega. I’m also Bishop’s younger sister and sometimes mouthpiece. Since the big grump hasn’t realized that saying ‘hello’ to his intended is what a good male would do, let me do it for him.” Her voice drops into a gruff mockery of what she must think her brother sounds like. I wouldn’t know. He still hasn’t spoken… “Hello, Sofia. Thank you for coming all this way to mate me so that I’m not a lonely virgin forever.”

My eyes go wide, and my wolf twitches her ears, not sure if she should bury her muzzle under my paws… or rub flanks with Bishop’s because he knows what it’s like to never have mated before.

Is it true? It could be. Shifter tradition says that, because an Alpha usually learns the identity of their fated mate after the Alpha Ceremony, he’ll usually wait for her so that there aren’t a long line of former lovers to undermine half of the Alpha couple. That doesn’t mean that all Alphas are untouched when they claim their mate. I’d bet most aren’t. Considering how horny shifters are… and how undeniably attractive he is despite being so frightening… would he have waited.

I can’t say, though there’s one thing I do know. These two look absolutely nothing alike. Helene is fair and delicate while Bishop is dark and deadly. And, yet, I know darn well that she must be his younger sister like she claims because not even an Omega could get away with teasing an Alpha about being a virgin without that familial ribbing being part of it.

He doesn’t slap her down for her comment. Instead, the heights of his cheeks turn ruddy, the color disappearing beneath his beard. “That’s enough, Helene.”

And I have my answer right there, don’t I?

Because Helene doesn’t shy away from his reproach, though her smile turns impish. “Next time stop being a growly monster. Use your words, Bishop. You’ll be amazed what happens when you do.”

He pointedly ignores her cheeky response. It’s his turn to ignore me, too, as he jerks his chin at the beta next to me. “Thank you, West. I appreciate you retrieving the female for me.”

I wince. Female… well, I guess that’s what I am. We’re not mates, not yet, and ‘intended’ might be a little too soon when we just met and I’m fighting the urge to shift and high-tail it out of here. But would it kill him to use my name instead?

Helene obviously agrees. Using her perfectly manicured claws to pinch the bridge of her nose, she shakes her head. Long wavy blonde hair sways with the motion as she sighs. “Okay. I spoke too soon. When I said ‘use your words’, I meant ‘don’t offend your future mate’.”

“I’m not offended,” I lie.

I’m not his sister. I’m not even sure I’m going to be his mate. Last thing I want to do is anger the big Alpha?—

—and he knows it.

Bishop scowls, fisting his hands at his side. “That’s enough,” he says again, grating out the syllables. “West, would you please accompany Helene back to the Omega cabin? I’m sure Sofia”—oh, look at that, he can use my name—“is tired from traveling. Pass it along that the den’s closing down for the evening. Any packmates who need me can go to Harris. I’m going to get my intended settled in.”

Intended… so I am going to be his mate?

A lump lodges in my throat.

I’m going to be alone with him?

Well, Sofe, what did you think? Bishop went through all this trouble because he wants a mate. As part of the Alpha couple, my job would be to support him anyway I can. Packs are stronger when there is a bonded couple at the helm which is one of the reasons why the Luna prefers her Alphas to take their mates as soon as possible once they’re responsible for a pack. But a true Alpha’s mate is both his conscience and his heart. She keeps him from going feral, a real risk when a wolf is too dominant for his human half.

And how do mates do that? By allowing their male to release inside of them.

Plainly put, mates fuck. I came here knowing that. If I agreed to be his mate, I would have to fuck him. That’s what mates do, after all—and I’m going to have to willingly join him in his bed.

Every mature shifter knows that. Bishop might say he wants to get me settled in. Virgin or not, that just might be his way of making sure I know exactly what I agreed to by accepting him.

Minutes ago, when I first caught his scent and my world shifted beneath my feet, I felt the first true wave of need I ever had. If Bishop had whisked me away and told me to get on all fours, I wouldn’t even have unpacked yet before I was under him. But then he snarled. He glared at me

He scared me.

I gulp. I gave my word, but was that a mistake? We can’t be formally bonded until the next full moon when we have the Luna Ceremony, but that doesn’t mean he won’t mate me now.

Do I really want my first time to be with a male who looks like he’s already regretting inviting me onto his territory? And if he is… why do I get the feeling that, as fiercely angry as he is, he can’t wait to move me from the den—which is communal territory—to the actual Alpha cabin, which belongs only to him ?

He doesn’t need to be happy with me to fuck me, I remind myself. And while a fated mate is the one soul that the Luna picks out for us that we’re the perfect match for, mating is all about building the next generation. Shifters need pups to survive. The Luna needs shifters to stay a powerful goddess. Something about my maternal nature and Bishop’s undeniable dominance could mean we’d be good for that.

But love? Who said anything about love?

My heart sinks, and though I want to do anything other than be left behind with Bishop, I wait for the two younger wolves to go.

West is more than ready to. He sends a lovesick glance Helene’s way. He’s a wolf—and, for his age, a pretty dominant one—but there’s something puppy dog-ish in his expression. “I’d love to. Come on, Lane. Let’s go.”

“Hang on, West.” Helene turns to Bishop. “Let me get Sofia situated.”

What?

“Canari…” Bishop rumbles. Canari? What does that mean? “You don’t have to manage me.”

Her lips quirk. “I’m the Omega. That’s what I do.”

“You’ve only just been made the Omega yesterday?—”

“But I’ve been an omega she-wolf since birth. Just like our mother. And, speaking as an omega, I think it would be a better idea if you go for a quick run, checking our borders so your wolf knows Sofia is safe here, then come back to talk to her.”

He grits his teeth, a hint of fang showing. “Helene.”

“Bishop.” The earlier tease is gone. “Please.”

Yup. Definitely his baby sister. And, from the research I did when I looked Bishop Dupsuis on the Alpha Collective’s website, the sister he partway raised himself after they were orphaned more than a decade ago.

That’s all there is on Bishop. No picture of him or Helene—or I wouldn’t have been so shocked at his appearance—or anything other than a note that his previous loss and sense of responsibility make him an untested Alpha to be wary of, no matter his age and experience.

I planned on coming to Hickory and getting to know Bishop. Now? I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.

But he surprises me. Blowing out a rush of air through his nose, he reaches up, scratching the underside of his bearded jaw. His eyes slant my way, and I see something different in them. Not as dark as before, they burn brightly as he runs his gaze over my face.

The den was thick with tension before. As he slowly nods his head, it fades just enough that I don’t feel like I’m going to choke on it.

“You’re right. My intended must be protected.” He still hasn’t taken his eyes off of me. “I’ll return to you, Sofia. And we’ll start again. Yeah?”

So long as he doesn’t snarl at me again, I think I can give him a second chance. After all, the Luna picked him for me. She has to know what she’s doing… right?

“Um. Yeah. Okay.”

Helene inches closer to me. Bishop’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t say anything as she purposely takes hold of one of my suitcases from West.

He looks at the beta instead. “Take a run with me, West. Luna knows we both have something we need to keep safe.”

I’d say West’s gaze flickers back to Helene only he’s been watching every move the blonde she-wolf has made. He wordlessly released my suitcase because she wanted it, and when Bishop orders him to check Hickory’s borders, the young beta thins his lips, then nods.

As soon as Bishop and West are gone, Helene turns to me. She starts rolling one of my luggage cases toward the door that separates the den from the rest of the Alpha cabin. Following her lead, I take the other.

She doesn’t say anything about what happened in the den until she’s led me through the living area, past a huge-screen television and massive couch that should be able to fit two shifters in their fur, and—after a quick tour of the kitchen where she points out the pantry, the fridge, and Bishop’s impressive store of snacks—parks my case in a door that smells so strongly of cloves, I know it belongs to Bishops’ bedroom.

Only then does she say softly, “Please don’t let my brother scare you off.”

I open my mouth. I figured Helene had a reason why she sent Bishop away, and I’m not surprised that she’s going to try to intervene for her gruff older brother.

Her inner wolf reaches out to mine. “I mean it, Sofia. He’s waited a long time for you.”

Not me, I think. He’s waited for his mate. So that happens to be me. Until we’re bonded, that can change…

My voice is a little shaky as I tell her, “I couldn’t help it. I didn’t expect him to snarl at me when I walked into the den.”

Helene sighs. “Me, neither. And I’d bet Bishop didn’t mean to, but… you know he’s our Alpha right?”

I do. That’s why I’m here. “Yes.”

“Alphas are… different. They usually have the most control over their wolves because, if they lose it, people die. It’s harsh, but true. Bishop knows better than to loosen the reins even a little, but sometimes his wolf rides him and it takes a second for him to tighten his grip. Do you get what I’m saying?”

I want to say I do but the truth is that I don’t have that much experience being around other alpha wolves. I’m a schoolteacher, for Luna’s sake. Even if a young pup is a dominant alpha as a child, that’s nothing compared to the powerful male that Bishop is.

“Just give him a chance,” Helene says. “He’s devoted to the Luna. When she told him your name, he didn’t hesitate. He’ll be a good male to you, Sofia. The best mate. I know he’s big and scary, but when you get to know him… he’s really a softie. More teddy bear than wolf.”

Somehow, I highly doubt that. But that’s Helene’s older brother, and if she has a warped sense of just how dangerous he is, I’m not going to be the one to point that out.

Then again, maybe she doesn’t. Because right before she confirms that I’m supposed to move the few belongings I bought with me from River Run—until I can arrange to have the rest shipped out—into Bishop’s room, she gives me a knowing look that makes her seem much older than sixteen.

“I hate to interfere with your mating. That’s not what an Omega does, but that’s not just any Alpha. That’s my brother. So… if you don’t mind, can I give you a hint?”

If it’ll help me handle my new mate the way that Bishop accused Helene of doing? “Yes, please.”

“Take a shower,” she says bluntly.

My face screws up. “What?”

She gestures behind her. “Bishop has a master bath in his room. If you don’t want to set his wolf off again, it might be a good idea to wash those other male scents off of you.”

Oh… oh .

Oh my Luna.

“I forgot,” I breathe out. “My former Alpha insisted on sending two packmates with me. I was on the plane with them, then in the truck. And before they left…” I close my eyes for a second. “They both hugged me.”

Well, that explains why the two betas didn’t reach out to steady me after I nearly fell. They were careful not to antagonize a jealous Alpha wolf with a new bond by touching his female before he could.

Crap. I might just be one of the smartest dumb people you know. Because how the hell can I explain away not realizing that Bishop’s snarl wasn’t for me—but because I walked into his den smelling of Declan and Guy?

Declan is my friend. Guy? How much do you want to bet his hug was staged on purpose, just a way to show Bishop that there’s another male waiting in the wings to claim his fated mate if he fails?

I shudder out another breath. “And the shower’s in there?”

Helene nods.

Well, looks like I’ll be scrubbing up before anything else tonight.