The Alpha’s Heart (Stolen Mates #3)

7. Cher

CHAPTER 7

CHER

T he first thing I notice is that he’s holding a plate of homemade, deep-fried beignets. A Louisiana staple—and the dessert I sneak from Bonnie, one of the pack chefs, every night after dinner.

I always waited until Bishop was distracted by some pack issue. Even if the regular packmates avoided approaching him when I was there, there were plenty that didn’t. Harris, for one. Helene. Even West, who I’m becoming more and more convinced that I pegged right; both that he’ll be the eventual Beta to Bishop’s Alpha, and that he’s head-over-paws in love with Helene. A handful of other higher-ranked packmates, too, and since they’re all males… that’s the one time I get a pass from being included in pack meets.

Once Bishop and I are bonded, that’ll change. For now, I take advantage of a wolf shifter’s ingrained possessive streak to ‘visit’ with the she-wolves who cook dinner for the pack.

I didn’t think Bishop noticed. I always make sure to brush off the excess powdered sugar from my lips before he finished and the two of us return to the Alpha cabin together. Once again, I’d underestimated his keen senses and amazing sniffer since, of all the desserts, it’s the beignets he offers me.

“For you,” he says, and if there’s an expectation in the way he’s leaning forward on the balls of his feet, giving in to to the magnetic pull toward now that we’re alone together, that’s nothing compared to what Bishop bringing food to me means.

He’s trying to feed me. Not as an Alpha. As a mate.

It’s his way of telling me he loves me—and if I accept the plate from him, taking a bite from one of those delicious treats, I’m letting him know that I feel the same about him.

Maybe… maybe he’s not going to reject me?

I murmur a ‘thank you’ and hold out my hand. Bishop crosses the small gap between us and makes sure I have a good grip on it.

Then, his presence so consuming I feel like I’m being swallowed up by the big Alpha, he waits for me to take a bite.

Even as hot tears sting the corners of my eyes, the beignet melts in mouth, the sugar undeniably sweet.

Bishop hover closer. “Sofia?”

I shake my head, willing the tears to stop. “I’m fine. It’s just… these are so good.”

“I like ‘em, too. ‘Course, my favorite dessert is a good honey bun, so sticky I can taste it on my lips, but Luna knows I can’t say no to a beignet.”

Talk about mixed signals. Bishop’s deep voice drops when he says ‘honey’, and I’d have to be a complete idiot not to catch the innuendo. He brought me food. He waited for me to eat it. And yet… what are we doing?

He told me that he would mate me when I stopped being afraid of him. Shifters know what they want. They rely on their instincts. Bishop’s size and gruff demeanor might’ve thrown me off my first night in Hickory, but everything’s changed since then.

The only thing I’m afraid of now is losing him.

He’s my fated mate. The other half of my soul. He does things that make me think he feels the same, but I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t feel our bond stretching thinner, the wall between Bishop and me growing higher and higher as the days pass.

And then he brings me beignets. I worked myself up, believing he was sending me home to River Run… and he’s feeding me.

What am I supposed to do about that but cry in frustration?

Bishop has an answer. Nodding at the plate, he says, “They’re for you. I got them special. Please, Sofia. Eat them.”

I take another bite to placate Bishop, then set the plate down. Brushing my shaky fingers against my jeans, I look past the earnest expression in his eyes. “You wanted to talk to me?”

He frowns a little when it hits him that I’m done with the dessert for now. I still ate some. A whole beignet, plus that last bite, so it’s not like I refused him. Maybe I should have. Maybe then I’d finally know where I stand with this male…

“Yes. Sorry. I just wanted to talk to you about tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

He nods. “Instead of spending the day in the den, I’m gonna give you a full tour of our territory.”

Our territory. Hope sparks inside of me. My wolf wags her tail. Bishop’s been very careful

Canari says I need to show you around. To make you feel welcome in Hickory.”

Oh. He didn’t want to do it. The Omega badgered him into it.

Of course she did.

My stomach goes tight while my practiced smile stays in place. “You’re the Alpha,” I remind him—and myself. “You have the rest of the pack to worry about.”

“I’m also your intended,” he grates. “And that means you’re the one wolf who needs me the most right now.”

Honestly? He’s not wrong. And I don’t care if Helene’s the way who picked up on my wolf’s confusion. Bishop doesn’t communicate, and I’ve been such a coward—afraid for all the wrong reasons—that I haven’t pressed him on it.

I decide to finally try .

“But the den?—”

“The den is empty. If a packmate is in need, they can turn to Harris. My Beta served under Xavier.” The last Sylan Pack Alpha. “He knows better than me what he’s doin’.”

I turn into him. I just… it’s instinctive. My wolf hears the hollowness ringing in his voice and wants nothing more than to erase it.

“You’re a good Alpha, Bishop,” I tell him. “A great one. Your pack loves you. It respects you.” I tilt my head back so that I can purposely meet his eyes. The doubt there is obvious. “I’ve spent the last few days watching you with them. You know what you’re doing.”

He lets out a breath. “Fair enough. With the pack maybe. But when it comes to you… I’m doin’ this all wrong, ain’t I?”

“Bishop—”

“Every morning I wake up, I expect you to be gone. For you to realize you deserve better than a broken Alpha like me who can’t get right. Everyone says listen to your wolf, that your best will guide you… but if you knew what my wolf thinks of you.”

“What?” I whisper, stepping closer to him. “What does he think?”

Bishop growls softly. “That you belong to us.”

“That’s because I do.” Haven’t we established that? “You’re my intended, Bishop. One day you’ll be my mate. I want your wolf to see mine as his. That’s how this works.” The wall between us cracks, and I take advantage of that by tapping into my wolf enough to find the nerve to tell him: “We’re fated. It doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be super easy if you just let me know what you want.”

He lifts his hand, cupping my jaw. The touch is like static electricity. I feel the jolt all the way to my bones, and when he moves his thumb, stroking the height of my cheek, the tingles fade as a wild heat burns me up from the inside.

“How do you do that, cher?”

Cher … there’s something in the way he says that one word, with more heat than he’s ever used when calling me ‘Sofia’... Oh, Luna. I want to be Bishop’s ‘cher’ forever.

And if he’s not rejecting me, maybe I can…

“Do what?” I whisper breathlessly.

“Just having you near… it makes me feel like I can be the strongest fucking wolf to ever exist. That I can lead the pack… that I can protect all of Hickory… and I’ll do it because I finally have someone that’s mine I must keep safe.”

The hope from before flutters in my chest.

Maybe—

“You have your sister,” I remind him.

“I do,” he answers easily. “And I’d throw my wolf at anyone who threatens Helene. I’ve been responsible for that songbird of mine since my mama brought that sweet pup into this world. And then she and my daddy left it… left Helene and me behind… and I used every bit of my alpha nature to watch over her. But she’s also our Omega. Every dominant wolf in Hickory’s pledged to protect her. When you’re the Alpha female, they’ll do the same for you. But that’s my job, cher. You’re my mate. You’re my Luna damn heart. The other half of my fucking soul. Nothing will ever stop me from keeping you safe, even if the big, bad wolf I’m protectin’ you from is me .”

His voice grew thicker as he spoke. So did his accent. Bishop’s dark gold eyes blazed with fire, tinged with a shade of orange similar to so many of the leaves on October’s hickory trees. I’m ensnared by them. Trapped. Entranced . The teensiest, tinies part of me realizes that I’m lost in an Alpha wolf’s gaze, neither of us blinking, but the only challenge between us is who will break the stare first.

Surprisingly, it’s not the meek maternal delta.

“Sorry about that,” Bishop mumbles, jerking his head to the side at the same time as he lowers his hand. It’s further proof that, despite his seemingly aloof behavior these last few days, he truly does consider me to be his mate. Only with his mate would an Alpha ever lose face by ‘losing’ a challenge. “I toldja I wasn’t gonna rush you into anything. That we can get used to each other at the same time as you get used to bein’ in Hickory.”

“But you said to tell you what I want? I want you, Sofia Russo. I want you in my arms. In my life. In my bed. I want you to lead my pack with me, to sit with me in the den, and for you to see Hickory and know it’s your home now. Just like I’m your male.”

I don’t know what to say. I went from a stoic male who rationed his words as though each one costs a hundred dollars to an Alpha who just made it absolutely clear that rejecting me… yeah. I might’ve jumped the gun a little on that one.

Does that mean I believe he’s that devoted to me already just because I’m his fated mate?

Actually, yes.

I try not to let my disappointment show as I move away from him. The look in his eyes right now… it’s hard for me to take.

“I know you think you mean all that.” I wish he did. “But… it’s the mate bond. That’s all. That’s okay. It’s a start.”

Bishop sets his jaw. “If that’s how you want to look at it, cher. Sure. But it’s not a start, Sofia. It’s everything.”

I don’t even get the chance to retort to that, to insist that he’s only saying what he thinks an intended mates wants to hear. My lips part, and Bishop swoops down, covering my mouth with his.

I’ve never mated before, but I have had my share of awkward kisses with males who wanted to convince me to go further than I wanted to. This one is different. Not because it isn’t awkward—it’s clear that Bishop doesn’t have the smooth, practiced technique of other males—but because, with the taste of both sugar and cloves on my tongue, I hunger for more of him.

I clutch his chest. He lays one hand on the small of my back, holding me against him.

When Bishop breaks our unexpected kiss, he still needs that connection. He presses his forehead against mine. We’re both breathing heavily, Bishop’s voice impossibly deep as he says in as Alpha a voice as ever:

“Without the mate bond, I never woulda known how perfect you and your wolf are for me, so I thank the Luna for giving life to our bond. I know it’s up to the two of us to grow it. To nurture it. And when you’re ready to take me as your male, we’ll finalize it. But that doesn’t cheapen anything I feel for you, Sofia. I’ve wanted you from the moment you walked into my cabin. Never doubt that.”

“Bishop—”

The Alpha’s eyes flash. Next thing I know, he’s pulled away from me. He has my hand in his, drawing it down toward the crotch of his pants. It’s a fleeting touch, my fingers ghosting over the hard bulge I find there, but he growls under his breath as I hold mine.

“Never,” he says, gritting it out through his clenched teeth, “doubt that you’re the one female who makes me hard as a rock with nothing more than a smile. Your honey scent has me fucking my hand whenever I can take a second for myself. But I don’t want to be by myself, cher. If I haven’t scared you off yet, understand that. I want to be with you. This moon. Next moon. I can wait until you feel the same for me… but I will never, ever reject our bond.”

But that’s the thing. His words ring with a truth that even I can’t deny. So I’m not an Alpha. So I can’t tell when someone is lying to me. I believe him, and that’s not all.

He thinks I’m still scared.

I’m not scared.

Holy hell.

I’m aroused .

My fingers itch to take hold of Bishop’s cock and stroke it until that fierce look on his face is wild with lust. He gave me permission by placing my palm against his erection in the first place. Touching an Alpha like that is something reserved for a mate, whether they’re a heart’s mate or a fated one. In all ways—with his words, with his actions—he’s showing me that he still considers me his.

And, if I can believe him, he always will.

I don’t stroke him. There will be plenty of time like that forever, especially since I can sense how tightly coiled my dominant male is at the moment. Wolf shifters need a lot of release, whether sexual or physical. I’m a maternal delta, so my instincts are little more muted than the more dominant wolves. As an Alpha? He would live by the shifters’ creed: We feed. We fight. We fuck.

The only difference is that, as guarded and wound-up as he is, Bishop also relies on an Alpha’s most important imperative: he protects.

One day, I’ll take him inside of my body and fuck all of his cares away. When I’m sure I love him because my heart says so and not just Fate, I’ll feed him so that I can show my affection for him in my own wolf’s way. Hopefully we’ll never fight, though I realize that the last of my fear for this impressive male is gone when I realize that, no matter how dominant he is, if I ever attempted to challenge him, he wouldn’t just refuse because he’s a stronger wolf. He’s forfeit before he ever laid a claw against me.

I mean, I have my hand millimeters away from his cock. I could grab him by the balls, and I think he would thank me for the touch even as I twist them… because I’m his mate, he’s mine, and we will always belong to each other.

There will be time for all that later; Bishop says ‘forever’, and I actually believe him. So, for now, I do something else that my wolf is telling me is right.

I hug him.

Bishop’s big body stiffens. I have to remember that he’s younger than me. He’s a new Alpha with a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders, and a lot of baggage to unpack. Losing his parents so young, raising Helene, and then taking over as Alpha at twenty-one because his dominance is so off-the-charts that the old Alpha had no choice but to step aside… when was the last time he had a good, solid hug from someone that isn’t his omega sister?

He’s never had a mate or a lover. Neither have I. We’ve both agreed to forever without knowing exactly what we’re doing, but that’s the best part of being a shifter. We don’t have to know. We have our instincts to guide us, and as Bishop’s big body trembles before he closes his arms around me, tucking me under his chin as he bows his head over mine, cocooning me in his tight embrace… I know that mine are spot-on.

A lusty male might appreciate his intended mate stroking him off. But a male as touch-starved as my mate? This hug does wonders for both of us—and as we cling to each other, my wolf hums as the tether tying us together grows just a little bit stronger.

That night, we have a small breakthrough.

Bishop didn’t want to frighten me, but now that I’ve made it perfectly clear that I’m no longer afraid of him at all, when I invite him to lay next to me in the bed we’ll share forever, he does.

Nothing happens. I’m interested, especially after our kiss and the way he invited me to touch his cock, but I’m not the only one who’s been hesitant to jump into this mating with no safety net. Besides, Bishop made another firm Alpha decision as he was cuddling me close, wrapping me up in his arms.

We will be performing our Luna Ceremony in little more than a week. He sends Harris off to the group of gamma she-wolves to start planning on it, and just like he promised the night before, he starts touring me all around Hickory, making sure every packmate got to meet their future female Alpha.

Then, the day before the full moon, Bishop takes me out to the hickories where no one else goes apart from the higher-ranked packmates whose responsibility it is to keep our borders safe and protected.

And that’s when he quickly stripped down in front of me and, before I can marvel at what a naked Bishop Dupuis looks like in all his glory, he shifts.

In his place is an absolute beast of a red wolf. They’re not all that common among shifters—where our fur tends to be black, white, grey, or brindled—and that, plus his size, has me gaping at him as his dark eyes gleam up at me.

In his skin, Bishop is an impressive male. As big and brawny as he is, I expected his wolf to be huge— and he is. He’s massive, but he carries his bulk well. He chuffs softly as he lowers himself, as though he’s trying to make himself less intimidating.

He doesn’t shift back, though. With a low bark, he nods with his muzzle, inviting me closer.

I know what he’s doing. I might have gotten used to him in his skin, but would I be able to handle him as his wolf?

The answer to that one is easy: of course.

As I drop to my knees, running my fingers through his surprisingly soft fur, I find it hard to believe how my perception of this male has changed over the last few weeks. How could I ever have been afraid of him?

And I know I’m not being fair. Not to me, and not to Bishop. He is intimidating. His dominance is off the charts high. With his fangs, he could snap another’s shifter’s neck with one well-positioned bite. He rules the pack with an iron fist after only just becoming its Alpha. But he is fair. He’s respected and loved, by his packmates—and, I have to admit, by me.

Bishop’s bark becomes a husky laugh as he whips his head around, swiping his tongue along my cheek. I laugh, releasing his scruff, and he flops on his side before rolling onto his back. Four paws kick up in the air, showing me his belly.

You know I have to oblige.

As I rub his belly, using his fur to dry his slobber off of my skin, I had to admit something. Bishop can be scary when it counts, but like Helene once told me, he really is a big teddy bear.

That’s because he’s only like this around two people: his sister, and me .

Helene is his ‘canari’. His songbird. And me… from the day our intuitive Omega sat him down and made him realize that the walls around his heart were pushing me away before my honest with him got them to crack, I’ve been his ‘cher’. Bishops’s dear. His darling.

And, tomorrow when the Luna rises, I’ll be his mate.