Stealing the Alpha’s Heart

Hmm, is that the right number for the new pink berets?

I chewed my l!ps as I shuffled through the tabs on my computer, finding the accessories inventory and sales records to see if my ordering numbers were right. Ever since Lyssa had joined my brother’s pack, it seemed that we’d all been running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Which wasn’t Lyssa’s fault at all, but boy, a whole lot of things did happen around her.

“Huh, would you look at that,” I murmured, realizing my numbers were correct. “They’re even more popular than I thought.”

“What are?”

And that was Lyssa herself, pink-cheeked and carrying a large box of inventory from the back room as if it weighed nothing at all. Ever since her inner wolf had been released, I could tell that she was enjoying all the perks that came with it. Which I was thrilled about, naturally. Lyssa fit into our pack like peanut butter fit with jelly, and I couldn’t be happier about my new sister-in-wolf.

“Those pink berets with the metal rings and keyholes.”

“Oh yeah, I think an influencer snagged one of ours, because I’ve been seeing them everywhere online. What was her name? Like…Canister? Bottle? Vial? Huh, I can’t remember, but she’s really funny.”

I grinned broadly, pleased with that particular news. While my parents had never discouraged me from doing right by myself, they always reminded me that I didn’t need to work, that the pack would more than provide for me as sister to the alpha.

But I didn’t want to just sit on my laurels and be some sort of pack princess. I wanted to prove I was just as valuable as my brother. Sure, none of us were hurting for money, but it was always safer to diversify our investments. No one could argue with that.

“You’ll have to show me if she comes up in your feeds again. Maybe we can send her some other merch for free.”

“It’s crazy that’s kinda how advertisements work nowadays, but totally.”

I nodded before I remembered something. “Oh, hey, don’t forget to give me your exam schedule when your midterms come up. I will be giving you whatever days off you need to be fully rested and prepared!”

Lyssa got that sappy smile on her face that she always wore whenever anyone treated her with basic compassion. It really burned me to know how she’d been mistreated most of her life, and the more I found out about it, the more I wanted to punch someone. Or rip them apart with my teeth. Whatever came first.

I wasn’t a violent person by nature, not at all. I’d rather talk than fight any day. But if someone was threatening someone I loved, or an innocent life, I had no problem being the protector they needed. And Lyssa could use all the love and protection she could get.

Thankfully, she was in brilliant hands with my brother. I trusted him more than anyone in the world, and I could tell he loved Lyssa with all his heart just by the way he looked at her. Mahlan had always been a bit too busy and a touch too jaded for romance, but goodness, my sister-in-wolf had come in swinging, breaking down all his walls and really making him a happier, better person.

Which, naturally, made me happy too. I loved Mahlan dearly and only wanted the best for him. Thankfully, I was pretty sure Lyssa was just that.

“You don’t have to do that. You’ve already let me reduce my hours to part-time!”

“Nonsense. Whatever you need, you’ll get it here. I don’t know who’s more excited about your schooling—you or me.”

I actually couldn’t care less if she went to college or not. What I cared about was that she was doing something she’d wanted to do for ages, and I was of the opinion that Lyssa should get pretty much everything she wanted since she’d been denied even the most basic things for far too long.

And yeah, maybe I brought her one too many sweets, or gave her clothing when I accidentally ordered too much. Oh well. I’d never really had a sister before, so I was at least a wee bit justified in all my spoiling. Or at least that was what I told myself.

“Sometimes I think it’s you, but that’s because you don’t have to race up two flights of stairs and halfway across campus between your first and second class.”

I laughed, imagining Lyssa hoofing it while carrying her books with that determined look she had on her face whenever she was challenged with something.

“Yeah, I suppose the college looks down on actual wolves racing across their premises.”

“Just a bit, yeah,” Lyssa answered, chuckling right back.

I loved that we could always banter together. What she’d been through since she was just a kid was horrific and I would have understood if it had turned her into a dour person, but it hadn’t. Lyssa was lovely, witty, and whip-smart. Basically, everything I loved in a friend.

“Well, I’m gonna get these all up on the racks, then do reshops. Don’t forget about the family dinner tonight! You still want to come over to get ready?”

“Of course! Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

It had been a little over two months since Lyssa had slid into my world, and while the first few times I’d gone over to her place had been to help her dress, she didn’t really need my help any longer. But our little get-togethers had become a sort of ritual between us, and one that I cherished pretty strongly.

“Sounds good!”

With that, Lyssa was off, continuing to work hard as she always did. As for myself, it was more order forms for me. It was always a tenuous balance, trying to stay ahead of the demand but making sure I didn’t have a bunch left over. Too much shrink was a bad business practice, and although my parents would bail me out if I ever needed it—and hell, Mahlan probably would too—I wanted to be as independent as possible. They’d helped me by investing in my business at the beginning, and that was plenty for me.

The one good thing about having extra left over at the end of a fashion trend was that I would donate it to local shelters and places that helped low-income people have nice clothing for interviews and other important events. Sure, it was a nice tax write-off, but that wasn’t why I did it. I liked to think it was a little way to give back, considering how lucky I was in my station in life.

Thankfully, the rest of the day went by relatively quickly, with Mahlan coming to pick up Lyssa at closing as he always did. It was so cute to see them greet each other at the door like they hadn’t seen each other in ages. Some would find it cheesy, but what could I say? I was a sucker for love.

Even if my own romantic life was nonexistent.

I kept telling myself that I should just give up on Kaleb. He seemed entirely uninterested in me, but for some reason I couldn’t seem to stop barking up that tree, all wolf puns intended. Maybe I was a fool for maintaining hope, but sometimes when he joked around with me, or flashed me a grin, I found myself reinvested all over again.

Sigh.

Thankfully, I could always count on getting ready with Lyssa to gas me up. Her gift of perception was pretty strong, so I trusted her judgment.

“You really think there’s a chance?” I murmured, looking in the mirror as I applied purple eyeshadow.

Someone had once told me purple was a tacky, desperate color and should never be used with everyday makeup, but they lived a sad, plain life. As someone who had taken basic art classes, I understood the color wheel and could read that yellow and purple were the perfect complement to each other, being opposites. And while my eyes were brown, everyone with chocolate or hazel gazes had a certain amount of yellow and gold in their brown, which was exactly what the purple enhanced.

“I’m not sure,” Lyssa answered honestly, which was why I cherished her. “But I feel like the two of you have gotten at least a little closer.”

“Really?”

“Well, you seem to talk more. And you two ran together last full moon, right?”

I nodded happily. Sure, it hadn’t exactly been a romantic journey in the silver light, but it had been fun. And sometimes fun was enough.

“Yeah! We did! It was nice.”

“The only thing I’m worried about is…” Lyssa stopped, tapping her fingers against the makeup case I’d bought for her. It saddened me that sometimes she was still so worried about accidentally rocking the boat too much, but I understood that she’d had a lot of trauma and still had a lot to work through.

“What’s that?”

“It’s just, uh…well, a lot has changed since the last time we talked about it, but do you worry about dating one of Mahlan’s best friends?”

“Why not? My brother is dating my best friend.”

“Awww,” Lyssa said, blushing. “But that’s not what I mean. You know I don’t care about the social part.”

“Oh? What is it then?”

“Well, I know I’m new to all of this, but I worry about the danger of it all. You being the alpha’s sister and Kaleb being one of his inner circle really makes the two of you exponentially higher targets. A real two birds and one stone situation.”

“Ooooh,” I said, comforted by the fact that she cared about me deeply enough to worry about the political complications of landing my man. “That’s a risk that’s always going to be there. I’m not going to let fear rule my life.”

“Fair enough,” Lyssa said resolutely. “For what it’s worth, the two of you would look real cute together if he could get his head out of his a*s. You deserve to have someone to come home to.”

I smiled fondly at her, my heart so full. “I really appreciate you saying that.” Hope bubbled anew inside of me, galvanizing me to get my guy. I knew I wasn’t imagining things! “Besides, Theo is technically Mahlan’s best friend, so even I wouldn’t cross that line.”

“Even though he’s mad hot?”

I gave Lyssa a sharp look. “Ew. Don’t say that about my brother’s best friend. That’s gross.”

“But he is hot,” Lyssa said mischievously.

“I’m not denying that, but still, boundaries.”

“Right, right. Sounds boring.”

She shared my grin and we went about finishing up, Mahlan waiting in his office as usual. Although he’d been excellent at trying to be home for Lyssa every night, he still had so much work to do. Sometimes I felt bad for him, but he’d always loved staying busy. Honestly, if it weren’t for Lyssa, I was pretty sure he would work seven days a week for months on end.

“Ready?” he asked as we both came out. He gave me a solid nod at seeing my outfit but then practically turned to butter when he looked at Lyssa. Jeez, they were so adorable and sweet, it probably was gonna give me diabetes.

“Ready,” Lyssa said, placing a k!ss on his cheek. My heart ached in a beautifully bittersweet way, my own personal dose of melancholia.

I loved everything about my brother and my best friend being together, but it made me all the more aware of just how single I was. Not that there was anything wrong with being single, but I was at a point in my life where I could do with… well, something else. I hadn’t really dated since college, and even then, those were short-lived, unserious relationships. I just had such a hard time clicking romantically with anyone, none of them quite comparing to the quiet, always kind Kaleb.

Maybe it was because it was safe. He was safe. I knew him like the back of my hand, and we’d grown up together. And anyone my brother trusted was good in my playbook.

“Alright, I’ll start setting out the food. Will you two get the drinks?”

“Roger-roger!”

I placed my phone on the counter and started up some music while we all went about our business. It was all pretty fun, and about halfway through was when other people started to arrive.

Naturally, it was Kaleb and Parker who arrived first. The two were practically inseparable and had been pretty much as long as I could remember. Some people speculated that they were dating, but I knew better. Kaleb had one girlfriend in high school, and from what I knew, she’d broken his heart so hard that he hadn’t dated anyone else since. Sure, he could have been using that as an excuse, but I didn’t think so.

“Hey, all!” Parker said, bouncing in as he was often wont to do. Honestly, I wondered if his diet was half helium considering how bouncy he was. And that was coming from me, a relatively positive person, if I said so myself. “Man, I am starving. My meeting with my financial planner went way overdue, and then I had to meet with a couple of lawyers for this scholarship thing I’m working on, so I didn’t have any time to eat! I’m surprised you couldn’t hear my stomach from the hallway.”

“A scholarship?” Lyssa echoed while she corralled them to sit at the island that had been set for everyone. Sneaky girl! I could tell that she was trying to herd them so I could sit next to Kaleb, since that was the closest seat to me. Shifter-Gods bless her.

“Yeah! One is to help kids from low-income families get instruments so they can play in band or orchestra, and one is for low-income kids to get art supplies that are normally way out of their reach. I’m also thinking about doing one for kids who could use some extra tutoring but can’t afford it! My lawyers say I need to get the other two set up and accumulating interest before I overburden myself.”

“Wow,” I said, genuinely impressed. I guessed I had a bit of a habit of infantilizing the exuberant shifter, but he really did have his sh!t together. “That’s amazing!”

“Kaleb inspired me, actually. He’s been doing all these matching donations for different hospitals in the city and it totally made me wanna give back. Especially since…” He leaned in, his tone hushed with reverence. “Did you know that seventy percent of homeless and disadvantaged children are either fae, shifter, or LGBTQ? I had no idea until Kaleb showed me the statistics some witches and fairies put together.”

I saw my chance for conversation and slid into the seat right next to Kaleb. “Why didn’t you tell any of us you’re such a philanthropist?”

But Kaleb, being Kaleb, just blushed and shrugged. “Is it really giving out of the goodness of your heart if you brag about it to everyone?”

He had a point, the sweetheart. But unfortunately, with him making his point so succinctly, he piped right back down. Goodness, it was frustrating having a crush on someone so shy.

I didn’t get a chance to coax any more conversation out of him before more and more guests showed up, and eventually, Mahlan’s apartment was nice and full. Although it was hard to have one-on-one conversations, I still dearly loved these events. They made me feel like part of a whole, which definitely eased my occasional loneliness.

But as the meal went on, Kaleb talked less and less, no doubt burning through his social battery. Oh well, there was always next time. I was a girl who didn’t mind biding her time.

“Lookslike you kept the store together without me.”

I looked up from the register to give Lyssa an over-the-top glare. “Excuse you, I ran this shop without you before and I am more than comfortable doing it again.”

“Sure you are,” she joked, heading to my office to put her things in her employee cubby. “But in all seriousness, I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” I confessed, waiting for her to return so I could hug her. She’d only been out of work for four days to do some special labs at school, but I definitely missed her charming presence around my store. I guessed I’d gotten used to having her pleasant company around, and my shop had felt quiet and empty despite how insanely busy it had been. “You missed such a surge. I don’t know if it’s that influencer or not, but things have been crazy around here!”

“Oh jeez, I’m sorry. Figured it would happen right as school is going into its final ramp-up.”

“Pfft, don’t you worry about me. Just focus on that education. I’m a tough cookie, I can survive a rush or two.”

“I mean, that is true.” Lyssa took a breath and looked around the store. I was pretty pleased with how orderly it was given the chaos, but it certainly wasn’t in peak condition. “Hmm, want me to do reshops and any shrink from the dressing rooms?”

“Ohmygodyesplease!” I said without taking a breath. They were tasks I could definitely do, but I hated them so much that I would never not be grateful for Lyssa being willing to do them.

“Alright, no problem. I’ll get on that now.”

Lyssa headed to the back, leaving me to really wonder exactly how I had survived without her for so long. She really was a blessing, in every definition of the word.

But even with Lyssa’s help, we had our work cut out for us. We had nearly two dozen online orders before noon, and I still had two other days of shipping to catch up on, which I definitely should have been able to do all that with Lyssa in the shop. But it was clear that our streak was only growing.

“I think I might need some new hands for the shop,” I murmured to Lyssa as we both chowed down on subs behind the counters. Normally, we’d just duck into my office for lunch and come out whenever the bell rang, but it was just too busy for that.

We had maybe five minutes between each customer’s entrance, and we’d take turns greeting them so we could get some food into us. After all, it wasn’t good for a wolf to skip meals. Especially a wolf who was very new to her wolfiness, aka Lyssa. While I could tell she generally had a good grip on her inner beast, there was only so much one could reasonably expect a newbie to be able to withstand.

“Really?” Lyssa asked, eyes wide and a piece of banana pepper sticking out of the corner of her mouth. I teasingly tugged at it until she gobbled it up.

“Yeah. I don’t want you coming off part-time hours until summer, and business keeps increasing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, but I think we need someone to handle all the online orders, including shipping, and someone to work the storefront with either me or you. You know, a kind of floater so we don’t have to gobble things down behind the counter like gremlins.”

“I mean, that makes sense, but I didn’t even realize business has improved so much.”

“It really has. Kinda makes me wonder if I haven’t properly been utilizing the power of the internet.”

“Hey, we could always work some more on marketing, maybe sending out some sponsorship offers for haulers on YouTube or Instagram?”

I had never even thought of that and I couldn’t help but stare at my friend in shock. “What? Are you sure you’re Mahlan’s soulmate and not mine?”

“Pffft, you flatter me,” she said, before reaching over and stealing a pickle slice from the end of my own sandwich.

“Alright, never mind. You’re definitely my archnemesis.”

“Thank you. I would hate for my evil to go unappreciated.”

I waved my finger in her face, trying not to laugh. “You just watch it, missy! One night you’re gonna wake up with a pickle craving only to go to the fridge and find all your jars empty!”

Lyssa gasped, her hand over her heart. “You’d drink all the pickle juice, too?!”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“Every. Last. Drop!”

She made a show of fainting off her chair, all the while careful not to disturb her sandwich, and we both dissolved into ugly laughter.

Goodness, I was so glad my brother had found her.

Eventually, we managed to gather our wits enough to finish our meals, Lyssa going off to fill the shelves while I dealt with a group of three women who came in prepared to drop some real coin. All in all, it should have been a good day, but it…it just wasn’t.

I couldn’t say why, or point to anything in particular, but all I knew was that a creeping feeling of ick began to work its way up my spine. It was nothing at first, barely the faintest whisper of a sigh. But as the hours passed, it grew stronger and stronger until I found myself repeatedly looking behind my back.

Jeez, I could really use a vacation. But I wasn’t getting one of those any time soon, so maybe I’d just have to give myself a spa day during an upcoming weekend. That was far more possible.

I did my best to ignore the feeling, focusing on smiling, ringing up customers, sweeping, and wiping down any glass that had fingerprints on it. Busy work, but it needed to be done.

Eventually, however, it got to be too much. But before I could turn around and tell Lyssa we were going to close the shop early, another woman came in.

Instantly, my bad feeling locked in on her, and man, my ketones must have been strong because Lyssa nearly whipped around to look at me. I arched my eyebrows and Lyssa’s gaze went to the woman as well, her expression darkening on contact.

She had to be a witch. And considering everything that had happened with Lyssa’s once-friend, I wasn’t exactly feeling positive about witches at the moment. I hadn’t killed someone in a long time, and although I would absolutely do it again if the situation called for it, I hated that last time I’d had to spend three or four hours flossing bits of witch flesh out of my teeth.

Yuck.

“Hello there!” I greeted, with what I hoped was my usual customer service voice. “Can I help you with anything?”

For all I knew, she could just be a witch going about her business, or not even a witch at all. It wasn’t like I was an expert on identifying other fae. Shifters, sure, and some demons, but a lot of other things were a toss-up.

“Oh no, I’m quite fine looking on my lonesome.”

Yeah, of course she was.

Looking back to Lyssa, I nodded for her to go to the back. After everything she’d gone through, I didn’t want her being marked or observed by any unknown magical entity. Maybe that was paranoia, but I just called it being a good sister-in-wolf. I was a ride-or-die kind of girl, except the only people who would be doing any dying were the people who tried to hurt those I cared about.

Lyssa headed to the back without hesitation, thank goodness, and I tried to watch out of the corner of my eye as the woman moved around the shop, touching fabrics but never picking anything off the rack.

The fifteen minutes the woman spent in the store were excruciating, and when she finally left, it was like a weight had been lifted off me. Quickly going to the front, I locked the door, set the sign to closed, then rushed to the back.

“Hey, what was going on there? Are you okay?” Lyssa asked, a crowbar in her hand.

“What were you planning on doing with that?” I asked, some of the tension in me melting slightly at the sight.

“I’m not sure, to be honest. But figured it would be better to have just in case. You seemed pretty upset.”

“Well, let’s thank the ancestors you didn’t have to use it. That lady just gave me some bad anxiety. I can’t really explain it.” I could tell I was freaking Lyssa out, so I tried to manage a weak chuckle. “I’m just being silly, I’m sure.”

“Hey, don’t dismiss your feelings. There’s been a lot that’s going on.”

“Yeah, that’s for sure.” I sighed. “Speaking of going on, Mahlan has a meeting tonight, right?”

“Yeah, him and his circle about what to do with the traffickers.”

“Are we still on for our dinner plans then?”

“Oh yeah, for sure. Wouldn’t miss it!” Lyssa looked past me to the front of the store, no doubt seeing the closed sign with her newly enhanced vision. “You want me to start shutting things down while you catch your breath back here?”

“God, yes. You’re a dream, you know that, right?”

“Keep inflating my ego and I’ll probably start believing that.”

With a friendly pat on my shoulder, Lyssa headed out, allowing me to collect myself.

Come on, Emma, get your sh!t together.