Alphy's Challenge (7 page)

Alphy chuckled. “Please tell me, I can’t wait
to hear this.”

Havana sounded only too pleased to tell him. “Well...”

****

Gale was so confused. She saw Alphy step out
of the room and stared at the doorway, deep in thought. Tom sat down on the bed
next to Paul. “What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

She hesitated, and it was long enough for Tom
to make a decision. “I’ll go watch the twins and send your mom in here. It
looks like you need to talk to her. If you need me for anything, you know you
can always ask me.” He got up and disappeared into the other room.

Gale didn’t know what to think. So many
things had been happening, and then today just seemed to be life throwing her …
what?
A wrench or a lifeline?

In some ways Gale missed their old life,
before they learned about the real paranormal world that really existed around
them. Their mother had been happily married for several years to their dad.
After he had died, hit by a drunk driver, their mother had met a man, Tom
Elkin, who forever changed their lives. Paul was only twelve at the time and
Gale fifteen, when they were sat down and told about shifters and mates, and
why it had to be kept secret from everyone.

Her mother appeared in the doorway, and she
had a huge smile on her face. “Is it true? Is that shifter really your mate?”
Her mother looked positively giddy, but why?

With a solemn face, Gale nodded confirmation.

Connie lay down on the bed on the other side
of Paul and propped her head on her hand to look directly at Gale. “Don’t you
get it?” Gale shook her head in response. Her mother reached over and cupped
her cheek. “A mate means he won’t ever hurt you, leave you, cheat on you, and
the mating will extend your life.” Her mother withdrew her hand. “Ever since I
mated with Tom, my only sorrow was that I was going to watch you and your
brother age and die, and most parents worry about their child when they’re in a
relationship. There are diseases. There’s abuse, and there’s betrayal. A
shifter can’t cheat on his mate. He can’t get it up for anyone else ever
again.”

Ok, so her mom had a strong argument. And
being mated to the hottest man on the planet was also a bonus. But Gale was
confused and nervous. She didn’t have a lot of experience with men. She’d actually
only slept with two guys.

“Mom,” she whispered, “what if I’m not good
enough? I’ve only been with two guys. I wouldn’t know what to do or how to
please him.”

Her mother wasn’t one to get uncomfortable
about this subject. She’d always believed an open relationship with her kids
would help them but a stricter one would put them at risk. She always wanted
her kids to be able to approach her or Tom about anything. “Fate wouldn’t do
that to you. You tell him you’re not very experienced. Always communicate with
your mate. Many issues could be resolved more easily or avoided completely if
there was better communication. He won’t know how to help you if you don’t let
him know what you need. Shifters are territorial, and more so of their mates
than anything else. He won’t turn you away or be disgusted in you for your
history, but the fewer the lovers in your past, the more pleased they are.
Don’t be afraid to tell him anything. He’s the one person you should be able to
go to for anything. It’s still a challenge. You’ll have to compromise and forgive,
but love will come fast and never lessen.”

“Do we date? Do we mate right away? I’m
having a problem figuring out what we do now.”

Her mother gave her a look of sympathy. “Think
about how you feel and what would be best for you. If you aren’t ready, you
need to tell him. He shouldn’t hurt you, Gale. I would bet he would wait for
you.”

Gale wasn’t so sure what was right for her.
She was still really young at nineteen, and she did have goals. Her mom must
have read her doubts. “Gale, what was he like when you first met him? How did
he make you feel?”

“Safe.
Safe and happy.
For the first time since the attack, I felt safe and happy.” She gave her
mother an apologetic look. “I know you and Tom are doing your best. I’m not
sorry for what he did.”

“I know, baby. I’m not sorry either. I love
him more than ever. If he wouldn’t have accepted you two when we first got
together, we wouldn’t have gotten together. Deep down, I thought maybe he was
just putting up a front, but over the last couple of years, I’ve shed almost
all doubts. I didn’t realize I still had doubts until the alpha ordered him to
get rid of Paul. I couldn’t be more proud of him for what he did or how he
handled it.” Her mother’s eyes welled up. Connie blinked the tears away and
shook herself of her mood, and she smiled at Gale. “I’m a believer in true
mates. Take the time you need, but don’t be afraid to take a chance.”

Tom appeared in the doorway, so her mother
got up and went to him. They stood in the doorway, holding each other, and the
look of intense love on Tom’s face when he looked at her mother made Gale long
for that with Alphy. She remembered Alphy had held her like that. She could
have what her parents had if she just got over her fears.

“Alphy wants us to move in with him. He lives
with his great-aunt, younger brother, and sister on some property a little ways
from here. What do you think?”

Connie looked up into her mate’s face. “I
trust whatever you choose.”

Tom looked to Gale. Gale stood up and walked
over to them. “Well, he’s my mate.” She hesitated for just a moment. She was
scared to take this next step; it was a big one. But from what she’d learned,
she knew there wouldn’t be a better man for her. “My place is with him.”

Tom’s smile looked like it was filled with
relief. He used one arm to bring her in for a hug while still holding her
mother. He kissed her temple and pulled back. “He still needs to do some
shopping, and we need to pack up. He said he was going to come back as soon as
he was done. You can go with him if you like. Your mother and I can handle the
packing.”

Nerves played out in Gale’s stomach, so she
had to steady herself. “I’d like that.”

Her mom leaned over and kissed her. “I’m
proud of you. Now go get to know your mate, and remember what we talked about.”

Gale nodded and headed through the door. Her
hotter-than-hell mate was squatted down playing with one of the twins. He stood
up and gave her a panty-wetting smile. He gently took her hand and led her out
the door.

Chapter Five

Alphy nearly let out a whoop when he heard
his mate’s answer to her stepdad. He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable,
so he didn’t mention that he was able to hear the entire conversation between
her and her mom. Shifter hearing was far superior to humans’. He didn’t have to
hide his interest in the conversation, as Tom was just as interested. The two
talked lightly, but they kept part of their attention aimed towards the room.

There were a few things he paid special
attention to. Her nervousness about the mating was important, and he’d have to
remember that.

They were so close to the store that he
really didn’t get a chance to talk before they were already parked in the
parking lot of the supermarket. After they exited the truck, he made sure to
hold her hand as they walked through the parking lot.

“So, uh, what are we shopping for?” she asked
tentatively.

Alphy dug into his pocket and pulled out the
list and handed it to her. “We’ll need to grab everything in a bigger quantity.
Is there anything specific your family needs?”

They walked through the open sliding doors, and
Alphy grabbed a cart while Gale skimmed over the list. “We could see if they
have pull-ups. The twins are potty trained, but they still have accidents at
night. And soup—Paul still has trouble eating anything too solid.”

He nodded as they started roaming up and down
the aisles. They worked their way over to the bakery department. Alphy took in
a deep breath and hummed as he let it out.

Gale looked sideways at him and smiled. “Got
a sweet tooth?”

“Guilty. Most shifters do. How about we get a
few dozen donuts to take back to everyone?”

Gale got timid again, and she looked down and
shrugged. He stopped and pulled her soft figure against him. Crooking a finger,
he used the side of it to gently lift her chin until he was looking into her
bright hazel eyes. “What’s wrong? If you don’t like donuts, we can get
something else.”

She fidgeted a little bit and tried several
times to look away, but he would have none of that. Her cheeks pinked, but he
waited patiently until she finally confided in him.

She gave a defeated sigh. “Donuts are fine.”
Her voice was just above a whisper. He let her chin go and held her closer to
him.

“That’s not what I asked, my beautiful mate.
I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“I’m really not that beautiful. You’re the
drop-dead gorgeous one, which is nearly what I did when I first saw you.”

He chuffed with her description upon seeing
him,
then
grew very serious. He placed his finger
under her chin again until her entrancing eyes were looking into his again.
“You are more beautiful to me than any other woman I have ever met. I don’t
ever want to hear you putting yourself down like that. Would you tell your baby
sister that?”

Gale gave a sharp look of shock and gasped.
“Of course not.”

“Even if she was getting a little heavier
than other girls her age?” he asked.

Gale’s brows knitted together. “Never, she’s
beautiful no matter what.”

“Exactly.
But if you did tell her that, do you think
she would start to believe it?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it works the same way when you tell
yourself things. If those things are negative, it will drag you down, but if
you constantly encourage yourself, it will lift you up. And how you view
yourself or treat
yourself,
reflects on others around
you. They can grow confident or insecure by watching how you think of yourself.
I love everything about you. I don’t want you insulting my mate, and I’ve
discovered I’m extremely defensive of her.” He ended the last sentence with an
amused smile.

Gale thought for only a moment, and then a
warm and wide smile spread across her face. He could see the tears start to
form in her eyes. He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. He didn’t
want to stop at just a brush like last time, especially with her confidence
being so fragile, so he gladly took the kiss further.

Alphy ran his tongue over the seam of her
lips. They parted in a muffled gasp, and he dipped his tongue in to taste his
mate. Her honey flavor burst over his tongue. He felt his shaft strain the
front of his pants, causing abundant pain, which pulled him out of his lust
enough to end the kiss. His instincts to claim her right here in the store ran
heavy, and he didn’t want to take her in a public place.

He pulled back to see his mate still had her
eyes shut. She swayed just a bit before her eyes fluttered open to reveal a
glazed look in her eyes. He suddenly didn’t feel much like being out in public,
and he agreed with his bear. They wanted her in their den so they could explore
their mate much more thoroughly.

They finished their list and made their way
through the check stand. After loading the truck, they headed back to the Inn. Alphy
was alarmed to see a muscular man banging on the door to their room with two
others standing nearby acting as scouts. He smelled heavy fear coming from his
mate.

“Do you know those men?” he asked her,
already guessing the answer.

She nodded her head shakily. “Thos-se
are
t-t-the…”

He grabbed her hand. “Ok, I’ll take care of
this, but I need you stay here.” He squeezed her hand, but she didn’t let go
right away when he tried to leave the truck. He looked back to her, and she was
very white. “I know what I’m doing. I need you to trust me. It will be all right,”
he promised. She let go, and he made his way over to the three men. He could
smell their scent. They were definitely elk shifters.

The closest one stepped forward as he
approached. He held up his hand, and Alphy knew he started talking before he
had smelled him, or he wouldn’t have gotten in his way. “Hey, buddy, nothing
going on here. We’re just apprehending some…”

He didn’t get to finish before Alphy laid him
out.

The other two quickly approached. “Hey! Back
off.
Who the hell—
oof
.”

Two down on the ground.
Alphy turned his sights on the now frightened
third enforcer. The elk shifter held his hands up and sniffed the air, and his
eyes got bigger. To enter into an alpha’s territory unannounced, especially if
you were of any rank, was a major offense, one held against the encroaching
pack. They could scent his anger and feel his presence, so they knew now they
were in someone’s territory and that they were not welcome.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.
We didn’t know there was a pack near here.
We didn’t know we were in your territory. If you just let me explain—”