Alpha Me Not by Jianne Carlo

“Sorry. When I get upset, I go on the attack. One of my sister’s pet peeves. I feel I should tell his mom, but—”
    “Barb’s in no shape to hear Petey’s final message. I don’t know if she’ll ever be.” Joe couldn’t block the image of Barb’s face when Kieran had broken the news. Never had he seen such anguish. And the scream torn from her soul had solidified his craving for vengeance.
    “I wouldn’t tell her about that . It’s the fact that he reached out. He wants his killer found. He had a message. If that doesn’t signify incredible bravery, I don’t know what does.” A teardrop leaked out of her eye. She swiped the moisture away and pressed her trembling lips together. “I can’t stand that he died thinking he wasn’t brave.”
    He fell in love with her right there and then.
    God help anyone who tried to harm one of their cubs. He knew she’d be an overprotective, ferocious mom. Joe trailed a finger along her collarbone. “I know you want to help. But right now there isn’t much either of us can do.”
    “It’s so frustrating. I mean. I don’t know Barb and Kieran, but I’m involved now. Because of what I saw.”
    “Yes, you are.” Joe’d never forget his first sight of Petey’s body. Though he’d known what to expect, though he’d fought savage, vicious wars, though he’d battled evil face-to-face, nothing in his three decades on earth could’ve prepared him for the state of Petey’s corpse and the horrific realization that the innocent boy’s final moments had been agonizing.
    He feared for Barb and Kieran’s sanity and was helpless in the face of their desperate grief. If only he hadn’t been out of the country when Petey was taken. Joe choked back a string of curses. It had taken him less than an hour to track down Petey. If he’d been here three days ago, Petey might still be alive.
    After he’d found Petey’s body, Joe had sent off a text message resigning from his company effective immediately. The decision hadn’t been difficult. He’d been running away from Hallie and the past for too long. He had a mate now and responsibilities. The time had come to settle down. Grow roots. Become part of a community. Help his friends.
    “What happens now?” She toyed with the second button on his shirt.
    “Now we get practical. I haven’t had time to stock the refrigerator or the pantry. So we either eat out or order in. Which one you prefer?” Hoping like hell she didn’t feel like facing the outside world, he outlined the whorls of her ear and studied her features.
    She blew out a long sigh. “The last thing I want to do is go out. I don’t even want to have to answer the questions Azzo’s bound to have if we order from Mama’s.”
    Their gazes met.
    “We’ll order from somewhere else. The top right drawer next to the fridge is filled with menus from all the local delivery places. I need to work out my excess energy. Would you mind doing the honors while I chop some wood?” He waited for a protest or an objection.
    “Chopping wood sounds like a good way to channel your anger. Go for it. What I’d love to do is go for a long run.” She gave him a sad, one-sided smile and scrambled off the bed.
    “A hard, fast run works for me.” He grinned and slapped her tush. “You’ll have to borrow sweats or shorts from me. We only bought you running shoes yesterday.”
    “Why do I get the feeling the notion pleases you in some weird way?”
    Pleased? Try turned his cock into a steel rod, snapped his stones tight and hard, and had his groin aching and throbbing.
    Her pussy inside his shorts. Her woman’s musk branded on the crotch. Sheer fucking paradise.
    “It’s turning you on too. I can smell your honey.” The blossoming perfume of her arousal filled his nostrils. He took an exaggerated inhale.
    She smacked him on the shoulder. “Your mind’s in the gutter.”
    “So’s yours, or you wouldn’t know what I was thinking. But before we get carried away,