Convincing Emily [Wolff Pack 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Alicia White Page B

in her pocket,” Ben said, pointing an accusatory finger at her.
    “Are you kidding me?” Charlie added, shaking his head.
    Emily bit her lip. Yep, she’d been right. Things definitely did get worse. It was nice to have her mates rush in to rescue her, but she really wished that they hadn’t. The small massager in her pocket felt heavy now. The men seemed to go back and forth arguing while Emily stood frozen. She wasn’t sure what to do at this point. Would her men believe her story? Would she be viewed as a thief, even though that hadn’t been her intention?
    “Emily.” Her head jerked up and she stared into Cole’s eyes. “I’m so sorry that I have to ask you to do this.” He shoved his fingers through his thick mass of hair, looking frustrated. “Would you please just empty your pockets so we can get the hell out of here?”
    Leaning into him, she placed her mouth by his ear, not wanting everyone to hear what she had to say. “I did put something in my pocket.” The muscles in his body flexed and he stood rigid. “I wasn’t going to steal anything. It’s just…Thomas scared me and I panicked. I didn’t want him to see what I was buying.”
    Cole didn’t say anything. She stood in front of him, biting her lip and feeling sick to her stomach. She stared into his beautiful brown eyes, hoping he would see the truth. Before, he had looked at her with such love and adoration. Now, he looked bleak. No emotion showed at all and Emily could feel his disappointment. That realization cut deeper than she would ever admit.
    “Yeah…right,” he grumbled, arching his brow.
    Steeling herself, Emily grabbed the massager out of her pocket and threw it in his face before storming out of the store. With each step, her heart broke a bit more, but she didn’t stop, she couldn’t.
    When she was beyond town and the tree line, she quickly stripped out of her clothes and shifted. She started to run, letting the bear take over. She no longer wanted to think or feel. Those few moments in the grocery store, the look in Cole’s eyes had fractured her heart. The pain was almost unbearable. She ran and ran until she was out of breath, and even then, she kept moving, trying to get as far away from North Ridge and her mates as possible. She wanted to run all the way back to her home in Alaska.

Chapter 9
     
    The small package hit him in the face and Cole stood frozen in place, letting Emily leave. He needed to get his anger under control before he could deal with her. How was the pack supposed to accept her when she did something as foolish as trying to steal? He’d received a phone call from Harper, who worked at the store, and she’d told him his mate needed him. He’d broken quite a few laws to rescue her.
    Shaking his head, he knelt down, grabbing the small plastic container. He was so disappointed in her. Cole looked at the package and it didn’t take him long to realize what his little mate had been hiding in her pocket. He groaned as he stood up. It made sense now. She’d told him the truth.
    “Told you so. Shouldn’t trust a bear,” Ben muttered.
    Cole turned on him, his anger sparking. Before he could say anything, Charlie punched Ben in the stomach. The man leaned over, gasping for breath, and Cole smirked. Charlie…always the silent killer, and of course, he defended Emily’s honor when I didn’t believe her.
    “Don’t you ever talk about my mate,” Cole threatened, before walking over to Addison who stood behind the checkout counter staring intently at him.
    Cole didn’t say a word as he purchased the little vibrator for Emily. It was the least could do for not believing her. He hadn’t, not when she rose up on her tiptoes to tell him what had happened. Instead of trying to understand her reasoning, he’d been ready to throttle her. She must’ve recognized the look on his face. It sent her running out of the store. He just hoped that she would be at their house. He was ready to apologize. Hell,