Her Alpha Mismatch

by Emilia Hartley

  Yet, he knew that their time was limited. If not by the constraints of her family, then by the capriciousness of fate. His bear roared wildly when he thought of losing her. Should she let him into her life, he would stay by her side every moment of the day. He knew she was not so fragile as a human, but the threat of losing her turned him inside out. He couldn’t handle having another love torn from him.

  The world needed more people like her. It was obvious to him what she was, the mate he was destined to love.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Oscar tapped the steering wheel in his car. The suburban home of the fox shifters sat outside his driver’s side window. He knew this was a bad idea, but he had so much to work on if he was going to win his mate.

  He knew that’s what Regina was, even if she doubted him. He wasn’t going to let her go, no matter what her mother said. He’d win her over, too. First, he had something he needed to do.

  Well, it was more like a long list of things that needed to be done. First on that list was the young woman they’d tracked up here. It was clear the young woman hated her life. Only someone who hated themselves or their life smoked. It was a fact Oscar acknowledged, cigarettes the epitome of a slow death wish.

  “You’re a creep,” the young woman said, appearing outside his window. “You know that?”

  He shoved the door open instead of rolling the window down. If her father showed up, he wanted to show him what he’d be dealing with.

  “I could scent you in the back yard last night. What are you and your buddy doing out here?” The girl was sharp. She eyed him, clearly unimpressed.

  “My…friend wanted to help you. I told her no, but that was wrong of me.”

  The young woman snorted. “Help me? What could you do to help me?”

  There was no hope in her, only sharp edges that she probably used to chip away at those around her. It was a defense mechanism he’d seen before. He wished Monica was here. He wished he’d made her happier. He wouldn’t screw that up again. The Pack would become something better. He would make sure of it.

  “There’s room in my Pack, if you want to come to Santa Cruz.”

  “I’m sixteen. It’s not like I can up and leave. I can’t afford my own place.”

  She wasn’t wrong, but he wouldn’t give up. “If you agree to join my Pack, I’m going to ask your father for an allowance. A bit of money to help care for a teenager. I’d provide you a place to stay, food to eat. You could keep the allowance your father sends. Save it for the day you want to move out.”

  He watched her chew on her lower lip. Her eyes darted up and down the street, as if waiting for someone to jump out and scream surprise! She reached for the carton of cigarettes in her purse and Oscar snatched them away. He crumpled the box in his hand, grinding it until it was nothing but a ball of paper and leaves.

  “If you join my Pack, this ends. No more smoking.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Look, mister. I don’t think you’re going to get my father to agree to anything. He’s already promised me to some other fox family. I’m going to be a housewife in a week. I can kill myself however I want.”

  His heart ached. He needed to stop this. The culture fox shifters boxed themselves in hurt so many, especially the women. He could see that both Regina and this young woman were in pain. It boggled him that no one stepped up to their defense, that no one dared to treat them like the people they were. Instead, they were pushed around like cattle.

  The bear roared through his mind. It was a thing of fury, all sharp teeth and claws as it thrashed and begged for a target. Oscar held it back, but the effort made his skull throb and his knees tremble. If he lost control of the bear now, he could ruin his mission for everyone. The bear would kill this woman’s father for what he’d done. It might even hunt down the man the woman was set to marry, just to make sure it never happened.

  Oscar squeezed his eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath. He wouldn’t let Regina down. He wanted to see her smile upon his victory. If he did this right, he would circumvent fox shifter culture and free this young woman from her impending marriage.

  The sound of an engine blared through his mind. When he opened his eyes, he saw the young woman watching a truck as it pulled into her driveway. Her father jumped out and turned toward Oscar. The bear clawed at the walls Oscar threw up between it and reality. It tossed its head and growled unhappily.

  Let me lead this time. Let me try this my way before we drown in blood and lose everything we’re fighting for. You hurt him, we lose Regina’s trust. End of story.

  Regina’s name kept the beast back. It huffed and sat back on its haunches. If it had been any more human, Oscar would have imagined it crossing its arms. He let out the breath he’d pulled in, grateful that it had listened at all. The truce was thin, meaning Oscar had to work fast if he wasn’t going to test the bear’s patience.

  The bear would end this in a way no one needed. This wasn’t a fight of fists or claws. It was one that needed to be won through wit.

  “Get in the house, Zara,” the older man snapped as he stomped across the road. His jaw was tight, his eyes glittering with the promise of a fight.

  She hesitated, but Oscar gave a small shake of his head and stepped forward, putting himself between them. Oscar was a big man, taller than Zara’s father. His shoulders spread wider, creating a wall between father and daughter. Still, the man’s fists clenched at his side. Oscar could tell he wasn’t used to being defied.

  Oscar thought of Regina and what she’d told him of her own father. Anger surged through him, a million tiny blades running through his veins to tear him apart. His control was slipping. The bear latched onto his anger and nurtured it into a blaze that would destroy the wall Oscar had put up. His body trembled with the effort it took to keep the wall from falling.

  He couldn’t let the bear have its way. Oscar had to use his mind to get Zara out of this situation. He thought of the woman he’d left in the hotel room. She’d been sulking in bed because she’d realized he wasn’t anything more than a grumpy old man who’d locked himself away.

  That would change.

  Right here; right now.

  “Your daughter wishes to join my Pack. I’ve come to discuss the terms of her entry.”

  The man’s jaw nearly dropped. His eyes flashed wide, flicking from Oscar to his daughter and back again, as if he feared taking his eyes off Oscar for more than a split second.

  “No.” The single word left the man’s lips. His jaw set, he met Oscar’s eyes.

  When his gaze slipped away again, it was a small victory. Oscar was the strongest shifter in the conversation and the man had just proven it. The man wouldn’t cower, like Oscar’s bear wanted him to, but he began pacing. On the surface, it looked as though Zara’s father was thinking. Oscar knew he was panicking. It was in the way his movements became jerky when he reached to scratch his beard, it was in the way his feet tripped over each other every few seconds.

  “It doesn’t matter what you have to say about the situation, sir,” Oscar pressed. “Zara is leaving one way or the other. You can either support her decision of your free will or I can force you to support her. I think both Zara and I would appreciate it if you chose to support her decision.”

  The man’s lips curled away from his teeth and he puffed up his shoulders. “Did you just threaten me?”

  Oscar smiled wide. “No. Not at all, sir.”

  It was a lie, of course. They could both feel it, the threat rolling off Oscar. He let a portion of his bear slip into his eyes. They flashed with gold as the bear’s growl rumbled through his chest. Foxes were smart. Their survival instincts kicked in to get them out of nearly any situation, choosing to live rather than to fight like most shifters, something he’d learned from Regina.

  Oscar hoped this man would choose to live rather than fight, too. The way he was playing this, Zara’s father would break soon. His will to live would have him relinquishing his hold on his daughter’s life. Oscar on
ly had to hold onto his bear for a little while longer. This close to the surface, the bear roared with rage. It fought, tooth and nail, to escape Oscar’s grip.

  “Now, we were discussing terms. Since Zara is technically a teenager, she will require financial support. I won’t have her working until she’s old enough to find a full-time job.”

  “First you take my child, now you want to take my money, too?”

  Oscar shrugged. “You should already know that children cost money. What I’m asking you to pay is nothing more than you would pay with her in the house. Perhaps even less, since I’m not asking you to pay for a wedding she doesn’t want.”

  “Every woman wants a wedding,” the man snapped. “Don’t act like she has a future other than that.”

  Oscar’s control slipped. Regina’s remorse and fear filled his mind. He was in front of the man before he knew he’d even moved, fist in his shirt. The man’s toes left the ground just as Oscar yanked control back from the beast. Regina’s face still filled his mind. He wanted to see her smile, to erase the looming fear of a future she didn’t want.

  Oscar was doing that for Zara, but he didn’t know how to do it for Regina. He clenched his fist for a second, letting his anger rein before he managed to push it back. The man fell to the ground, stumbling back. One step at a time, Oscar thought.

  He jerked his head toward the house. “Get what you want from there. We’re leaving.”

  “I…I haven’t agreed…to…”

  Oscar turned his glare upon the man on the ground. The bear pushed and shoved against Oscar’s control. It was far better than most days. He didn’t have to reach for silver to push the bear back. He was managing it on his own, even if the bear was still a tornado of rage and claws.

  Regina woke with a plan in mind. The sheets beneath her smelled like her and Oscar, but she shoved away the memories of their lovemaking to focus on what was more important. The other fox shifter needed Regina’s help.

  She rolled out of bed, ran her fingers through her hair, and pulled her dress over her head. It desperately needed washing, but it would have to do. Her mission pushed her forward, but as she approached the door, it flew open.

  Oscar stumbled in, looking tired yet happy. He stood tall when he saw her, a small and hopeful smile spreading over his lips. She remembered the way they felt on her mouth, making her wish she could taste them all over again.

  The night was over, as was any relationship they might have had.

  “What are you so happy about?”

  “Someone else slept in my room last night.”

  His words were a dagger through her heart. She took a step back, trying to fight away the jealousy and betrayal that filled her. Had he brought another woman to his room? After they’d just had sex here? She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it.

  Oscar’s proud look faltered, concern filling his eyes. “I thought it was alright. Well, I wasn’t sleeping there. It was an empty room I’d already paid for.”

  Regina spoke through clenched teeth. “That didn’t mean you needed to take another woman to your room. Do I mean that little to you?”

  A long moment passed before Oscar let out a small oh. “You think I fucked another woman last night? Is that what you think I was out doing?”

  She threw her hands into the air. She’d gone and done it again, letting someone into her heart only to have it hurt. Oscar’s betrayal hurt more than she’d thought possible. He’d only been in her life for a short time, but the semblance of a relationship had meant more to her than she’d thought. She wanted to shake him, to scream at him, but her own sorrow choked her.

  “It was nothing like that! Zara slept in my room.”

  “I don’t need to know her name!”

  Oscar took a step toward her, smiling again. “It’s good to know that you feel something for me. Is it bad that your jealousy makes me kind of happy? Yeah, that sounds awful.” He cringed at his own statement before reaching for her. She pushed against him, but he was gentle and patient. “Zara is the fox shifter you wanted to help. She slept in your room last night because she agreed to join my Pack.”

  All the fight left her, leaving her weak and confused. “But you said…”

  He nodded. “I know what I said, but you convinced me to find a way. I managed to get Zara’s father to let her leave. He’s paying her a stipend that I’m going to put into savings until she’s old enough to live her own life.”

  Relief flooded Regina’s heart. It was cool and left her feeling light. Oscar had done all this while she’d been sleeping. Part of her was mad. Another part of her was grateful. Yet, in the end, it meant that this fox shifter was trapped in Oscar’s mess of a pack. Regina wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

  She knew she’d inspired him to save the girl, to keep her from a fate she’d rather run away from, but it felt wrong to pull her into a pack unit that couldn’t reach out to their Alpha until the very last moment.

  Regina pulled back and nodded. She was glad of what he’d done, but she wished it had been different. When she looked at him, she wished he could be different. Perhaps no fox shifter knew what happily ever after meant. She was trapped under fox shifter rules, even as part of Nikolai’s Pack. This girl was now trapped in a barely functionable pack unit.

  Foxes had to survive because it was the only option the universe gave them. It didn’t bother with trifling things like happiness or love. While her heart struggled with reason, Regina pushed past Oscar. Behind her, he let out a small sound, as if trying to call her back. Regina didn’t stop.

  She couldn’t afford to.

  Alone in the elevator, her beast squirmed. It wanted her to return to Oscar. The night they’d shared—no, the hour because he’d left almost immediately—filled her mind. The beast was trying to tell her something, but Regina couldn’t listen. Oscar was a good man, and good at a number of things in bed, but her mother would never approve.

  He was a bear.

  Bears were good for protecting, good for keeping the order when there were so many shifter species in one place, but they weren’t foxes. They weren’t husband material. Her mother would die and then turn over in her grave if Regina tried to bring Oscar home.

  The elevator doors slid open and someone entered. Regina moved to leave, but the new occupant stopped her. The smell of fox filled the small space. The hand around her arm tightened. Her heart flipped as she watched the elevator doors slide closed.

  A male voice hummed through the space, sizing up the situation. Regina spun to meet the gaze of Zara’s arranged fiancé. He didn’t smile, didn’t show any kind of emotion as he took her in.

  “It seems the bear is greedy for fox women.” He twisted Regina’s arm to get a look at her hand. “No ring. You’re unmarried at this age? Such a waste.”

  Her lip curled. The beast inside her squirmed. It was counting down the moments until the elevator door opened again so they could jump out, but the man glided past her to hit the emergency stop button. The elevator groaned and halted, sending a tremor through her legs.

  “I could drag you back and make you a wife,” he said, as if they were discussing the weather. He didn’t seem to take any joy in this, but rather saw it as the facts of life. “You’re a little old for me, but I’m sure you’d still produce at least one or two kits.”

  Her stomach rolled. She wasn’t a brood mare, ready to bend over and take it just so she could pop out a couple of kids. He made something she actually wanted sound like a punishment. It was her nightmare, come true.

  “You can’t force me to do shit,” Regina growled between clenched teeth. The brave spark that rose through her and rolled over her tongue surprised even her.

  The man raised a brow. Regina fought against her body’s urge to flinch. Why were fox men so greedy? Her growl deepened. She was done with fox men. If her mother ever brought one to her doorstep, she was going to lock the door. She’d leave the state if she had to. She refused to marry any fox man.

&nb
sp; “If you think you’re going to intimidate me, then you’re wrong. If you think you’re going to drag me back to your house and lock me inside, be warned that there will be not just one, but two Alpha bears on your doorstep. Perhaps even three bears. Do you really want to risk that?”

  “Did you put out for that kind of protection? I wouldn’t want a wife whose legs have been spread for an entire pack.”

  “You can’t slut shame me. I’ll have you know I only slept with one…wait, two of them!” She couldn’t fight back the smile curling the corner of her mouth. She blatantly refused to be shamed for trying to fall in love, for actually falling in love. Hell, she refused to be shamed for enjoying her life the way men were encouraged to enjoy their lives. “I’ll admit, I did try to seduce the third bear. I’m really glad I didn’t go through with it, though. He’s like a brother to me now.”

  Watching him grow more and more uncomfortable was laughable. Through wit and honesty, she’d managed to defuse the situation. His hand had fallen away from her arm, so she ducked around him and slapped the big red button on the panel. The elevator jerked into motion, sending them upward.

  “Whatever,” the fox shifter finally said, as if that was some sort of powerful rebuke. Regina laughed to herself. “I’m here to take Zara home. I won’t have you brainwash her into being a slut, too.”

  Her fox growled. Before she knew what she was doing, Regina slammed into the male fox shifter. She jammed her forearm beneath his throat and shoved him into the wall. Her body pulsed with energy as she stared up at him. His lip curled, as if he might hit her, but she didn’t flinch this time.

  “You can say all you want about me. I’ve lived my life the way I want, and I’ll continue doing what I want. But, if you think you’re going to come here and force a teenager into a life she does not want, then you’re going to have to go through me and three bear shifters.” She didn’t know if Nikolai or Miles would step up for Zara, but she was willing to bet they would.