True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves
Chapter 10: So Here We Are

The rest of the shopping trip went by easier. She tried several colors of shirts and pants. Testing combos and cuts. Until she found the right one she liked. Light green and black. It was the last lady’s clothing store in the mall. He took note of it to pass along to Rick and Quincy so they had an easier time. Now on to shoes.

He pulled her into Footlocker. She pulled off her shoes and her socks had holes. Also men’s wear. He would have to stop at the Walmart on the way out of town to get her a couple packs of socks. A sales associate approached them to help her. She needed to be sized and one pair of sensible hikers or tennis shoes would do today. While the sales clerk helped Alexandria, William pulled out his phone and opened the group chat he had with his brothers.

She needs socks. Gonna stop at Walmart. We need anything while I am there?

Milk. Rick drank a gallon on his own. Quincy’s avatar was Einstein

Did not. It was a quarter gone this morning. Rick’s avatar was a sports fan.

William chuckled softly. Then replied. Okay three gallons. Anything else?

How is she doing? I have been anxious all day. Einstein

It started a little rocky but she is doing well now. William’s avatar was a nerd.

Alexandria picked out a pair of light green lady’s hikers. He had made no comment at the clothing store about her choice in color. After an hour of trying on other colors and not being satisfied she had looked into those intense eyes. She could drown in the depths of them. She had turned around and asked for anything light green and black. The clerk had found a light green shirt being the beginning of summer the sleeves fell off the shoulders and tapered down her slim waist bunching just above the waistband of the black jeans. Beautiful with her olive skin and dark hair.

William did not miss the light green color she had chosen. He just chose not to comment. In case he was wrong on his assumption. But Moon that color looked good on her. His mouth had gone dry when she had stepped out of the dressing room in it. The new bra held her perfect breasts right where they should be. The shirt was sexy without being immodest. The skinny jeans she had chosen fit her slim legs and hugged her thighs. Damn she was hot.

He nodded at her choice in shoes and made the purchase. He guided her back through the maze of people and shops to the front entrance. Catching the eyes of any human men who glanced in Alexandria’s direction with a deadly stare. Mine. The possessive emotion was new and raw for him. He had dated wolves and humans. But he had never felt this before. Usually he just smiled at the men admiring the female on his arm. He felt protective, possessive, dominant. Aggressive even. His wolf on his feet and alert.

Alexandria’s wolf felt the possessive pull of his. His arm around her. Her wolf approached tentatively. The majestic male creature that was him. Tall and regal. She felt scrawny and underfed. Less. She felt so much less. Her tail between her legs. Her front paws bowed to creep forward lest he decide to snap.

William looked down at her as they exited the building through the automatic doors. Come on, sugar. Submit. Surrender. He thought. His wolf was still, waiting patiently. Waiting for her to make her move. Marcus had spent almost a whole day with Margarette before succumbing to his need to taste her. But she had warmed to him. Alexandria was still unsure. She was a scared wolf. Unsure and afraid. Afraid he would hurt her. Margarette had been scared of the pain of rejection. Alexandria was afraid of being hurt physically.

“Do not fear me, sugar. Hurting you would hurt me.” He whispered in her ear as he opened the door on the car. She met his eyes. Earnest intensity burned in their green depths. He was telling her the truth. He could not hurt her. She gave a small nod and got in the car.

The stop at Walmart did not take long. One bag of socks and three gallons of milk. He had noticed her look down the ice cream aisle as they had navigated through the throng of other shoppers. They had that at home. Three different kinds in fact. If none of them were what she wanted then Quincy can pick her up some tomorrow.

It was four o’clock on a Saturday so the sight that greeted them as they approached his car surprised him, but then again it didn’t. Four boys, fifteen by the looks of their clothes and their stance were surveying his car. William pulled Alexandria behind him so they did not see her. The last he wanted was to have to kick their asses. But he would if necessary. “Beautiful isn’t it?” He asked as he hit the panic button on his key fob and the alarm that was louder than even a police siren went off. The boys jumped back startled both by him and the alarm.

He felt Alexandria raise her hands to her ears. Her face actually buried in his back. She did not like loud noises at all. Hmm. He turned it off. “Run along, boys. That is too much car for you.”

“Perhaps but she looks right.” One said sneaking a peek behind him. A low growl emitted from his chest and he rose to his full height. His hand reaching for his knife at the small of his back.

“Now, children don’t you have somewhere else you should be playing at?” Margarette’s soft voice said from the other side of the car. “William you alright, son?”

“Fine, Mother.” William replied retracting his hand. “Father with you?”

She nodded. “He is finishing our purchase. Heard your alarm. Joe and Randal are on their way. Dispatch connected me right to them. Kinda slow on the northside today.”

“Yeah the riffraff came south for a change.” William grinned. Alexandria snuck a peek around William’s side. A police car pulled into the parking lot and two huge males got out once they parked behind the Thunderbird. The boys scattered. The one who had threatened Alexandria ran in the wrong direction and got tripped by William. He shifted so she remained behind him. “Get up I dare you.”

Alexandria’s hand on his back sent a jolt of peace through him. “He is just a child.” She whispered. The power that had been ready to unleash itself on the boy subsided. Pushed down. Along with his temper.

“He threatened you.” William growled low he did not want the boy to get away without at least knowing that such behaviors were unacceptable. Joe came around and kept a good foot from his Alpha recited the Miranda rights to the punk and handcuffed the kid.

“Charges?” Joe asked when he had the kid in hand.

“No. But perhaps a little time in a cell then released will put some respect in him. He and his friends did not do any damage.” William replied. She had managed to calm him with a touch. Years of self-control training. Years of discipline and this little female just had to put a hand on him. He would not deny that he was skeptical. He had been sure that the madman had forced this mating somehow. But that was proof. She was truly theirs. The Moon had made the choice.

Once the punk was in the back of the squad car and Alexandria and William had answered the officers’ questions, William got Alexandria into the car and then loaded up the back with the milk and socks. She said not a word as they drove back to the compound. He could feel his temper rising again. He took her hand that rested face up next to her. Peace filled him. His temper simmered but it was cooling. Well fuck. “I would not have killed him.” William said low to break the silence.

“He was a child, William. A stupid child.” She replied not looking at him. “You were prepared to use your full strength on that kid. So yeah you would have.” She looked at him then. “And for what? Me or your ego? I may be weak in the face of you. But that kid just needed a swift kick in the balls.”

He thought about that. He had been prepared to beat that kid the way he would have his brothers. And that would have been wrong. “You are right. I saw red.” He admitted.

Quincy and Rick were on the front steps of the pack house when they pulled up. “How did it go?” They asked.

“Fine.” William replied and opened her door.

The brothers on the porch stared in awe as she stepped out of the car. She was thinner than they had originally thought. Even comforting her the previous night when she was having her nightmare had not prepared them for how slim and fragile she looked. The light green shirt made her coloring look exotic. Her almond eyes brighter. The skinny jeans clung to her like a second skin. She was beautiful. They swallowed hard. This was going to be a long few weeks.

“She was wanting ice cream. Show her the selection we have if she doesn’t want any of that then Quincy can pick up what she wants tomorrow.” William informed them as he grabbed the milk, socks and shopping bags from the various stores out of the car.

“Bossy as usual.” Rick rolled his eyes and offered her his arm when she reached the top step. Quincy took up the other side. “So have fun or was he a killjoy?”

“I do not like shopping,” she admitted. “too many people and the music is awful.”

“Welcome to the outside world, love,” Rick replied. “It only gets more interesting from here. Once we get you set up with cards and internet access if you decide to buy your own stuff online that is fine.” They led her into the kitchen and opened the bottom drawer of the fridge where three different kinds of Blue Bunny ice cream sat. Peanut Butter Party. Chocolate Fudge Brownie. Cookie Dough. Her eyes lit up.

“I did good then?” She asked her eyes dropping. She had stepped back from the freezer to wait permission. Father would give her a cookie once a week in she did well. Trained hard. Took care of the little ones seamlessly. Kept her room clean. That sort of thing. She did not feel like she deserved this.

"Yes, sugar. You did." William replied and nodded to his brothers. He crossed to the stairs and climbed up his drawing board. He needed to work a bit before supper.

Quincy pulled the ice cream out and Rick got her a spoon. She followed them to the dining room. They put the ice cream and the spoon down in front of her and left her to eat her fill.

Quincy was curious to know what that was about. He had not taken her for being a sub. Each brother had the quality to be dominant and aggressive. Rick and Quincy preferred to be laid back and easy going. The females did not seem to mind. In fact they seemed to enjoy their company. William had never had an issue with females per se but he was intense. Females tended to get a little wary after a while. And then there had been Maria. She had been good for William. But the Moon had other plans for her.

The two climbed the stairs single file and took up their spots to stare at William's back. "You broke her?" Quincy asked with a teasing grin.

William's shoulders tensed. "No." He clipped out.

"That is what is beneath the facade. She is scared and alone. She tried to convince herself that revenge and making that psycho proud was the way to go. Was how she would earn self-respect." Rick replied. "I saw it. But figured it would play itself out and her true personality would shine through."

"So what now?" William asked his shoulders relaxing again. Rick shrugged and looked to Quincy.

"Continue as we have already agreed. Quincy takes her shopping next and then me. Each of us showing her the different benefits of being our mate." Rick replied. "We all want her. That is a given. How hard will she fight her want of us? It is there. We all feel her wolf approaching each us. But she is scared."