CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Meeting his mate after years made Alpha Nate return back to life. If things were like that, Lara was even more dangerous than Roxy had thought at the beginning.

Losing Lara would have meant dying again for him, and it would have involved the pack the second time around. There's a limit to how many times someone can deal with a broken heart.

Roxy understood that she could not keep the role of the Alpha female any longer. Nate needed Lara nearby, even if not in his bed or home. And the pack needed her next to their Alpha.

Things had progressed without anyone noticing, and they were all linked by an invisible thread.

Still, telling Lara to stay with them forever might not be the best idea... What if she got scared of the responsibility?

Melanie had said to introduce her to the role as slowly as possible, leaving her time to settle down. She didn't say anything about keeping it secret not to let Lara notice, but maybe that was a better option.

«You two were looking at a woman's lower back,» Roxy said out loud. «Do you realise how insulting it is to your partners?»

She crossed her arms, waiting for due apologies.

«We didn't look at her because we don't look at you, my deer,» Bass said. «I mean, you are the best, wifey...»

She lifted a brow, not really surprised her husband didn't get the meaning of her words.

«It's insulting to us women in general,» she said.

«Why?»

«Oh, forget it. You can't understand...»

«You know I love only you, my deer, do you?»

She sighed, forgetting to lecture the two wolves. She just accepted the hand on her back and the puppy eyes her husband was showing her with such innocence. It wasn't even a fake show to get her forgiveness because he wasn't capable of acting at such a level...

«You're right,» Nate said instead. «But it was stronger than us. I mean, I can't deny...»

He stopped all of a sudden, wondering if admitting it would have brought Lara away forever. That woman had a nice body, true, and he had glanced at her for a moment. Still, he hadn't felt attracted one bit.

It was just like when he looked at a car. He didn't buy every single pretty car in his surroundings.

«It's undeniable,» Lara sighed. «I wished to be like her when I was in school. She was at the beginning of her career, and her figure was just so perfect! I went on diets quite a few times, always without any result.»

Nate blinked, distracted by Lara's words for good. A pretty face, a perfect figure... all about it disappeared, and only Lara remained in his mind.

«Why?» he asked.

«I wanted to be like her,» she confessed with a smirk. «As a teenager.»

«No need for that,» he said. «You're just perfect as you are.»

His tone was simple and convinced. As if he was talking about the earth revolving around the sun. About the moon changing light during the month.

Something as evident and uncomplicated as to be undeniable.

«You think?» Lara chuckled, blushing lightly. Was Nate flirting? Was he diverting the attention away?

It didn't sound like that... He was so solemn! And his face, as if he was stating the obvious?

He nodded because he had no words to add. He felt, deep in his heart, that telling his true thoughts would have brought him more trouble than approval.

A step from them, Roxy sighed in relief.

The crisis was over! And Alpha Nate had solved it so flawlessly... As if he was born a playboy. It most likely was just by chance or something his instinct was guiding him to say. Still, it was enough to make Lara blush and look at her fingers with a sweet smile on her lips.

In the end, she could trust their Alpha with that mission. He could conquer her heart all alone, without much need for external help.

It still was a mystery how come they weren't married yet, but it might have been just their deal.

Roxy was so distracted by the scene that she held Bass's arm without noticing. The man just smiled at her like a fool, thinking she had forgiven him so easily. He would have wagged his tail if they weren't in public.

«So, my deer, are you forgiving me?» he inquired, pressing his hand on hers.

«Yeah,» she sighed, realising that she had lost when she first got distracted.

When a waiter passed by with a plate filled with snacks, Bass took the plate and waved at the man. He ate the snacks without shame, and even Roxy took a couple of those expensive and exclusive things while observing how Nate and Lara tried flirting. They failed, yet they clumsily reached their goal all the same.

If there was something they could misdo, they had. Still, their glances and smiles were clear. They were having fun even without complicated flirting.

«So, this is how it's done,» Bass murmured before taking a tart and throwing it in his mouth. «You don't praise beauty.»

«Yes,» Roxy replied. «Listen to our Alpha and learn.»

«Sure.»

She was too lazy to explain anything. What for, either way? The two in front of her had started talking about the pups in between a flirt and the next, and she couldn't even want to understand them anymore.

«So,» Lara said, «you don't prefer blonde women...»

«I like dark hair,» he said. «And brown eyes.»

«I do like blonde hair, though. It's so pretty, but don't tell Scarlet.»

«Oh, we both agree that Jaden is prettier,» he said. «Well, that's true. But Scarlet knows how to act cute.»

«Scarlet will become pretty as she grows,» Lara chuckled. «For now, she's too energetic to be cute, most of the time.»

«They both resemble you when they smile,» Nate pointed out. «And with their gestures.»

«It's normal since we lived together. Yet, they will start copying you as well. I've noticed some small things already. Like the way Scarlet orders people around as if she had any right to. Or how Jaden purses his lips when he's thinking hard.. They're learning from you, and that makes them even prettier in my eyes.»