CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Rider looked at his phone with a frown. He was in trouble, for that little devil was avoiding him. How dare she? How could she bear staying far from him for so long?

And he was sure she was planning to conceive another excuse for the following weekend.

His position was getting unstable because of her, for she had marked him as hers without telling him anything. At first, he was annoyed by her actions. But then, he realised she didn't do it on purpose. After losing control, she had claimed him. She, who always reminded him how she didn't want any link between them. She, who didn't want to know his name!

Yet, Rider couldn't even blame her. She had lost her mind for quite a while, and she most likely didn't do it on purpose. Since she was avoiding him, he wondered whether she knew it. Oh, but she could have so many reasons to avoid him. He had to find out in some way.

If the reason for her rejections, though, turned out to be the mark, he would have taken revenge. Most likely, in a way she wouldn't have liked. It was better for her if she didn't know it...

He had carried her scent on him for a week already, and the others in the pack would snicker at him when they thought he couldn't see or hear them.

The Alpha had raised his brow, surprised by that course of events, but he hadn't said anything. He hadn't questioned his loyalty, for it was obvious he was progressing fast with the plan if Samantha Murphy had thought of marking him.

The real problem was Lucretia. Lucretia knew how to become annoying.

«When are you ending your mission?» she asked.

It was the third day in a row that she would say the same exact words. Too bad there was no end to his mission. He couldn't see a way to overpower Miss Trouble and bring her on his side. Not after the second time she said she was busy.

«I don't know,» he sighed.

«You shouldn't allow that female to mark you, Renato! It's so unfair... Isn't it embarrassing? But I know you're doing it for the pack!»

The Alpha's younger sister was a princess. She had grown up with everything she would ask for, including a personal bodyguard who had to act more like a babysitter than a soldier.

It had often happened that Renato was the one to follow her, for the Alpha seemed to need him less when Lucretia requested.

To him, it was just part of his job. His duty was to protect the Alpha's sister; and so he did. Even if protecting her meant carrying bags during her endless days of shopping or taking pictures of Lucretia with her friends. He was a soldier in the soul, so he never asked questions.

If anyone but his Alpha had asked him to do that job, however, he would have answered with a punch.

«What does your mother say, by the way?» Lucretia asked. For once, she had found a way to change her words.

She was sitting in front of him, and she had ordered him to have a drink. Her fingers were wrapped around the mug with hot tea while her gaze was on the glass with lemon soda in front of Renato. She was staring at the spot where his lips were a second before.

She would move a lock of her black hair behind the ear; she would show her wrist openly while doing it, signalling her thoughts and wishes clearly enough. Too bad male wolves didn't know how to read signals most of the time.

She had tried to convey her feelings for so long, yet nothing could pass to him. He would look at her without any reaction as if he didn't see how she blinked, the seductive and slow moves of her long eyelashes. Nothing worked.

At most, he would raise a brow in disbelief and observe her as if she was a weird show.

«Nothing,» he sighed. «My mother said nothing.»

Lucretia scoffed, looking to the side and avoiding his face for a while.

They were getting along: she would talk with him, and he would accompany her shopping. It was fun and interesting, even if Renato would play dumb at her games every time she tried to get closer. But then, her brother had sent Renato on a mission.

He had to seduce a woman from the Norwich pack and bring back information. It all was good until that woman dared to mark Renato as hers. How dare she, who didn't know a thing about him?

Lucretia couldn't wait for that damned mission to be over, to have Renato back for herself.

«It will be over soon,» Lucretia said out loud, smiling gently. «I'm sure you will finish earlier than planned, don't worry!»

Instead of relief, his face was crossed by annoyance. Yet, he nodded at her words and sipped from his glass. He hated it, even more, when his tasks included keeping company to a spoiled little brat. Teenagers were tough to take care of, especially female teens. Just like his sister, Lucretia had some odd habits. The most annoying thing was looking him directly in the eyes without breaking the contact for too long.

«Shall we go back?» he inquired, seeing her empty mug.

She nodded, a slight pout on her lips.

«How is it?» she then asked, getting up and following him towards the car parking.

«What?»

«Being on a secret mission. I'm so unhappy my brother sent you among all people,» she sighed. «But it must be because you're the only one he can trust so much!»

She took a step closer, pretending to be interested in hearing the answer. Without even noticing, Renato stepped aside to keep the distance between them constant.

«I'm not allowed to talk about it,» he said. He cut it short before the girl's curiosity could evolve to another odd, annoying stage.

Why had he talked about Samantha with that brat? Wasn't it enough that he thought about her all the time? Wasn't it enough that he dreamt about her every night?