Page 10 of Alfie

I’ll call you. Love you.

Love you too.

Was Alfie Mr. Right? It sure did seem like it. He was everything she wanted in a guy: protective, sweet, funny, and oh yeah…sexy as hell.

Alfie was all of that in spades.

Whatever was between them, it certainly felt like the start of something amazing.

Once she was inside, she sent him a text that she’d made it safely to her place, and then sent him a picture of a mug with a tea bag while she waited for her kettle to boil.

A little while later, he sent her a picture of a mug with steaming tea.

Freaking adorable.

Sleep well, Myla.

Sweet dreams, Alfie.

Chapter Five

Alfie couldn’t stop looking at his watch to check the time. He had hated every second of the day as he waited for the time to pick up Myla for their first date. He’d kept himself busy—with a morning patrol shift—and then packing a few bags to take to an empty apartment in the small eight-unit complex at the back of the park.

It had become custom for shifters who had human soulmates to move into an apartment so they had a place to bring them back to that appeared to be lived-in. He could hardly say he lived at the park if he didn’t have a place to bring her to. The underground living areas for the shifter groups were very much off-limits to humans unless they knew the truth about shifters.

He hoped that he’d be able to bring Myla to his home in the wolves’ private living area sooner rather than later, but however long it took to win her heart, he didn’t mind. He was just so damn happy to have found her.

His beautiful human soulmate.

He stopped at the security office and picked up a keycard to unlock the door of a first-floor unit. The stallion shifter-owned construction company, which operated out of nearby Little River, had built the apartment complex, and it had been used many times by shifters with human soulmates. The apartments were used by the couples even after the humans came to know the truth, if they needed a place for their family to visit. Like in the case of Mercer and his human mate, Rhomi, who was pregnant with their first child. Her family had visited them during a recent baby shower and they’d spent time after the party in an apartment, which they believed was where the couple lived.

Alfie unlocked the apartment, his mind suddenly on thoughts of Myla’s family, and what it would mean once she found out the truth. She’d forever have to keep a secret from her family. And clearly, she was close to them. He’d never had to keep a secret from someone he loved before.

He just hoped she felt he was worth the secret.

As he set his bags in the bedroom, someone knocked on the outer door.

“I’m in the back,” he called, unzipping a duffel he’d stuffed with clothes.

“Hey,” Mercer called.

Alfie heard the heavy footsteps of the lion male as he crossed the apartment to the master bedroom.

“What’s up, man?” Alfie asked. He dumped out the clothes and sorted them into piles for putting away, setting aside dark jeans and a quarter-zip for the date.

“Welcome to the neighborhood,” Mercer said. He held a shallow cardboard box with several items, including coffee pods, creamer, sugar cubes, and a bag of kettle corn from the gift shop.

“Thanks,” Alfie said. He took the box from Mercer and carried it to the kitchen. “Are you guys staying in the apartment this weekend?”

“Tonight. Her family is coming over for dinner so I had to pop over and drop off a few things. They’ll be gone around nine, though.” He tapped the popcorn. “Amadeus mentioned in the market that your soulmate likes popcorn and works at a movie theater, so Rhomi wanted to send you some to take to her as a gift.”

“That’s a nice idea, thank her for me,” Alfie said.

“Better than flowers, since the popcorn won’t wilt.”

“True. How are things with Rhomi and the baby?”

“Awesome. I can’t wait to meet our little one. Rhomi’s starting to get nervous about the delivery, but she’s a rockstar.”