Page 27 of Alfie

“My boss and his wife are there. I need to tell you the truth, and I need their help.”

“I’m confused.”

“Just stay with me, Myla. I’ll explain everything.”

He wanted to tell her other things, like how crazy he was about her and that he didn’t want her to be afraid when he shifted, but instead, he just held her hand and walked her slowly across the dark field to the maintenance shed. The doors opened, spilling the light out into the darkness.

“Hello, Myla. I’m Joss and this is my mate, Jeanie.”

“Mate?” she asked.

“You’d say wife. Our people say mate.”

She looked up at Alfie. “What’s going on?”

“Sweetheart. I’m a wolf shifter. I can turn into a wolf.”

Chapter Twelve

When Myla was a teen, she learned that her grandma had lied about her age for nearly her entire life, because she was two years older than her husband, and when they’d gotten married at the time, it would have been scandalous. When she passed away and her birth certificate was taken out of the lock box, the truth was revealed. At the time, Myla thought it was a wild lie and wasn’t sure she would ever hear anything crazier.

But standing inside a maintenance shed, in an animal paddock on the safari tour, with the guy who held her heart telling her that he could turn into a wolf?

That was positively the craziest thing she’d ever heard in her life.

She stared at him, taking in the seriousness on his face. Then she glanced at his boss, Joss, and his wife, Jeanie.

Wait. He’d called her mate, not wife.

Sighing, she rubbed the corner of her eyebrow, wondering if she’d hit her head and was in a fever dream.

“You can’t be serious, Alfie,” she said finally.

“I’m very serious. And I’m going to show you the truth of what I am.”

“You could just tell me you don’t want to date me anymore. You don’t have to make up a lie and make me think you’re nuts.”

He made a face. “I don’t want to date anyone but you. You’re my soulmate. My wolf is nuts about you because you’re the one right person on the planet for me.”

She stifled the urge to sigh even louder. He was batshit crazy! And the strangest part was that his friends were not bothered a bit by the lie stew he was serving up.

“Fine. Just take me home, Alfie.”

“No, I’m going to show you why I wasn’t able to stay all night with you.”

“What the honest crap does you not sleeping all night with me have to do with whatever nonsense you’re cooking up here? News flash, Alfie, but people don’t turn into animals.”

“News flash to you, Myla,” he said, his voice going low and growly. “We can and we do. The truth is that I knew you were mine the moment we met. But the secret of our people is of the utmost importance. I had to be sure I had your heart, that you love me as much as I love you, so I could share the truth. I couldn’t risk staying away from the park all night with you, until you knew everything.”

“That’s dumb.”

He arched a brow and grabbed the bottom of his shirt, pulling it over his head in one quick move. She did not find it wholly erotic. At all.

Seriously.

Who has abs like that?!

Movement from the side caught her eye and she saw Joss turn Jeanie away from the sight of Alfie. He gave her a half-smile. “The only dick my mate sees is mine.”