Alphy's Challenge by Tigertalez Page A

great-aunt, younger brother, and sister on some property a little ways
from here. What do you think?”
    Connie looked up into her mate’s face. “I
trust whatever you choose.”
    Tom looked to Gale. Gale stood up and walked
over to them. “Well, he’s my mate.” She hesitated for just a moment. She was
scared to take this next step; it was a big one. But from what she’d learned,
she knew there wouldn’t be a better man for her. “My place is with him.”
    Tom’s smile looked like it was filled with
relief. He used one arm to bring her in for a hug while still holding her
mother. He kissed her temple and pulled back. “He still needs to do some
shopping, and we need to pack up. He said he was going to come back as soon as
he was done. You can go with him if you like. Your mother and I can handle the
packing.”
    Nerves played out in Gale’s stomach, so she
had to steady herself. “I’d like that.”
    Her mom leaned over and kissed her. “I’m
proud of you. Now go get to know your mate, and remember what we talked about.”
    Gale nodded and headed through the door. Her
hotter-than-hell mate was squatted down playing with one of the twins. He stood
up and gave her a panty-wetting smile. He gently took her hand and led her out
the door.

Chapter Five
     
    Alphy nearly let out a whoop when he heard
his mate’s answer to her stepdad. He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable,
so he didn’t mention that he was able to hear the entire conversation between
her and her mom. Shifter hearing was far superior to humans’. He didn’t have to
hide his interest in the conversation, as Tom was just as interested. The two
talked lightly, but they kept part of their attention aimed towards the room.
    There were a few things he paid special
attention to. Her nervousness about the mating was important, and he’d have to
remember that.
    They were so close to the store that he
really didn’t get a chance to talk before they were already parked in the
parking lot of the supermarket. After they exited the truck, he made sure to
hold her hand as they walked through the parking lot.
    “So, uh, what are we shopping for?” she asked
tentatively.
    Alphy dug into his pocket and pulled out the
list and handed it to her. “We’ll need to grab everything in a bigger quantity.
Is there anything specific your family needs?”
    They walked through the open sliding doors, and
Alphy grabbed a cart while Gale skimmed over the list. “We could see if they
have pull-ups. The twins are potty trained, but they still have accidents at
night. And soup—Paul still has trouble eating anything too solid.”
    He nodded as they started roaming up and down
the aisles. They worked their way over to the bakery department. Alphy took in
a deep breath and hummed as he let it out.
    Gale looked sideways at him and smiled. “Got
a sweet tooth?”
    “Guilty. Most shifters do. How about we get a
few dozen donuts to take back to everyone?”
    Gale got timid again, and she looked down and
shrugged. He stopped and pulled her soft figure against him. Crooking a finger,
he used the side of it to gently lift her chin until he was looking into her
bright hazel eyes. “What’s wrong? If you don’t like donuts, we can get
something else.”
    She fidgeted a little bit and tried several
times to look away, but he would have none of that. Her cheeks pinked, but he
waited patiently until she finally confided in him.
    She gave a defeated sigh. “Donuts are fine.”
Her voice was just above a whisper. He let her chin go and held her closer to
him.
    “That’s not what I asked, my beautiful mate.
I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”
    “I’m really not that beautiful. You’re the
drop-dead gorgeous one, which is nearly what I did when I first saw you.”
    He chuffed with her description upon seeing
him, then grew very serious. He placed his finger
under her chin again until her entrancing eyes were looking into his again.
“You are more