The broken Alpha - Healed by innocence

His Ladies

*Chace*

I step out of the bank and wish to the Goddess I hadn't desperately searched for an excuse to come into town. I had hoped to casually cross my Luna’s path, perhaps walk through the town with her.

I hadn't expected to see her on the boardwalk wrapped tightly within my brother’s arms.

Blaise looks up and his blue eyes widen. "Chase!" Like a snake wrapped around a low-lying tree branch, Blaise slowly uncoils himself from around Callista. "Didn't know you had plans to come to town."

"Obviously." I ball my hands into fists and clench my jaw, my gaze darting between my brother and my mate. The terror has returned to her eyes, and I imagine right now she has good reason to fear me.

With a loose-jointed walk, Blaise approaches me. "Callie found out that Rowan shot me. She was a little angry at us for not telling her outright, for saying it was cattle rustlers. I was just trying to cool her temper."

I glare at my brother. "You don’t hug me when I’m angry."

Blaise barks out his laughter. "I will if you want me to because I can sure tell that you’re fit to have one right now." Stretching out his arms and tilting his head, he flashes an infectious grin that I'm certain he would use to charm the She-wolves if there were any of them around. "Want a hug?"

I step back. "Hell, no." I shift my attention to Callie. She is studying me as though I am a stranger, which I realize I am. What does she really know about me? What do I know about her?

"How did she find out?" I ask.

Blaise jerks his head toward the general store. "Olivia." He rubs his hands on his thighs. "Listen, Callie’s never visited Moonshadowville. Would you show her the town while I talk with Olivia for a while?" Blaise swivels his head around. "You don’t mind going with Chase, do you, Callie?"

I watch my mate grow pale before she finally nods. "That would be fine."

"Thanks. I’ll catch up with you." Blaise grins.

Blaise disappears into the general store. I wish I had been the one to whom Callie had turned, the one who had held her when she had learned the truth.

"You’ve never been to town?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Not this town. Not after the day you set the land aside. My brothers never had time to bring me."

"Well . . ." I step off the boardwalk, suddenly self-conscious with all that remains undone. "It's nowhere near finished." I point straight ahead. "The general store." I move my hand to the left. "The bank."

"What were you doing at the bank?" she asks as she walks to my side.

"I wanted to talk with Mr. Henderson about a loan for another building." I tell her.

"What sort of building?" She sounds like she is genuinely curious.

I clear my throat. "A man, a cabinetmaker, wrote to me. He wants to move here, but he hasn’t the means to finance his own business. I think he would be a good investment."

"Do you have the means to finance him?" She asks.

"With the assistance of the bank, I will help him get his start. Eventually, he will own his business outright, but the more people I can get to Moonshadowville, the more we will grow." I explain.

She looks at me, no reservations for once. "How do you determine which businesses would be a good investment?"

I study her, not expecting the questions she is asking, but pleased that she knows enough to ask them. I crook my elbow and watch as she swallows before placing her hand on my arm. Together we walk slowly along the street.

"I try and figure out what people need," I explain to her. I point toward the clothing store. "Wade was always going to Fort Worth to purchase clothing for Briony. He would visit Miss Halfmoon’s dress shop. The idea of a new town intrigued her, so she moved her business here, hoping the town would prosper and more she-wolves would come. Until then, she sews clothing for men and she-wolves."

"There aren’t many she-wolves around from what I have seen." She says.

I nod. "A half dozen if that many. I haven’t figured out how to attract them to the town. I have been thinking of running an advertisement for mates, similar to the one Briony placed for a husband. Only I would want a whole passel of she-wolves to come, and I would need to have mates waiting for them. I have got to give some thought to the best way to handle that. I don’t particularly relish the thought of being a mating broker."

She slowly nods, and I almost imagine that I can see wheels spinning in her mind. I want to ask her what she thinks of the town. I want Moonshadowville to be more than just a town... I want it to be a place that draws people in and gives them a reason to stay.

We near the saloon. Hesitantly, she glances at me. "Can I look inside the saloon?"

"Sure." I tell her.

*Callista*

Cautiously, I near the swinging doors and peer inside. The smoke is thick. The odors are not entirely pleasant. I can see a few men sitting at a table playing cards. One of the men is my brother.

"What is Ryan doing here?" I ask.

Chase glances over my shoulder. “Playing cards.”

“I mean why isn’t he out working with the cattle?” I ask.

“I guess he’s just taking some time off.” Chase mumbles.

Stepping back, I study my mate. “When do you take time off?”

He leads me away from the saloon. “Saloons don’t appeal to me. I never could bring myself to let the draw of a card take away the money I have worked so hard to earn.”

“But you must relax sometime.” I say.

“When I need to relax, I ride out at night and visit one of my ladies.” He says, like it is the most natural thing.

I'm unprepared for the pain that slashes through me. Why had I expected him to remain faithful to me just because we had exchanged vows? Incensed for reasons I cannot begin to fathom, I stride off the boardwalk. “I think I have seen all I want to see of the town.”

He grabs my arm, and I jerk free. “Please don’t touch me. Not after you have just thrown your mistresses into my face.”

“My mistresses?” He draws his brows together over eyes mired with confusion, then he starts to laugh. “My ladies.”

“I don’t see that it’s funny.” I growl.

He shakes his head. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“Obviously not. A gentleman doesn’t mention his other she-wolves to his mate. I think we would both be a good deal happier if you had married one of them instead of me.” I spin on my heel and start to walk away.

“Callie?”

I want to keep walking, but a longing in his voice touches me, reaches for me, forces me to turn around. No longer smiling or laughing, he watches me as though searching for something.

“The ladies are my windmills,” he says quietly. “I enjoy listening to them in the quiet of the night. It brings me peace. I would like to share that with you sometime.”

Incredibly embarrassed, I slam my eyes closed. “I’m sorry. I acted like a shrew.”

“You should get angry more often.” He says warmly.

My eyes fly open. The one time my mother had gotten angry, my father had struck her down. “Why?”

“Anger puts a fire in your eyes. I would rather have the fire than the fear.” He says.

“Chase!” a man yells.

I watch as a slender man rushes toward Chase.

“Tyler, you got a problem?” Chase asks.

The man skids to a stop. “Not a problem.”

As though he suddenly notices me, Tyler jerks his hat from his head. He sweeps the blond locks from his brow and smiles at me. “Luna Moonshadow, we met at your wedding although you probably don’t remember me. Tyler Curtiss.”

“I’m not very good with names,” I confess.

“I’m not very good with faces except when they’re beautiful like yours.” He blushes as though unaccustomed to flirting, and Chase scowls.

“Tyler designs the buildings and manages the construction,” Chase says, his voice taut.

I smile with interest. “So you’re building the town?”

“With a great deal of help. I would like to get your mates opinion on a few things if you can spare him.” He says.

“Yes, that’s fine.” I tell them.

Chase seems to hesitate. “Can you find Blaise?”

I nod. “I’m sure he’s still at the general store.”

“I’ll see you at home then.” Chase tells me, he looks like he wants to say more, or do something, but then he simply turns.

I watch him walk away. I can tell from his stance that he's listening intently as Tyler prattles.

Why had it hurt so much when he had mentioned his ladies with such affection? Why was I relieved to discover he had been visiting windmills?

I begin strolling toward the horses tethered to the hitching post in front of the general store. I had erupted with anger and instead of retaliating, he had told me to get mad more often. I decide his suggestion might have some merit. I had found the burst of fury... emancipating.