Alpha Werewolf Complete Set

"We've been trying to for ages. She's not going to-"

She swipe her paws across something on the other side of the door and it swings open just like that. He had not expected it to be that easy.

And then she lunges at him with her claws aiming at his face.

Chapter Three: Pets, Master

If he weren't what he is, if his wolf wasn't so interested in the young girl who smells like cat and wants to come out and play, then there is no doubt that he would have been severely injured. As things are, it is easy for him to swipe a hand out and grasp her by her wrist and pin her down on the floor.

He is excessively careful not to harm her. She's very soft and very small. Her tail is about the size of her entire body, big as fluffy as it is. Mostly fur, his mind supplies helpfully and it doesn't help that the thought sends a tendril of pleasure down his spine. Gods, there must be something wrong with him. If Danny had known in advance how much he coveted half shifters, he would not have left her in his possession. Or perhaps he knew. Perhaps Danny is counting on his obsession with half shifters to keep her safe because his friend knows that while Theodore may not be a good man, he is a possessive one. He would never let anything harm what he thinks of as his.

She smells even sweeter up close and it is too easy for him to lean down and press his nose to her neck, taking a deep inhale. She smells anxious and upset, but not as scared as he thought she would be.

"Sir, are you okay?" Alex asks and even though he is addressing Theodore, his eyes are on Nala, wide and worried. It is only too clear that Alex is more worried about the cat shifter than he is of him.

Nala hisses at him and tries to reach her arms around behind her to slash him. Even her wrists are adorable, fur covering the back of her hand, the fingers shorter than normal human fingers with claws that hides inside her paws when she's not using them.

"It is not polite to attack guests, kitten," Theodore says, the pet name dropping from his lips easily. It fits.

"Master- Master Danny?" she calls out for her old master beseechingly, as though if she is sweet enough, he would materialize in front of them and save her.

"You must know," he feels a pang of pain in his heart at the fervent wobbly in her voice. She must say the word a lot. It sounds normal on her tongue.

"Your Master Danny is dead, Nala," Alex says, sounding as though he had been trying to tell her the same thing for ages and wants simply for her to understand. "He had been sick for a long time and he wants Mr. Black to take care of you now. Mr. Black is a strong Alpha, Nala. He'll take care of you."

"Master Danny?" she whimpers, sniffing a little.

He sighs and releases her, making sure to keep his wits about in case she decides to attack him again. "Do you understand what Alex is trying to tell you, my dear?" he asks.

She scrambles to sit up the second she's free, legs folding up until she is able to wrap her arms around them. She looks like a kit then, and she looks even more like a young kitten when she tugs the tip of her tail in her hand and mouths at it.

Theodore has never been much for patience but he finds himself wanting to give her time to adjust, wanting to give her the world, if only she would talk to him.

She curls her arms around her knees, tucking into herself miserably and he watches as she nibbles at the tip of her tail, finding comfort as she grooms herself. She's beautiful. Mostly human with a few catlike features that could've been clothes put on her. Her cat ears are soft to touch, fluffy and well-groomed, as is her tail. There's fur on her wrists and up to her fingers, which look more like paws than they do human hands. Her legs are bend and cat-like, making it easier for her to be on her hands and knees instead of in a standing position.

There is something in her pupils that is not quite human too, her iris too narrow and sharp, her pupil a long slit instead of the normal spherical dark shade. It is easy to pretend she's human and easier to be reminded that she's not. He cups her neck and holds her, the heady smell of her anxiety filling her nose, but not fear. She's not afraid of him. Her skin is warm on hers and she seems to press into his touch, eager for the contact. The poor thing. She must have missed human contact for a long time. His hands cup her face, gently coaxing her to look up at him.

She sobs out then, realizing she's trapped and he's a bigger predator than him.

He is careful to keep his animal from surfacing, aware that he looks intimidating enough as a human already. He does not want to scare her even more.

"I'm going to take care of you now, kitten," he says. "You've been lonely, having you, darling? Caged here all on your own." Danny is a good man, but he has a family of his own. A wife whom he loved and children that he cared deeply for. If they have not come up for her yet, it is likely they didn't know about her either. She's Danny's little secret, his hidden shame. Perhaps he had been obsessed with her too. He monopolized her and wanted her just for himself. "I'm not going to keep you in a cage," he says.

She blinks at him, confused.

"I don't need to hide you, kitten. I'm a wolf. No one would touch what's mine. Well, no one who values their life," he grins and it is a feral grin with a hint of fang.

She quivers and tries to look away. He keeps his hands on her cheeks, preventing her from turning her gaze from him. In the corner, he sees Alex hesitating. The boy probably wants to provide input, but the memory of being thrown into the glass in the office is still fresh in his mind and he keeps wisely quiet.

"It's alright if you don't," he says. "But you'd have to go back there," he continues, gaze flitting into her cage.

Her breath hitches and she looks so afraid. Her hands- her paws grasp the hem of his shirt, as though afraid he would leave her right now and is trying to keep him there with her.

"Danny left you with me, though," he says. "And I'm going to take care of you. I'll keep your safe with me, show you the world, perhaps." It sounds cliche, but he can tell he's "Would you like to come with me?" he asks again.

"Wrii- ith you?" she echoes feebly, tongue curling around the words wrong.

He rumbles in reply, tone still soothing, but hands gripping her tightly because she feels ready to run. "Yes. With me," he says.