A True Alpha Christmas (5 page)

Mia could just see it: Rebecca would gin up her courage and ask Lev to the party. He would be surprised, but being Lev, there’s no way he would say no… if for no other reason than to show her off on his arm to the other pack members. Then he would discover how delightful she was away from the leering and drooling of the other wolves, they would kiss, and after that, the magic would take over. Rebecca and Lev would live happily ever after.

If only it could be so simple for her and Lucas.

“You never told me your mom lives in a slum.” Lucas’s voice was strung tight, and Mia could swear she heard his wolf growling under the words.

Her own wolf’s fur was prickled out—she was snarling at Lucas’s tone, as well as the drug dealer skulking down the street and the trash that tumbled along the curb. The ripe smells of urine and street grime made her wrinkle her nose.

“It’s not exactly something I’m proud of, Lucas.” She didn’t mean to growl at him, but it definitely came out that way. Lucas’s expensive sports car wouldn’t last two seconds in her neighborhood, which was why she had insisted they take a cab to get here.

Lucas stopped her on the stoop before buzzing into the tenement building. “That’s not what I meant, Mia.”

“Yeah, well, I
know
it’s a slum.” She was angry and nervous and about to crawl out of her skin with the tension of bringing her mom and Lucas together. And she still hadn’t decided what she could possibly say that would make this all work out right. “It’s not like I haven’t got a plan for getting her out of here. Why do you think I’m majoring in business? I’ve been planning all along to get out of school, get a job, and move her out of here.”

The drug dealer at the corner threw her a pinched look. She scowled right back, briefly, then ducked her head. She knew better than to bring on trouble by staring it in the face. She grew up here, after all. Hated it. Got out as soon as she could. But being back always brought out her street-tough side.

“Mia, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Lucas was shaking his head at the dilapidated front of the tenement. It hadn’t been painted in a good ten years. You couldn’t even tell what the original color was—it had all faded to pale concrete.

Mia dropped her voice. “I’ve been saving all my paychecks from SparkTech. And now that I’ve moved out of the dorm, it’s adding up. Eventually, I’ll be able to move her.”

“Mia.”
Lucas’s hands were on her now, holding her shoulders.

The chastisement in his voice was almost more than she could stand. She was doing everything she could—why couldn’t he see that?

“All you had to do was ask,” he said softly. “She’s your
mother.
I’m not going to let her stay in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Seattle.”

And like that, the tension drained out of her. “I know, Lucas.” And he would. She knew that about him if nothing else—he would protect her and take care of her, as well as everyone she loved. He was her alpha, and she was as sure of this as she was about the magic pumping through her blood. But there was too much baggage, too much still unsettled.
Too much her mother didn’t know.
And her mom already disapproved of Mia depending on Lucas, which he would never understand. Without a ring on her finger, her mom would never believe Lucas planned to stick around. Mia’s father had come and gone in a flash; someone rich and handsome like Lucas would, too. At least according to her mom.

Mia put her hand on Lucas’s chest and peered up into the wrinkled concern of his face. “Look, just let me do the talking here, okay? Don’t say anything about the neighborhood.”

“Mia, I’m not going to insult your mother’s—”

She put a hand up to stop him. “She’s
my
mother, Lucas. Let me handle this.”

He frowned, but nodded. “All right. I’ll follow your lead on this.”

Mia gave him a small, grateful smile.

Mr. Baily, her mom’s neighbor, came stumbling out the tenement door. He was a complete crank, and probably paranoid, but he let her mom use his phone when she needed to, so Mia had a soft spot in her heart for him. And of course he recognized Mia. He held the door for her, so they wouldn’t have to buzz in, then tottered off, hunched over in a hurry to somewhere else. The elevator was out again, so they took the stairs up the four flights. When they knocked on her mom’s door, she answered right away.

Mia fought to not be embarrassed by the shabby interior of her mom’s place—it was nothing like the sparkling luxury of Lucas’s upscale apartment—and focused instead on giving her mom a hug. She was dressed in her best: black slacks and a blouse that showed off her eyes, which were startling blue just like Mia’s. She had inherited her mom’s thick black hair as well, although her mother’s long locks now sported a dozen growing streaks of gray. The only thing Mia seemed to inherit from her absent father was his invisible talent for shifting into the shape of a wolf.

Mia pulled back from her hug. “Mom, this is Lucas Sparks. Lucas, my mom.” She avoided the whole
what do I call Lucas
question by simply using his name.

Lucas extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Fiore.”

“Mr. Sparks.” Her mom gave an awkward dip of her head then seemed to yank her hand back quickly.

Mia cringed. Already this was off to a bad start.

Her mom ushered them into the living room, which was just inside the door. It wasn’t like they had a big place. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were all just one big area with slightly different flooring. Lucas was back to scowling, this time at the faded wallpaper and the cover-throws that hid the holes in the couch cushions. At least the smell wasn’t too bad today. Trash pickups were earlier in the week, and the air inside held a whiff of disinfectant. Her mom didn’t have a shifter’s sense of smell, but Mia had complained enough that her mom kept the place squeaky clean to combat the smell of squalor leaking in from the outside.

There was only one chair and one couch, but even those made the small apartment feel a bit cramped. Mia and Lucas took spots on the couch while Mia’s mom sat stiffly in her chair.

“So I hear you’re in the technology business?” her mom started out.

Which brought a smile to Mia’s face. At least she was trying.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Lucas replied with a smile. “At least we try to be. We search out fledgling technology companies with potential and make sure they get the funding they need to grow. Mia has been a huge asset to our company since she’s been working there.”

Her mother arched an eyebrow, and Mia flushed. She knew her mom would see that for the flattery it was… not some kind of accurate assessment of how much Mia had helped SparkTech. She’d made her contributions, of course, but Mia could tell her mother was on the lookout for smooth talking and outright lies.

“I’m just an intern,” Mia threw out, trying to save it, “but Lucas has let me have a hand in several acquisition deals. It’s been a really good experience.”

Lucas took her hand and held it between his two. Just touching him eased tension out of her shoulders. But when she looked back to her mom, her eyes had narrowed.

“Once Mia finishes school,” Lucas said, “she’ll have a place at SparkTech for as long as she wants.”

“I’m glad you see how important it is for her to finish school.” Her mom’s voice carried even more tension than before.

“Of course,” Lucas said. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Mia’s mom narrowed her eyes further, which just made Mia’s shoulders hike up again.

“SparkTech is a really amazing company,” Mia offered, trying to keep the small talk going. “And they pay really well. I’m already halfway through my senior year now—it won’t be long before I’m out of school and working full-time. Then I should be making enough that we can get you a place away from Jackson Street.”

“This place is fine, Mia.” Her mother’s narrowed eyes turned into a full scowl. “You just concentrate on your schooling and don’t worry about me.”

Mia cursed herself for even bringing it up. This was an argument she and her mom had on a regular basis—the crack gangs were invisible to her. Ignoring them was the only way her mom could live on Jackson Street without being in a constant state of fear every time she went outside. She didn’t just live here, she worked here too, at the local grocery store for twenty years as a single mom while raising Mia. Which was part of why she was so determined that Mia be independent, on her own—and especially not reliant on a man who might leave at any second. Just like Mia’s father.

The silence hung in the air as her mom inspected Lucas. He bore the scrutiny without speaking for a few moments then squeezed Mia’s hand and said, “We wouldn’t have to wait, Mrs. Fiore. I’m sure SparkTech would be willing to give Mia an advance on her wages so you could move to a safer place now.”

But that was the wrong thing to say.

Her mom’s anger was just a slight tightening of her pretty face, but Mia saw it. “Well, now, Mr. Sparks, this might not be the fancy neighborhood you and Mia live in now, but I assure you, I’m quite safe.”

Lucas looked horrified. Mia figured it was just because he realized what a mistake he had made… but she was wrong.

“Please tell me you’re not serious,” Lucas said. “This neighborhood—”

“This neighborhood,” her mom cut him off, rising quickly up from her chair.
“This neighborhood,
Mr. Sparks, is my home. Did you have something else you wanted to say about it?”

Lucas pressed his lips tight.

Mia rose up from the couch. “Mom, Lucas just wants what I want: to keep you safe.”

“I’m perfectly safe here, Mia.” Her mom turned her narrow-eyed stare on Lucas. “What exactly are your intentions with regards to my daughter, Mr. Sparks?”

His intentions?
Oh no.
Her mother was going to ask Lucas flat out about why they were living together but not married.

Lucas rose up as well. “The only thing I care about is keeping Mia safe. I would give my life to protect her. And that goes for anyone in her family, too.”

Mia’s heart swelled with those words, because they were true and so very real—Lucas had already laid down his life for her—but her mother didn’t know any of that. She didn’t know about the magic bond between them. To her, those words were shallow promises… empty because there wasn’t a ring on Mia’s finger.

“Is that why you’ve moved her away from the university?” her mom asked, archly. “To keep her
safe?
”

“Mother!” Mia gaped.

Lucas’s frown grew increasingly dark.

Her mother matched his frown with a glare of her own, then said, “You can always come home, Mia. You will always have a place here.”

The words were for Mia, but her mother’s intense stare was for Lucas. Mia could feel Lucas stiffen next to her—she could practically hear his inner wolf growl. Her mother was challenging him, threatening to somehow take Mia away. The two people she loved most in the world were fighting over her as if they couldn’t
both
have a place in her life… and that was shredding her heart to pieces.

Mia brushed past Lucas’s rigid body and went to her mom. “Can I speak with you a moment privately?” she said harshly. Then she didn’t wait for her mom to answer, just grabbed her arm and spun her toward the kitchen. There wasn’t any privacy to be had except at the extreme back corner, next the refrigerator and the dirt-smudged window to the alley outside.

“Mother, what are you doing?” Mia asked, her voice rough. She couldn’t believe her mom would say those things to Lucas’s face. As if he were some kind of enemy.

“Why is he so protective of you?” her mom asked, her voice lowered as well. “There’s something wrong with that, don’t you see?”

“There’s nothing wrong with caring about the people you love!” Her eyes were starting to prick. She hated this. Why couldn’t her mom and Lucas simply love each other the way she loved them?

Her mom’s face softened. “Is that what he says to you, Mia? That he loves you? Because, honey, all men say whatever it takes to get you into bed. I’ve told you that a thousand times.”

“Not
all
men,” Mia said, her anger rising. Her mother wasn’t just insulting the man Mia loved—she was insulting her alpha. “Not
this
man.”

“Sweetheart.” Her mom’s thin, cool hand found Mia’s cheek. “I love you, you know that. But ever since you’ve met this guy, it’s like you’ve changed. He’s put you in some kind of haze. Don’t think I haven’t noticed what a tight leash he’s been keeping on my beautiful daughter. You work in his office, he’s moved you into his apartment, and now that’s not enough—he wants me to move out, too? There’s something very wrong with how controlling all of this is.”

“It’s not
controlling
,” Mia said, her voice hiking up. “It’s
protective.
It’s loving and caring for someone. It’s what being an alpha is all about…” But her voice faded at the look on her mom’s face.

“An alpha.” Her mom’s voice was dead.

Oh no.
Mia couldn’t believe she let that slip out.

“I just meant—” She stopped because her mom was peering around the corner at Lucas.

When she pulled back, her eyes had gone so wide the whites were huge around her brilliant blue irises. “He’s one of them, isn’t he?” Her mother’s pale cheeks pinked up in a haze of fury. “What is he doing to you, Mia? Is he forcing you to be with him? Are you involved in drugs now, too?”