Wolves and Boundaries

Tyler POV

Stephanie reacted like I told her I was the Moon Goddess reincarnated—eyes wide as the moon, mouth gaping, chest heaving for breath. It was satisfying to see that I had that effect.

And then I felt incredibly guilty.

My grin snapped off, and I lunged to support her before she fell down the damn stairs. I said I’d protect her, not let her take a tumble down marble.

“You—your—oh, my Moon Foddess.” She let me guide her to the second floor in a spiral, clutching my arm like a lifeline. “You—my mate—my mate is the Alpha’s son?”

We made it to the guest bathroom, and I lowered her to sit on the edge of the stupidly large tub. She didn’t let go of my arm. 

“What the fuck?”

I reared back at the accusing tone. “What the hell do you mean ‘what the fuck’?”

“I mean that,” she began fiercely then caught her reflection in the mirror. Her lips pressed together, and her eyes filled with tears. “I… I look awful.”

“Yeah, you do,” I said. This time, she didn’t glare. I knelt before her. My wolf wanted to take her hands, but I wasn’t holding hands with a stranger reeking of fountain water and depression. “But you’re going to fix that.”

Stephanie tore her gaze away from the mirror to look at me doubtfully. “How?”

“By getting in that tub, getting a full night’s sleep, and wearing my mom’s makeup and clothes.” I paused, then added, “And working on your self-confidence. I’m not mating someone who doesn’t own themselves.”

Her mouth quirked as I leaned past her to turn the faucet on. “I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“That you’re a playboy.”

I didn’t expect the words to feel like a jab. I pulled towels from under the sink. “Yeah, well—”

“And that you have a good heart. A sense of duty that no amount of flings can overpower.”

I stood up real straight at that. I found her gaze as if there was nothing else in the room. “You… really think that?”

Stephanie rose slowly, a little unsteadily. She seemed to have calmed down, her energy a simmer instead of a churning sea. My wolf wagged his tail in relief.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “I do.”

We stood there, time suspended for just a moment, and when she smiled… well, I never thought I’d have butterflies in my stomach, but I did.

She broke the spell when she took the towels gently and set them on the counter. With a mock serious tone, she said, “But that doesn’t mean you can watch me bathe.”

I blinked, shaking my head to clear it. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’ll just…”

I slipped out, closing the door behind me. A second later, the faucet turned off, and I heard the wet slaps of fabric as she tried to wriggle out of her bodysuit. A continuous stream of curses were muttered under her breath.

Damn, did I like a girl who could swear.

My wolf spun and jumped like a pup in a flower field, tongue lolling, huffing in joy.

“Oh, shut up,” I muttered as I went to Mom’s room to swipe some of her clothes. She and Stephanie were about the same size.

I lingered for a moment. 

But not too long.

I perked my ears listening for any sounds of Dad at the end of the hall, but luckily, it was just him snoring softly. If he found out a rogue was in our house….

The wall thudded when I dropped my forehead on it. Stephanie had said it best.

“A good heart. A sense of duty.”

Yeah, those two things didn’t always mix well. One was leading a pack. The other was as low as low could be.

Light splashing drew me out of my thoughts. I knocked lightly on the door. A sleepy hum came from within.

“Tyler?”

My chest tightened, but I made my voice casual. “Just checking in. Don’t drown.”

“Don’t plan on it, despite what might be assumed.”

“Oh, dark.”

Stephanie chuckled at my tease, then asked, “I, um… I don’t suppose you would have any… any…food?”

I clenched my teeth, hand gripping the doorknob so hard it hurt, having half a mind to throw the door open in disbelief. Why the hell was she asking like she was afraid I would scream at her?

“Stephanie,” I said, my voice low and tight, “who hit you?”

The silence that stretched between us was heavier than the steam that curled through the crack under the door. 

It felt like forever before she said, barely a whisper, “It doesn’t matter.”

“Yeah, it—”

“I just want to be alone for a bit, Tyler.”

Well, that was a tone I didn’t want to argue with.

I stepped away from the door, my blood surging with indignation and defiance on her behalf.

“Okay,” I said instead of calling her out for cowardice. “I’ll leave clothes right outside. Come out whenever. I can make some—”

“Popcorn?”

“Popcorn,” I repeated, now fighting a laugh. After everything, she just wanted fucking popcorn? “Anything else?”

I heard her splashing around delicately, like she was testing the surface or just enjoying the peaceful sound. “I don’t want to take what’s not mine.”

“We have more food than we know what to do with,” I told her, resting my temple against the doorframe. I didn’t want to leave her company just yet. “What else do you want?”

“No, I couldn’t…”

“Yes, you could—”

“Two hot dogs.”

“Seriously?”

“I don’t joke about my dogs, Rogers.”

I barked a laugh so loud even my wolf flinched. My hand clapped over my mouth, and I strained to hear Dad stirring. But he just kept snoring.

Meanwhile, Stephanie was stifling her giggles. She was totally shameless about tricking me like that.

“Fine, two hot dogs,” I grumbled. “And don’t be so smug.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Ten minutes and a miniature existential crisis later, I returned from the kitchen with two hot dogs slathered in ketchup and mustard. I rapped my knuckles on the door.

 “Got your dogs,” I said. “Hope you like a fuckton of condiments."

No response.

No splashes, either.

But a soft snore?

Aghast, I opened the door and looked in. Sure enough, Stephanie was fast asleep in the tub.

I didn’t blame her. That bruise was fresh; I knew what a wound there felt like from too many sports, and it did not leave you well-rested. And tonight at the Howlers? Anyone would need to sleep off that stress.

But also… there was a naked female just ten feet away.

My wolf growled in warning.

“What?” I hissed aloud, my eyes skimming the small movements of the water rippling by her easy breathing for a glimpse of a full breast. “I’m not going to do anything.”

My wolf’s lips peeled back in the beginning of a snarl.

“I’m ignoring you,” I told him flatly. The swell of her chest just barely hidden by the bubble clouds—damn. Fine. Hella fine. “I can admire from afar. She’s my mate.”

At that moment, she stirred—then slipped, sliding into the water up to her neck. She didn’t even stir when the water lapped at her chin.

I almost dropped the condiment-heavy plate on the carpet in my lunge toward her. I reached to pull her up, then hesitated.

Where the hell did I touch to pull her back up from going under?

She slipped further, and her head went under.

She got a rude awakening, thrashing and gasping in the tub, splashing water everywhere—including all over me from where I knelt a foot away.

I knew I was in trouble before she even registered how close I was.

Our eyes met. Stephanie blinked once, then twice.

Then realized one tit was fully exposed.

Fuck, it was a nice breast.

Her snarl was nothing short of terrifying as she sent a massive wave of soapy water toward me. I was drenched in an instant, hauling ass backward out the door. But I didn’t close it.

“What the fuck, dude?!” Stephanie shrieked, gathering the bubbles around her to hide behind them.

“Sorry!” I snapped, not sounding sorry at all. “Sorry I tried to save you from drowning!”

“I wasn’t going to drown! Creep!”

“Will you lower your voice? My dad’s down the hall!”

That shut her up fast. Behind the half-closed door, I felt her aura spike with fear.

“Your… your dad’s here?” she whispered. “The… Alpha?”

I sighed and sat, leaning against the doorframe with no view of the bathroom’s inside. “Yeah. He’s sleeping like the dead, though.”

“He’ll be furious if he finds out I’m here—if he finds out what I am.”

There was a whole lot of splashing as she got out, water rushing and pouring onto the floor. She wrenched the door open, snatched the clothes, and closed the door so fast I barely registered it all. She mumbled more curses while patting herself dry with the towels.

“He won’t,” I said. “Sleep here. He leaves first thing in the morning. He’ll never suspect anything with how many women I—”

I wanted to die right then and there.

The door swung open, and Stephanie was standing there like a vengeful goddess, glaring at me like she hoped I would burst into flames.

“How many what do you bring home, Tyler?”