Cooper POV Leila and Hayley stand at the bar, heads close together as they whisper and laugh, and my heart swells at seeing this amazing woman is now thick as thieves with my little sister. I cannot believe what I just witnessed, and I don't think my brain has fully grasped the fact that my mate just went toe to toe with a powerful Alpha and his next in line without batting an eyelid. I sensed a vague flutter of nerves over the bond, but nothing like the fear or intimidation that I would have expected, especially once things got a bit ugly. "Impressive." My mum murmurs as she follows my gaze to Hayley. "Absolutely." My father concurs, "She has potentially saved the pack from financial ruin. If we had bought that place, and then it turned out we had to close it and spend millions retrofitting it, we would have been in serious trouble." He shakes his head and knocks back his whiskey. It doesn't even bare thinking about it. We take our role in providing for the

Hayley POV He holds out the crook of his elbow to me for me to slip my hand through, and even though I have no idea who this massive guy is or where he's leading me, somehow I feel at ease with him instantly. My steps falter slightly as I realize we are turning away from the door out to the back lawn where the marquee and BBQ are set up, but he places his hand lightly on top of mine to stop me from pulling back. He tips his head slightly towards me and speaks quietly, even though there isn't anyone around to hear us as far as I can see."You seemed a little nervous about going out there, if you don't mind me saying, and I would like to get you to myself for a moment. Will you join me for a quick drink?" He asks politely, and steps back, leaning his enormous frame away from me as if to give me space to decide. But I'm intrigued, and he is right. I don't want to go outside and socialize just yet."Lead the way then, Alpha Steel," I say, returning his

Cooper POVIf I thought that the weeks after I first found Hayley were hard, I had no clue what I was talking about. One positive thing I can say about all this is that I have gained control over my wolf that I never thought possible before. And I'm going to need every last shred of it.My mind is in chaos, I can't concentrate on anything that is being said, and my wolf is ready to burn the world down to get to his mate. He is already angry that I didn't mark her when I had the chance. When she was late arriving at the welcome drinks, he was starting to freak out, and the only thing that kept him calm was that we could sense through the bond that she was close by and happy.It was like a dagger to the heart when I finally saw the reason behind her happiness, and the little show that Blake Steel put on as they arrived at the drinks was devastating. Seeing him touching her hair and leaning down to whisper in her ear, I wanted to charge across the room and rip his

Cooper POV"Cooper, what are you doing here?" Leila asks innocently as she approaches us, even though she knows exactly why I'm here. I ignore my sister completely as I walk straight up to Hayley, grip her firmly by the elbow, and steer her towards one of the grottos dotted around the spa. She yanks her arm back but walks with me willingly, seeming to know there is little point in protesting unless she wants to make a scene."What the hell Cooper? Don't manhandle me." She complains as soon as we are in private, whirling around to glare at me with her arms propped on her hips. I know I should focus on how angry she is with me, but I can't stop thinking about how amazing she looks.My wolf is driving me to claim her now, before any of these other circling males even get to look at her again. Nobody should see my mate in a bikini, definitely when she's not even marked yet, and he is not one bit happy. I suck in a deep breath and clench my fists to keep control. I k

Cooper POVEthan saunters up beside me as I pretend to casually look around the room while I am watching with trepidation as Hayley speaks to Alpha Reynolds at the bar, before accepting a drink from him and chatting away happily. I am about to push off the table I am leaning on and go over to interrupt, but Ethan places his hand on my arm to stop me."Wait Cooper, trust that she can handle herself," He advises."Easy for you to say," I am about to argue further and shake out of his grip when I see her heading back towards our table, Blake Steel in tow behind her. She stops in front of us and pulls Ethan in for a big hug and a kiss."So, you skip the boring parts of the weekend and just come for the party, eh?" she teases him good-naturedly. She's a vision in a mid-length off-white dress that skims over her curves. It's one-shouldered, so her bare marking spot is exposed and calling out to me. She's radiant."I was called in as reinforcements. I hea