She drew in a sharp breath, nerves coiling inside her as something strange stirred once again. Her shy wolf, too, awakened at his nearness. Her name rolled off his warm tongue, sounding entirely different—richer, deeper—in the husky timbre of his voice.
She dared not look up at his face to see his expression. Instead, she kept chewing on the cake, her eyes fixed on her feet.
Alpha James stepped forward and hugged her from the side. “Welcome to your new home, my dear,” he said warmly.
“Thank you, Alpha,” she replied softly.
“You may call me Father, or James—whichever feels right to you,” Alpha James said, his voice gentle as his hand came to rest on her head in a comforting touch. “There’s no need for formality between us, my dear. You are like a daughter to me now, and I want you to r
