Page 22 of The Alpha’s Unclaimed Mate

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Jessa rounds on me. “This has nothing to do with you. I already signed the firm’s contract. My probation ended two weeks ago, since I’d been working from home, so I’m locked in. Notice period’s six months. We’ll be gone the second it’s up.”

The gone part bothers me more than it should, but I keep my face even. “Six months is a long time. People change their minds.”

“I won’t.” Her voice is hard.

I study her. Something about this woman doesn’t add up, and I’ve never been able to leave a puzzle alone. “Is your problem with the town,” I mutter, “or with me?”

She stiffens, looking off to the bookshelf, the window, anywhere but my face, and that tells me more than an answer would.

“It’s me,” I murmur, half to myself. “What did I do to you?”

“Nothing.” It comes out clipped, too quick to trust.

I tilt my head, turning it over. None of it adds up. A woman lands in a town with a golden ticket for her kid, then claws to get out the moment she lays eyes on me. “What if I apologized?”

Her head comes up. “Do you even know what you’d be apologizing for?”

“No.” I shrug. “But if it secures your daughter’s future, I’ll apologize for whatever you like.”

Her anger drains again, slower this time. She looks away, and when she speaks, her voice has dropped low enough that I almost miss it.

“You’re a good father.”

The wolf stills inside me. I have no idea what to do with the words or where she dug them up from, and my brows pull together. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

She doesn’t answer, so I drop it and reach for an easier thread. “The girls are thick as thieves already. They were begging for a playdate at the house.”

“No.”

The speed of it stops me. “Just like that?”

“I don’t know you.” She crosses her arms tighter.

“If that’s the problem, we’ll do it at yours instead.” I keep my tone mild. “They only want to watch a few videos.”

Her eyes narrow. “What videos?”

“My old matches.”

“I see.” Whatever crossed her face closes off before I can read it.

“If my house is the problem, I’ll just drop Bella at yours.” I let a beat pass. “I know where you live.”

She’s quiet, and I can see her hunting for an out, turning over excuses one by one to see which one her daughter might buy.

“Don’t let your problems with me ruin their friendship, Jessa,” I say quietly.

She looks up at me, and her shoulders slump.

“Fine. This weekend,” she allows.

“What about me?”

“What about you?” She frowns, her brows puckering together.

“Can I come too?”

She blinks at me, baffled. “Why would you want to come?”