The Big Alpha in Town

by Eve Langlais

  “Stop … I’ll be … fine,” Arlene tried to stress. “Tell me … what’s next … for you two.”

  “Let’s see,” Ally said as she attempted to clear her throat. “There’s a potluck lunch at the bank on Tuesday, Friday is the big fancy party for all the employees and their significant others. Saturday is a picnic and game day.”

  “How were … the women?”

  Ally laughed. “Surprising, actually. No matter where we went, someone was there he’d dated or been with. They were, for the most part, nice. He knew every one of their names, and asked about their lives. It’s the weirdest thing. He wasn’t lying, these women really are his friends.”

  “Told you he’s … a good man.”

  “Yes, Mom. You did. I shouldn’t have doubted you for a second.”

  “What are … you going to … make for … the potluck?”

  “Leave it to you, Mom, go right for the food,” Ally said, laughing. “I’m not sure, to be honest. Do you have any suggestions that they might like?”

  “No … you plan this … one out,” Arlene said with a small laugh that caused her to cough uncontrollably.

  “Ma’am.” The nurse came on the phone. “She needs to go. I’ll have her call you back later. Don’t worry, though, she’s fine.”

  Ally hung up and collapsed into tears. It was so hard to hear her mother so sick and know there wasn’t anything she could do to help. She wasn’t sure how long she lay there and dozed, the last thing she remembered was crying as she hung up with her mother’s nurse.

  “Babe, what’s wrong? I’ve been calling you for hours,” Keir said as he crawled into bed next to Ally and pulled her into his side. “Are you sick? What do you need?”

  “I’m fine. It’s my mom. She had her first treatment Friday and it’s bad, so bad. I can’t lose my mom, Keir,” she whispered in between broken sobs.

  “Why didn’t you tell me she was going? I would have taken you up there to be with her.”

  “She has a nurse, she told me to stay here.” Ally sniffled.

  “Josie told Xander. We love Arlene, she was a staple in both of our lives. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

  “I was talking to her this morning, and the nurse took the phone and hung up. Said she was too sick then to talk anymore. Keir, I’ve never heard her like that. I’m scared.”

  Keir sighed and pulled her closer. “I know, baby, but the one thing I know about your mom is that she has a core of strength. She won’t give up without a fight.”

  “I feel so helpless.”

  “Why? You did everything you could so she could get into this trial. You, love, are amazing, wonderful, and loving. Do you want to drive up and see your mom?”

  “No, she begged me not to. She’s going for another treatment on Monday, and it’s going to be worse she said.” Ally laughed bitterly. “Worse, can you imagine?”

  “It’s supposed to help, right? It’s got a good chance of curing her cancer, right?” Keir asked hopefully.

  Ally shrugged. “They don’t know. This treatment does have a good success rate, but she’s the first for her type of cancer. It’s a really rare form and there aren’t many treatments that are effective for it yet.”

  “Then we’ll just keep our fingers crossed, send out positive thoughts, and hope it works. In the meantime, let’s get you cleaned up and get some food in you.”

  CHAPTER 16

  He was exhausted, worn out, and heart sore. He’d spent all weekend with Ally. They’d played with the still unnamed kitten, watched movies, cooked dinner together, and fell asleep in each other’s arms. They’d spoken to Arlene late Sunday night, but only for a minute. The treatment was brutal, and the poor woman couldn’t stay lucid for more than a few minutes at a time.

  “Keir?” Bess called as he walked by her in his zombie state.

  “Yes?” he grumbled.

  “Let me get coffee, I’ll be right in,” she said with a worried frown as she took off toward the staff break room.

  Keir nodded, walked to his desk, and flopped down into his chair. Arlene was on the way for her second treatment. All he could think of was how was she going to handle it, when she was still so sick from the last round?

  “Here. Drink this,” Bess said softly as she placed the cup in front of him.

  “Thanks.”

  “It’s Arlene, isn’t it?” Bess whispered fearfully. “That’s what I’ve got to talk to you about.”

  “What?”

  “I’m here,” Xander called as he came running into the room and stopped short in surprise at the sight of Keir.

  “Good, you’ll both want to hear this. Arlene’s prognosis is not good, as you both know. She’s currently maxed out all her credit cards and her house is in foreclosure. I don’t think the kids know that part either. The trial she’s enrolled in has good success for some types of cancer. Hers is questionable. The side effects, as you saw this weekend, are horrendous. More than a few participants ended up in the hospital due to complications.”

  “How do you know that?” Xander asked quietly. “If it’s a trial, the information is kept confidential. From what I know everyone is given a control number so names aren’t even used.”

  Bess smiled ruefully. “You’d be right, but I have my sources everywhere.”

  “What else do you know?” Keir asked hoarsely.

  “She’s going to be kicked out of her house within the next two weeks at the most. Every spare cent the family had was used to pay for treatments and doctors’ visits. Arlene needs help, she doesn’t need to be worrying where she’ll live if she is going to beat this.”

  “What do we do?” Xander asked quietly.

  “I’ve already talked to the oldest daughter, Sara, discreetly of course. She is strapped financially and room-wise can’t handle another body. Arlene is very close to Ally, and I personally think it’s the best option. But the woman has a ferocious stubborn streak, as you both probably know already.”

  Keir and Xander laughed in acknowledgment. “Like mother, like daughter,” Keir said with a sad smile.

  “I’ve taken it upon myself to talk to Julia. We have a plan. Julia is going to handle Arlene. Your grandmother is the only person I know who could get her way with Arlene. Keir, you’re going to have to tell your mate the truth and get her to move in with you. Xander, with your permission, Julia has offered XJ Financial to pay the rent for your old apartment, for Arlene to live in.”

  “That won’t be necessary, actually,” Xander said sheepishly. “I didn’t think I’d be moving out of the apartment anytime in the future, so when the building came up for sale a few years ago, I bought it. Figured it was a good investment. She can live there rent-free, for as long as she wants.”

  “Bess, I love you, you know that. So when I say this, know I mean it with affection. You scare the shit out of me,” Keir said straight-faced.

  Xander burst into laughter. “I second that. Damn, woman, you are amazing.”

  Bess blushed and smiled. “Shush, you two.”

  “So what do we need to do?” Keir asked with the first genuine smile he’d felt in a few days.

  “Simple, for now nothing. Julia is already on her way to Arlene’s. She has the hard part of convincing her to leave. When that’s done, we’ll call in the cavalry and move everyone around. Until then, life goes on as normal. But Keir, you better step up your game and get your woman warmed to the truth, come hell or high water she’s moving in with you.”

  “I think she was a general in her past life,” Xander whispered as they watched Bess make her way back to her desk with her usual quiet efficiency. “You look awful, what happened?”

  “Ally fell apart this weekend. It’s killing her to be so far away from her mom. She was on the phone with Arlene Saturday when the nurse apologized and hung up, and said her mother was too sick to talk then.”

  “Damn,” Xander said softly.

  “Yeah, I can’t even imagine how that felt. From what I’ve gathered t
hose two have become as thick as thieves. I remember when my mother died, but I was still so young. I don’t think I understood it well, you know. It’s not like it is for Ally.”

  “Why don’t you take the day off? You’re going to be done soon anyway, let me handle the meeting tonight. If you’re there, you’ll try to take on a new project or something and you don’t need that right now. Go get Ally, and go do something fun. Take her mind off what’s happening with her mom for a couple of hours.”

  “You won’t mind?”

  “Not at all. She needs you, I understand. Keep me updated, though, if anything changes.”

  Keir nodded, grabbed his things, and raced out of the office. He was sure he broke at least a half dozen traffic laws in his rush to get to Ally. He’d called and spoken to her assistant and explained the situation. All of Ally’s meetings were moved and she would be ready when he arrived, she’d reassured Keir.

  Within minutes of leaving his office, he pulled to a stop outside her building and smiled as Ally opened the door to his car and stared at him in confusion. “What’s going on?”

  “Come on, I want to take you someplace and we need to talk.”

  “It’s a workday, Keir. This couldn’t have happened on the weekend or at night? You’ve got too much going on with switching jobs to be taking time off right now,” she scolded gently.

  “Beautiful, trust me. We both need this.”

  Ally didn’t reply, just rolled her eyes, turned to stare out the window, and got lost in her thoughts. Every once in a while, Keir could see a tear fall down her cheek in the reflection of the side window.

  “Baby, we’re here,” Keir said softly as he gently shook Ally awake. She’d fallen asleep after a few minutes. He hated to wake her so he’d driven around for a while. Finally, his bladder had made the decision for him. They needed to stop.

  “Where are we?” she asked groggily.

  “The zoo.”

  Ally blinked her bleary eyes and stared at him in confusion. “Did you say ‘zoo’?”

  Keir laughed at her disgruntled tone. “Yes, come on. I want to show you something.”

  “But the zoo? Really?”

  “I know it’s an odd place for a shifter to go, but come on. My mom used to take me when I was a kid. She loved the big cat exhibits the most. Guess it fit since she ended up with my father.”

  “You’re a lion shifter, why would she take you to a place they keep lions penned up?”

  Keir laughed. “Yeah, when you look at it that way. But I didn’t see that when I came here.” Keir paid their admission and ushered her through the turnstile. “Look around, see how the kids and parents are laughing, smiling, and talking? See how excited they are to see the animals?”

  “Yes, it’s kind of disturbing considering I’m sleeping with someone who shifts into one of those very animals.”

  “Come on,” he laughed. They stopped in front of the lions and Keir moved to stand behind her. “What do you see?”

  “Lions and lionesses in captivity.”

  “Yes, but you know what I see?” he asked softly as he leaned down so his mouth was next to her ear.

  “I see a pride. A family of lions.”

  “I still don’t understand this,” she grumbled softly.

  “My father wasn’t very good at communicating with me when I was little. Everything I learned about being a lion and what noble creatures they are was from coming here. My mom urged my father to talk to me, but he didn’t know how. She did the next best thing she could think of. It’s a bit unconventional, but then so am I. I used to sit here for hours and watch them. I studied their behaviors, the way they interacted, and one day I realized that I felt in touch with that half of who I was. For the first time, I felt peace deep within myself.”

  “That’s kind of sad,” Ally whispered as she leaned closer to the glass enclosure.

  “It is, but it’s not too. I was spiraling down a path after my mother passed away. Arlene was the one who brought me back to the zoo. She sat down beside me and we watched the lions for hours. Finally, she took my hand and told me that she’d promised my mom to watch out for me. She held me as I cried and mourned the loss of her. When I thought I couldn’t cry for another second, I looked up and there was one of the lionesses standing right at the glass a few feet from me, staring at me. I slid off the bench and moved until we were face-to-face. In that moment, I knew my mom was still there with me. She’d sent that lioness to remind me of who I was.”

  Ally smiled and brushed away a tear. “I never knew that. I had no idea you were so close to my mom.”

  “Not were, baby. Am.” Keir chuckled softly. “Your mother called me the day after our first dinner date at Ricardo’s. The one where we accidentally met and shared a meal together.”

  “She did?” Ally asked in shock. “Why?”

  “Because, believe it or not, she calls me once a week or so to check in. She does the same with Xander as well. She still treats us as her kids.”

  “What did she say when you told her we’d had dinner?”

  “She laughed, said she always knew I’d end up part of the family.”

  Ally sputtered and turned to look at him. “What does … I mean…”

  “I mean that I told her you were my mate, the one I’d spent my entire life searching for. The one person my soul yearned for above all others.”

  “My mom knows?” Ally said in shock. “She never said a word to me. I was trying to figure out how to tell her, but she already knows.”

  It was Keir’s turn to gape in shock. “How to tell her? You mean you already knew?”

  “I guessed and Josie confirmed it for me. Too many odd things weren’t making sense, I figured it out. As much as I wanted to fight it, I fell in love with you the moment I met you.”

  “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me and my lion to hear you say that. I’m never letting you go. I hope you know that.”

  “I don’t want you to. I’d be miserable without you.”

  “There’s something else. Come sit down with me,” Keir said as he pulled her to a nearby bench. “Your mom is losing the house, it’s in foreclosure. I just found out today, but not from her.”

  “What?” Ally cried in alarm. “She’d tell me if things were that bad. I know she would.”

  “It’s okay. Julia is on her way there now to convince your mom to move to your apartment. She’s independent and won’t tolerate you hovering, so I was hoping you’d move in with me. I’d ask you to marry me, but I didn’t know if that was too soon.”

  “Carajo, you tell me you love me, propose kind of, and tell me that my dying mother is homeless all in the span of a minute. What’s wrong with you?”

  “Ah … I’m not sure how to answer that safely,” Keir admitted sheepishly.

  Ally laughed. “You are going to keep things interesting, aren’t you? Yes, I’ll move in with you. We practically live together now anyway. Thank you for doing this, I don’t know if I could have handled this without you by my side.”

  “I love you, beautiful.”

  Ally frowned. “Wait, did you bring me to a public place on purpose so I wouldn’t make a scene if I’d handled this differently?”

  “I might have. You can have a bit of a temper, or so I’ve been informed. I was hedging my bets. But I also thought that maybe if you knew that story about your mom, it would help you see why we want to help so much.”

  “You are so on the couch tonight.”

  “You haven’t even moved in and I’m already regulated to the couch?”

  “It’s okay. I’ll join you there,” Ally said with a wink.

  CHAPTER 17

  Ally couldn’t help but smile as they walked back to the car hand in hand. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined the last few weeks of her life. Keir had become so much more than just the irritating manwhore she’d first assumed he was. He was the man of her dreams in more than one way. He’d moved mountains to make things right in her world.
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  “Beautiful, do you mind if I call Bess and tell her you said yes?”

  “No, why would I mind that?” she asked in confusion.

  “Because she’s a tornado and by this time tomorrow I’ll bet you’re moved into my house and settled already. Give it another two days, and the apartment will be cleaned and your mom’s stuff being moved in.”

  “She can’t have that much power … can she?”

  Keir laughed and dialed the phone. “Bess—” he began before he was interrupted. “Hold on, let me put you on speaker.”

  “Ally, I’m so happy you said yes. I’ve already got a mover at your apartment boxing everything up. Your furniture is going to storage unless you tell me otherwise. A cleaning service is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and your mother will be here by Thursday at the latest.”

  “Bess?”

  “Yes, Ally?”

  “How did you know I’d say yes, and how did you arrange all this so quickly?”

  “Because it was obvious you were meant to be with Keir, as for the rest … I have my ways. You’ll be happy to know your mother is home and resting. Julia and the nurse are there and they’ve informed me she is comfortable. She tolerated the treatment much better this time so far. The doctors are optimistic she won’t get as sick.”

  Keir smiled at Ally. “Don’t fight it, beautiful, just accept Bess for the force of nature she is. I do and my life has been so much smoother.”

  “Keir, you need to go by your father’s place and check on the work. The contractor should have been finished yesterday. He’s canceled all future work and has put his house up for sale as well.”

  “Wait, I didn’t even tell you about that one,” Keir said with a frown.

  Ally laughed. “You are something, Bess. I’m glad you work for Keir.”

  “Thank you, honey. Now, you better figure out a name for that kitten before I name it for you. Have a good day.”

  Ally and Keir exchanged looks before they both burst into laughter. “Does she have our houses, cars, and offices bugged?” Ally asked, exasperated.