Wife ... luna ... wife ... luna ...

Kelsi blinked against the grit in her eyes and stared at the ceiling, willing for sleep to claim her. Her mouth felt dry and her body hummed with a strange, nervous energy. The bare basement support beams offered no comfort, save for creaking whenever her parents or sister moved.

Fuck. Why did Alpha Lee pick her out of all the women there? She was a single mother with a part-time job and a high school education. What could she, an omega, possibly bring to the table?

Absolutely nothing.

Groaning, Kelsi rolled onto her side and punched her pillow, imagining it was Alpha Lee's face. His perfect, stupid face. Well, none of it mattered because she wouldn't marry him. This wasn't the Dark Ages when alphas went around slinging their Authority and dicks willy-nilly, claiming lunas against their wills.

Ugh, why can't I sleep?

Kelsi glanced at the old digital clock on her second-hand bedside table and sighed. 11:24 PM. Barely five minutes passed since she last looked at it.

The floor creaked again and she sighed. No doubt her parents and sister were discussing tonight's events. She hadn't given them a chance to ask her any questions when she and Victoria got home. After checking in on a sleeping Riley, Kelsi fled downstairs to her basement bedroom, stripped off that ridiculous dress, and flung herself into bed.

"Just let me sleep," she implored the beams. "I just want to sleep."

Sleep would erase everything that happened. In the morning, she could wake up and go on about her life.

... Right?

This time, when she closed her eyes, Alpha Lee's face floated into view: piercing blue eyes, tousled black hair, and strong, chiseled jaw. What else on his body was chiseled?

Fuck me, Kelsi groaned, flinging an arm over her face. That was the last thing she wanted to think about.

Huffing in frustration, she twisted in bed to face the washer and dryer. Her fingers twitched and her legs jerked as her body demanded she shift and run—anything to burn off the anxiety that sang in her blood.

There was no way in hell she was going to go running at this hour—especially as an omega. Betas had the benefit of their clan lands; omegas and gammas were restricted to parks that closed at dusk. Not to mention it was frowned upon for any werewolf who was not a member of the police to go racing up and down the streets.

Screwing her eyes up tight, Kelsi clenched her fists and curled into a ball. Sleep ... sleep ... sleep!

"Mommy!"

Kelsi jerked upright as a small body landed on the foot of her bed. "Huh? What?" she demanded, eyes darting around wildly. Her mouth felt like she'd eaten ten sheep's worth of wool and her eyes itched. A headache roared to life, stabbing a dozen needles into her temples. Slowly, Kelsi turned her head and looked at the clock: 9:00 AM. How was that even fucking possible?

"There's a man here to see you, Mommy," Riley told her, bouncing up and down.

The gears in Kelsi's head turned slowly. "A ... man? What man?"

Riley shrugged. "Dunno. Poppa said you needed to come upstairs."

Kelsi sighed and ran a hand through her hair, fingers snagging on several snarls. Who the hell would be coming to their house on a Sunday, unless ...

Shit.

"Mommy?"

Kelsi looked into Riley's inquiring eyes and exhaled slowly. "Yes, Ri?" She turned, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and reached for her old blue bathrobe. Alpha Lee could kick rocks if he thought she'd doll herself up for a surprise Sunday visit. It was going to be unwashed hair, morning breath, and resting bitch face or nothing.

"Did you have fun last night?"

Kelsi paused, hands on the ties of her robe. Riley was a child, but she tried to be as honest as possible with her daughter. Except when it came to her father, of course.

"It was boring," she said instead.

"Oh." Riley frowned, clearly disappointed in her mother's report.

"Head upstairs and tell Poppa I'll be there in a minute. I need to use the bathroom."

Riley cocked her head. "Okay." She hopped off the bed and darted up the stairs.

Kelsi sighed again and glanced around at her corner of the basement as if the cinderblock foundation could offer up any answers. Like the support beams, the stones refused to speak.

This sucks, she grumbled as she made her way to the staircase.

Carefully, quietly, she climbed the stairs and slowly opened the basement door, cautiously peering around the corner. As luck would have it, Alpha Lee stood in the living room, talking to her parents and Victoria, while Riley sat on the couch in her pajamas, staring at the alpha.

The bathroom was directly opposite the basement. Kelsi put one foot on the floor, preparing to make a run for it when she felt someone's eyes on her. Slowly, she turned her head and saw Alpha Lee watching her. A strange sensation she couldn't name crashed into her, nearly knocking her down the stairs. Panicking, she swore under her breath and darted into the bathroom.

What the hell was that? she asked her reflection, gripping the sink with both hands.

A worn, drawn face with discernable bags under its eyes stared back at her. "I'm tired, that's it," Kelsi told her reflection, opening the medicine cabinet and grabbing a bottle of werewolf-strength aspirin. Popping two into her mouth, she stuck her face under the faucet and ran the water. Swallowing quickly, Kelsi reached for her toothbrush. She was halfway through brushing her teeth before she remembered that she was going to greet the alpha as a hot mess.

Shit.

Well, that plan went out the window. She finished brushing her teeth, then tamed her hair into a ponytail before dabbing a bit of concealer under her eyes. Checking her reflection in the mirror, Kelsi nodded to herself. That was as much as she was going to give Alpha Lee.

As she walked out into the hallway, the aspirin kicked in and she sighed in relief. At least something was going her way.

"Alpha Lee," Kelsi greeted dryly. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Away from the grandness of the ballroom and confined to their small living room, Alpha Lee was a tall, imposing man. He turned as she walked into the living room, head nearly colliding with the ceiling fan. For all her earlier bravado, Kelsi was unprepared for the intensity of the alpha's blue eyes. Another wave of that odd sensation washed over her—similar to an alpha's Authority, but without the crushing obedience that came with it.

"Uh, yes," the alpha said, taking a small step forward, eyes skimming the carpet before sweeping up to fix on her face. Over his shoulder, Kelsi noted the horrified expression on her mother's face as she took in the fact her daughter was wearing a ratty old bathrobe. "You left the ball before we had a chance to talk last night."

Kelsi stuffed her hands into the pockets of her bathrobe. "I did."

Alpha Lee blinked and ran a hand along the back of his neck. "Is there somewhere we could talk?" He glanced around the living room. "Privately?"

As much as she didn't want to, the man was still an alpha. That, and her mother would kill her for being rude. "Yeah. We can talk on the back porch." Without waiting for him, she turned around and marched down the hallway. A small door between Riley's bedroom and her parents' led outside.

As soon as Alpha Lee shut the door, Kelsi leaned up against the railing, crossed her arms, and said, "I'm not going to be your luna, Alpha."

"Uh—what?"

"I'm not going to marry you."

Alpha Lee stared at her. His stunned expression only reinforced Kelsi's opinion that betas—even former betas—were not used to being told "no". How clear could she possibly be? "No" was still "no" the last time she checked.

"But—why? Surely, you—"

"I don't even know you, Alpha."

He grumbled something under his breath and rubbed his face. "Then why did you come to the ball if you didn't want me to pick you?"

Kelsi shrugged. "My sister wanted to go because we're omegas. We've never been allowed in the casino."

Alpha Lee exhaled and looked up at the trees that bordered their little house. Kelsi watched him closely, sensing the pulse of Authority that emanated from his body. Strangely, the compulsion to round her shoulders in submission did not follow. Perhaps he was exercising control?

Slowly, the alpha turned around. "I need you as my luna," he told her, spreading his hands. "I don't have that much time left."

None of that was her problem. "Perhaps you should've been more discerning."

His fists clenched and he cocked his head challengingly. "You mean to tell me you didn't feel anything when our hands touched?"

Now it was her turn to stare. "What? That little shock?" What the hell was he getting at? True, she'd had two Long Island iced teas by then, which she figured contributed to the trippy little feeling that followed. "I'm not sure what you're getting at, Alpha, but I'm not going to be your luna because of a shock."

Alpha Lee rubbed his face again. He stared at the tips of his shoes then met her eyes. "What if I told you we're mates?"

Mates? A nervous laugh sprang from Kelsi's lips. The notion was completely absurd! Men told the strangest lies to ingratiate themselves to women.

"You don't believe me?"

Kelsi coughed and tucked a strand of hair behind one ear, trying to compose herself. "There's no way we could be mates."

The confidence in his expression slowly melted away, leaving confusion in its stead. "Why not?"

Dear goddess, why couldn't he just fuck off already? "Because I'm an omega, that's why."

"There's nothing in the old tales that prevent different ranks from being mates," he countered.

Kelsi rolled her eyes. He positively reeked of desperation. Too bad for him she was done with desperate men. "Fine. I'm not pretty enough for you, that's why."

Alpha Lee blinked, taken aback. "I think you're very pretty."

She damned near laughed again. "With all due respect, Alpha, the last time I let a man convince me I was pretty, I ended up with a child he doesn't care for."

His eyebrows shot up and he turned to look at the back door. "That little girl in there—she's yours?"

"Yes." She folded her arms. "Do you see why I can't be your luna, now?"

"No."

Before she could say anything, he reached for her hand. Kelsi's eyes widened and she moved to jerk it out of his grasp, but something beyond this world locked her in place. She stood there frozen as her inner wolf howled—haunting, beautiful, hopeful.

Mine.

The moment passed and Kelsi pulled back, clutching the hand he'd held to her chest.

"Tell me you felt that," Alpha Lee whispered.

She took a halting breath, let it go, then drew a deeper one. Lifting her head, she stared into his blue eyes and saw the truth reflected in his gaze.

Mate, her wolf sang.

Kelsi swallowed and nodded. Alpha Lee smiled in relief.

"But still I don't know you," she reminded him as the howls slowly faded into the recesses of her mind. Did he seriously expect her to blindly fall into marriage without at least getting to know each other?

The alpha's smile dropped, but he recovered quickly. "There's still time."

He's remarkably confident, Kelsi thought. "I'm not easily won over," she told him. Mates aside, could he really convince her to marry him in less than two weeks?

"I'd be disappointed if you were," he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. "Are you doing anything today?"

What? They were starting today? As in now?

"I ... uh ... no," Kelsi admitted haltingly. Other than work on her crocheted dragon horde.

"Good. I'll stop by around noon to pick you up?"

Maybe it was the exhaustion talking, but she found herself replying, "Sure."

"Awesome!" Grinning from ear to ear, Alpha Lee bounded off the porch and sprinted around to the front of the house, leaving Kelsi wondering what the hell she'd just agreed to.

Goddess.