Page 289 of Labor of Love

Yet.

Even if it takes years, he vows to become the alpha-mate that Tyler deserves.

What Theo doesn’t know is that Tyler’s been watching him just as long—waiting for the moment Theo’s ready to see what Tyler already knows: that Theo is everything.

Sweet, tender, and a little knotty—this is a heartwarming short story about fated mates, quiet strength, and the courage to believe you're worthy of love.

1

THEO

“The Martins and the Blanes are in a dispute yet again about that easement.”

Tyler leaned back in his chair and groaned loudly, scrubbing his hands down his face. He must have slept in longer than he wanted, because thick stubble covered his cheeks. It also meant he didn’t have a shift at the firehouse today. He couldn’t have his five o’clock shadow with the gear that went with being a fireman.

Selfishly, though I would never admit it out loud to anyone, I loved his days off when he let his beard grow just a little bit long. Two years ago, he’d had two full weeks off work, and he let his beard grow the entire time. By the end of those two weeks, I’d had to avoid looking at him for fear that I’d cave into my desires and rub my face over it. Or better yet, my thighs.

I looked away quickly. Now was not the time to be ogling my alpha. And he wasmyalpha in more ways than one: the Alpha of the pack, leader of the den, even if he didn’t fully admit that, and as I’d known since I was just eighteen years old, he was my alpha. My mate.

We had never talked about it. At this rate, I didn’t think we were ever going to.

“Let’s sit them down again. At this point, I’m ready to mandate that one of them moves. We can’t keep having the same dispute over and over again. How long has this been going on?”

“This argument predates me, so twenty-five years at least. I have an alternative solution. Jones is getting up there in years, and he’s the neighbor on the other side of the Blanes.”

“I know who he is,” Tyler said.

“I think we could convince him to sell a section of his property. Then we could just move the Blanes’ driveway. Then they have nothing to argue about.”

“That’s not a bad idea. With the way the house is situated, that could still work.”

“Exactly. And we can end this ridiculous dispute once and for all.”

“We might get a year’s worth of reprieve, but they’ll find something else to fight about.”

I grinned. “They always do.” I pulled out my thick planner I’d begun carrying around years ago. It had all of my notes and my schedule of all the pack things I kept track of. I opened it up to the several-page section I had on the Martins/Blanes dispute.

“What’s on your agenda today?” Tyler asked.

I checked my watch, more out of habit than anything else. I might look like a flake to most people as I flitted around the pack, but I always knew what time it was and where I was supposed to be, and also where most others were supposed to be.

“I’m covering a shift at the diner, then I need to cover a shift at my mom’s store. Tonight is the cooking class that Miss Mabel is putting on. I need to grocery shop for that between shifts. I have most things prepared and already at her house, but all the fresh stuff needs to be bought.”

“You’re taking on too much,” Tyler said.

I scribbled down the notes regarding the easement. If we were changing property lines, we would need a survey done and an appointment with the county clerk.

“Theo?”

“What?”

“You are doing too much.”

I shook my head. “No, not even close. I could do so much more. I already have to delegate out a ton of stuff. I’m not even organizing the pack events anymore. Luca and Raphael have taken on a lot of that.”

He raised his brow. “You delegate? I don’t believe it.”

I rolled my eyes. “Luca had days off. He asked me if he could help with anything. He’s the one who did the initial grocery shopping for the class tonight, and he’s helping facilitate. Plus, Bernice has been very helpful with the pack history project we started.”

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