Page 27 of His Bullied Fated Mate

The doors opened, and we stepped inside. The grocery store was busy, and I moved closer to Riley. Soft music played over the speakers, and the lights were bright. But the store was clean, and it smelled like sweet fruit.

Riley pushed the cart as we walked further in. “I start my day by heading into the office.”

“As everyone does.” We stopped at the apples, and he grabbed a bag, placing them into the cart. I grabbed a bunch of bananas and put them in the cart.

“I do paperwork in the morning. Any new request, invoices, emails, and faxes.”

“Request?”

He nodded. “New light post, or repaving a road. Any request before they go to other departments. People send their requests to me first.”

I clicked my tongue and turned towards the berries. I fumbled through a few containers before I placed some strawberries into the cart. “Continue.”

“Grab another.” He pointed towards the strawberries. “Those look good.”

I grabbed another package, and we continued walking towards the vegetables.

“I then have a meeting or two, depending on the day. Break for lunch.”

“Seems chill.”

He rolled his eyes, still holding a smirk. “My mornings are normally calm. I like to get the easy stuff out of the way.”

He grabbed a bag of potatoes and carrots. I reached for onions and garlic. We moved into the bakery. The smell of fresh bread made my stomach growl.

“The afternoons vary. Sometimes I’m in meetings, and others I’m around town.”

“Painting nurseries?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes. I leave my afternoons for helping whoever in the pack needs it. Last summer, we built a house, and the summer before, I helped replant trees after we had a nasty fire. Really, anything anyone needs help with I offer a hand.”

I was a little surprised by this news. I didn’t picture him as this type of Alpha.

I grabbed a load of bread and paused when I noticed fresh donuts. They were in a display case where you pick what you want. They had different types, and my stomach grumbled.

“Do you want donuts?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head, trying to ignore the fact that my mouth was watering. “I’m not even hungry.”

He gave me a look before he opened the display case and started to put some donuts into a box. I chewed on my cheek, feeling butterflies forming in my stomach.

He placed them into the cart and leaned onto it. He gave me a charming smile, and I felt my face grow hot. I quickly pointed towards the dry goods. Riley pushed the cart, and we headed down the aisles. We threw pasta and sauces into the cart. I grabbed sparkling water, and he grabbed granola and oatmeal.

It was odd how easy it was for us. I thought it would be awkward, but it was just shopping. We both grabbed what we needed, pausing when the other needed to look. It was almost like we’d done it before.

We were standing in the deli, waiting for the salami to be cut.

“Why?”

“What not...?” He was now leaning on the car, wearing a relaxed expression.

“Why the need to help so much? I understand you’re Alpha, but don’t you feel some of that stuff is beneath you?”

He shook his head. “You never know what someone is going through, Janella. I don’t judge. Being the Alpha means you have to be a leader. I want people to view me as someone that they can depend on, not someone that just gives orders.”

I snorted now. “I believe the high school you would disagree with that statement.”

He looked sad. “I told you, I grew up after high school. The real world is a lot different.”