The Quiet One

4

"So you asked Harper out, any idea on how you will get her to go with you?" Julie asked, she'd snuck up on him while he was thinking about his past.

"I was hoping I could get a little help from you and her sister. There is something special about Harper and I want to get to know her. I need to spend time with her, she calls to me," Regal explained, he didn't see any point hiding how he felt about Harper.

"We can get her out the door, but you will have to work very hard to get her to feel comfortable. I wish you the best of luck, because I've known Harper for twenty-seven years and I've never seen her go out with a man willingly or have a prolonged conversation with anyone the first time they met. You've got her to do both, you are destined mates." Julie smiled patting him on the shoulder and watching Harper tell the story.

"Has she never been on a date?" Regal looked up at Harper's friend.

"Oh she has been on dates; her mother has pushed plenty of men her way. The problem is, Harper has paralyzing shyness around men. She cannot look them in the eye and if she does speak, it is in a whisper. She fares better on double dates because she has one of her sisters to help her. She can tell you more, I don't want to over share. You should just know you have a lot of work ahead of you." Julie smiled and walked away to help Harper get the groups flipped with her sister.

Regal sat back and watched how her whole demeanor changed when the older group came in. She pulled out a chapter book he assumed they'd been reading together and for half the time she read. The other half she let the girls wander the store looking for a book they wanted to borrow. He enjoyed hearing her voice loud and clear as she spoke with the girls. She helped many of them find a book for a hobby or interest she knew they liked. He could tell she spent a lot of time with these girls getting to know them and just be there for them as they became older they were less likely to be adopted. If he had to guess the oldest child was a wolf shifter age fifteen.

"Mira, I found you a book on knitting. I want you to keep it and take these supplies to learn. If you need more yarn, email me and I can drop more off." Harper gave the young girl a book and a bag he suspected held knitting needles and several skeins of yarn.

"Thank you Harper, you are the best! I can finally help make baby blankets for all the infants to take with them when they are adopted." Mira hugged Harper and smiled when she saw Regal sitting off to the side.

"Hi Mr. Murphy!" Mira called giving him a wave.

"Hi Mira, how are you?" Regal asked, he made it a purpose as an alpha in the area to check on all the shifter orphans, be they panther or another type of shifter.

"How do you know Mr. Murphy?" Harper asked, she looked at him in surprise and he just smiled.

"He comes by The Lily House every other week and checks in on all us older shifter children," Mira explained, walking over to give Regal a high five, he returned it with a smile.

"Does he now?" Harper crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a surprised look. Regal had to take a deep breath through his nose to hide his reaction to Harper pushing up her ample bosom. His thoughts turned to pushing his face in between her breasts and nibbling, sucking and pinching until she moaned his name.

"He comes and plays games with us, he usually leaves the game he brings for us to play when not in school," Mira explained.

"What kind of games?" Harper asked, this time directing her question to him. Regal smiled, enjoying her attention on him and not cowering away.

"Mostly board games I played as a kid, I always loved playing monopoly with my parents," Regal replied, he was not expecting her to gasp.

"I love monopoly, I always win when playing my sisters!" Harper explained, she beamed at him and Regal had to take a moment to control his panther's reaction to grab her and run.

"Only because she cheats," Hainsley came over from her shop to bring the other group of girls back.

"I don't cheat," Harper shot back with a glare, Regal lifted an eyebrow at the interaction between the two sisters.

"You do too, you always seem to get a monopoly first and then kill us with your hotels," Hainsley remarked.

"Not my fault you are not strategic," Harper muttered and then gathered all the girls together.

"Our time if up ladies, it was wonderful to see you all and we cannot wait to do it again next month." Harper hugged as many of the girls as she could, while they groaned about having to wait a whole month to find out what happens next in their book.

"Why can't we have this more often?" Ruby complained, Regal smiled as Harper got down on her level.

"We are trying little one," Harper explained, with a look up at Regal and he nodded.

"How about in two weeks when I come to visit I bring Ms. Harper?" Regal asked and the girls all cheered. Harper gave him a grateful look, and he preened with pride at making his mate happy.

"I'll be by to pick you up at seven," he whispered into her ear and left, he didn't want to give her a chance to think about saying no again. 

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