“I’ll see you tomorrow,” his words were punctuated with a kiss that he darted in for.
I couldn’t help it--I laughed. “You suck. Everyone is going to know we’re...”
I paused, letting my sentence trail off. In all honesty, I didn’t really know what we were. Were we dating? Just going with the flow?
“They’re going to know we’re together? Yeah, I don’t give a shit. It’d make it easier if I didn’t have to fire my staff for checking you out.”
I shook my head, my lips twitching as I tried to suppress a grin. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
This time I kissed him goodbye. If I was going to give him another chance, I couldn’t expect him to keep it hidden--lies and secrets were what put us in this situation in the first place.
Between dealing with construction traffic and the knowledge that I was going to have to tell Tessa I was back with Sam, I was in a down right foul mood. She was going to freak out on me. She hated him--way more than I ever did and I was the one he hurt. Then again, she hated him long before he broke my heart.
As my best friend, I knew she wanted to protect me but her anger at Sam went deeper than me. I knew that--I just didn’t know why. Regardless of her reasons, it was bound to be a hot mess of a conversation.
My agitation gave way to guilt as I checked my phone to see if she’d messaged me. She hadn’t but Ben had.
“Hey. Just wondering if you were able to figure out when you’ll be good for our date,” it read.
I hesitated as I attempted to formulate a response. With Sam coming back into my life, I’d honestly forgotten all about the guy.
It took a few minutes to decide what to say but I eventually replied. “I’m sorry, Ben. I’m just not in the head space to date anyone new. I’m sorry for leading you on.”
It wasn’t technically a lie. I wasn’t ready to date anyone new--Sam was definitely someone old. It wasn’t like I could come out and say “Sorry man. I got back with my ex” without sounding like a total ass but I also wasn’t going to ghost the guy either. I figured letting him down gently was best.
“Wow. Okay. Cool,” was the only response I received so I didn’t bother to reply.
Setting my phone down, I made my way into my bedroom. I barely had time to slip out of my work clothes and into a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top before Tessa arrived.
“Hey bitch! I bought Chicken Vindaloo,” she hollered as she walked in. She carried a giant bag of food, the smell of curry causing my stomach to growl. “I bought an extra order of Naan bread too.”
I attempted to smile and failed, guilt eating at my insides. I would tell her. Just... after dinner.
I tried to procrastinate, to postpone the conversation as long as humanly possible, which only made dinner uncomfortable. The knowledge of our impending argument, of her inevitable disappointment in me, made it hard to act normal.
After we finished up, I started washing our plates in silence.
“Alright enough already,” Tess shouted, startling me into dropping a soapy dish. “Are you still mad at me over the hotel thing? It was just a joke Lil!”
A sigh of resignation left my lips as I turned the water off. I dried my hands on a dish towel silently as I mustered up the courage to tell her. “That’s not it.”
“Then why the hell are you being so weird?” Her voice was equal parts concern and irritation. Not a great start.
I decided to just rip of the proverbial bandage, “Sam and I are back together.”
“You’re what?” Her voice was a shrill banshee cry as she jumped up from her seat. “You have got to be fucking kidding me!”
“I know it’s a cliché to say but it’s different now. We’re both adults. He... told me some stuff--that he had to lie sometimes to keep his family’s secret. I know it sounds like bullshit but he was being sincere--I could tell. He said he’s going to get permission to tell me soon.”
“The moment he tells you... You’re going to have a giant fucking target on your back!” She shouted at me. “Stay away from him Liliana or you’re going to end up hurt--or worse--and I won’t be able to protect you!”
“I don’t need protection, Tess. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself,” I tried to remain calm as I spoke, hoping she’d become more rational if I stayed level headed. It was a difficult feat when all I wanted to do was ask her how Sam’s secret would put me in danger and how she knew what his secret was in the first place.
“Bullshit. I’ve taken care of you since we’ve met. Sam is a fucking dog and he’s going to be the end of you. You’re too innocent for his world. Stay away from him. Promise me.”
“I-I,” I paused, my eyes watering as I continued. “I can’t do that Tess. I love him and I believe him. I don’t think he cheated. He was sincere when we spoke. I owe it to myself to give it a shot. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. If I don’t try though… I’ll always wonder ‘what if’.”
“You have no idea. No fucking clue. You’re going to regret this and there will be nothing I can do to help you. I can’t get involved with those animals.”
“You’re right! I have no idea because no one will tell me anything! How is it that you know? Huh, Tess? Did you know he didn’t cheat too? While I cried my fucking eyes out to you? What else are you guys not telling me? You’re supposed to be my best friend! You knew how much I hated his lying and here you were hiding the same shit from me!” All semblance of calm was long gone. In its place, only hurt disguised as anger remained. This was so much worse than when Sam broke my heart. In that moment, I felt like I lost my best friend and that was more painful than losing any man.
“Just... forget it. It’s obviously too late to change your mind. Good luck,” her voice, previously full of rage, turned deadly calm as she walked up to me. She paused as she stepped into my face before slamming her finger into my chest. The motion sent me reeling backwards as my body flashed between hot and cold repeatedly. Shivers ran over my body, goosebumps breaking out over my flesh. I collapsed, my knees failing me as my body felt like it was turning against me. I didn’t understand what was happening to me. It hurt. I had experienced the alternating cold and hot flashes before but never to this magnitude. I felt like my flesh was melting from my bones only to have it freeze--feeling like the smallest touch would send me shattering into a million little pieces.
I began to lose consciousness. The last thing I saw was Tessa, hovering in my face.
Even as I slipped away from the waking world, I heard her words. “This is the most I can do to protect you now. Don’t die, Lil. I love you. You’re the sister I always wanted.”
24
Sam
“What were you thinking?” my dad shouted, throwing his hands in the air. “You just couldn’t stay away! Do you realize you put her in danger just by being around her? They know you’re my beta, Samuel. They know you’re going to take over the pack one day. Do you think it was an accident that they went after Alex’s family first? My son? Use your brain. They’re watching us and you dragged a human into the middle of our war!”
“It’s not like I went around announcing she’s my mate!” I retorted.
"You kissed her in public! If our wolves saw you, you think theirs didn’t? We just caught one of them spying on pack lands. Do you really think they’re not watching you too? Idiot. You need to go. Watch over her.”
“Dad! If you just let me tell her--”
He cut me off before I could finish my sentence. “And what will you tell her? I’m a werewolf in the middle of a war and now you’re a target because I was thinking with my dick?”
“Da-”
“No Samuel. You will not tell her of our existence. You will not shift in front of her. Liliana stays in the dark until this war is won. Don’t put her in more danger than she already is. You were foolish, boy. Now go. Quit arguing with me and go make sure she doesn’t suffer for your mistakes.”
I felt the command settle over me as he spoke. My mouth snapped
shut as his alpha magic took hold. I wanted to dispute his words. I wanted to tell him that I had let Lily go before to benefit the pack and we were miserable. I wanted to tell him that the two of us deserved love--that we deserved to be together. I was despondent for years--lost without my mate.
Instead of saying any of that, instead of being allowed to speak, I was forced to turn and exit the room. If I fought my father’s command, I could break it but I wouldn’t do that to him. When a wolf breaks his Alpha’s orders, he must fight to become the alpha or leave the pack. I was comfortable as a beta and my father was a good alpha. I wouldn’t take that from him.
Rather than fight back, I let the magic take hold of my dual souls and lead me from the house. Once I reached the porch, I felt the pressure of his command smothering my vocal cords lift but still I remained silent. Though I didn’t agree with everything he said, he was right about one thing. I had been a fool. It made sense that Jameson’s wolves would be watching me. I was so wrapped up in being with Liliana that I was reckless.
I drove to her apartment like a bat out of hell. Once my father got the idea that she could be targeted lodged into my mind, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that she needed me. The very thought of her being harmed caused fear to freeze my veins. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe--not until I saw she was okay. In record time, I was pulling up in front of her apartment building. I climbed out of the cab of my truck, intending to go inside, when the front door opened.
My heart sank as she took off running, but I calmed myself as Screamo music I hadn’t heard her listen to since freshman year blared through her headphones. Even without my wolf hearing, I was fairly certain I would have heard the heavy rock. She was clearly angry, each step sounding like a stomp as she ran.
I could hear her heart hammering, her uneven breaths. She was pushing herself too hard. I looked at her retreating form before making my decision. Hiding behind the giant pine tree that grew in her front yard, I stripped--calling my wolf to the surface. Once in animal form, I followed after Lily. Making sure to stick to the shadows while moving silently, I used all of my senses to catalogue the area surrounding us.
She’d been running for a little over a mile when I caught the scent. It wasn’t a human smell but it wasn’t quite a wolf either. I began to close the distance between us, the foreign scent making me nervous.
Before I managed to reach her, a tawny wolf jumped out of the bushes to her left and landed in front of her. He crouched low, snarling, as Liliana did her best to halt herself. She had no chance. She was running too hard, too fast, and the wolf was too close. I didn’t think. Fear took over and I sprinted faster than ever before. I jumped, launch over her head as I tackled the wolf--pushing him away from her.
The unknown wolf tried to latch onto my jugular. I swiped at his face with my claws, scratching under his eye. He lunged for my throat once more and I ducked. He didn’t get his canine teeth into me but I wasn’t fast enough to escape his paw. The hit to my head was hard, causing my world to spin for a moment. He could have gone for the kill then but he didn’t.
He went for Liliana instead. I growled, launched myself onto his back, and sunk my teeth in him. Shaking my head to tear his flesh, I felt the moment I broke through to his neck muscles. I used every ounce of strength I had. I couldn’t lose. If I lost, my mate was a goner. My dad was right--I had been foolish, but she wouldn’t suffer for my mistakes. I’d make sure of it.
The wolf dropped to the ground, rolling onto his back to break my hold. I held for as long as I could but eventually he wiggled out of my grasp. Jumping to my feet, I landed between him and Lily. He snarled once more before he turned and ran in the opposite direction. I should have felt relief but I didn’t. He would be back--I could feel it.
Once I could no longer smell the wolf, I turned to my woman. She was on the ground, shaking as giant tears streaked her beautiful face. I hated my father in that moment. I wanted nothing more than to shift and comfort her, to let her know I was here and everything would be okay, but I couldn’t because of his stupid fucking orders.
I met her eyes, her gaze holding me captive, before I let out a mournful howl and melted away into the shadows once more.
25
Liliana
As soon as I stepped outside my apartment building, I began to sprint. Angry music screamed into my ears as I ran--arms pumping aggressively. I was angry but I was hurt too. My emotions were the last thing I wanted to dwell on so I pushed myself harder. I was searching for that desired runner’s high, that feeling of bliss. I just wanted to stop thinking, even if it was just for a little bit.
My mind finally began to empty when reality came rushing back. A shadow launched from the shrubbery from my left about ten yards in front of me. I tried to halt my progression, automatically assuming it was a mugger but it wasn’t. It was a wolf--a giant fucking wolf. I couldn’t stop. I was going to run right into its jaws.
A scream echoed and confusion filled me before I realized the sound came from me. This was it. I was so close to death and then suddenly my impending doom seemed a little bit further away. Another shadow flew overhead and hit the wolf that was staring at me like I was dinner. I jumped back as I finally slowed my sprint enough to stop. I fell on my ass--hard. My tailbone throbbed but I could barely acknowledge the pain because terror filled every inch of my conscious thought.
Two wolves, one tawny and the other jet black, tore at each other. Vicious snarls filled the street, the rock and roll blaring from my fallen headphones adding to the viciousness of the battle. How could this be happening? Knoxville wasn’t necessarily a bustling metropolis but it wasn’t rural to the point that wolf fights in the road would be considered normal--if any such place even existed at all.
The wolves continued to fight, blood flying. I found myself crying as the black wolf was taken down. Silly as it was, I thought of him as a protector. If he hadn’t rushed in and attacked the tawny wolf, I’d be dead already. Granted he probably just wanted to eat me himself but I felt a strange sort of draw to him. Whatever Tessa had done must have messed with my mind more than I initially thought.
My savior was bloodied as he lay on the ground, breath heaving. This was it. The other wolf would land the death blow and then I would be next. Tears continued to flow as I thought of my parents, my brother, Sam, and even Tessa. I’d never get to tell them how much I loved them or even say goodbye.
The tawny wolf abandoned the other, stalking towards me as I remained stagnant--unable to break through the paralysis of fright. My eyes fluttered shut as I accepted my end but the bite never came. Instead I heard a wolfish yelp, my lids flying open to see what happened. My protector was back on his feet, tearing viciously into the other animal.
I felt like I was stuck in a nightmare--maybe I hadn’t woken up yet. That was it. I was probably unconscious on my kitchen floor having a fucked up hallucination because Tess hit a weird pressure point on my body or something.
I tried to break free of my hysteria as the aggressor fled, leaving me with the black wolf who had saved me.
He turned to face me, his wolfish eyes holding my gaze. It was so strange. His eyes looked familiar, almost human. The sadness in his stare made me think of Sam--or perhaps it was because I had come so close to certain death. The lupine broke our eye contact, lifting his head and letting out a howl that could only be described as pain filled, before running away. He disappeared into the dark of night and I was left alone.
As soon as my guardian was gone, my common sense returned. I climbed to my feet shakily, tears still flowing freely as I made my way home. I didn’t bother to go inside. I got in my car and started driving to the one place I knew I’d feel safe.
Twenty minutes later, I arrived. My fist pounded on the red wooden door. I was still crying and felt like I’d never stop.
“Liliana,” Aiden--Sam’s dad--said, his voice full of concern. “Are you alright, mija?”
I met his worried gaze and suddenly my silent tears became
heaving sobs. He pulled me in for a hug, his hand rubbing my back like a father comforting his child after a nightmare. I tried to ask for Sam through my cries but my words were incoherent. Aiden seemed to understand though.
“Sam doesn’t live here anymore, Nena. Come in and I’ll call him.”
I nodded and followed the older man into the house. There was an odd sense of deja vu, walking into Sam’s childhood home. Everything looked exactly the same as if the house was stuck while the world around it aged.
Aiden led me to the couch and made me sit before covering my shaking body with a quilt. “I’m going to go make you some tea while I call Sam. Just try to relax. You’re okay now.”
I nodded, taking deep breaths in an attempt to steady myself as he left the room.
Flashes of the wolves fighting kept cycling through my mind. I must have been staring off into space for a while because I jumped when Aiden returned with a steaming cup of tea.
“What happened, Lily Bell?” He asked.
The nickname made me smile. It was something he had called me since I was a small child--long before Sam and I dated.
I took a sip of tea in hopes that the warmth would fortify me some. “This is going to sound crazy but...” I paused.
“Go on,” he encouraged.
I began to tell him what happened, my heart racing as I relived the events in my mind. His face remained stoic throughout my tale. Even as traumatized as I felt from the wolf battle, I still had the presence of mind to realize he wasn’t surprised… like at all. A frown creased my forehead as I finished my story. “I know it’s insane but I swear the black wolf was protecting me.”
Aiden just nodded thoughtfully, “You shouldn’t go home tonight. I’ll call animal control and let them know what happened so you don’t have to. Don’t worry.”
Alpha's Ultimatum Page 8
