Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood, warning him. Danger. He turned around and Andrea was standing behind him.
“Grant,” she called. “I was hoping you were still here.”
“Yeah, well, I needed some air,” he explained. “Was there something you needed?”
“Why yes, in fact there was,” her lips curled into a smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I need you… to go to sleep.”
“What?”
A cloud of blue smoke blew up in his face. Andrea’s cruel smirk was the last thing he remembered before the world went black.
Chapter Two
Francesca Muccino let out a long, tired sigh and rubbed her eyes as she sat back in her chair. It was another Sunday night and she could hear the kitchen crew finishing up outside, cleaning and scrubbing away, making sure everything was spotless. Meanwhile, she had just finished with the books.
Another depressing month, she thought glumly, trying not to look at the spreadsheet on her screen.
As manager and part owner of Muccino’s Italian Restaurant, it was her job to make sure all the books were balanced. While they weren’t going under, profits were down for the fifth straight month and they barely broke even again for this one.
At least everyone gets paid, she mused. She herself had taken a pay cut to make sure all the employees could at least get their full salary this month, but the servers were definitely balking at the lack of tips. Hopefully, the Spring Break slump would be over soon and the students from the nearby colleges and universities would soon be packing Muccino’s on weekend nights.
“Yo, Frankie!” Dante, the oldest of her younger brothers and co-head chef, popped his head into her office. “I’m headin’ home. And so’s Matt,” he said, referring to their half-brother.
“And Enzo?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she mentioned the name of Matt’s twin.
“Where do you think he’s headin’?”
Frankie rolled her eyes. “Right. He’s going out clubbing with his friends until morning. Tell him I said to drink plenty of fluids before he goes to bed!”
“Yes, yes!” a voice from behind Dante called sarcastically. “See ya Tuesday, Frankie!” Enzo shouted right before the back door slammed shut.
Frankie shook her head. “That boy!”
Dante chuckled. “C’mon Frankie, give him a break. He’s young and he’s got no responsibilities yet, what else is he gonna do?”
“I know, I know,” Frankie sighed. “I just hope he keeps out of trouble.”
“You know him,” Dante sat down in front of his sister’s desk. “The last time we had to bail him out, he got into a fight protecting some girl. He loves girls, can’t stand to see ‘em in trouble.”
“And the women sure do love him back,” she smirked. Her middle brother was a true charmer, which was why he was the perfect host for Muccino’s. Enzo could effectively talk little old ladies into ordering the evening’s specials as much as he could charm the younger ones out of their pants. No woman between the ages of 18 and 90 years could resist his handsome face, tall, toned body, sandy blonde hair, and those chocolate brown puppy-dog eyes. “I just wish he’d grow up. Like Matt.” Despite their identical looks, Enzo’s twin brother Matt was his complete opposite. He preferred to stay at home and tinker on his computer in his free time, though he did help out in the kitchen on busy nights.
“We all know Matt’s your favorite!” Dante joked.
“He’s not!” Frankie tossed a wadded up post-it at him. “I hate all of you equally!” she joked.
While growing up with four younger brothers wasn’t easy, Frankie took her role as oldest sister seriously. Matteo had always been a painfully shy and awkward child, overshadowed by his more boisterous and outgoing twin. That said, she paid him a lot of attention to make up for it. She even encouraged him to go to college and take up computer engineering. He was the first one in their family to graduate from college, just last year and on a full scholarship. Frankie was so extremely proud of him. He was currently working for a startup in Jersey City, but he still helped out at the restaurant out of loyalty.
Dante glanced over at the screen and then looked at his sister. His mismatched eyes - one blue, one green, a hereditary quirk in their family that he shared with Frankie - looked worried. “Not another good month, huh?”
She shook her head. “Afraid not.”
“How bad is it?”
“Bad enough to worry,” she confessed.
“I told you, Frankie, we gotta start using the Internet to bring in more people! Set up a website, go on social media and stuff! Matt could help!”
“Matt is busy and he should have his own life,” Frankie stated. “Besides, the college kids will be coming back soon, we don’t need to advertise or go online! People already know us and we’ll do it like Ma did and Nonna did, by making great food!”
Dante threw up his hands. “Frankie, we can’t just stay stuck in the past! Yes, Ma and Nonna were able to start and build up Muccino’s all those years ago! But we need to take it into the future! We’ll get some reviews and--”
“Basta! I don’t wanna talk about this now!” She slammed her palm on the table.
Her brother sighed and shrugged, then glanced at the spreadsheet on the screen.
“I’m sorry, Dante…I’m just worried,” she slumped back in her chair in defeat. “Fine. Talk to Matt, but only if he has time! We can get one of those Facethingys.”
“Facebook,” Dante corrected. “Jeez, are you really 28 or 68? Are you gonna start talking about that time when soda pop was 10 cents?”
“Yes, Facebook,” she stuck her tongue out. “Whatever. You guys work on it.”
“Thanks, Frankie!” he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Oh and by the way, cousin Eddie called again.”
“What is it now?” she asked in an irritated voice.
“He keeps saying that Gary Fontana is encroaching on his land again, poaching his chickens.”
“And why is this my problem?”
“Well, he says he caught Gary in Lycan form on camera this time.”
“Argghhhhhh!” Frankie let out a frustrated groan. Aside from being head of the family, she was also Alpha for the entire New Jersey Lycan clan.
There weren’t many of them and most were related to her, and so there wasn’t much to do except settle small disputes like this. Of course, she also had to send “incident reports” to the Lycan High Council whenever there were any problems. They had to keep the lid on their secret, after all. She wondered how many of the reports the council actually read and if they were as tired of her redneck cousins as much as she was. “Fine, fine, I’ll deal with it tomorrow. Now go,” she shooed him away. “You’ve been on your feet since three, go home and rest.”
“Yes, Primul,” he joked, and then ducked another flying object before heading out the door.
Frankie let out another sigh, leaned back in her beat-up leather chair, and looked at the two portraits hanging on the wall on her right. The first was a beautiful older woman with white hair and the second a middle-aged version of the other. Both had the same features - thick, wavy hair, dusky olive skin, an oval-faced shape, and thick, arched brows, plus of course, the startling mismatched blue and green eyes. Frankie herself was a third doppelgänger for the two women, though she always thought her features weren’t as striking and her hair was more curly and unruly. Her mother especially was a great beauty, and she remembered all the men who would flirt with her and try to date her when she was a single. “Oh Ma, Nonna, I miss you both,” she said sadly.
***
After locking up the restaurant, Frankie got into her ancient Honda and drove back to her house. She lived close to the restaurant, just a ten-minute drive away. Barnsville, New Jersey was a typical small college town, usually bustling with activity during the school year. Since it was Spring Break, though, the town was much less busy.
Frankie knew the route home from the restaura
nt by heart, having worked there since she was fifteen and basically growing up at Muccino’s, either playing in the office by her mother or grandmother’s feet or hanging around the kitchen and pantry since she could walk. Drive down Main Street for about two miles, go past the old mill and then turn into the driveway of her childhood home.
She still lived in their old, five-bedroom Victorian-style house, which had belonged to her grandmother, then her mother, and now, to her and her brothers. Dante, Enzo and Matt had moved out a while back, preferring to have their own bachelor pads, but their youngest, Raphael or Rafe, was still living with her at home while he finished his political science degree at the nearby NJU. Tonight though, he was staying at a friend’s house, studying for a test. He would be the second Muccino ever to graduate college, and while Matt was naturally brilliant, Rafe was hardworking and whip smart, determined to go to Harvard Law School as soon as he finished his degree, and then become a lawyer.
Frankie slowed the car down as she approached the driveway. As she turned in and her house came into view, she suddenly slammed on the brakes. “Cazzo! Madre de dio!” she cursed aloud as a figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere, bounced off the hood of her car and rolled down to the ground.
She bounded out of her car and rushed to the front. There was a large man - a very naked man, she realized - slumped down on the ground.
No, wait…She sniffed the air. “Lycan!” she gasped aloud.
She grabbed her purse, took her phone out and dialed Dante’s number. It rang a few times before it sent her call to voicemail. “Dante! Where are you? Please come to the house now! I think…I ran over a Lycan and I think I killed him!” she shouted, her voice panicked.
A low groan made her gasp. “Wait, I think he’s alive! But anyway…I’ll call you back!” Tossing her phone back into her purse, she ran back to the man.
Stranger, a voice from deep inside her said. Her inner wolf, normally silent, growled softly at the unfamiliar presence.
As Alpha of her clan, she was much more in touch with her Lycan side, at least that’s what her mother and grandmother said. It was a part of her, after all. Over the years, aside from learning to control the she-wolf, she also learned to listen to it like a second gut instinct.
Kneeling down, she inspected the figure on the ground. Taking another whiff, she sought to identify the scent. Ocean spray, sea salt, sugar and fried dough, like going to the boardwalk. She froze, stunned as the image the scent brought her felt almost real, with the ocean roaring in her ear. Strange, she thought.
Yum.
“Yum?” Her wolf never had that reaction before.
She placed a hand on him, hoping to shake him awake. He was hot, normal after transforming back from Lycan form, which explained his naked state. Touching his naked skin sent tingles of heat through her own body and she nearly jumped back in surprise. However, she kept her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it and shaking him.
“Hey…you! Mister!” she called. “Wake up! What are you doing here? You’re not one of us! This is Jersey territory!” She flipped him over onto his back. Knowing he was Lycan, his body would heal much faster, even without medical attention.
When his face came into view, she bit her tongue, trying not to gasp. From what she could see, the Lycan was handsome, with dark hair, high cheekbones, a straight nose and sensual lips. His muscled, well-defined chest was covered in a soft matt of dark hair, a line trailing down a tight six-pack, teasing to what lay below. Frankie blushed and turned her head away, but not before she glanced at his impressive package. He let out another groan, his lids opening for a moment, revealing emerald green eyes.
“Hey! Are you awake?” she asked.
The man opened his eyes, but they were unfocused.
Frankie paused, gathering her thoughts. There was no way she could call 911, as the police and the ambulance would ask her tons of questions she wasn’t prepared to answer, like what a naked man was doing in her driveway and why was he healing so fast after being run over. Of course, she couldn’t just leave him there where her neighbors would see him. Squaring her shoulders, she decided she’d have to take him in for now and figure things out later.
“Ok, if you can get up, let’s get you into the house, ok? What happened?”
He seemed to nod, but his eyes remained glassed over. “Hurt…can’t see…” he managed to moan. “Drugged…”
“You were drugged?” she asked. “Ok, well you can shake it off at my house.” She helped him get up, placing her shoulder underneath his left arm. “Jesus, you’re huge!” The man was probably around 6 feet tall and towered over her own petite, 5’1 frame. His upper body was broad and compact, his shoulders bunched with well-defined muscles. It was difficult, but she managed to brace him as they walked towards the house.
It was a feat to get him up the porch and prop him up against the door while she opened the lock with her key, but she somehow managed it. There was no way he was going to get up to the second floor, so she guided him to the guest bedroom on the ground floor. She foisted him off her and onto the bed, then opened one of the lamps on the bedside.
Looking at him in the soft lamplight, she realized just how much more handsome he was. His eyes were closed again, but she could clearly see all his features, and his tanned skin, the slight stubble growing on his strong jaw. Something in her was mesmerized at the sight of him and her hand caressed his cheek gently, brushing away a streak of dirt.
A strong hand caught hers, and she instinctively pulled back, but he was much stronger. He pulled her down, and then rolled her under him, pinning her on the mattress with his body.
Frankie gasped as his nose nuzzled the spot under her ear and he breathed deeply. “You…almond cookies…” he said incoherently. She opened her mouth to speak and struggled to get out from under him, but was silenced as his lips captured hers.
At first, she remained frozen, unable to move from shock. But soon, desire and heat shot through her body and she wasn’t resisting at all, but was returning his ardent kisses. His lips moved over hers, devouring them, his tongue seeking entrance. As soon as she parted her lips, he delved his tongue into her mouth, warm and delicious, seeking hers out.
Hands slipped under her shirt, yanking down the cups of her bra. Large, warm palms cupped the generous globes of her breasts, squeezing gently, fingers playing with her nipples until they turned into hard little buds. Something hard pressed against her hips, and he shifted his body so he was cradled between her legs. He was definitely fully erect, his naked and engorged penis pressing into the seam of her jeans.
A deep, appreciative growl came from deep within her and Frankie pushed her hips up at him instinctively. Moving his hands away from her breasts, he trailed lower, over her belly, and his fingers clumsily clawed at the buttons on her jeans. She pushed at his hands impatiently, and unbuttoned them herself. He yanked her hands away and pushed his own under the thick fabric and her panties, his warm fingers seeking out the wet folds of her sex. Slowly, he probed a finger inside her and finding her already wet, let out a low, feral growl as he continued his fervent assault on her lips.
Suddenly, the sound of the front door unlocking and opening brought Frankie to her senses. “Fuck!” she cursed and tried to push the man away. It wasn’t an easy feat, but she braced her hands on his chest and then mustered all her strength to push. She must have caught him by surprise, because he quickly rolled over and fell back on the floor with a loud thud.
“Frankie! Frankie where are you?” came Matt’s voice from the main hallway. She heard footsteps run up the stairs.
“Frankie, what happened?” Dante called.
Fuck! Frankie buttoned up her jeans, straightened out her bra and shirt, then tried to brush her long, black hair back into some semblance of order. “I’m coming!” she said, scrambling quickly out of the guest bedroom
Matt was running down the stairs and she nearly collided with him. “Frankie!” he grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her. “Dante s
aid you called in a panic and that you killed someone! What happened?” Matt’s brown eyes were filed with concern.
“Frankie, there you are!” Dante called as he entered the main hallway from the kitchen.
“What are you guys doing here?” she asked, her voice high and tense.
“You leave that message on my phone and then don’t call back? What were we supposed to do?”
“Er…sorry, I got distracted.”
Dante’s eyes scanned her from head to toe, his nose wrinkling and when she blushed at his gaze, his eyes widened. But before he could say anything, Matt spoke up.
“Tell us what happened! Where’s the guy you ran over? Is he dead?”
She shook her head. “No, no…he’s ok…just drugged.” She sighed and then relayed to them what had happened, at least up until the part she got him into the house.
“A Lycan? Here in Jersey? Aren’t they supposed to ask you permission before entering your territory?” Matt asked. Although he was one of her fully human half-brothers, he knew how Lycan society worked.
“Usually, but it looks like he was drugged and maybe dumped here. He was uh, naked, which makes me think he shifted to escape the people that drugged him, and then wandered off,” Frankie thought aloud.
“Where is he?” Dante asked.
“I put him in the guest bedroom,” she explained.
“Is he dangerous?” Matt asked, a worried look on his face. “Did he try to hurt you?”
“He’s too weak to do anything, I think,” Frankie assured him. Dante shot her a knowing look and she looked at him with silent, pleading eyes. “Matty, can you please uh…go and get him some clothes, please? I think he’s about Dante’s height, but a little broader in the chest.”
“Check my old room,” Dante instructed. Matt nodded and bounded up the stairs.
Dante turned to his sister. “Too weak, huh?” he sniffed the air around her. “You know you can’t hide anything from me. Not when you smell like sex and—”
“Shush!” she held her hand up. “Can we please not…I’m ok, he didn’t hurt me…we just…” she stammered and Dante raised a brow at her. “Let’s not do this now, ok? I’ll explain later.” If I can find a logical explanation, she thought to herself. Except I’ve gone insane from lack of sex all these years.
Romancing the Alpha Page 2
