Romancing the Alpha

by Alicia Montgomery

“So he’ll be ok?” Alynna asked. Beside her, Frankie sat silently, her eyes in a daze.

  “I…normally I would say yes, and we’ve done all we can,” he shook his head. “I can’t explain it, but it’s like there’s something holding him back.”

  “What do you mean?’ Cady asked.

  “Well, modern medicine can do wonders for the body,” Dr. Faulkner began. “We can administer drugs that would have seemed like magic a hundred years ago and use advanced technology and techniques to heal broken bones and tissue. But there’s still a big part of healing that rests on the body, and some might say, the mind. Grant’s body is responding, accordingly, but his mind…it’s like it doesn’t want to fight anymore. He flatlined once during surgery.”

  Alynna let out a cry. “Please Dr. Faulkner, what can we do?”

  “Wait,” the doctor said. “That’s all we can do. Wait and hope and pray that he finds the strength to keep fighting.”

  The room was silent, the air heavy with grief.

  “We have to do something,” Alynna said.

  Alex put an arm around her. “We’ve done all we can, babydoll.”

  “We should go get some rest,” Cady suggested. “Grant will be fine by morning. I know it.”

  “Yes,” Nick agreed, standing up and helping his wife get up from the chair.

  “You can stay with us,” Alynna said to Frankie, tugging on her hand.

  The Jersey Alpha was looking straight ahead, unmoving, her mismatched eyes steely. “No.”

  “Frankie, you can’t-”

  “No!” she repeated. “I’m staying here. I want to see him,” she looked pleadingly at Dr. Faulkner. “Let me see him, please?”

  Dr. Faulkner looked like he wanted to protest, but then sighed in defeat. “Just you, Lupa.”

  “Thank you.”

  She followed him towards the hallway of private rooms in the medical wing, entering the third door on the left. He opened the door and motioned for her to go inside.

  Frankie nodded, took a deep breath and then entered the room. She suppressed a cry when she saw Grant, looking pale and lying motionless on the bed.

  “Grant,” she called softly, slipping her hand into his. “Grant, please wake up. Please fight.” Tears streaked down her cheeks, dropping onto to the white, sterile sheets on the bed. Grabbing his hand, she put it on her belly. “I need you. We need you.” She gasped as she felt a tiny spark in her belly when Grant’s hand touched it. “Don’t leave us. I love you.”

  ***

  He was falling. Slipping down a long slope. No, he was plummeting through the air, like he had jumped out of a plane without a parachute.

  “Grant, please wake up. Please fight.”

  The voice…it sounded familiar. Frankie? Memories rushed back. Yes, he was going to see her again. His sweet Frankie.

  “I need you. We need you.”

  A spark of electricity jolted through him. What was that?

  “Don’t leave us. I love you.”

  She loves me? Leave you? No, I would never leave you, Frankie. But you left me. You died and you left me.

  Falling, falling, dropping and tumbling down.

  Wait, this was all wrong. Frankie. Frankie. Our baby.

  “Frankie!” he called out, his hand grasping air. His eyes flew open.

  “Grant?”

  “Frankie?” His voice was weak and raspy, his vision was blurry, but he knew that voice anywhere. “You’re…Frankie…”

  Softly callused hands wrapped around his. “Yes, I’m here, Grant.”

  “I don’t understand…” He tried to get up, but felt dizzy.

  “No, don’t get up! Please, just stay down and rest. Do you want something? Water?”

  He shook his head. “I need to make sure…I’m awake and not dreaming. You’re…really ok?”

  A warm body slipped in next to him and slim arms wrapped around his chest. “Yes, I’m here. I’m ok. We both are.”

  He sighed with relief. “I saw you. The blood. You fell.”

  Soft lips pressed against his side. “I know. But our baby saved me, Grant. The bullet went through and then the wound closed up.”

  “What?” He felt dizzy again. “Feel…so tired…”

  “Shhh….I’ll explain later. I promise, I’m really here and I’m ok.”

  “Don’t leave me, please, Frankie?” Consciousness started slipping away and he felt lightheaded.

  “Of course not. I love you, Grant.”

  ***

  “Looks like you’re going to make a full recovery,” Dr. Faulkner said as he looked at Grant, who was sitting up in his bed.

  It was around dawn when she woke up, the sound of Grant’s voice startling her awake. She fell asleep on the chair next to his bed and thought she was dreaming at first. Grant had woken up, spoken to her and she crawled beside him in his bed. Frankie had fallen asleep next to Grant, and no one had the heart to kick her out of his room.

  Dr. Faulkner found them curled up around each other a few hours later. After examining his wounds, he saw that Grant’s condition had definitely improved overnight.

  “Thank god.” Frankie sat beside him, holding his hand, a big, relieved smile on her face. “I thought…” her face fell.

  “Shhh…sweetheart, I’m here,” Grant squeezed her hand.

  “God…to think…we could have-”

  “I’m going to go call everyone, tell them the good news.” Dr. Faulkner said and left them alone.

  “I’m sorry,” Frankie began as soon as the door closed. “That last day in New York, I should have trusted you. Listened to you. Maybe this never would have happened if I did.”

  “Sweetheart, come here,” Grant tugged on her arm and she climbed into the bed with him. He wrapped an arm around her. “It’s ok. I understand. I know it’s hard for you to trust men. But you have to believe me. I love you and I would never leave you. I promise.”

  She nodded. “I know that now.”

  “Good,” he slipped his hand over her belly. “You know, while I was asleep…I thought I felt something, a spark.”

  “Was it…our pup?”

  His face broke into a smile. “I didn’t imagine, it right? You’re having my baby?”

  She nodded.

  “And we really are True Mates?”

  “Apparently,” she giggled when he tickled her stomach. “I just…it’s strange, right?”

  “Yes,” he kissed her knuckles. “I watched my sister find her True Mate, then Cady and Nick. I never thought I’d be as lucky.”

  She sighed and snuggled into his arms. “Me neither. I love you, Grant.”

  He sighed in relief. “I was hoping I wasn’t dreaming that part either.”

  Frankie shook her head. “I’m sorry it took me a long time to say it.”

  “You mean, you waited until you thought I was dead,” he teased.

  She swatted him playfully on the arm. “Beast,” she joked and snuggled against him. “I think I felt it…a for while now, I was just too afraid to tell you.”

  “And now?”

  “And now I can say it. I love you, Grant Anderson.”

  “And I love you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “C’mon Grant, just tell me where we’re going!”

  “What part of ‘surprise’ don’t you understand, Frankie?” Grant asked in an exasperated voice.

  “But Grant…” she whined and scratched at the blindfold.

  “We’re here.”

  Frankie let out a breath. The car stopped, and then she heard the click of the door opening. Grant guided her, taking her hand and helping her step out of the car.

  A week had passed since the incident in Connecticut. Grayson Charles had recovered and was now in the custody of the Lycan High Council. His clan was in shambles, the power vacuum creating chaos. In their eyes, Grayson betrayed the Lycans by forming an alliance with the mages, not to mention offered them their own to serve as guinea pigs for their potion experiments.

&nbs
p; The Connecticut clan was calling for new leadership. His Beta, Logan Cooper, had taken over temporarily while they were trying to regroup. Grant knew him to be a good man, so he wasn’t worried. He even threw his support behind Logan. Grayson’s wife and child were put in protective custody since both were innocent, and as far as anyone knew, Vanessa was gone. No one had seen or heard from her since that night.

  “And where is here?” Frankie asked, crossing her arms. She’d been staying at The Enclave, as Grant refused to be away from her for even a single day. Since she hadn’t been home, her brothers and Nonna Gianna had come to visit them as Grant recuperated. Dante, Enzo, and Rafe had given him a good ribbing, telling him that they were going to kick his ass as soon as he was full recovered for getting their sister pregnant out of wedlock.

  “Just one second…” Grant led her forward a couple of steps, then turned her body a few inches to the right.

  Wherever they were, it was noisy. She could hear sawing, hammering, people talking and heavy work boots stomping everywhere.

  “Ready?” Grant asked.

  “I’ve been ready since you blindfolded me.”

  “So impatient, my mate,” he teased. Slowly, he removed the blindfold.

  Frankie squinted, then shut her eyes quickly as the light of the sun blinded her. Rubbing her eyes, she blinked a few times, and her vision cleared. She gasped at first, then held her breath as she tried to digest what she was seeing.

  “Surprise!” Dante, Rafe, Enzo, and Matt shouted at her, their faces lit up with smiles.

  Her brothers were standing in the parking lot of Muccino’s, but instead of the charred remains of the old restaurant, the building behind them looked newly painted. There were also about a dozen people walking around, carrying wooden boards, tools, ladders, and other construction materials. The Muccino’s sign hung over the doorway and looked good as new, or better than new because it looked like it had never even been destroyed.

  “Did you do this?” She looked at Grant. He didn’t say anything, but was smiling at her.

  Frankie jumped into his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist, and gave him a big smack on the lips. “I love you,” she said in between kisses.

  “Get a room, you too!” Enzo called out, but he was smiling at the couple.

  She slid down his body and squeezed Grant’s ass. “You bet we will!”

  “Minx,” he smirked.

  “So, how did you do this?” She looked around her with amazement.

  “Well, I thought it would be a good investment,” Grant explained. “Muccino’s has the best Italian food I’ve ever tasted, after all. And with a few improvements and some advertising, everyone will know it.”

  “Grant called us a couple days ago,” Dante added as they approached. “He said he wanted to be our partner, and start rebuilding as soon as possible. I said yes, but only if we make sure we restore everything back to the way it was. The way Ma and Nonna would have wanted it.”

  “Partner?” she looked slyly at Grant.

  “Silent partner,” he assured. “You guys will get to run the whole show. And there was one more condition.”

  “And what was that?”

  Dante held up a tablet and opened it, showing Frankie the screen. It was a picture of a corner shop in downtown Manhattan, with a “for sale” sign outside. He scrolled through the gallery and it showed an artist’s rendition of an Italian restaurant, with a large “Muccino’s” sign outside. “He wants to open a location in New York. And he wants me to run the kitchen.”

  Frankie’s eyes grew wide, her mouth open.

  “Are you mad?” Grant asked. “I know it’s a bit sneaky of me, going behind you like this. But I did this all for you.”

  “Mad?” Frankie said in an incredulous voice. “You did this for me? Why would I be mad? Grant, this is the best thing anyone’s ever done for me!”

  “I’m glad,” he looked down at her, his eyes filled with warmth and love.

  “C’mon, we have food!” Matt cocked his head, waving at them to follow him.

  They walked over to the back of the restaurant, and to Frankie’s surprise, there were a number picnic tables set up, and several were piled high with food. Nick, Cady, Alex, and Alynna were chatting and laughing, while Nonna Gianna was holding Mika and cooing at her.

  “Finally, you’re here! I’m hungry!” Alynna shouted as they approached. She looked at the food, her eyes going wide as saucers. Dishes overflowed with pastas and meats, their savory aromas wafting through the air. There were five kinds of freshly baked pizzas and platters of various meats and cheese imported from Italy. Off to the side, the dessert table was piled high with all kinds of delectable confections and sweets, from cannolis filled with flavored creams to zeppoles fresh from the fryer, covered with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.

  “Oh my god, when do you open in New York?” Alynna looked meaningfully at Dante.

  Dante laughed. “Soon. But, I’ll be moving to The Enclave too, so I won’t be too far away.”

  “I can’t believe I’ll be able to eat this everyday if I want! I won’t have to defect to your clan after all.” Alynna squealed with delight and gave Dante a kiss on the cheek. “You’re gonna make some woman happy one day.”

  Matt and Rafe were handing out plates, encouraging everyone to pile on as much food as they could. They also called the workers who were fixing up the restaurant to join them, as there was definitely more than enough, even with two pregnant Lycans and Alynna.

  They put two tables together so everyone could sit together. Frankie sat next to Grant, who had taken two helpings of Osso Bucco. Across her, Alynna and Alex were joking, and beside them, Nick was giving Cady a bite of his zeppole. Surrounded by family and friends, and the man she loved, plus a baby on the way, she never thought she’d be happier. At least, not until she put her fork into her tiramisu and felt something hard at the bottom of the plate.

  Frowning, she stabbed at the dessert. “Nonna,” she called to her great-aunt. “Did you drop an earring into the tiramisu again?”

  The older woman pursed her lips together, as if she was stopping herself from smiling. “Oh really? Maybe I did. Can you dig it out for me, mimma?”

  Frankie shrugged and dug in, trying to find the earring. As she pushed the crumbs and cream away, something sparkled underneath. “What the…” She picked it up, brushed the remaining dessert away and held it up. “What?” It was a diamond ring. The princess-cut solitaire was probably three carats with small side stones lining the platinum band. She gasped as it sparkled in the sun.

  Beside her, Grant stood up from his chair and then got down on one knee. “Francesca Muccino, I love you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  “I…yes, of course!” Frankie answered, her eyes filling with happy tears.

  A cheer erupted from the small crowd around them. Grant slipped the ring onto her finger (after quickly dunking it in a glass of water) and then picked her up in his arms.

  “Let’s elope to Italy!” she said dreamily as Grant put her down. “I’ll wear my grandmother’s wedding dress and we can have it at the villa in Positano.”

  Alynna laughed through a mouthful of cannoli. “Yeah, right,” she snorted. “Just try and get that idea past Callista.”

  Cady chuckled. “If I was a betting woman, I’d be betting against you, Frankie.”

  Frankie looked confused. “I don’t get it.”

  “Oh you will,” Alynna chortled. “Just wait.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Frankie and Grant invited Callista Mayfair to dinner, and as they were having coffee and dessert in the living room, they told her the good news. She was overjoyed when she found out about the baby, but horrified when they told her that they were going to elope to Italy.

  “No!”

  “Please, mother!”

  “Absolutely not!” Callista Mayfair put her literal foot down, her Manolo Blahniks making a clicking sound on the floor when she shot up from the couch.
“I will not be denied a wedding this time!” She crossed her arms resolutely and Grant sighed, then Frankie an apologetic look.

  “This time?” Frankie asked, her face puzzled.

  “First, Alynna had her City Hall wedding, and then Nick and Cady insisted on a two-week engagement,” Callista railed. “Two weeks! That was hardly enough time to plan!”

  “And you did a great job. But, I won’t be waiting a year, mother,” Grant warned. “I want to be married before our pup is born.”

  “And before I start showing,” Frankie added. She already had a wedding gown - her grandmother’s. With a few adjustments, it would fit her perfectly, but definitely not if she popped.

  “And you will, dear,” Callista patted her future daughter-in-law’s hand. “But, we will do it the right way! We will do it my way! Besides, two Alphas getting married? It will be the event of the century!”

  “Fine,” Frankie said, defeated. “Let’s have a big wedding then.”

  Callista’s face light up, her eyes shining with tears. “Thank you, my dear! It will be a wonderful wedding, I will make sure of it! Everything will be perfect.”

  After a few more minutes of chatting, Callista declared she had to go and get preparations started. As Frankie and Grant walked her to the door, she hugged her son and future daughter-in-law, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

  “You won’t regret this,” she declared as she left the couple alone. Callista was already dialing the number of the archbishop of New York by the time she was out the door.

  “Thank you for indulging my mother,” Grant kissed her on the lips. “I’ll never hear the end of it if we eloped.”

  “I’m going to regret this big time, aren’t I?” Frankie said wryly.

  ***

  Frankie only slightly regretted letting Callista plan the wedding. The vivacious older Lycan didn’t plan as much as take over the entire thing. If Callista Mayfair were going to wedding world war, she would definitely have vanquished her opponents and been declared victor. In less than a month, she sent out 300 invitations, booked St. Patrick’s Cathedral on a Saturday morning, and put together an entire reception at the Waldorf Astoria with only minor casualties.