“I…I….” she pulled the pictures out of the manila envelope. “I can’t…I know these pictures…are you sure?” They were stills from the video she took of Mr. Truman entering the hotel with a hot young blonde woman. They were kissing and cuddling as they went into the lobby.
Alynna nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid so. I followed them to the hotel and all the way to their room. They didn’t leave the room for at least four hours,” she explained. “I have the full video and some, uh, audio I took from outside their room.” Mr. Truman and his paramour were quite loud and all she really had to do was stand outside their door and use one of her special microphones.
Mary’s hands shook as she put the photos away. “Thank you, Ms. Chase,” she said then leaned back into her comfy armchair and took a sip of her tea. Alynna didn’t have a real office to work from, so she met clients at a coffee shop a few doors down from her apartment. She had actually helped the owner with a big worker’s comp case a year ago and instead of her usual fee, the owner closed up a corner of the shop whenever she needed to conduct a private meeting.
“I’m happy to be of service, though I really wish it was under different circumstances,” she said sympathetically. As with all of her similar clients, Alynna gave Mary the card of a great divorce lawyer she knew (and always gave her small commission plus occasional free legal advice) before she escorted the older woman back to her car.
She watched Mrs. Truman drive away before turning around and heading back to her apartment. It was a beautiful summer afternoon, but she hardly noticed. Aside from sleepless nights, she was tired from the case. After tracking down Greg Truman for three days, she finally caught him. She almost wanted to jump for joy when she saw them enter the hotel room. Not that she wished all her clients were cheats (maybe 90 percent of them were) but she was just exhausted. Three days of no sleep took their toll. When she wasn’t chasing Greg Truman around Manhattan, she was having these weird dreams. Although she wasn’t sure if they were dreams – could one dream while awake? They started off pleasant enough. She felt good, wonderful actually. She blushed thinking about it. There was a hot guy with a bangin’ bod – tall, broad shoulders, abs, the works. She wasn’t quite sure what was happening in the dream but it was very nice. But then there would be flashes of golden eyes and then something that made her skin crawl, followed by a terrible feeling. She shook her head, trying to forget them. I should really go to a doctor, she thought. Just to make sure I don’t have any weird drugs in my system.
Alynna reached her apartment building, a four-story converted brownstone in lower Manhattan. It had been Gus’ place – small and tidy, and served its purpose well and she had lived there ever since she was fifteen. She had taken over the single bedroom, as Gus would often crash on the couch after long stakeouts anyway. She climbed up the stairs, said hello to Mrs. Anders, her neighbor on the third floor, before heading up to her own place.
As soon as she touched the doorknob to her apartment, she knew something was wrong. Gus told her she had strong instinct, a natural, he said. It wasn’t magical, but she had learned to hone and trust her gut over the past couple of years and right now it was telling her that something wasn’t quite right. With one hand, she took out the pepper spray can from her purse and the keys with the other.
As quietly as she could, she slipped her key in and turned it. Opening the door, she stepped inside. She froze as something hit her – a familiar scent. She couldn’t quite figure out exactly what it smelled like, as if she had never smelled anything like it before. It was male and masculine, and the closest thing she could compare it to was like she was walking in the woods after the rain. Memories flooded back and she staggered backwards, closing the door behind her. The man in the club. His hands all over her. Golden, feral eyes, and the claws. Closing her eyes, she remembered everything clearly, even the fact that it was her own hand that sprouted those menacing claws.
“We’re glad you’ve finally come back, Ms. Chase,” a deep voice said.
Her eyes flew open. “What the—mmppphh!” a warm hand came around her mouth and she was dragged up against a warm, hard body. The scent enveloped her again and she could hardly struggle, her body choosing to sink against the person behind her. With wide eyes, she looked towards her right, where a man was sitting in her armchair.
He stood up and walked towards her, his stance imposing and strong. He was tall and lean, though Alynna suspected he was probably well-muscled and compact underneath his impeccable gray suit. He had short blonde hair and sunglasses obscured his eyes.
“My name is Nick Vrost. If you promise not to scream, Ms. Chase, my friend will let go, ok?”
She nodded. What choice did she have, after all?
The hand around her loosened its grip, as well as the arm around her waist. She moved forward, but curiosity got the better of her and she turned around. “You!” she exclaimed. The guy from the bar. Did they…? Did this man and her….? Her memories suddenly came back, and she let out a sigh of relief when she remembered that nothing had happened between them. Nothing major. At least, not before she blacked out.
“Yes, me,” his hazel eyes twinkled. “Nice to see you again, ‘Alice’”
Her eyes narrowed at him, “What did you do to me? Did you put something in my drink to make me hallucinate? How did I get home that night?”
The two men looked at each other, confusion on their faces.
“I should have you both arrested for breaking and entering!” she shouted. “What the hell are you doing inside my apartment?”
Nick Vrost came closer to her and gripped her arm so tight, she didn’t even try to struggle. He took off his glasses, revealing icy blue eyes. “You don’t remember anything?” he asked, his gaze boring her.
“Oh I remember! This asshole drugged me and then pulled me to the back room to…to…” God, she really must have been under some powerful stuff if she almost had sex with a stranger! “But he must have put too much and I started imagining things! Then I blacked out! Did you bring me back here when you realized what you had done?” she snarled. “If you think I’m not pressing charges, think again!” she pointed a finger at the Alex’s chest.
Nick Vrost raised a brow at him and Alex just shrugged. The blonde man cleared his throat. “Ms. Chase, I think you should come with us.”
“Come with you? Are you crazy?” she said.
“If you want to know what happened that night then we can give you answers, but first, you need to talk to our boss,” Nick explained. “I promise it will be worth your while.”
Curiosity pricked at her. Her instinct told her it wasn’t a drug that made her see things and that she should at least hear them out. “Lead the way, gentleman,” she said. “But just in case, I’m keeping my cellphone handy,” and my pepper spray, she added silently.
CHAPTER THREE
Alynna looked up at the imposing building in midtown Manhattan, right smack in the middle of Madison Avenue. She knew these guys must have been hired by some big guns, but she didn’t realize how big.
Fenrir Corporation owned and was headquartered in one of the tallest buildings in New York City. The giant, black, obelisk-like structure rose to the sky, probably over 70 stories high. The ground floor was all luxury shops, restaurants, and commercial space, while the rest was devoted to offices for Fenrir and its subsidiaries and related businesses. A lot of businesses. Fenrir had a hand in almost every type of industry, from shipping to manufacturing to retail. Jeez, I hope I didn’t piss off anyone important, she thought as the luxurious town car pulled into the basement garage of the building.
She sat in the back of the car, her arms crossed over her chest. “Where are we going?” she asked for about the hundredth time since she went with them. And for the hundredth time, her question was met with silence. Alex drove the car while Nick sat in front, so she couldn’t read their faces. She was pretty sure the doors were locked from the outside, so she couldn’t just jump out, even if she wanted to. It would have been
nice, however, to have that option if it was necessary.
The car stopped and Nick stepped out, then headed to the opaque glass doors on the right. Alex stepped out and walked around to her side, opening the door. Ignoring his offered hand and cheeky smile, she walked out and followed right behind Nick.
The glass doors opened up to reveal a small receiving room, where a burly guard sat at a desk. He looked at Alynna, but when Nick nodded at him, he turned back to watching the monitors.
“You think Fenrir’d have better security than that, being a billion-dollar corporation, and all, am I right?” she joked as the elevator doors opened. Nick remained steely, stepping into the elevator doors first. Alex held the door and motioned for her to get in, a grin on his face, though he remained silent.
Alynna stood in the middle of the elevator while Nick was to her left, though slightly ahead. Alex stepped in, taking the spot to her right. Nick pressed his palm to the plate beside the doors, then keyed in the “P” button.
She swallowed a gulp, sweat slowly beading on her temples. Top floor, penthouse. Who could she be meeting that was (literally and figuratively) that high up? And for God’s sake, what the heck was that scent? It was a little faint now, but she could still smell it. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was just too strange how it seemed to linger in the air. “Someone needs to tone down the aftershave,” she muttered to no one in particular.
Finally, the elevator stopped. The doors opened and Nick walked out first.
“After you,” Alex said, holding the elevator door open once again.
Alynna gave him a nod and followed Nick down the plush hallway. Everything was sleek, modern, and expensive – and this was only the hallway! In her Gap blouse, skinny jeans, and worn boots, she suddenly felt scruffy. She spied views of the East River through one of the windows and had to stop herself from whistling.
At the end of the long hallway was a set of large wooden doors. A young man sat at the desk next to the door. He looked to be about early 20s and was wearing an expensive-looking suit that probably cost what she made in a month.
“Mr. Anderson is waiting for you and your guest, Mr. Vrost,” he said, standing up and giving him a small nod.
The man kept his head bowed until Nick spoke. “Thank you Jared, we’ll let ourselves in.”
He pushed the door open and walked inside the huge room. It must have taken up an entire corner of the top floor. The décor was intimidating and ultra modern, the floor to ceiling glass windows revealing a spectacular view of New York and Central Park. Standing by the window was a tall, imposing man. Alynna couldn’t quite make anything out as the light from the outside made his form into nothing but shadow. She didn’t know who it was, but for some reason felt like she wanted to cower. Don’t be intimidated, she told herself. Alynna squared her shoulders.
The figure turned around to face them and as he came closer, she could slowly make out his face. He was good-looking, older, maybe mid-to-late 30s, with thick dark hair and green eyes that glittered like emeralds and looked hard as diamonds. He wore a suit that probably cost what she made in a year. She instantly knew who this man was, having read a couple of articles (and she admitted, some gossip rags) about him. She was meeting with Grant Anderson, CEO of Fenrir Corp.
“Have a seat, Ms. Chase,” he said, his voice strong and imposing. Of course he knew her name. “My name is Grant Anderson.”
It was almost like she felt compelled to follow him and she seated herself in one of the chairs by the large mahogany table in the center of the room. She crossed and uncrossed her legs nervously. A new scent drifted into her nostrils. It wasn’t like the previous one. This one smelled like…the beach? Clean, salty air. It was pleasant and she felt strangely warm and at home.
The man moved closer and sat behind the desk while Nick followed him, standing on this right side, while Alex remained behind her. He sat back, placing his interlaced fingers over his abdomen. “Ms. Chase, do you know why you’re here today?”
“You tell me, Mr. Anderson,” she said, planting both feet on the floor and leaning forward. “You were the one who had a couple of your goons break into my home and then brought here. Is that what CEOs do these days?”
His lips tightened. “Let’s cut the bullshit. Tell me, does the Constanta Agreement mean anything to you? The Vaduva Wars?”
“What are you babbling about? And since we’re asking questions, what about the drug your flunky gave me?” she nodded towards Alex.
“A drug? You thought you were drugged?” he asked, his voice carefully controlled. “That’s a pathetic excuse, and you must know venturing into New York without permission from me and your Regal is practically asking for war.”
“Dude!” she said, shooting up to her feet. “What the heck is going on? Maybe you guys are the ones on drugs!” She stiffened her shoulders. “That’s it, I’m leaving!” She turned towards the door and started to walk away, but Nick moved with almost superhuman speed and grabbed her arm. “Let go of me!” she said, her voice turning into a growl. Where did that come from? Alynna felt faint again, her stomach churning, much like it did that night she blacked out. Oh God, was that scent some sort of airborne drug?
“Primul,” Nick turned to Grant. “Perhaps you should take shelter in the safe room.”
“No,” Grant said, coming closer. “She can’t deny it now, not when she’s in the middle of a shift. Tell me, lupoaică, where did you come from? Who is your Regal?”
Before she could say anything else, pain shot through her body. She didn’t know why, but this time, it was worse. She felt dizzy too and she crumpled against Nick, hardly able to support herself. He let her fall to the ground, barely holding her up. She whimpered in pain, her arm twisting unnaturally. “Hurts…don’t…help, please!” A snarl came from behind her and she looked up weakly as Alex approached her. Her vision started to go hazy, but she could see his eyes blazed in anger.
“Stand down, Alex,” Nick said, as he held onto Alynna.
Alex suddenly stopped, his fists clenched at his side. He looked down at the girl half-crumpled on the floor, his face looking conflicted. “Yes, Al Doilea,” he said, bowing his head.
“Ms. Chase,” Grant said, looking down at her, his eyes turning into dark green pools. “Tell me which clan you belong and maybe we’ll return you to them in one piece!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she snapped at him. Somehow, she found the strength to break free from Nick’s grasp and lunged at Grant.
Surprised, Grant didn’t have time to move away and the small girl tackled him to the ground. Her hands began to stretch and grow claws, and she swiped at him. This time, he knew to protect himself and he grabbed her arms before she could do any damage.
“Primul!” Nick called out. He grabbed the girl and pulled her off Grant. He cursed at her and then flung her away towards the wall with unnatural strength. She hit it with such force that her brain rattled in her skull.
“Alynna!” Alex called. This time, he did not remain still, but sprang towards the girl.
Without warning, Alynna shot up at him, her claws bared, growling loudly. Her eyes were bright, shining green slits and the bones underneath her cheeks moved and crawled. Alex caught her wrists. “It’s ok, Alynna, fight it. It doesn’t control you,” he said in a soothing voice, his thumbs circling her wrists.
For a brief moment, her eyes turned normal. “Alex?! What’s going on…who…what…” Suddenly, she let out a pained whimper, her eyes rolled back and she slumped against him.
Alex’s eyes widened in surprise and then looked up at Nick. He stood there, his arms extended and his just-fired weapon pointing at them.
CHAPTER FOUR
Alynna awoke slowly, her eyes fluttering open. “Not again,” she groaned, feeling that uneasiness in her stomach and that maddening headache. At least this time, she had remembered to close the curtains. “Fuck!” she cursed softly. I don’t have curtains. She sat up quickly, looking around her, but it onl
y made her stomach worse. She looked to the side and saw a trashcan. It was close enough that she could bend down and throw up without leaving the bed.
“Are you ok?” A soft, feminine voice from somewhere in the room startled Alynna and she nearly lost her grip on the trashcan. “There’re some wipes beside you.”
Turning to the bedside table, she saw the wipes and grabbed them. “Who are you? Where am I?” she asked, cleaning her lips with the soft, damp cloth. She struggled to get up, throwing the covers from her body. A rattle sounded in the dim room and when she looked down, she realized there was a chain around her ankle.
There was a gasp from across the room and a figure emerged from the darkness. It was a petite, redhead with a gorgeously delicate face. She looked shock when she saw the chains. “I’m so sorry! I told them this was totally unnecessary!” She looked down, grabbed the chains, trying to figure out a way to unlock it. “I don’t know how to take this off.”
Alynna yanked at the chain, but it seemed pretty solid. What the fuck did I get myself into? It was just like when she blacked after going to Blood Moon, but this time, she remembered everything. The memories flooded back to her and she let out a small cry, covering her face with her hands as tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Oh my… are you ok?” the redhead asked, a concerned look on her face. She sat by Alynna, but didn’t touch her. “What’s the matter!”
“You tell me!” she said angrily, waving her hands at the woman. “I’m chained to a bed, probably in some dingy basement where no one will ever find my body AND apparently I’m some sort of monster!” She sobbed into her hands.
Fated Mates: Book 1 of the True Mates Series Page 2
