Alpha Temptation: Sanmere Shifters Romance Collection

by Lola Gabriel

  “There’s just one problem,” Cassie said, pulling Laila out of her head and making her feel panicked.

  Was Cassie going to say she couldn’t start for the next three years or something? Was she dangling the dream in front of her and then cruelly snatching it back? No, Laila told herself. She wouldn’t do that. Not only would it be cruel, it would be wholly unprofessional too. It’s my references, Laila thought to herself. I knew Mrs. Barnes from my school placement didn’t like me. She’s sent a bad reference and I’ll need a different one. She began searching her mind for someone else she could use instead. Maybe Violet across the street—she had babysat for her for years and her kids loved her.

  “Laila? Are you still there?” Cassie asked.

  “Yes. Yes, I’m still here. Sorry,” Laila said. “Is it my references?”

  “No. Your references were excellent,” Cassie said. Laila could hear the smile in her voice as she said it. “The problem isn’t with you, it’s with the actual position. Miss Leve was supposed to be seeing the school year out and you were to start in September as we discussed. Unfortunately, Miss Leve’s mother has taken a turn for the worse and she has to leave us a bit earlier than expected. I know it’s short notice, but is there any chance you could start on Monday?”

  “This Monday?” Laila asked.

  It was Saturday now. Could she get across the state and be ready to start work in just two days?

  “Yes,” Cassie said. “I know it’s terribly inconvenient, and if you can’t, I will understand and try to see the year out, but…”

  “I can do it,” Laila interrupted her.

  She wasn’t willing to risk Cassie bringing in a supply teacher and then deciding she had gotten to know the ropes and keeping her on, taking Laila’s dream job away from her.

  “You can? Oh Laila, that’s fantastic,” Cassie said. “I’ll send you over an email with directions to the town and your new address and the school’s address. You can pick your door key up from the post office—I’ll send you that address too. Normally I would try and meet a new teacher before their first day to go over everything, but you’re going to have enough to fit in, exploring the town and finding your feet, so how about we meet at the school at eight on Monday morning?”

  “Yes, that’s perfect, thank you again,” Laila said.

  “Oh God, no, Laila, thank you. You’ve really saved me on this one,” Cassie said. “So I’ll see you Monday, and if you need anything else in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

  “I will, thanks,” Laila said.

  They said their goodbyes and Laila ended the call. She lay back down for a moment and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, punching the air in delight. She didn’t stay there for long. She had a ton of packing to do.

  “Mom!” Laila shouted as she ran down the stairs.

  She could hear her mom bustling about in the kitchen, but she appeared in the hallway when she heard Laila’s excited cry. Laila jumped down the last three stairs and took her mom’s hand, dancing her around the hallway. Her mom laughed and let herself be twirled.

  “What’s going on?” she laughed.

  “I got a job. As a teacher,” Laila squealed.

  “Oh, that’s fantastic news, love,” her mom said, pulling her in for a hug. “Where at?”

  “The Greer Primary School,” Laila said. “It’s… Mom? What is it?”

  Some of the excitement had gone from her mom’s face and she looked a little worried. Laila frowned, needing to know what was wrong.

  “You said Greer, right? It’s a bit of a trek, that’s all,” her mom said.

  Laila smiled and shook her head.

  “It’s not that far. It’s only across the state. And you always knew it was a fair possibility that I’d have to move away,” she said.

  “I know. But Greer? Isn’t it a tiny little town? You’ll hate it there, Laila. Surely there are other options,” her mom reasoned. “I think you should keep looking.”

  “Maybe there are other options, but none I can start at on Monday,” Laila said.

  “This Monday? It’s too soon, Laila. You’ll need time to get prepared and…”

  “Mom, I’ve made my mind up about this,” Laila interrupted her, some of the excitement leaving her. “I know it’s sudden, but can’t you just be happy for me?”

  Her mom shook her head slightly, like she was shaking away her doubts. She beamed at Laila.

  “Of course I can,” she smiled.

  Now it was her turn to twirl Laila around. Laila laughed in delight.

  “Right. Enough dancing,” her mom said after another moment. “Let’s have some breakfast and then get to work on packing your things. Do you have somewhere to stay?”

  Laila followed her mom through to the kitchen, explaining excitedly about the furnished house that came with the job.

  3

  Laila had been to the post office and had collected her house key. She had dragged her bags inside and unpacked her clothes, her books, her toiletries, and her computer. Cassie had been right about her new house. It was small, but it was most definitely tasteful. It consisted of a tiny entryway which had two doors and stairs leading off it.

  One of the doors led to a small living room decorated in terracotta with a cream couch and a matching cream beanbag. The glass coffee table finished the seating area off nicely and Laila had arranged her coffee table books on it. The TV wasn’t massive, but Laila thought it would be fine for her needs. She generally preferred to read than watch TV anyway. Maybe having such a small TV would break her habit of watching cringe-worthy reality TV shows.

  She had filled the mantelpiece above the fire with her ornaments and she had put a few of her favorite books on the shelf above it. The window in the living room was a good size, overlooking her little garden, and it let plenty of light into the room.

  The kitchen was tiny but practical, containing everything she needed a kitchen to have, including a small table and two chairs, and the little laundry room would be more than enough for her needs. Upstairs, she found a bedroom decorated in cream with accents of purple. It was just big enough for the double bed, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, and a little bedside cabinet that held an ornate purple lamp.

  There was a bathroom with a shower, a sink, and a toilet. No bath. Laila would have liked a bath, but not having one was a small sacrifice to be here ready to start her career as a teacher. The other bedroom wasn’t even big enough to be described as a bedroom. There just wouldn’t be any space to move if there was a bed in the room.

  At the moment, the room was unfurnished, clearly left to be used for storage, and Laila had brought the thick of her books into this room, standing them in neat piles on the ground. Once she got settled in, she would find out from Cassie who owned the house and seek permission to install floor-to-ceiling shelves in the room to hold her things.

  Overall, Laila was happy with the house, but she had been here only two or three hours and she was getting restless. She decided to go for a walk around Greer to explore the town and buy a few essentials. She was confident the town wouldn’t have a large grocery store and she planned on driving to the nearest city on the weekend and stocking up on grocery items, but she needed enough things to see her through the week.

  Laila left her house, heading in the direction of the post office as she was sure the other town amenities would be in that vicinity. She walked the couple of blocks to Main Street, taking in the small houses and slightly bigger cottages that lined the streets. The town was picturesque, there was no denying that. Everywhere she looked was clean and crisp and bright, the houses, like her own, all rendered brilliant white.

  She reached Main Street, but instead of walking up it, she veered past it, wanting to explore the other half of the town. There was one big house on this side of the town, almost a mansion, and Laila wondered briefly who owned this house. It must be someone rich who liked a quiet life, she thought to herself. Her exploration of the nearby residences didn’t take lon
g, and her rough estimate told her there were about forty houses in the town.

  She meandered her way back toward Main Street, passing the school on her way. The school was small, only the size of a good-sized house, but the playground was a decent size and the building looked inviting. She smiled to herself, wondering what her classroom would look like and what her students would be like. God, I hope they like me, she thought to herself.

  She circled back around to the post office and began her journey up Main Street. It didn’t take long. Main Street was as short as all of the other streets she had wandered through. It contained the post office, a tiny store, an even tinier library, and a pub. It’s going to take some getting used to, Laila thought to herself. There’s the quiet life, and then there’s this. There isn’t even a café or a take-out place. Oh well, I guess I’d better accept that I’ll be cooking a lot more, she thought with a smile. It was something she always told herself and never did, but now it seemed she would have to.

  She popped into the store and bought enough things to see her through for the week, and she went into the library to enquire about joining. She was given a form to fill out and handed a credit-card-sized card within fifteen minutes. She browsed the shelves and chose a couple of thrillers. Leaving the library, she checked her watch. She had been out of her house for just under an hour.

  She wasn’t ready to go back yet, but she was starting to feel a bit peckish and she decided to go into the pub and have a pub lunch. Even that wouldn’t save her from home cooking, though. The chalkboard outside advertised a Sunday roast, served from twelve until three, and that was it for their menu.

  Going into a pub alone was something Laila never would have considered back home, but here, it seemed okay. The pub didn’t look like the sort of place that got rowdy. It looked like the sort of place where people did what she was planning on doing—grabbing lunch and maybe reading a book to pass the time.

  The decision made, Laila opened the door to the pub. She was greeted with the smell of home-cooked food that made her stomach growl. The pub was fairly large, decorated like what Laila thought of when she thought of a proper country pub. It was all wooden rafters and garish patterned carpet, but it worked, and it came together to give a welcoming atmosphere.

  The pub was quiet. A family sat around a table in one corner eating a Sunday roast and two men sat at the bar, one dark-haired, one fair. The dark-haired man turned around when the door banged closed behind Laila. For a moment, their eyes met and Laila felt something she had never felt before. She felt as though somehow, she had an instant connection with this man. He looked tall, even seated, and his body was ripped, like he worked out a lot. His dark hair framed his face perfectly, drawing Laila’s eye to his somewhat delicate features. He had a small nose and a clean-shaven jaw. His skin looked smooth and unblemished and Laila felt an urge to touch it.

  When his eyes locked on hers, she saw they were a beautiful emerald green color, brighter than any eyes she had ever seen before. As she looked at him, she felt her insides stirring. Somehow, Laila felt as though this man was her destiny. Like he was her soulmate. She tried to dismiss the idea as ridiculous, but it was hard when he was looking at her with those eyes, searching her face as though he, too, felt this connection between them.

  He smiled at her then and she felt her heart skip a beat. His smile lit his whole face up, making him look warm and approachable, and like someone she could definitely enjoy getting to know a little bit better.

  She dismissed the thought, forcing herself to look away from his mesmerizing gaze. She felt her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment, and for just a second, she felt a flutter of fear in her stomach. She couldn’t explain the fear, but for a second, she had a bad feeling about Greer. She dismissed the idea as nonsense.

  She wasn’t in any danger. A handsome man had smiled at her and she let herself get carried away, that was it. She realized she was still standing in the doorway to the pub, looking lost, so she began to head for a table that was slightly around a corner from the bar, a table where she couldn’t be distracted by the man at the bar.

  She had barely sat down when a waitress appeared and Laila smiled at her, grateful for the interruption to her thoughts.

  “Hi,” the waitress smiled. “I’m Tess. Do you need a moment or are you ready to order?”

  “I’m ready,” Laila said. “Can I have a small roast dinner and a large white wine, please?”

  She hadn’t been planning on the wine, but she felt as though she needed it now.

  “Sure,” Tess said. “Would you like beef, chicken, or pork?”

  “Beef, please,” Laila said.

  Tess smiled and left her table, and Laila pulled one of the books she had borrowed from the library from her bag. She opened it and started to read, but she couldn’t concentrate. All of the words seemed to merge into one. All she could think about was the handsome stranger and the way his eyes had sparkled when he had smiled at her.

  Laila shook her head, telling herself she was twenty-three, not some dumb teenager. Despite her thoughts, she couldn’t keep the half-smile off her face as she imagined what the handsome man would look like with his clothes off. She felt herself blushing again and she shook her head slightly.

  Laila had never really believed in love at first sight before, yet now she found herself questioning that belief. Because something had passed between her and the man when he had smiled at her. She could try to deny it all she liked, but that wouldn’t change the fact that it had happened.

  4

  Cedric Waters picked his glass up off the bar and took a long sip of his beer. He hadn’t been planning on coming to the pub today—he rarely came here at all—but when Josh, one of his pack members, had suggested a quick drink, he had found himself agreeing to it. He didn’t know why, but his fae instincts had kicked in, telling him he should go, and he had learned a long time ago to listen to them.

  He had been the fae king, the leader of his pack of fairies, for over a century, and when his instincts kicked in like that, there was always a good reason for it, even if he didn’t always see why immediately. His instincts had told him to bring the pack back to Greer, the tiny town his father had lived in back when was the pack’s alpha. And now, they had led Cedric to the pub. There had to be a reason for both of those things.

  If there was, it wasn’t apparent, and for the first time in a long time, he was starting to doubt his instincts. There was nothing out of the ordinary going on in the pub. A small family sat eating a Sunday roast, and other than that, he and Josh were the only customers.

  Josh was talking about something he was working on at work, but it was nothing Cedric thought they needed to be in the pub for. So then why had his instincts told him to come here?

  “Earth to Cedric,” Josh said.

  Cedric shook his head and looked at Josh, who was grinning at him.

  “Sorry, I was a million miles away there. What were you saying?” Cedric asked.

  “Nothing important,” Josh said, waving his hand. “I was just moaning about work. What’s on your mind?”

  “Nothing really,” Cedric said.

  “And that’s a bad thing because…?” Josh prompted him.

  “It’s not a bad thing,” Cedric smiled. “I didn’t say that. I just… I don’t know. Something told me to come here today and I’m trying to work out what it was. I don’t like it when my instincts are off, that’s all.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t your instincts telling you to come here. Maybe you just finally accepted coming to the pub is pretty much the only thing there is to do in Greer,” Josh said.

  “Yeah, maybe,” Cedric said.

  He didn’t believe it, though. Today was no different from yesterday or the day before, or the day before that. In fact, it was the same as it had been almost a decade ago when the pack returned to Greer with him and he had taken up residence in his father’s old house. And he had never had this strong an urge to come in here before now.

 
He pondered it, worrying that he was losing his touch, thinking maybe he was getting too old for this alpha thing. It didn’t matter if he felt too old to do it now, though. He had no choice unless he wanted to abandon his pack and leave them leaderless, which wasn’t an option to him. His pack was his family, loyal to a fault, and he wasn’t about to let them all down. And he didn’t have an heir to take over leadership of the pack. He didn’t even have a mate. That had never bothered him before now, but questioning his instincts led to him questioning it all.

  The door to the pub opened while Cedric was questioning his very existence. He glanced over his shoulder, looking to see who had come in. He knew in that moment why his instincts had told him to come to Greer, why they had brought him here today, and why they had led him down the path of questioning his decision not to actively seek a mate.

  He turned a little more so he could get a proper look at the woman who had just stepped into the pub. She wasn’t just pretty; she was a vision. Just looking at her took Cedric’s breath away and made his cock twitch in his jeans. She looked like she was in her early twenties, with long, blonde hair that sat in wispy curls around her face, and she had the face of angel. She also had a little rosebud mouth and beautiful blue eyes. Cedric couldn’t help imagining that mouth on his.

  As he looked at her, she looked back at him, and something told him that she was also feeling this sensation that churned inside of him, the feeling that told him this woman was meant to be his mate. Her lips parted slightly as she looked at him, their eyes locked on each other. Her cheeks colored slightly as she gazed at him. Cedric smiled at her, his heart racing, and she smiled back, her eyes lighting up with her smile.