Romancing the Alpha Read online

  As soon as they found out that Alynna had the baby, her brother and great-aunt put together a food basket, filled with various homemade goodies like cookies, jars of their special sauce, freshly-made bread, fresh buffalo mozzarella, along with two casseroles they didn’t even serve at the restaurant. Enzo himself delivered the basket to the New York Lycan headquarters on the Upper West side.

  “I finished all of it,” she admitted without shame. “I’m hoping my appetite would slow down once I give birth, but now with breastfeeding and stuff, my body’s still trying to eat its weight in pizza.”

  Frankie laughed. “Thank god for that Lycan metabolism, huh?”

  “Yeah, well, at least there’s that,” she said. “So, how are things? I mean…with you and Grant?”

  “Grant?” she asked innocently, and she was glad Alynna wasn’t there to see her cheeks grow hot. “Uhm, I haven’t seen him since…the night you gave birth.”

  They had, however, been exchanging brief text messages. She blushed each time she thought of the messages from Grant. She would get them first thing in the morning, as soon as she got up.

  Good morning, sexy.

  I miss your scent.

  Thinking about you.

  He also apologized for not coming out to see her. With the birth of his heir apparent, and running the company and the clan, he just couldn’t get away. The stakes were too high and he was securing his territory, after all, making sure they were safe from the mages. But he promised he would come to Jersey as soon as he could manage. She shivered, not knowing what would happen when they did meet again.

  “Yeah, sorry about that,” Alynna said sheepishly. “And I know Grant hasn’t had time to come to Jersey, but let me make it up to you.”

  “How?” she asked, biting her lip.

  “Come to New York on Monday, I’m throwing a party at The Plaza. Muccino’s is closed on Mondays, right?”

  “A party?” she echoed. “What type of party?”

  “Just a little get together. It’s a celebration, and I’ll be bringing Mika. You can see her, but we’ll probably duck out early. Grant will be there too.”

  “I don’t know…” she hesitated. It was one thing to flirt over text message and another to see Grant face to face again. God, she didn’t know what got into her, inviting him to shift with her. She had never done that with anyone except her Nonna, Ma, and her brothers. It was too intimate, too familiar and her brain was telling her to pull away. But afterwards, as she lay on the grass in his arms, it felt so right and her she-wolf was pleased.

  “Please, Frankie?” she pleaded. “I can’t bring the baby into New Jersey, not until after her welcoming ceremony.” Frankie wouldn’t care about the rules of course, but bringing a Lycan pup outside his or her clan’s territory was risky if he or she had yet to be formally welcomed into the clan and introduced to the Lycan world.

  “Alright,” she relented. “Text me the details. I’ll be there.”

  ***

  Frankie sighed and looked at the two outfits on her bed. One was a drab gray pantsuit, all business-like but still appropriate for a dinner party in the city. The other was a red, off-the-shoulder gown that had a mermaid skirt and a small train. It was vintage Valentino, and was actually her mother’s dress, though she could only remember Adrianna wearing it once before. When she died, she couldn’t bear to wear it nor get rid of it, so she left it in the back of her walk-in closet instead.

  The gray pantsuit was like armor, something that was cool and standoffish and would never be mistaken as anything but an outfit. The red gown, on the other hand, was meant to tempt and tease and there weree consequences to wearing it, a bridge she couldn’t uncross.

  Grant was sexy, handsome, and set her blood on fire. She was an adult, a woman with desires and she longed for him as much as he did for her. God, she was a mess, her past finally catching up with her.

  She flopped down on the bed facedown, between the two outfits, and let out a frustrated cry into the comforter. Why was the decision so hard?

  Jacob. That’s why. He was the reason she never let anyone close. Townie bitch. The hurt threatened to spring up in her again, but years later, it was more of a dull ache. Still, some days, like today, she allowed herself to look back and play it all in her mind again.

  Jacob had been pursuing her all summer and she fell for him, hard. He was charming, funny, and so handsome and every girl in town was green with envy when they saw her in the passenger seat of his sports car, riding with the top down. She went to parties with him, met all his friends, the whole nine yards. After two weeks, she knew Jacob was planning something special and so she snuck out with him, after she went home from her shift at the restaurant.

  He took her to the shore, driving for a couple of hours until they got to the ocean. There, on a beach blanket he laid out on the sand and told her he loved her. Frankie gave him her virginity and she fell even deeper in love with him. She came home the next morning and her mother was screaming like a banshee, threatening to ground her, but she didn’t care. She and Jacob were in love.

  Of course, the calls and text messages became shorter and farther in between after that. And soon, they stopped altogether. It wasn’t until much later, when she saw Jacob riding in his sports car with another girl that she realized she had been played. Her Italian temper got the best of her, of course, and she confronted him while he was with his new girlfriend and his friends, walking along Main Street.

  She screamed at him, calling him a cheat and liar, but Jacob merely sneered at her and said, “You thought I was going to make a little townie like you my girlfriend? Don’t you know who I am? I’m going to be CEO of a major media company in ten years! You’re just a piece of ass I wanted to have some fun with - just be glad I even lowered my standards to be with you.”

  Tears stung her eyes and her inner wolf had screamed to be let out, to rip Jacob into little pieces. His new girlfriend and friends laughed at her, muttering “townie bitch” and “pathetic slut” as she walked away.

  She cried for days, and her mother and grandmother consoled her, but she saw the look in her mother’s eyes, one she’d seen before. It was the same sad look she got when Frankie or Dante would ask about their father or when she thought her daughter wasn’t looking and she stared at a blank wall or into the distance. Her mother also wore the same look for weeks after the divorce papers from her second husband arrived.

  Her mother was right. Men always leave, she had warned her. And after Jacob, she understood. That day, she decided that she’d never fall in love with a man, and put herself on birth control, just in case.

  With another frustrated groan, Frankie got up from the bed and grabbed the two outfits, holding them up next to her in front of the full-length mirror. She should really just say fuck ‘em all and stay home. Going to some fancy dinner party with snooty New York Lycans who could probably smell her working-class upbringing a mile away wasn’t her idea of fun. What would they have in common? She should just cancel. Yeah, that’s what she should do, just call Alynna and tell her she was sick or busy. Putting down the outfits, she reached for the phone on her dresser. There were already two messages waiting in her inbox.

  The first one was a picture from Alynna. It was baby Mika, dressed up in her first fancy dress, green and silver with ruffles, and the caption read “Hello Auntie Frankie!”

  The next was a simple text message from Grant. Can’t wait to see you tonight.

  “Unnghhhh!” she groaned again. She looked back at the two dresses. She would wear her armor, wear it proudly, but she would protect herself and her heart. Frankie would give in to her own desires, give in to Grant and offer her body, but nothing else.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Alynna,” Frankie whispered urgently as she sat next to the brunette. The younger woman was sitting on one of the couches just outside The Palm Court restaurant. “When you invited me to this get-together, you didn’t say Grant’s mother would be here.”

  Wh
en she arrived, Frankie parked her car in the garage of The Plaza Hotel (she didn’t dare drive her 10-year-old Honda to the valet station) and made her way to the restaurant.

  As soon as she entered, she saw Grant, looking devastatingly handsome in his tux, standing next to a beautiful older woman. As someone jostled her from behind, she overheard them talking about how good the Alpha’s mother looked, especially at her age. Frankie retreated, making her way back to the elevator, but had been spotted by Alynna before she could get away.

  “Hey Frankie! Glad you could make it!” Alynna smiled at her friend. She shoved a small bundle at her. “Look Mika! Auntie Frankie’s here!”

  Frankie’s frown disappeared as soon as she saw the beautiful little baby, who looked up at her with interested eyes. “Oh my god! She’s gorgeous!” She traced a finger down the chubby little cheek, and then leaned down for a quick kiss. Mika’s lips twitched into a smile. “Hey, no fair!” Frankie playfully slapped Alynna on the arm. “Stop using your adorable daughter to distract me. Now, why didn’t you tell me Grant’s mom was here?”

  “Well, it’s her birthday and her party, of course she’s here,” Alynna said in an innocent voice. When Frankie gave her a steely glare, she held up the baby in front of her like a shield.

  The other woman crossed her arms over her chest, unmoved. “And you left out that piece of information because…”

  “Well, if I told you who the party was for, would you have come?” the younger woman asked as she pulled Mika closer back to her chest.

  “Of course not!”

  “Then that’s why!”

  Frankie slapped her forehead. “Madre de dio, I’m not ready for this…”

  “Callista is a lovely lady,” Alynna declared. “You have nothing to worry about.”

  “I didn’t even bring a present,” Frankie shook her head. “This was a mistake. I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but I’m going home.”

  “No, don’t!” Alynna pleaded. “You can’t!”

  “And why not? You tricked me into coming here!” Frankie stood up and spun around, but was nearly toppled over when she hit a brick wall. At least she thought it was a brick wall, but it was actually a solid chest. “Ommphh!” Strong arms caught her before she hit the floor.

  “Frankie…” Grant’s voice was a low rumble, sending heat through her body. He pulled her close and brushed his lips over her hair. “You look…”

  “Amazing? Stunning? Spectacular?” Alynna quipped as she looked up at them. “Woohoo, girl, you’re on fire!” The younger woman, who had put down her baby in the carrier next to her, fanned herself with her hand.

  “She’s definitely all those things…and more,” Grant’s eyes roamed over her body and she felt her cheeks grow hot.

  “Grant?” a voice from behind them said.

  “Mother,” Grant nodded at the older lady. He let go of Frankie, but pulled her to his side. “May I present Ms. Francesca Muccino. Alpha of the New Jersey clan. Frankie, this is my mother, Callista Mayfair.”

  “H-how do you do, Ma’am?” Frankie stammered and looked at the floor. “Thank you for, er, having me here. Happy Birthday.”

  “Lupa, please,” the older woman, dressed in a gorgeous floor-length silver dress, gave her a slight bow. “You honor me with your presence here. And call me Callista,” she leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Oh my, is that vintage Valentino?”

  She nodded, her hands smoothing down the silky red fabric of her gown.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Callista’s gaze flew from Frankie to Grant, her eyes sparkling.

  “Thank you, Callista,” she said. “It was my mother’s. She had great taste in clothes.”

  Callista’s brows knitted. “A..Ana? Adrianna! That’s your mother, right? I remember meeting her once or twice, when Michael was still alive. She always wore the most elegant gowns. And her eyes, just like yours!” Her beautiful face fell. “Oh my, since you’re Alpha now…I’m sorry, my dear. How long ago…?”

  “I’m afraid she passed on two years ago,” Frankie relayed.

  The older woman took her hand. “I’m so sorry, Lupa. She is…was a beautiful woman and wonderful person, from what I remember.”

  “Thank you,” Frankie gave her a sad smile. “She was. And please, call me Frankie.”

  “Well now,” Callista looked towards the restaurant. “I think we should start dinner soon.” She looked at Alynna and to the carrier. “How’s my granddaughter? All settled?”

  Alynna nodded. “Yes, she’s good. She’s down for a nap, but she’ll probably be up in another hour. I’m gonna put her up in our room. The night nanny should be there already. But she’ll call me if Mika wakes up and needs a feeding.” She gave Frankie’s hand a squeeze. “I’ll join you in a bit.”

  Frankie looked lost, trapped between Grant and his mother. “Er…where do I sit? For dinner?” she asked Alynna.

  “You’ll sit with us, of course,” Callista declared. “I won’t have it any other way.”

  “Is that ok?” She knew dinner parties had seating arrangements, and did want not to mess up anyone’s work.

  “It’s my birthday and everyone has to follow what I want, right, Grant?”

  Grant smiled. “Of course, mother. I’m sure we can find a seat for Frankie.”

  “Excellent,” Callista linked her arms with Frankie. “Shall we?”

  ***

  “How is your wine, dear?” Callista asked, leaning over towards Frankie.

  “It’s great,” Frankie took a delicate sip. “Full-bodied, not too bitter. I think it pairs well with the main course.”

  “I didn’t realize you knew so much about wines,” the older woman remarked.

  “Frankie owns a restaurant,” Grant supplied. “They have a great cellar.”

  “My family owns it,” she clarified. “I mean, my grandmother and grandfather started it after she moved here from Italy. But my brothers and I run it now.”

  Frankie looked around the room, smiling despite of herself. There was a bit of a kerfuffle with the seating arrangements in the beginning, as the event coordinator had already put the seating arrangements together, seeing at the New York clan booked the entire restaurant for them and their 100 guests. Originally, Callista was going to be seated with her husband Jean-Luc, Grant, Nick, Cady, Alex, Alynna, as well as Grayson Charles, his wife Caroline, and Vanessa Bennet. Frankie, on the other hand, had a seat in one of the tables in the back. Of course, Callista wanted Frankie to sit with them, but the coordinator was insistent they keep the place settings. There was a heated argument, but in the end, Callista won, making all the other people in their table scoot over to make way for Frankie. She was now squished between Grant and Nick, and though it was a little hard to maneuver her elbows, she didn’t quite mind. Grant was attentive, asking her if everything was ok, his eyes fixed on her. If he wasn’t talking to her, he was always touching her, brushing his hand on her arm, shoulder, or threading his fingers through hers under the table, which made her blush. Nick, his Beta, was also polite and asked her intelligent questions, though she mostly enjoyed talking to his gorgeous wife, Cady.

  Frankie felt a burning shame. She thought all of the New York shifters were snooty and haughty, but they were warm and kind to her. If anything, she was the one who was prejudiced, judging them all without getting to know them. Of course, she could have done without Vanessa Bennet’s dagger-eyes on her all night from across the table, but nothing could ruin her good mood.

  “What type of food do you serve?” Vanessa asked, her voice grating Frankie’s ears.

  Speaking of the she-devil. “Italian, home-style,” Frankie said proudly.

  “Oh how…quaint,” the other Lycan said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Do you have that kitschy stuff on the walls too? And red and white checkered tablecloths?”

  “Of course,” Frankie said proudly, refusing to back down. No one would make her ashamed of her background. “It’s the same as it’s been for three generations.”<
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  “Sounds like those touristy restaurants in Rome,” Vanessa sneered. “When I went to Italy, we only ate at Michelin-starred restaurants. Mother wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “My cousin tends to be a food snob,” Grayson Charles explained, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m sure your restaurant has fine food, Lupa.”

  “It’s the best,” Grant proclaimed. “The food is delicious.”

  “You’ve been there, Grant?” his mother asked.

  “Of course, I’ve been a couples of time.”

  Callista said nothing, but she raised a delicate brow at him, sipped her wine and then looked at Frankie. “Really? That’s interesting.”

  “He went four nights in a row,” Frankie declared. She cheered silently when she saw Vanessa’s face turn sour, the vein in her neck threatening to pop.

  “It must really be delicious, then,” Callista declared. “We must try it some time, Jean-Luc,” she said to her husband.

  “Of course, ma-cher,” the older Lycan man replied, smiling at his wife.

  “Please, come anytime,” Frankie said. “You’re most welcome.”

  “Excuse me,” Vanessa Bennet whipped her napkin off her lap and stood up, her chair scraping against the floor loudly. Grayson and his wife looked embarrassed at their companion’s behavior, but no one made a comment on Ms. Bennet’s departure.

  “You look beautiful tonight,” Grant whispered as he bent his head down to Frankie’s ear, his lips barely brushing her lobe. “Have I told you that?”

  “Only about a dozen times,” she said wryly. “Are you fishing for a compliment?”

  “Well, I did dress up tonight,” he said, his eyes sparkling in amusement.

  “Uhmmm….well, Grant Anderson…you…you clean up nice,” she declared, pursing her lips as she tried not to laugh.

  “I’m hurt,” he said in a joking tone. “I went through all this effort, primping and fixing myself up and that’s all I get? That’s not fair.”