Fated: An Alpha Male Romance (24 page)

He leaned down and gave his grandfather a hard squeeze before taking the bag. Then he did the same thing to the woman.

“By the way, Mom,” he looked at me, “
this
is Alexandra.”

I got that same feeling again: the one that I had at the assisted living facility when Maureen revealed that Ethan had been talking about me to her.

“So lovely to meet you,” his mother said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. “I can’t wait to get to know you. The two of you.”

From the way that they looked at each other, I could tell that the demons Ethan had been wrestling had all been defeated. Then, it hit me that I was getting married to the love of my life. Or, as Grandma Evelyn put it, my true match. All because of some sangria-like concoction.

I glanced over at her and she nodded as though she could hear my thoughts. Then, I smiled.

Red velvet punch.

Who knew?

-----

Ethan

Have you ever been in a situation that you never thought you would ever found yourself in, but it eventually turned out to be something you couldn’t ever see yourself living without? I was looking into sparkling brown eyes, holding nervous hands that fit exceptionally well with my own, listening to a voice that rang against my eardrums like music, and declaring my promise to love in sickness and in health. I was surrounded by some of the best friends a person could ever ask for and a family that, to me, was as complete as I needed. I gave Alexandra a look that said, “See? Nothing fell apart,” and she smiled, shrugged, and smiled again.

Her mother had given me a hug that felt genuine, and Gia had wrapped me up while a loud, “Finally,” rushed from her lips. Even General Miller’s scowl had faded some and he seemed to give me a nod of approval, which meant that he might actually come around one day. But, even if he didn’t…

…ask me if I cared.

Evelyn

So, now you know that my meddling eventually did pay off. My granddaughters will not have to end up tangled in an existence doomed to misery. They will now have the opportunity to know the true happiness that I had with Ellis, and a love as perpetual as the sun’s energy.

However, I just noticed that Ethan’s friend Kellen is a handsome one. He has strong Spanish features with a head full of thick, dark hair and beautiful hazel eyes. He also has some of the most beautiful lips that I’ve ever seen on a man. I noticed him checking his phone and nervously tapping his foot during the ceremony. Every time his phone lit up, his temperature would spike, which told me everything that I needed to know.

At the start of the reception, he disappeared. When he returned, it was with a young lady on his arm. I could feel her apprehension not only at being introduced to the bride and groom, but being in a room filled with so many people.

Her standing next to Kellen created an invisible conflagration. This was a woman that I could sense had been broken nearly to the point of giving up on life, but it was also a woman who desperately wanted to make Kellen the happiest man in the world. She was just dealing with a wall of pain that not even Reagan could have demanded to be torn down.

Now, I know that you all sat here and listened to me tell Alexandra there was nothing mythical about Red Velvet Punch. That wasn’t entirely true. I didn’t
completely
lie as it wasn’t the punch that kept Ethan and Alexandra together. It’s what brought them together. Its potency is contingent upon a true match, which is something that only a sensitive can sniff out.

But, as I’m getting older, I’ll need someone else to carry the torch. You never know…
you
might be a sensitive. When was the last time you had an “unusual feeling” that something was happening in someone’s life when that person hadn’t even remotely mentioned it? Or maybe you had a “weird feeling” that someone was pregnant and then a few months later, they started sporting a belly?

I rest my case.

“Kellen, right?” I asked, walking up to the ball of fire disguised as Kellen and his lady friend. “I’m Evelyn.”

“Oh, hi.” He gave me a hug. “Alexandra’s grandmother, right?”

“Yes.” I turned to his companion. “You’re quite beautiful.”

As expected, she lowered her eyes in embarrassment. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Kellen was preparing for introductions when I cut him off by extending two glasses filled with a red liquid that looked “a lot like sangria.” These two didn’t need an entire pitcher, but I did take the opportunity to book them a suite upstairs. I arranged for a full pitcher to be chilled in the room they would be heading to in the next half hour. I’d also taken the liberty to leave the room keys right next to Kellen’s place card, giving him just enough time to see them when dinner was being served. These two wouldn’t be staying for dinner though.

“From the bride and groom,” I said, watching intently as they both drained their glasses.

“Wow,” Kellen said, staring at his flute.

“That’s delicious,” chimed his companion.

I grinned, turned away, and spotted Ethan’s other friend, Tayler, swaying by herself across the room.

She would be next.

The room clapped and I joined them as Alexandra and Ethan made their entrance.

THE END

Make sure to 1-CLICK my other Alpha Male, BWWM reads:

The Game of Love

The Game of Love 2

A Very Special Christmas

About the Author:
Alex is a Caribbean-born romantic introvert. When she's not writing, she's reading and eating. Sometimes eating and reading. She enjoys writing sultry romantic fiction with HEA endings, watching NFL and NCAA football, reading the work of independent authors, and going to the puppy store when writer's block stars to set in. Currently she is a graduate student at the University of South Florida and a Florida State University alumnus. Eventually, she'll be able to end this bio with: She lives in {insert city here} with her hubby, two human children, and third furry child.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know a little about Alex! She loves to communicate with readers and writers so stop on by at kalexwalker.com, email at [email protected] -or- hit her up at twitter.com/kalexwalker.

Don’t miss an Interracial Romance from K. Alex Walker and Jessica Watkins Presents. Text the keyword “femistry” to 25827 to get excerpts and links sent to your phone on release day.

Jessica Watkins Presents is currently accepting submissions for the following genres: African American Romance, Urban Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and BWWM/Interracial Romance. If you are interested in becoming an author and have a complete manuscript, send a synopsis and the first three chapters to [email protected].