Untamed: An Alpha's Promise (Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance) (2 page)

CHAPTER THREE

It had been one month, two weeks, and six days since she had seen her best friend. The steepest cost of Charmaine’s relationship with Parker was the wedge it drove between her and Scottie. She hadn’t gone a day without Scottie since before kindergarten and now she was starting to forget the sound of his voice, the exact amber color of his eyes, and the timbre of his laughter. She never imagined that her accidental meeting with her Mate--which had been Scottie’s fault, technically--would have been the beginning of the end of their lifelong closeness.

When Scottie finally swung open the door of Mr. Chang’s, it was all she could do not to fling herself into his strong arms, but after the last few awkward interactions they’d had she knew that was a terrible idea. Instead she put on her brightest smile and greeted him warmly when he arrived at the table, giving him a quick squeeze before they both settled into the booth.

“Are you working out or something?” she asked when his vise-like grip nearly knocked the wind out of her. “You’re huge!”

He flushed with obvious pride as she appraised his new physique. “Yeah, I’ve been spending a lot of time at the gym, just lifting.” He grinned and shrugged. “I mean, I’ve got nothing now but time.”

She winced and he caught the pained expression as it flickered across her face. “Oh, shit, Char. That wasn’t a dig. I’m sorry.” His skin turned crimson and he rubbed his hand over his close-cropped ginger hair.

“It’s okay.” She forced herself to shrug it off.
He’s got every right to be hurt. I did reject his marriage proposal and all but end our nineteen-year friendship.
He kept his gaze carefully averted, looking at the menu, his phone, the waitress--anywhere but into her eyes--as they struggled to make small talk until their food came. Under the table, his knee jiggled nonstop, a nervous habit from as far back as she could remember. In the old days she would’ve kicked him and told him to snap out of it, but not now. Not when she was the one to blame for his unease.

Once the waiter delivered the steaming dishes to their table, though, the small talk fell away as they mocked each other for always ordering the same food.

“And here I thought you were a whole new woman, but you’re getting the exact same Mongolian beef you always get. I’m pretty sure you haven’t ordered anything different since that week in tenth grade when you thought you were a vegetarian.” The teasing grin on Scottie’s face was almost normal.

“I like what I like,” she retorted with a shrug, tossing her dark curls. “Change things up if you like, but you’re going to have to fit in a lot of additional reps for those fried dumplings, my friend.”

He rolled his eyes and purposely shoved an extra dumpling in his mouth. “Hey, remember that time we came here and I did my impersonation of Christopher?” he asked, a gleam in his eye. “I made you laugh so hard tea came out of your nose.” She giggled uncontrollably as he adopted her oldest brother’s trademark sneer and mimicked his imperious voice as he told her to pass the soy sauce. For a few wonderful moments it was as if nothing had ever gone wrong between them.

“Mmm. Forgot to tell you the biggest news of all.” He swallowed his bite of food and then set his chopsticks down. “Guess who starts their new, full-time job on Monday?”

“Scottie, that’s awesome! So you ditched the other gig, huh?”

He shrugged. “It was only twenty-five hours a week. Made sense when I was in school, but I need to focus, you know? Start doing something real with my life.”

She smiled. “I’m so proud of you. Baby steps, right? So what’s this new job?”

He rubbed his head nervously. “That’s the big news. I— uh— I start at Vella on Monday.”

Charmaine almost couldn’t breathe. “Oh?” She forced herself to keep a neutral face and drew her hands to her lap so he wouldn’t see them trembling. “Doing what?”

“I’m training for my mother’s job,” he admitted sheepishly. “She wants to retire, and I’m going to finally put my accounting degree to work. It was your dad’s idea, actually. Apparently he and Christopher discussed it with my mom, and they approached me about it last week.” He paused and shrugged. “I’m your new accountant.”

The big announcement
. This was more of her family’s scheming, no doubt. If she had to guess, it wasn’t her father or Christopher who came up with this plan. There were two women behind all this, and one of them was her own mother.
Damn her and her ridiculous matchmaking!

“That’s fantastic news, Scottie.” Her voice was controlled, but she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. What would it be like to come into the office every single day and see him after what had happened between the two of them? How could she ever forget his awkward proposal or the shock of seeing him on bended knee, saying things that would forever change the landscape of their relationship?

I want to be the kind of man you deserve.

I think we can be really, really happy together.

Charmaine Vella, will you—

“So, Monday! Wow!” Her best cheery smile plastered on her face, she congratulated him again and babbled on about how it would be like high school when he used to hang out there after school.

He listened patiently before he replied, “Except that both of us will actually be working this time. I’m serious, Char. I need to get my shit together. No more partying and living like a teenager. Time to grow up.”

Just like he’d said when he proposed. He’s actually sticking with something.

“No more chasing women?” she fished, trying to sound casual and saying it all wrong, and instantly the wall came down. He wouldn’t look at her. She recognized that stubborn face he was making, but she couldn’t let it go, challenging him with her eyes as the words tumbled out. “That would certainly be a change.”

Scottie rubbed the back of his head for a few seconds, silent, but the redness of his cheeks gave him away. “I’m over that, too,” he said evenly. “It was all just a distraction, anyway, because the woman I really want is…” He trailed off and he looked everywhere but into her eyes. “Unavailable.”

“But not totally unavailable. Not unavailable as a friend.”

Stony silence.

Before she could stop herself, Charmaine blurted, “I miss you, Scottie.”

For a moment he didn’t speak. The little muscle in his jaw twitched furiously as he took a long swill of his tea. When he put his drink down she closed her hand around his only to have him jerk it away.

“I can’t, Char.” He wouldn’t look at her.

“Scottie,
please
.” He remained mute, shredding the hell out of the paper napkin in front of him.

“I never meant to hurt you,” she vowed. “You must know that. I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose for anything.”

More silence. More shredding.

“Scottie, you’re my best friend in this entire world. Please believe me.” Her voice broke on the last word and his eyes flickered to her face for just a second before he looked down again at the nest of shredded paper.

Finally he nodded. “I actually believe that. But the thing is, Char, I
am
hurt. And I can’t stop being hurt. I can’t stop missing you, and I can’t stop being in love with you, and I can’t stop wishing you were in love with me instead of with him.” He looked at her then, his gold eyes darkened with pain. “It was okay to love you in silence when I could spend every day with you. It didn’t feel like I was losing anything then. But this? This feels like I’ve lost
everything
.”

Her heart ached and she took his hand again, not letting him resist this time when he tried to pull it away from her. “Be my friend, then,” she urged. “I’m not lost. I’m right here. We’re not Mates, and I’m sorry that hurts you so much. But you’re my oldest friend, Scottie. And I don’t want to lose that. There’s a space for you in my heart that no one can fill, not even Parker.”

“Yeah?” His eyes softened a bit. “What does Parker think about all this?”

“He knows how important you are to me. He’s fine with me spending time with you.”
Just a little lie, not a big lie, and I’ll work on Parker
.

He finally stopped resisting and let her wrap her fingers around his larger, freckled hand. “We’re going to be working together, Scottie. We’re going to see each other every day. This can either be really awkward or it can be really fun, so let’s make it fun. Be my friend,” Charmaine urged, looking at him with pleading blue eyes.

He gave her a crooked smile and nodded again. “Okay,” he agreed. "Friends."

“Friends.” Her whole body relaxed and she clung to his hand, unwilling to release him from her grasp. He glanced pointedly at her clutching fingers but she only squeezed tighter. “Don’t make me let go,” she whispered.

“Oh, Char,” he murmured. “If I had my way you’d never let go.”

Now it was her turn to look away and pull her hands from his. He caught her wrists before she had them halfway across the table.

“I’m sorry.” His face and voice were contrite, but he was still holding her hands fast as if he never intended to let them go again. “I promise, I’ll behave. But just know that wherever you go, whoever you’re with, I’m the one who loved you first.” 

CHAPTER FOUR

A familiar pang twisted Charmaine’s insides as she punched in the security code for the compound main gate and turned her Jeep up the gravel driveway toward her parents’ house. It felt strange, almost as if she were at her childhood home as a guest. She passed the little cottage she’d moved into when she was eighteen and spent the past couple of years making her own. The windows gaped at her and she felt guilty for not even checking on her plants. Though she hadn’t officially moved in with Parker she’d been back only a handful of times, and only to grab more clothes.

Her mother hadn’t said much when she’d called that afternoon, just that she needed to be there, and Charmaine’s stomach sank as she saw all the cars in the driveway. Clearly this went beyond the family unit to official pack business, because all the important members were there. Her first instinct was panic - had they somehow found out about Parker? Was this going to be some sort of trial?  Then she realized it probably had something to do with her father’s conveyance of his role as Alpha. Scottie’s father, Kevin, had led the Vella pack with César for two decades, the two men as close as brothers. Her father must have decided it was time, then. She relaxed in her seat as she parked the Jeep and went inside. Nothing to worry about.

She was a bit surprised that Scottie hadn’t come, but thought that perhaps he hadn’t wanted to see her again so soon. Maybe he needed some space. After all, Kevin’s ascent had been planned for years. This was more a formality than anything, and Scottie had never been interested in pack politics. She wove through the crowd of men gathered in the great room and found her way to her mother’s side. Crystal’s cheeks glowed pink and her blue eyes sparkled as she greeted her only daughter with a cry of joy and a kiss on the cheek.

“Have you been drinking?” Charmaine teased. Her mother was downright giddy.

“Of course not! This is just very exciting.”

Her mother’s comment was puzzling, since just last week she’d complained that the changes were making her nervous and that if it wasn’t for César’s health she’d have him run the pack forever just so things would stay as they were. Why the change of heart, then? She was way too animated considering the circumstances.

She followed her mother’s gaze to her oldest brother, who straightened his tie and smiled confidently. She watched as Christopher whispered in César’s ear and heard her mother exclaim, “He’s ready, don’t you think? He’ll be just like his father.” But it still took a minute to catch on to what was happening.

How could I have been so blind?

Charmaine’s veins filled with ice as she realized it wasn’t Kevin who was to become Alpha, it was Christopher. She didn’t know how or when that had been decided, but there was no mistaking her father’s intent as César slung his arm around his oldest son’s shoulders, beaming at him, as he made the announcement that Christopher Vella was the pack’s new Alpha and the CEO of Gillis-Vella, Inc. As she looked on, stunned, Kevin gave a brief speech to the other men about how honored he was to support Christopher after César’s retirement; how he was an old man who wanted to retire soon himself but would be happy to help Christopher in his first year as was the custom; how Christopher would bring new leadership and with it a new future for their pack.

As the crowd broke into applause, Charmaine heard a familiar voice over her shoulder. “Did I miss the big announcement? Sorry, I thought I had more time.”

She turned to find Scottie at her side, dressed in a crisp shirt and pants that showed off his toned physique. He was even wearing a tie, which he hadn’t done since their high school graduation two years earlier.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Charmaine grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

He relaxed into her embrace and murmured huskily against her ear, “And ruin your surprise? Nah.”

She pulled back with a quizzical look and her father spoke again, interrupting them. “We do have one more piece of business.” César’s voice boomed out amidst the murmur of voices. “My son Christopher isn’t the only one with something to celebrate this evening.” Charmaine was shocked when all eyes followed her father’s proud gaze expectantly to her.

“My lovely daughter Charmaine is here tonight, and she doesn’t know this yet, but she is also moving up in our company. I’m sure almost all of you have seen her working at the business since she was a little girl. Next to me, she’s the family’s senior employee.” There was polite laughter from the group before he continued. “She’s done a phenomenal job, especially over the past two years, and I have every confidence she will continue to rise and make us proud.”

Charmaine was rooted to the floor, stunned. Her mother’s perfume wafted around her as Crystal squeezed her arm. “I’m so proud of you, Sweetie!” she whispered as César went on about responsibility and family pride and Charmaine’s dedication to the company.

“She’s a little upset with me because I’ve been overprotective where pack business is concerned.” Here he shrugged and threw up his hands. “What can I say? She’s worth more to us behind a desk, using her brain, than she ever would be as a scout or a warrior.” Here some of the older pack members chuckled and nodded. “My hope is that she’ll settle down soon, be mated, and have some babies.” He grinned and added, “Lots of babies! But in the meantime, because she is proof that hard work pays off, I’m appointing my daughter Sales Manager of Gillis-Vella, Inc.”

For a moment Charmaine just clung to Scottie, overwhelmed by the news. It felt so natural to have him there by her side that she forgot she was supposed to be keeping her boundaries firmly drawn. She barely even noticed when his arms slipped around her, holding her tightly against him. It was a big moment, and Scottie had been there for all her big moments. It felt right.

“Scottie, can you believe it?” She turned to him and her eyes filled with tears as it started to sink in. “I thought he didn’t notice. I thought he didn’t appreciate me.”

“Ah, Char, there’s no way he couldn’t notice. He’s really proud of you. You can’t blame him for wanting you to be his little princess forever. You’re safe this way, and we all need you to be safe.” He choked a bit on the last few words, and when she pulled back to look at him, his eyes were soft and tender.

“Hey… I
am
safe,” she insisted. “Don’t worry, Scottie. I’m perfectly safe.”

But there were shadows in his eyes, and she knew why. As long as she was with Parker, Scottie would never be at ease. He would always worry because she was in enemy hands. He smiled a tight smile, and she was suddenly grateful for the people crowding around them, waiting to congratulate her.

“I should…” She motioned to the others.

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Go mingle.”

She ignored the pointed glances of their mothers. Crystal and Shannon, Scottie’s mother, clutched together in the doorway, giddy about the embrace they’d just witnessed. Neither of them made a secret about the fact that they wanted Scottie and Charmaine together, and like a couple of old matchmakers they’d tried to pair them up all their lives. But no matter how much their mothers wanted it - no matter how much Scottie wanted it, for that matter--it could never happen. She’d found her Mate, and she would obey her heart and the laws of nature even if the laws of society saw things differently.

As she made her way through the crowd, chatting briefly with all the pack members who had come to the celebration, her eyes were drawn again to Christopher. Her brother stood tall and confident among the older men, his glass raised and his chest puffed out while their father beamed beside him. She watched him revel in the attention of the other pack members, every inch the golden boy, but his vicious words still rang in her ears.
You’ve decided to whore yourself to the enemy… This pack doesn’t need you…

Everyone she knew had come to congratulate her, but her brother hadn’t even glanced her way. With a sinking feeling she realized that this new change of leadership wasn’t going to be the blessing everyone thought it would be. Not for the Vella pack. And definitely not for her.