Bridenapped The Alpha's Choice (3 page)

“You wouldn’t fire your own sister!” Angela said indignantly.

“Watch me,” Hilda said, and turned on her heel and walked away.

“Magister Pack Athletes Rocked By Cheating Rumors!” The headline splashed out across the front page, blaring at Earvin, sending fury coursing through his veins.

Someone, some sniveling traitor who was going to die slowly when he found them, had sent an anonymous email to every major newspaper and news blog and TV station in the nation. Someone who was jealous of their success at the pack games for the past four years. It had accused the pack of cheating, claiming that their sudden run of success at the games was impossible and demanding an immediate investigation.

Ignatius, the Chairman of the Magister Pack Council, hurried into Earvin’s office. Earvin threw the newspaper at him and Ignatius started, let out a small growl, then quickly bent his head in submission. Of the two wolves, Earvin was the dominant one.

“Who would do this?” Earvin shouted.

“Sir, we’re on it! I have the Enforcers investigating. They’re combing through all the pack’s computer records to trace the source, in case it came from here.”

Earvin began pacing behind his desk. “But that will only help us if it was someone from our pack, and if they used an official pack computer to send those emails. If they were from another pack, or if they used a personal computer or a cell phone, we won’t be able to track it.”

This was the last thing he needed. All his plans were falling into place. His nephew would marry that spoiled, whiny little bitch of an heiress and the pack would be raking in the money that their business partnership would bring. He needed it. His suppliers in Eastern Europe were getting greedy, talking about raising their prices, and it was getting harder and harder for him to divert pack money to where it needed to go. The Van Hoffington department store partnership would give him the fresh infusion of cash that he needed.

And once he had the Alpha Congress where he needed them, he’d get rid of Jarrod. God knew what he’d do with Regina. Maybe marry the stupid bitch; all she cared about was being married to an Alpha, so she shouldn’t object too much. He’d make sure she didn’t.

“Sir, we’ll find out who did this. And the athletes aren’t cheating; we’d stand up to any investigation.” Ignatius didn’t look as confident as Earvin would have hoped.

“Deal with it, or it’ll be your head on the chopping block,” Earvin growled at him. “You know what’s at stake.”

“Yes, sir.” He bobbed his head frantically and backed out of the room, keeping his gaze respectfully lowered as he did.

* * * * *

Mary stopped pacing and tried to refrain from looking at the sunburst-shaped clock up on the wall as Angela walked in with a sour expression on her face, slammed the door, and threw her purse onto the table.

“Oh, go ahead and look,” Angela said wearily. “It’s 2 a.m. Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you up.”

“It’s not like I was sleeping anyway,” Mary said, stifling a yawn. “My mind can’t stop racing. I have thirty-two things I need to do tomorrow.”

“Literally? Wow, you are stressed out. The more stressed you are, the longer your lists get. What’s wrong?”

Was that true? Mary should look into that tomorrow. No, that would just add another item to her list. She sank down on the couch and scrubbed wearily at her eyes with the palms of her hands.

“The last couple of days have not been going well. Jarrod stood Regina up again – well, technically he never agreed to meet her, but his uncle promised he’d send Jarrod to this coffee shop where Regina was hanging out and he never showed. Her family is threatening to fire Hilda, and Hilda, needless to say, is not taking it well.”

“What you mean is she’s taking it out on you.” Angela shook her head sympathetically. “Why don’t you get another job?”

“There aren’t many jobs out there for an English lit major. Trust me, I’ve looked. There’s a hiring freeze on teachers, and I fail at waitressing because of the whole butterfingers thing.” Mary sighed. “And also, I’m trying to help her out. She can’t really afford a good executive secretary, because this is a new business for her, and I kind of owe her for all she did for me after Mom died.”

Angela shook her head. “Yeah, she’s going to beat you to death with that one forever.”

Angela got up and walked over to the mantel, where Mary had neatly lined up pictures. She only had one picture with her mother and Hilda and her all together. Her mother was hungover, Hilda looked like she’d just sucked a lemon, and Mary was forcing a smile and trying to hold everything together, as usual. Good times.

Mary looked just like her mother in that picture. Hilda never failed to hold that resemblance over her head, which made Mary queasy. She did everything she could to be the opposite of their mother; she was compulsively neat, tidy and punctual. But for Hilda, it was still never good enough.

“What was she like?” Angela asked, peering at the picture.

“She was…a free spirit.”
She was an alcoholic who would rather party and run off with strange men for weeks on end than take care of her own daughters.
Hilda and Mary had both grown up overcompensating for their upbringing, or lack thereof.

“How did your evening go?” Mary asked, desperate to change the subject.

Angela made a sour face. “I went out for drinks with that photographer and he flirted with another girl and then left with her. Why do I always pick out total douchebags?” She flopped down on the couch next to Mary.

“You could let me help pick out your dates,” Mary suggested.

Angela looked appalled. “You’d pick a guy with a suit and tie. You’d fix me up with an accountant.”

“Not necessarily,” Mary said. She immediately abandoned her plan to fix Angela up with Marvin, her accountant. He was twenty-two – six years younger than Mary, but he was the right age for Angela. He would be a total catch for somebody. Reliable, punctual to a fault, looking to settle down and have a huge family as soon as possible… On second thought, she wouldn’t want to inflict Angela on Marvin. It would be a disaster.

“Why do you think Hilda even wants you on this bridenapping?” Angela mused. “I mean, she may be a total bitch, but she’s not stupid. She must know Jarrod likes you.”

“Nah, that was eons ago, and he only liked me for a while. Then he got bored.”

“Right,” Angela said, raking Mary with a knowing look. “I can tell how bored he is by the saliva that runs out of his mouth every time he looks at you.”

“It does?” Mary asked, staring at Angela.

“Metaphorically. When he looks at you, he radiates waves of lust that are practically visible to the naked eye.”

Mary shook her head. “Angela, you really need to cut back on whatever pharmaceuticals you’ve been sampling. Anyway, I have to be up in four hours. I’d better toddle off to bed. Tomorrow Jarrod is scheduled to accidentally run into Regina when she’s lingerie shopping. That’s going to be a great photo op.”

But of course he didn’t show.

It was a typical night at The Boar’s Tusk, the tavern located at the edge of town nearest to the Magister Pack’s lands. There was country music on the jukebox, and werewolves mingling freely with humans, flirting and laughing. The Devil sat at the bar, downing a frosty mug of beer.

Women were eyeing him appreciatively. The bartender looked as if she were about to drool down the front of his shirt as she leaned over and attempted to flash her cleavage at him while she asked him something. He gave her a short, sharp shake of his head and turned away from her, resuming his conversation with Craig, his best friend and Beta.

Mary stomped across the room and slapped her hand down on the bar to get his attention, glaring.

“You!”

“Me?” Jarrod swung around and grinned at her, setting down the mug.

“We need to talk.”

He leaned against the bar, raising his voice to be heard over the jukebox. “Any time.”

“Outside, please?” she yelled back. “I can’t hear a thing in here.”

He nodded at Craig, set his beer down on the bar, and followed her out. Mary could feel the envious gazes of women burning into her like lasers as they headed out the door.

Nothing to see here, folks,
she thought grimly.

The night air was humid, and crickets chirped a creaky chorus in the trees nearby. An ivory sliver of new moon hung behind wisps of ghostly cloud. Jarrod looked appallingly cheerful, and she was torn between wanting to smack him and wanting to sink into his arms and press against his broad, muscular chest.

“It’s great to see you. I’ve never seen you in here before,” he observed.

So he’s noticed?
she thought, with a trace of wistfulness.

“I called up the pack secretary to see where you’d be,” she said, trying for a casual shrug.

“I’m flattered.” He flashed that winning smile at her. She’d been prepared for it – he’d been beaming that charm-ray at her ever since she’d moved back to town three months ago, and she’d known it was coming. And she still felt her knees go weak.

“Don’t be,” she said sternly. “I had no choice. You’re on the verge of getting me fired.”

“I am?” He seemed genuinely surprised at that.

“Of course you are. This bridenapping has been pre-arranged. Your uncle agreed that you would marry Regina. Regina’s even agreed that it will be a marriage of convenience. You guys can both have whatever arrangement you want on the side.”

“Generous of her.” Amusement twinkled in his whiskey-colored eyes. He leaned forward and sniffed. “You smell delightful. Is that bergamot?”

“What?” She flushed, momentarily thrown off. How had he suddenly moved so close to her? She could feel his body heat, smell his earthy, masculine scent.

She glanced nervously at her watch. It wasn’t moonrise, was it? No, she had a few hours. Mature male Alphas gave off a special pheromone around moonrise, which lasted about an hour and made them irresistible to any female within scenting distance. Or so she’d heard.

She shook her head angrily. “Anyway. Regina’s all about appearances, and you’re making her look bad.”

“Am I really, now? I think she does a pretty good job of that all by herself.”

Mary was surprised. Regina was stunningly beautiful – on the outside, anyway. She was also spoiled and bitchy and prone to wild mood swings, but she didn’t think Jarrod would care about that. Regina was exactly the type he’d gone for in high school.

And marrying her made perfect business sense. Her family owned a chain of department stores. His pack made furniture. It was a great match.

“Tell me,” he said, folding his arms against his broad chest and surveying her with an idle glance that made her whole body heat up, “What kind of mother do you think she’d be?”

“Regina? Mother?” she squeaked, trying to stall. Regina was incredibly self-centered; she couldn’t imagine her paying attention to babies. Or cubs.

“Exactly.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Mary protested.

“You didn’t have to.”

“Look. You can hire nannies. You can’t back out on this deal. Your uncle agreed.”

“Oh, my uncle agreed, did he?” He was still looking at her in that way. It was almost physical, as if his hands were roving over her body
. Skin tingling under his touch…his lips brushing her neck…his groan of pleasure in her ear…

“Stop that!” She took a step back.

“Stop what?” He was all polite, wounded innocence.

“Stop looking at me as if you like me!” she spluttered.

“I do like you. Always have.”

“Yes, you made that quite clear.” That came out more bitter than she would have expected.

His smile faded and he nodded solemnly. “I know,” he said. “I was… Things were different. I was different. I’m not the wolf I was back then. I just want you to give me another chance.”

Another chance to rip her beating heart out of her chest? Sounded like fun. Given his recent history of dating and dashing, it didn’t seem as if he’d changed at all.

She forged ahead. “That ship has sailed. I need this job, and if you keep flirting with me, I’ll get fired. If you care anything at all about me, you will stop flirting with me and start being nice to Regina, at least in front of the cameras,” she said desperately. “And you need to go through with the bridenapping.”

He stared at her for a long, long moment, as if trying to see whether she meant what she said. Mary tried to look as uninterested and bored and impatient as possible.

“Okay?” she prodded him.

To her surprise, he nodded. “Okay. Absolutely.” He turned and walked back inside without a backward glance, letting the door bang shut behind him.

Well, that had been easy. Too easy. She’d gotten what she wanted – and she was left standing there feeling cold, hollow and alone in the damp heat of the night.

She pulled up in front of her apartment and parked, still feeling disconcerted. Had he meant what he’d said? Who knew, with Jarrod? She’d always thought he was a wolf of his word…until he’d ditched her and left town.

It was getting dark out. The streetlight on her corner was out, as usual, and dark clouds now crowded in front of the faint sliver of moon. Her apartment wasn’t in the best of neighborhoods, and she felt an odd ripple of fear as she climbed out of her car and headed for the front door of her apartment building.

There was a car parked in front of the apartment, and she quickened her stride as she headed for her front door. The doorway was set back in an alcove, pooled in shadow, and as she approached it, a man shot out from the alcove. He grabbed her by the arm and threw her up against the wall. He wore a ski mask and gloves.

Terror flooded through her.

“One word, and I’ll choke the life out of you. I’m here to warn you. I saw you chasing after the Alpha at the bar tonight. Leave him alone, or you’re dead.”

“I didn’t go there to chase after him!” she protested, clawing at his hands. His hand tightened on her throat until she was gasping for breath, and she stopped clawing.

“Liar,” he growled.

“I went there to tell him to leave me alone and be nice to Regina, and he promised he would. And he always keeps his word,” she wheezed. God, she hoped that was true.

The man’s cold gray eyes bored into her from the slits in his mask.

“I know where you live. I know where you work. I know how late your cousin stays out.”

Her heart leaped into her throat.
Not Angela.

“Stay away from him,” he said, and he let go of her throat, turned around, climbed into his car and drove off.

* * * * *

The next day…

Angela stood on the sidewalk in front of Mary’s apartment building, with her bags packed and her face wrinkled in misery. Mary felt it too. Angela had driven her crazy since she’d moved in with her…but she’d miss her terribly.

“But why do I have to leave?” Angela wailed as her mother climbed out of the car.

“For the millionth time, because a crazy man grabbed me last night outside my house and attacked me. He knows where I live and where I work. And he mentioned you.”

“You should have called the police. Or maybe told Jarrod. Jarrod wouldn’t let anything happen to you. He’d have half the pack in front of your door guarding you,” Angela said.

“Jarrod doesn’t care about me, especially after I told him to get lost,” Mary said. “And I can’t call the police. Not in a situation like this, with a famous socialite and an Alpha and a bridenapping… It would hit the news, and it would probably ruin Hilda. And she’s mad enough as it is.”

Angela’s mother, Prudence, stalked up to them, stiff-legged, her expression disapproving as usual.

“Did she get arrested?” she asked Mary, without bothering to greet Angela.

Angela’s expression turned sullen and she folded her arms across her chest like a sulky toddler.

“Hello, Prudence. No, she did not.”

“Did she get fired?”

“No.”
She never looked for a job, so of course she didn’t get fired,
Mary thought.

“Date some thoroughly unsuitable loser?”

Mary hesitated for just a microsecond, but it was enough.

Prudence’s eyes flashed with triumph. “Of course. What a surprise.”

Angela’s expression was as dark as a storm cloud.

Herb, Angela’s stepfather, had climbed out of the car. He walked over and seized Angela’s suitcases, head bowed. He blinked hard behind thick sunglasses.

Angela shot Mary a last look of mingled despair and pleading. Mary bit her lip and looked away. She knew Angela would be miserable back at her parents’ house, but at least she’d be safe.