Untamed: An Alpha's Kiss (Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance) (7 page)

CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN

The drive home was a sobering one. She had kissed Parker at the door for what seemed like hours, certain of his love and commitment, but as soon as she stepped into the cold night air the doubts began.

To begin with, the sex had given her more questions than answers. She and Parker had fit together like they'd done it a million times. He'd made her feel things... She blushed at the thought of how she'd begged him, how she'd writhed and moaned and scratched and bitten and cried out his name. How she'd come so hard, over and over.

Everything else paled in comparison.
The fruitless fumbling of the two boys she'd ever been with, the way she looked at Scottie sometimes and thought she could have sex with him--it wasn't even in the same league. It was even better than doing it herself. How was that possible?

But it was more than the sex. He was her
Mate
. And despite the fact that she had never believed such a thing was possible, she felt herself drawn to him, body and soul. She believed it in her very bones. It went against everything she had believed her whole life, but it was indisputable. It had happened just like people said. You just
knew
.

She and Parker were connected. Bonded. They belonged with one another.

Only that was impossible, because he was a Kreuger and she was a Vella.

She raged at a universe that would make this kind of thing possible. She cursed the stupid treaty and the Council she'd never get to be a part of and every heavenly and earthly thing that stood between her and what she wanted. Tears scalded her face as she drove, her foot pressing furiously on the gas pedal, as if she could outrun all of it if she just drove fast enough.

And where did he get off telling her things would be okay? He had no idea that things would be okay. Things weren't even remotely okay; they were crashing down around her head even as she drove. She had no options that she could conceive of that would get her out of this.

Mom, Pop, I've got something to tell you. You know how you're always after me to find my Mate? Well, I found him. He's tall and good-looking and he cooks one mean steak. You should see his house, it's amazing. Oh, and did I tell you he's successful? Yep, he's the rising pack Alpha. You should see him hunt. And he's so protective, Pop, you'd love it. But there's just one little catch...

It was madness.

CHAPTER
NINETEEN

Scottie looked much better than he had on Sunday night when she'd bundled him into his truck and driven him home. Charmaine hugged him gently, careful not to squeeze his ribs too tightly. He was still pale and he'd lost weight, giving his face an older and more angular appearance. But his eyes were still that dancing amber, clear as honey when they fixed on her.

"I missed you," he complained. "I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks."

She forced a laugh. "You just saw me Sunday!"

"Char, it's Thursday night."

"Yeah... I guess I've just been really busy."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Busy doing what? All you do is work and hang out with me."

She blushed. "I was... busy, like I said. I reorganized my closet, I took the Jeep to be washed..."

"Char." He wasn't fooled. "You're full of crap."

"You love me, though.
" She batted her eyes at him.

"Yeah," he said softly, suddenly serious. "Yeah, I do. That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."

His seriousness scared her. "What do you mean?"

He motioned to the couch, and they sat down together. He took her hand in his and looked down at it for a moment, temporarily unable to speak.

And then he began.

"Char, we've known each other all our lives. You've been my best friend since we were kids. More like a sister, sometimes. I feel like you know me better than anyone in the world. And I know you better than anyone else does, too." He took a deep breath and pressed on. "I know I've been kind of a... uh... man-whore, and I know I've been kind of wild and unfocused, but I want you to know..." Here he trailed off and looked at her, his golden eyes full of emotion. "What happened the other night, what I put you through, that never should have happened. And I'm making you this promise..."

She smiled at him encouragingly, squeezing his hand.

He took another deep breath. "Because I love you, I love you, Char, and I want this to work... I'm making you a promise that it's done, and that I won't be like that anymore, because I want to be the kind of man you deserve, and I haven't been that."

Her mind reeled.
Want this to work? Kind of man I deserve?

"And I know we haven't been, you know, physical with each other, and the sex thing isn't important. Well," he amended. "Not that important. Not the most important thing. I mean, we can work up to that, is what I'm trying to say. But we could have such a good life together, I think. And when I was in that hospital bed, and you were beside me the whole time, taking care of me, even though I did a total dick thing... That's love, Char. You love me like I love you, and I think we can be really, really happy together."

Whoa... What is he saying?

And then, before she could open her mouth to respond, he got on one knee in front of her. "I already asked your dad," he said shyly, flushing as he pulled the velvet box from under the couch cushion behind him.

Oh my God. Oh my God. No, no, no!

"Charmaine Vella, will you marry me?"

CHAPTER TWENTY

The next fifteen seconds were the worst of her entire life.

Scottie, on one knee, opening the box and pulling out the ring was the most painful thing she had ever witnessed. He looked so boyish and sweetly earnest kneeling there in front of her with this ring that had probably taken him several thousand dollars and multiple panic attacks to buy.

She covered his hand with hers and smiled sadly. "Scottie..."

"I was prepared that you might say no," he continued. "So I just want to say that you don't have to answer right away. You can think about it. As long as you want."

She shook her head. "Scottie. We're not Mates. You know that."

He smiled wryly. "You know, Char, I don't know that. I look at you, and you're so beautiful it makes my heart hurt. I've been in love with you ever since the seventh grade, when you slow-danced with Bobby Miller and I felt like I was going to throw up watching his stupid sweaty hands around your waist. I wanted it to be me. And I still want to be that guy, Char. There isn't a woman I've ever met who is as beautiful or as sweet or as fun to be around as you are. And I'm so drawn to you... wherever you are is where I need to be. I can spot you in a crowd a mile away. I feel like you belong to me, and I belong to you. It just feels right."

It was nearly impossible to swallow down the lump in her throat.

"Scottie, I have to tell you something. But you have to get up."

"Not till you at least promise to think about it."

"Scottie, please, I'm not kidding. Please get up."

"You don't have to wear the ring. You can hang onto it, though. It's yours. I want you to wear it, but maybe, you know, you're not ready for all that yet."

"Scottie!" It took shouting his name to get him off his knees and shut him up. "This is really hard. I have to tell you, though. I don't want to lie to you, and I want you to know why I can't be with you."

"Why you can't..." His face twisted in pained confusion. "You're saying no? To the whole thing, or just wearing the ring."

"I'm with someone else!" she blurted. "And he's my Mate."

He stared at her like he'd never seen her before in his life. "What?"

"I know this is sudden, and it's a lot, and I should have told you right away, but to be honest I'm having a hard time processing this myself."

"You're seeing someone?" His face darkened. "You've been seeing someone? For how long?"

"The night I took you to the hospital, he came and we met. And we'd been dreaming about each other, that's the really weird thing, and then he showed up in the hospital, and we recognized each other. Well, technically he recognized me first. And I was with him last night, when you called. I didn't want to lie to you, but I wanted to explain it all in person. So that's why, Scottie. I do love you, so much, you're my best friend, and you know that, but I can't be with you."

"You met some guy in the hospital? What, so he was like, a patient at the hospital?" He looked confused. "I'm not following you at all. Who is this guy, Char?"

"He showed up there after the fight. And that's how we met, he came and I talked to him, and then we got pushed, and that's when I recognized him--"

"Let me get this straight," he fumed. "Let me see if I'm following this. I'm in the hospital. Some guy comes in and starts flirting with you, and you recognize him from a dream and now you're together? Char, that doesn't make any fucking sense whatsoever. I think it's bullshit, frankly, and I can't believe you're even saying this to me. What guy goes into another guy's hospital room and hits on the girl who brought him in? Who does that?"

"It's Parker Kreuger," she whispered. "He came to check on you. I'd never met him before. But I've had the dreams, visions, whatever, for a long time. And he was in them."

"Parker Kreuger? Did you say Parker fucking Kreuger?"

She nodded.

"Parker fucking Kreuger, as in Dominic Kreuger's son? Are you kidding me, Char?"

She shook her head, unable to speak.

Scottie was scarlet. "And you were with him last night? What, like on a date? You went on a date with a Kreuger?"

"I was at his house."

Scottie leapt off the couch, dropping the ring and pacing the room. His fists clenched and he rubbed his temples as if trying to erase the images from his mind.

"You were at his house. Char, tell me you didn't."

She shook her head again, looking away from him. She had been ill-prepared for this conversation. Her stomach lurched and her mind felt fuzzy around the edges.

"Char." His voice had a warning edge to it. "Look me in the eye, and tell me you didn't sleep with that fucking Kreuger piece of shit animal." He punched the nearest wall and she jumped.

"Scottie, you're scaring me!"

"Tell me you didn't sleep with him!" He shouted. "Tell me, Char! Tell me you didn't let that piece of shit put his hands on you!" Scottie's face was wild and twisted.

She said nothing, but her eyes gave her away, and he sank against the door frame. "No, no, no..." he groaned. "This isn't happening." He closed his eyes and thumped the back of his head against the wall. "This isn't fucking happening."

"I'm sorry... Scottie, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen."

He wrapped his arms around himself as if to ward her off and gave an agonized cry.

She picked up the ring, placed it carefully back inside its beautiful velvet box, and set it on the table. "I'm going to go."

"Then go," he replied, his voice thick and angry. His eyes were suspiciously bright and he avoided looking at her. "Go have fun with your new boyfriend, you traitorous bitch."

He might as well have slapped her. She recoiled and turned bright red. "Scottie, I know you're mad, but..."

"I'm not mad, I'm done. Get out."

She took a step toward him, but he punched the wall again. "Get."
Bam!
"The."
Bam!
"Fuck."
Bam!
"Out."
Bam!
"Of."
Bam!
"My."
Bam!
"House."

And just before she slipped out the door, she heard him call behind her, "Enjoy your happiness while it lasts."