Reunion with Her Alpha (Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance)

This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons--living or dead--is entirely coincidental
 

Reunion with Her Alpha copyright @ 2013 by Joanna Wilson.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Reunion with Her Alpha

Mila slowly flipped through her photo album. She was bored out of her mind. It was a Friday night and she had absolutely nowhere to go and nothing to do. Turning the pages slowly, her breath caught at the photo on the bottom of the page. It was one she always had trouble looking at.

It was of her and Marty. She closed her eyes as memories came rushing back as they always did.

Marty was her best friend in the entire world. And if she were being honest with herself, her first love as well. They grew up next door neighbors and were as thick as thieves. The neighborhood called the two of the
m M&M. You never saw one without the other.

She remembered the day he left like it was yesterday. It was the summer they turned sixteen. A summer of changes. She started seeing Marty in a different light that summer. His shoulders had filled out that year and for the first time, Mila noticed just how cute his eyes were. Slowly, she found herself staring at him. At first a look that lingered for an extra second but the more she stared, the more she dreamed until one day she found herself staring his lips, wishing he would kiss her. He smiled whenever he caught her staring but other than that, he never seemed to notice.

On the day he left, she had been calling him all day. She even texted him a few time yet he didn't answer. Growing impatient, she grabbed her bag and left, telling her mom that she was going next door to Marty’s.

As she walked, she hummed a tune that was a favorite of theirs. Marty always said that Mila had a wonderful singing voice so sang around him as much as possible.

Mila was of average height with long thick brown hair and green eyes. Her full lips curled into the dimples in each cheek. She thought her face was pretty enough and Marty once told her it was beautiful. But that was it and nothing more.

In Mila's opinion, her only drawback was her weight. She had packed on some pounds, bringing a fullness to her rounded hips. Her thighs were thicker than usual and her breast jutted out far past where they used to be.

Pretty? Definitely. But beautiful? Mila never brought herself to even entertain the notion.

As Mila reach the front lawn of Marty’s house, she stopped and looked again. Something was wrong. She didn’t know exactly what, but something wasn’t quite right about the way the house looked.

She opened the gate and walked up to the front door, peering into the window and feeling her heart drop away to nothing. Where curtains used to block wandering eyes from looking inside the house, there was only naked glass. The porch swing that she and Marty had swung in for hours late at night was gone. Panic rising in her throat, Mila tried the door knob and found it unlocked.

When the door swung open, Mila felt a part of herself wither away.

Gone. Everything was gone. Furniture, the pictures that hung on almost every inch of the wall. All gone. But what hurt Mila the most was Marty. Her best friend. Gone. He didn’t even say goodbye, didn’t even let her know that he was leaving. They had spoken on the phone the night before. Talked about a little bit of everything and nothing all at the same time, and yet he didn’t feel this was important enough to let her know.

Memories of that summer so many years ago brought tears to her eyes, and Mila reached up to wipe away the salty trails even before she realized she was crying. Slamming the photo book closed, she got up and sat by her computer.

She put her headphones on and started playing the piece of music that she had been writing to. Over the last few years people began taking notice of her voice. Now she found herself writing demos and sending them to talent scouts.

She glanced up at her calendar. Only eight more days till her 19th birthday. She couldn’t wait. Maybe Charles had something big planned for her. Who knew.

Charles. Just saying his name lifted her spirits. That man was a saving grace. She had met him last year, two months before she turned eighteen. He was taking the same music class she was at the junior college. He played piano, and she loved how his fingers floated and danced across the keys.

They began studying together. From there came lunch. Then a dinner, and before Mila knew what had happened, she found herself in his arms, a year into their relationship. She loved him, but there was something about Charles that she found lacking. Eyeing the photo album again, Mila realized what it was.

He wasn't Marty.

Her phone rang and snapped her back to reality. It was her friend Carly.

“Hey, what's up?” Mila asked.

“Absolutely nothing.” Carly said. “How about you?”

“A lot of the same. Charles is still at his night class and can't come over tonight.”

“I can come over if you like. We can start planning that birthday party of yours.” There was

something
suspiciously sneaky about Carly's voice.

“Sounds good, sweetheart. Come over. I’ll put some pizza in the oven.”

***

Raking his hand through his hair, Marty stared at the Facebook page he had searched. Green eyes smiled at him, distant yet familiar. He could stare at them for hours. The way a few strands of her long brown hair trailed over those green eyes sent a sliver of warmth tingling through his spine.

It had been three long years since he had seen those eyes, and if things went as planned, he would be seeing her very soon.

Life had changed dramatically since he left home. He could never make up leaving the way he did. He just hoped she would give him enough time to explain things. He had never meant to hurt her in what he had done, but it couldn’t be helped.

His parents dropped the news in his lap and the next thing he knew, he was in the backseat of the car driving across the country.

After that, life had gotten a little overwhelming. He still shook his head when he thought about the secrets that were kept from him. The conversation with his mother. His father's stern eyes telling him--no, warning him--that he could never go back.

“They gave me no choice.” He muttered to the screen.

But not anymore. Marty turned off the computer and walked into his bedroom to finish packing. He made up his mind to leave and there wasn't anyone or anything in the world to change his mind. The flight for Mesa would leave early in the morning. As he piled the last bit of clothes in his suitcase, he had a brief moment of panic. How would he be welcomed back? Do people still remember him.

But more importantly, did she still remember?

Reaching under his bed, he grabbed the birthday gift that he had worked on for a few weeks for Mila. He had put his heart into it and he hoped she liked it. He carefully put it inside his suitcase and set it by the door to his bedroom.

No turning back now, he thought.

When he closed his eyes and drifted to his dreams, he was sixteen again on the porch swing, listening to her sing.

***

“Wake up, sleepy head.”

Mila swatted the hand that was playing in her hair. She didn’t want to wake up yet. It was too early.

“Go away Charlie.” She grumbled. “I’m sleeping.”

Charles smiled down at Mila. She had never been a morning person. He set the coffee he was holding next to her on the night stand and kissed her cheek.

“Get up babe. I have the day planned out for you; you can’t get to it if you’re asleep.”

Groaning, Mila rolled over on her back. “You are so lucky that I love you, otherwise I would throw you out on your ass.”

Charles kissed her forehead. “Good morning to you too. Now get up and shower. I’ve got somewhere to take you.”

An hour later, they were headed to Phoenix. She had stopped asking a while ago where they were going. He wouldn’t tell her.

A little while later, they pulled up to a hotel. It was beautiful, all creams and gold’s. She looked over at Charlie and noticed his smile.

“This is beautiful, baby. Thank you.”

“Happy birthday” He grinned.

“It's not my birthday yet.”

“I know, but I wanted some time alone with you before your friends and family steal all your attention tomorrow.”

They walked into the hotel's restaurant. Charles had already reserved them a table. As soon as they sat down, a waiter appeared with two glasses of wine. Settling into her seat, Mila wondered what else Charles had planned for the evening. Based on the upscale decor of the restaurant, it was going to be something special.

“Do you know what you want to order?” Charles asked a little while later.

“I think so.”

As they ate, she noticed something moving in the corner of her eyes. Charles’ hand came down to his side.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“Oh, nothing. I think I saw a fly.” He sounded uncertain.

A waiter approached the table and told Mila she had a phone call.

Looking at Charles in confusion, Mila got up and went to the receptions desk.

“Hello?”

“Hey girlie.” It was Carly. “I couldn’t get your cell and then I remembered Charles said he was taking you to the restaurant when he was talking to your mom.”

My mom? “He told you guys about this?”

“Yeah. It was a surprise so I didn’t spill the beans. Anyway I’m calling to see what time you want me to get the food from the caterer tomorrow?”

Shaking her head, Mila smiled, “I already told you to go at twelve since the party starts at one.”

“Oh yeah, silly me. Okay, go enjoy your date sweetie, talk to you later.”

When she got back, Mila saw the table was cleared.

“I took the liberty of ordering dessert.” Charles explained.

A waiter came and set down a bouquet of white and red roses “For the lady.” He bowed and winked at Charles.

Mila smiled. “Thank you, honey. They are really beautiful.”

“Anything for you, love. It’s your birthday after all.”

Smiling, Mila leaned forward to kiss him. She was so lucky to find such a sweet boyfriend. She wouldn’t change him for the world.

Dessert was brought around a few minutes later. Mila stopped staring at Charles to look down at her plate.

She saw it and her heart skipped.

There was a long stemmed red rose on the plate, a piece of chocolate cake, and a beautiful ring.

Tears welled in her eyes. When she glanced up at Charles, he was no longer sitting across from her, but was knelt beside her.

“Mila I love you so much.” He took her hand. “My life has been nothing but happiness and excitement since you came into it. I love the time we spend together and I would love nothing more than to share the rest of my life with you.” And then the words came.

“Mila Santinni, will you marry me?”

Mila was speechless for all of twenty seconds. “Yes, Yes, a thousand times yes.”

She fell into his arms and began to kiss him, tears and all. She had never been so happy in her life.

The minutes after--hours perhaps--were a blur. Mila was floating on a cloud.
He proposed! Proposed!
She couldn’t wait to tell her mom!

It was only then that she noticed her surroundings—she was in an elevator going up to the room with her fiancé. My fiancé, she gushed as she sounded the word out in her mind.