Chapter 5

SAMMY

I drag Lisa to my office.

Lisa is my best friend. We do everything together and when we need help with a job, she's there.

I yank her in and check for the guys. I shut the door.

Lisa fixes her fire red, short hair. "What is it, Sammy?! You're acting crazy."

I'm pacing my office floor, chewing on my finger nail.

Lisa is parked on the edge of my desk. "Sammy!"

I start to whine shaking my hands nervously. "Lisa. I don't know......"

She stands and grabs my arms. "Ok. Breathe. Just tell me what happened."

"He almost kissed me." I stared into her blue eyes.

"Who?" She searched my face.

I swallow. "The Alpha." I squeak.

"Get out!" She pushes me. "Oh my God! Sammy, this is awesome!"

"No. Lisa, this is horrible. I mean if it wasn't for this woman coming into the room, stopping him, I could've really crossed that line. I can't let that happen." I was worried about what this attempt by The Alpha meant.

I won't lie. I wanted it to. So bad. My lips practically ached for his. If that's even possible. I wanted him to kiss me. Just like my dream before the beast woke up.

But he's, my client. I have to be responsible here. I can't allow my wants to mess up this job.

Then there's the beast. It's been sleeping for so long. Now it's awake and I have a feeling it's because of the Alpha. If I lose control of it, people will die. I can't allow the Alpha to distract me. It could turn bad.

The problem is he's just so darn good looking. Every time we're in the same room, my mind starts thinking really bad things. We haven't even actually talked yet.

"What am I going to do, Lisa?" I frump into my chair.

She ticks her head. "Well, you could be like any other normal person and go with it."

"Lisa....' I whine.

"Sammy....' She runs over and places her hands on the arms of my chair. "It's the freaking Alpha! Are you kidding? You be a big girl and hit that with everything you got." She grinning a mischievous grin.

"Lisa, I can't."

She stood me up. "Yes, you can. I have to live through you, damn it. Now, you go and have sex with that Alpha." She said sternly, pointing to the door.

"Oh my God." I pull away from her. "No. It can't happen."

She sat in my chair. "Why? What's so scary?"

Although, Lisa is my friend and I tell her everything, she doesn't know my deepest, darkest secret.

"He's a client. There's some things you just don't do. I don't know. Maybe he didn't mean it. Like it was just a moment of insanity or something." I rub my forehead.

"What? You think the Alpha couldn't be attracted to you?" She arches a brow.

"No. In fact, just before it happened, he called me classless with no taste. Then he insulted my truck. Again." I crossed my arms.

She sat back. "Maybe he's like one of those kids in school. You know. The ones that pull the hell out of your hair because they like you."

I shake my head. "No. You should hear this guy. He's rude, obnoxious. A complete narcissist. He yells everything."

Lisa shrugs. "He is an Alpha."

"Lisa. Tell me how to stop this." I whine at her.

"Just tell him you need space, I guess. Honestly, I think you're just getting worked up over nothing." She waves me off.

Maybe she's right. Maybe it was just nothing. A guy like that probably has a different woman for every day of the week. I'd just be another hole in his belt.

But does he have to be so freaking sexy? I really don't think if he tries again, I'll be able to control myself.

I just need to push this out of my mind and focus on the job.

And try to avoid him at all costs.

****

I decided to get to the ballroom early. I had some fabric I wanted to test on the windows.

I was on a ladder, trying to hang the fabric up temporarily so I could step back and look when I heard a voice behind me.

"That must of hurt."

I whip my head around and it's Nigel. The Alphas Beta.

"Hi." I chirp.

He's another man that's extremely easy on the eyes. His slicked back hair gives him this New York in the 1940s look. His rugged beard and thick muscles make you want to be his rag doll to toss around.

"Hey. So how much pain did that cost you?" He pointed to my calf.

I look down at my tattoo of the moon with a wolf behind it.

I got it when I turned 18 as sign of rebellion. Really, I thought it looked cool.

I shrug. "It didn't hurt much."

"Wow." His brow went up. He pulled up his sleeve. Showing me his ink on his arm. "I cried like a baby for 3 days when I got that. You must have some sick tolerance for silver burns."

"Silver? There's silver in your tattoo?" My eyes went wide.

Out of all my friends, I'm the only one marked with ink.

He looked confused. "There's none in yours?"

I shrug. "Nope."

He scratched his temple. "Then how did the ink stay? I mean it would just heal out?"

Again, I shrug. "I don't know. It just doesn't."

"So, Silver doesn't affect you?" He again is looking at me like I told him aliens existed.

I shake my head. "Not that I know of, but I'm not really around large amounts of silver."

"Ok." He pulls up a chair. "What about wood Ash?"

"What about it?" I go back to my fabric.

"Can you touch it without burning?" He arches a brow.

"I don't know. Never touched the stuff."

"Wolfsbane?"

I shake my head.

"Mistletoe?"

I start to laugh. "Nigel, who do you think I am? I'm not a person who would even remotely know what those things do let alone come in contact with any of them."

He sat back rubbing his chin. I can feel his eyes studying.

I turn to him. "Look. If you're going to just sit there, at least hold this fabric up so I see what it looks like."

He jumps up and takes the fabric. He holds it up when he climbs the ladder. "Like this?"

"Perfect." I say stepping back to look at it better.

"Nigel!" A voice come from inside the main house.

"In here!" He yells back.

Shoot, it's the Alpha. My head whips to the door as he strides into the ballroom.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The Alpha says as he stomps over to us.

"Just helping Sammy here." He grins.

"I'm not paying you to fuck around with curtains. I pay her to fuck around with that. Get your ass off that ladder." He growls.

"I just asked him to help me for a second. There's no reason to be so angry." I stare at his blue eyes.

"You do not use my staff for your job. You need help, get your own goddamn people." He prowled up to me and got in my face.

I swallow. "Yes, Alpha."

"Good girl." He backed off. "Nigel, get my coffee. I'll be headed to work soon." He left the room.

I blew out a breath. "What's his problem?"

Nigel climbed down and handed me the fabric. "He's...um...stressed about work. He's really a great guy most of the time."

I could tell he was lying, but also telling the truth at the same time. The Alpha is something. I just don't know what. His personality is really all over the place.

So, I decide to find out. It's probably career suicide, but I need to find out what this guy's problem is.

I search the main rooms on the lower floor and find him in a room filled with seating. There's several other people in there too, but the rooms so big you don't feel it.

I sit on the coffee table in front of him. I cross my leg, bouncing the toe of my wedge sandal and cross my arms. I just stare at him.

He was reading some paperwork. He raised his head. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, you can start by telling me why you're such a jackass." I push my chin out.

His brow goes up. "Excuse me?" He looks completely offended which is what I wanted really. Him to be on the other side of how he treats people.

"Why are you so mean to everyone? Why can you come in that room yesterday and attempt to do what you did, then yell in my face the next day? Why?"

He scoffs. "Hey. What happened yesterday? I succeeded with about 5 different other girls that same day. You're not special. I just wanted to kiss you. No big deal."

My mouth goes small and my eyes grow angry. "I can promise you; you will never get that close again."

"Is that a challenge?" He smirks.

"No. It's a promise." I glare.

"Baby doll. I'm Bastian Cole. No one tells me what I can and cannot have. If I want those full lips of yours, I'll take them. That's...the promise." He bounces his brow quick and goes back to his paperwork.

I stand up quick. "Oof...I'm not your Baby doll or whatever. And from now on, my workspace is a no yelling zone. So, if you want me to stay here, you'll be professional when you enter that room."

"You're cute when you're demanding." He chuckles.

I throw my hands up and stomp back to the ballroom.

You can add chauvinistic pig to his list of faults now. God, how could I even be remotely attracted to that.

****

Over the next few hours, I was working out the details of the plans, when the room starts getting really warm.

I sit up and rub my neck. It's like someone cranked the heat in the ballroom.

Then I feel it. The scratching. The itchiness all over.

"No. No. No. Not here." I say to myself as I run out of the room to the staff entrance.

I'm starting to not be able to breathe. I need to get home now.

I'm scratching at my bandage like a mad woman when I climb in my truck. I speed away from the pack house.

I look in the rearview and my eyes are glowing.

"Shit! Come on." I grit as I hit the steering wheel.

I skid to a stop in the driveway.

"Mom? Dad?' I run through the house. "Dylan?"

Just great. No one's home. I rush to the bathroom and blast the cold water in the shower.

"No.no.no.no.no......." I say as I climb into the tub. I let the ice-cold water tame my burning skin as the beast tries to escape.

"Please, help me...." I cry to myself as I fight to control it.

"Come to me little one."

I jump in the tub. I grab the edge of it and look around my tiny bathroom.

"Take your kingdom."

The voice echos off the walls as I cry harder. I'm starting to lose my mind.

I crawl back into my ball. "Help me...." I squeak.

"Sammy?"

I look up through slit eyes and it's Dylan. "Help...." I choke

"Ok. I got you. It's OK." He holds me in the water until the beast disappears.

A while later, I'm changed into dry clothes. Dylan's fixing my torn bandage.

"Sammy, you need to go back to therapy. You know what's next." He looks at me concerned.

"Sleepwalking." I try not to cry as he finishes wrapping me up.

"The sleepwalking." He confirms. "This thing almost killed you last time. Who knows what it would do now."

I hang my head. "I know."

He gets up and sits on the bed. "Call the doctor."

He rubs my back for comfort, handing me my phone. I nod, biting my lip.

I was about to dial when I get a text.

ALPHA: Where the hell did you go? If want a job still get your ass back here now!

I stand and grab my things.

"Sammy, you can't. You need to take care of this." Dylan protests.

"I will, Dylan. Later. Right now, I need to get back to the job before we lose the contract." I head out of the house to my truck. Dylan is at my window after I climb in. I roll it down.

"Sammy, you know this is only going to get worse. The job isn't as important as your life." He hangs on to the truck.

"It is that important, Dylan. I have to finish it or we won't have a career to speak of. I'll take care of the thing later, I promise."

He lets go of the truck and I speed back to the packhouse.