The Alpha's Possession (The Choice) : A Novel, page 1
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 1
The Night from Hell Charles’s Pov
Where the hell did she put my tie? I remember wearing it when I got here. My head is splitting wide open. I know I drank one too many, but I wasn’t in the mood for Lacey’s shit tonight. She is desperate and needy, but the rest of the clan was off for the evening. There she was bending over the file cabinet, so I took her. She deserved everything she had coming to her; tight skirt right below her assets, fishnet stockings, and a pouty pair of lips that reached out to me every time I turned her away from my desk.
It has been a while, but I had her before. She isn’t all that great but better than nothing, so I took her home. She practically begged for me to come in, so I thought why the hell not. The biggest mistake ever.
I will never forget the first time. This chick had drapes from the 1970s, and I am not talking about the ones hanging off her window. The moment she dropped her granny panties, I knew I needed a drink to get through the night. I remember thinking to myself, well at least she had good taste in scotch. Most women only keep the wine in their cabinets. We drank a few until the rest of the night was thankfully a blur.
Tonight, there was not much difference. We drank, Lacey begged, and I obliged. We ended up stripping from one end of the house to the other.
Now, I am looking for the rest of my clothes so I can get the hell out of here. I have found my shirt, shoes, and pants but still no f*****g tie. “Charley Baby, can you come and help me? I need to piss really bad.”
Help her? Why does she need help?
Curiously, I tiptoe the rest of the way down the hallway, so she won’t hear me. I step to the side and peek through the doors. She looks up; thankfully, I step back just in the nick of time.
Shit, that was close!
“Charlie Baby, are you there?” The woman moans out. “Ohhh, my head…”
I peak in just enough by the hinges and see it. Shit! I tied her up with my tie!
“Charlie?” The desperation was filling her voice.
“Charlie! Oh, thank God! I thought you left me.”
And unfortunately, she caught me as well. Lacey smiles gratefully and wiggles her wrist and legs back and forth. “Can you please untie me, baby? I really gotta pee.”
Maybe it is the Alpha in me, but I hate being rushed unless it is necessary and trust me. This is not a ‘necessity.’ Leg by leg, I put my navy slacks back on and tuck my c**k back in my pants. I watch as Lacey wiggles her hips back and forth while her eyes plead for me to hurry. God, she’s a pain.
Slowly, I place my arms back in each sleeve and watch as her eyes float from trying not to soak the bed. “Charlie baby, I don’t mean to sound impatient, but don’t you think you could get dressed after you help me?”
The sincerity is not there, but at least I am nice enough to grace her with a smile. I put my navy jacket back on, reach in the depths of my left pocket, and pull out a single cigarette and my lighter. “Nope.”
“Nope?” She appears lost and half agitated. “What the hell, Charlie?”
I light my cigarette and puff the smoke right in her face. She coughs several times and starts to pee all over the bed. Her face flooded with anger and embarrassment as she screamed out my name. I watch, not caring, and drop my cigarette to the floor. With my brown leather shoe, I press the cigarette deep into her shaggy white carpet.
I nod and walk out of the room, leaving Lacey with only heated memories of last night, my heavy scent covering her skin, and a soaking wet bed. “Good luck with that.”
Great. Now I need to go to Monroe’s Shop to buy another tie. This is the third time this week.
“Damn. That was a good one too.”
~*****~
Pearl’s p.o.v.
Tiny drops of rain fall on the tip of my tongue. I close my eyes as I sit on the broken tree branch by the pond in an abandoned park. No one comes here anymore. They say drug dealers and prostitutes run the place, but I will tell you, I have hidden from the landlord and the cops so many times and not once have I seen a single human being–a few stray coyotes even a wolf or two, but never a human being.
It is not so much that I stay in trouble all the time. It is the fact that I am broke. I owe four months of rent to Mr. Weasley; I am three months late on the phone and electric bill, and I have more people breathing down my neck than I care to admit. My intentions were never to screw anyone over. I thought I had everything under control, but the debt kept burying me further and further, so deep that the only chance of surviving is hiding and living off the land.
I don’t mind, really. When night falls, I catch dinner or sometimes scrounge near a local restaurant, and during the day when places are busy, I slip in and use their bathrooms. All I need from my house are a fresh set of my clothes, well at least for now.
The seasons are changing too quickly for my blood. The crisp leaves on the trees are in piles on the ground, and I keep hearing the town’s folk putting up lights on the building and street poles. Having no electricity was fine for a while, but the chill is settling in my bones. That is why I am sitting here on the branch reading yesterday’s paper some old man left on a table near the restroom. Through the raindrops splashing on the black print, I am reviewing a few open positions for some local jobs. None of which look promising, but something is better than nothing until I can improve my situation.
I raise my arms and sniff my armpits several times.
Oh, God. That’s bad!
I will need a wash before I go to any of these places. My clothes are worn out too. Right before I close the paper, I see a sale written in bright red at the Monroe’s Shop. It is a small boutique that is not heavily covered by surveillance. “Maybe I can get away with taking at least a dress or something to make myself look halfway decent for an interview. Hmm, maybe a bottle of perfume too.”
The raindrops fall faster and faster, causing my bones to shiver. “Shit, I better go back and get a few things before the landlord throws it away. “I hope he hasn’t locked the windows this time.”
I stand up and cover my shirt over the top of my head. With determination and a new goal, I run towards the back gate and almost make it before falling flat on my face.
“Shit!”
Chapter 2
Arguing with my wolf Charles’s pov
By the time I make it to my car, my wolf is moaning in disgust. “Why must you put me through this? You never listen to a word I say.”
I shake my head and roll my eyes. Randolph hates the fact that we have not found our mate yet. Every day he pushes, he is worse than my mother was before the Vamps got her.
“Randolph, you know why. I am not going around pining after some girl just because you think I am ready or need to settle.”
“You say that now, Charles, but trust me she will be worth it.”
“Worth what, Randolph?” I challenge, “Having some chic always whining about me working late hours at the hotel? Oh, God, or the fact I didn’t flush the toilet before leaving the bathroom. Nope. Not happening.”
Feeling more agitated by the moment, I hop onto my seat, slam the car door, and turn the key.
“You’re making a mistake.” Randolph huffs.
“You say that all the time,” I answered dryly.
“I mean it, too.”
“Shut it, Randolph, I am not in the mood today,” I warn and step on the gas pedal.
“You wouldn’t be so cranky if you’re with the right woman.”
“Randolph!” I snap.
Randolph growls back. I know he is agitated too, but I don’t care today. Randolph mumbles to himself, not bothering to hide his agitation. We keep nothing from one another. Even if we wanted to, it is impossible. We are linked mentally and physically. I feel what he feels angry, sad, horny... every f*****g annoying emotion. Sometimes I don’t mind. Sometimes it sucks.
I roll my eyes and rev the gas pedal several times before taking off down the street. (Lucky for the old Ms. Garmel, she jumps out of the way just in time before I run over her ass.)
“You know there are many more benefits to having our mate than work schedules and toilets. You just hate to see yourself settle down. That’s the real problem.”
“You just won’t let it go, will you?” I fuss, weaving in and out of traffic.
“No, I won’t.”
“Randolph, no chick is wor
One man honks his horn. When I passed him, he rolled the window down and gave me the middle finger. Randolph growls, the anger simultaneously reaches my eyes. I don’t have to look in the rearview mirror to see that they are glowing crimson-red. The time I arrive at my destination is quicker than usual. Cutting off a few jerks paid off.
Before shopping, I made a detour back home and shower her off me before heading into town. The steamy water feels good on my body, washing away last night’s juices and her stale perfume.
I walk to my closet with the remote and press the button. The clothes rack rotates, bringing my whites and greys forward. Color coding is a must.
Let’s say I like things very orderly in my life.
There is a black cotton long sleeve shirt that grabs my attention from the back. I take it off the rack and slip it on. One by one, I adjust the silver cuff links and give myself a once over in the mirror. “Hmm, not too bad. Not too bad at all.”
After getting ready, I don’t know the reason, but all the anger disappears, the frustrations wash away, and my mood feels lighter than it had in weeks. Maybe I was wrong, maybe, just maybe, today will be my lucky day after all.
My cell phone buzzes on top of my nightstand, interrupting my thoughts. I grab it to see who the hell would call so early in the morning. There a few missed calls from the clan. Whatever it is, they can wait until I return to the office.
Hmm, all I need now is my files that Jake left me to look over, and I’ll be off to the shop.
Pearl’s Pov
“Seriously? My only halfway decent outfit and I fall in the mud!” I lay on the ground for a moment hiding my humiliation and agitation towards my clumsiness. Not that anyone is here to see me, yet it feels as if a million eyes just watched me flatten my face. “Great. Just freaking great!” I fuss while pulling myself back up. “Look at this shit! I am covered from one end to the other!”
The palm of my hands has tiny pebbles cutting into the skin, and my knees are throbbing. The pain is hardly bearable, but nothing compares to just how much mud that is covering my clothes and hair.
“There is no freaking way I can go anywhere like this! They cut my electricity off, there is no water, and I will surely draw too much attention to myself looking like this. What am I going to do?”
Back and forth, I pace. I think and think until I remember just through the overgrown trees is a pond. It is not vast as a lake, nor is it ideal because no one has maintained in years, but it will have to do. I brush the pebbles off the palm of my hands and take a peek.
As I approach the entranceway, I notice a large branch from an oak tree has fallen. There are weeds intertwined with one another, and an owl is following me around with his beady little eyes. Looking up, I face the cold hard facts. The only light I have to get through all of this is from the crescent moon lighting up the sky. My sense of hope quickly dwindles.
“Now, what am I going to do? I have got to get through there to clean up. fuck it. I am going for it.”
Step by step, I carefully climb over each twig and broken branch and pull the weeds and vines apart with my bare hands. My confidence begins to build higher and higher as I climb through. With much effort and a few scratches, I finally make it to the other side. What I discover is worth every bit of struggle and effort I put into it.
The pond is nothing like I have ever seen. The bright moon is casting directly above, showing the ripples in the water wading back and forth from the crisp night air. What used to be a small pond seems to have doubled in size and flourished.
This place is too good to be true. How is this even possible?
Cautiously, I step forward and look about; I keep waiting for someone to jump out from the trees or a snake to slither from the weeds, but nothing happens. I use the bright moon as a light to guide me to the edge of the water. I know the water will be cold. Summer is long gone, but I have to swallow any fears of hypothermia and get in. If I don’t, I will have no chance of landing a job.
The mud sticks to my skin, making it almost impossible to peel off my clothes. My underwear and bra seem to be the cleanest. Taking my time, I clean my hands off first, then wash my clothes the best I can. Afterward, I step across the moist soil and carefully hang my clothes on a tree branch to dry while I swim.
I try to tiptoe my way into the water, but my body instantly protests from the temperature shock. There is no going around it; I am going to have to dive underneath all at once. I step forward the water brushes across my n*****s, causing me to squeal. “Oh, m-m-my, G-g-god, that’s c-c-cold! Forget it! I am going to dive in on the count of three!”
“One...”
“Two...”
“Three!”
Right as I am about to dive into the water, I hear what sounds like footsteps nearby.
Oh, no!
Chapter 3
The Enemy
Charles's Pov
The black folder has a thick rubber band wrapped around it with a single folded notebook paper creased in half. I shake my head because I know this means Jake has something a little extra for only my eyes to see. Anything coming from Jake is always humorous. In one snap, I break the rubber band in half and toss it in the trashcan next to my bed.
“What does it say?” Randolph curiously asks.
Randolph likes Jake a lot. The two of them have a lot in common. Both are strong, yet a dull word never seems to cross their tongues when they speak. Jake is my right-hand man. Not only have we had each other’s back since we were kids, but I cannot begin to count just how many times we have saved each other’s asses in battle.
“Hmm, let’s see,” I say while unfolding the paper.
“You’re taking your time on purpose.” Randolph grumps.
“What makes you say that?” I snicker.
“Because you are stopping and spacing out like every two minutes. What’s gotten into you this morning?”
Randolph sounds half concerned, half frustrated. “Honestly, I don’t know. Let me just read the letter.”
“Fine. What are you waiting for?”
I roll my eyes and read Jake’s note.
~*****~
Charlie,
Hey, man. Listen, I didn’t want to tell you this at the office because there is a leak somewhere. One of our own is watching and running off to the Salaquins and reporting everything. I only know this because I found a tracker on your computer, and when I clicked on it, several of your files were showing tampered with. I tried to get Erik to investigate it, but when we got there, the tracker data was already missing.
The good news is, I backed up everything onto a card right before I left. No worries, man. I will give it to you this evening after work.
I know you are probably still wondering why I didn’t tell you this in person, but you know as well as I do, the hunters are linked, and if it is one of them, then they will hear us talking about it.
Oh, by the way, my sister was asking about you again. Let’s double date this weekend. What do you say?
