AllFreeNovel
Share Us
5
SYLVIE
“Sylvie! Syl!” Kat hissed my name from behind a large, bushy lemon tree. So subtle.
“What?” I whispered back.
Her blue eyes narrowed at me. I had to hold back a laugh. It was hard to take her seriously with her open, friendly face. Kat’s hair, a lighter brown than mine, almost blond, was pulled back in a pretty braid. Her dress was pink and feminine. She couldn’t look stern if she tried.
Kat grabbed my hand and pulled me out of sight. The people milling around the large backyard of her pack’s sprawling house didn’t seem to notice.
I was having a surprisingly nice time, enjoying the warm afternoon and a tasty spritz made by Steve, one of her packmates. Mom had given me a hug and then ignored me, which was perfect. The attendees were mostly business associates of Kat’s pack members, and everyone was friendly and sociable. It was easy to mingle.
“I wanted to catch you before you left. What did you think of Alex?”
“He was nice. Maybe not really my type, but nice.” The beta she’d introduced me to was a sweetheart, and he seemed interested. There just wasn’t a spark. It probably didn’t help that my mind kept drifting to Jonah and the McAllister pack.
“You didn’t tell me where you’re going after this.”
“Meeting some friends. I forgot I was double-booked today. Sorry.” I didn’t plan on telling Kat anything about the pack until I knew there was something to tell. She’d get her hopes up on my behalf, and it would be so much worse if both of us ended up disappointed. “You should get back out there. I’ll say good-bye to you now. I’m heading out soon.”
Kat nodded, but her gaze was on something over my shoulder. I turned and saw most of her packmates grouped around Alex, laughing. He was smiling broadly along with them. Steve reached out a hand to rest on Alex’s arm, something intimate about the gesture. I looked back in time to catch Kat’s frown. She’d noticed the same thing.
“Is something going on with the pack, Kat? Do you want to talk about it?”
She looked like she was struggling to answer before she finally huffed out a breath. “Let’s get a drink soon, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
It suddenly didn’t seem right to leave her. I started thinking I should reschedule with the McAllister pack. Then someone walked by our little hiding place, and my world tilted. Chocolate and cinnamon.
I froze. My breath stopped in my chest. I couldn’t move.
My eyes found him instantly, but he was faced away so I only saw his back. He was wearing a light blue polo shirt and jeans, paired bravely with bright red casual sneakers. I almost smiled at the shoes, then got distracted by the rest of him. Tall and broad, with a narrow waist and firm muscles outlined by his clothes.
He was more filled out than he had been that night at college. This was a man, not a boy. An alpha man who owned every step he took.
I watched as people looked up at him as he walked past. Many of them smiled and tried to get his attention. Sooner or later, he was going to turn, and anxiety raced through me. Knowing he was here, so close, was enough. I didn’t want to see his face. I didn’t want to see his expression if we were introduced and he had no memory of me. Or maybe it would be worse if he did remember. Either way, I had to leave.
“I’ll text you later about meeting up. Sorry, I need to head out.” The guilt I felt about leaving her was far outweighed by my urgent need to escape.
Kat was squinting over my shoulder, probably trying to see who or what had spooked me. Her concerned gaze met mine as she nodded.
“It’s okay. But yeah, let’s talk soon. I’ll tell Mom you had to run.”
She slipped back into the yard, and I headed the other way, around to the path to the front of the house where my car was parked. I didn’t let out a breath until I was safely behind the wheel.
When I pulled up in front of Luna’s, the café where I was meeting the McAllister pack, I waited to get out. I didn’t want to be thinking about someone else. It wasn’t fair to them.
Somehow my subconscious had known he was going to show up. It had fed me dreams of that night like a giant flashing warning sign. Now it was over. He was back in the realm of memory, not right in front of me. The pack was here, awaiting my arrival. They were the ones I needed to focus on.
I let my mind drift to kissing Jonah in my office, to the way Toby had held me up when I felt faint. The other man faded to the background. In a way, I felt even more confident, like some old me had been left behind and something new lay ahead.
It was anticipation that coursed through me now as I got out of the car. My heeled sandals clicked on weathered red tiles as I made my way to the hostess, and I felt myself smile.
Jonah was the first to stand as the waiter brought me to the table, set in a shady part of the outdoor eating area under an umbrella. Then Toby and Luke followed. One chair was empty. William was missing.
What was the protocol here? I didn’t know whether to shake hands, wave… Jonah took away the decision. He stepped forward and encircled me in his strong arms, sighing and relaxing around me as though touching me brought him great relief.
“Sylvie,” he whispered in my ear, reverent, like a prayer.
