“Actually, I’m just here to pick up an order before I go back to my hotel.”
She breathed a sigh of relief.
“But I’m sure I could ask the waitstaff to plate my meal so I can sit down with you.”
Oh crap.
“Sounds like a plan. We’ll wait right here while you go talk to them,” Dee said sweetly. As soon as Zac was out of earshot, her gaze narrowed at Astrid. “Speaking of childhood crushes …”
“Oh, shut your dirty mouth.” Astrid tossed a piece of bread at her. “That was years ago.”
“Five years ago. Hannah’s wedding.”
Astrid cringed at the reminder. “Which only proved my point: he didn’t even know I existed back then.”
“Right.” Dee brushed an imaginary piece of lint from her blouse. “So, tell me the entire story this time.”
Astrid knew she didn’t have a choice, so she filled in the details of how Zac fit into everything. She tried to pass it off as casually as she could without giving any hint of what had passed between them. Because, as far as she was concerned, there was nothing between them.
“Oh, my. Do you think Zac’s going to be the next Beta?”
Hmm, she hadn’t even considered that. “It seems logical, I guess. He is Nick’s son.”
“It’s not that logical,” Deedee said. “The position of Beta isn’t passed on, like Alpha. Oh wait, shush, here he comes and—uh-oh.”
“Uh-oh? What do you mean, uh-oh?”
“Zac’s coming back, but he’s not alone.”
Astrid looked behind her and saw who else was headed their way. Fucknuts. “The twins.”
Isabelle Anderson and Maxine Muccino weren’t really twins; they were actually first cousins as Isabelle’s mom, Frankie, and Maxine’s dad, Dante, were siblings. But, the two of them might as well have been twins because they looked so similar—same height, same petite frame, and the same mismatched blue and green eyes that everyone descended from the New Jersey Alpha shared. Both were also vapid and vain, and at one point, made Astrid’s life a living hell despite being younger than her.
“Hey, Dee!” Isabelle greeted. “Oh, and … Astrid? Astrid Jonasson?” The tone of her voice sounded like she had smelled days-old fish.
“Hello, Maxine. Isabelle,” Astrid said with a tight smile. Isabelle Anderson had been particularly mean to her, mocking in particular, her dismal fashion sense. As the daughter of a billionaire Alpha, Isabelle was always dressed from head to toe in the latest designer outfits. “Nice to see you here.”
“Well, we wanted to see Mama and Dominic,” Maxine said. Her mother, Holly Muccino, owned Petite Louve, and her oldest brother ran the kitchen on most days.
“But we ran into Zac, isn’t that nice?” Isabelle placed a hand on his arm. “And we thought, we should sit down to dinner together.”
Isabelle’s fingers stroking Zac’s arm really shouldn’t have bothered Astrid, but it did. She had to rein in her she-wolf, who was now gnashing its teeth at her.
“All of us,” Zac added.
“But this table is so tiny.” Isabelle pointed to the two-top Deedee and Astrid were sitting at.
Zac looked around the half-empty dining room. “It’s not too busy, I’m sure the waitstaff could put us at a larger table, right, Maxine?”
“Of course,” the girl replied cheerfully, which earned her a pointed look from Isabelle. “Er, let me go talk to the maître d’.”
After a bit of shuffling around, all five of them were seated at a larger, circular table, and Astrid found herself seated to Zac’s right with Isabelle on the other side.
“Nice shirt, Astrid,” Isabelle looked her up and down. “Did you get it at a vintage store? They seem to be popping up everywhere these days.”
She looked down at the pink T-shirt with the faded logo for an old bubblegum brand. “As a matter of fact, I did.”
“You’re so forward-thinking. You’ve always shopped at Goodwill, even when we were younger.” She flipped her hair and laughed.
Astrid felt a firm grip on her right wrist. When she looked down, she saw Deedee’s fingers around her hand which was already gripping a fork. When she dropped the fork and put her hand on her lap, Deedee released her.
“My mother was very practical,” Astrid said.
“And it’s not like you grew up without money,” Zac added. “You had that awesome loft in Tribeca. It was a converted warehouse, right? Uncle Sebastian owned half, and Meredith and Daric bought the other half. I remember going there for someone’s birthday, probably Deedee’s.”
“True,” Astrid said. “But when I was younger, I asked my mom if we were rich. She replied, ‘Well, I’m rich, you’re poor. Everything you have was bought with my hard-earned money.’”
Zac threw his head back and laughed. “Isn’t that the truth.”
Isabelle squirmed in her seat which Astrid counted as a win, though for what, she didn’t know. When she smirked at the younger woman, Isabelle’s nostrils flared, but she pasted a smile on her face. “Zac, I forgot to tell you, do you remember that old man who lived your building? Mr. Jones?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“I have the most hilarious story to tell you,” she tittered. “I was walking Fifi the other day and.…”
As the meal progressed, Isabelle masterfully manipulated the conversation so only she, Maxine, and Zac could participate. Astrid told herself it was okay, and she didn’t really want to chat with them anyway. Deedee glanced at her with a concerned look on her face, but Astrid shrugged and instead, dug into her delicious beef bourguignon, eating up every morsel. Stuffing herself with food felt like a good idea right now.
Finally, dessert was served, and when the check was paid, they all got ready to leave.
“Zac,” Isabelle said in a low whisper. “Maxine and I were going to check out this awesome club in the Meatpacking district. You should totally come with us.”
“And Astrid and Deedee too, right?” he said.
“Why not?” Deedee pulled at Astrid’s arm. “Let’s go.”
“I didn’t know you liked to go clubbing, Deedee,” Maxine said.
Astrid looked at Deedee. “You hate clubs.”
“What? I can’t change my mind?” Her grip on Astrid’s arm tightened. “C’mon.”
She knew what Deedee was trying to do, but she wasn’t having any of it. If Isabelle Anderson wanted Zac Vrost, then she could have him. It was obvious anyway that the young woman had her sights set on him. And why not? She was young and the Alpha’s daughter, and soon he would be Beta, and they’d be such a perfect Lycan power couple it made Astrid want to throw up.
She pulled her hand away from Deedee’s grasp. “You guys have fun. I have early training tomorrow, and it’s pretty grueling.”
Zac began to protest. “Astrid—”
“It’s fine.” She waved her hand at them. “I’ll see you all soon. Bye now.” She didn’t waste any time and grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair, then ran out the front door. She had barely put one arm inside her jacket when she heard the restaurant door open.
“Astrid. Astrid!”
“Shit biscuits,” she muttered under her breath. She supposed she could keep going, but she couldn’t exactly pretend she didn’t hear him. “Yes?” She spun around.
“Hold on.” Zac caught up to her. “Where are you going?”
“Back to Fenrir,” she said. “Like I said, I have an early day.”
“Let me take you there, then,” he offered.
“What about Isabelle?”
He sent her a blank look. “What about her?”
“Aren’t you going clubbing?”
He chuckled. “Me, clubbing? I’m not twenty-one anymore.”
“But you were … you said.”
“Did I say ‘yes, I’m going clubbing’?”
“Er …” She bit her lip. “I guess you didn’t.”
“My car’s this way.” He took her hand, and when the electricity from his touch ma
de her skin come alive, she jumped back.
“No!” she cried. “I mean …”
“Astrid,” he said in a low voice. The air around them became still and quiet. He took one step forward and she took one back. They repeated this until she found herself pressed up against the wall behind her.
“Zac?” she whispered, afraid to look up at him. He tipped her chin up, and she had no choice but to peer up at his ice blue eyes. They had grown dark now and he was leaning down and—
Poof.
When Astrid opened her eyes, she was back inside Petite Louve and had reappeared in front of a waiter carrying a tray laden with dishes. The woman shrieked as the plates of food crashed to the floor.
“S-s-sorry! I’m so sorry!”
Mortified, she turned tail and headed out the back door, her heart hammering in her chest. The cool air hit her face like a wallop when she burst through the rear door and ran into the alley that led to the dumpsters.
Oh God. She kept running, not really caring where she went, as long as it was far away from Zac Vrost.
Chapter Seven
Zac knew all about the five stages of grief, but right now, he was wondering if there was such a thing as five stages of what the fuck just happened? Because in the span of about ten seconds, he went from surprise, to disbelief, to denial, to anger, until he finally accepted that she was gone.
He ran back into the restaurant, figuring that’s where she’d be but didn’t find her. As he carefully stepped over a pile of broken dishes and food some poor, clumsy waiter must have dropped, he stalked back to the table where the three remaining ladies were waiting.
“Where is she?” he asked Deedee.
“Who?”
“Astrid.” He gritted his teeth.
“Um, I don’t know. You were the one who went after her,” she pointed out.
“Well, she … uh …” He didn’t know how to explain it to Deedee. Astrid had just disappeared without any explanation or reason. One moment they were talking and then … poof. He’d looked around, checking to see if she was behind him, but there was only empty space.
Where the devil could she have gone to? And more importantly, why?
“Zac,” Isabelle whined. “Are we going to the club or not?
Irritation built up inside of him. Isabelle Anderson hadn’t stopped hounding him since last summer when he came to visit. She’d grown up to be a beautiful and confident young woman, but Zac saw her as nothing more than a little sister. An annoying little sister at that, as she tried to insert herself into every outing he had planned with Lucas, Adrianna, or any of their mutual friends.
It was pure coincidence that he’d ordered food at Petite Louve tonight and saw Deedee. He couldn’t believe Astrid was there too. He hadn’t had a chance to go back and observe more of the training since Monday because he’d been busy with work. At least that’s what he told himself. Though truth be told, it was also because he had been scared of his reaction to her.
What had been a training and observational exercise for him had turned into something very different. His body’s reaction to her had been alarming, and he panicked. But it had also kept him up nights, and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. The way she smelled and the feel of her body against him. He wanted to know if her skin felt as soft as it looked or how her naked breasts would feel in his hands. In that brief contact they had, he could have sworn he smelled her arousal.
It had been pure torture, the last few days, but now that she was so close, he didn’t want to be away from her. He just wanted one taste, just to see maybe, just maybe, if he did and he felt nothing—or worse, weird—then he could put this damn obsession behind him.
“Zac? Earth to Zac?” Isabelle waved a hand at him, her sparkly bangles jingling as they crashed together. “Well, are we going? My driver’s outside waiting.”
“What? Oh. No.” He shook his head. “I have an early day tomorrow, too.”
“But Zac—”
“Goodnight, ladies,” he said, ignoring Isabelle’s protests. He quickly left the restaurant and hailed a passing cab to take him to his hotel. He didn’t feel guilty at all about leaving suddenly. He wasn’t lying after all, as he planned to make a very early day of tomorrow.
* * *
The next day, Zac headed into the Fenrir Corp.’s headquarters as usual, and walked toward the private elevators. However, instead of going to the executive floor where he had a temporary office set up, he went straight to the fifteenth floor. At this hour, the trainees should still be doing their drills. He had sent a message to his father earlier, letting him know he was going to be stopping by.
“Zac,” Nick greeted as he entered the gym. His father could barely contain the excitement on his face. “I’m glad to see you here.”
“Good morning, Dad,” he greeted back. “Glad to be here.”
“I was hoping you’d come back for another round of observation, you did so well the last time.” Nick motioned to follow him.
“I did learn from the best.” As head of security for Fenrir, Nick had been well trained in combat and made sure his sons were too. “What’s the agenda for today?”
“As you know, mornings are for combat training mostly. Today, we’re doing some jujitsu.” He pointed to the recruits who were paired off for the sparring sessions.
“Are they—” Zac stopped suddenly when his gaze landed on two of the combatants. Astrid was rolling around the floor with another one of the recruits. One of the male recruits. It looked like she had the advantage, but her partner hooked a leg around her and then landed on top of her.
Zac’s inner wolf roared with fury, and his fingers curled into fists, digging into the palms of his hands. Jealousy stabbed at him like a knife to the gut, seeing another man with her. It was irrational and infuriating at the same time, especially since he couldn’t do anything about it. It was a training exercise for God’s sake, but he still wanted to rip the other man’s throat out.
“Ahem.” His father’s eyes narrowed at him. “Zac, are you all right?”
He tore his gaze away from Astrid and the other man. “Yes. I’m fine.” When he heard Astrid’s laugh, his head snapped back. The man was standing now, but he held out his hand to her. She took it and got to her feet, then smiled up at him and spoke in a voice so soft, he couldn’t quite hear it. The man’s eyes drifted down briefly to the sports bra she wore before looking back up at her pretty face.
Another ugly streak of jealousy speared through him. Did she enjoy having him on top of her? The contact of their bodies? The way the other man’s eyes devoured her curves?
“Zac.” His father’s voice sounded like a warning now. “There’s nothing much going on here that you haven’t seen before. You should go back to the executive floor. I’m sure Lucas needs you there.”
“I’m fine right here,” he declared. “I think I really need to know how this training works, especially if I’m to be in charge of the Alpha’s security.”
Throughout the rest of the morning, Zac remained in the training gym, pretending to listen to his father’s and Meredith’s instructions or comments, or feigning interest in learning about how the training worked. Like a predator stalking its prey, his gaze fixed on Astrid. If she knew or cared he was here, she didn’t show it. It was like she went out of her way to completely ignore him, which only fueled the maelstrom inside him.
Finally, Meredith and Nick declared that the morning session would be over and they could all take their lunch breaks. As the group broke up, Zac tuned his enhanced hearing to eavesdrop on Astrid’s conversation.
“You wanna head to the cafeteria, Astrid?” One of the female trainees asked her.
“Sure—oh poop. I left my Fenrir ID back in my room. You know those cafeteria ladies are ruthless when you don’t have your card. You guys go ahead and I’ll follow.” She headed toward the other side of the room, to the stairs that led up to the sixteenth floor barracks.
Before his father could invite him to lunch,
he made an excuse about already having plans and quickly left the gym to make sure he was the first one to the executive elevators. Instead of heading back to the lobby, however, he pressed the button for the sixteenth floor.
Swiftly, he darted down the hallway, anticipation pumping in his veins. The door that led to the stairs opened and when he saw the flash of blonde hair, he didn’t waste any time. He grabbed Astrid and hauled her through the nearest door he could find—a broom closet, based on the small constrictive space and the various cleaning supplies on the shelves. Perfect.
“What in—Zac?” Whisky-colored eyes blinked up at him in surprise. When her gaze darted behind him, he knew he had to act fast.
“Oh, no,” he said. “You’re not getting away from me again.” He pulled on the string hanging from the lone lightbulb above them and plunged the room into darkness.
“What the hell? You can’t—mmm—”
Unsure how else to stop her from poofing away or protesting, Zac leaned down to press his mouth to hers.
Astrid’s lips were velvety soft and warm. She didn’t even protest, but eagerly returned his ardent kiss. Desire surged through him as he slanted his lips and she opened up to him. She tasted like the most delectable dessert in the world. Mine. She was all his and he would do his damned best to make her forget about any other man.
She moaned into his mouth and ran her hands up to his shoulders, slipping under his suit jacket. In turn, he moved his hands down her back, cupping her firm ass and pulling her hips to him so she could feel how hard his cock was. She gasped and pressed up against him, grinding herself to his erection, the scent of her arousal filling the tiny space.
He continued his assault on her lips, kissing her senseless, unable to stop. It was like he couldn’t get enough of her, feeding a desire inside him that couldn’t be quenched. He lifted her up, pinned her against the wall as he wrapped her legs around him, trying to find the perfect angle for her to—
“Oh!” She pulled her lips away from his and threw her head back.
He pressed his lips to her neck and continued to grind his cock against her as he sucked on her soft skin. That delicious scent of hers grew stronger, threatening to overcome him. She raked her fingers through his hair, tugging at the scalp.
A Twist of Fate: True Mates Generations Book 1 Page 6