Chapter 9

BASTIAN

My wolf was already crazy this week as I've been wrapped up with that damn doctor at the prison.

His incessant reports just keep coming and I have Fredericks pushing me to accommodate the fucking guy.

He still bugs me to no end. I don't know why, but I feel like he's hiding something. I did a background check and everything does checkout, but before he turned 18, it was like he never existed. I can't even find his damn birth certificate.

He spends all his time in the prison. Having private conversations with the Dragons here. I wish I could hear those conversations, but the good Doctor keeps his interactions under wraps.

I've been keeping an eye on him closely, but if he is hiding anything, he's good at it.

After wracking my brain, I felt I needed to see Sammy. I don't know why, but my wolf really likes her.

Seeing her in her white business skirt and pink blouse, had me stirring inside. The pressure in my pants increased when she had her back to me and I saw the faint outline of her thong. My mouth watered.

I was disappointed to hear she was going away for a week. I have to suffer with her business partner. I tried to think of anything I could say to change her plans, but came up blank. I have no right to force her to not take a vacation.

I need to get her to stay here somehow.

As I walk down the hall to my office, I stop.

I roll my head to a door. I open it and walk into the fairly large empty office.

I stand in the office and pull out my phone.

"Cheryl......Can you meet me in vacant office 4? I have a project for you." I smile as I push my phone back into my pocket.

I look around the office. "It's perfect."

****

It's been three days now. Cheryl's been working hard as my office coordinator.

I, myself, am going out of mind. Sam was right about Eric. He's good. He's just not her and I hate it.

I walk into the ballroom, aggravated and on edge. "What's going on in here?" I growl as I see the business partner and another man sitting and eating at the table.

"Alpha. We're just grabbing a quick bite before the furniture arrives in an hour.

"This place is a mess! Put the fucking food down and clean this place up!" I shout.

Nigel comes in behind me. "Um, Alpha. There's some work in your office that needs your attention." He smiles at me.

I squint at him. "Fine." I turn back to the men. "This all better be cleaned up before I get back."

Nigel turns me away and smiles at the men. "He's just stressed. It's fine. Finish your lunch."

He pushes me on. "You need to calm the fuck down."

"Why?" I grumble.

"Bastian, you just yelled at people for eating."

I lift my hand back down the hallway. "Did you see my trashed ballroom? Sammy would never have it so messy." I stuff my hands in my pockets as I scowl.

Nigel nods. "OK. Why don't you hide in your office for the next 5 days. It's clear Sammy not being here is making your wolf not think straight."

"My wolf doesn't control me." I growl.

"Bastian, your eyes are glowing." He tilts his head to me.

I stop and close my eyes.

I put my hands on my hips. I push my guy down and lock him up. I need to see Sammy at least once.

I look at Nigel "Get me Sammy's address."

He blinks at me.

"Now!" I bark.

He flinches and pulls out his phone to G****e her.

As he was typing, Cheryl jogged up to us.

She's smiling huge. "Alpha. It's done."

I grin. "Show me."

We walk to vacant office four and Cheryl opens the double doors.

The white carved oak desk is the first thing you see. The white throw rug on the marble floor lights up the room with the help of the large windows overlooking the flower garden on that side of the house.

The empty bookshelves will be filled with her books if things go the way I want.

I scan the room. "It's perfect." My phone dings. I take it out.

"There's her address. You...uh...really going to disturb her on vacation." Nigel raises his brow.

I grab his shirt collar and pull him to me. "If I don't get this asshole subdued, yours will be the first face I punch." I push him back.

"Ok. Go visit the decorator." He swallows.

A few minutes later, I'm peeling out of my driveway in my navy-blue Lamborghini Gallardo.

Heading to Sammy's house. I'm hoping a visit will put my wolf to sleep until she gets back before I kill someone. Maybe I can convince her to come back early so I can show her my surprise.

It's about a thirty-minute drive from the pack house across town, to the tiny home where Sammy lives.

I pull my car in behind her beat up truck.

Good, she's home. I grin as I get out.

I'm totally out of my element here. I never venture out of the pack house into town.

I look around the outside. The lawn a little rough, but it's kept up. The house is definitely humble. It could use some paint and maybe an upgrade, but it certainly reflects Sammy's mild demeanor.

I step to the front door and search around it. I press the button on the side and hear a small ding dong. I place my hands behind my back and rock on my heels as I wait for someone to answer the door.

The door opens to a lovely, older woman. This must be Sammy's mother. I give her my most charming smile.

"Good afternoon. I'm looking for Samantha. Is she home?" I'm polite as I can be.

The woman stood speechless. I awkwardly look at her as she says nothing. "Ma'am?"

She snaps out of it. She giggles. "Oh, yes. Um, Alpha. We...uh...we weren't expecting you."

"No. Of course, you wouldn't. I apologize for arriving unannounced." I run my fingers through my hair.

"No...no....It's no problem. Please. Do come in. Sammy's in her room. Um...I'm Karen. Sammy's mother." She leads me into the house. The tiny hall leads to a tiny living room with the modest kitchen off to the side. "Dale? The...uh...Alpha's here." Her words are full of nervousness.

I smile again. "Please, call me Bastian."

She returns with a grin. "Bastian. That's a handsome name. Um...lemonade?"

"Yes. Please." I wait in the hall as an older rather fit man enters from the other end.

"Alpha. What a surprise? What could the Alpha of Black Rock possibly want with us?" He puts out his hand.

I shake the man's hand. "I'm here to see Samantha. She's decorating my ballroom."

Sammy's mother approaches with a glass of lemonade. I take it and sip it. "This is good. Thank you."

She chuckles. "Honey, you remember the big job the kids were talking about?"

"Right. How could I forget. They were so excited. Business has been kind of slow."

"Really?" I arch a brow.

Dale folds his arms. "Yes. It's the sign of the times I'm afraid."

Before I could ask what he meant, Karen says she'd take me to Sam.

I follow her up the small staircase to the second floor.

She stops at a door at the end of the hallway and knocks on it. "Sammy? Someone's here to see you?"

I pop my head in and shoot a little wave. "Hi" I say.

She gets the expression on her face that I'm getting used to seeing often on her. She's caught in the headlights again with her brown eyes wide. "Wha?"

Her mother leaves as I enter Sam's little room. I look around. "For some reason this is exactly how I pictured your room to look like."

I spy her paintings. I knew I'd see them and I am not disappointed. They are exquisite.

I point. "My God...." I beeline to the stack of canvases. She jumps in front of me.

"No. Bastian. Don't." She has her arms out.

I lean to her. "Just a peek." I push her out of the way.

"Bastian...." She tries to protest, but I hold a finger up to her lips.

"Shush." I demand.

I turn back to canvasses and flip through them. I pull out a field with trees and the foothills of Black Rock. "Oh, I have to have this. This would look amazing in the ballroom."

"No! Bastian....My paintings are not for display. Do you hear me!' She stamps her foot and rips the canvas out of my hand.

I see a painting on her easel. It's covered in a cloth. "What's under here?"

I go to lift it and she slaps my hand. "Ow!" I pull it back.

She points at me with an angry face. "Hands off!" She gets between me and the painting. "Bastian, what are you doing here?"

I stand tall. "I came to visit." I sound very proud of myself.

"Ugh." She spins me around. "You can visit some other time. I'm on vacation."

"Wait!" I spin back around. "I have a surprise for you back at the pack house. I was going to show you when you got back, but the excitement is killing me. I need to show you now."

"Bastian. I'm trying to relax here." She whines.

"An hour...tops. Then you can relax all you want." I search her face. "Please."

She heaves a breath. "Fine." She grabs her jacket. "Lead the way." She waves me out of her room.

I drag her outside and to the car. I lift the door.

"Oh my God. This car cost more than my house!" She stands shocked.

I rub the back of my head. "I like Lambos." I shrug.

I help her in and shut the door.

I reverse out of the driveway and hit the gas down the road.

"Whoa." She says holding onto the seat and the door. “...a little fast." She looks at me.

"Yep." I glance at her with a smirk. I slow down a bit as I see she's all stiff in the seat.

"So...um. What's this surprise?" She folds her hands in her lap.

"You'll see. It took three days to make it just right. I'm hoping it's perfect, but you can change it if you don't like it." I say watching the road. I whip around a slow Civic.

She whips her head to me. Her luscious brown hair whipping around her head. Her eyes narrow. "What did you do?"

I lean to her. "You'll see." I wink.

****

Tiny electric shocks go up into my hands as I walk behind her covering her eyes.

"Bastian...What is this?" She asks.

"Almost there." I lead her down the office hall and stop at door four.

"Ok. Now." I take my hands off.

After a second, she turns folding her arms. "It's a door."

I lean my face close to hers with a grin and dreamy eyes. "Open it." I say quietly.

She huffs and turns. She slowly opens the door to the brightly decorated office. Her mouth drops. She takes small slow steps into the room.

I'm beaming behind her.

She spins. "Bastian. This is beautiful! "

I get close. "It's yours."

She steps back. "Mine? What do you mean mine?"

"You, Samantha Gale, are now the new pack house interior decorator. I'm hiring you full time and you will run your business from here."

I walk to her desk and pull off a paper package and walk back over. "All your staff will join you. You run an independent name, but your main client will be me. And I will be like your landlord. Here's the contract. I'm sure you'll see everything is in order and I'll pay you, of course.

She takes the contract. "Bastian. I can't take this."

"Yes, you can. I'm impressed by you and I can't lose you as a decorator. Your talents are just what this pack house needs." I walk over to the door. "I'll have Sam's Designs put on the door."

"This is sweet, but I like my little office in my garage."

"Sam. Please. Let me give this to you. You've put up with my selfish ass for so long now. Let me make it up to you. You can't tell me your garage office is better than here."

She turns and walks around the room. It's much bigger and there's even an eight-person round table in there for meetings and designing.

She smiles the cutest little smile I have ever seen. "Ok. I'll take it. You better not be messing with me." She wags her finger. As she walks up to me.

I shake my head. "Nope. Once you sign the contract, you can move in."

She goes to the table. She signs where she's supposed to. She hands it back me with slightly shaking hands. "Oh my God. I work at the pack house." She grins a toothy grin.

"You need to pack. Now. You don't need to pack your whole room. Just clothes and a few other things. Everything else will be provided for you." I say as I pull out my phone.

"Wait. I'm moving in?" She stops in her tracks.

"Of course. All my staff live here. It's a requirement to work for me."

"You never said anything about living here." She looks at me like she's going to kill me

My brows go up. "It's on page 2 of the contract." I flip through and show her.

She squints her eyes at me. "You tricked me."

"No." I raised a finger. "You should read before you sign." I smirk. "I'll call the moving company. I'll bring a car around to take you home.

"Bastian!'

I press a finger to her lips. "Shush. I'm on the phone." I wave bye, smiling as I shut the door behind me. I order a moving truck for my sexy decorator.