The Falcon Ridge Series Book 4: Art of a Girl

(Chapter song ‘Burn It All Down’ by League Of Legends)

SAMMY

“Sammy! What’s going on?!”

“Shush!!”

I drag Lisa into my office, stick my head out and look for the guys, then shut the door. I pace the room, holding myself and chewing my nail.

Bastian is messing with my head and I know this has to be some sort of joke or something.

Lisa hair. "What is it, Sammy?! You're acting crazy." She sits on the edge of my desk. "Sammy!"

I start to whine shaking my hands nervously as I walk across the floor. "Lisa. I don't know..."

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

“You can’t tell anyone. Not Dylan. Certainly not Eric." I stared into her blue eyes.

“Ok. I won’t tell.” She says.

“Promise me, Lisa.” I look at her sternly because she’s blabbering mouth.

“I promise! Sammy!” She shakes me out of frustration.

“Ok!” I push her off me. “He kissed me.” I blurt.

"Who?" She searches my face.

I swallow. "The Alpha." I squeak.

"Get out!" She pushes my chest making me stumble on my heels. "Oh my God! Sammy, that’s awesome!" She squeals too loud for my liking.

"Lisa!!!” I stop her from jumping. “No! This is horrible. I shouldn’t have kissed him back." I turn and pace again.

“You kissed him back? Was it good?” Sh sits on my desk age.

I turn with a whine. “It was so good, but Lisa…” I sit in the chair. “He’s horrible! He’s angry, self-absorbed. Lisa… He told me if he wanted me, he could have me. What am I going to do?”

“What? Like in a threat kind of way?” She asks.

“No.” I sit up. “No… More like a challenge. Like that kind of I won’t know how it happened…” I try to figure him out and it hurts my head.

“Oh, well… Go for it!” She grins and taps my arm.

“No! Lisa are you crazy! He’s my client, for one. Two, he could be really horrible for me.” I stare off into the room thinking about what this could do to my walls.

It would also ruin our work relationship by massive proportions. Yes. He’s super attractive, large and I guess charismatic, but his level of egotistical, narcissistic tendencies is something I really think I don’t want to be involved with. My problem is that kiss was so fabulous, I’m not sure if I could stop the next one. Could he actually win this?

But first and foremost is my mental issue. If he triggers that somehow and I hurt him, I don’t even want to think about it.

“Look. Sammy. It’s easy. All you do is test the waters. You don’t have to go all serious. Just taste a little and see where it goes.” She shrugs.

"Lisa...I can't.” I whine.

"Sammy...” She pushes off the desk and leans on my chair. "It's the freaking Alpha! Are you kidding? You be a big girl and get the play you desperately deserve.” She grins.

"But…”

She stood me up. "No, buts. I have to live through you, damn it. Now, you go and have sex with that Alpha." She says sternly, pointing to the door.

"Oh my God!" I push her away and scowl. "No. It can't happen."

She crosses her arms. "Why? What's so scary?"

Although, Lisa is my friend and I tell her everything, she's not one of the four I confided in about what lies under my skin. I love her with all my heart, but I don’t trust her and there’s a very good reason I need to keep this as hushed as possible. A concern my dad raised when I was young.

The Alliance.

My dad's afraid that if they found me, they’d lock me up and experiment on me for the rest of my life. I don’t want that.

"There's some things you just don't do. I don't know. He said it meant nothing to him. Maybe I’m freaking out for nothing. 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. Just before it happened, he insulted me and yelled at me. Then yesterday, after it happened, he yelled at me again.” I furrow my brow.

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 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. A guy like Bastian probably has a different woman for every day of the week. I'd just be another hole in his belt.

I should easily be able to say no to that.

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. The problem was I wasn’t getting much done because the guys were off quoting other jobs so I had to hang these up some how and then get a look, but I’m apparently too short! Ugh!

I was on a ladder when I heard a voice behind me.

"That must of hurt."

I whip my head around to see Nigel smiling and motioning to my calf.

"Hi." I chirp. My savior possibly?

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 points to my calf.

I look down at my tattoo of the moon with a wolf in front of it. I got it when I turned 18 as sign of rebellion. 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 scratches 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 looks 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?" Bastian 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 prowls up to me and gets in my face.

I cross my arms and lock with his eyes. “Thank you for your help, Nigel. I appreciate it.” I don’t break contact with Bastian because it’s been a day and he’s already broken our agreement.

I glare at him. “This is my space.” I point to the door. “That’s your space. You want to yell at people, yell out there. This space is a Bastian free zone.”

“You have a lot of nerve.” His jaw ticks.

“I have my foot out the door.” I threaten.

He flicks his eyes to his Beta. "Nigel, get my coffee. I'll be headed to work soon." He turns and leaves the room.

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

Nigel climbs down and hands 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. The Alpha’s personality is really all over the place.

If he keeps up this behavior, saying no to him will be easier than I thought.

****

Over the next few hours, I was working out the details of the plans, when Bastian enters my mind and not in a good way. I thought about the kiss and…other things. I tried to keep my mind on my work, but it wasn’t working. Not only that, but it was really heating me up.

I sit up and rub my neck. I started feeling really uncomfortable. It's like someone cranked the heat in the ballroom. As much as I tried to stop thinking about Bastian, the heat in my body didn’t die down. Then I feel it. The scratching. The itchiness all over.

My eyes move from my plans to my forearm. My nails are lightly dragging up my arm as if by reflex. “Crap!” I rip my hand away and put it behind my back. “God. Not here.”

I look around the ballroom and think. “I can make it…I have to make it.” I pant heavily as my forehead starts to bead with sweat. I bolt out of my chair and race out of the room to the staff entrance.

I can make it. I can make it.

As I ran to the truck, I dig for my keys frantically while trying not to scratch the growing burning itch all over my skin.

“I can make it.” I hitch as I pull the door open and get it. Tears well as I start the truck and slam it in reverse. I pull out and slam it in drive. I pull up to the front gate and the guard hits the button.

“Come on!” I grit and bounce in my seat as I start to scratch my arm up. I flick my eyes to my fingers. My nails are claws. “Come on!” I hit the steering wheel as the sting of the claw start to be felt.

As soon as there was enough room, I hit the gas, squealing my tires as I turned onto the road.

Tears stream down my cheeks as my arm starts to drip blood onto my lap.

“I can make it!!” I cry.

‘Let me out.’

I slam my bloody hand to my head. “No!!” I yell.

I go back to clawing up my arm and it rises up to my upper arm. I can’t control it. It’s controlling it. I try to stop it, but it just claws harder. My fingers dig in and pull, leaving gashes behind and I cry out as I speed down the road. Blood is soaking everything.

“STOP!!” I wail.

‘Let me out.’

“NOOO!!” I yell to the windshield.

I’m speeding through traffic and breaking all traffic laws. People are honking at me and swerving to avoid me as I turn corners wide and hit the gas.

“I can make it!!” I sob as the claws cut me more.

I turn into my driveway and park. I put my forehead on my steering wheel and cry hard as my hand involuntarily drops to my leg and digs its claws into my thigh. It pulls and I scream to the roof of the truck.

‘Let me out!’

I open the door and pour out of the truck. “I can make it.” I choke.

My other hand grows claws and starts to claw up my other arm. I have no breath as I run to the house.

“DYLAN!!!” I scream through burning tears. I’m leaving a bloody trail through the house as I fight the monster in me to the stairs.

‘LET ME OUT!’

“No.” I whine as I grab the banister and pull me up the stairs. My hand digs its claws into my side and rakes them across my stomach. I scream and drop to my knees, holding onto the banister.

I look up the stairs, clench my teeth and pull myself up. “I can make it.”

It claws my legs and other arm with every step I make. I’m shaking in pain and practically melting in the heat.

I smear blood along walls as I climb the rest of the stairs with exhaustion. I support myself along the wall in the hallway with my blood covered shoulder as my hand relentlessly claws my arm. I roll into the bathroom and fall into the sink. I hang my head for a second then raise my eyes to the mirror. “Oh god.” I whine as pink glowing eyes stare back at me.

“SAMMY!”

I hang my head with labored breath. “I can’t…I can’t…” I pant.

“I got you.”

I feel Dylan rush by me and the familiar sound of the metal rings of the shower curtain running along the metal pole. He starts the shower and turns it to cold.

“SAMMY! LET'S GO!” He grabs for me and my exhausted clawed hand swings around at him trying to claw his face. I let out a sound like an enraged animal.

He ducks under my arm and grabs me in a bear hug, pinning my arms. He picks me up.

“LET ME OUT!!” The beast roars using my voice.

“NOT HAPPENING!!” He carries me into the tub and turns me to the stream of ice cold water.

I lean forward and roar at the wall as my blood flows down the drain. She tries to claw me some more as my body temperature drops.

“Fight it, Sammy!! Don’t let it out!! FUCKING FIGHT!!” Dylan yells over my scream as he tries to hold onto me.

I lose my knees and fall. Dylan falls with me. My roars turn to wails of terror and excruciating pain. Dylan holds me as I lean forward and cry hard.

I feel the thing retreat. I feel the heat die. My nails come back. I feel all the pain of what it left behind.

“You did it, Sammy… You did it… You beat it…” He pants as he lays his head on my back.

I spin around in his arms and sob to no breath in his chest as he holds me in the ice cold steam.

“It's ok. It’s over. It'll be ok, Sammy.” He whispers over my cries.