Chapter 4 LEENA
LEENA
I keep my eyes on the elevator door. Even then, I can still feel Grant staring at me. He had helped me do something I've been trying to do for so long. But that's not the only thing.
Grant is an absolutely stunning man. Everything about him, from how he carries himself to the sound of his voice, his scent, and his gorgeous face is hard to look at without melting.
When he stood in front of me, I was drowned by emotions I didn't really understand. They came in suffocating waves, and they're still here. Even now that we're back on the street, I still feel it.
The weather is much better now, with the sun doing its best to poke out again. Thick clouds still lie above us, but while the earlier ones brought doom and gloom, these bring a sort of hope with them. This hope does not follow me into Grant's car.
“Why weren't you driving before?” I ask.
“The meeting wasn't far away. Besides, I like the exercise.”
Every image of a conventional CEO has been washed away. This man is an enigma that I may not fully understand. However, seeing as I'm his assistant, I'll probably need to know more about him.
My head is such a mess that I lean into my side of the car, almost like I'm trying to melt through the door. Grant looks at me before starting the car.
Once I straighten from my slouch, the vehicle comes alive and we start driving. “We'll go to the meeting first,” Grant says. “I want you to watch closely and observe. That's all you need to do. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to.”
“Wait, what if I want to talk?” I inquire.
“Do you?”
“No,” I respond. “I'll watch and observe.”
He drives me to what looks like a really fancy restaurant. He gets out and considers rounding the car to open my door, but I’m already out, following closely behind him. When we get to the front door, I realize something terrible.
“Wait,” I almost scream.
Grant pauses and turns to me. “What's the matter? Did something happen?”
“Look at how I'm dressed,” I say, feeling heat flooding my cheeks.
“You look good. Besides, we're almost dressed the same.”
“Yes, but these are your clothes,” I protest. “They’re hanging on me. It looks terrible.”
“I guess that's a fair point, although I still think you look good.”
I look away from him, unable to contain my embarrassment. “I was told that my clothes would be sent over to your house. I'm sorry, but can I just wait in the car?”
“You know what? The meeting can always be rescheduled. Thankfully, that's going to be your job.”
My eyes widen. “You want to move the meeting because of me? No, you should—”
He silences me by shaking his head. “It's not an important meeting. Besides, Graham and Nate want me to take some time off work. I guess this is a way of doing that.”
A wave of relief washes over me when Grant returns to his car. Part of me feels guilty, but I'm even happier that I don't have to wait in an empty car for however long the meeting is supposed to take.
Grant dials a number once we’re back inside. “Our meeting will have to be rescheduled. Something unavoidable came up, and I have to attend to it.” There's some silence as the alpha concentrates on the call. “Alright. I'll talk to you soon.” he places the phone in the compartment between us.
That seemed so easy.
“Where are we going now?”
“We're going to my house,” Grant says. “I'm assuming you wouldn't want to go out, so we're just going to order food and pass the night there. By morning, we'll be on our way.”
Grant sees the confusion on my face and laughs. “Don't worry. You'll understand soon.”
We drive through the streets in silence. I keep my distance again without meaning to. I'm not sure I'm ready to handle Grant's intensity.
“How's Tom doing?” Grant asks. His tone is even, but I can tell that there's something more. Grant may be trying to get some information out of me.
“He's okay. I haven't really talked to him since I got here.”
“He personally recommended you, huh? The two of you must be close.”
“Not really,” I admit. “I guess he's just a good alpha and saw that I needed something else.”
Grant raises an eyebrow but keeps his eyes on the road. “Something else?”
“He admitted that I need a stronger alpha if I am ever going to master my wolf side.”
Grant doesn't seem fazed by this. “Is that the only reason?”
I shake my head. “Tom said I need some stability. He has a migrant pack and they usually move in cities. He figured that being close to nature is what I need. I didn't think that meant I'd end up in the city.”
“We're only staying the night here,” he explains. “I have a home in the city, but I hardly stay in it. Most of the time, as you will learn soon, we'll be staying on our own protected land.”
“Oh, that makes sense now. Do you know Tom?”
“I became friends with him after he took over the pack.”
I stare at Grant, not knowing if he's telling the truth or not. They're so different, with Grant being more of what I'd imagined an alpha to be.
Still, I get the sense that Grant is much older than he looks. I can't deny that if we were under different circumstances, I would think of him with more passion and desire in mind.
We enter an upscale part of town, clearly different from all the narrow streets we've passed through. This only surprises me because it doesn't seem like the sort of place Grant would want to live.
The alpha gives off the vibe of a very outdoorsy person, not the sort to enjoy the slow lifestyle of a gated community, but I could clearly be wrong.
We reach a large wrought iron gate. Grant clicks a button on his phone, and the gate gives way for us to drive into the compound. “That's really fancy.”
“Perks of being the boss and needing a pack house, I guess.”
Grant parks the car in front of what I would consider a mansion, and both of us climb out of the vehicle.
He leads me to the front door and I stop and scan the facade. “This is such a beautiful home,” I compliment. “How are you not always here? It's closer to work.”
“I prefer being close to nature,” Grant explains. “That's part of why Tom wanted you to come here. We're only going to spend the night, so let me show you to your room.”
I raise my hand to protect my eyes from the sun. As much as I try, it still seems to seep through. When my eyes finally adjust to the light, I find myself in front of the house I grew up in.
It's just how I remember, from the front lawn that we could never seem to keep tidy—to my sister's bicycle that she had gotten on her tenth birthday but never rode.
I walk to the front door and knock, feeling apprehension growing in my chest. My heart beats so quickly, I'm afraid it's going to tear out of my chest.
I hear footsteps approaching before the door opens. My mom appears, wearing an apron that she's used for most of my childhood.
“Hello,” she says, her eyes void of recognition.
“Mom, it's me.”
My mother frowns. “Who?”
“It's me, Mom. It's Leena.”
Mom looks from side to side, a habit she uses every time someone says something stupid. “I think you've got the wrong house. Whatever prank you're trying to pull shouldn't be on my property. Now leave before I call the police.”
“Mom, I'm your daughter!” My heart beats even faster, which I didn't think was possible.
“I have only one child and she's sleeping right now. I'm going to give you one last warning before the cops get involved.”
“No!” I growl, baring my fangs. My eyes turn and I watch as anger turns to horror on my mother's face. Her lips tremble as she falls to the floor. “Mom, I—”
“Get away from me! Help! Help!”
“It's me, Mom, please.” Tears start to fall now. I reach out to touch her, but the woman only retreats.
“Help?”
“Mom!”
My eyes open and the sun is gone. Everything around me—my house—my neighborhood—they're all gone too. I try to get my breathing under control as the walls around me finally come into view.
“What—where—”
“You were having a dream.” Grant's voice makes me jump as I turn to see him holding my hand in his. He gives it a gentle squeeze before setting it down on the bed. I suddenly find myself wishing he was still holding it.
“My mom…”
“What happened to her?”
“She didn't recognize me,” I say. “She said she only has one child and that isn't me. Is that how it's going to be for me? No one is going to remember me because of this… this curse?”
“No,” Grant says, looking serious. “It gets very difficult sometimes, but your family is going to remember you. These dreams are just a manifestation of the things you're worried about.”
“Then I may never be cured.” I try my best not to let all of my emotions show.
“How often do you have these nightmares?”
“At least once a week.”
Grant nods but says nothing. He takes my hand again and I instantly feel better. He rubs his thumb across the back of my hand.
“I know this must be difficult for you, but it really does get better. I can promise that.”
But can I believe it?
“Thank you.” I lie back down as Grant lets go of me. I face the ceiling and close my eyes, trying to wish for a dreamless sleep. I only open them when I hear Grant walking out of my room.
He really came to check on me.
Lying there, unable to sleep, even when the sun seeps through the curtains and blankets me in warmth, I remain motionless on the bed till Grant returns. He knocks on the door before peeking his head in.
“Hey, we need to get a move on. Would you like some breakfast first?”
I shake my head before rolling in bed and trying to get up. I get up and stretch, feeling no knots at all in my muscles. This bed was the best thing ever. It's just a shame I didn't get a good night's rest.
It doesn't take me long to pack up my bag. All I do is pick out some new clothes to wear. I end up going with a dark pair of jeans and a long-sleeved top.
I take the bag downstairs to the living room where Grant is hunched over a laptop.
Man, he really likes being busy. I've got my work cut out for me with this one.
“I'm ready to go,” I say. “Is it going to be a long trip?”
Grant shakes his head without looking up. “We'll be going soon. I just want to finish up something.”
I sit down on the couch close to him, taking my time to fully scan the living room. That's when a thought occurs to me.
“Grant?”
“Hmm?”
“Did you sleep last night?”
He looks up from the laptop, and I know the answer to my question before he responds. “No.”
“It wasn't because of me, was it?”
“No,” he says in a softer voice. “I just happened to be awake when you had your nightmare.”
“So they were right about your sleep schedule… or the lack of one.”
Grant chuckles lightly. “I guess they were.” He closes the computer and stands up. “Shall we?”