The Billionaire Alpha’s Dilemma

Chapter Five

This time when his senses were once again assailed by Isla’s scent Remi was ready and guarded, when he got to the parking lot opposite the bookstore he sat in his car for a moment and braced himself for the attack on his senses being around Isla would bring. it was already dark out and he could see the closed sign on Strand’s but he could also smell Isla’s scent as strongly as the first time he had come here, when he had left the store earlier that afternoon the open sign had been hanging, he wondered if she had flipped it close so she could work without distraction or if she had closed the store and gone to her place of residence. He reached across to the passenger seat where his blazer lay and took his phone out of a pocket, as he straighted up he noticed a movement at the door of bookstore and Isla came out wearing dark jeans, a T-shirt, boots and a mustard colored overcoat, she had taken off her glasses and that softened the planes of her face so that she looked like a fairy with her wide eyes and high cheekbones, as he watched her walk from across the road he enjoyed her movements and was so lost in it that he almost missed the shadow that disengaged from the shadows around the building and come skulking after a blissfully ignorant Isla.

Remi sniffed the air wondering how he had not caught a foreign scent from the person who had been lurking in the shadows, there was only one explanation for the absence of a scent and his wolf bristled and growled at the threat to Isla. He climbed out his car and soundlessly crept after the would be assailant, as Isla stopped beside a car about to get in Remi pulled at the man and delivered a blow then ducked as the the hooded man’s fist flew past his face, he watched from the corner of his eyes as Isla fled into her car and turned it on then began to reverse, relieved that she was doing the smart thing and putting her safety first he focused on taking down his strangely strong opponent and possibly extract some information as he pulled back an arm to deliver a jaw crushing blow when the hooded man whispered a chant and he felt his blood chill and his wolf whimper in pain, withdrawing into the depths of his mind. Remi became aware he was under a gorgonayz spell when he tried to raise his arm and found himself unable to, fortunely rudimentary spells like these lasted seconds on him thanks to the ring he always wore which had been fashioned specially by the sorcerers at the commune for the Alpha of the Lune pack. He watched with a sinking heart as his little pixie crept stealthily behind the man in the hood, good grief was she really going to use that baseball bat?

He was appalled at her foolish bravery and he watched as she disarmed the man who spun on his heel and faced Isla in shock, his arms raised in attack mode ready to hit her and Remi became filled with white hot fury when he saw that she refused to back down and the assailant who looked to be at least two times her size wanted to hurt her, he lunged and broke free of the magical hold on him and knocked the man flat on his ass then he stared at Isla in anger, he wanted to throttle her, he grew even more annoyed when he tried to scold her and she answered him with reproach, he simply wanted to haul her over his shoulder and hide her in a tower and if he was being honest the feeling of protectiveness had little to do with the pack and more to do with watching her tiny self willingly step in against an opponent who could easily hurt her.

“Ms Strand, I thought I had impressed upon you the importance of my mission and the part you play in it, if in your foolhardiness you had gotten harmed what would you have me do” he asked seething and not looking flustered even though he had just fought someone.

Isla glared back at him irritated that he would not acknowledge that if she had not stepped in when she did he would have become minced meat. “I have lived here for years and have never been attacked by a person that was able to casts spells to freeze another person till you came to my doorstep Alpha Remi” she retorted refusing to back down.

Bending down he examined the wicked looking dagger that Isla had knocked out of the assailant’s hand then he stood up, looked around then looked at Isla. “We have to leave right now” he said while going through her car and picking the bag he had seen her carry out of her bookstore and almost dragging her through the parking and to his SUV which he opened and picked and dumped her in the seat unceremoniously and dropped her bag in her lap, before he went round to the driver’s seat, when he jumped in and pulled out of the parking lot he spoke further.

“Where were you headed to” he asked her.

“The store assistant had an accident this morning, I needed to go see that she did not have any needs, she is an older lady who lives alone, I also need to tell her about my travel plans” she answered.

“Where do you live” he asked

“Above the bookstore,” eyeing the side of his well sculpted face she continued “I have a couple of questions myself, where are you taking me and who was that attacker in the parking lot, what did he want”

He glanced at her then sighed. “You can’t go back and you can’t see your friend, at least not tonight. I think that man might have been one of Pierre’s henchmen, he was able to mask his scent so I was unable to sense him and he appears to have some knowledge of magic, if we went anywhere they might be following us and that would be us leading them right to places that can make you vulnerable, we have to go to the jet and leave for France immediately.” Isla’s mind whirled as she realized how truly bad her situation currently was.

She had not thought of how dangerous it could potentially be, she was a bookstore keeper, the most excitement that happened to her were new books getting delivered, she felt overwhelmed, Ruth might be harmed because of this werewolf business, she was lost in thoughts of how exactly she was going to knock out the next person that tried to attack her or anyone she held dear that she didn’t her Remi’s question even after he repeated it until he reached an arm across and shook her.

“I’m sorry, what?” She peered at him.

“I asked if you found anything on the curse” he said

Looking around in a daze she saw her satchel on the floor of the car where it had slipped down when she turned around too look at her building as they drove away and pulled it up to her lap then patted it, muttering “I was going to wait till I got to Ruth’s before I called you ” then she broke down in tears, sobbing into her palms in frustration at how dangerous this adventure really was.

When her sobs quieted down and became sniffles Remi tried to comfort her with his words, “I am sure I brought whoever that was to your doorstep, I will get a nurse to come spend time daily with your friend and I will have her moved away from her home and i will keep you safe, as soon as the full moon is up all this will be over and you can wash your hands off me and my pack” resolutely driving through the light night traffic.

Picking up her phone Isla dialed a number and waited for it to ring before she put it against her ear and spoke.

“Hi Ruth”

Ruth’s warm motherly voice came through sounding concerned, “Isla honey, is everything alright, I thought you said you would be by this evening, I have been waiting for you, this cast is a damn mess”

“Oh I’m very sorry, I got very urgent very important summons from an important diplomat who wants me to come right away to France to see a very special book, I explained that I needed to check on you because you are incapacitated and depend on me so he is going send someone to come take care of you, you might have to move out of your house until you feel better”. Isla hated lying to Ruth because not only was she the closest person to her and had raised her alongside Papa Strand, she was the closest thing to a mother she had but she did not want her unduly worried and if Ruth knew she was jetting off across the world with a werewolf she would definitely insist on trying to stop her or coming along at least.

“This sure feels very strange are you sure everything checks out? This is not a scam is it? How did they find you? I will not go to an old people’s home Isla, I’m too young” Ruth queried further.

“I promise it is legit, I have checked the credentials and it checks out, It was actually Papa Strand they came looking for and it won’t be an old people’s home, and it will just be for a week, I should be back by that time” Isla assured her.

“I hope you take care of yourself, bring me a keepsake from France, you know I’ve always wanted to go.

“I’ll bring you the biggest baguette I find, take care, I love you” Isla said earnestly before ending the call.

Looking out the window she watched as the car turned off the main road unto a dirt road that led towards what looked like a private airstrip, even though this was her first time on a plane and her first international trip she could barely muster any excitement. When Remi came to a standstill beside a small jet she opened the door and came down by herself, reluctant to be touched again by the Alpha.