Free Reunion with Her Alpha (Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance) by Joanna Wilson Page A

spirits. That man was a saving grace. She had met him last year, two months before she turned eighteen. He was taking the same music class she was at the junior college. He played piano, and she loved how his fingers floated and danced across the keys.
     
    They began studying together. From there came lunch. Then a dinner, and before Mila knew what had happened, she found herself in his arms, a year into their relationship. She loved him, but there was something about Charles that she found lacking. Eyeing the photo album again, Mila realized what it was.
     
    He wasn't Marty.
     
    Her phone rang and snapped her back to reality. It was her friend Carly.
     
    “Hey, what's up?” Mila asked.
     
    “Absolutely nothing.” Carly said. “How about you?”
     
    “A lot of the same. Charles is still at his night class and can't come over tonight.”
     
    “I can come over if you like. We can start planning that birthday party of yours.” There was
    something suspiciously sneaky about Carly's voice.
     
    “Sounds good, sweetheart. Come over. I’ll put some pizza in the oven.”
     
    ***
     
    Raking his hand through his hair, Marty stared at the Facebook page he had searched. Green eyes smiled at him, distant yet familiar. He could stare at them for hours. The way a few strands of her long brown hair trailed over those green eyes sent a sliver of warmth tingling through his spine.
     
    It had been three long years since he had seen those eyes, and if things went as planned, he would be seeing her very soon.
     
    Life had changed dramatically since he left home. He could never make up leaving the way he did. He just hoped she would give him enough time to explain things. He had never meant to hurt her in what he had done, but it couldn’t be helped.
     
    His parents dropped the news in his lap and the next thing he knew, he was in the backseat of the car driving across the country.
     
    After that, life had gotten a little overwhelming. He still shook his head when he thought about the secrets that were kept from him. The conversation with his mother. His father's stern eyes telling him--no, warning him--that he could never go back.
     
    “They gave me no choice.” He muttered to the screen.
     
    But not anymore. Marty turned off the computer and walked into his bedroom to finish packing. He made up his mind to leave and there wasn't anyone or anything in the world to change his mind. The flight for Mesa would leave early in the morning. As he piled the last bit of clothes in his suitcase, he had a brief moment of panic. How would he be welcomed back? Do people still remember him.
     
    But more importantly, did she still remember?
     
    Reaching under his bed, he grabbed the birthday gift that he had worked on for a few weeks for Mila. He had put his heart into it and he hoped she liked it. He carefully put it inside his suitcase and set it by the door to his bedroom.
     
    No turning back now, he thought.
     
    When he closed his eyes and drifted to his dreams, he was sixteen again on the porch swing, listening to her sing.
     
    ***
     
    “Wake up, sleepy head.”
     
    Mila swatted the hand that was playing in her hair. She didn’t want to wake up yet. It was too early.
     
    “Go away Charlie.” She grumbled. “I’m sleeping.”
     
    Charles smiled down at Mila. She had never been a morning person. He set the coffee he was holding next to her on the night stand and kissed her cheek.
     
    “Get up babe. I have the day planned out for you; you can’t get to it if you’re asleep.”
     
    Groaning, Mila rolled over on her back. “You are so lucky that I love you, otherwise I would throw you out on your ass.”
     
    Charles kissed her forehead. “Good morning to you too. Now get up and shower. I’ve got somewhere to take you.”
     
    An hour later, they were headed to Phoenix. She had stopped asking a while ago where they were going. He wouldn’t tell her.
     
    A little while later, they pulled up to a hotel. It was