Her Alpha's Sweet Traps

~Eliana~

The pictures on my laptop had been all I could keep myself busy with in the last seven days, after I had met with Alistair Duke. There was a picture I had taken of my ass immediately I had gotten home that day, as well as my neck.

From all indications, the injuries I had sustained were definitely from an animal’s claws, and I had confirmed it while looking through the Internet, and the notes I had been taken. However, when I searched for “Alistair Duke" on the Internet, I had seen he was a mad ass billionaire, and had officially become the sole CEO of his late parent's companies in the health, educational, fashion and industrial sector, all over the world. All my life, I had thought I was a princess, but now, I knew better.

The general name of his company was: “Duke’s Group", and it was a business enterprise that was known widely not only in California, but in other parts of America, as well as in other countries. There were several businesses owned by the Duke family, in names such as: “Duke Foods", “Duke City Hospital", “Duke Fashion House"; “Duke Group of Schools", and others in various sectors. Everything was practically owned by them, and a large percentage of the economy’s sector belonged to them.

How was it then possible for a billionaire, born to wealthy parents, who had lived all his life in comfort, to be a werewolf? Something just didn’t feel right at all. There was no way in the world that his fingernails had done something like that to me, but what if he had unusual fingernails? I hadn’t really checked.

Burying my head in my hands, I heaved a deep and thoughtful sigh. I had really thought I had struck gold for the very first time to prove that I wasn’t crazy, and that werewolves actually existed. It was unlikely though for a member of such a reputable family to have been bitten by a werewolf. Where the hell would he have come across one? I’m sure that he never went into the woods all his life.

Come to think of it, I was also from a rich home, maybe not as wealthy as his, but I was definitely sheltered and pampered all my life. Yet, I somehow kept friends of the lower class and went into the woods, and even deeper into the forests to play all sorts of useless games. It seemed quite possible that he had also been a rebellious child, and had gotten bitten by a wolf after going into the woods against his parents wishes.

Now, that was quite a possibility, I thought, as I picked up my pen, and scribbled down the idea I had just thought of in one of my notebooks. There were a lot of facts, myths, ideologies and conflicting oppositions in all my notebooks. People said I was insane, but I didn’t mind, as long as they left me alone to do what I was best at doing, which wasn’t just sitting at my study everyday, coming up with several ideas about werewolves and other supernatural creatures.

I heard my phone ringing, and I picked it up from the desk. I almost never received a call from anyone, and I wasn’t even expecting anyone’s call...except his call, which I had been awaiting patiently for a week now. I had contemplated calling his office to request to speak to their boss, but they were probably going to think it was a spam call. Besides, I didn’t know the exact office to call.

I swiped to answer the call, then pressed the phone against my ear. I didn’t say a word, and limited my breathing, waiting for whoever was on the phone to first say something.

“Eliana?” His gravely deep and intense voice, called over the phone.

“Alistair?” I said calmly, surprised that I was pleased to finally hear from him.

“Yeah, it’s me,” He said.

“I... I have been expecting your call. Have you been well?” I asked, showing concern, knowing fully well that he definitely had to be well, seeing that he was popular and the whole world would have heard in case something bad had happened to him.

“Yes, I’ve been well. I just had to deal with some stuff. Why? Were you worried?” He asked, and I could bet that he was presently wearing that half-smile of his.

“I wasn’t worried, just concerned,” I said, toying with my pen.

“What’s the difference? Anyways, I’m sorry for not calling you since that day...”

“It’s okay. After all, you still called,” I said, interrupting his apology.

“Does that mean you forgive me?”

I chuckled mildly. “I forgave you even before you apologised, I said.

“Great! Then, can I see you this evening?” He asked me.

“Um...”

“Please, don’t say no. I’d understand if you don’t want to go out on a date with me tonight because I’m a total jerk who didn’t call a beautiful lady like you after asking for her number, or probably because you’re getting off work late and you don’t have the time to...”

“Alistair,” I called, cutting in again.

“Yeah?”

“Take a deep breath, and calm down. First of all, I already said I’ve forgiven you. Secondly, I don’t work,” I explained.

“You don’t? Why am I surprised? I forgot for a second that you’re a princess,” He said.

I wore a light smile. “My family’s business has never been my thing, that’s why,” I said to him.

“You have older siblings?” He asked.

“Yeah. Two sisters, and one brother, and they’re all in my family’s business, since that’s the next quest you’re probably going to ask,” I replied.

I heard him heave a sigh from his own end. “You’re lucky then. I’m sure that’s why you’re parents don’t put pressure on you. Even if you refuse to get involved in their business, they’d still have others to do it, unlike me.”

“You’re an only child?” I asked, acting like I already didn’t know.

“Yes, I am. I never got to think of what I truly wanted to do with my life, because right from the moment I was born, my life had already been planned out for me. I couldn’t have any dream or aspiration, because there was no one else to do it besides me,” He said, sounding really emotional.

“I’m sorry about that,” I apologised.

“You shouldn’t be. It’s not your fault,” He said, his voice returning back to normal.

“I still feel sorry though,” I said, over the phone.

“If you really feel sorry, make everything better by going out with me tonight,” He said.

I pretended to think about it for a minute. “Fine then. I’ll go out with you tonight,” I said.

“Yes!” He exclaimed, sounding like he was really happy about me accepting to go out with him.

“It’s a dinner date, right?” I asked, in order to confirm what I should put on.

“Of course, mademoiselle,” He said.

I stifled a laugh. “I’m not French, remember?”

“Shoot! I forgot, and I really wanted to impress you,” He said.

I gave a small laugh. “If you really want to impress me, get me chocolates,” I said.

“I’d definitely do that. I have to go now. I’ll come pick you up at 6:30, okay?”

“Okay then,” I said, and his line went off before I could even say “goodbye" to him.

My phone chimed, signalling that I had received a message. Hoping it wasn’t a spam message, I clicked on it. Lo and behold, it was from Carrie, the only friend I had made in college, where we had both studied zoology.

The message read: “I’ve looked over and over again at the pictures you sent to me. They were definitely from a wolf’s claws. However, reports have shown that wolves have gone in extinction in California, but then again, we can’t always be so sure. Call me.”

I had sent the pictures to Carrie, stating that a friend of mine had been bitten by an animal. I had been sure that the injuries bore the semblance of an animal’s claws, but now, the expert had concluded that it was definitely the claws of a wolf.

Alistair Duke...Who exactly was he? I’d keep playing along starting from tonight’s dinner to find out who he truly was, and if he was hiding something away from the rest of the world.