When I woke I found him still holding me on his lap with his head leaned back against the headboard. I looked up at his face studying him as he slept. There was no trace of the monster that he had been the night before. There was only Andre.
Slowly, his eyes opened and he sat there staring down at me for an immeasurable amount of time. His brows furrowed into a frown as his eyes darkened in pain. He didn’t move nor did he speak.
“Hi,” I whispered, still groggy but unable to handle the silence any longer.
“Hi,” he answered, reaching down to caress my cheek, with the tips of his fingers. His face searched mine, looking deep into my eyes before he gently kissed my forehead. When he pulled back, his eyes searched mine again, “Are you okay?” he whispered. Hurt curtained his eyes and it twisted me soul deep, breaking me in a way that I had never been broken.
I leaned forward, feeling my heart pound as I did and kissed him. I didn’t want him to look at me hurt anymore…I didn’t want him to be in any pain, especially pain that I had caused. His eyes widened as his hand moved to my hair, tangling into it and holding me to him. I moved to face him, straddling his waist without breaking contact from the kiss. My stomach flipped as he groaned and shock gave way to something frightening and thrilling at the same time. His erection moved against the heart of me and I moaned.
His hands gripped my waist almost painfully, keeping me still. I groaned not realizing that I had been rubbing against him. Still, embarrassment didn’t plague me. Instead, something else pounded through me, demanding that he touch me…love me.
He stiffened and his lips, pressed together firmly as he pulled back to look at me. He sniffed the air and then, frowned. I was breathing heavy as I looked at him, confused. I didn’t understand why he had stopped kissing me…unless….
“Aurora,” he whispered leaning his forehead against mine, “We can’t…not right now.”
The truth slammed through me and tears filled my eyes. I was so stupid. He didn’t want me. He never had. He had wanted Katie. How could I have forgotten that?
Embarrassment raised it ugly head, taking over as I rose and ran from the room, reaching the bathroom and slamming the door, locking it behind me. Mortification slammed it’s brutal fist into my stomach as I looked in the mirror. What was wrong with me? First, I was terrified by him and then, I was willing to throw away my virginity…offering it up like a gift. It wasn’t like me.
“Aurora,” I heard him say through the door. His voice was thick with regret, “Please open the door.”
“Just go away,” I whispered brokenly as tears fell down my cheeks, “Please.”
I heard him sigh, “I-I’m sorry.”
I covered my face embarrassed further, not answering him. I just lowered myself to the floor and pulled my knees up to my chest and sobbed.
***********
I heard the door close a few minutes later, freeing me to leave my post in the bathroom without having to see Andre. Slowly, I rose from the floor and washed my face still unsure of why I had kissed him and even more unsure as to what had possessed me to want more.
I shook my head. I had just found out that my husband could turn into a monster at will and then, I had tried to rape him. I smiled bitterly, knowing there was something horribly wrong with me. Sadly, I didn’t think a doctor could fix it.
I took a deep breath and opened the door confident that he was no longer in the motor home. Still, I peeked out, feeling relieved when I did not find him in the room that held the bunk beds. I sighed and then, walked to the living room. Thankfully, he wasn’t there either.
“Aurora,” he said, behind me, causing me to jump. His voice was thick with emotion. I groaned as I realized he had been hiding it the bedroom. I turned, angry that he had tricked me and angry that I had to be around him. Worse embarrassment twisted through me again, leaving me hurt and bitter.
“Leave me alone, Andre,” I whispered as I walked around him toward the bedroom. Still, he followed me and I gritted my teeth.
“I think that we should talk about this,” he said, and I glanced up at him. A frown marked his face and for once, he seemed uncomfortable.
“No, we shouldn’t…ever,” I said, angrily getting the clothes out of the closet that I would be wearing for the day, “We should forget that it happened.”
I glanced at him again and nearly paused at the look of hurt on his face. I shook off the guilt. That look is what had gotten me into trouble to begin with. I would not fall for it again.
He sighed and then, stepped in front of me and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him, “Aurora, why did you kiss me?” He asked, after a few moments. He shifted on his feet and then, released me and rubbed the back of his neck.
I looked up at him with narrowed eyes, “I don’t know,” I said and then, laughed but it sounded twisted and broken, “I can promise that it won’t happen again.”
He winced as he reached toward me again but I moved away quickly, “Don’t come near me right now.”
“I know why you reacted the way you did,” he said, shifting again.
“Yeah,“ I sneered, “So do I. It’s called stupidity.“
“No. It’s because you’re ovulating,“ he said, calmly. I blinked, taking in what he had just said.
I shook my head vigorously and then, stared at him in shock, “What?”
He bit his bottom lip and then, stepped away from me, pacing furiously before he stopped, “I’m not the only werewolf in this room.”
I laughed then and then, shook my head as I took in what he was saying, “I’ve never turned into a wolf.”
“You haven’t transitioned yet,” he said and then, looked into my eyes as if worried, “It’s close though.”
“And how do you know this?” I asked, still wanting to believe that he was joking but something in his eyes told me that he wasn‘t.
He frowned as his eyes darkened, “Because we are only betrothed to werewolves,” he said, softly, “ And if you need proof…Your father was the werewolf that attacked me last night”
I shook my head, back and forth, “No,” I said, and then screamed, “No! I would know if I was a werewolf. I would know.”
He shook his head, “You didn‘t know about me and I‘ve transitioned my whole life,” he said, swallowing, “You’re a half-breed werewolf. You transition near your nineteenth birthday.”
“That‘s in January,” I whispered and then, my eyes widened, “You mean that I could transition at anytime now?”
“Before this season passes,” he said, frowning, “Probably before the month passes since you just hit your ovulation cycle.”
“Great,” I said, laughing, “So, can you explain what happened this morning?”
He shifted again, “You’re ovulating,” he said, biting his bottom lip, “And you are half-breed werewolf …so when you ovulate and you’re around me, you’ll…want to…mate.”
“Are you saying that I‘m in heat?” I asked, horrified and then, shook my head as I grimaced, “Oh please tell me your kidding.”
“I’m not,” he said, looking at me apologetically.
I started laughing and could not stop. I had always known that I was different. I just had not realized how different I was.
He fidgeted again, “It gets worse,” he said, when my laughter calmed. He shifted again.
“Why is that?” I asked, frowning.
“It’s your first time ovulating around us and since you have never had sex, I need for you to pack because your pheromones are running high and every unmated werewolf in this motor home park will be going crazy by tonight if I don’t take you away from here,” He said, grinning at my look of horror, “That means that I’d have to fight my own brothers and I don’t want to do that. It‘s bad enough, I‘ll have to fight myself…and all while resisting you. Honestly, I‘m not sure I can do it but I promise that I‘ll try.”
My mouth dropped open in the complete horror and embarrassment of the situation. My face blazed scarlet.
“Where will we go?” I asked, hiding my face in my hands.
“I think a hotel will be sufficient,” he laughed, nervously, “So, hopefully you can get over your anger and understand what this is.”
I couldn’t help it. The insanity of it floored me and laughter bubbled up, spilling over. I had to be going crazy. I had married a werewolf. Worse, I was half-breed werewolf and in heat. It was just too ridiculous to be reality.
Chapter Thirteen
Katie
The hotel we checked into was located in Haverts, Colorado just a town over from Timbly Mountain. It was a pretty town, nestled near the top of the mountain and a bit larger than the town we had just left. Still, the hotel was the only one in town.
I stared at the building as Andre picked up our bags. It was a two story brick structure that boasted cable television and Jacuzzi tubs. Staircases made of concrete and metal reached up to the second story. I looked at the keycard frowning at the number there and matching it to the number on one door nestled in the wall on the bottom story. We walked to the room with our bags in hand. Once inside, I looked around. The room held a bed, television, two scratched and scarred night tables and an equally abused dresser. I could see a bathroom through the door acroos the room. The Jacuzzi tub and shower was visible as was one curved side of a toilet. My gaze returned back to the room and I smiled sadly. Someone had placed pictures and had painted the walls in an attempt to cheer up the place. Sadly, they had failed in that but had managed to keep the room very clean.
I was still standing awkwardly in the doorway when Andre stepped behind me.
“This is okay, right?” he asked. I glanced back at him, seeing him shift nervously. My heart clenched as I realized what I thought of the room mattered to him.
“Yes, it’s fine,” I whispered, stepping further into the room and placing the bag that I carried on the bed..
“Good,” he said, relieved as he set down our bags and turned to close and lock the door.
“Andre,” I said, shifting uneasily, “I’m sorry…about this morning.”
He grinned, “Don’t worry about it,” he said with a shrug, “I enjoyed it until I realized why you were kissing me.”
“Oh,” I said, blushing again and turning away from him. I looked at the bag resting on the bed wondering if I should unpack and then, sighed as I picked up the bag and took it to the closet. Andre watched me with tension clear on his face. I wondered silently if the pheromones pouring from my skin were making him uncomfortable. I shifted uneasily as I thought of what he had said about his brothers. Would the pheromones cause them to lose their sanity enough to force themselves on me? The thought made my stomach turn but the next thought that hit me caused my blood to freeze in my veins. I turned to Andre as the color drained from my skin.
“Aurora,” he said, alarmed as he stepped closer, “Is something wrong?”
I frowned as I looked at him, struggling to speak, “My father raped my mother…Could he have done that because her pheromones were high?” I swallowed the bile that had risen to my throat at just voicing the question.
Andre shook his head as he looked at me pained, “Only if he had not learned to control the urges,” he said and then, sighed, “He may not have realized what he was doing. Though I must say that it is odd that your mother who was human at the time would put off that amount of pheromones but I guess if he was already attracted to her then, it is very possible.”
I nodded my head as sympathy flooded me for my father for the first time. I shook the thought away as I studied Andre. He seemed so young but he seemed to handle being a werewolf very well, “Before I ask this, I just want you to know that you don‘t have to answer,” I said and Andre tilted his head, curious, “How did you become a werewolf?”
Andre smiled sadly as he walked across the room and stood in front of me, “I was born into it,” he said and then, shrugged, “Just like you. My mother and father were bitten. Their family wouldn’t accept them after that. As a matter of fact, they were nearly burned at the stake. My mother suffering through the rejection of her parents is part of the reason why my mother took in yours. She felt bad for her.”
“Are your parents really gypsies?” I asked, suddenly curious about Gavriel and Sophia. After all, it was where Andre’s werewolf lineage had come from.
“If you mean people who travel from place to place, yes,” he said, “But my parents are from some peasant families in Europe. They’re over three hundred years old. They had just been married when they were bitten. It was an arranged marriage like ours. They helped each other through it. That’s how they fell in love. After that, they went through the transition. They didn’t have children right away because of fear of what we would be. When they accidentally became pregnant with me, they decided to find us spouses who were of the same breed as we were because they were sure that humans would not accept us. When my mother found Fiona, she had not set out to find my mate. She had only wanted to help her but mother could tell that you were a werewolf as soon as she was close enough to Fiona to smell you.”
“Sophia could tell that I was like you before I was born?” I asked, surprised.
Andre shook his head, “Your smell was seeping through your mother’s pores. It’s a smell that calls to us and lets us know another of our kind is near. When she realized what you were, my mother had thought that God had answered her prayers. She helped your mother and she did try to convince her of an arranged marriage from the beginning but your mother did not consent until you were a year old. I believe that she only chose to give you to me to protect you from your father more than anything else. My mother believed that it was a sign that she wasn‘t damned…that God wouldn‘t continue her lineage if she were cursed.”
“And that is how Marc’s and the rest of your siblings spouses were chosen?” I asked, frowning.
“Marc‘s spouse was but the rest were not,” he said, smiling sadly, “My parents weren’t the only ones attacked by the werewolf that infected them. They’ve found others like them with children.”
I frowned as I shook my head, “Still, it’s sad to be chosen this way.”
“It is,” he said and then, swept my bangs from my forehead, “But I see that it is the right way. Even if a human accepted what we are, there is a chance that we could hurt them and we don‘t want that.”
“I don’t think that you agreed with the arranged marriage the first day I met you,” I said, frowning as I remembered his anger.
“Neither did you,” he said, grinning.
I laughed and then, grinned, “You’re right, but I’m okay now.”
His lips lifted in a lopsided grin and my heart began to pound. I shifted uneasily and yawned.
“Are you tired?” He asked, frowning.
“I’m sorry,” I said, stifling another yawn.
“Don’t be,” he said, looking at the bed, “How about this…you rest and I’ll get us something to eat from the diner next door?”
I nodded my head, absently. He peeled back the covers and led me to the bed where he tucked me in and kissed my forehead. My heart squeezed again. He was being incredibly sweet.
“Don’t open the door for anyone,” he said, softly, “I have a key.”
I nodded my head as he opened the door, looking back at me one more time before turning off the light and stepping through and closing the door behind him. I yawned again, closing my eyes and slept.
********
I awoke slowly into a completely silent and completely dark room. I blinked as I looked around me, sitting up as I did. A warning whispered through me as I clasped the blanket to my chest and listened but heard nothing with the exception of my too quick, too loud breathing. I swallowed wondering how long I had been asleep. Surely, Andre would have woken me if I had slept too long. I blinked, concerned
Andre…Where was he?
There was no sign of him but still…
“Andre,” I said into the empty room and frowned when there was no answe
r, confirming that he was not there. I glanced at my watch and frowned again. I had been asleep for at least fourty five minutes. He should have been back long before I had a chance to waken. I swallowed as my mind conjured horrible pictures of what could have happened, pushing them back as they came. I couldn’t panic. I had to stay calm.
I straightend and rose, grabbing the key card from the dresser and walked to the door, only hesitating for a moment before walking out, knowing that I had to find Andre. I had to know that he was okay.
As soon as the door closed behind me a warning prickle of fear shot up my spine. I looked around me before walking forward, cautiously in the direction of the diner. I trembled as I walked into the parking lot, knowing that I could very well be walking into a trap set by my father. I shook my head of the possibility and continued through the parking lot.
I stiffened about halfway to the diner. I had heard…something. A feminine moan reached my ears, confirming the sound and I turned.
My mouth dropped open in shock as I seen Andre holding a female at arm’s length. My heart clenched as I watched him wipe away the red lipstick on his lips. He had been kissing her. I could feel my breath catch as the woman turned and I seen her identity, gripping my heart again in an unforgiving fist…Katie Ward…His ex-girlfriend.
I forced myself to breathe as I fought tears, blinking them back as they both turned to look into my shocked face. I shook my head and took one shuddering breath.
“I-I’m sorry,” I whispered, and turned, hoping that Andre had not seen the hurt on my face.
“Aurora,” he said, sounding nearly panicked but I walked away pretending that I had not heard him…pretending that seeing him with his ex-girlfriend did not destroy me.
My heart clenched as I quickened my steps, forcing myself not to run as I walked toward the hotel room. I felt my world crumble, knowing there was only one reason for that to happen. I loved him. I nearly laughed at the irony. Why did I have to find that out now?
I finally reached the door putting the key shakily into the electronic lock and turned the knob before taking the card out. I took a step in before I felt his presence behind me.
Beckoned (The Brazil Werewolf Series) Page 11