Within fifteen minutes Luke had rejoined them, only this time the blonde across the table had swapped seats and was now darned close to him. During the ensuing break when the food was being served, Ellie caught Luke watching her intently.
"What?"
"Your face looks flushed, is everything okay?" There was a hint of concern in his tone which increased the pink flush in her cheeks.
"Everything is fine, I still have my friend's sheathed meaning that you are still alive and kicking, the blonde next to you is hoping you will take her home, and I am still wearing a dress so why would anything be wrong?"
His hand lifted to stroke her face. "I hope your friends stay sheathed, every time I look your way I become more aware of how alive I am. The blonde will be sorely disappointed, as will I, simply because I am certain that the one I want to take home will not allow it. And the dress continues to be a hindrance when all I can think about is taking it off of your delectable body."
Her heart stopped for a split second when the noise from the room crowded her ears. She needed some air and soon. "Saying things like that is likely to result in an appearance from my friends. Now unlike you, I am still working so I will discreetly check how things are with Jase."
She didn’t need to check with Jase who was perfectly capable, but she did need to remind herself that she was working. Heading into the ladies she found Beth waiting for her in the stall.
"Beth what the hell?"
Her sister was somewhat unhappy, her frown meeting in the middle of her eyes. Turning to her left she found Vlad hiding in another cubicle.
"Beth hurry, I am in the most peculiar place and I do not like it. Ellie can you please stop frowning, it is causing Beth to become agitated and this in turn is causing me distress."
Ellie started laughing until Beth's face darkened. "Ellie, this is unacceptable. You are flirting with that Max who may be deliciously delectable, but he is not the reason you are here." The clearing of Vlad's throat made her sister pause before she revised her words. "Although not as delectable as my man. However you are supposed to look as if you are with Luke, but every time he speaks to you, you start frowning. This has to look realistic."
"Realistic Beth, did you know I have to do this for two god damned months?"
Her teeth were gritted as she spat the words. "Two long bloody months of pretending to be the girlfriend of a man who just pisses me off."
"In that case, I suggest you find a way to get over it if you want YOUR security company to flourish. Now do the job you are being paid to do, and flirt with your client. Already the reporters are checking you out, if you have to pretend to be the girlfriend then I suggest that you start doing it."
Ellie stormed out as Vlad poofed him and Beth out of the building, right now the teleporting crap was annoying. Jase was outside the toilets making sure they were not joined by any other party goers.
"You knew that she was in there didn’t you?"
Jace winced at her sharp tone. "I did."
"Why didn’t you warn me?" People were filing past them jostling Ellie all over.
"Beth seemed pissed which was slightly scary Ellie, she can be extremely intimidating especially with Vlad looking over her shoulder."
She ignored his comment. "Any other problems?"
"Um yes, Ben in his wisdom ate some of the chocolates sent to Luke and has been vomiting ever since."
Ellie's face paled considerably. "What, is he okay, what has May said? I need to go home."
Placing his hands on her shoulders, he stopped her. "Calm down, May thinks they have been laced with something. Ben is safe; remember human poisons can't hurt wolves."
She knew that, but just the thought of any of her family being hurt filled her with dread.
"Okay, okay, we need to leave here." A plan was forming in her head.
"Ellie stop, we have this under control. Ben wants you to remain here where it seems to be safe, however he wants you to bring Luke to Silver's for the night, your mom is setting up a spare room."
Ellie made to nod before the reality of his words hit. "I don’t think so; he is not staying in my house, no fucking way."
Jase stepped back in defence. "Don’t shoot the messenger. They are my orders."
Damn it, Ellie stormed off while her brain was trying to find another solution. Just before she went into the limelight AGAIN, she took a breath and plastered a smile onto her face. Heading to her seat, she placed a brief touch to Luke's neck before sitting. His hands were on the table where the blonde was engaging him in what had to be a stimulating conversation based on his bored expression. Ellie slipped her hand into his hand and was strangely gratified when Luke squeezed it in return. Ignoring the blonde he turned to her.
"Hey beautiful, are you okay? You look a little pale and were gone a while, although I like the extra affection you offer every time you return."
Still smiling, albeit between gritted teeth Ellie went for the honest approach. "My bloody brother in law can teleport, and just dropped my sister in to remind me to smile and flirt with you so I am, but don’t read anything else into it. When can we leave, someone sent you chocolates laced with something bad, and now Ben insists you stay on pack land tonight, but if you say no he can't make you."
She watched him think through her words. "I have a nomination for best album that I need to stay for, but we can leave after that. Whoever sent the chocolates can't know me well, I can't eat them. If Ben thinks it will keep me safe by being on pack land then I will do what he feels best. What's the matter Ellie, anyone would think you didn’t want me on your turf?"
Her head chanted KEEP BLOODY SMILING, she needed to make that her mantra. Beth had better be happy now. "I have no feelings about you one way or the other."
"Who mentioned feelings beautiful?" Ellie missed the next part of the show, people were going up onto the stage though it was only when the room started clapping that she noticed that she had been mentally absent for most of it. And then they were calling the nominations for best album, when it got to Luke's name Max nudged her to clap and show excitement while he whispered in her ear.
"If his name gets called, you need to stand, then make out that you are in love while you cheer and keep clapping."
And then his name was read out and Ellie followed Max's cues to the letter noting how strange this world appeared to be. As he made his way to the stage, she watched how natural he was in front of the crowd and cameras. Max pulled her arm to sit her back down to listen as Luke started his speech.
"Well good evening everyone, I hope you have had a terrific night so far. I have to thank the fans, without you guys I wouldn’t be here. I would also like to thank my manager Eric and my band as well as everyone who helps me to manage this life every day. Here's to hoping that next year is as delightful as this if not better, I finally have a beautiful muse who has made writing songs so much easier, she is my inspiration so maybe it will be a fantastic year for me." He looked straight at her as he finished his sentence, which consequently left no doubt as to whom he was referring to.
Heads swivelled, cameras swivelled, Ellie swivelled before she realised he was talking about her. KEEP BLOODY SMILING, KEEP BLOODY SMILING, no-one will know that you are plotting ways to kill the bastard; the thoughts running through her mind was somewhat dangerous and violent.
As Luke came back to his seat, he planted a whopping kiss right on her lips while everyone was still looking at her. Her face was aflame although the blonde had now moved away. Leaning forward still smiling she squeezed his leg before whispering in his ear.
"You bastard, you will pay for that."
Instead of sensing the tone, her majorly pissed off tone he lifted her hand and touched it to his lips sending a fissure of electricity through her arm.
"I tell only the truth and now would be an appropriate time for us to leave. Everyone will think that we cannot keep our hands off of each other."
She wanted to scream and punch him in the face; he was SO arrogant
and annoying. "Then we will stay until they get the message that there will be no touching."
"Ah but beautiful is that the safe thing to do?"
Luke wanted to wrap her in his arms and kiss her head. Her discomfort was so sweet, and for the first time in a long time he and his Jaguar were in agreement about something, they both wanted her and would get her.
Chapter 12
By the time they reached the car, Ellie was furious with Luke who despite her saying they should stay longer had decided to say goodbye to half of the room which in turn took nearly an hour of more air kisses and handshakes. Her jaw and cheeks were now sore from all of the smiling. Settling back against the soft seats, she closed her eyes trying to find a way to deal with this insane agreement without committing murder.
She knew that he was watching her and that he liked riling her up which for some reason seemed to amuse him. As they drove through the city Ellie took to watching the people milling about, anything was better than looking at his amused expression.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the Pack gates where Ben was there with Theo and a four wheel drive; both men were watching Ellie for any sign of distress. If Ben thought for a minute that anything had upset Ellie, she had no doubt blood would be shed and though she was safe and well she was pissed off which would displease Ben. With a sigh, she decided that it was time to plaster on the smile again.
"Danny can you take the car back to the hotel and make it appear as though Luke went back there."
Forgetting she had heels on she went to stride to the car, but instead she lost her footing and would have landed face down in the grass if Luke hadn’t caught her. Damn the man he was frustrating. Shaking him free she took her time and made it to the car and Ben in one piece.
"Ellie how did it go?" Ben was addressing her while watching through the mirror.
"Fine I just want to get out of this damned dress."
"Luke, we have a room set up for you. Tomorrow we will reassess the situation although May has already sent the chocolates to be tested."
Damn the man again, she was so caught up in her own feelings she had forgotten about Ben. "I thought you were sick, are you?"
"I was for a while Ellie, but only till I got the chocolates out of my system. Any idea who would want to poison you, Luke?"
He rubbed his hands down his face displacing his thick dark hair which had fallen forward. "None, it doesn’t make sense because if I eat chocolate I get crippling migraines."
When they arrived at the house her brothers were sleeping, but her mom was waiting with excitement etched across her face making Ellie groan, as a fan of Luke's, her mom even had the albums one of which Ellie saw in her hand ready. Rushing to intercept her mom Ellie was thankful that reached her first.
"Don’t do it mom just help me get this dress off."
Luke watched as Ellie and the woman at the door rushed off leaving him with Ben and a man who looked as though he could scare an army. He had scars down one side of his face, but they had been covered with tattoos and though the man had yet to speak, Luke knew that if he hadn’t had his Jaguar inside of him he would have been terrified.
"If your Jaguar needs to run free then there are 70 acres and this place is secure."
Luke was surprised at the offer from Ben, wolves were predators in their own right and running as a pack made them damn strong and territorial, so he hadn't expected to be able to shift here. "What about your pack?"
Ben smiled and clapped him on the back. "As long as you maintain control my pack won't have to act."
"Thanks for the offer, but my Jaguar is a closely guarded secret so I can't risk being discovered."
"Your choice though this land is as secure as you will get in New York."
His Jaguar was clawing at him in an effort to get out, he wouldn’t let it. Reaching into his pocket for his pills he found nothing, so it was with dismay that he recalled that they were in the car that was no longer here. With a sigh Luke accepted that it would be a long night.
After Ben showed him to his room he waited for Ellie to return, but she didn’t. As the night further drifted into the early hours of morning, he wandered through the lower level of this home, large, warm and made from wood you could see the craftsmanship in the structure. There must be younger children here for Luke could see toys although they seemed to be predominantly for boys. He had tried to sleep, but without the pills it was futile for he knew sleep would not come while his body was in turmoil with his Jaguar trying to dominate. He was pacing the lounge room when he heard a noise.
Slipping into stealth mode, he caught Ellie sneaking through the house dressed in a pair of tight black shorts and a blue sports top, she looked alluring, sexy and toned, and even though the baseball cap covered her hair he knew that it was her and clearly not her twin.
"Going somewhere beautiful."
She jumped at the sound of his voice. "I can't sleep so I am heading out for a run."
He stopped pacing to let a small purr escape as his Jaguar caught sight of her. "I too cannot sleep so why don’t we talk instead?"
Ellie watched him curiously, she saw the clenching hands, the wincing as if in pain and she had caught sight of the pacing.
"How is it that I can sense the need for your Jaguar to run free, but you can't?"
She watched him frown with annoyance evident on his face. "It is part of the constant battle, one you know nothing about and one you will never understand. To control the animal is necessary, without control chaos will reign." His tone was very matter of fact.
She stepped closer to him. "What utter bullshit, to survive both will have to find a way to live together? Suppressing your Jaguar results only in pain for him and you, what you are doing Luke is taking the cowards way out by hiding from the reality. Accept who you are both inside and out. Now if you don’t mind running helps me relax though I would imagine it helps your Jaguar too, but you're to bull headed to understand that."
Ellie took a breath as she left the house annoyed knowing that already she had gotten too close to him. Her heart beat was still pounding through her ears as she slipped the headphones from her pocket to crank up the tunes before she started running. She loved being outside, she knew this land from every angle so as her legs moved she felt the tension slipping away easing through her bones.
**********************
Luke watched from the window as she left, with her smooth graceful legs making quick work of her surroundings, so aware of her was he that he didn’t notice that another person was also struggling to sleep. The woman from earlier came to stand at the window.
"She is an amazingly astute young lady you know." Her voice was soft and proud when talking about Ellie. With her long dark hair, she seemed older than Ellie though too young to be her mother. Then he saw the shrewd look in the similar brown eyes and saw that she was indeed Ellie's mom.
"Too much so at times I imagine." Luke answered her statement knowing that Ellie's words had stung with truth even though his Jaguar had purred at her accuracy.
With a chuckle, the woman smiled at him. "Ah but Ellie is honest to a fault, she has always been strong, so much so that she has had no need of a significant other. She runs from herself and the pain that she may find in letting someone other than family into her heart. Though she has a point, even I can see the need for your Jaguar to run, to roam. Maybe he feels the need to protect her and be by her side." With that, she got up and left leaving his Jaguar roaring in his head.
He paced some more before he could no longer refrain from taking action, quietly opening the door he let his senses expand. The shift from man to Jaguar was painful which and yet another reason for his suppressing his animal. Once in form, he sat a moment taking in the enhanced vision the stronger scents and sounds, sounds that were so intense he could hear her footsteps even though she was at least two miles away. The man found it hard to calm the animal who took off after Ellie, his jaguar desperately wanted to be close to her.
; All around him, he could see evidence of the wolves from the scratches on trees to the multitude of scents surrounding him. The crisp morning air seeped into his limbs that preferred the heat of his homeland to the chill of the morning in New York, but he still welcomed the chance to run wild and free.
Ellie was aware of something behind her, without breaking stride she took a moment to analyse the sound noting that the footsteps were lighter than the wolves and the stride too wide for them. Closing her eyes, she hoped to be wrong yet knew she was not.
Luke had shifted to Jaguar and was gaining on her, within seconds he was by her side so sparing a quick glance her heart nearly stopped in awe of the sight that greeted her. If she thought the man was stunning, the animal was majestic with its sleek black lightly spotted coat, and intense green eyes she wanted to stop and take a moment to drink him in. She did not do this of course; there was no need to give the fool a bigger ego. Instead, she stole glances watching the graceful movements of his limbs as the muscles protruded to show every movement, his paws large yet silent.
She kept running knowing that for Luke, the pace must be like taking a walk in the park and as she bounded over the broken branches from trees and round the thick dense woods, Ellie noticed the silence around them not just in the lack of movement, but also the lack of sound. Even the wild wolves were keeping a distance from this predator.
As she rounded the woods towards the lake she came to halt, her breathing was hard as she dropped to the floor. As the Jaguar came to lie next to her tentatively she reached out a hand, fingertips brushing soft yet sleek fur, she was surprised to see a pattern of spots in the black.
As the animal purred she frowned. "So far I like you more than him so don’t start flirting like the fool who tries to keep you hidden."
Immediately the noise stopped which made Ellie smile. "Thank you." Taking a moment to enjoy the silence she didn’t realise that she had continued stroking the marvellous animal next to her.
"I love it here on Pack Land, I always have. From the moment we arrived here, this was home and from the start the open spaces and freedom called to me. I have always wanted to visit similar places to see if it is the same elsewhere. What about you huh, I bet you like open spaces. Has he ever allowed you to roam your natural habitat? I bet he hasn’t, the idiot."
Taming the Warrior Page 6