Love affair. She’d had a make-believe love affair with him. He shook his head. He’d never thought of Nat in that light. Once more, he likened her to wallpaper, in the background. She’d never really come to his attention until she’d spoken Japanese. Shit, he’d told Luke it was weird. She’d heard him call her weird. He cringed again.
“You’re a fucking douchebag,” he muttered to himself. You got that right, his werewolf whispered.
“I don’t need your input on this. Stay out of it,” he whispered to his wolf. He looked at his watch and sighed. He had to get in there and face her. She didn’t know that he’d heard her conversation. He knew if she did, she’d be mortified even worse, so would he. He’d have to act like nothing happened. Like he hadn’t insulted her intelligence and existence and broke her imaginary heart. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. You can do this; you pretend all the time around people you can’t stand. But you like her, he thought. Of course, he liked her, she was a nice person. He’d just never thought of her as anything else. Well never thought of her period.
He walked into the large makeup room and saw several models that would be working with him today. He smiled all around and went toward Nat’s seat.
“I’ll take you Sebastian, Nat’s got another customer coming in,” Tonya said, lifting her hand. He smiled at her, grateful. From the corner of his vision, he saw Natalya with her back to him, her long red hair was loose around her shoulders and hid her face. He’d seen it though, puffy and still red from her crying last night. There was a twinge that speared through him. He’d never been overtly nasty to anyone. It hurt somehow to know he’d done it to her, though he’d not meant to or even knew he’d done it. He’d disregarded her existence and she now knew it. He sat in the chair as Tonya went to work. He closed his eyes, but kept them cracked enough to watch Natalya. He watched as she welcomed the male model, who simply nodded at her and sat down. She got busy, but he could see her glace his way. When she thought that his eyes were closed, she relaxed.
He now took the time to study her. Behind the red puffy face, she wasn’t ugly. She wasn’t pretty or perhaps she was a different kind of pretty? She had a slight gap in her front teeth. Didn’t they say women with gaps in their teeth made good lovers? Why in the hell did he think that? Where had that come from. He’d never associated Nat and sex. Again, wallpaper. His gazed moved about her, his eyelashes not hindering him. She had a pouty mouth, full and almost too big for her face. Lips that could wrap nicely around your big ol’ cock, his wolf whispered. That jolted him. What in the hell? Since when did his wolf have an opinion about anything? And shit, he felt himself stir, hardening. He tamped down on that and gritted his teeth. Willing the erection to go away.
“You okay Sebastian?” Tonya asked.
“Leg cramp, sorry,” he muttered and shifted uncomfortably. Damnit, he’d not even gotten past her mouth and he was imagining lurid things, or rather his wolf was. He closed his eyes again and looked back over at her. He saw a soft blush creep up her cheeks. He knew she couldn’t see his crotch, since he had a cloth covering most of his body. His eyes went back to her mouth and he swallowed. Then he looked at her nose. She didn’t have a straight nose, it was short, not pugged like a pig nose, but well, just short. Pert. He saw one of her ears, she’d tucked her long hair behind one of them. It was a small ear with two earrings. It was delicately shelled.
He couldn’t see her body beneath the lab coat and its many pockets filled with God knows what. Luke had called her butterface. Did she have a nice body? His eyes strayed to her breasts but it was difficult to tell. She might have nice tits, but again, it was hard to tell under the coat. He couldn’t ask Luke or the man would screw with him for his interest in her. It might also put Luke onto her. Alphas were notoriously a jealous and covetous lot. If they thought you were interested in a woman, really interested, they took it as a challenge to take her away. It was power over another alpha. You might have her, but if I take her, I’m stronger and better than you. Sometimes it was a dangerous game. If an alpha was seriously interested in a woman, but she didn’t reciprocate and went with the other alpha, then she might end up dead or in the middle of a werewolf battle. Taking a mate was deadly serious.
Then he remembered Tonya mention the belly dancing. Belly dancing? His eyes shifted to Tonya who was combing out his hair and braiding it. Today, he was supposed to wear his hair in long braids. She was pretty, her mahogany skin was smooth and flawless. His eyes went back to Nat. Belly dancing. Huh. Never saw that one. It was true. He really didn’t know Natalya. What else didn’t he know? Why did he care? Now that she was on his radar, he couldn’t seem to shove her off. She always smells good, his wolf whispered. She does? He knew damned well she did. He scented the air, his nostrils flaring delicately. He detected a soft delicate scent and knew it was hers. She was getting close to her period too. He could smell the blood that would soon release. Perhaps a few days? Was that why she was so moody? Why his comments had hit her hard? Her hormones were in flux. That was another thing werewolves picked up on. When a woman was near her cycle and when she was in heat or rather at the apex for sexual readiness, a werewolf could smell it. That was when she was most fertile and it was powerful and could drive a werewolf to carelessness. He’d been lured on more than one occasion to that intoxicating scent.
It drove a man to near tearing the clothing off a woman. When she climaxed, hell, it was like an aphrodisiac. The pheromones released during orgasm drove werewolves mad. Most of the women he’d had sex with rarely attained orgasm though it wasn’t for him not trying. He was mostly in it for self-gratification. Hit it and quit it. But he’d been caught up in the lust and had to keep a tight rein on his wolf. Didn’t need the animal getting loose. Once again, he was startled to feel his cock hardening. What in the hell was the matter with him? His closed eyes slid over to Nat once more. She had her back to him but he could see her reflection in the mirror. He saw her small tongue come out and lick her bottom lip and his cock jumped. Oh hell no. This wasn’t happening. He had better control over himself than that. She is wallpaper, she is wallpaper, he chanted to himself. And she’s got lips that would fit nicely around my cock, a whisper floated up. His cock was now crushed inside his trousers, in full erection. This had never happened before and he was not happy.
He pulled his eyes away from Natalya. He couldn’t look at her anymore without looking at her mouth and wanting it around his cock. It was his wolf’s fault for putting the idea in his head and now he couldn’t get rid of it and he couldn’t stop thinking about Nat and about her soft mouth wrapped around his rock-hard cock. His eyes slid once more over to the woman. Now what in the hell was under that lab coat? Smokin’ hot pussy, his werewolf laughed.
THREE
There were women all around in various outfits. Most were in stretchy shorts and halter bras. Nat had a scarf with spangles wrapped around her hips. She and Tonya were at the back of the room. The noise was nearly overwhelming with everyone’s music playing. Each had their music turned loud enough for them to hear but with so many in the large auditorium, it had become difficult to hear.
“Let’s go outside, I can’t hear myself think and I’m moving to the rhythm of other’s music,” Nat said and picked up the small boombox. She and Tonya wove around the groups of other women. For their community, this competition was a big deal. You could make a national name for yourself if you found sponsors. She knew a lot of the women posted their videos on YouTube. She didn’t because there were trolls out there and she’d read the really shitty comments on several sights. She was in it for the prize money, $1000 for first, $500 for second and $300 for third. She and Tonya would split the money, but the bragging rights were what was important.
They began their routine and her mind was half on it and half on earlier today. God bless Tonya, she’d taken Sebastian for her and it had given Nat room to breathe. She had watched him sitting in his chair and it looked like he’d fallen asleep. The more she thought about it, t
he more disappointed she was in herself. She had foolishly dreamed up something and when it didn’t pan out, when it folded in on itself, she was hurt, but she’d blamed him wrongly. It wasn’t any of her business how and what he thought of her or if he never ever thought of her. Who was she to impose her will or desire on him? Creepy much? If he’d been a man doing that to a woman, it really would be creepy. If some guy she didn’t really know had done that to her, she’d have pepper sprayed him.
The more she thought about it the more embarrassed for herself she became. She’d lost herself in a fantasy world where she was the only player. She was so used to being alone with her three vibrators that she’d seriously lost touch with reality and the real world. That shook her. She was better than that. Sebastian might not think she was smart, but she was, though she’d not been acting that way for three years. Well, she had picked up a language. She spoke Spanish, from high school classes and she spoke Gaelic, from her Scottish grandmother. Her father didn’t speak it half as well as she did. She smiled at the thought. No, she was smart, she just hadn’t acted very smart.
She was talented. She painted, she wrote poetry, she belly danced and she could cook. She might not be rocket scientist smart, but she was smart enough to know she needed to pull her head out of her ass. There was a subtle shifting within Natalya. She threw off the self-doubt and self-recriminations. Yes, she’d behaved foolishly, very foolish. But Sebastian didn’t know and no harm no foul. She would treat him as she’d always treated him in the past, with kindness and good humor. She would be more professional and she would swallow down the hurt. She would apply Mr. Hurt Me Good to better uses with no-named imaginary lovers.
Tonya stopped the music and picked up her towel and dabbed her face. Nat picked up her water bottle and took a long drink.
“Tonya, what’s that app you use, you know the one for dating?”
“Getitgotit?”
“Yeah. I think I might do what you suggest. Get out there and meet real men and get out of my head. I’m gonna post my worst picture, so only the ones that are interested in meeting the real me will apply. No make-up and messy hair.”
“Good girl. It’s a nice app. You can ping or swipe if you get within a mile of an active app. A lot of people put their status on silent, you can do that. You’ll get applications and queries, but they won’t know if you’re actively looking. You can check them out before they check you out. I’ve met a couple of nice men on that app. It never went anywhere, but it was nice going out for casual dates. No expectations of sex or a relationship.”
“You’ve not run into creeps?” Nat picked up her phone and took a selfie. She was sweaty and her hair was a mess. Good, that was as bad as it got. She was sure most men would swipe and pass her by, but maybe one or two would ping her.
“Sure, but after chatting for a few times online, you can get the sense if they are creepy or not. The ones that set my tail bone to tingling I block and drop. You can chat for as long as you want and then, if you feel comfortable enough, then pick a very public meeting place and don’t let them near your drink,” Tonya said, a dark eyebrow raised.
“I can do this. I can go out into the real, well virtual world and find a real man, or well, kind of real until I actually meet him.” Nat laughed and it was good to laugh.
“One step at a time, grasshopper. We’ll find you a man, a real one, that will care about you for you and treat you like you should be treated.”
Tonya turned and reset the music and they began to dance once more. It was hot outside but it was at least quieter and she could concentrate on the music and her body’s movement.
As she laid in the cool water, Nat let her head fall back against the tub. She’d gotten two pings early. Nothing she wanted to pursue, but it was a start. Work had been good since Sebastian wasn’t slated to come in for another four days. She was glad, it was four more days to get her head right. To purge him from her heart and soul. He didn’t belong there; he’d not earned the right and she’d give herself over to a fantasy and had bought into it. She knew she needed to forgive herself as well. She was only human and she was lonely. She lied to herself, telling herself that having Sebastian as a fantom lover was just fine. It wasn’t. It was not quite sick, but it wasn’t healthy.
Perhaps her disappointment with the men around her had prompted her to make her own love life?
“How’d that work out for you?” she asked the ceiling. No, this was all on her shoulders. She needed to concentrate on her painting, dancing, her work and maybe she’d start a new language? French? No, that was Sebastian’s tongue, along with Japanese. She thought about his slight accent and then pushed the thought away. No more thinking about him. Korean. She would learn Korean. There were a lot of Koreans that lived in the city. That would be fun and it would keep her busy. She reached over and picked up Mr. Long and Slender. He was waterproof and she turned him on. Closing her eyes, she moved the vibrator down her wet body. The delicious anticipation began to build.
Dark eyes began to look into her own and she cursed softly. No more Sebastian. She started again, thinking of a blond man. She wasn’t really partial to blonds but it was the polar opposite of a certain dark man. She moved the vibrator lower and opened her thighs. She let it buzz her clitoris and her hips moved upward. She pressed it harder and she began to pant. Her hand found her breast and she imagined the blond stranger biting her nipple. She pinche her nipple gently and moaned. She slid the vibrator into her passage and clinched her muscles, feeling the build of an orgasm making its way to her core. This would be her last play for a few days. She’d started her period and by tomorrow, it would be full blown. As the intensity grew, she pushed her knees together and felt wave after wave flood through her. Her body shook as the vibrator hit just the right spot.
Natalya left the vibrator inside, still going. She panted as her heart rate came down and then plunged the vibrator deeply into her pussy. She pushed it hard and it was almost painful but she felt a hard slamming orgasm take her. A double hitter. Her hips rocked slowly in the water and she knew it was sloshing out but she didn’t care. It felt so damned good. Goodbye Sebastian, her mind whispered ever so softly.
Nat looked up to see Cristian and smiled. He was late and his model looked slightly annoyed.
“Hey woman, you look fab today. You do something to your hair?”
“Hey Crissy. No, same old same,” she said. She was gathering supplies; Sebastian was in her chair today. It would be the first time in over a week and a half since her fantasy world had come crashing down around her. Her house of cards had been reshuffled and set aside. She’d gotten a few more pings, but none had been worth answering. She’d blocked two of them because they got nasty when she didn’t answer. She was patient though. She’d not rush into anything. She had started her Korean language lessons and found them a little easier than the Japanese language. Either that or her brain was now trained to accept the information better. See, you’re smart. Stop, don’t bring up old hurts or bullshit. Live in the here and now and put the past and imagined past behind you, she thought doggedly.
It had been a battle to catch herself slipping. To chastise herself for her foolishness. That wasn’t good, healthy or constructive. She’d turned over a new leaf and she was working hard to build a better her. She turned when she saw Sebastian walk in. Her heart flipped and fluttered and she shut that down fast. No. Bad girl Bad, bad, girl. Be professional. Fake it til you make it. Don’t be creepy. Eww.
“Hi Sebastian, please have a seat. I’ll be right with you.” She gave her smile and moved to her counter and grabbed the cape to go over him. He smiled and nodded, taking his seat. She stopped herself when she started to inhale his scent. Bad girl. Stop. Dang, she’d developed some really bad habits. No wonder she was so screwed up. Nat kept her face neutral and didn’t look him in the eyes. She worked efficiently and even gave him a scalp massage as was her norm. She did that for several of her favorite clients so she figured it was okay to continue that pra
ctice for Sebastian. It wasn’t his fault she was a freak.
↔
Sebastian watched Nat work around him. Her face was frozen in professional mode, not its usual softness. She’d smiled at him and he’d experienced the slightest flutter in his chest. He thought perhaps it was his wolf. He fell back on closing his eyes so he could watch her. He also knew that she would be more comfortable that way. He took in her scent. She was nearing the end of her cycle. So now you’re keeping track of her bodily functions? a soft voice said. He mentally cursed himself. She’d been on his mind nonstop for over a week. She came to mind at the oddest time. He’d looked up the belly dancing thing and had thought it quite erotic. He wondered what she would look like? How she would move? He couldn’t quite imagine it since he’d never seen her body. For all he knew, she could be a little round blob.
He’d seen quite a few women dancing with some meat on them. That hadn’t detracted from the hypnotic movements. No, only when they didn’t do the dance well, did he lose interest. No, their body shapes didn’t determine what was sexy to him. It was their sensual movements that were well executed.
He had looked up the upcoming competition. It was a pretty big deal. Lots of money and publicity. His gaze went back to her breast which were well hidden beneath the coat and filled pockets. His gaze slipped back to her lips and he began to harden immediately. He shifted and looked instead at her eyes. Every now and then, her eyes strayed to caress his face. He didn’t even think she was aware of it. He saw the longing there and also sorrow. She might be acting indifferent, but her body language was saying otherwise. Her eyes were a cross between hazel and deep green. They were hazel when she worked on him but when her eyes slipped to his face, they shifted to a darker green. How would she dance? How would she perform? Another twitch from below. This was getting ridiculous. He was too old to be having unwanted erections. He had more control that that.
The Werewolf's Ball: The Resplendent Alpha Page 3