by Ebony Olson
Weighed down with guilt, I trudged upstairs and sunk onto the lounge next to Jeremy. Taking one look at me, Jeremy put his arm around my shoulder, lowering his mouth to my ear. "Don't look so forlorn. You've done nothing wrong. He knows you need time, and he'll give you what you need." Picking up a bottle of water, he took a mouthful.
"Oh, cause I think I need mind-blowing sex. Knowing that comes with a commitment of marriage is rather daunting."
Jeremy spat his drink all over himself.
Chapter 15
Lunch was at a little port town further down the coast. We walked into the seaside village, everyone hand-in-hand with their date. Stopping at a seafood restaurant, we ate our lunch out on the deck overlooking the sea. After our meal, we continued into the village to shop at some of the little shops.
Before heading back to the boat, Bob dragged us all to a little family-run Dutch ice creamery. Heidi and Juliet refused to eat any when the salesman offered them to sample a few flavors. I wasn't so restrained. After testing my fourth flavor, and moaning at how nice it tasted, I ordered a double scoop in a waffle cone. Turning around, I found everyone smirking at me. "What?"
"Like ice cream, do you?" Jeremy teased with a waggle of his brow.
My face grew warm. "It's a very nice ice cream."
"Damn, straight it is." Throwing his arm over my shoulders without warning, Bob tried to pull me into his side. Jolting, I winced, dropping my cone. Moving quickly, Dale caught it.
"Shit, sorry, Vera." Removing his arm, Bob pouted and cursed under his breath.
"It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry, it's a habit after this long."
With a nod, Bob moved away to take Juliet's hand. Offering me back my ice cream, Dale focused his eyes on mine. It took me a moment to realize I was about to cry, and that's why everyone was now avoiding looking at me.
Ignoring the ice cream, I stepped into Dale. Wrapping my arms around him, I buried my face against his chest and breathed. His earthy scent filled my nose, my lungs, then diffused into my system. My heartbeat slowed, and my tears evaporated.
Shifting his stance, Dale pressed both his strong hands into my back, firm, and reassuring. By the time I stepped back from him a minute later, the others were outside. Even the sales assistant was at the far end of the store, his back to us as if we needed the privacy.
Swallowing with discomfort at the public meltdown, I looked around. "Um, what happened to my ice cream?"
"Jeremy took it." Dale glanced outside where Jeremy was finishing off my cone. "I'll get you a new one." Lips brushing my brow, Dale tucked my hair behind my ear.
"Thank you for holding me." In case he thought I cared about the ice cream more than what his scent did for me.
Stroking my cheek, Dale gave me a gentle smile. Stepping up to the counter, he ordered my ice cream again, before ordering his own. When the clerk handed us our cones, he also gave Dale a bag with several tubs in it, I raised a brow at the bag.
"Whenever we come here, we stock up on our favorites for home. I got you a tub as well." He grinned at the smile on my face.
"Dale, don't get me used to you spoiling me if it's going to stop once you have me."
Dale's smile faltered. Caressing my cheek, he brushed his mouth across mine. My breath rushed out of me; my head dizzy. Staring into my eyes, his were focused and intent. "Vera, I already have you, so get used to me spoiling you. I haven't even started yet."
"You haven't?" Could he spoil me more than he had already today?
"Oh, no." Dale shook his head, his eyes darkening. "Just you wait until you allow me to fill your body."
The desire to be in Dale's arms naked destabilized me until I felt boneless and limp. In my head, I saw me screaming my pleasure as he filled me, and I collapsed sated to his chest.
"Then, I will give you whatever you need. And, if your prediction from our bonding proves true, you will never want for anything ever again."
Staring up at him awed, a switch clicked, and I frowned. "What prediction?"
Dale's eyebrows lifted, his eyes lightened as he straightened. "You don't remember?" Leading me out of the shop, Dale frowned when I shook my head. "What do you remember?"
"You bit me, it felt wonderful, and then I fell asleep. Why, did something else happen?"
Considering me, after a moment, Dale relaxed. "You murmured something, but I won't ruin the surprise if you can't remember."
Opening my mouth to object, Heidi cut me off.
"Do you know how much fat there was in ice cream? If I don't want to bloat before my shoot next week, I can't touch a lick of it."
Brows low over his eyes, Jeremy seemed unimpressed by her attitude. I couldn't help but notice Heidi was eyeing me and my ice cream the entire time she ranted.
Wrapping his arm around my waist, Dale slowed our walk, so we weren't within hearing of the others. "Jeremy can't stand it when women go on about their figures, or if they criticize another woman. Don't expect Heidi to be joining us on our outings anymore."
"Why not?"
"Because I know that look on Jeremy's face. He'll be shaking her free this evening." Considering something, Dale smirked. "Or tomorrow morning."
"Wait, so he knows he's going to break up with her, but will let it go for another night so he can get laid one last time?"
"I dare say it will be more than once." He put his mouth to my ear. "The girls usually leave walking funny on Sunday's. We like to get as much as we can when we can, even if that means very little sleep."
Eyes wide, I tripped remembering how often Dale and his ex-wife had sex in the vision he showed me. "So, being a hundred years old hasn't dampened your sex drive?"
Dale's laughter was silk on naked skin. "Goddess, no! Twenty-first-century women are the freest since pre-Christian times. We would be idiots to not enjoy the freedom from oppression that women have fought long and hard for. I'm a suffragette. Give women more rights and confidence to be the sexual beasts men fear. All the better for the men who don't suffer ego issues."
Doubtful of Dale's statement, I lifted a brow. "You don't have an ego?"
"Of course, I do. Every man does, but I'm secure enough to know that I don't have to beat a woman down to make me feel better. Men have been doing that for thousands of years because they feel it's the only way to have power over a woman. But oppressing women isn't the answer. Mistreating women doesn't make you a man, it just highlights an inferiority complex."
Raising a brow at his jovial passion, I tilted my head assessing him. "Feel strongly about this, do you?"
"Don't you?"
"But no one has ever raped or beaten you, so we care about this for different reasons."
"I had a mother, Vera. My father never harmed her, but her father..." Dale drifted off. "I've lived for a long time. I lived through a time when women and children were possessions. As long as you didn't kill them, you could beat them or do whatever you wanted with them. I've watched spirited girls lose the light in their eyes as pathetic excuses for men broke them. All in the guise of protecting them or family pride."
We took a few steps in silence with Dale's eyes focused ahead. "When I became strong enough to draw my pack-mates to me, I made it clear; in this pack, we adore and cherish women. They are never harmed." Glancing ahead to Jeremy, Dale shrugged. "Yes, we enter casual liaisons. When Jeremy ends it, he will make it about him, and their age difference. Or he will be honest and say she needs more maturity before it could work. He won't be mean or an asshole about it. I've seen him do it in a way that the girl thinks she's the one ending the relationship."
Watching ahead, I could see Jeremy having the capability of ending things well. "Juliet seems lovely. She said she and Bob have been on and off over the last four years?"
"Juliet came from a bad home. Whenever things get serious between them, she panics and ends it. The first few times, it hurt Bob, now he takes it as a turn in the season. They've agreed to be in a relaxed relationship. They see other people, but it's never serious."
>
Watching how Bob let Juliet sneak a few licks of his ice cream when Heidi wasn't looking, my stomach warmed. "Do you think they'll make it?"
Dale gave my waist a squeeze. "I would wish for any of my pack to find the happiness of love and family."
Happiness flooded my system, but there was a little sadness too. Malcolm and my father stole twelve years of life, of love, of belonging to this pack. Learning about my own people was fascinating, I wanted to know more, and yet, I hesitated to ask. Trepidation of knowing why we were different from humans. The dread of finding out things that would haunt me, about myself and these men I was starting to like. Fear that someone would take it all away. So, I stayed quiet and let my questions build in my head, slotting clues together.
Returning to the yacht, we set sail home. Already exposed to more sun than I had in my entire life, I stayed in the inside. Sitting by me, Dale talked with the others. Every now and then, he tried drawing me in on the conversation, but I was happy to answer and return to listening. Arriving back at the port in the late afternoon, we disembarked towards the carpark.
"Why don't we get dinner here?" Jeremy suggested. "Saves me cooking when we get back."
"Sounds good to us." Bob smiled.
"We'll pass. Vera already had something out for dinner."
Dale's answer serving as a reminder that I'd offered to cook for him tonight. The others decided to stay for dinner, so we waved goodbye, and Dale drove me home.
"I'll duck home and get changed, then come down for dinner, if that's okay?" Dale checked as he pulled up out the front of my place.
"That would be good actually. Will give me time to get it on and have a moment to myself." Stepping out of the car, I let myself in as Dale drove his car up the drive to his place. Locking the door behind me, I set my bag from the sailing trip in my room. Rushing into the kitchen, I spent fifteen minutes getting dinner started.
In my bathroom, I frowned that my skin was a little pink. Stripping, I showered before rubbing aloe in and dressed in a fresh set of clothes. When I came into the lounge room, Dale was standing on the back porch looking over the yard. Opening the door, I watched as he walked in with a black gift box.
"This is for you. I meant to give it to you for the last week, but it wasn't the right time."
Frowning, I accepted the box and locked the door again. Placing the box on the coffee table, I opened it. Inside was the stunning and expensive robe I'd seen at the lingerie store. Glancing up at Dale, I was speechless.
"Jeremy saw you admiring it. He called me, and I asked him to pick it up for me to give to you." Taking the seat opposite me, Dale observed the way I fingered the black satin. "It's to replace the one I destroyed."
"Dale, it's beautiful, thank you." Standing up, I took the box into my room.
While I prepared dinner, Dale sat at the kitchen bench. He asked about my love of cooking, discussed specific recipes with me, and then told me more about his hobbies. After dinner, Dale helped me clean up. "Thank you for a fantastic meal." Dale held my hand as I walked him to the door. "Could I see you tomorrow?"
"I need to run in the morning, but I'm free afterward."
"That's right, Jeremy mentioned bringing you up to the gym and teaching you a few moves. How about we have lunch together?"
"Sounds doable."
Smiling, Dale kissed me on the cheek. "Goodnight, Vera. I'll see you tomorrow." Brushing his lips across mine as he pulled back, Dale stepped outside. Waiting for me to lock the door, he walked to the path.
It was an early departure, and I wondered why he didn't even try for more of a kiss. An hour later, the howls sounded up at the main house, and I understood, Dale had responsibilities. Kissing me would have led to a delay, and we didn't need a repeat of last night.
Thinking about last night, or today in the shower, made me squirm. Turning off the lights, I retreated to my bedroom. It's about time I found out how that toy the sales assistant at the lingerie store talked me into worked.
Chapter 16
"You okay?" Jeremy stood above me as I coughed and rolled to the side.
Feet entered my peripheral, then Bob's voice scratched my ears like a bad itch. "Isn't she meant to be learning to defend herself, not getting thrown around like a rag doll?"
"All part of the process." Offering me his hand, Jeremy tilted his head, assessing me. When I stuck my finger in my ear and tried to get rid of the unhappy itch, Jeremy sighed. "It's okay, Vera. None of us like to see you mistreated, so even though Bob knows I'm training you, he can't help but get defensive."
Peering at Jeremy, I didn't understand the consoling tone he used. Maybe I'd flinched, and he worried I was going to spook.
Exhaling hard, Bob shifted his feet. "Well, Dale is waiting for you when you're ready, Vera."
Blinking at Bob, I was glad the itch had let up finally. "We agreed on lunch?"
"It's already eleven. You two have been at this for three hours."
Checking his watch, Jeremy lifted his eyebrows. "So it is. Okay, Vera, I want you to practice what we did this morning. We can have another session after I do the shopping on Wednesday." Nodding, I sat down to put on my joggers. "You got enough energy for the run home?"
"Yes, I'll be fine." Absentmindedly, I scratched my scar on my side. It tended to niggle after exercise.
Observing me, Jeremy clenched his jaw, and the sound of an angry hive of wasps filled my head.
Sighing, I stood up. "I stabbed him with a smashed bottle before he did this. It was self-defense on his part. He'd never cut me up before."
"Don't ever defend him, Vera. He should never have had you for you to get desperate enough to attack him."
Swallowing, I stared at the floor, trying to stop my eyes from filling with tears or retreating. The last was easier. Years of learning not to run or backstep from Malcolm. Still, survival instinct could undo any amount of resilience you tried to have.
When Jeremy snarled, I flinched, that made him scowl harder. "Fuck, I hate this! I'm sorry, Vera, I'll go calm down." Storming out of the room, Jeremy punched the wall on the way through.
The door slammed shut, I flinched again. Peering through my brows at the door, I found Bob standing with his back to me as if he'd stepped between Jeremy and me.
Bob turned his chin to his shoulder. "Grab your shoes, Vera, I'll see you out." His voice was terse as if he too were on edge. Shoving my feet into my shoes, I followed Bob out to the driveway.
We passed Howard on the way, he glared at me and all but spat at me. When he glared at me, I whimpered. "Oh my god, you're so weak and pathetic!" Howard launched at me. Backing into the wall behind me, I avoided his attack.
Grabbing Howard around the throat, Bob slammed him into the wall opposite me. "Go, Vera!"
Not needing him to tell me twice, I ran out of the house, down the drive, and then the length of the driveway to my cottage. Inside, I locked all the doors before crawling into my wardrobe and huddling into a tight ball. My heart was racing, and body trembling like I was outside in a snow storm. Any minute now, Malcolm would come through the door, drag me from my hide, and beat me unconscious.
This amount of fear wasn't healthy, but I'd had fourteen years of living on adrenalin. My heart jumped into my throat when two black boots below denim jeans stepped into the doorway. The owner inhaled, exhaled with a sigh, then they squatted down to peer into the wardrobe.
"Vera?" The plump lips below indigo eyes called a foreign name. "Vera, breathe, honey. Recognize where you are, who I am, that you're safe."
Those eyes were so gentle, so calm. They begged me to trust them. Something about them soothed me like his hands were rubbing down my back. Taking a deep breath, his scent intoxicated me, relaxed me, and without a doubt, I knew he'd protect me.
Crawling forward, I burrowed in against his chest. "Dale!"
Wrapping his arms around me, Dale put his nose into my hair and inhaled. "How am I meant to leave for the city tonight with you in this state?"
The idea of Dale leaving made me cling to him. Goddess, I didn't want to alone here with Howard next door. I didn't want Dale to let me go.
"Come with me? You can stay in my apartment, go shopping, we can go out to dinner, or you can cook for Jeremy and me." Dale waited for a few breaths. "Think about it. The idea of leaving you alone here kills me."
"Howard scares me. I don't trust him."
With his body rigid, Dale tightened his grip. The oxygen levels dropped, and his anger heated the air around us; but staying low, like a warm fire on a winter's night.
Whimpering, I snuggled tighter to him. Holding my head to his chest, Dale stuck his nose in my hair. "I know." We stayed like that for several more minutes, until Dale's phone ringing made him pull away. "Have a shower and get dressed. We'll leave as soon as you're ready."
After Dale left the room, it took me a few minutes to take stock of my surroundings and assure myself I was safe. Still shaking a little, I made my way into the shower. It wasn't until I poured the shampoo in my hand to wash my hair that I realized I was still dressed, sneakers, and all.
"...you don't cover for him, and you sure as hell tell me when he pulls that shit." Dale's angry voice greeted me outside my bedroom. Walking down the hall to the kitchen, I found Dale standing out on the back porch, growling into his phone. Noticing me, Dale took a breath to calm down and indicated he'd be a second.
"I understand that, but he needs to get himself under control." Dale looked at his watch. "You do that. I'm about to head out to my lunch date. We can discuss this when I get back." Hanging up the phone, Dale took a deep breath, then stepped back inside. "Sorry, are you ready?"
"How do you keep getting into my house?"
Looking sheepish, Dale shrunk into his shoulders as he lifted a key out of his pocket. "My former employee gave me a copy, in case he failed to turn up to work one morning." When I raised a brow at him, Dale shook his head and returned the key to his pocket. "If I hadn't had this, I wouldn't have been able to get in and help you when the goddess warned you of imminent danger."