To Live and To Love (Black Wolf Agency Book 1)

by Jessica Swan

  “Very well, actually,” he said, and she could practically hear him smiling over the phone; he sounded so happy.

  “What’s her name?” His mother knew him too well.

  “Her name is Kate. You’d love her, mom. She’s amazing. In fact, that’s actually why I called you. I don’t have a lot of time to talk now, because we are on our way to dinner, but I promise I’ll call again soon. I just wanted to let you know, Kate and I are engaged!”

  “WHAT?!” screamed his mother excitedly over the phone. One would have thought she had won the lottery by how shocked and excited she sounded.

  “We’re getting married!”

  “That’s such wonderful news, son! I’m so happy for you! I can’t wait to meet this girl.”

  “Thanks, I’m sure you’ll love her. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”

  “Well, I had better not keep you from dinner.”

  “I’ll call again as soon as we decide on a date for the wedding.”

  “I can’t wait. I love you, James.”

  “I love you, too, mom.”

  James hung up the phone and turned to find Kate standing before him, dressed in an elegant black dress, all ready to leave for their dinner with Yvonne and Charlie. James got ready quickly, and they left to begin their twenty-minute walk to the restaurant.

  Kate and James got to the restaurant first, and the waitress seated them at a table for four. Shortly after they were seated, they spotted Yvonne and Charlie walking through the door. James waved to them, getting their attention, and they came over and joined them. He noticed Kate had put her hands under the table to hide her engagement ring.

  “Thanks for inviting us to dinner,” said Charlie.

  “Yeah, this is nice of you,” said Yvonne happily. “So, how was your trip to France?”

  “It was absolutely wonderful,” said Kate blissfully.

  “So, did you learn anything while you were there?” Yvonne asked James.

  “Yes, actually, I was researching the lifestyle of werewolves,” he answered in a whisper. It was true anyway, even though it was only a small part of the truth.

  “Werewolves?” she whispered back. “I know they exist and all; I’ve seen their dark silhouettes in alleys at night, but never got to see one up close before. What did you find out about them?”

  “Well, first of all, the Black Wolf Agency hasn’t encountered werewolves because they’re not a threat to humans. Their main goal is to protect the human race from vampires.”

  “How intriguing! That explains how some of the vampires we were tracking mysteriously disappeared,” replied Yvonne in an excited whisper. Charlie was strangely quiet during this conversation. “What else did you find out?”

  “They’re not allergic to silver, like the legend says. They’re also immortal, have complete control of their abilities, and can shape shift at will. In fact, they blend in with humans very well. You might even be sitting next to a couple of them right now, and not even know it.”

  Yvonne and Charlie had frightened looks on their faces for a moment. Then she started laughing as she came to the conclusion that he was joking. Charlie laughed as well, though it was a less convincing laugh.

  Just then, the waitress arrived at their table to ask them what they’d like to drink. James ordered white wine for he and Kate, while Yvonne and Charlie ordered a couple of margaritas.

  James continued the conversation once the waitress left the table, “They’re just like humans, except for the fact that they’re stronger, heal much faster, have a better sense of smell, and have night vision.” James thought he had better leave out the enhanced libido; he was speaking to his aunt after all.

  “How is it that you were able to find out so much information about werewolves?” Yvonne asked, barely audible.

  “The truth would surprise you,” said Kate.

  “And how is it that you know so much?” Yvonne asked Kate with a worried look on her face. Then she turned to James again and said, “You know, James, you better be serious about this girl. You’re supposed to be keeping this stuff a secret.”

  “We don’t keep secrets from each other,” James replied, smiling at Kate. “And yes, I’m very serious about her.”

  “Besides, I’m the one who told him about the existence of werewolves,” added Kate in a barely audible whisper.

  Yvonne and Charlie stared at her, wide-eyed in shock. They wanted to ask her more, but they weren’t sure what to say. A crowded restaurant surely wasn’t the place to finish carrying out that conversation.

  “Well, we can talk about this more tomorrow,” James added, wanting to move on to why they had invited them to dinner in the first place. “Kate and I have something very exciting to tell you.”

  “What is it?” asked Yvonne, her look of worry replaced by one of excitement.

  “We’re getting married!” said Kate excitedly, holding out her hand in front of them to show off her engagement ring.

  “Wow, congratulations! That’s great news!” said Yvonne excitedly, eyeing her ring. “And that’s a beautiful ring! Not to mention huge! Don’t take out anyone’s eye with that!” They all laughed at her joke, and then the drinks arrived. What perfect timing.

  “A toast to the wonderful, soon-to-be-married couple!” said Charlie, as they all held up their glasses and clanged them together.

  What a wonderful dinner the four of them had. Kate enjoyed getting to spend time with Yvonne and Charlie. They were such wonderful people. She absolutely adored them.

  After they left the restaurant, she and James decided to go for a walk through Central Park. Without feeling the burning thirst in her throat, tonight’s walk through the park was a lot more pleasant than it had been the last time. To add to the already romantic atmosphere the park induced, it started to snow. For as long as Kate could remember, she always loved the snow, especially at nighttime.

  They broke into a run while still holding hands. As they ran, Kate enjoyed the refreshing feeling of the snowflakes against her warm face and hands, and the quickening pace of her beating heart.

  ‘It feels so great to finally be alive!’ she smiled at the thought.

  They stopped at the same massive oak tree they visited last time and stood there under its branches as they watched the snowfall all around them.

  “It’s such a beautiful night,” said James, smiling.

  “Yes, it is,” she agreed.

  “There’s nothing like a cold, snowy night to cool off a hot-blooded werewolf, is there?” said a familiar voice from nearby.

  “Damian?” James said as he and Kate both looked around. They watched as Damian and Devon approached them.

  “I see the vampire to werewolf conversion was a success,” he said once they were only a couple of feet away. As the two brothers stood with them, Kate was at ease, because this time, there was no hostility, just two kind men wanting to talk to a couple of friends.

  “More like, we could tell by the smell that it was a success,” added Devon with a laugh.

  “Yes, it worked perfectly,” she told them. “Not only can I truly be with my soul mate now, but I can finally go out in the sunlight again, and no longer be plagued by the constant blood-lust.”

  “Yes, being a vampire must have really sucked,” Damian, laughed. The others chuckled in response. “No pun intended.”

  “And here’s the best news of all,” she said, holding out her hand to show them her engagement ring. They gawked at it for a moment in disbelief.

  “Wow, that’s a big rock!” said Devon. “It’s a black diamond, right?”

  “It sure is,” answered James.

  “Wow, so when did this happen?” asked Damian.

  “This morning, after I woke up from my conversion,” she smiled.

  “Congratulations, you two!” said Damian excitedly. “Did you set a date yet?”

  “Not yet, but we decided to have it in about a month,” answered James. They had discussed it earlier and decided that a mont
h was a reasonable amount of time to plan a small wedding. After all, Kate’s friends and family had been gone for centuries and there were only a few people in their lives that were important to them.

  “Yes, and actually, we wanted to know if you two would like to come to the wedding,” she said.

  “We’d be honored,” said Devon. “But, just curious, why are you inviting us?”

  “Earlier, when we were talking about who to invite, it occurred to us that there probably wouldn’t even be a wedding if it weren’t for you guys. Without your help, I’d probably still be a vampire, or possibly dead.”

  “Well, anything to help out a good person,” said Damian. “A true vampire at heart never would’ve wanted to become a werewolf. They hate us and loathe the idea of having anything to do with our kind.”

  “Well, thank you so much for what you’ve done,” she smiled. James grabbed her left hand and squeezed it lightly, fingering her engagement ring. Then he kissed her cheek softly. She blushed and an even brighter smile spread across her face.

  “What’s your address, so we can send you an invitation?” asked James.

  “Here, I’ll write it down for you. I’ll even write down my phone number in case you’ll need to ask us anymore questions.” Damian pulled a small notepad and pen out of his pocket, wrote on it, and tore out the sheet to give to James. “That’s the address of our apartment.”

  “Thanks, we hope to see you at the wedding,” said James.

  “You certainly will.”

  “Hey, just wanted to let you guys know, there might be a couple of job openings where I work, if you’re interested,” added James. ‘A couple more werewolves would make a great addition to the agency,’ he thought.

  “Awesome, we’re definitely interested,” said Devon.

  “Yeah, we got laid off recently,” added Damian. “It’s been tough finding work.”

  “I’ll check and let you know as soon as I can.”

  “Sounds good,” said Damian. “Alright, well, it’s time for us to hit the nightclubs. Maybe we’ll be as lucky as you and find that rare, perfect diamond among the cubic zirconium.” After he said that, he smiled and winked playfully at Kate. She smiled and winked back.

  “You’re right. I was extremely lucky to find her,” said James, smiling as he rubbed noses with her. She giggled and snuck a quick kiss before he added, “And, actually, you may find this hard to believe, but Kate and I met in a nightclub. I was the lucky one to spot her sitting alone at the bar and asked her to dance. After that, I believe anything can happen. Good luck and good night, guys. See you at the wedding.”

  “See you there,” said Damian once more as he and Devon disappeared into the night.

  “What do you say? How about we head home?” James grinned.

  “Yes, that sounds wonderful,” she sighed happily, and as she leaned her head on his shoulder, she said, “Home, sweet home.”

  The Beginning of a New Life

  ~ Chapter Ten ~

  * A Month Later *

  It was the day before the wedding. They had all the plans in order; the minister, the location, the decorations, everything. Kate asked Yvonne if she wanted to be her maid of honor. She gladly accepted, and was a big help with the preparations for the wedding. In addition to helping with everything, Yvonne insisted that Kate and James take a week off from work before the wedding, and another two weeks off afterward for their honeymoon.

  Shortly after they announced their engagement to Yvonne and Charlie, Yvonne offered Kate a job with Black Wolf Agency as the head of vampire management, which was ironic, but she gladly accepted it. Kate told James that the job sounded appealing, but it didn’t matter what she did in life, as long as she got to spend her time with him. That gave him such a wonderful feeling.

  When James woke up, Kate wasn’t in the bed. He went to look for her and discovered that she was in the bathroom.

  “Kate? Are you alright?” he asked loudly so she could hear him through the closed door. The door opened only a second later, and she walked out slowly.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she answered, a little distracted.

  “Are you sure? What’s on your mind?” Something was wrong he could feel it. ‘God, I hope she hasn’t changed her mind,’ he said to himself.

  “Nothing, I’m fine. What about you? How are you doing this fine morning, sweetheart?” she asked, a smile suddenly appearing on her face, as she seemed to snap back to reality.

  “I’m doing great. I’m so excited that we’re getting married tomorrow. How about you? Are you looking forward to married life?”

  “Yes, more than ever. I’ve waited my whole life for you,” she said, leaning in to kiss him.

  “So, are you planning to have a bachelorette party tonight?”

  “No, how about you? Are you having a bachelor party?”

  “No, if it’s alright with you, we could have our own party here instead,” he suggested. “You could even do a strip tease. I wouldn’t mind in the least.”

  “That sounds wonderful, under one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re not allowed to see my wedding dress. Not even any pictures of it. It’s bad luck. Wait, make that two things. The second, I will do a strip tease, if you do one for me.”

  Laughing, James said, “We’re going to have such a wonderful life together, Kate.”

  “Yes, we will, and we’ll enjoy every moment of it,” she said with a smug look on her face.

  That day went by like a breeze. They spent most of their time outside, enjoying the sunny, clear day. People looked at them strangely because they were dressed in light, comfortable clothing, rather than bundled up with coats and scarves on such a chilly day. They didn’t care what anyone thought; they barely noticed the attention they were receiving from anyone. They were in their own little world, enjoying every moment of each other’s company.

  When the sun went down, the happy couple ventured home and prepared two large, delicious steak dinners, their new favorite food. After they finished their meal, they brushed their teeth, took a shower together, and were ready to head to bed.

  “It’s only 8 o’clock, and we’re already in bed. If anyone hears about this, they’ll compare us to a senior couple,” James laughed. Kate laughed in response. He loved to hear her laugh.

  “The only difference is they’d actually be going to sleep,” she said, kissing him. This kiss wasn’t as passionate as usual. It was a softer, sweeter kiss. James knew something was on her mind.

  “Is everything alright, honey?” he asked her, concerned. “Is there anything you need to talk about?”

  “Actually, yes, I have something to tell you, James.”

  She sat up to look at him, and he could see the worry in her eyes.

  Concerned, he sat up, so he was face-to-face with her and asked, “What is it? What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  “Promise you won’t freak out?”

  “Yes, I promise. I don’t know for how long if you don’t start talking. What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

  She took a deep breath and sighed.

  “I’m pregnant,” she whispered. She was afraid of what his reaction would be.

  “What? Really?! I didn’t know that was possible!” he was freaking out. Thank God not in the way she feared he would. “Holy shit!!! We’re really going to parents? We. Are. Really. Going to be parents?! I’m actually going to be a daddy?”

  “I didn’t think it was possible either, to be honest. Vampires are infertile, so I got used to the idea of never having children. I had no idea that werewolves could reproduce. I never even considered the possibility, until I started feeling the symptoms a couple of days ago. So, yes, we are going to be parents and yes, you are going to be a daddy.”

  He sat there for a moment, dazed and in shock. Kate spoke again, bringing his mind back to reality.

  “You’re not angry are you?” she asked in a sweet and innocent tone of voice.

  He smiled at her,
his gaze meeting her gorgeous, gentle eyes. “No, not at all, honey. I know I freaked out there for a minute. It’s just, out of all the things for you to say, that one never entered my mind. But how could I be mad at you, especially for something like this? To tell you the truth, this is a big surprise. Honestly, I think this is wonderful news. I always dreamed of having kids one day, and having them with you is definitely a dream come true.”

  “Aww, really?” she said. James could tell she was excited and truly happy. She lay down and stared up at the ceiling with a bright smile on her face, her cheeks a rosy pink.

  “Yes, and that’s the honest truth.” He took her hand in his, caressing it softly. She looked over at him, her face still lit with happiness. She noticed his smile matched hers.

  “I’m so glad you feel that way. I was afraid this would change things between us.”

  “Well, it will certainly change things, but definitely in a good way.” He lay down next to her, pulling her close, so they could cuddle. He gently laid his hand on her abdomen, where their baby was growing inside of her, directly under her beating heart. He let their future play out in his mind… and what a beautiful future it would be.

  The feeling of her placing her soft hand upon his brought his mind back to the present time. When she looked at him, he knew that she was also imagining the same thing.

  “You know, just the thought of being a mother gives me goose bumps,” she said and then added, “in a good way. I thought about having kids when I was still human, but once I became a vampire, well, I gave up on the idea.”

  “Well, now that you’re a werewolf, we can have as many wolf babies as you want,” he said, grinning at her. She rolled her eyes, looking at him like he was crazy. “I know the feeling you’re talking about; it makes you ask yourself a whole lot of questions. How am I going to care for something so small? Will I be a good parent? What happens to him or her if we’re not?”