by J C Gordon
He couldn’t stop the wide grin that crossed his face. His woman was an excellent aim. She’d managed to get him with most of her throws. It was only the last two he’d been able to avoid and barely at that. She was glorious, and he felt his wolf try to surface at her aggressiveness. It would be easy to let him out again. He’d tackle her, bring her down and force her to submit.
“You’re an animal!” Millie shrieked at him. “You took me to bed, and you’re a freaking animal!”
Jared stifled down a deep sigh. “Baby, come on, it’s not that bad,” he pleaded. “I know it was a bit of a shock me changing like that, but you wouldn’t believe me when I just told you. I had to get you to see I was telling you the truth. Didn’t you like my wolf? He certainly likes you, Millie. In fact, he adores you, as much as I do.” Her final saucepan caught him square on the chest, and he muttered an oath, as he felt his anger starting to rise. This was getting beyond a joke now. The bloody pans hurt!
“You should have told me BEFORE you had sex with me!” Millie screamed. “I deserved the right to make a choice whether or not I slept with an animal!” Frustrated at having no more saucepans to throw, she looked around for something else and came up with the knives in the butcher’s block.
Jared cursed when her hand wrapped around the handle of a particularly large carving knife. That was really going to hurt if she stuck it in him. It probably wouldn’t kill him, but it would put him out of action for a few days. “Baby, you’re not seriously going to throw that knife at me, are you?” He allowed more of his wolf to come to the fore to give him a faster reaction time if she did throw it.
“You just get your things and get out of my apartment,” Millie ground out, trying to stop her hand from shaking as she brandished the knife at him. She had exhausted the burst of adrenaline that had overwhelmed her after Jared changed from a man into an enormous black wolf, scaring the complete shit out of her. She knew it was him inside the wolf, could see Jared’s eyes staring back at her from the huge beast, but she had still screamed in terror and launched herself from the bed, grabbing her robe and slamming the door shut.
He had followed her of course, but in his man form not as the wolf. She supposed she should have been thankful for that. If he’d bounded out of the bedroom on all fours, she would have quite literally succumbed to her terror and passed out. God knows what he would have done then.
“You know I can’t do that, Millie.” Jared kept his tone patient, holding his hands up and keeping his distance. “Just put the knife down, and let’s talk about this. You know you don’t really want to hurt me, and you’re really starting to scare me now. You could accidentally hurt yourself with the knife. Please. Put it down.”
Millie could feel hysterical laughter starting to bubble up inside her. He really thought he was going to talk her down? The stupid ass really thought she was going to put the knife down and fall into his stupidly sexy arms and tell him she was just fine with having a relationship with a bloody wolf? She was just about to tell him that when she noticed the fear on his face and paused. Jared was afraid? He seriously thought she was going to stab him? She looked closer again and realised, with some surprise, that he wasn’t afraid she was going to hurt him. He was more afraid she was going to hurt herself.
It suddenly occurred to her just how insane she must look standing there brandishing a knife like a mad woman, and she slowly put it down on the kitchen counter, as Jared let out a long breath and relaxed slightly, his deep blue eyes full of worry.
He watched her intently for a moment and then took a tentative step towards her. When she didn’t react, he moved closer until he was standing right beside her. “I’m sorry, Millie,” he said roughly, reaching out a hand to touch her shoulder lightly. “I know I should have told you before we made love; but you kept avoiding me, and I needed you so badly I couldn’t stop myself. I had every intention of telling you before we got to this stage, but things just didn’t work out that way.”
She raised her head and looked at him. He was a wolf, but he was still Jared. He was still the man who had just worshipped her body and taken her to heaven and back again. He was still the man who arrogantly declared she was his even as he happily admitted that he was hers. She really did need to find out what that meant. It probably had something to do with him being a wolf.
“This being a wolf complicates things, doesn’t it?” She saw the truth in his eyes, even as his lips tightened slightly, and he nodded his head. She sighed, and he pulled her into his arms pressing her head against his chest. Millie let him hold her. Hell, she needed him to hold her. She leaned against him for a long moment and wallowed in his strength, as she tried to find some inner balance, then she took a deep breath and stepped back.
“I’m going to have a shower and get dressed. When I’m done, you are going to tell me absolutely everything, and you’d better not leave a single thing out, Jared. I need to know just what I’ve gotten myself into here.”
“I promise I’ll tell you everything.” Jared brushed her lips with his, fighting down a sigh of relief when she not only let him but also returned his light caress. Maybe it was going to be okay, now she was starting to get over the shock of it. He watched her head into her bedroom and set about gathering up the scattered saucepans. He smiled slowly, as he put them away. Lord, his woman was magnificent. A bit scary with the knife thing, but magnificent even still.
~~~~~
Rhianna finished off her well-done breakfast, taking a moment to enjoy the peace and solitude at the dining table. Caleb was off somewhere with Rafe, so she had some time to herself. She had been amazed to see the two men being practically friendly towards each other when she finally let Caleb pull her out of bed. Something must have happened between them while she slept. Rafe had seemed so much better this morning. She felt a little bubble of hope well up inside her. Maybe, he wasn’t as lost as he thought he was. Maybe, he just needed to see her to help balance him.
She washed up the dishes that Caleb had left in the sink. He seemed to enjoy cooking as his new hobby, but he didn’t have the first concept of cleaning up afterwards. She wondered who cleaned the house, because it was immaculate, and she couldn’t see Caleb getting his hands dirty doing it.
There was a loud knock on the front door, and then, it swung open to admit Demetri. The dark-haired vampire looked as gorgeous as ever and smiled when he saw Rhianna walking out of the kitchen. His green eyes twinkled with humour, as he took in her body swallowed up in one of Caleb’s silk shirts.
“Now, why am I not surprised to see you here?” he laughed softly, as his gaze ran over her, admiring the view. She really was stunning, and he almost did wish he’d had her first, but the thought only lasted for a second. Then he remembered his friend’s manic mood swings and his moping over the little redhead. He could well do without all of that nonsense.
“Good morning, Demetri,” Rhianna replied politely. She wasn’t quite sure whether she liked him or not. He was everything Caleb wasn’t, and yet, he was exactly who Caleb had once been. One minute he was being nasty to her, and the next he was being friendly. She just didn’t know how to take him. Today, he seemed friendly enough; if a little out of order eyeing her up as if she were a piece of meat.
“If you’re looking for Caleb, I’m not sure where he is right now. He went off somewhere with Rafe. I think they’re working on how to help Rafe deal with his wolf or something. Caleb doesn’t want me involved in it, so they’ve probably gone somewhere off the property.”
Demetri raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. Things seemed to have moved on since Caleb’s little temper tantrum with the Weres. “I assume we’re not going to war with the dogs, then?”
She bristled, and her eyes flashed, before she turned and walked back into the kitchen. “No, you are not going to war with the wolves,” she answered tartly, not liking his derogatory tone. She could really do with another coffee and wished she knew how to use Caleb’s complicated coffee machine.
Demetri
followed the redhead into the kitchen and decided he’d try to be on his best behaviour. She was important to Caleb, so he would try to get to know her better. He saw her staring wistfully at the coffee machine and smiled. “Mind if I make myself a coffee, Red?” Her lavender eyes light up, even as she frowned at his nickname for her.
“You can work this thing?” There was more than a hint of hopefulness in her tone. “I’d kill for a mocha, but Caleb hasn’t shown me how to use it yet.”
Demetri smiled. This should endear her to him. “Grab the milk out the refrigerator, I’ll show you how to use it.” He spent the next ten minutes explaining the finer details of how to work the machine and was surprised to find he actually enjoyed seeing the pleasure crossing her face, as she made her very first mocha and sipped at it experimentally.
She really was a rather enchanting little thing. He found himself smiling back at her warmly, feeling oddly pleased that she was smiling because of him, and he blinked slowly fighting down a deep scowl. His eyes narrowed, as he looked at her covertly. Was she some kind of witch in disguise? He didn’t like the warm feelings he’d just been experiencing. It was unnatural. Women were only good for two things, their luscious bodies and the hot, sweet life’s blood that flowed through their veins.
Rhianna noticed the abrupt change in the vampire and stifled down a sigh. He had been doing so well up until now. He had almost been human when he was showing her how to make the coffee. Now he was back to being suspicious and detached. “You don’t like me much, do you, Demetri?” She asked the question even though she knew the answer. He visibly stiffened beside her.
“I don’t think much of you one way or the other, Red,” he answered tersely, moving away and leaning against the kitchen counter, his glacial green eyes remote as he looked at her. “Caleb seems to like you, so that means you’ll be around until he gets tired of you. I can tolerate you until then.” He knew his words were blunt and a little cruel, but that was his nature, and if she was going to be around for a while, then she would just need to get used to it.
He saw a flash of uncertainty cross her face, and he actually felt a twinge of remorse but he dampened it down irritably. He was only speaking the truth. Why he should feel bad for doing so was beyond him. His lips tightened, and his eyes narrowed. “What’s with the look, Red? You and Caleb haven’t discussed the future? That’s so unlike Caleb. Usually, he’s upfront about most things, except where you’re concerned. He’s far too busy worrying about your feelings than he should be. You make him weak. You make him vulnerable.”
“You think he’s weak, because he cares about me?” Rhianna stared at him with an incredulous expression. “You think his life is somehow ruined, since I came into it? What’s he missing out on that was so much better? The same life you’re living? Tell me, Demetri, when you lie with a woman, do you really know why she’s with you? Is it because she’s drunk, or she’s heard you’re the biggest man-whore at the club so she wants to see if it’s true? Or maybe she knows you own the club and are rich? Maybe she just wants as many drinks as she can get out of you? Maybe she’s hoping you’ll spend some of that money on her, and she can get herself a nice expensive gift from you?”
She watched his expression tighten but couldn’t stop herself, even though he looked dangerous. “The truth is you will never really know why a woman wants to be with you, Demetri, and that’s the saddest thing ever. At least Caleb knows why I’m with him, and that doesn’t make him weak and vulnerable, that brings him joy and happiness.”
Demetri’s eyes darkened furiously, and he pushed off the kitchen counter and took a step towards her before he managed to reign it in. “You’ve been around less than two months, and you think you know what’s best for him?” he sneered. “Well, I’ve been around for two millennia, Red, and I’ll be around to pick up the pieces after you’re dead and gone. And just to set the record straight, I don’t give a fuck why a woman’s with me, as long as I get what I need from her.”
Demetri’s words struck a chord inside Rhianna, and she tried not to let him see how much his comment had upset her. It brought up the unasked question which had been hovering in her mind since she’d found out what Caleb was. What did their future hold? Right now Caleb said he loved her, and she believed him, but he was ageless and she wasn’t. He would stay forever young, and she would slowly grow old. What would happen when she was no longer young and beautiful? Would Caleb still want her? How could he want to be with an old, wrinkled woman when there would be countless beauties out there just dying to be in his arms and in his bed.
Her coffee was suddenly making her feel nauseous, and she put it down, avoiding the dark-haired vampire’s all-knowing eyes. “I’m going to get dressed. I’m assuming you’re perfectly able to entertain yourself until Caleb comes back?” She didn’t wait for his answer. She turned and fled from the kitchen, leaving Demetri frowning as he watched her leave.
He had caught a suspicious glint of moisture in her eyes, as she tried to keep her gaze averted from his. Had he upset her enough to make her cry? Fuck it, he was only stating the obvious! Surely she didn’t think her relationship with Caleb could last forever? She was human, and he was a vampire. She would age and die, while Caleb would live for eternity, unless someone killed him, which was highly doubtful.
So, why did he suddenly feel like a complete bastard? He felt uncomfortable and furiously angry at the little redhead. Who the hell was she to make him start second guessing himself, to start questioning himself? He straightened his tall frame and strode out of the kitchen. He’d catch up with Caleb later. He had only wanted to find out what was happening with the wolves. The dogs! Fuck! He was even amending how he referred to the Weres because of her. He let himself out of the house just as quickly as he’d let himself in.
Demetri was gone when Rhianna came back downstairs, showered and changed. She was glad. The vampire was obviously bipolar or had some other serious personality disorder. He swung from hot to cold at a flip of a switch. Come to think of it, all the men in her life were like that now. She needed to get away for a bit. Have some time to think and properly digest everything that had happened over the weekend.
Her boyfriend was a vampire, her brother a werewolf. From what Rafe had told her last night, it would appear her best friend was about to be spirited off by Jared Hanlon and turned into a werewolf, too. She was the only normal person left in her immediate circle of friends and family, and that meant she was the only one who was going to age and die. The rest of them would live on long after she was dead and buried. It was a sobering thought, and hard to digest.
She considered calling Caleb, and then, opted to leave him a note instead. If she called him, he might be able to tell something was wrong and come back early from whatever it was he was doing with her brother. Rafe needed this time with Caleb more than she did. She found a pen and paper in one of the kitchen drawers and hastily wrote a note before she grabbed her packed overnight bag and headed out.
~~~~~
Millie was staring at Jared intently, as he came to the end of his very long story. The one thing that was forefront in her mind was the fact Rafe was alive. It seemed almost impossible to believe, and yet, she had seen Jared change into a wolf. It would appear her adopted brother was now a wolf too and struggling with that fact. “I can’t believe Rafe is alive.” Her eyes were moist with unshed tears, “and Annie knows? She’s with Rafe now?”
Jared nodded, relieved to see she was taking it all quite calmly. His wolf was a bit pissed at her obvious affection for Rafe, but that was only because they hadn’t mated yet. Once they did, he would calm down and easily accept the role of brother the large man had in her life.
She looked down at the table and nervously twisted her fingers together. It sounded so easy to turn a human into a Were. Granted Rafe’s turning sounded horrific, but Jared said that was only because it was forced. A normal turning, when mating, appeared to be effortless, because the person being turned wanted it to happen. She knew w
ithout even asking him that he wanted to do that to her, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit afraid. She raised her eyes, looked deep into his and saw his lips tightened at whatever he read on her face.
“Millie, I would never turn you without your full consent,” Jared’s large hand captured hers and squeezed gently. “I’ve just explained how unsuccessful forced turnings are. I would never do anything to hurt you. I can’t. You’re my mate, the woman I love more than my own life. If you decided you never wanted to join with me completely, I would still love you and still be with you.” True, he would never father any young, if she didn’t truly mate with him, and the Hanlon pack would one day have a non Hanlon Alpha because of it, but he would do anything to keep her in his life, sacrifice just about anything.
He sounded so sincere, his expression earnest as he spoke that she found herself relaxing and even managed to give him a tentative smile. “It’s such a lot to take in, Jared. It’s a huge decision to make. The pack laws you’ve just described, they sound so….outdated.”
He blinked in surprise. “Define outdated?”
He seemed genuinely interested in hearing her views, so she decided to speak her mind. “You trusted Annie to keep your secret to help Rafe, and yet you don’t trust your own pack to. Doesn’t that seem a bit odd, Jared? Your pack law states that once a human joins you, they give up their human lives and lose their family and friends, their jobs, everything that defines who they are as a person. Why? To protect the pack? Maybe that kind of restriction was necessary a few hundred years ago, but surely it isn’t needed now?”
Jared’s automatic reaction was to think of the pack. They had to be protected at all costs, and yet, Millie’s simple questions had a certain kind of naïve logic to them. He couldn’t argue with the fact they had let Annie know about them and trusted her to keep their secret, because she not only cared about Rafe, but also cared about Caleb, too. He knew each and every member of his pack would sacrifice their own lives to maintain their secret. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the pack, it was just they had always done things this way.