Panting and struggling against his guilt, he took her hand and led her away. “Let’s find a pay phone and call the police. They’ll pick them up, take them to the hospital.” She nodded, and Nathaniel walked with purpose through the park with her silently at his side. He’d beaten up guys like these before, but just like the other night in the alley, having her involved had intensified his reaction. He didn’t like that. He’d have to be more careful. “I’m sorry. I almost got out of hand.”
“They were on drugs! You couldn’t have reasoned with them!”
That wasn’t the point, he wanted to say, but he didn’t. They still had payphones in the park for emergency, a fact he was glad of. On one, he placed a call to 911 and gave a fake name and number. They always wanted to know who was calling, a nuisance to him and his friends when they wanted to handle the low-lifes of society. He explained to Michelle that they should take the subway. “Taking a cab can be traced. I don’t need the attention.”
“Of course!” she agreed, following him without question.
When the subway doors opened, he guided her on first and stepped in after her, taking both her hands in his and kissing them. “Are you alright?”
She smiled up at him and nodded. “Yes. You?”
He didn’t want to tell her that she made him lose control just by her very presence, that his instincts to keep her safe overrode all others. That the self-discipline he’d formed over the years would have to be fine-tuned to say the least. Maybe his packmates could come up with a sort of obstacle course. He’d think of that later. The truth was he liked this feeling; wanting to protect his mate felt very right to him. He just wanted to have more control over himself, that’s all.
“I’m fine. We sometimes do these kinds of things when we hear robberies happening, stuff like that. But this is the first time I wasn’t alone.”
“Except for last Saturday,” she gently reminded him.
“Right. It’s just got me a little on edge.” Changing the subject, he asked, “What would you like to do today?”
She chuckled and ran her thumbs over his raw knuckles. “Are you hurt?”
He smiled and kissed her. “No.” The C train started south down the tracks and their bodies swayed with it’s rolling speed. “Let’s go to my place. I’d like to shower and change clothes.”
“Okay.” She leaned into him and he wrapped her in his arms, the steady movement of the train calming them both. There were more passengers aboard than one would expect at only six in the morning on a weekend, but this was New York…the city that never sleeps.
Chapter Thirteen
Eli was awake when Michelle and Nathaniel walked in. On the walk up, Nathaniel warned her about their superior hearing and sense of smell, that Eli would know who was there before they’d even stepped foot in the two bedroom apartment. If he couldn’t smell them right away, he’d surely hear them. Sure enough, he called out from living room, right as the door opened, “Well, well well! Can’t wait to hear what you two have been up to.” Then, “Shit. Nathaniel! Why do I smell blood?” He appeared at the end of the hallway, his brown eyes searching the couple.
“We went for a walk just now and got into it with a couple of low-lifes.” Nathaniel dropped his keys in a pretty wooden bowl and took Michelle’s hand. “This is our home,” he told her with a welcoming smile. “Come.”
Eli shook his head and his demeanor shifted to a friendlier one. “Welcome! Let’s give you the tour!” It was a larger apartment than hers by far, but not obnoxious. They pointed out the changes they’d made to the place after moving in, both of them overlapping their explanations like two friends totally comfortable with each other would. The last stop was the living room after explaining the dividing screen used to keep the kitchen more separate and give the illusion of two rooms rather than one.
She sat on their long, modern couch and watched as Nathaniel recounted the events of the fight. He wasn’t proud of the story, and had no idea how much he’d impressed her back there. She was a bit stunned by all that had happened in so quickly a time, and being here in their home, she felt very humbled.
It was beyond her amazement to watch them talking, knowing now that they were both werewolves. Eli, too! Their gestures and movements fascinated her. They looked like normal men save for the fact that they were both more masculine than a lot of the skinny-legged hipsters that seemed to be taking over the world. They were more like the men of Cary Grant’s era, the kind who wore suits as comfortably if not more so, than jeans.
“Michelle?” Nathaniel said, and from the tone it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get her attention.
“Sorry. I must have been daydreaming,” she smiled. “Yes?”
“Come to me.”
A wave of happiness drifted through her and she rose from the couch and crossed to where he stood by the bar. Eli was on the other side, holding a drink. She slipped her arm around Nathaniel’s back and he around hers. “I’d like to formerly introduce you to my oldest friend, Eli Jackson. Eli, my future bride, Michelle Nero.”
She held out her hand and he clasped it in his and shook it firmly, his dimple deep as his eyes danced. “Pleasure to meet you, Eli.”
He laughed, let go of her hand, picked up his drink and shook his head. “So, from the way she’s looking at me…?” he trailed off, not wanting to say it aloud if he was wrong.
Nathaniel gazed down at her with love. “She knows. Yes. I showed her.”
Surprise exploded on Eli’s face and he whooped. “Wow! You SHOWED her? That’s a first right there.” To her, he asked with his eyebrows up high. “What’d you think?”
She grinned and shrugged one shoulder. “No big deal.”
He guffawed and hit the bar-top. “No biggie. Yeah, same shit different day. I hear ya.”
Michelle laughed with him, his wonderful personality infectious. Already she was thinking of setting him up. But with which friend? “It’s amazing, actually. Thank you so much for trusting me with this. Although, I’m still mad at you for that interview debacle.”
He made a face and brought up two more glasses. “No, you’re not.” Glancing to his friend, he asked, “We have to drink to this fucking miracle right here. Nathaniel tied down by a ball and chain. I never thought I’d see the day!”
“Hey!” Michelle objected with laughter in her eyes. “I resent that term.”
Nathaniel picked her up, kissing her deeply as though they were alone. She returned the kiss with equal passion. If he didn’t care about the audience, neither did she. And she felt so good in his arms! He set her back down and stared at her. “Don’t listen to this shithead. He’s just jealous.” Picking up the glass offered him, he held it up.
Michelle did the same and Eli announced, “To love.”
As she clinked her glass to theirs, she’d never felt so happy. “What is this?”
“Scotch,” Eli said, drinking a hefty gulp.
She took a small sip and felt the warm sting, wincing accordingly. “Oooo, that burns. I like it.”
“Here they come,” Nathaniel said, ear perked. “You called them?”
Eli shrugged. “I didn’t know you were coming back here, but I had to tell them your declaration.” He glanced to Michelle. “I’ve got a big mouth. We don’t keep any secrets. Be warned.”
Michelle smiled, but looked at Nathaniel, wondering what they were talking about. He led her to the side as the sound of the front door opening reached her ears, the voices of Darik and Dontae growing louder. Oh no! She didn’t want to see those guys right now. That Dontae was a little intimidating.
Michelle straightened her spine and watched the two men…two werewolves…give her the once over as they entered the room. From their faces, Nathaniel had been right about their senses of hearing and smell. They knew she was there before they’d walked in. Dontae was as intense as always, but Darik had a gleam in his eyes that was pure excitement and curiosity. His lecherous smile was gone, just like Nathaniel had told her it would be. T
hen frowns creased their foreheads at the exact same time.
“You smell like blood again,” Dontae growled.
“What the hell?” Darik exclaimed, staring at the dark haired wolf at her side.
Eli came out from the behind the bar to stand between the two pairs. “Alright, alright. No one’s killed. Calm down. He just did what we do practically every week. It’s just bad timing is all, since after what happened,” he glanced to Michelle.
“It’s alright. You can talk about it.” She eyed Dontae, wishing he wouldn’t glare at her like that.
Darik expressed loud relief, heading for the bar. “Thank God for that! I need some peace and quiet again.” Then he muttered, “I never thought I’d hear myself say that.” Looking to Dontae, he asked. “What do you want?”
Michelle slipped her hand into Nathaniel’s and held the bold stare of the blonde wolf.
“Dontae, Darik asked you what you’d like to drink,” she smiled.
He blinked and glanced over. “Whatever. I don’t care.” He headed for the balcony and opened the curtains, looking at the city with his back to the room.
She shared a look with Nathaniel and he squeezed her hand, saying to the others, “I’ve asked Michelle to marry me.”
Dontae flipped around, his eyes wide. Darik’s smile betrayed his shock, but he was clearly happy. Michelle’s heart was beating fast and she remembered that Nathaniel had told her he’d need to be patient with his pack. He’d meant Dontae; that was plain. But it made her feel like she was coming between them. She wanted to be a part of what they had.
“Congratulations, man!” Darik came forward and hugged his friend. He looked at Michelle like he didn’t know what to do. She held out her arms. He laughed and gave her a huge bear hug. “Wow! That’s incredible news.”
Michelle was hyper-aware of the silent wolf to her right and she couldn’t take it anymore. She walked to him and held out her hand. “He told me.”
“I showed her,” Nathaniel added, from behind her. She glanced over to him and he gave her an encouraging nod. This wasn’t easy, but it was worth facing her nervousness to try. Knowing there was a wolf inside the intense blonde man made him all the more imposing.
Dontae looked past her to Nathaniel, eyebrows lifted slightly. “You showed her,” he whispered, taking it in. He met her hopeful eyes, but his wall was up.
Michelle continued with as gentle a voice as she’d ever used, “You can trust me. I will never tell your secret to anyone. It’s yours to tell, and I promise you that I will keep it safely guarded in my heart.”
Dontae huffed through his nose, not knowing what to believe. She could see doubt on his face. She kept her hand out for him and he looked down at it. “We are all vulnerable now because of you.”
There was something in his voice that hurt her to hear. Empathy pulled a soft smile from inside her and she shook her head just a little. “No, you are stronger. With more members to your pack and one of your own happier because of it. Give me time, you’ll see who I am.”
He blinked, struck by her logic. She felt the three behind her relax. Then Dontae surprised her by pulling her in for a reluctant hug. It was tense and more than a little awkward, but she appreciated the effort, and squeezed him back.
He released her and took the glass Nathaniel walked over to him. “Are you done glowering so I can celebrate?”
Dontae smiled despite himself. “Oh, alright.” Then with exaggerated defensiveness meant for comedic effect, he muttered, “I said in the interrogation that I liked her.”
Michelle cried out, “So it was an interrogation!” She threw an amazed glance around the four. “I’m glad someone isn’t calling that shit-show an interview!”
They all laughed. She smiled at Eli who was the loudest by far. Nathaniel’s proud appraisal of her overjoyed her and she knew he approved of her handling of Dontae. The five made themselves comfortable and spent the next hour talking, with much laughter, each sharing stories about their Friday night, the other wolves censoring their tales slightly out of respect for the female company.
After that hour, exhausted by the hour, the little sleep and all that had happened, Michelle found she couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore. She excused herself to sleep in Nathaniel’s room. He kissed her goodnight…or good morning… “I’ll be in a little while.”
“Okay,” she said sleepily, leaving the four of them to talk, and probably about her, she guessed, smiling to herself as she walked down the hall and into his room.
His pillows smelled like him and she buried her face in one of them and breathed in the wonderful scent. She could hear their muffled voices far off through the walls and as sleep took her over, she couldn’t help but think this might all be a dream.
She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep when she felt him climb onto the bed, the heavy mattress giving slightly to his tall frame. “Is the courthouse open on Saturdays?” he asked.
She blinked in the gray morning light, the curtains halfway open. “Why?”
“I want to see what paperwork has to be dealt with.” He pulled the covers up over his naked body and let his muscles go lax as he sunk into the comfortable bed.
She rose up on her elbow and looked at him. “Wait, you’re saying we’re doing this soon?”
“Monday too soon?”
Michelle yelped and covered her mouth. “Are you serious?”
He shrugged and smirked at her. “I keep surprising you.”
Her eyes were wide as dinner plates as she stared at his calm face. “Of course you keep surprising me! We just…”
He touched her lips to quiet her, pulling her to lie on his warm, muscular body. He felt so good that her objections felt silly. Could she really take this great a chance?
“Look woman, we will have plenty of time to get to know each other when I’ve got a ring on your finger. Why do you want to wait?”
She sputtered quietly, “I didn’t say I wanted to wait…I’m just surprised!”
He laughed and kissed her, dropping his head back on the pillow, green eyes shining. “You are only surprised because you can’t believe it. You’ll believe it when you’re married to me and when I’ve said I do.” She was unable to argue with that. He was right. He rubbed her back absently as he continued, “I’m going to see if they’re open. I’ve already set my alarm and told the guys. They’re coming with us. Hope you don’t mind. Then on Monday, if I’m able to take care of the legalities properly, I will make you my wife. Do you have any friends you want to invite? That drunk one, maybe?”
She burst out laughing, half from his calling Rose that, half from shock. “Of course I have friends I want to invite. But be prepared for them to think we’re crazy.”
“I don’t care what they think.” He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her. She melted into him.
“Okay,” she murmured against his lips, surrendering completely to the power of her feelings.
He rolled them both over so that he was on top of her and moved open her legs with his knee. She gasped as he filled her with one thrust, encasing her mouth with his own. She sucked on his tongue as he groaned with pleasure. The soreness down there made her smile. It had been so long since she’d been with anyone, and here she was, three times in one night with a man who wanted to marry her, and who she couldn’t wait to call husband. They made love quietly after Nathaniel whispered, “Eli’s probably listening.” The way Nathaniel looked at her made her feel truly beautiful, something she hadn’t ever really felt before now.
Love has a way of opening the mind as well as the heart and right then, in the brightening light of a city morning, Michelle felt hope spring to life and take root in her soul.
Chapter Fourteen
On Tuesday morning, D.D.E.N. Inc. didn’t open its doors. Its four partners instead walked up the stone steps of City Hall on Worth Street, Nathaniel with marriage license in hand. They all wore black suits. Not quite matching, but it would do. His three packmates had no ties, their sh
irts unbuttoned one button down. Only Nathaniel wore a tie, a slender black one, so that he was distinguished from them. They turned quite a few female heads walking in, and even some male ones.
“Having to wait twenty-four hours after obtaining the marriage license was bullshit,” Nathaniel muttered.
Eli hit his back and gave him a shake as their footsteps echoed off the marble tile. “She’s going to show.”
Nathaniel grumbled, “I’m just saying.”
He ignored the look Eli threw Darik and Dontae. He was just happy they respected his anxiety enough to keep their traps shut, unlike his roommate. He didn’t want it voiced aloud; it made it more real.
Nathaniel wanted to lock this down because he was afraid she’d wake up and realize he wasn’t good enough for her. That he was a just a monster from some horror film, and to marry such a thing was ludicrous. Fear had him in its unforgiving grip. All his veins were tight and his jaw hurt again from trying in vain to relax. It was no use. He was a mess on the inside.
“Your heart is racing abnormally fast,” Eli warned.
“Shut up!”
As they neared the doors of the City’s Clerk’s office, he looked around for her. Appointments were not needed, but they’d agreed to be here at 10:00 a.m. sharp. He flipped around and stuffed his hands into his slack’s pockets. “What time is it?”
Dontae looked as nervous as he did. He pulled out his phone and said with sobriety, “Nine fifty-five.”
Nathaniel tried to inhale patience, but oxygen seemed to have left the room. Like a statue, he stayed staring at the hallway where they’d just been, his packmates at his side. People walked through the halls for different purposes and when up walked a bride and groom, grinning from ear to ear, Nathaniel thought he might explode.
Werewolves of New York: Nathaniel (Werewolf Shifter Stand-Alone Paranormal Romance Book 1) Page 10