by Kate Wendley
He stood stiffly in front of her and sounded like he was reading from a form letter when he said, “I apologize for running into you the other night. I wasn’t myself and don’t remember what happened, but I hear I almost knocked you down. I’m sorry for that and I hope you weren’t hurt.”
He was apologizing? She was surprised to feel let down by that, and that he didn’t remember anything about the other night. Crap to infinity. Hadn’t he felt anything with her? Obviously not, and he must only be here because Zach told him to make amends.
Zach had come by late last night, but she didn’t tell him much because she was too embarrassed about being accosted by Sebastian, for liking it even though it’d been terrifying, and then for Sebastian to still treat her like she was nothing. Apparently there were rumors already circulating about it, though, since Zach somehow found out. She really wished everyone would mind their own business while she came to terms with it all.
Sebastian’s eyes looked dead as he stood in front of her, which was even worse than when he normally didn’t even know she existed. Feeling a little depressed by his obvious dislike of her, she unenthusiastically said, “It’s all right. It wasn’t all your fault. Those people were standing around blocking my view and I didn’t see you coming.”
He stiffened his spine and said, “Well, either way, I hope you weren’t hurt.” He jutted his chin out and deeply frowned as he kept his eyes sharp on her. At least they were his normal brown eyes instead of his golden wolf ones.
This might not be exactly what she’d fantasized about for the first time she had a real conversation with her dream guy, but since he was here she decided to be brave and ask him a question.
“Thanks, and no, I wasn’t hurt. Can I ask you something?”
He frowned even more and almost sneered, though he inclined his head.
She felt more and more uncomfortable, but decided to hell with it. She was actually talking to heartthrob Sebastian and didn’t know when that would ever happen again. The worst he could do was not answer her, so more quietly than she meant to, she asked, “Can wolves, I mean you especially, do you ever remember things from when you’re wolf?”
Her heart beat in nervousness, but the look on his face dashed any hopes of him remembering, or even caring about anything that might’ve happened between them.
He sneered outright at her. “What did you say? You’re talking too softly. I can’t hear you.”
Her nerves got to her and she stupidly snapped back, “Well I’m not surprised you can’t hear me. Why are you standing so far away? I’m not going to bite you.”
Her heart beat in growing fear when his chest puffed up and she could actually feel his sharply spiking anger. He took slow, menacing steps closer until he was right next to her. “Because most people don’t like me in touching distance. I might just reach out and infect them with something.”
Her heart skittered at his tone and his words. “Infect them with what?”
He narrowed his eyes in disgust and stepped back out of her personal space. He gave a sharp shrug and said, “Their imagination I guess. How would I know?”
Jade stilled, then relaxed and let out the breath she was holding. She cautiously smiled. “Was that a joke? Are you joking with me?”
He flatly said, “Take it however you like. It’s a joke unless you actually have to live my life.”
Her nerves twitched as he stared her down for a few seconds, then slowly broke eye contact and walked away.
**
Sebastian couldn’t get Jade off his mind after he talked to her. Why did he have to be such an asshole? Had she even done anything wrong? No. Shit. No wonder he’d never be able to date anyone nice.
He entered an online inventory order for food and miscellaneous items for the restaurant, then went back out into the club and sat down to see what was on TV. The people who were sitting and talking on the next couch over all immediately got up and left while they stared down their noses in his direction. He only gave them a cursory glance, but he could feel they were all wolf and it pissed him off that they didn’t accept him as one of their own. He was always an outsider even though he was technically their leader. Everyone despised him so why would Jade be any different? Because she wasn’t wolf? Did the other animals hate him as much as his own pack did?
Zach came to mind and he gruffed to himself as he sat glumly staring at the TV screen. Zach wasn’t wolf and he was his friend. And Jade… was she being snide with him or was she just nervous because he’s the Alpha Wolf and he was being a jerk? He had no idea. He wasn’t as good at reading emotions when he was all wound up.
Anthony brought Kaia over just then and sat her down right beside him. She wasn’t technically a stranger anymore so her presence this close didn’t freak him out.
“Do you mind keeping Kaia company for a little while? I need to have a short meeting. I’ll be back in about forty five minutes.”
He sat up a little straighter. “Sure, sure.” If Anthony was trusting him to guard her while she was here, then things must be all right between them.
Kaia smiled as she gave his arm a squeeze. “Hey Sebastian.”
Anthony inclined his head and took off while Kaia cozied into him. She moved his arm so it was draped over her shoulder, then got comfortable to watch TV with him. He barely moved while she situated herself because he didn’t want to do anything to scare her away. This felt too nice to just sit and relax with a new friend, though he wondered what she actually thought of him after what he did to her. Did she really forgive him so easily? And if so, why couldn’t everyone else?
He decided to just be thankful he hadn’t ruined his friendship with Anthony. Everything else in his life felt screwed up, so he’d take this peace and tranquility while he could.
**
Jade was in a funk the rest of the night. Why did she think she could ask Sebastian such a personal question? That was dumb. Of course he’d be upset at her about that. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She sighed, feeling more and more sad as it became obvious that everything she’d ever fantasized about him was totally different than how he actually was. She wasn’t oblivious to the fact that she knew nothing about him in real life, but couldn’t just a few things be close to what she’d imagined?
He was still the Sebastian she knew from years ago, wasn’t he? He was such a nice guy growing up. He’d do things like help his friend’s grandma move back into the complex apartments from their house in human society when her husband died. Sebastian was a normal, decent guy back before he gained his touching power. Did he still have any of that inside him? Even just a little bit?
He didn’t seem the same anymore. He wasn’t the guy she’d had a crush on in school that just so happened to grow up into a gorgeous man. He was the guy who grew up into being the Alpha Wolf. That was so many more things than just being a heart stopping hunk. She felt let down by her fantasies and it made her reluctantly laugh. Dumped by her fantasy guy. Sheesh.
But his hands on her the other night…
She groaned out loud. God he’d turned her on. It was scary at first, yeah, who wouldn’t be scared of Sebastian? But he was so careful with her as he gently nibbled her neck and relaxed against her body as he held her close. He’d made her feel like she was something special to him, which she obviously wasn’t.
She wished she were braver. If she were braver she’d confront him about it. She’d tell him that she remembered the other night and that she wanted it to happen again.
Yeah, right.
Chapter 7
Sebastian knew he’d done a shitty job apologizing to Jade and decided he needed to do it right before he wrote her off as just another jerk in the supernatural community that hated his guts. If nothing else, he knew he couldn’t face Zach with how bad of a job he’d done trying to make amends, so instead of going to bed when he normally would’ve, he decided to wait up for Jade to leave for work.
He headed upstairs around a quarter after seven, hoping she hadn’t already l
eft. He stood outside the front door, his hands in his pockets and his music playing in his earbuds. He actually knew which apartment was hers and could’ve waited for her inside on her floor, but that seemed kind of creepy and like something a stalker might do.
He leaned against the building and got comfy. It wasn’t long before people started streaming by, going from the apartments to the parking garage across the driveway. He yawned as he waited, liking the feel of the rising sun on his face, but getting more and more tired since it was past the end of his normal day.
He was just about to give up, thinking he’d missed her, when he finally caught her scent. She stepped out the door looking like she was in her own little world, a chilly breeze blowing her hair out of her face as he called out to her.
**
Jade was still in a funk this morning, unable to shake Sebastian from her thoughts. She got ready for work and drank some coffee as she tried to ignore the fact that her cat had been riled up since Sunday night. That disturbed her on so many levels, mostly because it made it hard to ignore the fact that she wasn’t just a regular human.
She packed up her lunch, then threw on a light jacket and headed out for work. A cool breeze greeted her as soon as she stepped outside the building.
“Jade.”
She looked to her left in surprise, her eyes going wide when she saw who was calling out to her. Sebastian. She nervously said, “Good morning, sir.”
He stepped quickly towards her. “No sirs. Don’t call me that. I’m just Sebastian.”
She frowned and cursed herself in her head. “Sorry.”
Sebastian looked at the ground as he grumbled and ran his hand through his gorgeous, golden hair. He looked back up at her and said, “Can I talk to you for a minute? Before you leave for work?”
“Uh… sure.” As if she’d deny him anything, even if she wanted to.
He yawned and stepped in line with her as they slowly walked across the driveway. “I’m sorry I was an asshole to you last night. I took out my problems on you and none of it was your fault. I just wanted you to know that.”
She stopped and really looked at him. She hated pack politics and had to try really hard to keep the irritation out of her voice. “Thank you sir. I mean Sebastian. I forgot to tell Zach I accepted your apology. I’ll make sure and tell him. There’s nothing else you need to do to make amends with me.”
He got an intense look on his face as he stepped closer and invaded her personal space. It scared her.
“I’m not out here this morning because of Zach.” He stepped even closer as he more quietly said, “I’m out here because I don’t want you to think I’m a total asshole.” He looked down at the ground, then, almost as if he was shy. “I care what you think of me.”
Her heart stopped as he looked back up at her with raw emotion in his eyes, and all she could think to say was, “You do? You care what I think?”
The gold in his eyes got brighter as they looked at each other, and she froze. Even if he cared what she thought of him, he was still a dangerous, Alpha Wolf. She felt calmness from him, though, which made her think of the night they’d bumped into each other.
Remembered feelings of passion welled up in her as he cocked his head and looked at her the same way he had that night. His eyes blazed brightly as he stepped close enough for her to hear the thumping of his heart. He reached up and cupped her cheek, seeming totally relaxed as he gently caressed her and said in a faraway voice, “Yes, I do.”
A car came out of the garage behind them and Sebastian startled. He blinked tired looking eyes that had already faded back to brown, then jerked his hand away, taking a quick step back. “Shit! I’m sorry.” He ran his hand through his hair as he looked back and forth between her and not her. “I’m tired… I didn’t mean to touch you.”
She stared at him in wonder, his awkwardness making her smile. She reached out and playfully squeezed his hand. “It’s ok, really, but you shouldn’t swear so much.”
He went still as she casually took her hand back, then said, “I, uh, suppose I should let you get to work.”
She startled. “Oh! Yeah, shoot, what time is it?”
She started searching her purse for her phone while he pulled his out of his pocket and said, “It’s eight eighteen.”
She quietly yipped, “I’ve got to go,” and he smiled at her. A real, actual smile where his dimples showed. It made her smile, too.
He said, “Have a good day. I suppose I’ll see you tonight.”
Her heart hammered in her chest. “Thanks. And uh, you should get some sleep today.”
He lightly chuckled. “Ok. I will.”
She walked self-consciously to her car, looking back once to see him standing there watching her, which made some really warm feelings go through her. By the time she drove out of the parking ramp he’d moved back towards the apartment building, but was still watching her as she left the complex and drove off.
She smiled all the way to work.
**
Sebastian tried to fall asleep for the day, but Jade was in his thoughts. Why did he touch her this morning? That wasn’t like him at all. He frowned as he wondered if his wolf decided to do that, but whether or not his wolf had, she’d still reached out and touched him, all on her own.
She wasn’t afraid of his mind reading power? And what was the question she tried to ask last night that he bit her head off for? He’d been so anxious talking to her, and the nervousness and fear he felt from her only made him pissed off, so when she got quiet and asked whatever it was she wanted to know, he blew up at her.
She was scared this morning, too. He didn’t like that women were scared of him. He understood when guys feared him, but not women. He’d never done anything bad to a woman besides just not talk to them. Well, unless he was punishing them as their alpha.
He growled in frustration, then tossed and turned for a while as he daydreamed of Jade. He fantasized about touching her and holding her close, nipping carefully at her neck to see if she’d let him, to see if she’d accept him as hers. In his fantasy she did. She even nipped back.
He opened his eyes and stared at the dark ceiling. He hadn’t had such a lifelike, vivid fantasy about her in a long, long time. In his daydream he even knew her smell from up close, not just a faint scent from walking by her table or bussing her dishes after she left the restaurant. In his dream it was just her and him.
He rolled over and groaned in his head when he realized he had a hard on. Shit. He wasn’t going to be able to sleep until he worked it out, so he fantasized about everything he wanted to do with her until his body was so tight that one more thought about her soft, naked skin sent him over the edge. He tried to be as quiet as he could because even though Zach was two rooms down, he was just as much of a light sleeper as Sebastian was.
He trembled and shook while he came down from his high, then leadenly cleaned up with some tissues before finally falling asleep.
**
Jade spent the whole day thinking about Sebastian. He was so cute this morning looking like a nervous boy. And man, if him being tired was all it took to loosen him up…
But was he serious about seeing her tonight, or would he just ignore her again? She sighed. He was out of her league. That would be ridiculous of him to want to get to know her. She was nobody to him.
Wasn’t she?
A customer sat down in front of her so she put on a smile and focused back on work.
**
Jade came home and quickly changed into something prettier before going down to the restaurant, though she fought with herself over whether she should go or not. Sebastian didn’t really mean he wanted to see her again, did he? Maybe he was just trying to be nice to make amends for running into her. She growled out loud and decided to just go.
She walked anxiously into the club and looked towards the restaurant to see if he was around, but she didn’t see his gorgeous self anywhere. She got seated and was surprised at a vase with two flowers on e
ach table. She’d never thought about the restaurant being pretty before. The flowers made everything seem… nice.
Her heart thumped when Sebastian came out of the kitchen and looked straight at her. A cautious smile came to his face as he watched her on his way over to her table. He stopped in front of her with a water pitcher in his hand.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” She gave him her empty glass as she asked, “Is there a special occasion? What are all the flowers for?”
He gave her water back to her and said, “A personal apology. I wasn’t sure where you’d be sitting tonight.”
She stared at him in shock. “They’re for me? Really?”
He looked bashfully away, then slowly pulled the chair out on the opposite side of the table from her. His muscles flexed in his arms in a heavenly way as he sat down. He seemed nervous when he asked, “Do you like them?”
She let out a breath and chuckled in surprise. “Yes. Thank you. That’s so sweet of you.”
His dimples immediately appeared and he looked away, then ran his hand through his golden hair. “You asked me a question last night. Do you still have a question for me? I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
She felt herself blush as she nervously said, “I, uh, no. That’s ok. It was just something I was curious about.”
He frowned. “Are you still curious?”
She shrugged uncertainly, heat filling her cheeks. She shouldn’t have asked what he remembered from that night. He’d just laugh anyway. It was probably no big deal to him. He probably had women anytime he wanted. Women and hot, steamy passion all over the place.
He rested his bare forearms on the table, then leaned forward. “Did I hurt you the other night when I crashed into you? Seriously.”
She tried to hide her smile at his concern. “Seriously. No.”
He looked like he didn’t believe her, and she startled when she realized he was nervous. With him this close and her cat all riled up, she could feel his emotions unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She was jaguar so she should be able to feel emotions more strongly than the other animals, but she wasn’t a strong jaguar, either magically or in any other way. And she didn’t usually like it even when she could sense things like this, but for once in her life she was glad she was hyper sensitive to her surroundings.