“Why?”
“Connor, they’re people. Those aren’t wolves. They’re humans.”
“What else can we do?”
“I don’t know, but there has to be.”
“We’ll figure something out.”
We ate in silence. I didn’t know what to say, both of our minds were on our little problem. I held the fork and poked at my pasta. The little noodles didn’t resist my assault. They let me push them around. I stabbed one, and ran it through some sauce, making swirly designs all over the plate. I lifted the doomed noodle to my mouth and quickly bit it off the fork. The creamy, pale red sauce was delicious. I glanced around the room, and couldn’t help but notice the waitress and hostess who sat us staring at our table.
No, not the table, at Connor. They were so very brazen!
I sipped at the Pinot and watched the two girls while Connor slowly enjoyed his filet.
“What to try a bite?”
“Of your steak?” I asked.
“Yeah. It’s really juicy.”
“Sure.”
He reached across the table, and as seductively as I could, I ate the hunk of meat. I looked at the girls who seemed to be turning green with envy. I was enjoying tormenting them a little more than I should.
“So any ideas about what to do?”
“It has only been forty-five minutes. No, I have no ideas aside from not killing the other wolves.”
“I don’t think we can get around it,” he said quietly while Candy cleared our plates.
“Connor, I absolutely refuse to kill the others. They’re not fairy tales, they are real people.”
“They are dangerous. They will kill you, or your mom, if given the opportunity.”
I shook my head. We stood and walked to the front of the restaurant, with Candy and the hostess still watching, I grabbed Connor and kissed him as passionately as I possibly could.
I’m not going to kill people. At least not innocent people.
I picked at the delectable dessert the waitress had put down between us. The chocolate was delicious, but I was ready to go.
Chapter Thirty-one
I sat on Connor’s couch with a glass of wine. My head was feeling a bit foggy, but I was relaxed. He sat at the opposite end and grabbed a remote.
“Watch this,” he hit a button and a fire place popped up on the T.V.
“Aw, babe, you bought a fireplace Blu-ray!”
“Just for you,” he laughed.
He grabbed my legs and propped them up on his lap. He sat there, sipping his wine, and rubbing my calves. He pulled my shoes off and tossed them near the door. Taking my feet in his hands, he began to rub them. A coy smile played at his lips when he dropped my feet, and put an arm on each side of me. Staring into my eyes. I was putty.
“I’m going to kiss you.”
“I’m not going to stop you,” I giggled while wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling his head down to mine.
“You do terrible things to me, Abs.”
“Not nearly as bad as what you do to me,” I leaned up, and kissed him, hard.
“You’re unbelievable,” he whispered into my ear as he moved his attention to my neck.
“Music?”
“Alright,” he hit another remote with his foot and Red Hot Chili Peppers blared throughout the penthouse.
I gave him an inquisitive look.
“What? I like the beat.”
I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck again, kissing him. The harder we kissed the more entwined we became. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and held him as close to my body as possible. There seemed to be such a raw passion between us. The man drove me insane. He knew just where to kiss and where to touch. My body began to heat up, and an intense surge of energy made me cry out. I grabbed his shirt and began ripping it off.
“Hey, I like this shirt!” he protested.
“I’ll buy you a new one,” I grunted as the buttons hit the walls, windows, and floor.
I got to what I wanted, well part of what I wanted. His chest was such an amazing thing. It looked like something Michael Angelo would have chiseled. David had nothing on Connor. I kissed right below his collar bone feeling the muscles tense under my lips. I heard a low moan escape his mouth as he pushed with more determination on my lady bits.
He wasn’t the only one who knew which buttons to press. I tightened my legs around him and twisted. We both rolled on the bed so I was sitting on him.
“I think I like it when you do that.”
I threw my head back and laughed. Using his awesome abs, he sat up holding onto my back. He lightly ran his hands up and down as he kissed my collar bone and sternum. The low cut dress gave him perfect access to both. He traced the outline of the straps and gently pulled them down and pushed the dress to my waist. His fingertips ran down my belly and to my hips. He held on tight as I pushed him backwards and took control again. I listened as the music switched from Chili Peppers to some other popish song. The song had a good rhythm, and I was able to feel the floors vibrate the bed slightly. I don’t know if it was the wine or the music, maybe both, but I felt so free. I loved the feeling of him touching me, of our lips meeting. After some time I actually forgot about the wolf from earlier in the afternoon. Once again it was only the two of us. Nobody else mattered. Nobody else existed. I wished that it could stay that way. Just the two of us. I enjoyed the feeling of him against me and was getting comfortable enough that I was getting just a little more vocal. I let out a few soft moans and groans, which in return seemed to excite him more. I stood up on his bed and wiggled the rest of the way out of my dress. He propped himself up on his elbows and watched as I straddled his jeaned lap.
“What?”
“I told you before,” he kissed my bare shoulder, “you’re beautiful.”
I smiled coyly at him. He traced his finger along the hem of the red, lace panties I had bought that afternoon. I unbuttoned his pants and pulled them off. He was left lying there in nothing but his white boxer briefs. They hugged at his hips and did not do his manhood any justice.
“I think I shall set you free,” I giggled.
“Are you drunk?” he asked.
“No. A little tipsy yes, drunk no. Don’t worry I’m completely aware of what is going on, and I’m fully capable of telling you no if I want to.”
“Just making sure. I wouldn’t want to take advantage of an inebriated young woman,“ he laughed.
“What if I want you to?” I waggled my eyebrows at him.
“Miss Grimm! I have never seen this side of you before!” he sounded somewhat shocked.
“Well, Mr. Guy, I’ve never had anyone make me want to be like this before.”
I grabbed at the elastic of his boxers with my teeth and pulled them off of him. Once they were off I quickly peeled my own off, and spent another glorious night with Connor. Hopefully it wouldn’t be our last.
Chapter Thirty-two
The car ride back to my house seemed to go by faster than going to Pittsburgh. I sat next to Connor with the small solace that he was going to be staying with me till things were situated and fixed around the world. His jaw was set, and he kept looking out the windows while driving eighty miles per hour down the highway. I clenched the door handle till my knuckles turned white.
“When do you think they’ll attack?”
“I’m not sure,” he said.
“Do you think it’ll be at my house?”
“Probably. They know you live there; I don’t see why they wouldn’t. It makes more sense.”
“I had an idea about the other wolves.”
“What?” he asked looking at me.
“If we managed to kill the silver wolf and returned it to the story, do you think that will return the others to normal?”
“Maybe, but how are we going to kill the silver wolf? I’m not going to lie, Abs, that thing is a beast.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said rubbing my chest.
He drove on in silence.
The country side flew by us in blurs of green, blue, and the occasional white building. It wouldn’t take us long to get to my house at all.
***
When we got in the house, both of us dumped our bags in my room and headed for the attic. I went straight for the trunk. The cloak lay inside where I had left it, and the book was right under it.
“I think I should keep these with me.”
“Not a bad idea.”
With my weapons and bait in hand, we headed back to my room. Connor spent a majority of the rest of the day teaching me how to use the axe. He showed me the proper ways to hold it, swing it, and making sure it hit its mark. He drew a crude bull’s eye on a tree and had me practice throwing it. I wasn’t good. There was just no way that I’d be able to fight off anything.
“I’m not going to be able to do this. I suck.”
“Well, that’s why you have me.”
“You’re not fighting an entire pack of wolves on your own. You can’t do it. You’re only one man.”
“There’s only one wolf I have to go after.”
“What am I supposed to do then?”
“Read him back. That is most important, and only you can do that.”
“Why is it only me? What is so damn special about me?”
“You’re a Grimm, Abigail. How many times do I have to tell you? You are a direct descendent of Jacob and Wilhelm. They created the world somehow, and have passed on their special little gift to their children. Someone has killed off everyone but you. Now, they want to kill you. Once you die, that’s it. No more Grimm’s. No more chances to send these evil bastards back to the hell they came from,” he said.
“No pressure there,” I murmured.
“You’ll be fine,” he hugged me trying to reassure me that things were fine.
I knew they weren’t. We had no idea when to expect the wolves or where. As the sun set and the chill set in, we went inside, and I started dinner. After a big pot of potato soup was served the three of us sat around the modest kitchen table. It was the place when I learned about all of this.
“Mom, things are getting a bit bad.”
“Is it time?” she asked, a tear sliding down her cheek.
“Yes,” I said quietly.
“I knew this time was coming. I’ve known since your father left. I dreaded the day you would have to face this. I’m so sorry, honey. I never meant this for you.”
I stopped eating and looked at her. The truth was finally coming out.
“This isn’t your fault. Someone has to stop them.”
She dropped her spoon in the bowl and looked up at us, “Why you? Haven’t I lost enough already? It’s not fair that this has fallen to you, Abigail.”
“You haven’t lost anything. It’s not your fault dad took off.”
“He was supposed to stop this. He was supposed to protect you! He didn’t. He didn’t,” she buried her head in her hands and cried.
“Mom, I’m going to be alright. I have Connor. Who else besides the actual huntsman would be good to have with me?”
She looked at us through red rimmed eyes. She didn’t believe me, which was fine because I didn’t believe me either. I knew one of us wasn’t going to make it. Maybe even both of us. I hoped that when I died, it would be fast and painless. I didn’t have a high threshold for pain.
“I love you, Abigail,” she stood and walked to where I was sitting.
I stood and embraced her, “I love you too. Please, don’t worry. Things will be okay. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she started crying again.
“This is one I fully intend on keeping. We will defeat the wolves and send them back to the hell they came from.”
She glanced up at me and smiled. The stress she had endured through all of this really did take a toll on her. I brushed a few stray gray hairs back into her messy ponytail and observed as she shuffled down to the office. She had enough emotional connection for the day.
“That was something,” Connor said taking my hand.
“I had no idea she has been terrified of this all along. The woman never talks to me.”
“She’s your mother; she didn’t want you to worry.”
“So becoming a reclusive, depressed nut job was the thing to do?” I looked at him incredulously.
“Well, no, but maybe that was all she could do.”
I sighed and pushed my soup around in the bowl. I suddenly had no appetite.
Chapter Thirty-three
I snuggled up to Connor as the alarm clock blared on the night stand. Groggily I opened one eye to look at the awful invention that woke me up.
6:30 am
“Too early,” I groaned while smacking the snooze button.
“We do work today,” Connor grumbled.
“Let’s quit.”
“You know we can’t do that,” he yawned.
He turned toward me, wrapped his muscular arms around my body, and pulled me into to his body.
“And I have class tonight. Today already sucks,” I sighed and snuggled into him, “You don’t make getting up any easier.”
“Go get ready,” he said hugging me, then pushing me out of the bed, and pulling the blankets around himself.
“You suck,” I said sitting on the floor.
“You love me.”
“Sometimes,” I mumbled getting up, and shuffling to the bathroom.
I stood in the tub letting the hot water from the shower head run down my back. I felt like shit. Interning like this then class was going to take its toll. As I finished rinsing the soap suds from my body, I wrapped myself up in a fuzzy towel and then my bathrobe. I turned on the radio, and sat on the edge of my bed trying to get somewhat motivated to get ready. Summer vacation was looking better and better, or maybe moving closer to the city.
“I need to find an apartment in the city.”
“Why? Paying bills isn’t fun.”
“No, but I’d be able to sleep in for an extra hour.”
“Where do you want to live?”
“Somewhere close to Oakland and downtown.”
“Live with me,” Connor said from the blanket cocoon he created while I was in the shower.
All I could see was the top of his head.
“What?”
“Live with me. I have enough space, I get lonely there, and I don’t plan on leaving you any time soon, so just move in.”
“Just like that? Just move in.”
“You don’t want to?” he peeked out of the blankets looking at me.
“Well, I never thought about living with a man before.”
“What were you going to do when you got married?” he laughed.
“I guess move in with him.”
“So, move in with me now.”
“Are you proposing?” I arched my eyebrows.
He laughed a bit too hard, “Geez thanks, Connor.”
“No, I’m not proposing, but who knows what the future holds,” he waggled his eyebrows at me.
“Don’t do that,” I muttered.
“I’m just saying, move in with me. It could be fun,” he said.
“I would have to leave mom.”
“She’s a big girl, she’ll be okay.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Do you mean it or are you just saying that?”
“I mean it. I’ll think about it,” I sat at my vanity and started drying my hair, “Go get a shower. I’ll be ready by time you’re done.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he laughed as he dug himself out of the blanket cocoon.
“And thanks for twisting up my blankets!”
“No problem.”
I put the dryer down and thought for a moment. Looking around the room, I wondered what it would be like to not come here to sleep every night, or ever again.
What would it be like to wake up in his penthouse every day? What would it be like to see him all the time and to not wonder when I’d be able to spend another night in his arm
s?
Shit was getting serious even faster, but it didn’t scare me. Much. It was more thrilling than anything. With Connor, I think I was ready for that step. Like he had told me, what other girl would be able to understand his past and see past the fact he wasn’t really from this world?
The big problem now was figuring out how to tell mom. I knew she was going to be upset. She hadn’t been without me for eighteen years. Would she be able to go from having at least one person in the house with her to none at all? The guilt began to set in, and then the second thoughts. I knew if I kept thinking like that, I was never going to be able to live my life. I was never going to be able to get out and know what else there was besides the old farm house, school, and our town.
Connor came out of the shower with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. I would be lying if I said I didn’t stare. How could I help myself? He was the epitome of what a man should look like. I sat on my bed, pulling on my shoes and taking in his every feature. No matter how many times I would be with him, or look at him, I could not help trying to memorize his wonderful body. I wanted to know everything from the freckle on his left butt check to the dimples in his smile. Anna was right, he was gorgeous. And he was all mine.
“If we leave now, we can grab some breakfast on the way to work.”
Sounds good.”
I grabbed my messenger bag, and made sure my books and all the homework I had were tucked inside. The last thing I needed was to forget all the work I’d done. That would definitely show my professors how mature and responsible I really was. I had to beg and plead for them to even agree to let me do the internship. They said I was too young, had too big of a class load, and would never be able to keep up with the work. So, naturally, I had to prove them wrong. And so far I have been.
As we walked out to his car he held my door open. My poor Volvo was getting no love lately.
Chapter Thirty-four
We walked through the front doors to work, and I rolled my eyes when I saw Sasha sitting behind the desk. She seemed to look a bit hurt when she saw us holding hands. It took everything in me not to walk up to the girl and slap her in the head. I even contemplated taking her to the bathroom for a bit of swirly time.
The Last Grimm_Red's Hood Page 14