Eden

by Eden (lit)

Catrina smiled thoughtfully as she said, “How can I refuse such a request?”

  “Fuck you wolfman my ass is goin’ home,” he joked before spinning on his heel and turning away.

  “I wasn’t asking for an example,” she said, laughing.

  He growled sexily as he replied, “And it’s a good thing too, because I can think of at least a dozen other things I’d rather demonstrate.”

  Her heart beat so fast at his words that she started to feel dizzy.

  “But right now, I’m hungry. I’m going to go get my keys, lock my office, and you are coming with me.”

  “Is this a hostage situation?” she teased.

  “No, but there are some cuffs behind the stage if you find it necessary.”

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  Alexander seemed surprised at her words, however he only raised an eyebrow in response before heading down the hall to get his keys. Catrina waited in the theatre. She didn’t want to take a chance at being behind closed doors with the werewolf again. Not because she was afraid of him, it was her own reaction to his nearness that frightened her. And yet it was also the reason she kept coming back for more. Something about him seemed to awaken a deep and primal part of her consciousness. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t anything about him that didn’t do something for her.

  Catrina was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t realize Alexander had returned until he offered her is arm and said, “Shall we?”

  “Oh, wait. What about my motorcycle? I don’t want to leave it out in the weather. It’s been through enough lately.”

  “I’ll have security bring it around back. They can store it in the shed till tomorrow.”

  “But, how will I get home?”

  “I’ll take you.”

  “I’ll bet you will,” she thought. But what she said was, “And how will I get it back tomorrow?”

  “I’ll bring you back,” he answered with a smile.

  Since she couldn’t think of any other reason to object, Catrina took his arm and walked with the werewolf out to the parking lot beside the theatre. Storm clouds were already rolling in. It was dusk, but it looked like the middle of the night.

  “I’ll go ahead and call security now,” he said, looking up at the sky. “We should hurry before we get caught in it.”

  “But it looks like the rain is still a ways off. The forecast said it should start about six.”

  The werewolf took a deep breath as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed security. “It’s closer than that,” he said. He put a hand on the small of her back and ushered Catrina toward the far end of the parking lot while he asked the guard to go and get her bike. “We’ll be around in a minute to give you the key,” he said. “Meet us there.”

  He pushed the button on his key chain and the lights of a slick black Mercedes lit up. Catrina smiled. It suited him. Come to think of it, everything about the wolfman was pretty slick. From his smooth baritone voice to his mostly mild manners, it was easy to see why the media loved him and why the university officials didn’t mind him teaching despite being a werewolf. He had all the beauty and charisma of Prince Charming, with all the power of a beast underneath. Damned if that wasn’t intriguing to Catrina.

  He opened her door and hurried around to the driver’s side.

  “Are we on a tight schedule?” she asked.

  “Just wait,” he said. They drove around campus to where her bike was parked and handed the keys out the window to the guard. “We’ll be back for it tomorrow,” he told him. “And you’d better hurry, Chuck. The rain is coming.”

  “Damn weatherman never get’s it right,” Chuck said, jumping on the Harley. “I’ll take good care of it,” he told Catrina before riding fairly quickly in the opposite direction.

  The guard was barely out of sight before the bottom fell out. It was like someone had just pulled back the clouds and there wasn’t anything left to hold back the rain.

  “How did you do that?” Catrina asked.

  “Well, the temperature dropped a degree or so while we were standing outside. The feel of the air changed slightly, and I could smell the rain.”

  “Cool.”

  He gave her an odd look as they pulled onto the long driveway which led off campus.

  “That’s not usually the reaction I get, but thank you.”

  They were both silent for a while, both enjoying the sound of the rain as it hit the car. But Catrina kept wondering exactly what he had meant about her reaction.

  Finally she asked, “What reaction are you used to?”

  Alexander turned his windshield wipers on a higher setting and adjusted the air before saying carefully, “As you probably know, people fear what they don’t understand. Despite most people’s claims of being open minded, they very much dislike being reminded of how different I am.”

  The warmth in her smile nearly made him turn in the wrong direction as they drove back into Eden. Left would go uptown toward his place, but right would lead to the restaurant he had in mind. He paused a moment longer than he should have before turning to the right.

  “So, have you ever been to The Place before?” he asked.

  “I love it, but I haven’t been there in ages.”

  “Why not?”

  She shrugged and he found the gesture irresistibly cute.

  “The last couple of guys I dated didn’t like Italian and I didn’t want to go there alone.”

  “That’s a shame,” he said softly. “If you’d gone anyway, we might have met before now.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure,” he answered, smiling. “I go there alone all the time.”

  “And I might have met you before Viktor had a chance,” he thought. “So, how long have you known Viktor?” he asked.

  “Five years.”

  “Well shit, maybe not.”

  “Been dating that long?” he asked casually.

  “No, that’s a fairly recent development.”

  Alexander’s smile grew wider with this information, but he didn’t otherwise respond. He hadn’t been to The Place for a few weeks and was dying for a rare steak. They pulled underneath the awning out front and he ran around to open her door.

  “I was coming with an umbrella,” the valet told him.

  “That’s alright. I’m not afraid of getting wet,” he replied, handing the keys to the other man.

  Alexander took her arm again and ran a hand through his wet hair. He managed to look even better wet. Once they were inside and had been shown to a table he asked, “Do you like wine? I hope so, because I don’t like to drink alone and I could really use a drink.” At her quizzical expression he explained, “Antony and Cleopatra always has that effect on me.”

  “The depth of emotion?” she asked.

  He snorted. “The horrible acting.”

  Before Catrina could respond the waiter came by to take their order. Alexander ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and told him they needed another minute to decide on dinner. About that time the pianist arrived and took his place on the small raised platform in the middle of the restaurant.

  “He’s good,” Catrina said, closing her eyes while she listened. “It really has been too long since I came here.”

  “I believe you were about to say something before the waiter came by.” He made it a question and she thought carefully about how she should answer.

  “You’re not what I expected,” she said after a minute.

  “And what was that?” he teased. “Long hair, fangs and claws?”

  “Something like that,” she said, laughing. “You’ve got to understand that the other werewolves I’ve met weren’t exactly cultured.”

  He leaned back and made like he was going to rip open his shirt. “I’ve got a hairy chest, does that count?”

  “That’s not what I mean. You’re very …”

  “Nice for a werewolf?” he supplied.

  “I was going to say charming.”

  He looked up and saw the waiter comin
g back with the wine.

  “Do you mind if I order a rare steak?” he asked. “It bothers some people.”

  “It’s fine with me.”

  While Alexander placed his order Catrina lost herself for a minute in those top two open buttons on his shirt. She imagined pulling off each one with her teeth until she could see every inch of …

  “Madam? Madam, are you alright?” the waiter asked.

  “Oh,” she said, blushing. “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

  Catrina fumbled with the menu before ordering steak and zucchini kabobs. As soon as the waiter had gone she took a big gulp of wine and the werewolf fought the urge to laugh.

  Alexander cleared his throat and said, “So, you really think I’m charming?”

  “Sure. It can’t be the first time someone has told you that. I saw in the paper last year where you made Eden’s most eligible bachelors list.”

  “Oh yeah,” he said sarcastically. “Beautiful women beat down my door every day.”

  Catrina took another sip of wine before replying, “Are you telling me they don’t?”

  This time it was Alexander’s turn to take a big gulp of wine. “Women like me in theory.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means that they find the thought of me appealing, but when it comes right down to it they’re afraid of having a wild beast in their bed.”

  Catrina coughed and nearly choked on the wine before she could put it down. Once she recovered a little she asked, “Isn’t that a little extreme?”

  “It’s true,” he answered. “If my nails get a little long they freak. Some women have gone out with me for the novelty of saying they once dated a werewolf. But for the most part they seem to find vampires less threatening.”

  Catrina gave him a good long look and Alexander started to wonder if he was on the menu tonight. Finally she replied smoothly, “Well, that’s a damn shame and their loss.” The werewolf was so taken aback by her comment that he sat in silence, listening to the music until she asked, “What about your pack members?”

  “What about them?” he replied, not following what she meant.

  “Are you telling me that female werewolves aren’t beating down your door either?”

  He leaned forward and propped on the table, displaying once again the nicest smile Catrina had seen in years. Viktor was certainly handsome and his smile promised many things. But Alexander’s smile had a warmth which reached his eyes that Viktor’s long years had managed to erase. That sparkle in the wolfman’s eyes did things to her the wine could never manage.

  “Oh, they’re interested,” he answered. “But the ones around here are a little bitchy for my taste.” He winked and Catrina snickered at the pun. “Seriously, I think that more and more women are finding it hard to determine what constitutes a strong woman and a bitch. They think that just because they put their foot down and boss people around that makes them strong. But it really just makes them bossy.”

  “I sense a pet peeve,” she replied as the waiter refilled her glass.

  “Sort of,” he admitted. “I guess it’s just worse within the pack.”

  “Everyone trying to be the top wolf?” she asked.

  Alexander rose from his seat with a smile as he replied, “No, they’re trying to nail him. Would you care to dance?”

  She took the hand he offered and let Alexander lead her onto the floor. His movements were just as smooth and cultured as his voice as he pulled her against him. Catrina resisted the urge to snuggle up to him like her teddy bear and instead looked up into his eyes.

  “So, how does a nice guy like you get to be leader of the wolf pack?” she asked.

  He spun her around slowly, bringing her back against him and closer to those open buttons once more. She placed her hand against his chest, but didn’t move her fingers inside the opening.

  “I’m not a nice man, Catrina. I’m an animal who does a really good impression of one.”

  “You could have fooled me.” She rested her head against his chest with a sigh and breathed in his cologne. Alexander’s cologne was wonderful, but his natural scent was even better. Werewolves, particularly alpha males smelled good enough to eat around the full moon. That was intentional, of course. A wicked trick of nature to help find them a mate. Catrina knew this, but didn’t care. She was convinced that there was more to him than the difference in his DNA.

  “You know,” she said softly. “I don’t feel the least bit threatened by your fingernails.”

  He held her tighter as he replied, “That’s because I just had a manicure.”

  By the time dinner was over and they were on their way to her apartment, Alexander found himself falling pretty hard for someone that until recently he didn’t even know. Not only that, but someone who belonged to his enemy. Could he have chosen anyone more out of reach?

  Just as the thought crossed his mind he reached over and took her hand.

  “What do you suppose Viktor would think if he learned of our friendship?” he asked softly.

  “He already knows,” she said.

  Alexander nearly ran off the road as he said, “You told him?!”

  “Of course I did. I believe in being up front about things.”

  “I can respect that,” he replied. “But what did Viktor say?”

  She looked down at his hand still resting over hers as she answered, “Viktor doesn’t own me.”

  It wasn’t exactly an answer, but it was the truth.

  She was a little surprised when Alexander left her at the door with a chaste kiss and a promise to pick her up at eight to go get her bike. He didn’t bring up the subject of Viktor again. Like before he waited till she waved from the window before he drove away.

  “So how was dinner?”

  She jumped all over at the sound of Father Marion’s voice behind her.

  “Son of a bitch! Sorry, Jacob,” she added the last quickly. “You scared me. And how did you know I was at dinner?”

  About that time lightning flashed and all of the power went out. The rain had stopped just long enough for her to get inside.

  “Because you smell like steak and wine.” She knew he was moving closer by the sound of his voice. “So, how was it?” he asked, putting a hand gently over hers.

  “Whoa, I never realized how scary it is to be alone in the dark with a vampire. Even one that I trust. My night vision hasn’t kicked in yet, but you know right where I am. I feel so unprepared.”

  “You know you have nothing to fear from me,” he said as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “But I believe you are avoiding the subject.”

  “Yes, I am. But it’s still creepy.”

  He turned around and lit the large candle on the coffee table.

  “Is that better?”

  “Yes. So, where have you been?” she asked, taking in his wet appearance.

  He removed his wet coat as he replied, “I went to the vampire clinic.” The vampire clinic was a blood bank for vampires who chose not to bite people. It offered an alternative to finding willing victims on your own. “I hope you don’t mind, I put some AB negative in the fridge.”

  “That’s fine,” she said, waiving off his concern. “It’ll fit right in with the wolfsbane potion and bottles of holy water.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  They lit some more candles and ended up sitting at the kitchen table while she told him about having dinner with Alexander. The priest listened quietly before saying, “So what are you hoping to accomplish? I understand the business aspect of this arrangement. But when you’re talking about the werewolf your eyes light up. And when you mention the vampire I can hear your heart beat faster.”

  “Not you too,” she said irritably. “Can everybody hear my damn heartbeat? It beats faster when I’m around you too, you know? But that doesn’t mean that I plan to seduce you.”

  “Of course not,” he said. He leaned back and crossed his arms, considering her carefully. “Your heart beats faster around me
for different reasons. I’m guessing you’re still unsure of how to act around me now.”

  “Yes.”

  “But what about Viktor and Alexander?”

  “I’m hoping that by getting to know them both I can eventually make a decision.”

  “You sure you’re not just wanting to have your cake and eat it too?”

  Catrina stood up from the table angrily. “I hate that expression. What good is a cake you can’t eat? Shit.” She stomped over to the refrigerator and stared inside. “If I can’t eat it I might as well have a salad.”

  Jacob laughed. “Looks like I hit a nerve.”

  “Yes, Jacob, you hit a nerve,” she said flatly. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Okay? I have no freaking clue and your keen observations and snide remarks aren’t helping matters.”

  When she felt his arms wrap around her she nearly collapsed.

  “I am not your enemy,” he whispered.

  “I’m sorry.” She turned to face him and noticed that his eyes were glowing again. “No one has ever smiled at me the way Alex does. Like he really cares what I have to say. His smile reaches his eyes. I haven’t seen anyone smile like that in years.”

  “But you’re sleeping with Viktor.”

  “Jacob,” she said softly. “I think I’m falling in love with Alexander.”

  “And Viktor?” he asked.

  “I think I’ve been in love with Viktor for the past five years.” She fought back tears at that admission and quickly changed the subject before Jacob could respond. “Let’s do something else,” she said.

  “Like what?”

  “Anything. I just can’t think about this mess any more tonight.”

  “Fine. What are you doing for the next couple of hours?”

  She walked over to the one clock that was still running and looked at the time. “It’s nine o’clock. What did you have in mind?”

  She watched as Jacob cracked his knuckles and his neck in one smooth but threatening gesture. “You’re not going to sleep anytime soon, not with all that’s on your mind and I’m not going anywhere else tonight. Let’s fight.”

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that’s just the Irishman in you talking. But you’re on. Give me five minutes to change and meet me in the living room.”