“Laura… Get ready. I’m taking you out to dinner. Do you like steak?” he asked her.
“I love it. But it must have tons of black pepper sauce on it.”
“Okay, I’m sure we can find some of that. D’you think you can be ready in a quick 10 minutes? I’m ravenous for tons of meat.”
She came out of the bedroom ready to go. She had made up her face… pretty glossy pink lips and sweeping black eyelashes and eyeliner stared back at him. Perfume wafted around her like a cloud. Her hair had been brushed and it shone with a reddish haze. Twinkling earrings were hanging from her ears and she was wearing a short black skirt and matching camisole top. He realised this was the first time he had seen her even slightly dressed up. She was more than an amazing gorgeous sight. He was speechless.
Twenty minutes later they were sitting in a steak restaurant downtown.
“Okay, that’s two 16oz steaks, one flash cooked, almost raw and naked, one medium rare with a double portion of black pepper sauce… fries and salad with both… and two orange juices.” The waitress repeated their order and left.
“Do you like being with me?” he suddenly asked her.
“Are you kidding? I don’t need to answer that question!” She replied grinning widely.
“What kind of things would put you off me?”
“Nothing really”
“There must be something?”
“Okay… child molesting, murder, hard drug peddling, cannibalism… and, oh yeah… cheating on me… that’s about it I think…”
“What about how I look… would something changing in my appearance put you off?”
“What…. Hairstyle? Putting weight on? All that…?”
“Something more than that…”
“Like cosmetic surgery…?”
“Even more than that.”
“Look you’re not making sense… spit it out”
“What if I shifted shape into something else… would that put you off me?”
“What… like a werewolf or something like that?”
He tensed up…
“Yeah, a werewolf would be a good example…. What about if I did that?” He held his breath.
“I kinda like wolves…. I like dogs, they’re very similar… as long as you didn’t rip my head off and eat me… I guess I could cope” she laughed.
“So if I was a very nice werewolf… what would you let me do to you…”
“I don’t know really… Would I have a choice though?”
“If I gave you the choice… would you still let me touch you… like we do now… ”
“Perhaps. Look Seb this is a very strange conversation… what are you trying to tell me?”
“Nothing really… just finding out what manly stuff might be too much to handle. It’s a guy thing…”
“Look, I’m the one who should be feeling insecure, not you. You’re going back to your sweet little family nest in the ultimate wilderness soon… I’ll be all alone down here in Loveland minus the loving….”
He reached out and took her hand on the table, squeezing it gently in his.
“Laura… come with me. You can take a year out. You can’t do anything until you apply for another vet school placing in the autumn. You’re only part time in that job. I can’t bear to leave you behind here… And I need you.”
“I don’t know Seb… we’ve just met really. What would your family think about you turning up with me… as a permanent fixture?”
“They will get used to the idea.”
He wasn’t actually that sure about that, to be honest. It was expected he would pair with Tara on his return… she was his chosen one. Not chosen by him…. But by birth and the elders…. What Tara would say about this didn’t bear thinking about. She was waiting for him back there. But his feelings for Tara were never that strong… nothing like his feelings for Laura. He would die for her. She was his true mate. He had never felt more sure of anything in his life. His family would have to accept her. She would need to accept him first though. There was no point dragging this out any longer. He needed to show her. Tonight.
They ate their food quietly, both thinking about what had been said…
He was terrified of what he had to do. He had never revealed himself to a human deliberately…. Not close up.
She was confused and worried about her future. Packing up and leaving with her boyfriend of 3 weeks was a big move. Still she didn’t have much to hold her here. If things didn’t work out, she could go to her dad. Temporarily anyway.
They finished eating, making a little small talk, they left the restaurant and got back in his truck heading home.
Chapter 18
“Well that was all rather heavy back there” she said when they were half way home in the truck.
“That’s how I feel about you”
“How heavy exactly?”
“As heavy as it gets”
“Oh…!”
“So how heavy do you feel about me?”
“As heavy as it gets.”
“Laura… you do?”
“Aha… for a while in fact”
He stopped the truck at the side of the road. Pulled her to him and kissed her face, her eyes, her hair and finally her mouth. She was about to cry… Maybe he was too…
“I love you so much it hurts everywhere.” He said quietly holding her.
“I love you just as much” She breathed. “But I am scared you will hurt me Seb… I really couldn’t bear it. You know what I’ve been through lately.”
“No, I won’t… I’m nothing like Simon. You don’t fully understand me yet. I could never do that to you. I can’t imagine anything that would stop me feeling the way I do about you. Even in 50 years’ time. I’m going to take you back home and prove it to you. There’s something special I have to show you. No one has seen this part of me before. It’s just for you.”
“You have something special? Just for me? Take me home quick. I want to see it!”
He drove home fast in a mixture of apprehension and excitement. What on earth was she going to say?
They ran up the path and opened the door. He kissed her all the way in to the bedroom. How wonderful it felt to be totally loved up like this, he thought. How could he have stumbled along without it for so long? They fell on the bed in a tangle of limbs and lips. After a moment he stopped kissing her and stood up.
“Okay… this is how it’s going to go… I am going to stand over here. You are going to stay there. Whatever happens is nothing to be scared about. I won’t hurt you. You can touch me and do anything you like with me. Anything at all. Understand? But whatever you do… don’t run away Laura. It will only last a minute or two anyway. Then we can talk about it afterwards. This is very special… Just for you. So… are you ready Laura?”
“Seb, I am rather excited about this… really! I can’t for the life of me even think straight about what it’s going to be! Okay…. I am taking some deep breaths now…. I’m ready.”
He undressed in front of her widening eyes and stood naked in front of her. Then he changed as rapidly as he could, it was better that way… the in between stage could be rather gruesome. He saw the shock register in her eyes…. The disbelief hung between them. He stood still looking at her. She sat still looking at him. The very large black and grey wolf with green eyes standing before her.
“I take it I’m really seeing this… you haven’t slipped me a mind bending drug somehow? I need to feel and smell you to be sure. You said I can touch?” she asked in a whisper.
He walked up to her side.
She put her hand on his head, feeling around his soft ears. She stood up and ran her hands down his back along his tail. She bent down a little and buried her nose in him…. the she came round to face him and placed a little kiss on his nose.
“It’s okay Seb.” she said looking into his bright green wolf like eyes “I can’t deny I’m rather shocked about this and I don’t understand it for a second but I still love you just as much.
Don’t worry.”
He changed back and held her close to his naked self in an ecstasy of relief.
“This kinda explains things. The camping trip… you running off. You didn’t want to change in front of me, did you?”
“No, it was too soon. It was a full moon and it takes away a lot of control. If I get excited about something, it can happen quite fast. I just can’t stop it. The rest of the month I am normal enough. I change when I want, on demand. So how does it feel to have your own personal man-dog Laura?”
“It is a fantastic, wonderful thing Seb… So you really are an animal in the true sense of the word! But I have to ask, will you suddenly change when we are together in bed?” She was concerned…
“No..!.I don’t have to change any time at all… except at full moon. Even then I do have some warning before it happens so you won’t suddenly be mating with me in wolf form, please don’t worry Laura, I can handle it … When our kind mate with each other, it is usually as human or wolf pairings… I need to be a little careful around full moon, thats all…”
He wanted to show her how much he loved her, she was just about the most special thing he had ever had in his world. He lay down with her, slowly undressing her and started to kiss her breasts… her stomach… further down… his tongue moved over her. Her eyes were closed and her breathing heavy. He returned upwards on the same path to kiss her mouth and started to make love to her. Her ultra-sensitive side was starting up already. He could feel her pressing on him, rhythmically. She was moaning softly in his ear…. He carried on for another minute or two… she was calming down now… he moved out of her and dropped to the floor to kneel beside the bed.
“So are you ready for another quick change?” She nodded and watched him change again with complete fascination.
He raised his head a little and she looked into his eyes – so beautiful and green in their wolf form.
“I love you wolf baby” she leant up and whispered into his ear giving him a tight hug around his neck. He changed back to his human self and smiled back at her smiling face.
“So you are okay with something like that… ?” He was wild about her! She was so accepting of him….
“ I think I can handle a furry cuddle now and then… Just let me know first!”
“Laura, you are full of wonderful surprises today!”
“I’m surprising? No…I think you have that the wrong way round my love! And Sebastian… I want to know everything there is to know about this wolf shifting you do…. The whole damn lot. But you can tell me tomorrow. As we are now newly in love, I have other things in mind – you can start to love me all night long… ”
Chapter 19
The final exam was over. Seb was relieved to the point of being ecstatic. He had a massive love celebration with Laura to mark the end of his exam torment. He felt sure he had done really well… but only time would tell. He had to wait some months to find out.
They packed up the truck with clothing and essentials. Everything else was either thrown away or taken to the charity store. They finally left Loveland in the afternoon, making the way northeast; it was 1600 miles by road. She dozed most of the way…the radio was playing in the background. Their first stop was at Lincoln, Nebraska, late in the evening.
They checked in at the hotel, had some food at the diner across the road and went in their room. Laura sat on the end of the bed.
“So what did your parents say about bringing me home?” She asked suddenly.
“Not much” he replied. That was because he hadn’t told them. It needed to be done face to face. “What can they say… they don’t know anything about you?” Well that was true at least.
“Mmm… what are they like?” she was feeling a little apprehensive about meeting the great wolf clan. Maybe they weren’t all like Seb. They could be proper werewolves… all fangs and neck ripping action.
“They’re fine… what’s the problem Laura? You’re not changing your mind are you? I won’t let you!”
“No of course not Seb. I’m just…. Well a bit scared actually!”
“Really? Oh Laura… there’s nothing to be scared of, they are just like me… all of them!”
“All…. How many are there exactly?”
“About a hundred and fifty or so”
“Not in your family, surely?”
“No, in the area. It’s prime shifter territory out there. It’s wild. That’s what we all need!”
“Oh… so how many in your house?”
“It’s just us. I have my own place. It’s not much, but you can do something with it, if you like?”
She sighed with relief….
“Laura….You didn’t actually think we were going to live with my ma and pa did you?” he started laughing, snorting was a better word… finally she joined in…
Chapter 20
Four days of road tripping later they finally arrived at Tupper, the nearest main community to Seb’s home. They picked up a lot of provisions from the store. Laura went mad buying cleaning stuff and some nice scented candles… Seb laughed at her candles…. He had been more practical with his choices of food and drink.
They made the final journey to his parents home. It was only 15 minutes away but quite remotely situated along some small winding roads.
He pulled up outside a large very modern looking cabin. She didn’t know what to expect. But his dad was a vet after all… of course they would have a nice home.
They got out of the truck and the cabin door opened. Out came two older people and one rather petite dark haired young woman. Seb never mentioned he had a sister… They all stared at her in surprise. She had the distinct impression that they weren’t expecting her at all. Why hadn’t he told them? And this girl… why was she looking at her so strangely? It made the hair on her neck stand on end.
“Sebastian, my son! It is so good to have you home at last.” His mother held out her arms to him and he hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek.
“Ma… so nice to be back… I just about made it…. What a lot of work that was!”
“Dad…” He took his hand and his dad pulled him close to him hugging him too.
“Welcome home son. I’m looking forward to having you around. I need the help!”
“Tara… I didn’t expect you to be here.” Seb was finding this part of the welcome home very awkward.
“Clearly not.” she said in a clipped tone of voice.
“Seb… are you going to introduce us to your friend here.” his mother asked, looking warily at Laura.
“Yes Mother, Dad, Tara…” He was hoping to do this in the right way, but now he was going to have to go for it ”…I’d like you to meet my fiancée Laura.”
Laura didn’t know who was more shocked amongst those present. She hadn’t expected a public proposal that she had already accepted!
She gave him a black look.
“Seb… I told you not to mention that until later.” She said with flashing eyes…. What was all this for? Surely girlfriend would have done… or even new girlfriend … or even very good friend… But his fiancée? This was odd. It was like he was making a point. Then the penny dropped. Tara was his girlfriend… now his ex-girlfriend by the looks of it, and brand new to the idea too.
They all stood looking at each other in a stunned state.
“Well… this is rather a shock” said his mother finally. “You’d all best come inside…. I need a shot of brandy and a sit down.”
She led them all in. Tara stood by the door. It looked like she wanted to make a quick getaway but curiosity had the better of her. She suddenly spoke up.
“Sebastian… what about us?” she said with pain and tears in her eyes. “We were paired Why didn’t you tell me? I have been waiting for you for nearly four years…. And she’s not even one of us, she’s a low-life human for God’s sake…”
He walked up to her and looked at her sadly, holding her watery eyed gaze.
“I know you’ve been waiting Tara, and so was I
until a few weeks ago. But not the kind of waiting I should have had in mind. Once I met Laura, I just knew it was her I was meant to be with. I love her with all my heart and soul. She is my pairing. I have chosen her all by myself. I didn’t need a birth sign or any Elders to do it… she just came to me, just like that. She fell into my life. I’d call it true fate. It was Laura I was waiting for, not you. I am so very sorry Tara, the pairing with you was not strong enough for me. I don’t have such a depth of feelings for you and I never have. There has never been anything physical between us has there? Has that never struck you as odd? Did you not wonder why I never once asked you to be with me or to come to see me whilst I was away….? There’s just no spark there… nothing at all! We have just accepted a pairing that was not meant to be. I should have realised all this a long time ago, at least all those times I came home during the holidays. But I wasn’t fully aware of it until I met Laura. What is happening here is final Tara. I’m so very sorry, but there it is.”
With a strangled sob Tara opened the door and ran outside and away down the road, shifting into her red wolf swiftly in an explosion of ruined clothing as she hurled herself into the trees beyond.
“Oh dear… how so very awful…” said his mother tearily.
“That’s gone and done it for sure.” said his father gruffly.
“Oh Seb!” said Laura, in floods of tears. She wasn’t sure exactly what had got her so upset. Was it his sensitive rejection of Tara… or his public adoration of her or was it just the whole bloody awkward situation she had just landed in. It was not a good start, whatever it was.
“Yeah… I’m home everyone!” he announced sadly. “This didn’t go quite how I planned!”
Chapter 21
“So Laura… how did you meet and when did Sebastian actually propose to you” his mother got around to asking her after draining three double shots of brandy in quick succession. “This is a real whirlwind of a relationship, isn’t it?”
Laura didn’t quite know what to say about her sudden fiancée status. Seb was looking at her with a very dark look. She would have to tread carefully here. Interpret it all correctly. Play a good game.
The Pairing Page 6