by Mia Harris
“Yes, Mr. Taylor? I can sharpen those pencils if you’d like,” she said.
“Hmm? Oh, no, I enjoy sharpening them for some reason. Stupid habit of mine. I’m sorry to do this to you, but I’ll need you to work a bit late. I need you to reschedule the Wilson meetings; all of them. Also, Jane is going to be bringing over a file of things that apparently need typing up. One of the other girls was meant to do it, but went home sick. Is that going to be a problem?”
Jessa noticed that he seemed to be looking everywhere in the room but at her. Am I really that fat and ugly that he doesn’t even want to look at me? she wondered.
“That’s fine, Mr. Taylor.”
“Good. Thank you. That’s all,” he said.
Still not meeting her eyes, he waved her out of the room. Jessa shut his door behind her and sat down at her desk, noticing how dark it was already getting outside. It was nearly winter, so the sun was about to set even though it was only six o’clock. While she worked, she thought that she could hear strange, muffled noises coming from Mr. Taylor’s office, but his door remained closed.
Finally, her work was done. Not wanting to annoy him, Jessa packed her things and left without saying goodbye.
It was cold outside, and she wrapped a red woolen scarf around her neck before heading out into the parking lot. Taylor Enterprises was one of the biggest employers in the whole city, and the parking lot made that all too apparent. Jessa was lucky if she ever managed to find a parking spot less than a ten minute walk from the main building. Noticing that the usual lights in the parking lot didn’t seem to be working, she shivered and hurried towards her little white car.
Suddenly, two burly men loomed out of the darkness in front of her.
“Hello, Miss. Do you have the time?” one of them asked.
Jessa detected a faint smell of beer and cigarettes emanating from the men, and hugged her coat tighter around herself.
“It’s just after seven,” she replied, hoping that they weren’t trouble.
“Thanks. Would you care to join us? We’re havin’ a party,” the other man said.
Even in the darkness, Jessa could see a cruel glint in his eyes.
“No, thank you. I really need to be getting home,” she mumbled.
“Come on. Chubby thing like you should be grateful for the attention,” the first man said, grabbing her by the arm.
“Get off me!” she cried.
The second man grabbed her by the other arm and pulled her over to a patch of grass on the edge of the parking lot. Terrified, Jessa tried to scream, but the first man forced a gloved hand over her mouth. Pushing her to the ground, one of the men roughly yanked her legs apart and climbed on top of her. All of a sudden, she felt some unnaturally strong force pulling the man off her, and an earthy pine scent filled her nostrils. Propping herself up on her elbows, she saw a large dark figure drag both of the men several meters away, and seconds later, she heard a snarling sound followed by a deep growl.
Everything was happening so quickly that Jessa’s mind couldn’t process it all at once. Is that a dog attacking them? How did it know to rescue me? I could have sworn that I saw a man pulling him off me. Grateful that she was at least safe, she stood up and watched as the men limped away as fast as possible. The dog, or whatever it had been, was nowhere in sight now.
“What the fuck was that thing?” she heard one of them shout. Their voices faded away on the wind as they got further away, and she didn’t hear the other’s response.
Jessa’s legs felt like jelly, and her hands trembled as she walked over to her car and fumbled with the lock. She couldn’t believe that she had nearly been raped in a parking lot; it was like something from a nightmare. As she turned the key in the car-door’s lock, she heard a sound behind her. Spinning around, worried that the would-be rapists were back, she gasped as she realized that it was Mr. Taylor standing behind her.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice kinder than earlier, but still incredibly deep and masculine.
“Yes. Thank you. Two men tried to attack me, and….”
Her voice faltered as she realized that she wasn’t entirely sure exactly what had just happened.
“I know,” he said, moving closer to her. “I saw it. I pulled them off you. I sincerely hope that you’re okay. And… please don’t tell anyone what you saw here tonight.”
Jessa picked up on the faint spicy smell of expensive cologne mixed with his sweat as he tilted his face down and looked into her eyes.
“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.
His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness; some sort of trick of the moonlight, she assumed. Jessa suddenly had a strange thought, prompted by too many late-night movies.
“Wait… that creature…that was…”
“That was me. Yes. That’s why you can’t tell anyone,” he said, his face taking on a grave expression.
“I don’t understand. What… what was that? What are you?”
“It’s difficult to explain. Just… please, don’t tell anyone what you saw. I’m going to have one of my drivers follow you home just to make sure you get home safe. There are usually security guards patrolling the lots at night, but I guess they were all slacking off. They’ll all be fired. I’ll see to it now.”
He pulled away from her for a moment to make some calls. Jessa still had no idea what was going on, but she knew that she felt a lot calmer and safer with him around. When he was done on the phone, he came back over to her.
“I’ll wait right here until my driver arrives. He should be here in a minute. I’m so sorry that this happened, Jessa,” he murmured.
She was surprised that he had remembered her name, and smiled up at him gratefully.
“Thanks, Mr. Taylor,” she said.
His eyes began to burn again, and this time Jessa realized that they really were glowing. What the hell is he? The same unfamiliar look from when she had first met him was flickering in his eyes, and he leaned closer to her. It occurred to her that he might be about to kiss her, and she tilted her face up slightly. He opened his mouth to say something, but was distracted by the blinding headlights of a black car.
“Oh, that’s my driver. He’ll follow you home, like I said. Take care of yourself, Jessa.”
With that, he strode away. As if he was going to kiss me; I’m so stupid, Jessa thought to herself, embarrassed that she had even considered something so silly. I’m acting like a stupid schoolgirl. She got in her car, turned out of the parking lot, and began the drive home. Once she was there, she waved to the black car that Mr. Taylor had sent after her, and then went inside. She felt utterly exhausted after everything that had happened, so after a light dinner and an hour in front of the TV, she decided to take a long, hot shower and then head to bed. As she crawled under her warm blankets and drifted off to sleep, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone – or something – was watching her. It didn’t feel wrong, though. It made her feel safe.
***
As Jessa headed out her front door the next morning, she saw a sleek black car blocking her driveway. A tall blond man got out when he saw her approaching and beckoned her to him.
“Miss Williams? I’m Tom. I followed you home last night. Mr. Taylor has requested that I drive you to work today,” he said.
Tom looked like a no-nonsense kind of guy, so Jessa didn’t argue. He opened the door for her and helped her in, and then began the drive to Taylor Enterprises.
“Why did he want me to be picked up?” she asked.
Tom ignored her, so she assumed that he hadn’t heard. When she repeated her question, he sighed.
“To keep you safe, Miss Williams. He was extremely upset about what happened last night. When I followed you home, he went and fired those security guards himself,” he said.
“Is he this protective of all his employees?” she asked.
Tom didn’t respond again, and Jessa was more confused than ever. I’ve only known the guy for less than a day, during which he wo
uldn’t even shake my hand or even look in my direction, and suddenly he’s concerned for my safety… enough to send a car to collect me? What the hell is going on? She recalled the dark figure that she had seen pulling the two attackers off her the night before. It had definitely looked like a tall man, but then she had heard growling… and when she looked over, she swore that she had seen a large dog attacking the men. Maybe the stress of what happened with those two men was just screwing with my head. But if that’s the case, why did Mr. Taylor make me promise not to tell anyone what I saw? And his eyes…
They finally reached Taylor Enterprises, and Tom escorted her all the way up to the top floor. As Jessa crossed the room to her desk, she saw Jane looking at her with a resentful expression on her face. When Jessa sat down, Nicki came over to see her.
“Hey, honey. I heard there was an incident in the parking lot last night. You okay?”
“Oh. Yes, thank you,” she replied.
“Anyway, Jane told me to tell you that Mr. Taylor wants to see you in his office. He’s already here. She was meant to tell you herself, but I think her jealousy has gotten the better of her again.”
Nicki smiled and went back to work, and Jessa stood up and knocked on Mr. Taylor’s door. Her legs felt shaky, and her heart seemed to be racing at a million miles an hour. The door opened, and Mr. Taylor beckoned her inside his office. It smelled of his spicy cologne and coffee, and she took a deep breath before daring to look up at him, worried that she was in trouble for some reason.
“Please sit, Jessa. We have much to discuss,” he said, his voice as deep and masculine as ever.
“Have I done something wrong, Mr. Taylor? Why did you send that man to pick me up?” she asked nervously.
He smiled and sat down behind his desk.
“You’ve done nothing wrong. I’d prefer it if you call me Greg. Mr. Taylor makes me feel so old. I’m only thirty-five, you know. You have a lot of questions, I’m sure. Please, let me explain.”
Feeling slightly bolder now that she knew her career wasn’t in jeopardy, Jessa spoke up.
“Well, Mr. Tay… Greg. Why don’t you start by telling me what the hell I saw last night in the parking lot?”
His green eyes flashed with amusement for a moment.
“Where did that attitude come from? I like it. Jessa, there are things in this world that you probably cannot even begin to comprehend. I’m not calling you ignorant or stupid; it’s just that these things often choose to remain hidden from humans. I think, though, that deep down… you know what I am. Tell me what you think you saw.”
“I saw a man rescue me… but then the man seemed to become a dog, or something like that. I think my brain just got all confused,” she replied.
“A dog?”
“Well, no. More like a wolf, I think.”
Greg’s face suddenly took on a more serious expression.
“So what does that tell you, Jessa?” he said, his voice dropping to a cool murmur.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. You know what you saw, but your mind refuses to process it because you think that it can’t be real. I’m a werewolf, Jessa. Hardly any humans know my true nature, but last night could not be helped. I saw those men and I just… I had to shift to save you. I cannot forgive myself for allowing that to happen to you. I hold myself personally responsible for your safety, and the safety of all my other employees.”
His words washed over her in a wave of confusion. Is this a joke? Werewolves don’t exist! This is a dream, this is a dream, this is a dream, she chanted in her mind.
“You’re probably very confused right now, Jessa, so let me explain something else. While I hold myself responsible for my employees, you’ve obviously noticed that I’ve taken a special interest in you,” he continued.
Jessa stared at the floor, wanting to melt right into it. Something was telling her that this wasn’t a dream, and that Greg Taylor really was what he said he was.
“The reason my kind can assume a human form is because we are, in fact, descended from early humans ourselves. We can still be attracted to, and mate with, human women. As I have gotten older, my desire to take a mate has outstripped all of my other desires in life… but it is difficult when I am this wealthy. Human and were-women alike want my money, and don’t care for me as a person. I am lonely. I want love, real love. Us werefolk often feel connections to our mates immediately… it’s not something a true human mind can understand. But when I first saw you and picked up on your scent… I knew.”
“Knew what?” Jessa asked.
“That you were special. Very special. That you weren’t the kind to use a man. That I wanted you to be my mate.”
“Okay, hang on. This is ridiculous. First you tell me that you’re a werewolf, as if I’m just meant to believe that. And then, you tell me that you want me to be your ‘mate’, yet yesterday you wouldn’t even so much as look in my direction!” Jessa said angrily.
“That’s because I knew that if I looked at you, I wouldn’t be able to control myself,” he growled, standing up and glaring down at her.
Jessa felt a tinge of fear.
“Do you know what a woman like you does to a red-blooded wolf like me?” he continued. “Those luscious curves of yours… your beautiful face… that long hair. You’re the perfect mate. If I so much as touched you, I feared I would pick you up and tear your clothes off right then and there.”
“But… Jane said that you prefer skinny women,” Jessa mumbled, feeling stupid the second the words left her mouth.
“I normally hire them, yes. Because I’m not attracted to them, and there’s no chance that I might react the way that I have reacted with you. I go away for two weeks and let Nicki take care of the hiring and I end up with… you. Christ, Jessa, you have no idea what you do to me.”
Jessa still didn’t believe that this wasn’t all some big joke at her expense.
“Prove it,” she demanded.
“That I’m a werewolf?” he asked, his green eyes flashing again. “Are you sure you can handle seeing me? Even with the humans who know my true nature… I don’t often show them.”
“Well, I won’t believe a word that you’ve said until you do.”
A heavy pine scent suddenly began to linger in the room, and Greg’s eyes began to glow; even in the light of day it was obvious that his eyes were not normal. One second he was there, and the next Jessa was looking at a large grey wolf with glowing eyes. The wolf sprang over to her and put two front paws on her lap, and then moved its snout close to her face. After sniffing her for a moment, it backed down, and the next second, Greg was back, standing there in his suit like nothing had happened.
Jessa was stupefied. He really was a werewolf. The pine scent began to fade, and her mouth dropped open in shock.
“How… how did you do that? What about your clothes?”
“When I shift, my clothes cease to exist along with my human form. Again, it’s not really something a human mind can understand. Do you believe me now?”
“Yes.”
Greg moved closer to her.
“I want you, Jessa. Your scent is intoxicating to me, so much so that I could not help but lock myself in here yesterday and howl. It’s another habit of mine. When I am angry or emotional about something, I shift and howl for hours.”
“That’s what that noise was yesterday?”
“You heard? I had this room soundproofed just in case something like this ever happened. I didn’t realize that you would hear me. Anyway, Jessa… You must understand something. While the men of my kind are strong and dominant, it is the women who are at the core of our power. My pack is a matriarchal one. Women must be asked for permission.”
“Permission for what?”
“I cannot touch you, cannot kiss you, cannot feel your incredible body against mine, unless you give me permission to mate with you. It is our way. This is why I have been going so crazy for the last day. I wanted you so much, but I didn’t think that you
could possibly understand why. I feel like the incident last night was a sign to me, a sign that I should show you what I am.”
Jessa felt like she might actually melt into the floor. She had no idea that this man, this gorgeous man, or werewolf… whatever he was, wanted her so much. Her heart began to race again, and she could feel her legs trembling in her seat.
“What do you want me to say?” she whispered.
“I want your permission. I cannot force you to give it to me, obviously, but I would be the happiest wolf on earth if you gave it to me.”
Jessa considered his words. How often does a sexy, billionaire werewolf come along and beg for me to be with him? Certainly not every day, she thought. She made her choice.