“I got you banished?” I set my water down with a thud of heavy glass on wood.
“No, I got me banished. Hopefully, you think it’s worth it.”
I didn’t quite know what to say. Hades steps out of the fae lands for the first time in about, oh 8,000 years or so, and he gets banished?
“Well.” Percy sat back in her chair without another word.
Hades went back to his cooking, removing the steak at its peak rare state.
“Is this banishment a forever thing?” Doug asked, breaking the silence.
Hades shrugged and loaded up plates. He took a long moment to arrange the food just so, then deposited each meal when he was happy with the presentation. It was probably a good thing he didn’t normally cook. The food was likely to get cold before we could dig in.
It tasted . . . a little off.
“Um, Hades. Did you season the steak?” I asked after swallowing my first mouthful.
“Yes, why, is there something wrong?”
“It tastes sorta bitter.” I cut another forkful and lifted it to my nose to take a sniff. There was a hint of something plant-like.
“Gretchen—” Percy started to admonish me, taking a look at Doug’s face.
“It’s definitely bitter.” He forced down his mouthful. “What did you put on it?”
Percy’s face turned a little red, and she gave a little cough.
“What?” Hades’s bewildered face was priceless, he then took a bite of his own dinner. He chewed, he swallowed, he grimaced. “That is disgraceful. What did I do?”
“I put all-purpose cleaner in an old steak seasoning can.”
“And you put it back in the spice rack?” Hades stood and dumped his steak in the trash. “Hot dogs anyone?”
He went through the fridge until he found the big pack under some flour tortilla shells, cut slits in them and shoved a plateful in the microwave.
I took my steak, and Doug’s on separate forks and deposited them in the trash on top of Hades’s. What a waste of good food, but bathroom cleaner isn’t exactly edible, so it had to go.
As soon as the microwave beeped, Hades pulled the hissing red hot dogs out and dumped a few onto each of our plates.
The rest of dinner was a quiet one, as I was trying not to laugh at Percy, and feeling bad for Hades at the same time.
I was willing to bet that Percy was ecstatic about the whole banishment thing, it meant she didn’t have to spend her winter in the Land of the Dead, not exactly her favorite place to be.
I was happy not to have to participate in small talk and was surprised when Doug left the table first. I’d kind of expected him to linger like he normally did, but apparently, he was still trying to give me my space. It was appreciated, but I kind of missed the attention. I’d grown used to it, after years of self-inflicted solitude.
I couldn’t go to bed without apologizing for real, so I went on the hunt.
I tried his room first, but the light was off, and there was no answer to my knock. I glanced out the window and saw a light on in the barn, so I headed down.
It was already dark out, winter was knocking at the door, but I had no trouble seeing, thanks to the fae magic pumping through my veins. I pinched out my contacts for a better view and shoved them in my back pocket.
Hopefully, I’d remember they were there and not send them through the wash, rip them, or otherwise give them any extra abuse that they were already receiving from my denim-clad behind.
I tried the tack room door and it creaked open, revealing Doug sitting on the cot, reading a book.
“What are you doing?” I asked, hoping for something besides the obvious answer.
“Reading.” He placed in a bookmark and snapped the cover shut with one hand.
“I mean, why are you staying out here?”
“I know what you meant. I’m trying to give you some space from my wolf. He’s not liking being apart from you, and I can’t say that I am either.” He crossed his arms and kept his seat.
I sat down on a dilapidated trunk next to the door. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault though, is it? You can’t help that your instinct made a decision you weren’t ready for.”
“Yeah, but I haven’t exactly been nice about the whole thing either.”
“You acted like you.” He turned his gaze to mine.
I didn’t know what to say to that. I was having a mentally dull night.
“I’m trying, but I don’t know what to do at the moment. It’s still too close to full moon. I don’t think I can really address this until I’m more in charge. Can you wait awhile to talk it through?” I jiggled my foot, trying to keep the butterflies at bay.
“I’ll always be here, you know that. But honestly, the sooner we can figure all this out, the better. I love you, Gretchen.”
And there it was, right out in the open, and I couldn’t say it back.
“I know,” I said instead, staring at the ancient floorboards under my toes.
I stood. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, fine,” he said. He sounded so sad, I had to give him some hope.
I walked over and give him a quick kiss.
“I really will try. I do care for you, quite a lot actually, but—”
He waved me off.
I nodded, then turned and left.
After several days of avoiding Doug, things started settling back down to normal.
Meredith took pains to show up on time so I wouldn’t be able to “steal” her clients. Because of this, I was forced to be nice again. Don’t get me wrong. I like Meredith, but I hate unprofessionalism.
Percy pulled me aside for another chat. “You have got to start playing nice. Meredith is your friend. And don’t forget, you owe it to yourself to stay in the good graces of any human who has a clue what you may be.” Her tone was gentle, and I had to acquiesce.
“Sure, whatever. Just make sure she calls next time, and that she understands that if she is late, and her client wants to be taken right away, she can’t be angry when one of us is available and gives the client what they want. Especially when her client is really my client.” I crossed my arms.
“You know very well that you can’t own clients.”
“Yeah, they think they own us though.”
She smiled and patted my arm. “Too true.”
And that was that. Percy did lecture, but at least they tended to be short ones.
So when we had dinner after work, it was a much more relaxed affair than previously anticipated, with Doug on my left and Meredith on my right. Percy and Hades were at the head and foot of the table, with the farm staff scattered about. Toni and Fern seated themselves close to me. They’d attended dinners at the manor before, but they still weren’t comfortable with the others that attended.
They knew what we were, the immediate we, but they could only speculate about the farm staff. Their suspicions would have been true, of course. At least one of the farm staff had worked with Percy all along, as in for centuries.
“Oh, did I tell you guys?” I set down a forkful of shepherd’s pie. “Babe’s Place got sold.”
“Really? Did Amanda take it over, by any chance?” Percy asked, giving me her full attention.
“Nope, she said it was an outsider. She told me that even if she pooled her savings with some of the other girls, there still wouldn’t have been enough to cover the costs. Even better, they renamed it.” I rocked my chair back on two legs and waited for a reaction.
“That’s too bad. What’s it called now?” She went back to her food.
“Triple H Salon, and plans for expansion into a day spa. I forget the chick’s name, but I think it was one of the girls we interviewed and didn’t hire.
“That’s too bad,” she said again. “What’s the H stand for?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Heavy, hot, and a hell of a lot, I’m assuming. I forgot to ask, because of said assumption.”
“Ah, that old adage. Don’t you lad
ies tell your client to stay away from that?” Hades chuckled.
“Yeah, but we don’t exactly lead by example.”
“So what do we think about all this?” asked Toni, our nail tech.
“I’m thinking I’m not thrilled about it. Amanda didn’t sound thrilled over the phone,” I said. She had sounded downright peeved, in fact.
“We’ll just have to up our game then,” Fern joined in.
“We’ll have to brainstorm. How are things?” Percy steered the conversation back to dinner.
“Yummy,” Meredith muttered around a mouthful.
Doug didn’t say a word the entire meal, and I hoped that things hadn’t fallen down again between us.
Again, he disappeared as soon as dinner was over.
I hung out with the girls for a bit as they sipped a bit of this and that, mostly hot cocoa and wine, while I slurped my customary mug of tea.
“So when did you hear from Amanda anyway?” Percy asked as we sat around engaging in small talk.
“A couple nights ago. I just figured I’d wait and tell everybody at once.”
“For less socialization?” Meredith asked.
Was she making an attempt at sarcasm? Why yes, I believe she was. I kept rubbing off on her at odd times. It was sort of like she hadn’t settled on a personality yet.
Of course, my personality was subject to change at the whim of the moon, so I guess I didn’t have any real room to criticize.
I fake yawned. “Well, I think I’m going to head upstairs, see you ladies later.” I stretched my arms up, fingers connected, and twisted, cracking my back.
“Night, Gretch! I think I need to head out as well, I’ve got kids to get moving in the morning.” Toni stood “Night, ladies.”
I waved, escaped up the stairs, and headed to Doug’s door instead of my own.
I rapped on the wood with two knuckles of my upturned hand. The creak of floorboards assured me that my invitation had been heard and just might be answered. I waited patiently, as muffled footsteps approached.
The door creaked softly on its hinges, and Doug peeked his head out.
“What?” he asked, sounding sleeping.
“Oh. Did I wake you up?” I glanced at his somewhat bare chest.
It couldn’t be considered completely bare, as it was covered in dense hair due to his hypertrichosis. But the closer to the new moon he got, the less hair he had; it was a blessing the bite had bestowed on him, curing his mutation for a few days each month. He kept a sweater-vest full-time, and he grew a thick beard, but shaving was now an option, at least seven days of the month.
He was wearing pajama bottoms with pictures of rocket ships all over them.
I smiled. “Nice pj’s.”
He grunted.
I stepped forward. “Can I come in?”
He opened the door wider, moving with it, allowing me through.
I walked past him and sat on the floor at the foot of his bed.
“Mind closing the door?” I requested, keeping my voice subdued, not something he’d feel the need to submit to.
I was on his turf, and I wanted him to feel like we were on equal footing for once. To do so, I had to fight to keep my wolf under wraps. It was getting easier, the further we got from full moon.
He closed the door, then came and sat beside me.
So far so good, even if he was careful to keep at least a foot of floor between us.
I would have put the space there as well, but I was glad it was his decision and not mine, so I didn’t have to worry about hurt feelings.
The sheets on the bed were a jumbled pile, proving I’d woken him up. He was normally pretty good about keeping his bed made.
“I want this to work,” I started out. “But you’re going to have to help me.”
He nodded.
“I’m an old lady, and old-fashioned. I want to be, no I need to be courted. A date once a week just isn’t going to do it for me. I need to get to know you well. I want to feel like I’ve always known you. It means we’ll have to spend a lot of time together, and lots of time together with other people. I need you to make me feel special. I’m going to be that needy girl. Can you handle that?”
I would be that girlfriend that everyone hates. But to appease my somewhat old-fashioned sensibilities, and keep my wolf calm, I needed to be wooed.
He was quiet for a while.
I risked a glance at his face and was a little relieved to see that his furry expression was contemplative, so I gave it some more time.
And then I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I can go away if you like, and we can talk later.”
I leaned forward to stand, and his arm shot out, blocking my progress.
“It’ll be nice to be needed,” he said simply, then let his arm drop back to his lap.
I leaned back against the footboard again and forced myself to relax.
“So, where do we go from here?” he asked, turning his head to watch me.
“I don’t know really. Can I hang out in here for a while?” The butterflies in my stomach sped up their dance, and I placed a hand there, taking some deep breaths.
“I—yes, that would be nice. Would you like to watch a movie?”
He’d become quite the collector of films, and a devotee to Netflix, since he’d left his job as the “werewolf-man” in Treats and Freaks Circus. It probably helped to have a constant source of electricity and adequate storage.
“Sure.” The butterflies slowed their dance.
I hadn’t actually watched a movie since Lacey-Marie had goofed up and exposed her serial killing self. I didn’t own any movies, or even a TV, though there were several in the house. I used to hang out in her room for such activities, since she too had been a collector.
“What are you in the mood for?” He stood and headed to the massive bookshelf that held the beginnings of his collection.
I shrugged, then decided to utilize my vocal cords, since his back was still turned. “Don’t care,” I said, then changed my mind. “Maybe not action or suspense, I don’t think I can keep my adrenaline under control for that.”
“How about,” he ran a finger over and down the spines of the cases in front of him. “A Beautiful Mind?”
Russell Crowe, schizo, I’d seen it and knew there wasn’t anything that would make my pulse really jump.
“Perfect.”
He pulled it down, opened the case, and popped it in.
I took a seat on his couch, which had been commandeered from Lacey-Marie’s old room, curling up in the corner against the arm.
He looked at me for a moment, then asked, “Can I sit next to you, or do you need me to keep my distance for now?”
I considered telling him to leave a bit of space, then thought that might defeat the whole purpose of this courting thing. I patted the couch next to me and sat stiffly as he took his seat.
It took an hour or so, but eventually I was able to relax and lean into my boyfriend. He took the risk of putting his arm around me, and I forced myself to let him.
This had all been so easy before my wolf had chosen to be mated to his, so natural. I hated having to work at it.
He held as still as possible, letting me decide what was okay, and what was definitely not. Just sitting there, my pulse rose when he shifted. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing, but getting distracted by his scent. Deep down inside, my wolf rumbled in pleasure, and I used her to help me calm down.
The rise of adrenaline, which was also a rise in my pulse, is what brings on the change. I didn’t know how Doug managed to keep his so well under wraps. I had yet to see him slip up.
He’d been a calming influence on me before he was bitten and changed, but now the mere presence of his wolf made mine want to make an appearance. Especially now that mine decided on a romance that was out of my control. The fact that he was officially pack would hopefully eventually settle in my pea brain and do its job. Part of the reason for packs, in an alpha’s case, was to keep them on
keel.
I matched my breathing pattern to his, and calmed a little bit more, relaxing still further.
He leaned down a bit and kissed the top of my head. “Movie’s over.”
“Mhmm,” I muttered, then sat up. “I’ll let you go back to sleep.” I stood and stretched. “Walk me to the door?”
He did, and I let him give me a kiss good night, his hands resting on my hips, neither forcing me closer nor pushing me into things I couldn’t handle. In that small moment, with that gentle touch, I felt safe and cherished. I headed for my own bed, leaving smiles on both our faces.
My cell phone blared, waking me up far earlier than I intended. I wanted to ignore it but glanced at the call screen anyhow. Amanda’s name flashed there, so I hurried up and answered it.
“What,” I rasped.
“Sorry to wake you up, but I had to call you. I quit last night.”
“Quit what? Hey, did it rain?” I glanced outside. My room had changed; normally my window faced west, giving me a full view of the sunset, but this morning I was facing misty sunshine, accompanied by a faint rainbow.
“I quit my job. And it’s still pouring at my house. I’m surprised it didn’t wake you up.”
My foggy brain perked up enough for me to start comprehending things. “You woke me up. You quit? Why?”
“Because the new owner is a world-class bitch, that’s why. I’m calling you because I know you guys still have an empty station, and I was wondering if you had enough business to make it worth dropping off a resume.”
I sat up cross-legged, letting my blankets pool around me in a toasty warm heap. “You quit, or were you fired?”
“I quit before my mouth could get me fired. So?”
“Don’t bother with the resume; we all know you. I’ll have a chat with Percy later.” I noticed something odd about my wall. “Hey, can I call you back a little later?”
“Sure. Thanks, Gretch.” Her voice crackled a little bit, probably due to the storm.
“Bye, sexy,” I said before pressing the end button.
I got out of bed, pulled a piece of scrap paper out from under my rock turtle paperweight, and left a note for myself to talk to Percy about Amanda.
I turned my attention back to the wall. The house had added a door.
Pack of Freaks: Beasts Among Us - Book 2 Page 3