Saint Ives Whelan Chronicles : Christopher Saint Ives Whelan
Chapter One : A Deal Is A Deal.
He cursed when he heard his phone ringing. After twisting and turning for hours he finally was falling asleep when the dreaded noise woke him up again. Squinting his eyes, he turned his head, trying to make out the time on his alarm clock. Two thirty in the morning, it showed.
"Whoever is calling better have a damn good reason for waking me up in the middle of the night," he grunted as he turned around, sat up and reached for his mobile on the nightstand.
Looking at the display, he raised an eyebrow. It was his brother Nick. Flipping open the phone, he answered the call.
"Nick, do you know how fucking late it is? Some of us are trying to get some sleep!" Chris growled at his brother Nick, wishing he could punch his eldest brother for waking him at this ungodly hour.
"Hello to you too Chris. I need a favor."
"And that couldn't wait 'till morning or what?"
"Not really. I need to get this sorted before noon."
"What you're after then?" Chris replied a bit less grumpy.
"Are you able to get your hands on an old, fast sports car? Preferably one that still needs quite a bit of work done. Price isn't an issue," he told him.
"Why do you need an old wreck by tomorrow?" he asked, puzzled at the request of his older brother.
"By noon," Nick answered.
"Still. Why would you think I could pull that off? And again, what for?" He could sense the resistance of his brother.
Hesitantly Nick said, "The thing is, I was in 'The Vixen' earlier tonight."
"Yes, you go there on occasion, we all know that. What has that got to do with the fact you want a car wreck by noon tomorrow?" he urged his brother on.
"Well, I found my mate," he blurted out.
Silence followed. Chris lowered his mobile for a second then put it back next to his ear.
"You're kidding me, right Nick?" he said, his voice not hiding his disbelief.
"Nope, I know, of all places I ran into her in 'The Vixen'. But it's not going to be easy. For starters she's human, so she doesn't know what I am really. I'd love to mate her right here and now, but even I realize I can't do that. So I have to take things slow, gain her trust and bit by bit let her know there are more things that roam this earth than humans and animals," Nick explained.
"A human, that won't go down well with the packs bitches, my dear brother, but I'm glad for you. But again, what's this all that got to do with you waking me in the middle of the night? Surely you didn't do so just to tell me you found your mate?" He was getting a little impatient now.
"No, we didn't stay long, I offered her a ride home since her friends decided to stay a bit longer. Once we got to my car it turned out she has a passion for fast cars. Without wanting to go into detail, I would owe you one big time if you could find me an old car by noon tomorrow which we could fiddle with. She grew up fixing cars with her old man."
"First of all, you don't fiddle with a car," he cut in.
"She made that fact clear as well," Nick chuckled.
"Second, I'll see what I can do. I won't promise anything. Where do you want it should I get hold of one?" he asked, his mind already working through the dealers he usually worked with.
"You still got the key to my private garage?"
"Yeah I have it."
"There should be some room on the right side. I can move around the cars later if needed."
"Ok, ok, again, not promising anything, but I'll see what I can find. Can I go back to sleep now?" Chris replied.
"Yes my little brother, I'll let you go back to sleep now," Nick chuckled, ending the conversation.
"Well I'll be damned, my big brother finally found his mate," Chris said aloud, lightly shaking his head in disbelief. Closing his mobile, he put it back on his nightstand.
Knowing he had some calls to make in the morning, he set his alarm for seven o'clock, convinced it would give him enough time to come up with something that would fit his brother's request. He returned to twisting and turning until sleep overtook him once more that night.
Suddenly he heard the annoying sound of his alarm clock going off. Blindly he stretched out his arm and slammed it a few times, hoping one of them would turn that darn noise off. He wasn't ready to get up yet, he wanted to sleep a little longer. Turning on his back, he kept his eyes closed, groaning at the thought of getting up, but then he remembered the favor his older brother had asked of him.
Reluctantly he threw off the white sheet, uncovering his totally naked frame, and swung his long muscular legs over the edge of the bed. Bracing his arms on his knees, he bent over a little and brushed his hands through his shoulder length curly hair. He pinched the bridge of his sharp nose, hoping to drive away the drowsiness of the little sleep he'd managed to get.
Giving himself a minute to wake up, he took in his clothes that lay scattered on the ground. He couldn't help but grin at the sight of yet another torn shirt. Before going home last night he had spent a few hours with a nice little lady. She first thought he was an easy catch. He smiled. He proved her wrong alright. After she realized his easy going attitude was in contrast with his sexual appetite, she was all too willing to submit to him. After he first restrained her hands and then when she still tried to lead things, he blindfolded her, making sure she had screamed his name and begged for more until her throat was hoarse.
He didn't mind if a woman tried to have her way, but he hadn't met a single one yet that made him care much after the sexual act was done. He loved having the upper hand as much as he loved having his wicked way with a woman's body. But he couldn't bring himself to stay, not a single time. Always he looked down on the woman, a content smile plastered on their faces while they slept. With a single kiss on their head he always said goodbye and left them to wake up alone in the morning.
Getting up, he stretched his muscular body and bit back a yawn. Scratching his head again, he looked down. He was getting puzzled why he always managed to wake up with his cock throbbing in earnest and demanding release. It didn't matter how restless he had slept. Or the fact he didn't remember having any vivid dreams that would explain his aroused state. He still woke up with a morning erection.
He wandered over to his dresser, got some clean underwear and clothes and strolled further to his bathroom. He longed for a long warm shower. The muscles in his neck were acting up again, they felt like they were being stabbed by twenty daggers at the same time. A hot shower was so far the only remedy he found remotely useful.
Laying his fresh clothes on one of the bathroom cabinets, he stepped in the shower. The first few icy cold streams of water made sure he was awake. Bit by bit the water became warmer and not long after it was searing hot. Bracing one hand against the wall, he bent his head, letting the scalding hot water run over his neck and shoulder blades. He stayed like that for several minutes, hoping that the initial ache in his neck would fade at least a little bit.
Rolling his shoulders, they felt a bit more relaxed. He saw his cock still hadn't given up demanding some personal attention. Closing his eyes, his hand traveled south, embracing his hard member. Slowly he started moving his hand, resting a second when he covered the top of his cock, smearing the clear fluid that was oozing out over the rest of his deep red, engorged cock.
His heart started pumping faster and his breathing became more labored the longer he kept up the slow torment he was putting himself through. He didn't believe in getting off quickly, that, in his mind, destroyed the earth shattering finale. He was a strong believer that each orgasm should be enjoyed to its fullest, by himself and the by the woman he chose to bed.
By now he had to reposition his tall legs to steady himself. He leaned against the other wall in the shower, the hot water now cascading down over his face, chest and hard flesh. He groaned passionately, the hot water acting as an extra stimulant and urging him on.
One hand still firmly jacking off his cock, his other hand cupped his balls and squeezed them, gently at first. He let them roll around a bit before he squeezed them a bit harder. Hard enough to send little shivers of pain up and down his spine, but good pain. Pain that felt that what you wanted was just within reach, just around the corner, ready for the taking.
He bit his full lower lip when he finally felt the familiar twitching in his balls and could feel his cock throbbing mercilessly, wanting those last few strokes, those last squeezes. He wanted his release, he wanted to spill his seed. Finally he gave in to his deep urges and he started pumping his flesh fast, coaxing out his release.
He released his balls and placed his free hand on the wall in front of him. He was glad he could brace himself a bit more when he felt his balls tightening up, his seed traveling upwards and finally spurting out of him with each stroke he administered on his throbbing flesh. He kept squeezing and pumping until he felt he didn't have a drop left to spill on the shower floor, the evidence quickly being washed away by the hot water that was still hitting him on his tall, quivering frame.
After several minutes he pulled himself together and washed himself quickly, a bit disappointed he had to take care of this problem by himself, again. He didn't shy away from female companionship and he was the first to admit he was a ladies' man and he enjoyed giving them pleasure, as well as receiving it. But as of late he was feeling an emptiness inside, a longing for something he didn't know yet.
Quickly he dried himself and donned his clothes and made his way to his small kitchen to make a fast breakfast. Once done, he gathered his papers and notebooks from work and got to work, making tons of calls, hoping he would find the one thing his brother was looking for.
After three hours of cursing, he tossed the phone next to him, he wasn't having any luck. Letting out a sigh, he closed his eyes and leaned back. He was running out of time. He really needed the car in an hour, so he had an hour on top of that to make sure it was in his brother's garage.
He rummaged through his papers and came across a business card from a seller of old exclusive vintage cars. He bit back a sigh again, he knew of his reputation, he had a ninety nine percent success rate when it came to finding the old gems. But as far as he knew he only delivered pristine cars and he was looking for an old car that could use some TLC.
It can't hurt to try, he thought to himself. He dialed the number and hoped somebody was present at the other end.
"Ontario Vintage Cars, this is Mia talking, how can I help you?" the familiar soft voice said on the other side.
He couldn't help but smile, her voice had that effect on him, it didn't matter what she said.
"Hi, Mia, it's your avenging angel," he teasingly replied, knowing he mildly ticked her off when acting the charmer.
"Oh, it's you," Mia replied flatly. "What do you need?"
"You're already giving it to me, just keep talking," he kept up the teasing.
"Will you cut it out already? Just tell me what you want, I know it's something important, else you wouldn't be calling us on the weekend," she stopped his teasing.
"Ok, ok. I'm looking for an old car, but it doesn't need to be in pristine condition," he started saying. "I tried all my other contacts and they don't have what I'm after. I know you only deal in pristine cars, but I thought, what the heck, I may as well give them a try, you never know. So how are my odds? They looking a bit good?"
"Give me a minute, I'll check our books. I've been on leave for a while, so I'll have to check what is in stock. I'll be two minutes, if you don't mind waiting on the phone," Mia replied.
"By all means, take your time, if you have anything, I'll be forever in your debt, to do with as you please," he answered. He bit back his laughter, his mind swarming with very naughty ideas he'd be willing to do. Sadly he wasn't able to put a face to her name, they only talked on the phone, but her voice, to him, was so enchanting. Even if she was reading the daily stock numbers to him, he still would be listening with pleasure. He was just so enthralled by her voice.
Trapping the phone between his ear and his shoulder, he made a neat pile of his papers while waiting for Mia to get back to him. He could hear the bristling of papers and the clicks of her typing on a keyboard. Not long after he heard her sweet voice again.
"It seems you are a very lucky man," she started to say, but Chris interrupted her.
"Does that mean you finally will go out with me?"
"Sorry, I have to shatter that dream. On the other hand, we may have a car you might be interested in," she answered.
"I'm always interested in anything with nice curves," he teased again, knowing his last remark sounded a bit cheesy, but when it was Mia on the phone, he just couldn't help himself.
"You're incorrigible, Chris. Does it never get boring, pretending to be such a charmer all the time?" Mia countered him.
"With you it never is boring. But you had a car I may want?"
"Yes, I have. I have the sheet in front of me, it seems to be in working order, but it really could do with some cleaning up and some small bits need replacing. I wonder what the boss was thinking when he got this car, but you're lucky, it's tagged for sale," she answered.
Taking in what she just said, it seemed the car was just perfect and fit the bill for what Nick had in mind.
"What type of car is it then?" he asked.
"It's a classic really, it's a Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500, the price is doable since it isn't in pristine condition," she added.
"Price isn't an issue this time. The car is actually for my brother and he gave me no limits. The car sounds perfect. If you set up the sale papers now, when do you think I can pick it up? I'll bring one of my own garage trucks, so transportation is taken care of."
"It's your lucky day, the car was only brought in last week, so it's still up front. Drawing up the papers only takes five minutes, so basically you can come pick it up whenever you can."
"Ok, I'll be there in twenty minutes, be ready," he hastily spoke. He had two reasons for suddenly being in a rush: first, he had found a car for his brother and needed to get it over right away, and secondly, he was finally going to see Mia.
"Alright, see you in a bit then and I'll have the papers ready," she ended their conversation.
After hanging up the phone he couldn't help but produce a loud, victorious, "Yes!"
Leaving all his stuff on the coffee table, he felt an unfamiliar rush going through his veins. He pushed back the feelings. Sliding his feet into his worn Timberlands, he rushed to his own garage, on his way out grabbing the keys to the big truck.
Doing his best not to break the speed limits, he drove skillfully through the easy Saturday morning traffic. Up the road he saw the well known sign of "Ontario Vintage Cars" and he pulled up right in front of it. Approaching the main building, he always stood still for a minute and took in the nice view of all the vintage cars. They were all in tip top shape and were shining brightly in the summer sun. Letting out an appreciative sigh he then made his way inside.
He did hear the doorbell, announcing his arrival, but he stopped dead in his tracks. He'd been here many times before, but was always unlucky as Mia was never present. She was now. Captivated like a moth to a flame he stood there, drinking in the beauty of the woman seated behind the desk. He had to grin because no matter how beautiful she was, it was evidently clear she had no color coordination. Or she was dressing like a bohemian on purpose, blindly pulling clothes out of her dresser, not caring if they matched or not.
"Hello there," he said, breaking the silence. "Your prince charming has arrived."
Fully turning towards him, Mia looked him straight in the face. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but suddenly he saw a certain reservation pass over her pretty face.
"You must be Chris, I have the papers ready, just have to sign them and sort the payment," she politely said as if she was talking to a complete stranger.
He didn't like her tone, sure they had never met in real life before but they talked so many times on the phone he at least hoped she wouldn't act so reserved toward him. Not sure what had triggered her response, he decided to act as if nothing had changed.
"Do you already want to get rid of your prince charming so fast? You've wounded my heart now," he said, placing his hand over his heart and acting a little hurt. As his eyes focused on her face he saw the corner of her mouth twitch just a little, convincing him she wasn't so unresponsive to his antics as she wanted him to believe.
"I'm sure your heart will survive another day. We have other things to take care of," she replied hastily.
"Yup, we have, like when I'm finally taking you out on a date?" he hopefully countered.
When Mia shook her head slightly, he noticed. He picked up the little twinkle in her eyes when she looked up again.
"I see you don't give up easily, so how about a little deal?" she asked.
Surprised at her sudden change of behavior he could only go along. He already knew he just had to see her again. Now he could put a face to the name, there was no stopping him.
"What little deal did you have in mind then?" he asked inquisitively.
"I'm not saying I'm going on a date with you straight away. But if we meet again, face to face, I'll promise I'll think about it," she told him.
Smelling an opportunity a mile away he jumped straight in.
"Not think about, my lady, but you'll accept my invitation. If we meet again, which I really hope we do, you'll agree to go out with me. You can even pick the place and everything, I'll be the perfect prince charming," he said to her. He knew it might be a little to forward, but she gave him an in and he'd be a fool not to take it, especially since he noticed she wasn't completely unresponsive to him.
He waited patiently for her reply, he could almost see the little wheels turn inside her head, thinking about what to do. Biting back a groan when she wet her lower lip and then bit on it lightly, he closed his eyes. The images passing by roused his manhood. Suddenly feeling like he had on pants two sizes too small, he was glad he had put on a loose shirt that would cover his growing bulge.
Her soft reply startled him out of his daydreaming.
"Ok, you got a deal. Next time we come across each other, I'll accept your invitation. I'll expect nothing less than the best treatment though," she almost whispered.
He felt a wide grin crossing his face, his mind going into overdrive thinking of a way he could "accidentally" bump into her again without it being too obvious.
"That's a deal then, my lady, one I really hope will happen very soon," he agreed.
"Now that is out of the way, mind if we sort the papers now?" she quickly changed the subject, trying to look busy with the papers in front of her.
"Anything you want, my lady," he replied, keeping up his prince charming act.
"These are the sales papers, for now I've put them in your name, but I know it's not for you, so if at some point you need to transfer the car to its rightful owner you have to get that changed at the town hall. This bundle is to finalize the sale, the other one states you are aware of it's non pristine condition, but it states what is working. Just sign off each page and leave your signature on the last one, I'm sure you know the drill," she ended her explanation.
"I'm sure the papers are fine, I'll sign them right away. If something is wrong I have a good, nice reason to come back," he winked.
"Uh, uh, this is work. That will not be part of your little deal. I know how easy it would be for you to drop by then," she stopped him.
"Damn, you got me there, my lady. That means I'll have to be more creative then?"
He saw the little twinkle in her eyes again, proving to him she liked their verbal bantering as much as he did.
"Yes, you'll have to be really lucky then," she answered.
Checking the time he realized he didn't have much time left before he had to have the car in place so, much to his dislike, he turned a bit more serious and grabbed the papers she had laid in front of him and browsed through them. It was a standard contract like many others he had signed before. He signed off each page and planted his signature on the last page. He repeated the same with the other bundle of papers.
Making a neat pile of them he handed them back to Mia, their fingers briefly brushing against each other. That innocent touch move shocked him. As innocent as it was, he felt shivers going up and down his spine. Looking intently at her he was sure she experienced the same because she suddenly appeared very uneasy.
"Here, these should be in order now. Sorry that I have to cut my time a bit short, but I have a little deadline I must make. It has been my utmost pleasure to finally put a beautiful face to the voice that's been haunting my dreams, my lady," he said politely. He would have loved to stay longer, but sadly his promise to his older brother promise prevented him [for - from] pursuing her any further.
Accepting the papers, she placed them in front of her.
"Well, it's been nice doing business with you. 'Till the next time we meet," she answered in the same way.
Reluctantly he reached for the keys she left in front of him, said his goodbyes and turned around to walk outside.
With the doorknob in his hand he just caught the whispered words he was sure weren't meant to reach him, "I do hope we meet again." He was startled for a brief second, a big grin appearing on his face, making him even more determined to meet up with her.
After securing the Mustang on his truck, he gave one last longing look towards the building where he knew Mia was sitting behind her desk. While driving to the family's estate, also the primary address of his brother, he was going over different ways of getting in touch with her again. If need be he'd call in a few favors to get to know more about her, but he was certain he had to see her again. He was already imagining her in his bed, straddled over him, her hands held together behind her by one of his big hands, while his free hand was expertly tormenting her to the brink of ecstasy.
His bed? he thought. That's a first. He normally never took his women to his place, always went to theirs. Admitting to himself, Mia sprawled out on HIS bed would be an appealing picture.
While driving, his mind wandered back to the bohemian looking woman more than he wanted to admit. There was something about her he craved to have, wanted to dominate, wanted to please and enjoy. Just before turning on to the estate's road, he made up his mind. After the weekend he'd put their pack's investigators on her, he just had to find a way to meet her again.
His curiosity was sparked and he needed to know.
He dropped off the Mustang and covered it up with one of the canvas tarps lying about, knowing his brother wanted the car to be a surprise for his future mate. Back at his place he tidied up the papers he had left scattered about before he left. Oddly enough he didn't have any other plans for that afternoon.
Zapping through the TV channels he didn't find a program that sparked his interest. Picking up his phone he dialed his second brother Ed and arranged for them to meet up that night in his club "The Vixen".
Not much later his other brother, Nick, called him asking for something about the car. He asked to join him tonight as well if he wanted to and after hearing about Fran's friends, he extended the invitation to them. He could easily call back Ed and let him reserve them a VIP room for the evening. He was curious about the woman who finally sparked his brother's interest.
~*~*~*~
Mia was trembling from the second Chris had walked inside until he left again. Pinching the top of her nose, she closed her eyes and shook her head. She had to call her mom immediately, she needed her advice right away. Dialing the familiar number, she waited patiently for her mother to pick up the phone.
"Hello, my dear, how can I help you?" she heard when the phone was picked up on the other end. Her mother had the odd thing of always knowing when she called and whether it was for help or just to catch up on things. Over the years she had gotten used to the direct way her mother started conversations over the phone.
"We're in trouble, Mom. Well not really we, but me specially. I've just met my mate. He only didn't pick it up 'cause I was cloaking myself like you taught me. But something tells me even without him knowing what I really am, he'll come back someday. I'm just not sure about what will happen once he does know how things are. I could sense he's a high placed wolf, so I might be in the deep end here. Help?" she ended in a tiny voice.
"Oh, sweetie. You knew that you'd run into your mate one day, today is that day. Hiding yourself from him won't help either of you. Best you can do is tell him straight out and if he makes an issue of it I will talk to him. I'm sure he'll understand then. I know it was our choice not to stay with a pack and be on our own and I know it's only because of that and who I am we were able to stay under the radar for so long. But just follow your wolf, she'll guide and help you," her mom finished.
"He he, if I would have listened to her, she would have mated him on the spot. She was driving me nuts. Couldn't blame her though, he is one fine specimen of a man, very pleasing to the eye, a real charmer. Strange little fact is we talked to each other so many times on the phone, but when he walked in here today. Mom, you know I'm not easily lost for words, but I was today," Mia went on. She could hear her mom trying to hold back her laughter at the revelation.
"My dear, I can't wait to meet him, if he's able to shut you up, he must be quite the man then," Mia's mom replied.
"He is, trust me, he is." Mia let out a little sigh. "I don't know how this will turn out, it's not as if we agreed to meet up again. I even tried my best to avoid it. Yet he managed to make me agree to go out with him if we did meet again."
"Do you know how to get in touch with him?" her mom asked then.
"Yes, he's one of our regular buyers, so getting his phone number isn't a big deal, it's just that I'm not sure if I'm ready for that just yet. I need a bit of time. I know I can't keep fighting my wolf and I won't, but I need to get my head around all this. It could go two ways. You know local packs don't take kindly to pack-less wolves. It's the main reason why you taught dad and me to cloak ourselves."
"Sweetie, if he really is your mate and if it's true that he's of a higher rank in his own pack, he would think twice before harming you. Like I said, trust your wolf and come clean right away. You know if it really comes to it, you can contact me always and I'll be there in a second," her mother reassured her.
"I know, Mom, I know. That doesn't make it any easier though. Well I guess I'll hope for the best then, wish me luck, I believe I'm going to need it," she started to end their conversation.
"You'll be fine, my dear, you are after all a daughter of mine, we don't give up or give in so easily. I'm only a phone call away, so is your dad. He sends his greetings as well. But I'll leave you now, do keep me informed though. Talk to you later, my dear," her mom ended her part of the conversation.
"Thanks mom, give dad a hug and a kiss from me. I'll call in a few days and let you know how things are," Mia said, then put down the phone and let out a loud sigh.
If she could she would give herself a smack upside the head, that's how silly she felt right now. Of all people, HE turned out to be her mate. Chris Whelan. How many times had they talked on the phone? She admitted she loved those calls, even though they were always work related he found an opportunity to try and charm her and try asking her out and she always resisted.
She didn't know much about him really, she knew he had a well running garage and that he bought from them on a regular basis. Not able to hold in her curiosity she google'd his name. Oddly enough there were barely any hits, which only strengthened her belief the pack he was part of was pretty important and wealthy. After trying a few other combinations she gave up, there simply wasn't anything to find about Chris Whelan on the net besides the fact he owned a blooming car business.
Closing her eyes, she pinched the top of her nose, again. And shook her head, again. She knew her mother had said to trust her wolf and come clean the second she saw him again, but she had no clue how she was going to handle that. Let alone how she was supposed to meet with him without rousing his suspicion.
Promising herself she would give it some serious thought later that day, she tried to focus on the paperwork piled upon her desk. Realizing going out the night before hadn't been the best idea, but her friends wanted her along, one of them was celebrating her new job. Her friends didn't know that "The Vixen", even though a popular club, was also often frequented by other werewolves.
She had been wary at first going in, but once inside she relaxed. She felt her cloaking spell was strong enough not to be picked up and she relaxed with her friends. On the dance floor they got pushed over and if it wasn't for a huge man stepping in, her celebrating friend, Fran, would have fallen to the ground. She stiffened initially, the man smelled of wolf and of Alpha. She quickly eyed him up and down and her gaze got fixed on how he looked at Fran.
Right away she knew her friend was in for the time of her life. She wasn't part of a pack but she did recognize when a wolf got happy, finding that one precious thing that would make him happy. He looked rugged with his long black hair, dressed completely in black, but it suited him. But the way he held Fran was as if she was the most valuable and precious thing in the world to him. She knew she couldn't step in without revealing herself, even her own wolf told her to stay out of it and she agreed. Fran was in good hands. Reassuring her other friend, Lis, she nodded towards Fran in approval, grabbed Lis and went back to their booth.
When the pair joined them in the booth it was pretty clear Fran was at ease with the tall dark man. By lack of space he had let her sit on his lap while he politely joined in their conversation without being too nosy. She noticed Fran growing more tired and Nick, she now at least knew his name after exchanging greetings, was holding her possessively.
Cunningly Mia made it clear she wasn't ready to go home yet and would love to stay a bit longer. Knowing they all came here in just one car, it was the perfect opportunity for Nick to step in, which he did, and Fran agreed to let Nick drive her home.
She and Lis spent part of the night dancing away or chatting to their more shy friend Bron, who never left the booth once, acting as the trusted guardian of their purses. They stayed pretty late and with only a few hours of sleep, she had managed to drag herself to her first day of work again. A Saturday even!
Thankful for the fact she'd be done in half an hour. Giving up on getting through the papers in front of her, she resorted to cleaning up her desk slowly, hoping she'd fill the time until her work shift was over. They were only open during the morning. The afternoon and Sunday they were closed.
Her mind kept drifting back to what a the tall handsome man Chris was. She liked the curly black hair and she loved that no matter how obvious it was he tried to restrain his locks, a few always escaped, giving him a leisurely look about him. He dressed casually, but it couldn't hide his muscular frame, his broad shoulders tapering down to a slim waist. When he had walked away and stopped for a brief second before stepping outside, she could only applaud the fact his back side looked as yummy as did his front.
Looking at the clock a last time, she was relieved to find it was closing time. Picking up her bag, she closed down for the day and went home. Her mind bristled with ideas of what she could whip up for lunch, knowing it was one of the ways she used when she needed to think about things. She stopped on her way home to get a few ingredients and once in her kitchen she placed them on her counter.
She had kicked off her shoes the minute she walked into her hallway, her bag dropped carelessly next to them. Her tummy protested very loudly, demanding food. It didn't take her long to put together a nice, big lunch. She grinned lightly, thinking the stores thought she had a large family, considering the large amount of meat she bought there regularly.
She had managed to escape her whirling mind for a little while, but once the kitchen was tidied up again, one image sneaked into her mind again. Feeling her cheeks get warmer, she wanted to curse at herself. Knowing it was a hard situation that would arise sometime soon, she wasn't one for acting all girly. She was a blunt, to the point, no bullshit kind of woman.
Now she stood here, drooling like a teenager over the image that had nestled itself in her mind. Reaching her room, she decided to take a little nap, hoping some of the fatigue of last night's excesses would disappear. Removing her clothes, she then slipped under the covers of her bed, shut her eyes and willed herself to sleep. It was one of the perks of having a mixed heritage, she wasn't 'just' a wolf, she was a wolf with extra abilities thanks to her mom being a druid.
Apart from the cloaking spell she used almost 24/7, she didn't use much of her "extra" powers, just this little one she loved. Within seconds she was sleeping like a baby with the knowledge she would wake up in an hour or two. Sadly it didn't work for longer sleep but she was glad she could use it to take a little nap now and again and feel refreshed afterward.
When she woke up later that afternoon, she found a text on her cell phone. Lis let her know they would be going to "The Vixen" again tonight, but they would be having a VIP room. Lis also added it was thanks to Fran they were able to go again.
Groaning loudly, she dropped back into her crumpled sheets. Thank god she had taken the little nap then. Going out two days in a row would normally not tire her so much, but in her own defense, she had just spent two weeks partying at the other side of the world and had to go back to work immediately two days after she had gotten home again.
Having enough time left to get ready for later, she closed her eyes and focused on her personal predicament once more. Not wanting to linger too long, she made up her mind. First thing she would do when she got back to work on Monday was get his details and phone him. No time like the present to come clean. Feeling smug she made up her mind so fast, she tried to push it to the back of her mind and focus on the evening, wondering what it would have in store for her this time.
~*~*~*~
Chris sat at the bar, a bottle of beer cradled in his hands. The club wasn't crowed yet so he didn't mind staying on the ground floor for a little while. Ed, his brother, had told him Adam would be joining them as well. When he had stopped at his place for dinner Ed made the mistake of mentioning Fran and Nick were most likely to come to the club that evening. He had a hard time convincing Adam not to join, but he wouldn't budge. Ed didn't mind really, Adam was like their fourth brother, even though he was a lot younger than them and wasn't part of their pack.
Chris smiled a little smile, he knew Adam was a nosy son of a bitch, but he meant well. Before Adam had started his little tavern in town, the two of them hung out regularly and if he admitted it to himself, he missed those times. For once he cheered at Adam's persistence to join them tonight, it had been too long since they had all been together.
And well, truth be told, they all wanted to check out the lady that finally put Nick at ease. Ed was in for a surprise though, he hadn't told his brother what was really was going on between those two, it even caught him off guard when Nick told him in the middle of the night. He couldn't wait to see how they would be together. Nick being their Alpha was taller than all of them and certainly had no "mainstream" looks with his long raven black hair and rugged biker air around him.
Despite the looks he was a fair leader, who leaned heavily on his two brothers when it came to their own pack. Which was understandable since he also acted as Alpha Alpha for their part of the world. It meant, next to his own pack, he also had control of all other packs in that particular area. But he was fair. In other areas it was common for the Alpha Alpha to act like a true dominant over the others as well, but not Nick. He ruled his own pack and overlooked the others, having regular meetings with the other Alpha's. Nothing happened they didn't know about or couldn't get on top off straight away.
Nick was well respected amongst their kind and with good reason, Chris could only applaud the fact after all these decades he had finally found his mate. Maybe now he would take some time off and relax a bit more instead of being buried in work almost 24/7.
Chris snapped out of his reverie when a big hand landed on his shoulder.
"Good evening, mate, it's been too long. How have you been?" said the tall broad bundle of muscles behind him.
Turning around, he returned his welcome and slapped him hard on the shoulder as well.
"I've been good, Adam. And yourself? Still wooing the ladies with the wonderful cooking you do?" he replied.
"Of course, mate. They just love it, have to beat them off me," Adam joked.
"Hmm, if that is so then where has that trail of lovely women disappeared to?" he teased the gruff looking man.
"I let the bouncers deal with them, I'm sure they love all the attention," he grinned in response.
Chris help up his bottle towards the bar keeper and held up two fingers, making clear he wanted another round for Adam and himself.
Grabbing their beers Chris motioned to the stairway, indicating to go up to the VIP area. More people were arriving and even though he didn't mind crowds, he preferred a little bit of quietness when having a conversation with a friend. It was agreed with Ed that he would escort Fran's friends up to the VIP lounge when they arrived. Chris was sure that right now he was looking at several TV screens monitoring the in and outside of the club meticulously.
The two men sat down in the lounge and continued their bantering and digging up past occurrences. Not much later Chris turned when he heard the door open up. The first one to enter was a petite redhead, she looked pretty yet demure, she looked at them shyly.
"Come on Bron, they don't bite and we can't stay in this passageway forever," a husky voice spoke up behind the little redhead. He noticed her cheeks were turning a slight shade of pink. But encouraged by the bold statement of her friend she stepped aside to let the rest in.
It was only when her two other friends entered that Chris held in his breath. It was her! She hadn't noticed him yet since she was talking silently to her husky voiced friend. When she turned to face them he saw Mia's eyes widening in surprise and he picked up her fast intake of breath. It seems the little kitten isn't so unresponsive as she seemed to be he thought to himself.
"So we meet again, my lady," he winked at her, extending his hand to her.
When they touched it felt like little sparks went through them. Chris held his eyes fixed on her, taking in her reaction. She was being awkwardly quiet, which seemed so unlike her.
"It seems we are," she finally spoke softly, which granted her a curious glare from both her friends. Even they noticed she wasn't acting like her normal self.
He picked up her slight uneasiness so he took the lead.
"I'm Chris, the younger and more handsome brother of Nick, old grouchy behind me is Adam. You already have met Ed," he pointed behind them to his brother.
The husky voiced blonde followed his example and introduced them in turn.
"It's seems you already know Mia." She put her hand on the little redhead's shoulders and continued. "This is Bron and I'm Lis. Nice to meet you too," she ended, holding out her hand in greeting.
Ed stepped closer and shut the door.
"Would you mind telling me what you'd like to drink? Then I'll sort the drinks and then we can sit and get to know each other a little better and wait for Nick and Fran to arrive," he asked the group.
"That's a wonderful idea," Lis replied. "I'll have a white wine, please."
"I'll just have the same of this," Adam said, holding up his bottle of beer.
"Me too," Chris said.
"Just water for me," Bron said in a soft voice.
"I'll join you with a beer," Mia said.
Silently Adam had stepped between Chris and Bron and was looking at her intently, but she skillfully avoided his attention.
"Come, let's sit down, Ed will be back in a second," Chris broke the awkward silence that had fallen over them after Ed had left.
Bron and Lis sat down in one of the big love couches that occupied the VIP lounges. Adam sat down opposite them and Chris swiftly seized the opportunity to guide Mia to the other couch and sat down next to her.
It was Lis that broke the ice, asking if any of them knew when exactly Fran and Nick would arrive. Little by little the group relaxed and when Ed was back with their drinks, the conversations really went easy. Adam started telling one anecdote after the other. Even Bron started to relax.
Chris leaned over to Mia and whispered in her ear "You do know we had a deal, right?"
She only nodded in reply. She fidgeted with the hem of her dress.
"I won't pressure you, but you know we're going on another proper date now?"
Again she only nodded.
"Tomorrow," she whispered after a while, slowly turning her head towards him.
Chris felt a big grin appearing on his face.
"Anywhere particular you want to go to?" he asked quietly.
"Somewhere not crowded and private, I'm sure you'll come up with something," she answered.
"Ok, I'll pick you up around lunchtime then?" he asked hopefully. If lunch went fine, he had enough ideas in his head he could fill the rest of the afternoon with.
"That's fine."
"And where do I have to pick you up then, my lady?" he teased a little.
Calmly she opened her tiny purse and pulled out a small plain business card and handed it to Chris. It contained her full name, address and phone number. <i>Mia Barlow,</i> he thought. Her surname sounded familiar, but tonight was not the time to dwell on little things, it would come to him at the right time. Tonight he wanted to enjoy her company.
He longed to hear the cheeky woman again he knew she could be, she'd been quiet for most of the evening, her friend Lis leading most of the girls' conversations.
He leaned towards her again and whispered, "I wonder who kidnapped my sweet Mia though. Don't tell me I already have to go look for her and save her from some awfully horrendous dragon?"
He saw her lips perk up in a smile.
"That dragon wouldn't survive me," she replied, her normal spark coming back to the forefront.
"Damn, that means I can't prove my qualities as your prince charming yet," he pretended to sulk.
"You'll survive, no worries," she answered.
Glad he saw a bit of her spunk coming back he relaxed back and looked at the rest of the group. Lis and Adam were still chattering away. But Chris noticed the side way glances Adam was having at Bron and he wondered for a brief second. Adam was nosy, everybody that knew Adam was aware of that fact. Chris wondered if his interest was out of curiosity or could there be more at play?
Suddenly the door opened and Nick and Fran entered the room.
"Hello all," she greeted the group. "How are you all doing?"
"Good evening, I'm Chris. I think you already know the loudmouth over there," he presumed, tilting his head towards Adam. "And this is Ed," Chris finished, pointing to the last man in their party.
"I think I can speak for myself, Chris," Ed announced. He then turned to the pair that just entered and said his own hello. "Glad you could make it, Nick, and welcome to my humble palace," he directed to Fran. "We already introduced ourselves to your lovely friends, we were just waiting for you two to make an appearance."
"As you see, we made it. How is the club tonight, Ed?" Nick asked the older of his two brothers.
"Packed as usual on a Saturday evening, but the majority still has to arrive," Ed replied, giving his brother Nick a curious look at the same time.
Chris knew the two were "talking" and the grin that appeared on Ed's face only confirmed it.
Nodding towards the girls, who by now were happily chatting away amongst themselves, Nick mentioned to the others to join them. Gently grabbing Fran's shoulders Nick bent down and kissed her neck and brushed his cheek against hers, letting the other males in the room know she was his and his alone. He was rewarded with wide grins and chuckles from the three men.
"Come on ladies, we didn't invite you to have you all sitting here and chatting the evening away, let's go down and get some shaking done!" Chris said joyfully, extending his hand out to Mia.
"That sounds like a brilliant idea," Mia answered, accepting his gentleman like gesture, "let's go party."
Fran and Nick were already waiting by the door. Lis came as well, but Bron hesitated.
"Mind if I stay here? You know I don't dance," she hesitantly spoke up.
"Of course they don't mind, I'll stay and keep you company," Adam stepped in. "To tell you the truth, I've got two left feet, I would only embarrass them down there, so I might as well stay here with you," he told her in a conspiring tone.
Adam noticed a slight blush creeping up her cheeks, which in his eyes made her even more adorable. Adam hoped that he did a good job of hiding his interest from the Whelan brothers. When the girls arrived not long ago he felt like he'd been hit by a sledgehammer and he simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend some time alone with the petite redhead.
Nick and Fran were the first to get on the dance floor, followed by the others. Chris didn't stray from Mia for a second. He noticed she was a bit more herself again and he told her that as well.
"I'm glad you're opening up again. I like this Mia a lot better then the silent one," he spoke close to her ear.
She glared angrily at him.
"Really, I was about to go and get my clown costume just to get a smile out of you. Honestly," he said again.
She looked curiously at him, imagining him in a clown suit. Giving up she let out a hearty laugh.
"First you're my prince charming and now you're going to act like a clown. You shouldn't have started a garage but should have gone to Hollywood and become an actor," she told him in return.
He shook his head negatively.
"Then I wouldn't have the pleasure of hearing you talk back to me so often," he spoke, just loud enough for her to hear it.
He was almost nuzzling her neck each time either of them spoke and her scent was intoxicating. Not wanting to resist temptation he briefly brushed his lips over her shoulder. He felt her tense up and relax again. The last reaction made him a little bolder and he actually kissed her neck now, slowly moving up. He captured her earlobe and gave it a little tug. Her head rested on his shoulder now, her breathing indicating she was enjoying this.
He cupped her face and tilted her chin with his other hand. He moved in to kiss her but was met by her hand instead of her lips. Chris looked puzzled, did he understand her wrong?
"Chris, please don't. Humor me in this, let's just have fun tonight, don't complicate things," she said silently. She knew he'd hear it anyway. "Don't get me wrong, I want to as well, but tonight I just want to have fun. I should have stopped you earlier, I apologize for that, I didn't want to lead you on," she continued in an apologetic tone.
"Did I do something wrong then?" he asked, not sure where her sudden change came from. That was twice in one evening now.
"No you didn't, what you did was actually quite nice," she admitted, sporting a small smile. "We'll talk about it tomorrow? I'll explain then, but I don't want to ruin this evening. Just each enjoy each other's company, ok?" she pleaded lightly.
"I can't say I understand it, but if that's what you want, I'll go along with it. We'll just add it to the deal then, a date and explanation, right?" he countered her question. At least she isn't backing away. I wonder what it is she wants to tell me that is so important that we can't get closer now.
"That's a deal," she agreed.
They continued dancing and they played a few slow songs and he was happy he could hold her close. She felt like she belonged there. Mia could hear the beating of his heart and she had to smile that even though they made the deal, he still planted light kisses on the top of her head while they shuffled over the dance floor.
Not much later Fran tapped her shoulder and told them Nick and her were leaving, they were going up to say goodbye to Adam and Bron. She left after a quick hug and a promise to call her later in the week to catch up on some gossip.
The rest stayed a bit longer but then also made their way back up. Chris couldn't resist touching Mia while going upstairs. Either he gently held her hand or kept his hand on her lower back, guiding her in front of him. Something called to him and he didn't want to fight it. He was trying to respect her plea not to let things go too far. He knew the three women had arrived together, Bron was their designated driver for the evening, but he admitted to himself that he hoped Mia would agree to let him take her home. Maybe he could coax her to talk there.
So many years he had enjoyed their bantering over the phone, but now that he had met her in person he was even more intrigued by her. He wanted to know more. Maybe he should try and give himself a bit of an advantage and ask his brother if he could take Lis home. He thought Adam would like that idea as well, seeing as he volunteered so easily to stay with Bron and he suspected the man had more than just a little interest in the redhead.
Ed, mind doing me a favor? he asked his brother. He didn't actually reply, but gave him a questioning look.
The girls came together, but I'd like to take Mia home. I thought that if you volunteered to drive Lis home, she'll be more agreeable accepting my invitation for the same.
And the purpose of that would be? Ed asked in return.
I don't know really, but I'd like a chance of talking to her a bit more private than here in the club. And it would give Adam some more time with Bron, I suspect his lonely days will be over soon, Chris replied.
So you picked that up as well, glad I'm not the only one thinking that then. I'll ask Lis, but I'm not going to push her, Ed said.
That's all I'm asking, brother. Thanks, Chris said.
After another round of drinks the women said they wanted to go home. That was when Ed offered Lis a ride, which she accepted. Adam stayed rather silent, but the two brothers saw the interest on the man's face and it was more clear now that Bron and Adam got along pretty well.
"How about I give you a ride home as well?" Chris asked Mia.
"It's not needed, Bron can drop me off at my place," she answered.
He gave her hand a light squeeze and tilted his head a little.
"Something tells me our boy Adam would make sure she got home safe, even if it means following her on his bike behind her car," Chris whispered in her ear. "Let me be a prince charming at least a little bit and let me drive you home? We can discuss where I'm going to take you for lunch tomorrow. Deal?"
Mia had to admit, Chris had a point. She looked at Bron herself and agreed it had been a long time since she looked so interested in someone else. She knew Adam was a were as well, but since he seemed very close to the brothers she just knew he was an ok guy, despite his rough look. Tall, bulky, hair shaved off military style and she could see a glimpse of several tattoos. Bron would be safe with him, Mia concluded.
"Ok, deal. But don't get any ideas. I expect my prince charming to act like a true gentleman," she teasingly replied.
"I'll do my best, my lady, let's go find my willing steed then. Shall we?" he joked as he held out his arm.
Mia grinned at his silliness, but she enjoyed it. She knew he could be hard when it came to making a business deal. She was glad to see he was able to leave work actually at work and still have a good time.
Taking his arm, they said their goodbyes. Ed and Lis followed them outside. They got along fine, but it was clearly only a friendly basis, nothing more. Mia was glad to see that the brothers had parked right next to the club. She pulled back Chris.
"Is he serious?" she asked as she pointed towards Ed.
"I think he is, I've never seen him be anything but serious. Why?" Chris asked in return.
"Lis has never ridden on a bike and I think she was expecting a fancy car. I'm going to hear about that for a long while," she answered, unable to hold back a soft laugh at her friend's pending predicament.
"I see. Well, no worries, she'll get home in one piece. Ed practically lives on that thing. I on the other hand am a strong believer that something on four wheels provides a lot more possibilities and keeps me dry when it's pouring rain," he assured Mia.
He opened the passenger door to his black SUV and helped Mia get in. He waited a little while until he saw Ed and Lis leave and then got in as well. He remembered the address printed on her card and silently he drove off into the night.
"So tell me, where would you like to go to then tomorrow?" he asked, breaking the silence.
Mia fidgeted a little with her skirt again.
"Doesn't really matter much, just not something too public," she answered.
"We could go to the 'Cabana' if you want?" he asked again.
"Do you know how long you have to wait to get a table there?" she said surprisingly.
"Others? Yes. Me? I only have to call. They usually can get me table somewhere," he chuckled.
"No kidding? What did you do for that kind of favoritism? Kill the president?"
"Nope. I'm just their favorite nephew," he winked at her.
"Nephew? Well, that explains it then. Maybe I should keep you around then," she joked.
"Can't say I dislike that idea," he agreed.
It didn't take long to arrive at her house. He got out quickly and opened the door for Mia. Holding her hand, he helped her get out of the car. Keeping her hand in his, he walked her to the stairs in front of her house.
On the first step he stopped her and turned her towards him.
"I'm going to apologize in advance, but I think being a proper gentleman ain't my thing and I've been a damn good boy the whole evening. But I have to taste you," he whispered before he pulled her close and locked his lips over Mia's.
What he felt that was beyond his wildest dreams. He felt like there were tons off fireworks being shot up into the air all at the same time. He felt her push against his chest, but that contradicted with the moan he heard coming from her at the same time. He trailed her lips with his tongue, loving the hint of cinnamon he tasted. With a little pressure of his tongue he wordlessly asked for entry.
Slowly she opened up and once their tongues started battling for the upper hand, there was no room for tenderness. His hand gripped the back of her head and held her in place while he invaded her mouth, tempting her time after time to start their battle again. His other arm sneaked around her and pressed her close to him, he didn't even try to hide his straining cock. On the other hand he pushed it against her even more, the more feverish their kisses got.
He left her lips for a brief moment and kissed his way to her ear and then her neck. It was a gesture so innocent, yet so common for his kind. He took in her scent. His wolf howled. MINE the wolf in him said.
He stood straight up in shock and smelled again. He smelled another wolf. Then he looked Mia in the eyes. Fear was written all over her face. She tried to back away but he grabbed her upper arms, not letting her get away.
"What the hell is the meaning of this?" he roared at her. "And how is it possible I didn't notice this before?"
Mia just stood there, scared, unable to get a word out. She was looking at the ground submissively.
Chris shook her lightly.
"Answer me, how is this possible?" he went on.
He couldn't believe this. Mia was a wolf, just like him. Not once had he scented her. Not at her workplace that morning and not a hint the entire evening. Realizing he was handling this the wrong way, he loosened his grip and kept some distance. For now he was ignoring his own wolf, he wanted some answers first.
"Mia, you're going to have to tell me something. I'll give you two choices: my car or your house. It's your choice, but we are going to talk," he said firmly.
Tentatively Mia looked up at him, fear still present in her eyes.
"I know I owe you an explanation. Let's go to my house, we have a bit more privacy there than in your car," she softly answered.
Chris relaxed a bit and let go of her arms. He took another sniff and his wolf howled again. No way, he thought to himself. She can't be my mate, I couldn't even sense her, he argued with his wolf.
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