Bound

Chapter 11 - Dinner (Him)

Dmitri

"So Sky, Rene tells me you make some kick-ass balms, amongst other things. It's an unusual business. What got you into it?" Ivan asks Sky conversationally, trying to make this whole experience less strained.

My gaze moves from Sky to Ivan as he chats with her. An excellent way to gather intel while disguised as general conversation. Ivan's eyes flick briefly to mine before shifting back to Sky's. Rene sits quietly, her arm hooked around Ivan's, smiling back at Sky encouragingly.

I can hear Sky's erratic heart rate start returning to normal as soon as I stop looking at her. I make her nervous. This might have been a bad idea. Being this close to her for such an extended period is torturous. Her scent makes me want to do things to her that I can't remember doing to anyone else. Gentle things like making love to every inch of her body and then dirty things that, if I think about any longer, will result in an awkward situation.

"When I was fifteen, my aunt gave me a journal that belonged to my grandmother. It contained various natural remedies, amongst them tinctures and balms," she says, taking the glass of water from Larry, who has arrived at the table and is dishing our drinks order out. It is obvious from the way he keeps sneaking looks at Sky and the pink tinge of his cheeks that he has a crush on her. 

"I already had a calling towards plants, so when I was given the book, I was inspired to start making my own herbal infusion recipes. Over time it developed into a passion and then into a dream. A dream which is now Sky's Naturals. The shop I've always wanted." Passion for what she loves oozes out of her as she talks. I wish she would talk about me that way. Wait. What the fuck is going on with me?

She briefly looks up at me and then back to Rene and Ivan.

"You guys ready to order, or do you need more time to look at the menu?" Larry asks, having returned to our table.

We place our orders, Rene and Sky having the vegan burger while Ivan and I order grilled double bacon cheeseburgers with chips. Ivan gives Rene a strange look, which she ignores. I also wonder about her diet, considering we hunt for meat in our wolf forms. How exactly that works, I'll have to ask her. Perhaps it's a ruse she used and must maintain when infiltrating herself into Sky's life. I hope Sky never finds out about Rene's motives for befriending her. While I don't want her getting hurt, that may be inevitable if she ever finds out about the lies around her. Besides, I tell myself, we don't know if she has an alliance with the Hunters yet.

We continue with small talk, Ivan and Rene driving the conversation, asking Sky questions about her life. Nothing is out of the ordinary, and everything I already know from her file.

Her parents were killed in a car crash. She was the only survivor at age eight. Her aunt and uncle stepped in and adopted her. There are some records of her seeing a psychiatrist. She was diagnosed with dissociative amnesia, most likely due to the trauma from the accident. She came into some money left to her by her parents, which she used to buy the cottage on the outskirts of town and open her business. Sky's file is pretty stock standard, even mild compared to some of the files I've seen. Is it made up, fabricated to make her look normal, a ploy by the Hunters to make us overlook her presence?

We're finally at the end of this evening, with Larry clearing our plates from the table. It couldn't have happened soon enough. I've had to endure watching Sky eat her burger, which under most circumstances would be okay. But even doing that has reached some level of eroticism for me. She is so sexy. Lucky fucking burger.

Leaving the diner, the fresh air is a godsend. It effectively gives me a breather to the never-ending scent that is Sky's, but not for long as I sense her behind me. I turn around, the four of us now in a circle.

Rene hugs Sky before hooking her arm through Ivan's.

"I'll see you tomorrow Sky," Rene says, giving us a small wave.

"Sure, see you tomorrow. And good to see you again, Ivan." Sky returns the small wave with one of her own as the couple heads off in the opposite direction of the shop.

"Um, I'll see you around Dmitri." The goddess gives me a shy smile before heading towards her shop. She seems to be rushing to end this awkwardness, but I must like punishment.

"It's too late and dark for you to cycle home alone. I'll walk you," I state, halting her in her steps. I blame my words on the fact that I'm concerned for her safety and that Hunters may potentially lurk in the darkness. The reality runs more along the vein that I just don't want to be away from her.

She swivels back around, looking at me uncertainly. She seems to think about it before giving me a nod and taking a few hesitant steps towards me. I almost start walking toward her place before remembering that I am not supposed to know where she lives.

"I'll follow your lead," I say, stepping in beside her as we start walking past the diner and down the main road. We are so wrapped up in the moment that we don't sense the danger lurking in the darkness.

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