Fresh Blood (Book 1)

2. A Good Different

"What do you mean soon?” Olivia asked Cain.

“I don’t know, today, tomorrow, two months from now. I can smell it on you,” Cain said nonchalantly as he took another big bite of the rare steak.

“You’re disgusting,” Olivia said as her nose crinkled in disgust. She watched as the red juice dripped down his chin. He felt the very sudden urge to open his mouth and show her the half chewed piece of steak. Instead he just stared at her. She looked nothing like Alanka, his mate. But there was the same pull there that he felt for Alanka, perhaps even stronger. If someone asked him to choose between the two of them, he didn’t know which one would win out.

“I am, extremely so,” Cain said after swallowing the mouthful of steak. He had been alive over six millennia and had never even seen a werewolf with two mates. It was possible, he supposed, he was still learning everyday about what he was. He took another big bite.

“He’s disgusting,” Olivia repeated as her mother walked into the kitchen. She kissed the top of Olivia’s head.

“I know,” Virginia said as she crinkled her nose playfully at Cain. He responded by opening his mouth and showing her what was inside, like a small child.

“Seriously?” Olivia hissed.

“Mm. Yum,” Virginia said sarcastically as she moved about the kitchen. Cain watched her carefully, he tried not to get caught staring. She was, and always had been, fascinating to him.

“Do you have a hard-on for my mom or something?” Olivia asked. Cain shifted his chocolate brown eyes to the young girl in front of him. He wouldn’t dare say that it was her who had given him that particular gift. Not that Virginia could comment, she was even younger than Olivia when she entered into a relationship with Kaleb.

“Sure,” he spat at her, “Jealous?” Virginia’s head turned a fraction of a degree and her shoulders tensed. Olivia’s pale cheeks reddened, Cain inhaled triumphantly. Virginia’s breath caught as she scented actual jealousy on her daughter’s emotions.

“Oh shit,” Virginia said absentmindedly.

“What?” Cain and Olivia asked in unison.

“What? Oh nothing!” Virginia tried to busy herself.

“Hey Liv!” Dean called from the backyard, “Come for a run with me!” Olivia got up immediately and without a word, joined Dean outside. Virginia turned in time to see Cain standing to watch the two teenagers disappear into the thick woods.

“What are you doing?” Cain slammed himself down in the chair so hard Virginia thought it might break into pieces. She folded her arms in front of her and leaned back against the sink.

“Nothing. Not a damn thing,” Cain lied through his teeth.

“Did you really just try to lie to me Cain?”

“No!” he growled at her. After a moment he rubbed his face hard, “Okay maybe.”

“Why her?”

“Do you think I know?! I feel a pull, almost stronger than my pull to Alanka.”

 “Excuse me?” Virginia asked. She was trying very hard not to let her jaw drop.

“I wasn’t going to say anything until after she shifted for the first time. I wanted to wait and see if Dean was her mate. They’ve grown close,” Cain trailed off, lost in thought. When he returned from the short day dream he looked up at Virginia’s sage green eyes, “I’m not going to get anywhere near her until then, I promise.”

"I’m a little lost for words,” she said as she stared at the man who had never been vulnerable his entire existence as a wolf. And here he was, sitting in the kitchen like a little boy talking about his crush on a girl at school.