Twelve
My feet ached, and I could feel the throbbing of an oncoming migraine. The overwhelming perfume of the clothes store Alex and I had just entered only seemed to cause the pounding in my temples worse. My hands ached with the weight of the numerous bags. Alex seemed unfettered by the strain of the past few hours. Her step was just as light as it had been when we had left the pack house.
"Oh Anne look at this!" She exclaimed. She was holding a set of lacy lingerie. The bra was a black push up with a white trim of lace. The panties were less revealing but just as seductive. "You should get this, and I'll get the same kind but in pink!" Her mouth was stretched into a grin as she pulled the pink set out. "Our boys will not know what to do with themselves when they catch us in these." She shot me a knowing wink. "And look at these." She ran further into the store, not bothering to see if I was following her.
I made my way to the cash register where there was a bench. My fingers pulsed with gratitude as I set the multitude of bags down. A painful rush of blood made me wince as I stretched my fingers. I sighed as I sat down, watching as Alex picked several pieces of showy undergarments.
"Anne, you just rest there. Don't worry, I'll pick out some things that are sure to make the Alpha pass out in exuberance." Alex was an okay girl. She had almost to much spunk to handle. But of course without her I knew I would feel even more out of place and lonely than I would otherwise.
My eyes wandered out of the store. The mall was busy, and there were so many people it was a wonder that anyone got any shopping done with the throngs of people. My eyes landed on a tall figure across from the store I was in.
He was tall, but not quite as tall as Knight. Dark blonde hair rested lightly on his shoulders, curling at the ends. His face was turned away, but I could see the pale skin of his neck, as if he were sick. He turned then, staring at me as if I had called out to him. I had to hold in a whimper of terror as his blood rimmed eyes landed on me. From this distance I couldn't completely tell the exact color of his eyes.
An involuntary shiver ran down my spine as a slow grin spread across his face. This smile terrified me. It was as if I knew this man, yet I could not place where I had seen him. As I continued to stare at him his lips curved into a bloodless smile. His lips pulled taught over his teeth.
"Renee Annabelle Hilton." His lips didn't move, but I knew the voice was coming from him. How I had heard this was a mystery to me, but as I flinched at the sound of his voice, his grin only grew. "I have waited a very, very long time for you, my pet." His voice was like sharp glass on a chalkboard. Grating at the corners of my mind.
I felt the blood leave my face. My hands were trembling as they rested in my lap. My jaw clenched on its own accord. But, my eyes refused to leave him.
He had not moved from his spot. He rested against the wall. His eyes darting occasionally, searching the store and the crowd around him. I knew this man. I didn't know how. I didn't know where I had met such an awful looking person. But, deep inside of my being I knew him. And, I knew that he was trouble that if he had shown his face here, it meant that my life was in danger. The life of my mate and my pack was in danger.
I felt an arm clamp down onto my shoulder. My head whipped around to see Alex holding a bright pink bag. A puzzled look on her features.
"Anne, are you okay? You don't look too well." As she spoke I looked quickly back out of the store. The man was no longer there. There was no trace of him having ever been there. "Anne?"
"What? Oh no, Alex, I'm fine. Just tired." I gave her a small smile. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"I don't believe you, but we're all done here so let's go." She helped me to my feet. I bent down and picked up the bags that had been resting beside me.
*****
"Alpha. . . . Alpha are you listening to anything I've said this past ten minutes?" I turned to look at my Beta. My eyes narrowing at the none to subtle glint in his eyes.
"Of course I'm listening. You were talking about border patrols." I leaned back into the leather chair.
"That was over twenty minutes ago!" He exclaimed, but his mouth turned into a knowing smile. "You were thinking of her weren't you." He said his elbow nudging into my side.
I felt a slight prickle of irritation that I had been caught. I was supposed to be Alpha solely fixated on my pack and its well being. Not off in wonderland dreaming of the perfectly tanned skin and lusciously toned body of my mate.
"There's nothing wrong with that you know. She is your mate after all. Do you remember when me and Alex first laid eyes on each other? We were locked up in my room for a week. You thought I had died!" I glanced over at him. He was laughing, his eyes alight with passion at the memories.
"How could I forget that? The emotions of you two were almost overwhelming." I could feel a smile forming on my own face.
"Y'know she'll come around eventually. It's not like she could resist your charms for long, especially if you're mates. She's bound to start feeling something for you sooner or later. It's inevitable. Oh man and when she does." He shook his head. "You'll probably disappear for a few days. Or weeks. Or maybe even a couple months."
"We'll just have to see then. Won't we."
******
"Annie. . . Annie wake up. . . Annie, we're home."
Someone was shaking my shoulder, rousing me from my sleep. I peeled my eyes open slowly, blinking them against the light.
"We're where?" I wasn't anywhere near home. Home was several hundred miles south.
"The pack house silly. Home. Y'know where our mates reside." She said pulling me out of the car. "Come quick, we'll get your stuff stashed away before the guys come down to investigate what's we bought." I reached back into the car grabbing several bags, my left arm still in the steal grip of Alex. She also was carrying several bags.
"Can we slow down a bit? I'm not as fast as you are." I panted as she dragged me up the stairs. My hand clenched involuntarily around the handles of the bags in my hand. My fingers tingled with the lack of blood flow.
"No, no, no. We're almost there anyways, just a few more steps." Her hand tightened on my arm, pulling me along behind her. "See? We're here. And no worse for wear." She had a smug smile in her face as she opened the door.
"I don't understand why I can't get my own room." I mumbled as I made my way to the closet. I had to take a deep breath before I could step inside. Hot memories coming to the forefront of my mind.
"I'll just. . . Leave these right here." Alex placed the multitude of bags by my feet. She was smiling suggestively at me. A if she knew where my thoughts had taken me. "I'm sure Knight knows we're home by now. He'll more than likely be up within the next couple of minutes. So, I'll just. . . Get out of your way."
She bounced out of the closet, her hair flying everywhere. As she left the room I hastily started to unpack the bags. There was no way I would let Knight see any of the things Alex had conned me into getting. Some of it was, just too personal. Even for myself.
As I placed the last dress onto its hanger I heard the door quietly open and just as quietly close. I strained to hear footsteps, but was granted with silence.
"I see you had an enjoyable shopping trip." I jumped at his voice. Even though I had known he was in the adjoining room I had thought I would have at least heard come into the closet.
I turned to look at him. He leaned against the doorway. All muscle and man. I tried to slow my heart beat but the thought of this morning only made it beat faster. He smiled slowly his eyes gleaming. Of course he could hear it. He was a werewolf. I silently slapped myself. My body was betraying me.
"Yes. I did. Alex is an. . . Interesting person to be around. I enjoy her company though. She's so full of life and just fun." I shrugged my shoulders and made my way to the door. I expected him to stay where he was and not let me past, but as I stepped up to him he stepped back, allowing me some room to slide out. He only moved enough that I could make it out, and as I did my breasts brushed against his chest, and my thighs brushed his.
My breath caught in my throat and my eyes met his. They were dark with desire, and a pool of heat settled between my legs. I quickly looked away, surprised by my body's reaction. I tried to finish making my way out of the door but his hands came up on either side of me, holding me in place. He placed his body closer to mine and ran his nose up my neck to nuzzle behind my ear.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He breathed into my ear. "I'm also," He nipped my ear. "Glad you are so excited to be near me." He rained down a series of kisses along my jaw up to the corner of my mouth.
"Knight," I whimpered.
"Sh." He brushed his lips against mine. It was brief, and light, but it shot an arrow of desire to my groin. "You want me just as much as I want you, Renee." His voice was husky, and my body melted at it. The only reason why I didn't hit the floor was because of his arm that had wrapped around my waist, and the hand now gripping the back of my head.
"I do." I clutched at his chest. "But, we can't." I wasn't ready for this. Not yet.
A look of pain crossed his face and was quickly replaced by a cold mask. His face gave nothing to what he was thinking. His eyes still burned with unsatisfied desire.
"I-I'm just not ready for. . . that." I closed my eyes. "I've never. . . you know, and I'm just scared, I guess." I tried to pull away from him but his arms tightened around me.
"It's normal to be frightened of you first time, but I would never, ever, hurt you. And if it would make it less frightening for you if we went slower, if I went slower, then by god I'll do anything to keep you safe and happy." He placed his forehead against mine.
"Thank you. Truly, you have no idea what this means to me." I smiled gently at him.
A mischievous smile crept over his face. "Oh, Renee. There is so much more to it than what I know you're afraid of. There is so much to show you." My heart started to beat faster at that. I almost swooned as he traced his nose over my collar bones back up my throat and to my mouth. "So much."