Gideon skidded to a stop around the corner from the bar. Not many people were willing to brave the elements. The twentieth arrondissement was a ghost town. Nose sticking around the edge of the building he was hiding behind, he saw Trystan leave the bar. At least the human wasn't alone with Remi anymore.
Embarrassment filled Gideon as he pulled his nose back around the building. When he tasted magic in the air for a second time and saw Remi act the way she did, he reacted without much thought. He hadn't meant to cause a mess, especially not all over the mystic's clothes. When the bartender told Gideon to leave, he'd done so without a fight. The look of shock and disgust on Remi's face would stay with him for a long time.
As Gideon made his way to the outskirts of town, his thoughts turned to Trystan. Back when they'd first met that May night, he'd been curious about Remi and her boyfriend. Being on the run, there'd been little he could find out about her life. But one thing was certain from his research. Trystan was one hundred percent human. Now, that conviction wavered. Had Gideon missed something?
There were instances of humans tapping into magics they had no real knowledge of how to use. Was that where Trystan's had come from?
Another thing bothered Gideon. When Trystan put an odd substance in his drink, at first, he'd thought it a drug. But it smelled like gun powder. He didn't know of any narcotic that did. That left a likely, main ingredient for a spell.
Whatever had happened, it was something Gideon probably should inform the shifter ruler about since Trystan could very well be possessed. Demon magic was as foreign to Gideon as human abilities. Therefore, the gunpowder could've been powering a demonic spell. Now that Remi was a mystic, she'd likely draw all sorts of unsavory types to her. Ones that wouldn't have her best interest at heart.
A shard of guilt stabbed Gideon in the stomach. He hadn't told his king he'd found a mystic. So the tale of Trystan would require finesse.
Mystics were a rare, highly valued, and much sought-after brand of human. Wolfrick Jaeger would likely jump at the chance to have one in his employ and wouldn't use her as others would. But Gideon didn't want Remi in his violent, dodgy world. He was trying to shield her from it and those who would exploit her gift.
Once all signs of civilization faded, Gideon's lope came to a halt. Within the next step, he pulled his human self to the fore. His clothes, wallet, keys, and phone came into being with the change. Gideon didn't know where they were stored while he was in wolf form, only knew he was able to call them to him with the transformation. Young witches, he'd learned, who had a similar ability, could only perfect the talent once they stopped questioning the how and simply accepted it was possible.
Opening his coat, Gideon grabbed his mobile from an inner pocket. Hesitating, he briefly wondered if he should call his king and fill Wolfrick in on what had transpired at the bar. Upon reflection, there wasn't much to tell. Gideon only had his instincts telling him something was off with Trystan, nothing concrete. Besides, he wanted to keep Remi from learning about the races, and them from learning about her. Shielding her from the brutality and many millennia's old prejudices was fast becoming his top priority. If he told his king about Trystan, the topic of Remi and what she was would likely come to the fore. Then, she'd be dunked headfirst into a cold, unfamiliar reality.
Unfortunately, Gideon realized he could only protect her as his beast. His human half was becoming far too invested in the little seer. He couldn't be trusted, Gideon thought as he dialed a number. On the fifth ring, it was answered. "Tell me you are leaving my city," Henri Brassard said by way of greeting.
Gideon chuckled softly. "I'm afraid I won't be making your dreams come true today." A deep-throated groan sounded in his ear, then he continued, "I need to place an order."
"I have hired staff to deal with menial business matters," the Seine Alpha groused.
"It's a special order, and I only want the best to fill it."
"Merde," Brassard cursed. "Fine. You've stroked my ego and piqued my curiosity. What is this special order that only I, the Great Henri can fill?"
"The sarcasm is unneeded." Gideon's complaint was voiced without any bite. "I need a large bouquet delivered to an apartment in the twentieth arrondissement."
"Only one? I expect a larger order if I'm to send someone into such a rough neighborhood."
"Fine. You were a pirate in a previous life, weren't you?" Gideon asked. The French alpha could be old enough to have lived a life on the high seas; he had no idea how many years the other man had seen. Henri had been alpha since before the war fifty years ago, so he was at least seventy, for all he looked to be in his late twenties.
The flowers were an offering to entice Remi away from Trystan. They were a way for Gideon to protect her from whatever the man was or had become. The reasoning fell flat within him. He knew they were because he wanted to bring her joy - to see her smile because of him.
Henri's somewhat sinister chuckle floated across the line. "I'll never tell," he intoned before switching back to the previous subject. "How about we say you order five large bouquets?"
"Can your greenhouse handle such an order?"
"Of course," the confident alpha was quick to reply.
An unfriendly smile split Gideon's features. "Very well, I'll need five large arrangements sent to the twentieth arrondissement." Pausing briefly, he took time to savor his next words. "They'll each need to contain flowers of all the colors of the rainbow."
A few quick keystrokes were heard on the other end of the phone. "I'll need the address, so I can have these three, large rainbow arrangements delivered."
Swallowing back his guffaw, Gideon gave Remi's address to Henri. After he hung up with the Frenchman, he wondered if he should call the little mystic to see if she was home. Sighing, he decided it was too much of a temptation. He'd want to stay on the phone with her for hours. The flowers would have to be the last contact he told himself firmly as he put his mobile back in his pocket.
Calling his beast to the fore, Gideon became a wolf once more. All of his personal belongings went back into the mystical void to wait to be pulled out again when needed. This change was a little delayed from his previous transformations. Switching forms so often was beginning to have repercussions.
Heading back to Remi's apartment, Gideon found himself hoping she was home. And that she'd let him in after his display at the bar. Going to the fire escape, he called forth his human side and repeated his ascending journey from earlier that day. Unlike previously, his cloaking magic petered out halfway up. Conscious of his visibility, he pushed the wolf forward. It struggled to come, but once it did, he quickly leaped up and gripped the next set of stairs with his teeth. The beast's weight exceeded that of most humans, so they came down easily. It was an awkward trek, but eventually, he made it to her window.
Looking inside, Gideon spotted Remi sitting on her couch. She'd changed into sweats and had her feet propped up on the coffee table. On her lap, being stroked, was the black cat.
A massive paw rose, and Gideon scratched at the window. Head whipping around, Remi spotted him. The look she flashed him was anything but welcoming. Persevering in the face of such hostility, he pressed his nose to the glass and huffing out a humid breath. When she dislodged Damballah from her lap and walked toward him, he wagged his tail.
"You're either stupid or brave, showin' up here again," Remi told Gideon through the window, hands on her hips. "Probably both," she muttered.
When a couple of heartbeats passed and Remi didn't budge, Gideon decided he needed to play dirty. A pitiable whine came from him, followed by a hard shiver. It'd worked before. Hopefully, it would cool the petite mystic's anger enough that she'd let him inside.
The pathetic act had the desired effect. The window was opened, and Remi let Gideon's beast into her small flat. Damballah came over immediately and began rubbing against his front legs.
"My cat may not have the sense to know better, but I do. You're too big for my life, wolf. What do the loa know anyway?" Remi grumbled as she shut the window.
Just because Remi let him in didn't mean Gideon was forgiven. He knew that. It wouldn't stop him from using her soft heart to protect her, though. Plus, he wanted to see her reaction when his gift arrived.
The doorbell rang, distracting Remi from telling the wolf how she was still mad. "It better not be Trystan-related," she muttered as she made her way to the apartment's small foyer. "Or the man himself," she finished before wrenching the door open.
Eyes widening, Remi took in the sight before her. A man carried two large vases of colorful flowers. Behind him, a tall woman held another, massive arrangement before her.
"Mais," Remi breathed. Her mind froze as the rainbow's fragrance and beauty overwhelmed her.
"Remi Dixon?" the man asked.
"Yes," Remi answered. The tail-end of the single word rose a little as if she weren't sure of her own identity.
"These are for you. Would you mind us coming inside to put them down?" the man peeking between the two vases asked. His tone was somewhat put-out as he shifted the arrangements in his hands.
Remi's immediate acceptance of his offer stilled on her tongue. Although they were beautiful and smelled as pretty as they looked, she wasn't about to welcome another gift from Trystan. If she did, it would send the annoying man the wrong message.
Picking the card out of an arrangement, Remi read:
Even though I'm not there in person, I wanted
you to know you aren't far from my thoughts.
~Gideon
A smile split Remi's features. Moving aside, she waved the man and woman inside. That Gideon hadn't forgotten her filled her with all sorts of happiness. She needed to find out his phone number so that she could thank him.
The floral delivery personnel reacted when they saw the wolf in her living room. The man jumped a little and kept a wary eye on the massive creature while he placed the flowers on the coffee table. He quickly backed away, eyes never leaving the beast. The woman, on the other hand, put her flowers down and cocked her head as she looked at the wild animal.
After the deliveries were placed on her scarred coffee table, Remi asked, "Do either of you have the sender's number?"
An unenjoyable feeling stabbed Remi's gut when the woman answered, "Sure." She pulled out her phone and looked at her saved numbers.
Gideon bit back a groan as Zoe thumbed through her contacts. He and the she-wolf had been nothing but friends. But it looked as if they'd been more as she rattled off his number. He watched helplessly as the light in Remi's eyes dimmed while she added him to her contacts.
"Nice pet, by the way." Zoe came over and stroked Gideon's head. He wanted to growl a warning or nip at her fingers. Of course, he did neither as he was playing at being tame for Remi's benefit. "What's his name?"
"He's not mine," Remi answered. Her eyes narrowed, and she looked over her phone at Gideon. "I think he looks like a Kevin, though."
Gideon fought a cough. It was apparent to him that Remi was still upset with him. Naming his wolf "Kevin," indeed. It must've been because she was mad. He was not a Kevin.
Laughing, Zoe straightened before Gideon could throw caution to the wind and bite her. "I think you're right." Turning her gaze onto him, she said, "Nice to meet you, Kevin."
Remi was only giving Zoe and Gideon half of her attention and so missed the showing of his teeth in a silent snarl. Warning issued, he ignored the she-wolf and gave the human mystic his full attention. The tip of her tongue cupped her upper lip as she concentrated on the text she was writing. It was adorable.
"What game are you playing?" Zoe whispered in Gideon's ear. The unknown male didn't seem to hear, pegging him as human. Of course, Gideon's wolf couldn't answer.
So many transformations in a day weakened Gideon. If he didn't choose one form to stay in for a while, one would be selected for him. He'd be permanently stuck for a day or two as either a wolf or a human. Still, he planned to risk one more change. He couldn't wait to read what Remi wrote.
"We have other deliveries to make," Zoe said as she made her way to the door. "On the other card are care instructions for the flowers." Turning before she left, the she-wolf told Remi, "I think Kevin's claimed you."
A low growl left Gideon's throat before he could stop it from manifesting. Remi's loud scoff covered the sound. "That may be, but I haven't claimed him." Yeah, she was still angry about the bar incident. The flowers may have softened her toward the man, but the beast was still in the doghouse.
Zoe gave them both an enigmatic smile, then waved goodbye as she exited the apartment.
After closing the door, Remi leaned against it and eyed Gideon. Sitting and slowly wagging his tail, he watched her in turn. There was just about nothing he wouldn't do to get back on her good side. He was happy Zoe was no longer there to witness him acting the fool.
Shaking her head, Remi said, "What am I supposed to do with you?" The only answer Gideon could give was to sit there and look friendly.
The sight of the flowers seemed to brighten Remi's mood once she reentered the living room. When she came to the coffee table, she picked up an enormous arrangement and made her way to an end table. Then, she slid it to the center. She'd struggled under its weight. Henri's bill would be costly, but it was worth it to see her enjoying Gideon's gifts.
Standing back, the small human cocked her head to one side. Eyes narrowing, she studied the arrangement, then slid it a centimeter to the right. Satisfied with its placement, Remi did the same at the other end table. The one already resting on the coffee table was the last to receive her exacting attention.
Checking her phone after fussing with the flowers, Remi flopped back onto the couch with a loud, drawn-out sigh. Gideon knew she was waiting for his response. Going to the window, he whined and scratched at the glass. Dark curls popped over the back of the couch before light, hazel eyes followed.
"You just came in," Remi groused.
Gideon whined again.
"Fine," Remi huffed. "You better not be doing this in and out thing to me all day."
Gideon couldn't help but cough. Remi's words caught up to her, and a blush stained her coffee and cream cheeks as she threw open the window. "Pervert," she grumbled as Gideon climbed outside.
The feeling of Remi's eyes on him followed Gideon to the first set of stairs on the landing. Looking over a muscled, furry shoulder, he saw that she'd stuck her head out the window to watch him. She was likely curious as to how he came and went. Turning back to the flush, metal stairs, he placed his weight on his front paws. They released the stairs, and he climbed down headfirst.
Above him, Gideon heard the window shut. Crawling low on his belly, he went under the window of the apartment beneath Remi's. He was reasonably confident he hadn't been seen by its occupants because there were no excited cries or human faces pressed against the glass.
Sitting in the corner, Gideon pulled his other half to the fore. It was a struggle. His body wasn't up for many more changes. Soon, it would make him stay in one form for - at minimum - a day and a half.
Gideon tried and failed to pull his cloaking magic to him. It was depleted. The only ability that never ran out was the breaking of wards.
Taking his mobile out of an inner pocket, Gideon unlocked it and scanned his messages. There was one from Aeddon, which he ignored. Axel had also tried contacting him. That, too, was left unread. The next text was from Remi. A smile split his features as his eyes eagerly scanned the simple message.
Thank you for the flowers. They are gorgeous!
How did you guess my favorite color was the
rainbow? This is Remi, by the way.
Blowing on his fingers to heat them, Gideon replied.
It was a lucky guess from the lights you used
during the masquerade. I'm happy you like them.
Remi's response was quick in coming. She must've been holding her phone. It asked how Gideon's hunt was progressing. He felt bad about lying, but after reading Aeddon's text, he responded that it looked like he'd been following a false lead. They texted back and forth for quite some time. Before long, his battery was close to dead, and the sun was dipping under the horizon. Soon, it'd be dark, and the tenants of the apartment he was hiding outside of would see the light from his phone. Added to that, even with his natural shifter overabundance of body heat, he was starting to feel the chill of winter.
Gideon "hung up," then finished his descent to the street. He was hungry, and Damballah's kitty food wouldn't cut it. Walking along the desolate, icy path, Gideon couldn't help but smile as he recalled his messages with Remi. His lips were still uplifted when he entered Tous Dans Le Mur.
"It's good to see such a happy face on such a miserable day," the bar's owner, greeted.
Gideon chuckled good-naturedly, then sat and ordered his meal. While it was being prepared, he answered Aeddon and Axel's texts. His battery was down to two percent life. The dive bar didn't offer charging stations. Composing a good night text to Remi, Gideon set it to be sent at 8:30 pm. It explained that his phone was dead with no way to revive it for the foreseeable future. Then, shutting his phone off, he placed it back in his inner coat pocket and dug into the warm, heavy meal that was delivered.
A couple of hours later, Gideon retraced his steps. He was warm and full, which made him content. Climbing the now familiar route toward Remi's window, his pulse sped at the thought of being near the petite human again. He'd only been gone a short time, yet it felt like days since he'd seen her.
The calling forward of Gideon's beast was distressingly difficult. It meant he'd likely be stuck in that form for some time. Hopefully, his last message to Remi would be enough to keep her from being discouraged by his lack of communication.
Scratching on the window called Remi's attention. With but a grumble, Gideon was let inside.
"We need to figure out a better system if you're going to be a permanent fixture," Remi told Gideon as she padded down the hall to her bedroom. She was wearing sweatpants, a long-sleeved shirt, and thick socks. It was cold in the small apartment. Heating was cost-prohibitive, and he knew the mystic wasn't flush with cash.
Slipping between the blankets on the bed, Remi patted the spot beside her. "Come on up. Between you and Damballah -" the cat was lying on her pillow - "I should be warm tonight."
After settling in beside Remi, Gideon became resigned as Damballah left the pillow. The cat climbed onto his massive wolf's back and began to knead his fur with tiny paws. Remi, her nose in a book, peeked over the pages and laughed at the small mammal's antics.
Gideon was asleep in moments with the cat curled up and using his back like a bed. The chiming of a text woke him instantly. Beast-copper eyes found Remi, still sitting up with her book in her lap. She read the text, then chuckled. "I apparently broke his phone."
If he could grin in wolf form, Gideon would have. Remi didn't take his message as him blowing her off ashe'd half feared. He could happily play the beast to her beauty for a couple of days.
I hope you liked this chapter. If you want to point out mistakes or want to leave a comment, I'd appreciate that! Also, if you enjoyed reading this chapter, please consider voting for it. Thank you!