Paul - Wolves Inc Office Building
I press a finger over the mouse. The screen wakes up, revealing a shit ton of emails and other official notifications. But not even the silence of my empty workplace can help me concentrate.
My mind goes wherever it wants, without any consideration for my duties. Two days have passed since that girl saved my life, and for whatever reason, I can’t stop thinking about her. Every time I close my eyes, I see her sleeping in my arms. I have to keep reminding myself she’s a strigoi, not just a beautiful woman.
Instead of reading those tedious emails, I watch the crowd rush from one location to another. Their noses buried in their phones and fingers typing away at tinted glass displays entertain me. Students carry bulkier backpacks that can hold books and binders, while others go about with little more than a set of headphones.
I scan the street in search of copper hair and interesting curves. Maybe she's there, stalking me. My breath stops the moment I think I might have caught a glimpse of her. Her wavy hair and swinging hips, like the wind, evaporate as soon as I pay more attention. My inner wolf growls.
Steady footsteps echo, and the door opens to reveal Cristian's smiling face.
“May I bother you for a moment?” he asks but doesn’t wait for my reply to enter.
He sits on the leather armchair, his right foot’s ankle over the other’s knee. A big smile covers his face as he opens the newspaper and reads it.
"Paul Mateescu, the best catch in all of Romania, hasn’t been seen having actual interest in any woman. His dates are scarce, and no lady has managed to get a second one. Some of the women who escorted him are said to be for hire. Sources say he might be gay."
Cristian rereads the paragraph a second time, punctuating the last part with cackles. He leans the page toward me, positioning it for me to see that the last word was fully capitalized. The title looms heavy over the paper: Paul, the Gay Bachelor! Sorry, girls!
My tongue clicks. "That is how the press operates, an intriguing title to increase sales. And that is a controversial newspaper. Nobody is going to believe it."
"As your advisor, my responsibility is to safeguard your image. People know you from the media, and their personal opinions can impact your business. Don’t get me wrong here. You can go for the gay stereotype, but you have to be stable. No one likes flimsy people who change their preferences like socks. You are your brand." Cristian folds the paper and places it on my desk. "I worked very hard to create the perfect bachelor picture in these last few years. Mind you, reporters aren’t easy to fool. Your face shows clear disinterest in the women you go out with."
“Then maybe you shouldn’t set me up with stupid and superfluous women.”
Christian’s shoulders sink and his smile vanishes. "When I look at you, I recall my buddy from university. I seem to remember that he was charming and quite the lady magnet. He got his hands on the most beautiful ones. He was the perfect image of the womanizer CEO, except for that last chick who made him pull the brakes on dating. And then the most coveted bachelor in Bucharest turned into a fucking monk." He sighs, trying to calm his increasing tone. "Look, I’m good at what I’m doing, but I’m no miracle worker. You have to show some interest in these girls. Be your previous self. I liked him. People liked him. Where is he? I think fear stands in the way of his return. Fear of being rejected? Or fear of feeling something again?"
He’s touching a soft spot that I don’t want to be pricked. “Stop fucking psychoanalyzing me! I’m your boss!”
“Sheesh!” he mocks. “And here I was thinking you were my friend.”
I rise from my chair and stuff my hands in my pockets while looking outside, my back to him. “Finding the one is a yearning as old as time itself, a heart-wrenching story that never ends, a song of love and lust. When the first notes start humming their seductive rhythm, everyone is helpless but to dance along. I no longer want to dance.” I turn to see if he gets it. “Capiche?”
“Oh, god.” He tilts his head to the side, pity in his eyes. “That girl really pulled a number on you.”
“Do you want me to throw you out?”
"Come on, you only have to be there with a stunning girl at the RBO party this weekend, not go all-out," Cristian says, his forest green puppy-dog eyes needier than ever. "Pretend you would like to devour her right then and there. You can return to your humdrum existence after the party. Deal? Pretty please!"
“Actually, I already have a plus one for this weekend. So mind your own business for once.”
"You are my business, lol!" He laughs, which irritates me even more. "Oh, please, no more frowning. Who is the girl? It's a girl, right?"
“Tsk, of course.”
“Oh, well.” Cristian gets up, arranging his tie. “You could have let me hope for a few days at least. You like to shatter my hopes.”
Right as Cristian exits the room, my cell phone rings. No peace and quiet for me today. Dan’s photo covers the screen as I swipe up.
"Paul, I did some digging and found no clues so far about the shooter. There is no specific scent in that area besides yours and the strigoi's. I think it was a human. If so, be wary at the party. This may be related to business and not supernatural."
“Don’t worry, Dan.” I lay my back on the comfy backrest. Unwillingly, I smile. “I’ll have my bulletproof vest with me tomorrow night.”
Laura - Her apartmentThe doorbell rings. I place the leather bookmark and close the book.As I unlock the door, Alisa bursts out of her room, TV noises in the background. She’s always curious, and I’ve already stopped telling her that’s what killed the cat.A young man stares at me with a package in his arms. “Laura Nedelcu?”“Yes,” I reply as I realize he’s a wolf. His mind is closed shut to my power."This is for you." His veins bulge as my palm brushes over his fingers to take the package. It must be the dress for the party.The intensity of this wolf's stare hit me like a club. He would love to kill me and I would let him. Too b
Paul - RBO partyBoring people with heads filled with possibilities to make more money, as their pockets are already overflowing. The only interesting thing around here is the incredible champagne. The drinking practice from the parties I’ve been to is keeping the three glasses I already hurled down my throat from having any impact on me.Looking at the last drop of the sparkling liquid on the bottom of my crystal glass, I circle my hand and play with it. It's the most interesting thing here so far. People around me talk, but their words are muffled in a cacophony of tedious affairs.Lilac scent. My head swivels. I follow the enticing hourglass curves as she walks through the door. Her silhouette is stunning, accentuated by the light from the chandeliers. It's as though the room has suddenly sprung to life. It
Laura - Her apartmentI fumble to close the door, the keys jingling between my fingers. Why do two strigois bother locking their door? I would mourn the fool trying to steal from the undead.After letting my small purse drop on the counter, I settle my elbows on it too and let my head drop into my palms. What has gotten into me? It’s totally out of character for me to act that way with a man. The need to reply to him in the same style overwhelms me. It’s like I’m a different person when he’s around.Or maybe I’m more myself than ever before. Not hearing his thoughts relaxes me. The silence of his mind draws me toward him. He’s a mystery to me, while the others are an open book. I can take off all the safeguards I struggle to maintain, so I do not hear everyone all the
Paul - Wolves Inc Office BuildingAfter days of my men digging into Bogdan's background and scrutinizing his every action, I still don't have anything definitive that proves he's the one who wants to murder me. The digging efforts of my team have not yet yielded any results. All I have is Bogdan Badea's name and the fact that he bought shares in Wolves Inc from persons I had no idea wanted to sell.My wolves are in a state of tenseness. The pack is growing distrustful of my actions, particularly the one associated with a certain strigoi. I must avoid Laura for the sake of both of us. Whatever occurs when she's around is something I'll never understand.My mood is worsening now, as I have to hear Cristian applauding the results from the RBO party. I don’t know which is worse: when he’s pestering me to do
Laura - Wolves Inc Office BuildingPaul's gray eyes have darkened to the point of becoming pitch-black. Maybe this is what he looks like when someone pokes him more than he can handle. His wolf is furious, but this is what I want. We'll be done with this if he bites me in a fit of rage.I look toward the window, stretching my neck for him and making it easier for the wolf to bite me. His hot breath strolls over my skin, making it crease. He sniffs me as if to see if I’m a worthy meal for his majesty.“I like my meat raw and warm.” He licks my neck and then spits on the floor. “You’re rotten and cold.”His words hurt me more than I thought possible. Why do I care what he thinks about me? I know what I am, and no one hates me more for th
Paul - His villa“Dan, you’ll be in charge until I get back.” I throw another shirt in the small suitcase.“Why do you have to leave now? Tomorrow night is a full moon. You’ll miss it.”I slam shut the suitcase and turn to him. “Do you think I don’t know? Do as I ask and stop questioning me.”What am I supposed to say? That I told Laura to wait, but she insisted she would go alone? He will mock me or even resent me for leaving the pack on such an important night to protect a strigoi.“At least put Alin in charge. He has done it before.” Dan follows me through the room as I’m scouring after a tent. My wolf likes to sleep on the grass, me not so much.
Laura - Sohodol CanyonThe road and river go farther into the mountains in a tiny passage between two massive rocks. We've located a patch of thick, verdant grass on which Paul unhurriedly pitches the tent for the night.Darkness creeps faster between the mountains and will soon be upon us. Waiting for him to finish, I march up and down the river stream, flattening the grass under my feet. His calmness and the way he does everything slowly drive me nuts. I was patient until now, but we’re here, and we should hurry to save those girls.The water rushes through caves it carved through stone, whooshing behind me. The sound almost covers my words. “How much longer? We should start our search.”"Chill," Paul says calmly, digging a tiny passage around the ten
Paul - Sohodol CanyonAs I stretch my numb limbs, the sun shines on my face. I grimace, wondering how I ended up sleeping on the grass. My wolf is happy with the outcome, my back not so much. Scrubbing my eyes, I see Laura’s face from last night. She looked so lonely and scared of being alone, so I remained outside, not even getting my sleeping bag. I’m such a retard sometimes. I guess the splinter from the bark does not fall far from the tree.(In Romanian, the saying “The splinter from the bark doesn’t fall far from the tree” has the same meaning just that instead of the proverbial apple is a splinter from the bark.)Under the generally well-dressed Paul Mateescu, the cool-headed CEO, still lurks the adolescent who watched his mother forsake his father for a wealthier man. I vowed nev