TWO WEEKS LATERROCCOWhen we first started these pleasant little chats I would never have guessed where we would end.To be specific, well actually…can you guess? I'm in a very smart navy blue suit, white open shirt. I have an exotic hot pink orchid pinned to my lapel by a ridiculously over excited Troy.Jacobs is in a matching suit, Troy is in a white linen suit. He's already strutted in, declared he's too hot for this drama and just wants to get to the bar. Yet I know he's joking. He's already pulled me to one side and told me Selene is the only bit of his heart that doesn't belong to Jacob.Yes. You're here for my wedding. My bride is going to walk down the aisle any minute. I picked the flowers. Driving the long, winding way to Florida we had a blast. So many random towns, restaurants, mind blowing views and funny locals. By the time we arrived in Florida the plans were set. We would be married on the end of the pier at sunset. Its shit for photos
SELENEI don't know how much of the wedding I've got cemented in my memory. I'll never forget his face though. The way his expression changed when our eyes met. He was already looking handsome, that dark blue colour my favourite of his suits.He didn't break out into a goofy smile or make any silly gestures like I've seen at other weddings. He just watched and took me in. His eyes never left mine, just dark, intense and brooding as he studied my approach. Knowing how intensely he was watching made my skin crackle.The matching vows was too insane for words. Our wolves were in sync, content and happy being reunited after a day apart. The meal with Rocco and Jacob was great fun too. We laughed and drank the night away.He loved my present of the string quarter, and I adored my flowers. I had one extra present for him. I slid a wrapped watch box over to him as we finished our cake and champagne.Rocco and Troy watched on in curiosity as he opened it and burst out in
**** 3 MONTHS EARLIER ****SELENE The only problem with being the most organised person at work is, all roads inevitably lead to you. My desk appears to be a magnet for the confused and chaotic. I don’t mind it though, my favourite thing to do is unknot a problem and see it work out nicely. Would be nice to have an office of my own though. The empty one that I can see from my computer seems to be teasing me. I am hunting down that office with ruthless precision and a shitload of spreadsheets. Devastatingly organised my best friend and housemate Troy would say, Sensible Selene. I take it as a compliment. He didn’t intend it to be one, he said my way of thinking takes all the fun out of life. I just don’t like nasty surprises. I've already had my fair share of feeling like a trapdoor has sprung open beneath me in my life. I won't go through it again. Only love can break your heart as the song goes, so love can go to hell. I've learnt to rely on myself alone. Whereas
ROCCO There’s nothing like the chase…why not? It’s a casino after all. That quick look away, followed by another hopeful glance, that’s the shit I live for. That hope, the wanting to make something happen with another person, even if just for a night. So I do. I go over and introduce myself in a deep quiet voice as the owner. That’s when they really notice my eyes and face. I buy them a drink and the dance begins. Not as often these days, I’m twenty-eight now and the tottery, tipsy bachelorette with a fifty-fifty shout of throwing up on my suit has lost its appeal. Same with the angry cougar, the flirty psychotic, and the fake ice queens. Last week though a beautiful divorcee with a penchant for biting came into my world. Different but I was glad for the shifter healing after the mauling she gave me. All good fun though. There is nothing you cannot do if you set your mind to it. Unfortunately, my mind is as jumpy and
ROCCO It’s me again, perhaps I should have made it clear before that Callum and Jacob were of course werewolves too. Between us, we could always spot other shifters. Everyone else we met within this part of the city was human, exactly how I like it. We all met as teens at college, the three of us eager to escape our shitty packs where overbearing Alpha’s still expected dog-like obedience. I think it irritates mine that I don’t cower before him. I know my father used to. And he forced my mother to. Annoyingly, to buy this place, I had to find a guarantor. Callum and Jacob had rich families back home to support them whereas I had nobody, so I had to ask my Alpha. Not quite the full escape I had intended. It's also not fun having to ask the person who left you without a family for help. But that whole tragic, despicable tale is for another conversation. Happy Rocco is chatting right now. Alpha Brandon Wicknace. Or Alpha Dic
SELENE A gaggle of colleagues all followed my lead as we walked the few blocks to the casino. We had eaten at the Palace Palm Hotel, a decadent feast where Greg had been toasted and lauded by his employees like a Roman emperor. Ever the stickler I had monitored and marshalled the group into motion, arriving at the Gilded Falcon precisely on time. There was little evidence that it was a casino, no brash flashing adverts, which was cool. The signage and lighting were low key but once you looked closely the doorway and it’s branding were all high-end. A huge, castle-like dark mahogany door with brushed silver handles was covered by two cheerful, welcoming men. Not the hulking, threatening bouncers you usually expect. I held my breath as Jax tottered ahead of me, curves jiggling in her red dress giddily as she exclaimed, "here we are!" The group whooped with excitement as we descended a small flight of steps
ROCCO When I went up to the beautiful Miss Wilding I tried to gauge if the electricity was one-sided. She appeared cold but when I saw her eyes widen in fear at the idea of being escorted off, I felt bad. That wasn’t my intention, the first step of my dance had landed right on her toes and caused an error. I would never have thrown her out by the way, it wasn’t serious. What was serious though was the way the birthday man, Greg, was staring at me the whole time. when I told you about enjoying, the back and forth with pretty women I forgot to mention the other half of the game. Not pissing off the guys who have similar ideas He might have been a human but there was possessive machismo radiating in waves. Clearly, I was encroaching on someone he viewed as his, so I quickly made my excuses. Seeing as Miss Prickly wouldn’t even give me her first name it would appear the feeling is mutual. Not a problem. I like the chase, not a grind.&n
SELENE I had to hand it to Rocco and his sweet Scandinavian counterpart, they knew how to run an event. Very professional, who knew a pair of burly, muscular sex gods could do good business too? I keep drinking my vodka cocktails despite knowing they won’t get me drunk. It takes an extraordinary amount of alcohol to get a shifter inebriated but it was better to play along. I watched Jax gamble away her thousand immediately, the utter randomness of the roulette wheel her swift undoing. I managed to persuade her not to withdraw her life savings at least. It took everything I had not to let me eyes rest on Rocco. That dark hair and olive skin looked too good to be true. Tall, dark, handsome and a voice so sensually rich it made my hair stand on end. "You're no fun sometimes Selene," she grumbled, folding her arms in protest."I know," I sighed, switching my mind back to the party and not my panties, "but I can't be bothered to pic