21 Wolven Street, 4th Avenue, Nashville Tennessee, USA.
Candice took a deep breath, pulling her hair to the side on her left shoulder, she adjusted the helm of her short skirt and smoothed away any wrinkles.
Popping a mint-flavored gum into her mouth, she opened the bar door and strolled in. A hefty cloud of cigarette smoke wafted through the air, rushing into her nostrils. She barely kept herself from sneezing. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she scanned the dark room.
She scanned the place looking for….
“Trust me, Candice, when you see him, you will know. He always stands out in a crowd,” Bernice had said.
Shrugging away her thoughts, she squinted through all the smoke, peering at the tables, looking for anyone who might stand out….
There!!!
At the far end of the wall, there was a huge man, immaculately dressed in an expensive suit that looked to be customized, and perfectly fitted to his body. His looks screamed wealth, taste and class.
Even though he was seated, she guessed he would be about six feet five inches tall. A great height difference over her petite frame of five feet four inches.
His shoulders were broad and finely built with muscles bulging the fabric of his black suit jacket, matching pants snuggled around strong legs, and tapered down into black leather shoes. His face was a sculptor’s dream. Broad chin with high cheekbones, a flawless straight nose, full lips, and eyes the color of gold coins. A very gorgeous appearance, what was even more distinct was the long mane of black locks that fanned down his shoulders.
He was clean-shaven, neatly composed with an aura of confidence, unlike the hollow-eyed, haggard-looking men littered around this bar. While most of them looked average, he looked like he owned the damn place.
He was sitting alone with a tall glass of untouched beer in front of him.
Taking a wild guess, she walked straight to him. As she walked, she kept adjusting the length of her skirt. Bernice was the one who had picked out this outfit for her, it was feeling very uncomfortable.
She took the opposite seat in front of him and held out her hand “Sorry for keeping you waiting, I had some delay.”
The man didn’t take the handshake, he just stared at her.
Candice withdrew her hand feeling awkward “You are Mr. Wayne Wyatt? Correct?” she inquired, trying to be certain.
An emotionless face stared back at her “Yes, who’s asking?”
“Nice to meet you. Have you been waiting long?” She asked, unsure of his cold reception towards her.
He looked away from her, ignoring her presence completely.
Candice felt taken aback “It’s me Candice, your date for tonight.”
His head snapped back to her and a flash of surprise crossed his face as he gave her an ounce-over look, then slowly asked, “You are Candice?”
His eyes traveled the length of her body, from the low-cut V of her top, showing off her boobs, all the way down to the high slit that revealed her pale thighs.
“Yes,” she answered as her confidence began to fade.
She was uncomfortable under his piercing gaze, he seemed to be looking at her from head to toe, searching her, disapproving of what he saw. His eyebrows creased together with a frown.
What had he been expecting?
Candice felt her face redden with embarrassment. She was beginning to wonder if she had made a mistake dressing this provocatively.
The ladies at the office who always got huge contracts, told her that men easily complied with women who were alluring, sexually attractive and fun-loving.
One boldly said, “If you continue to play by the book girl, you will never sit at the table.”
Another had whispered in her ear “Nobody is asking you to sleep with the clients, just play along with them and get what you want. That's how we do it.”
Well, she didn't believe she needed to roll over on her back to strike deals. However, it had already been two years working at the real estate firm and she had always fallen short of her monthly target.
Her Boss, George, had begun to lose patience with her. He outrightly told her to prepare her resignation letter by month's end if she didn't land a major contract.
So, when an anonymous offer had come in from a huge investor, Bernice, her best friend and colleague had jumped at it, rapidly securing a date for her, before anyone else at the office got a hold of it.
She desperately needed this deal if she was to meet her target this month. If she lost her job, her life was practically over. Right now, she was barely managing to pay her rent from her paltry commission. She would be sleeping on the streets, if this deal fell through.
Pride and self-preservation were a fleeting notion when it came to survival. She was willing to give it a try and go out of her comfort zone to achieve her goal.
She needed to make him interested, to catch his fancy so he would give in to her demands.
Crossing her legs in front of her, she watched her skirt ride up her thighs, exposing more of her supple flesh to him.
She would tease him, seduce him, show him what he liked, get on his good side, and then attack him with her documents.
With that solid resolve in mind, she leaned on the table and grabbed his beer. Letting her cleavage linger on the tabletop, ensuring he got a good view of it, before straightening up to gulp down the entire glass of beer. She wiped the sides of her mouth with the back of her hand, then looked at him seductively, batting her eyelashes at him.
Powerful grey eyes stared back at her in astonishment “Why did you drink that? All at once!” he exclaimed.
She had never been a fan of alcohol, but right now she needed all the confidence in the world to pull this off. This was her first time trying to use her feminine appeal to get what she wanted.
“Are you okay?” he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
“Why wouldn’t I be? I feel great. So, tell me, do you like the atmosphere in this bar? The place seems rather noisy and too dark to have a serious conversation. I have better choices in mind,” she suggested, as a low throb started in her head. Her speech had begun to slur with a wave of dizziness washing over her.
A nice restaurant would've been an ideal location.
The man before her gave her a long silent look, his intense stare seemed to be calculating, as if he was trying to make a decision, and then a cynical smile turned up the corner of his mouth.
“Indeed, what do you propose?” he asked. A dubious glint entered his eyes as a grin spread across his lips.
This bar didn’t seem like the best place to discuss official matters and she wondered who had picked the location. Bernice had told her that he wanted their meeting to be kept under the radar for personal reasons.
“Just anywhere private for us to discuss more personally,” she explained as a second wave of dizziness washed over her.
She was already drunk, on just one glass of beer. Even though she rarely drank alcohol, surely only one glass couldn’t get her to this point quickly.
The man before her was quiet and was watching her intently. Candice clutched her handbag close to her, she needed to stay focused if she was to succeed.
“Are you sure you won’t regret this?” he finally asked.
“What’s there to regret about?” she shrugged.
“Good,” he said, rising to his feet.
She stood up also, then wobbled on her feet “Whoa, that was one serious beer.”
“Do you need some assistance walking?” he asked, coming over to put a supporting hand on her back, cradling her close.
At his contact, the atmosphere cackled around them with an invisible force. Time seemed to stop, as his stunning grey eyes bore into her hazel eyes.
Her body trembled from the energy that sipped into her from the feel of his warm fingers, spreading along the expanse of her back.
Up close, more of his features shone brightly, like the tiny white cowries that were interwoven with his dreadlocks, the natural glow of his skin that looked like it was sun-kissed and lathered in alabaster oil. Overall, he had the features of someone from the Caribbeans.
Beautiful islands, clear coastal seas, blossoming flowers, and a lovely horizon.
Candice thought wistfully to herself as she felt her eyelids grow heavy with darkness clouding her vision into oblivion.
Drip drop, drip drop.A persistent sound echoed in her ears.Candice hissed and turned over in her sleep. Who or what was making that sound?She turned on her side, reaching for her pillow, a strong unmovable object obscured her view.Her eyelids fluttered open for a minute, then she jolted up from the bed.The sight before her alarmed her, who was this half-naked man, covered in white bedsheets, lying casually on her bed beside her?She looked at the mountain of a man, how did he get here? In her bed!Wait!This wasn’t her apartment. She looked around her strange surroundings, nothing here looked like they belonged to her.Where was she and how did she get here?“You’re finally awake,” a deep rich voice rumbled.She looked up at him, he looked familiar…"I was waiting for you to wake up," he said, propping himself up on one elbow.She gasped, she remembered!“What are you doing here?” she asked, raising the sheets to her chin.He looked like he was barely managing to suppress a chuck
How disappointing.There was no better word to express how he was feeling.After all these years of searching, of all the beings he could have paired with, the universe had to give him a human mate.Not just a feeble human, but a prostitute woman.The lowest of the low.He had always imagined his Luna to be a proud wolf with strength to dominate and command respect. Someone who would rule beside him and both of them would be a formidable force. Conquering all his enemies and exerting order in Plane Woede and all its hinter lands.He could have gladly accepted other worldly beings like a shapeshifter, a siren, a fey, a phantom or even a nymph if it meant that their life span was long and amortal. Their strength was well matched to that of a werewolf and they all had their individual strengths. He would have still managed an Omega, the lowest of the ranks, the weakest in the pack. Provided she was a wolf, he would accept his fate.But what was he to do with a mere human? They could easi
Wayne rose from the water and walked into the sea bank.Waves crashed around his legs as his feet sank into the wet sand.Water dripped down his body, his wet cloths clung to his body.He looked at his house on the cliff, just overseeing this seashore and stilled himself to listen.Everything quieted around him, as his hearing strained toward the house. He could hear voices from the staff within the house, footsteps walking up and down, smell of flavors from the kitchen, water dripping from a leaking pipe, werewolf scents carried in the wind. Nothing seemed strange or out of place.Except for one thing, there was no human scent.Wayne felt a stir of unease in his chest as he strolled toward the house. It was possible her scent had been deemed by all the wolves around, after all she was the only human in the house. Possibly on this plane, from what information he received daily from the epsilons (guardians) at the gates to this realm.Apart from the official portal which was located at
Weird.Everything was totally weird.Candice thought to herself as she walked into a small building that held "Sally's Restaurant" boldly hanging from the door mantle. The building was painted blue, both inside and outside and drawings of yellow sunflowers dotted the walls. It was as if she was entering a children's daycare, she couldn't remember any restaurants in Nashville that would use this choice of colors. The houses she had passed on her way here were all painted with bright colors such as orange, pink, yellow, red, and green.What's with this city and colorful paintings?Despite the bright colors, there was an old country feel to this town. The streets were made of cobbled stones, not the usual modern coal tar. Oil lamps could be seen hanging from street poles, and the buildings were made of river rock and a red-clayish mortar, instead of the cement brick walls and concrete mortar she was used to. It looked like it had some ancient history around it.This scenery could come st
"Stay away from me!" Candice yelled as she ran to a corner of the room.After the ordeal at the restaurant, Wayne had hauled her back to his mansion. She had been too shocked to do anything but gaze into nothingness as he carried her back home. Now that she was back in the safety of his room, her sanity had begun to return to her."Will do," he calmly said as he watched her scurry from him."You ki-killed that man. Wait! He was not a man, he was…they were…" she tried to put into words what she had just seen."They are werewolves," he assisted."Yes! Werewolves. Half man and half wolf," she agreed "You too are…""I am a werewolf, just like I had told you previously," he agreed with her.She could barely coordinate her thoughts; they were racing through her brain "Do werewolves really exist? I thought they were just a myth.""Do you think humans were the only beings existing in the universe? How self-absorbed," he mused."Are there other beings apart from werewolves?" she asked her eyes
What was this thing she was feeling?Was she feeling sad that he was outrightly rejecting her before he even got to know her?Fine, she didn't even want him either. He had killed a man right in front of her without remorse. He could as well kill her too, who knew what he was capable of?"You can't go home; you are safer with me than in your world," he refused."I was safe before I met you, you are ruining my life," Candice spat out."If you go back to your earth plane, my enemies will find you sooner rather than later and you will be taken into captivity. Believe me when I say death will be bliss compared to what torture you will go through," he informed her."Was that why you murdered that man? Because death is bliss compared to torture?" she inquired."I had to send out a strong message, anyone who touches what's mine and they would die. Regardless, that wolf is known for his notorious ways, I have had it in mind to put him in order. Too bad he picked today to cause trouble," he casu
Money solved all problems.Wayne thought to himself as he walked into the red chamber at the Assembly quarters. The hall was big and crafted in the form of an auditorium. Five chairs, as tall as pillars stood at angles in a circular arrangement, and on it sat five grey-haired wolves. The gammas (elders) of Plane Woede were the advisers to the king. A royal bloodline who had lived up to a thousand years and was still alive assumed the position of gamma to advise on state affairs.Coming to the middle of the circle, Wayne's thought was still filled with the discussion he had with his naïve little mate two days ago. Everything was either white or black to her, she thought she was smart and could manipulate things to her favor. Well, she would later find out she was being outplayed.He had no plans of letting her go after six months, he had only offered the deal to buy some time with her. Within the timeframe, he hoped to find a way that would allow her birth his child, then he would releg
Candice smoothed down the white floral dress she was wearing.Adjusting the ribbon that held her thick mass of blond hair in a ponytail, she fidgeted with the paper and pen in her hands, biting hard on the rubber cap of the blue ink pen.The last three days were a roller coaster of events. Waking up in a stranger's bed in an alternate universe had been the beginning of her woes. She had been constantly insulted, and mocked, and was about to be fought over by otherworldly creatures she didn't know existed. She was now a target for some vengeful enemies she never knew she had, who wanted to capture and enslave her from no fault of hers, all because of some sort of universe-binding matehood.Her world had completely changed in a matter of days.Things were finally looking up for her at least. In her hands, she held the key to her future. Wayne had given her the liberty to draft the contract according to the terms and conditions she preferred. He would only go over it with her and sign.Hi
Once he was in his bathroom, he turned on the shower and stepped under the spray.The cold water that ran down the length of his body, eased the knots that had tightened from all the pent-up emotions weighing him down.Switching the knob from the cold tank to the warm tank, he put his hands on the wall in front of him and leaned forward, letting the water cascade from the back of his neck and down his shoulders.He had just begun to revel in the warmth when cold hands hugged him from behind. He jolted at the contact, stiffening immediately.Soft supple flesh pressed against him from behind as lips as tender as butter pressed a light kiss on his back.His body responded by shuddering. The initial alarm faded as a sweet citrus fragrance filled his nostrils.Even without looking back, he knew who it was."Candice…" her name left his lips in a low whisper."I-I tried to hold back," her small voice murmured against his back, sending shivers up and down his spine.His cock hardened immediat
He rose from the bed.The blanket fell from his body.He stretched his limbs, his muscles taut and hard. All his cords and tendons ached from head to toe. His joints squeaked and cracked as he flexed them.The few days that had proceeded after the incident with the wolfsbane had been nothing but pure torture.His wee mate was a wicked temptress.Another peculiar side of her, he was only just discovering. She was giving him all the green lights that she wanted him, needed him to pleasure her.But he couldn't.At least not right now.Firstly, he needed to make her an amortal first, turn her into a wolf halfling. That was the top priority on his list at the moment. The terror he had felt when she lay in his arms lifeless, crumpling into a dry pile of flesh, gave him a scare like no other.Pandemonium.His emotions were in turmoil. His sense of clarity had become twisted and complicated.The thought of using her for childbirth and then relegating her to the background did not appeal to hi
His words were light and simple, so why did it sound like a groan to her ears and why did her nipples immediately grow hard at his smile?She saw his eyes dip to her chest; she knew her nipples were visible through the transparent red lingerie she was wearing. Recently, she had been dressing provocatively to bed, trying to seduce him.A flash of blue crossed his irises and he shook his head as if to clear it.There went her hope for a passionate morning of lovemaking. How long could she continue to endure this?"Wayne?" She asked gently."Yes, my kitten," he answered.He had begun calling her that endearment word ever since she woke up. Somehow, the nickname had started to grow on her."Do you…" she started to ask but trailed off. Too embarrassed to ask if he found her attractive or not."I just wanted to know if you had any plans this morning," she said instead.He gazed at the ceiling, avoiding to look at her "I have a meeting with the committee assigned to the hinterland relief dis
Candice stretched her limbs as she rolled over on the bed, her lashes fluttering as she pried them open.The morning sun filtered in through the curtains, blinding her eyes. She closed her eyes and turned over, trying to get to the other side of the bed.An object was in her path, preventing her smooth bed roll. Disoriented, she opened her eyes to see what was blocking her way and her heart skipped at the sight.Wayne was sleeping soundly beside her, as usual, he was naked and had the sheets tucked around his waist, leaving his upper body bare and visible.Her hungry eyes washed over him, greedily, gulping in the view. She could remember the first time she had woken up beside him, she had been alarmed and terrified to find herself in his bed. Now, a sense satisfaction enveloped her. She felt…happy to be with him in his bed.Ever since she had been revived from that deathly poison, Wayne had insisted she slept in his room with him every night. If he was to go into the city for meetings
The door to the restaurant swung on its hinges and Jason walked into a familiar place.He looked around, as usual the place was teaming with different folks, eating and chatting.Sally's restaurant was a small place, so it was not hard to find his twin brother, seated at a corner drinking from a jug and smoking his pipe.He strode over to the table and sat down "Getting high in the middle of the day, are we?"Jordan didn't answer immediately as he first let out a cloud of smoke from his mouth before saying "Care for some?" He held up his pipe, offering it."No thanks," Jason declined. Then drew back to stare at his brother "Why did you request to meet me here?"Watching his brother closely, he started to notice the dark shadows under his eyes, the worry lines that spanned his face and the fine lines around his mouth. His short brown hair was tousled and he looked like had aged significantly, even though they were of the same age and identical in every respect.With the way his shoulde
He knew trouble when he saw it.This man right here looked like trouble.And he didn't have time for this.Without turning back, Rojan answered "I don't think I know you," he muttered and took another step.Two of the leader's men breezed forward and were in front of him in a second, preventing him from leaving."You are the beta, second in command to the notorious King Wayne, aren't you?" the leader said from behind them.His mind began calculating as he eyed the two men in front. They had black spots in a shape of rosettes, tattooed all over their body and with the exact same bald haircut, as their leader.From how they were dressed, even without the hydrogen sulfide masking their scent, he knew they were Jaguar shapeshifters. That sect of shapeshifters enshrined the Samurai way of martial arts. Sleek and fast, utilizing double swords.They were usually hired as assassins. Whoever sent them on this bounty hunt, must really want the dragon's remains.Just like he did as well.He coul
He waited for a few more minutes after the second group had passed, before slowly removing his hand from her mouth and taking a step back."What's going on?" Bernice asked, trying to peer at him through the dark "I thought this place was supposed to be inhabited, empty even. Who are these people?"Still in the darkness, Rojan answered "It seems the man that sold the information to us, also went about selling it to others," he hissed "Wayne paid him handsomely to keep the information confidential, that backstabbing weasel.""What do we do now? Should we return back home?" She asked worriedly."Going back home is not an option. If anything, I am more determined to get to it before the others.""But there are ghouls and other bounty hunters searching for the dragon's remains. It has become dangerous for us to continue our search," she said to the darkness, unsure of where he now stood.After a few shuffling in the dark, bright beams of light shone from a small battery torch Rojan held in
"Oh my gosh, I’m so fucking freezing!" Bernice exclaimed as she hugged her arms underneath the winter jacket she wore.Rojan, who was walking in front of her, turned around and gave her a look that said 'I told you so.'Well, she knew he had nagged her non-stop and tried to dissuade her repeatedly. But nothing, absolutely nothing could have prepared her for such extreme climate conditions.Even though, Sabine had etched some runes into their skin using an unknown ink, claiming the runes would help them breathe and survive the harsh atmosphere of planet Uranus. To her, the runes had little or no effect against the negative degrees.This place was dark with a perpetual night sky and lots of thick clouds swirling across it, a constant blizzard blew throughout. They had entered this horrible planet through Sabine's door in her living room.Yeah, you heard right.A freaking door that shimmered with light brought them to this planet called Uranus. Not a plane, a rocket, or one of those fanc
"There was a ruckus at the palace. I had to wait for a few days for things to quiet down before coming," the creature on the other side explained."I meant tonight, you arrived late," he corrected.This was his informant, his contact person at the palace on plane Woede. Over the weeks since they had partnered together. The creature had refused to reveal its real identity. Only contacting him through proxies, choosing this place as their rendezvous point and taking precautionary measures to remain anonymous.There were no telltale signs to give an inkling as to whom he was dealing with. The creature, male or female, wolf or any other species, always arrived on time and was already seated in booth six before he came. Also, it always waited for him to leave, before exiting. One thing he was assured of, was that it had to be a werewolf and of pure blood, for it to serve in the king's house.He had recruited this invaluable resource from an agency that catered to mercenaries. Though the te