Catherine sighed. “No. That’s not what happened.” She gave them the short version, leaving out the part about her true love not being totally human. They reacted mildly to all the major coincidences she and Donald experienced, with only slightly rising eyebrows. Sometimes only one. “And so we’re going to give it another shot,” she finished, sitting on the edge of her seat, expecting little if any, support. Her mother finished what was left of her wine, which wasn’t much. Her father drank his coffee. Both of them stared at the antique coffee table that had been in the same spot since 1878. Setting down her wine, her mother sighed, “Well, that’s some story.” The sigh may have been because the glass was empty. “I have to admit, I would have done one thing differently.” Curious, her father looked over. “Oh? What’s that?” Catherine however, was not interested. Of course, she’s going to critique how I handled myself. Nothing is ever as good as she would have done it. “I would
“Well, well, well. Look at you two!” Thomas Wilson gave them a wide, welcoming smile. “And there’s a little one on the way!” Holding her large stomach, Catherine beamed. “It’s good to see you again, Thomas.” Donald shook the older man’s hand. “Some fights end in a beginning.” “That’s where the honesty is! In the fights!” the widower chuckled. “Well, it’s a good thing you called ahead, Mr. Ramirez. We’ve got your old room for you, and we’re fully booked this weekend!” Catherine smiled at his saying ‘we’re’ because she knew he meant he and the ghost of his wife Elene. “Here’s the key. I’ve got your card on file so you’ll just sign out on Monday when you leave.” “Oh, you got time off?” she asked. She’d regretted them having to leave early, but hadn’t pushed the point since he loved his work so much. She was taking classes, too, in a number of things. She wanted to find something she was passionate about so that, even with raising the baby, she could occupy her talents, when s
Her eyes were liquid now and she nodded that he’d done really well with that. He felt a little relief at her approval. She knew how much pride he had. She unwrapped the paper and squinted at his penmanship. “Donald,” she read. “I vow to always tell you when I need something. To hit you on the back of your head again every time you put up your stupid wall.” Ripples of laughter from the crowd and the friends around them. “Oh, this is good,” she told everyone and they laughed louder. She cleared her throat as Donald waited. “I vow to buy new sexy lingerie, with your money, whenever you rip mine off my body like you love to do.” The crowd cracked up. Elias, Daniel and Darius, guffawed behind him. “Oh shit,” Darius muttered on a laugh. She cocked an eyebrow for silence. People struggled to settle down, amusement rippling. “I vow,” she continued, “to remember that even when we have children, our love comes first. We will always be the foundation from which they spring.” She glanced
Darius Plaridel Past Life He’d even put himself on one of those dating sites. He’d met a lot of pretty and interesting women, but there was a spark that ignited a man’s wolf when he found the one. It can’t be denied. It’s annoying as fuck because you can’t delude yourself with anything less than what your wolf wants—true love. One night he’d made the mistake of confiding in his packmates that he was trying to find her. The happily married ones could understand, but Donald thought the effort ridiculous. Listening to Donald gripe about women isn’t a fun way to spend an evening in Metro Manila. “Why do you need a woman when all they cause is pain?” Ignoring Donald’s jaded question, Elias said, “We weren’t looking for it like you are, Darius.” “Yeah, but Darius’s always been different,” smiled Daniel. Darius’s wolf snarled inside him. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” With a calm stare, Elias clocked him. “You know what it means. That you’re a hopeless ro
The refrigerator hummed as loudly as the engine of an eighteen-wheeler speeding past his ears. Rats scurried in the attic upstairs, little nails muffled but yet inexplicably audible. He turned to the mirror lining the south wall and saw a wolf staring back, larger than any he’d seen along the roads in wintertime. Blue eyes much lighter than his blinked back at him and began to glow as tears slipped down the short fur that lined his new face. As he stared at this unfamiliar beast, barely understanding it was him, Darius’s heartbeat became all he could hear. The pain was unbearable, the sight unbelievable. He crashed through a first-floor window and ran. For three nights he did not stop running save for when exhaustion forced him. During those brief, impatient stints he’d hobble around, four legs shaky before the pain in his heart drove them onward. He didn’t eat. He didn’t drink water. He just ran. Darius, the boy, had no idea where he was going, but his wolf knew. It led him until
Late again, the following Monday morning Darius leaped from the taxi and headed for the offices of the architecture firm he and his packmates owned. He smiled as he admired the sign above their gorgeous, two-story, Ayala, Makati building. D.D.D.E. Inc. Donald. Darius. Daniel. Elias. Inc. It was just a funny coincidence to them that it kind of spelled out ‘DDDE.’ The long silver door handle glinted despite the overcast sky. Darius wiped his hand on his pants before touching it, out of respect. Inside he passed the eternally unoccupied receptionist desk—less people, less curiosity—and unlocked double doors leading to a sparkling white hallway with five closed doors, one for each wolf’s private office, plus one for the stairs located at the far end. Bypassing his office, first door on the right, he headed to the second door on the left. From within came the deep voices of his packmates and partners as audible as if no walls existed between them. A werewolf’s hearing is beyond
The buzzer from Room 321 had been quiet for a long time. Too long. With her eyes on the room, Thalia rose from the desk and headed to check on Dorothy. Janet called over, “Is that old bitty at it again?” “Why don’t you crawl back under the house,” Thalia shot back. Lacking a witty enough response, Janet just sneered. As she walked into the room, Thalia’s heart exploded. Paler than a sheet of paper, Dorothy stared lifeless into the distance. Thalia pulled back the hospital gown and started pounding on Dorothy’s frail chest, screaming loud enough the entire third floor could hear, “JANET! GET A DOCTOR! CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!” Her eyes darted to the monitor. It was off, the plug lying on the floor. “Come on Dorothy! Don’t you die on me!” Thalia leaned down to blow into quiet lungs as Janet ran in with a defibrillator machine. Bitch or no bitch, when shit hit the fan, Janet was ready. She charged the machine while Thalia pounded an artificial heartbeat into Doris’s chest, pe
Fear-charged shouts came from the woman and the boy, begging to know if he was okay. The woman yelled to the man behind the register, “Call the police!” “I’m calling an ambulance!” He shouted back. “No!” the wounded man groaned, speaking only to Thalia as if he needed her to understand. “Don’t let him,” he whispered, leaning down to her ear. She pressed her hand over his, adding more pressure to stop the bleeding. “We have to get you to a hospital.” “No,” he whispered, closing blue eyes against the pain. He bent at the knees, and she caught him. Years of working with patients had prepared her for his collapsed. “I’m a nurse. I know what I’m talking about.” “Then get me out of here,” he whispered in her ear, again so low nobody else could have heard. She stared into the future and the immediate past, making a decision. He’d saved her life. She owed him. He seemed desperate not to go. Praying she was doing the right thing, she called out to the others, “Don’t call
Thalia grinned and nodded, biting her bottom lip. Donald opened the door for them. “Allow me.” Darius gave him a look that said everything about how he felt, that his best friend was finally on board for his happiness. “Thank you.” He received a small chin dip in response. As the group filed in, another couple was leaving, big smiles on their faces, too. Darius watched them go. Elias stepped around to practically attack the County Clerk. “Hey! We’re back!” The man’s eyebrows shot up as his eyes darted around the approaching faces. He lit up with recognition. “Ah yes! How could I forget?” A big smile spread. “I was wondering if we’d see you again,” the female employee said. She served as witness and recorded the events as well. She flushed as Elias remarked on her new hairstyle. Then he turned around and grabbed his wife. “Look baby. We left an impression. They remember us.” Daniel snorted and entwined his fingers with Alessandra’s. “Could have been us who left t
Daniel smiled. “I knew what you were going through. Remember?” Darius nodded. “That’s what’s been on my mind. I’m sorry we weren’t there to help you.” Daniel shrugged and glanced around his friend’s faces. “There was no choice.” “Yeah. Now I understand.” Darius took a sip of Guinness. “I want to go see her.” “Well, let’s at least finish our beers first.” Elias clinked his bottle of Bass Ale against Darius’s pint. “Remember just days ago how you were complaining we never spend any time together?” Darius laughed and a huge weight lifted. “You’ve got a gift, Elias.” “Thank God I’ve got one,” Elias said, dryly. So they stayed for another two hours, like the old days. Daniel yanked out his phone and called his driver. “Nigel, buddy. We’re hammered. Come get us.” They climbed out of the dark booth and headed for the door. Elias and Daniel led the way, Donald behind. “Hey, D. I idolize you, just so you know.” Donald cocked an eyebrow sideways. “Is that right?”
Three very different guffaws trailed off as the others left the room, talking amongst themselves about how strange that had been for them. The last one she heard was Elias. “So, Donald, you’re saving it for a special woman, huh?” and Donald’s reply: “Fuck off.” Darius loosened his embrace but kept her close. She looked up at him as he gazed down at her. “You said you love me.” She flushed. “I was having a moment.” “A moment?” “Yeah.” A small frown pierced his brow and he lifted her off the ground, kissing her deeply. Every cell in her responded to him, and then he moaned against her lips, “I love you, too.” Soundless tears trailed her cheeks before she even realized how much emotion had been waiting under the surface. All her life she’d wanted to meet the guy and here he was. Finally. He kissed some away, picked her up and carried her to the couch. “We have to talk business now.” She nodded and picked up the blanket to wrap around her waist so she could hike up
He dropped the hand and turned back to his friends and packmates. They were speechless, too, their moment of entertainment usurped by the bold pronouncement. They’d seen it coming, but that he’d said it aloud, outright and so soon, shocked them all. Maybe even him a little, too. There would be no stupid debate. Not anymore. He’d heard enough arguments from Donald. What good were they? Not only had he dreamed of saving her life before it actually happened, thereby telling him she was a part of his destiny, but today his wolf had taken control for two reasons: how he felt about her, and also because there was another wolf inside the ‘den’ when she arrived—Donald. The beast inside Darius’s soul who knows what is best for him more often than he knows, took her immediately to mark her as his. She’d gotten her instinct right about his bite. His wolf needed to ensure there was never any question as to whose mate she was. That she’d accepted him so readily affirmed she felt the same. Who has
Thalia had been climbing out of her skin. Underneath everything she’d done was the nagging desire to check up on him. She hadn’t mentioned the robbery to Jonas. The air of secrecy among Darius and his friends combined with her aiding the hero of the day in his odd escape, made her keep her mouth very, very shut. How would she explain to police what had happened, if they ever questioned her? The fewer people who knew about what happened the better. And Jonas wasn’t exactly the quiet type. Nor were his friends. They lived big, and a story like this? Too hot to keep mum about. She was loath to admit that she didn’t just want to check up on his well being, she wanted to be around him again. She missed the connection she’d experienced when they were alone in the ally. She’d replayed those intimate moments with him over and over despite her desperate desire to let it go. She hesitated with her fist in the air and ready to knock. Her heart slammed in her chest. She didn’t even know if
Fuck it. She leaned in and softly kissed him. His lips parted in surprise as she pulled away. She whispered in his ear, just for him, “Thank you for saving my life.” “Thank you for trusting me.” She arose and headed for Elias who was by the door. She didn’t need him to tell her, “I’ll take you home.” She nodded and it struck her that he seemed like a statue. She glanced back to Daniel, then grazed a glance over Donald’s solemn countenance. They suddenly seemed… inhuman. “It was nice to meet you.” They nodded and murmured the same. Rihanna and Alessandra looked the most uncomfortable. Don’t make me go home. Let me stay here and take care of him. Let me tell him I’m here for him. I’m here. I’m here… Makati City sparkled outside the limo’s window as they drove west to her small apartment, flashes of blurred color zipping by. She couldn’t see any of it. Her mind was on him. “You’re awfully quiet,” Elias said after they’d been silent for a long time. She glanced ov
Donald sighed and said with more control, “We don’t do the stuff.” Drugs have a different reaction on werewolves than humans. But he couldn’t explain that. At her confusion, Daniel interjected with authority, “It’s not ego. We don’t take pain meds. Just accept it.” Darius watched Thalia glance around his packmates’ faces. He couldn’t blame her for not understanding. How would he feel if he were on the other side of this? She tightened her jaw and shrugged with defeat. “Fine. If you’ve done this before, I’m sure you have twelve inch long tweezers?” “I’ve got better than that.” Donald returned a moment later with a kit that made Thalia pause, full of surgical tools, gauze, Aloe Vera gel, and wood clamps to bite down on. They even had teeth marks in them. “I’m not even going to ask,” she muttered, choosing a very slender metal piece that looked to be an advanced type of tweezer. “You ready?” “Over my dead body you’re doing the removal,” Donald growled. Darius grabb
Fear-charged shouts came from the woman and the boy, begging to know if he was okay. The woman yelled to the man behind the register, “Call the police!” “I’m calling an ambulance!” He shouted back. “No!” the wounded man groaned, speaking only to Thalia as if he needed her to understand. “Don’t let him,” he whispered, leaning down to her ear. She pressed her hand over his, adding more pressure to stop the bleeding. “We have to get you to a hospital.” “No,” he whispered, closing blue eyes against the pain. He bent at the knees, and she caught him. Years of working with patients had prepared her for his collapsed. “I’m a nurse. I know what I’m talking about.” “Then get me out of here,” he whispered in her ear, again so low nobody else could have heard. She stared into the future and the immediate past, making a decision. He’d saved her life. She owed him. He seemed desperate not to go. Praying she was doing the right thing, she called out to the others, “Don’t call
The buzzer from Room 321 had been quiet for a long time. Too long. With her eyes on the room, Thalia rose from the desk and headed to check on Dorothy. Janet called over, “Is that old bitty at it again?” “Why don’t you crawl back under the house,” Thalia shot back. Lacking a witty enough response, Janet just sneered. As she walked into the room, Thalia’s heart exploded. Paler than a sheet of paper, Dorothy stared lifeless into the distance. Thalia pulled back the hospital gown and started pounding on Dorothy’s frail chest, screaming loud enough the entire third floor could hear, “JANET! GET A DOCTOR! CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!” Her eyes darted to the monitor. It was off, the plug lying on the floor. “Come on Dorothy! Don’t you die on me!” Thalia leaned down to blow into quiet lungs as Janet ran in with a defibrillator machine. Bitch or no bitch, when shit hit the fan, Janet was ready. She charged the machine while Thalia pounded an artificial heartbeat into Doris’s chest, pe