VALERIA"It was an absolute success," I said. "Of course it was," said Sasha, dropping into the chair next to Alexis. "There was absolutely no way the Rosy project launch could be have been anything less than a success, not with the work we have all been putting into it." She turned slightly to face Alexis. "You were not here in the early days of the project. We were all working like... machines. You won't believe how hard we worked.""I think have an idea of that. I worked my ass off the day before the launch," Alexis said, laughing. He armed imaginary sweat off his brow. "I take it the boss is pleased.""Oh yes. Of course he is." Sasha gave me a questioning look. "Isn't he?"Alexis looked at me expectantly too. I supposed it had become common knowledge that I would be the one in a better position to know of Dimitri's moods and thoughts."He is pleased," I assured them. "He couldn't fail to be, not with all the massive attention the project has been getting these past few days.""T
VALERIAI was finally getting my wish. How many times had I lain awake with the thoughts of seeing firsthand what a werewolf pack looked like? The answer was- more times than I could count. Yet, I was nervous, so nervous. My fingers kept twisting nervously in my lap the closer we got to his pack.Dimitri turned to me. "In about ten minutes, we'll be there."I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Dimitri stared straight ahead but placed his hand on mine. I held on to it tightly like a lifeline. I couldn't help thinking that in less than ten minutes, I would be really part of Dimitri's world. I had a million questions and a million concerns. What if his pack wouldn't accept me? I didn't really know how packs worked, so though Dimitri was in a position of authority, I couldn't help wondering if it was in his pack's place to decide if I I was unsuitable for him."We're here," Dimitri announced exactly 9 minutes, 27 seconds later.I knew the exact time because I had been keeping my eyes
DIMITRIBefore she said a curt 'Good evening', I knew from the slight squaring of her shoulders, the tilt of her head that she was angry with me about something. For the life of me, I could not imagine why. I thought back to the last twenty four hours, and then beyond. We hadn't had a row, not so much as a disagreement, since the incident at the parking lot, since I had taken her to the pack to meet my people.Or maybe I was wrong. She had been waiting up for me after all. Maybe she was a little upset that I was late. I smiled, leaned in for a hug. Her palm, raised in front of her face stopped me from going further. The smile on my lips froze in place, then died."There is something I have to show you," she said in the same curt tone she had used before."Valeria," I called after her as she stood up and began to march away. "What-""Come with me," she called back, without turning to see if I was following.Wondering what on earth was going on, and feeling certain I was not going to li
VALERIA"Good. You're ready," Dimitri called out loudly. He quickly dabbed at the corners of his mouth with a paper napkin, then promptly crumpled it in his fists. My only response to him was a scathing glance as I passed him. If he thought for a moment that I would somehow overlook his lie and the fact that he left me to go to heaven knows where during an argument, then he had another think coming. I thought I had done a good job of passing the message that I didn't want his company across, when I heard him walking behind me.I ground my teeth to keep from planting my feet, turning around and yelling at him to stay away from me. I kept going, quickening my steps the moment I was out of the house."Valeria-" Dimitri began."Vance," I called loudly enough to drown out Dimitri's voice. "Yes?" He poked his head through the window of Dimitri's car, surprised that I had practically shouted his name since we were just a few paces from each other."I'll be going to work alone in that one
VALERIAThe chances were that the baby and I were perfectly fine, I thought as the doctor began to examine me with a meticulous air, but there was just something about hospitals that made people tense whether or not they wanted to be that way. "Relax, Valeria," the doctor said, sensing my unease and pausing in his work to give me a reassuring smile."I'm relaxed," I said.I returned his smile and proceeded to try to suit the action to the word. After several endless hours- to me at least- he told me he was done."You are doing quite well," he said. "The baby is quite healthy too. You have nothing to worry about."The relief I felt at those words was exquisite. I thanked him. Since I was at the hospital, I went to pay a short visit to Grandma Reese. I found her awake and alert. But was it just me or was she looking rather wan?"Valeria dear," she said, grinning from ear to ear and patting the spot on the bed next to her. "This is a pleasant surprise. Did you just get here?""No. I've
VALERIAI was scared, very scared but more than that, I was confused. Grace was supposed to be dead. She was four years in the grave. Just recently, Amelia had gone to mourn by her graveside. She certainly couldn't be another of Dimitri's look-alikes. Of that I was sure.I blinked, half expecting her to simply vanish or her features to morph into someone else's, but she remained there, bent over me, staring at me in surprise. A chill ran down my spine. Looking at her was like looking at my own reflection in the flesh."Grace." My voice was little more than a squeak. The sound of my voice brought her to herself. She got off me and shakily stood on her feet. "If you're not dead... where have you been all this time?"She gave a slight shake of her head and began to back away really slowly. She kept looking at me like I was a ghost. When the center table was finally between us, she moved around the house, touching objects, lifting them and putting them down again as though she wanted to b
DIMITRII waited impatiently for the last person to leave the meeting room. I bowed him out and then I left, shutting the door behind me. On my way to my office, I stopped at Valeria's on the off chance that she had forgiven me and that we were all over the issue we were having. I was surprised to find that she wasn't there. Her desk was very well arranged, not the usual way it used to be before she got off work. It almost seemed as though she had clocked off for the day. I shut her door, called on the man crossing the corridor at that time."Sir?" he said, looking expectant."Valeria," I said. "Do you know where she is?""Oh. She isn't here at the company. She left a while ago and hasn't come back since. I think she left for the day," he volunteered.I called Vance and was surprised to hear he wasn't with Valeria."Why the hell not?" I exploded. "And where is she?""She's at home. I dropped her there on her request... that was after she visited her Grandma at the hospital. She told m
DIMITRIValeria went over to the bed and began to sulk. I dragged my hands across my face as I tried to get my breathing under control.Yes. I wanted her physically but then this behaviour of hers was rather strange. Valeria would never want to use sex to gloss over the issue we were having. It was puzzling, really puzzling and I could not go to bed without trashing out the issue."Valeria."She gave me a swift sideways glance and a frown. "What? Did you change your mind?""No actually," she said slowly. "You have been so angry with me lately and yet you want us to have sex?""Yeah. Well. You pushed me away, didn't you? You obviously don't want it."I went to sit by her."That is not the point," I said."What is?" she muttered."The point is that it's very unlike you. You always insist on us talking out our issues before engaging in any form of intimacy. Tonight... you're different.""It's the pregnancy," she said as though it were obvious. "Pregnancy hormones play hell with a woman'