The Contrary Mate

35 Aura

I could tell Jack was poised on the edge of revelation by the tensing of his body and his hesitancy. I held my breath, waiting nervously for him to speak.

Instead from behind me Lark said loudly, "I don't know why you let Rex get you all worked up," as she poked her head around the corner.

I glared back at my cousin for interrupting.

"Rex?" Jack asked. There was a growl in his voice.

I sighed. "It was Rex who showed me the first video of you with those girls," I admitted.

Lark shrugged. "I don't like Rex. He's like scummy water. This werewolf is way better than him, Jack whatever-his-name is."

"Thanks for your opinion, now go away, Lark."

She folded her arms. "You're in my house. Using my mom's computer. I don't think you get to boss me around like this."

She was unfortunately somewhat correct. "Fine, what will it take for you to go away?"

She pondered, swinging slightly while holding onto the door frame. "I'm thinking...a month of daily ice cream."

"Yeah, no. Come on, Jack," I said, standing up.

Lark let go of the door and stood straight. "Okay, how about a week?"

"Your mom doesn't let you have that much sugar."

"Three days. Come on, Aura, you're killing me here."

"Don't care. You're trying to blackmail me and I'm not caving to that."

She tried puppy eyes. I ignored them. I might get the little monster ice cream one time soon just to be nice, but it took a trip into the city to get it because so many fae stubbornly refused to use refrigerators and freezers, including the general store where everything was pretty much dried or canned. I understood their aversion, but keeping food cold was so handy. Even my aunt didn't have one, but that was more cost and less principle in her case.

But none of that changed the sugar argument.

Jack followed me out of the house, and I glanced at him. "Let's just leave fae territory and talk somewhere neutral," I suggested. There were tons of possible interruptions and eavesdroppers here, and they weren't all as innocent as my cousin. I wanted to know just what it was that he was going to say before he was interrupted.

I didn't have to ask him twice before we were outside and he was opening the passenger side for me, and rounding the car to get in himself. After a few minutes of awkward silence we were out of my village.

"Care where we go?" he asked.

"Not really."

After a couple more minutes of driving we reached a public park, and I was pleased at the general absence of anything that felt unpleasant. There were only a few humans around, one walking a pair of dogs, a couple watching children climb metal structures. We got out, and walked for a few minutes along a hiking trail. He seemed to be following my lead. I left the beaten trail, to give us added distance from the oblivious humans.

Once I judged we were secluded enough, I leaned up against a fallen tree and waited expectantly for his explanation.

"I don't really have a way to prove that you're different to me than anyone else I've ever met, Aura, but you are."

I held my tongue. It was only fair to hear him out.

"I've spent a lot of time the last few years trying to insinuate myself with the elite, at charity galas and other places like that. My goal was to keep Meteor looking good and charitable."

"I'm not sure what those pictures had to do with Meteor." They definitely didn't make his company look good, and it didn't make him look good either as far as I was concerned.

"They're out of context, Aura."

"How out of context could they possibly be, Jack? It seems pretty obvious that women love you, and you love them. But I'm not sure where that leaves me."

He looked like I kicked him, and his eyes flashed yellow again. Maybe it wasn't wise to provoke a werewolf, but I was still pretty confident I could fly away if he got dangerous. "I will admit that I've spent quite a lot of time the last few years flirting with various women. But all that was over when I found you."

"I'm not upset that you had other relationships before me, Jack. I was with Rex for four years. I don't know if it's abnormal to wait in the werewolf world, but the fae court each other, and things happen."

"Then what...?"

"I don't like that you used and discarded a bunch of women. The idea makes me feel sick. And not just with jealousy. If you're willing to treat women like disposable objects, then what sort of person are you? Not who I thought, that's for sure."

He sagged, at first I thought with shame, but then he met my eyes, and I saw what might be relief.

"That's not what I did, Aura."

"Really?" It was hard to believe considering the evidence I had seen and all the rumours I had read. Maybe I was just a naive little fae who'd gotten taken for a ride by a charming werewolf.

"Really. I won't deny my reputation...or that I enjoyed having it. Maybe even tried to grow it a bit. It sounds immature now...but there's not much more to it than that."

He paused for a long moment before continuing. "I was a bit late coming into my wolf, I was fifteen before I managed to shift. I was the last out of everyone in the pack around my age. I was starting to think I wouldn't ever manage." In spite of everything, I couldn't help the rush of sympathy, it clearly bothered him. I imagined it was kind of like being one of those fae whose magic attributes showed up late. "It's not a big deal, it doesn't correspond with the strength of my wolf or anything. My wolf can battle with the best of them now."

I was supposed to keep my head clear and stay aloof, but it was hard not to care when I could see his struggle.

"Since my wolf was late, my wolf wasn't quite average for a werewolf while in my human form in high school. I liked computers, math, science, you know, not really the coolest things. I wasn't really bullied severely or anything, but you know, those little digs were there, whether people meant them to be or not. Otherwise, overlooked by everyone, especially the girls."

I didn't really mind the sound of that last bit.

"It's not a bad thing, because who would have known what stupid things I might have done if the opportunity had been there? But at the same time, a lot of girls—human and werewolf—were practically throwing themselves at the other werewolves. Made me feel..." he swallowed hard "And then I went off to college, and by the time anyone was interested in me, I was too deep in my studies to devote the time, and smart enough to know I wanted to wait."