Disbelief was her first emotion. It all felt like a dream. Did she really walk into Henry's bedroom? Was it really she who undressed in his bathroom and now wore his silk white robe. Where was her sanity? Was it actually she that lay across his soft king-sized bed face down? Or just some other female that oddly resembled Kim? She felt like she was just going through the motions. She was raised her whole life to be modest and polite. Her parents believed that Kim had a smart head on her shoulders, if only they could see her now. They would be horrified.
One moment she was tending to Ms. Halliday, the next she found herself lying on his bed in nothing but a robe. She should have marched right out of that room and demanded he kept his hands off her, but everything felt so nice. From the silky robe, down to the comfortable bed that smelled of Henry's delicious masculine scently. She didn't want to move even when Henry asked if she was comfortable with him removing her robe for a moment to place a cloth over her rear end so he could start massaging her.
She felt him lightly tugging at the sleeves and dragging the robe off her body. For a second, but only just a second, she lay there comfortably. Then embarrassment started coloring her cheeks. She'd never been so bare in front of anyone before. Not even past boyfriends. "Henry?" She called out. Was he still there? Had he left? Was he looking at her?
She heard him clear his throat. "Er. Sorry about that, I...um...misplaced my towels. Aha...found one here." She detected the lie in his voice. Why would he lie about what he was doing? She felt him place the soft towel across her skin. He started making noise, bottles opening doors closing, and little things.
"I'm going to touch you now, alright?" He asked, as if he was asking her permission. He was doing the massaging; she was just lying there like a bump on a log.
She should have stopped before, shouldn't have even entered the room, but that didn't matter now. All that mattered now was that she escaped before she did something she would surely later regret. She just needed to get her clothes back on, apologize for wasting his time, and turn down every further offer he presented her with. Surely, her brain wouldn't allow her to stay. Her brain didn't want her to stay, but her body had other plans. The stupid traitor body that wanted Henry like it wanted to bask in the sun. "Yes, it's alright." She finally answered, instantly wanting to take it back. She still had a chance to escape, like a slowly closing door.
Warm liquid poured onto her back, it smelled faintly of honey. She wanted to ask what it was and why he put it on her, but all thoughts vanished at the first touch of his fingertips to her skin. He rubbed the oils around the length of her back, running his fingers along her spine. She didn't know if it was only her, but her spine was one of the MOST sensitive places on her body. The slightest of touches had her cringing, but his slightest touch tingled. It wasn't a bad tingle, not at all; it was a pleasurable sensation that ran up and down the length of her spine.
"Does this feel good?" He asked, moving his hands down to knead her muscles. It felt so good she had to stifle the small moan swirling at the tip of her tongue. Oh man, did it feel good.
"Um...yeah." She answered.
He changed his method, pressing into her spine until the aching vertebrae popped. Loudly her spine cracked. At that moment, she let out a sigh. She'd never known she'd needed to crack her back, but god did it feel good. It was like holding your breath for a long time, then finally releasing it.
He rubbed her back until all the muscles were relieved of any sort of pain. "Does that feel better?" He asked, wiping the excess oil of her back.
What would she say? That was absolutely fan-freaking-tastic! My back has never felt better. You have magic fingers Mr. Halliday. No, she wouldn't say that. She'd settle for, "Yeah, I feel better. Thanks" and that's what she said. She should have thanked him profusely. Should have asked how she could return the favor for such a nice gift. She didn't feel any of the initial pain she had first felt when entering his room and the odd thing was, she was so used to the slight pain that she hadn't realized it was even there.
He gave her back the robe and helped her off the bed. The look in his eyes scared her. It was possessive and strangely protective. He kept a constant eye on her until she entered the bathroom and even when she did, she felt his presence outside the door.
She got dressed, feeling very refreshed. Her skin was still a bit damp, but what did she care? Her body felt fantastic. She felt better than she had in high school. She turned to the mirror and jumped in surprise. She looked different. Not major things like the size of her breasts, but small things like flecks of gold twinkled in her eyes and the color of her hair look slightly darker.
Outside the bathroom, Henry paced in front of the doorway. He wanted his mate out of the bathroom. Heck, lately, Henry wanted many things. He wanted to make Kim like him, to force her to enjoy his presence as he enjoyed hers. Okay, so, maybe not force. She wasn't like him. She was human, as if it could get any worse, but she was also very NOT into Henry.
Wolves in his society grew accustomed to the rules and regulations. As a mate, you now belonged to your mate and they belong to you. So technically, Kim belonged to Henry. Honestly. He could beat that into any dumb mutt that tried to tell him otherwise, but no. The one that was keeping him from getting his hands on his delectable mate was his delectable mate.
Why couldn't she be like all the other she-wolves and just fall madly in love with him as he had seen the rest of the mated wolves do? Instead, he had to walk around like a horn dog. He hadn't had sex since the first time he had seen her three months prior. That was the longest he had gone since high-school and if he knew his mate as well as he thought he did, if he shared that little fact with her she'd be sure to make him wait longer and tease him about his record for longest time without sex. Yet, even as he thought of her teasing, he felt a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips.
The bathroom door opened, revealing Kim. She looked up at him from under her thick lashes. She looked embarrassed. He knew that she was. She wasn't the kind of girl to go around showing her butt to everyone, and he had seen it. God, had he seen it. He had removed her robe. He was ready to put the towel over her exposed skin when he saw it. Perfectly round and enough skin to hold onto as he fucked her senseless, there was her ass. The most delicious piece of ass he'd ever seen in his life, he'd swear on it.
He was engrossed in the beauty of her flesh that he hadn't noticed her blushing skin until she called out to him. She was embarrassed, so he pretended that he was looking for a towel.
Kim shimmied around him, making her way to the door. "I have to go." She explained, "I gotta go, um...check on your mom. I came here for her, so it seems only right...." Henry knew she was just making up excuses. He knew his mate well enough to know her disliking of awkward moments.
"It's fine" he assured her. Inwardly, his wolf began roaring. His wolf would never be prepared to part from his mate. If, when Kim found out about what Henry was, she rejected him; his wolf would never be content. The damn thing purred at her feet like an attention seeking pup who needed petted.
Kim nodded gratefully. She wanted away from Henry, his gorgeous face, and his tasty scent. She needed to clear her head and purge herself of her X-rated thoughts. She used to be such a good girl. She did all her work, read the Bible, tried her hardest to be the best she could, and avoided situations that put her at risk of losing her innocence. All that hard work went to crap when she met Henry.
Henry Halliday was the ideal man. He was tall, dark, and handsome. He looked hot casually and drool-worthy in a suit. He stayed fit and played rough football with a group of men out in his backyard, not that Kim spent a lot of time sitting by the window watching his strong figure barreling around the field crushing the other men. He was a towering 6'7 of pure muscle. Ropes and ropes of defined muscles adorned his mouth-watering body. When he flexed a muscle without noticing, Kim thought she'd need to excuse herself because Niagara Falls had gotten in her panties.
She managed to slip out of his room and scurry down the hall without Henry's wolf doing anything rash, but when she turned the corner and vanished out of sight, his wolf went berserk. It took him at least five minutes to fight over dominance. He could barely reign his wolf in. Before he met Kim, he never had to fight for dominance. Soon, he was certain that he wouldn't win and his wolf would take over. If that happened his wolf would probably snatch Kim up and keep her safe in Henry's room. Probably tie her to his bedposts and threaten to keep her there indefinitely if she even thought to leave them. He was jealous that way.
Henry turned away from the door, trying to change his thoughts to something other than his mate, his gorgeous mate, who currently ran away from him. He let out a vicious growl at the thought of his mate running away from him. "Well, there goes not thinking about her."
He sat down at his desk, stifling a sigh. He was in his late twenties, he was not a little pup anymore, and he wasn't going to pout because he couldn't get what he wanted. "Instead of thinking about Kim, I'll...um...just..." Henry found a decent sized stack of copy paper in his desk drawer. "I'll make origami." Henry was known for talking to himself when he was stressed or needed his mind off people. Not naming names, just certain a someone. KIM! Damn, he was never going to get his mind off her. Her and her delicious body and the dirty mind that hid inside her head, that no one except herself got the privilege of hearing. He wondered if, maybe, when they were an item, that she would speak her dirty thoughts aloud and let him bask in her good humor. God, it was hard to think about something other than her.
He tore into the paper and began folding away. Every piece of paper just turned out to be waded up and thrown out his trash bin. He folded for a while, pretending to be thinking about something other than Kim. Nah, Kim stayed firmly planted into his mind. Hmm...planted, she was the best thing ever to stay in his mind. Heck, he'd let her set up shop in his mind if it meant she'd never leave him.
It was very strange to him. When Henry was little, the thought of monogamy scared the living daylights out of him. Now, he'd love nothing more than to have Kim all to himself. Monogamy, the word was like a prayer now. If it just so happened that Kim wanted to date someone else, then her future lover might just die of some terrible accident. (That may or may not be by Henry's hand.)
Finally, with the last piece of paper, Henry tried folding it into a swan. It looked nothing like a swan. More like a bent airplane. He crinkled it up and left it at the desk. The next thing that happened made him question his already wavering sanity.
In the crumpled paper, he saw his mate's face. Every detail seemed to be precisely the same. The round cherub cheeks, the plump lips that haunted his every dream, the long lashes that fanned when she blinked, the sprinkle of freckles across her face, the perfectly sloped nose, the 'come and get me' arched brows, the only thing that didn't match was the feral look in her eyes. He'd never seen such a look in her eyes and was sure that she would never be so vicious. She was a little snippy at times, but she could never be angry. He really missed her presence.
Just go! His wolf growled in his ear. He was surprised. His wolf scarcely spoke, only when necessary. His wolf hadn't spoken in well over a year.
Henry scowled. "Why so talkative today, Wolfie my boy?" Not that he didn't want his wolf to talk; he just didn't really appreciate it. There were times that Henry felt so lonely that he begged his wolf to talk to him, but no, his wolf was too busy sleeping in his mind to talk to him.
Because you're acting like a pussy, Henry! If you want to be with our mate, if you want her to like us, if you want her to show that she likes us back, then get your ass up and do something! I'm done listening to your bitching! Whining about the fact that our mate doesn't like us! His wolf growled.
He was right. Henry knew he was right, but he wasn't going to confess that little tidbit of information. Henry suddenly realized something. The entire time his wolf was yelling at him, he kept saying ours and us. "You dog, you! You like her just as much as I do! You want her to like us just as much as I want her to like us!" Henry growled back.
His wolf didn't answer. He went silent, which was expected of him.
Henry smirked. "You scaredy cat." His wolf growled in response, making Henry chuckle. "Fine, you know what? I'll go ask if she'll go out with me tomorrow."
Good...and make sure to buy her flowers. Girls really like flowers. His wolf advised him.
"Oh, do they now? You are so into her you!"
I am not! You're the one practically crying over the fact that she hasn't sniffed your ass! His wolf grumbled. Henry could imagine him retreating into the darkness of his mind, trying to get away from the fight before Henry humiliated him.
Henry left his room to travel down to his mother's. He tapped lightly. Half a second later, Kim was at the door. She looked at him curiously, a hand on her hip.
"Do you need something, Henry?" She asked, something must have happened to piss her off.
"Uh, yes, I have something to ask you." He could already feel his hands getting sweaty from fear. He was a wild wolf for God's sake! He shouldn't be getting nervous just by speaking to his mate.
Kim cocked a brow. "And that something is?"
Henry gulped. Damn, he wasn't even this nervous at his third grade spelling bee. "Oh, yeah, I have something important to ask you, and...Um...that important something is...um...very important."
Kim rolled her eyes; she obviously wasn't the kind of girl to fall for a nervous man who could barely spit out 'do you want to go on a date with me?' She probably liked bad boys who didn't have feelings. Henry used to be a bad boy who didn't have feelings, he used to use women as he used his toilet paper. He'd just use them without feeling and when they ran out, (He got bored) He'd get a new roll. That all changed when he met Kim. He wanted her all to himself forever.
Henry decided just to spit it out already and face the consequences. If she said yes, he'd tell her what they'd do for the evening and what time he'd pick her up. If she happened to say no, he wouldn't get overly upset, as a useless wolf who's mate doesn't even like him, he'd just walk away with his head up high. Humph....as if, if she said no to Henry, he'd walk away with his head down and crawl into his bed alone. Probably listen to sad music and wallow in self-pity, the usual.
He took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night." There, that wasn't so hard. Did it sound as rushed and loud to her as it did to him? He hoped it sounded cool and normal, because that's what he was going for.
Kim's eyes narrowed. "Are you kidding me, Henry? Your mother is in the other room sick and all you can think about is sleeping with me? You are a disgrace to your mother. What if she found out where your priorities lie? I am here for your mother, not you. You and I will never happen, get it out of your head." She growled.
He felt like she put on combat boots and kicked him in the gut. Sleep with her? Did she really think that was all he saw in her was sex? Sure, he thought she had the body of a porn star, but he saw her as more than a human sized sex toy. She was a person. A beautiful, kind, generous, loving, sometimes delusional person. She did things daily that made him proud to be her mate. She had the best personality of any of the women he had ever slept with. She was beyond brilliant, which compared to some of the airheads he slept with was a lot. She was amazing at her job, she could make a room feel cozy or expensive, sometimes he walked into a room she designed and thought certain words, like happiness or comfort or sometimes-even sex, but not all the time. If they were ever together, he would let her decorate every room top to bottom, however she liked, no matter the cost. Which doesn't mean much because he was rich.
Henry opened his mouth to respond.
"Don't even!" Kim snarled. She looked very angry. "I don't want to hear any of your lame excuses. You are just-"
"Henry?" His mother called from inside her room. "Is that you my dear? Come give mama some kisses, she's feeling exceptionally shitty today. Must be the weather." He knew that was his mother's attempt at a positive attitude.
He pushed passed Kim to get to his mother. She looked tired, but still managed to smile. He was happy she was at least still alive, most wolves who contract diseases spread by humans usually died off quickly. It was because his mother's job, she spent so much time with the humans. He begged her to stop. The humans spread diseases like no other species, all because of their constant migrating to different locations just for vacations. Wolves stayed in the same residence unless they're forced to move.
His mother patted the bed next to her. "Come sit, my boy. I have a proposition to run by you."
Henry sat at the side of his mother's bed, careful not to jostle her too much. He nodded, suspicious of her proposition. Last time she made one, he ended up losing his father. He didn't mind, his father was a prick anyway.
"Because, as I'm sure you've noticed, I'm not getting any better-"
"Don't say that-" Henry injected.
"It's true, is it not?" His mother asked, her little bit of negativity shining through. "As I was saying before I got rudely interrupted by someone," She gave Henry a pointed look, silencing his further objections. "I need someone here who I trust to take care of me. Who isn't preoccupied with their job, would you mind if I had someone move in with us until I get better?"
Henry would have loved to take care of her, but just as his mother said, he was preoccupied with becoming Alpha. He had duties and responsibilities to attend to before he formally became Alpha. Henry nodded understandingly. "Go on."
She smiled, looking beyond Henry to the female at the door. "Kim. I would like Kim to move in with us. She already agreed to it, right Kim?"
He turned around to glance back at his mate. She was open mouthed in surprise. Obviously, she hadn't agreed to such terms. "I never-"
"Good." His mother smiled contently. She was the devil sometimes. She knew how to play the fields without breaking a sweat. "I want to have Kim move into the room across the hall, anything she wants will be brought to her."
Kim walked around the other side of the bed. It didn't go out of his notice that she went around the other side to get away from him. She crossed her arms angrily, "Ms. Halliday,"
"Margaret, my dear. Margaret." Of course, Ms. Halliday hated being called Ms. Halliday. It had something to do with her ex. husband and what he called her before he left her.
Kim huffed. "Margaret, you should have an experienced house nurse if you want someone to take care of you daily. I have no medical experience and by the look of it, you need a doctor. I am nothing near a doctor. I can give a bandage or acetaminophen if you get a headache, but I can't help you." Kim looked pained, as she wanted to help but didn't want to lead his mother on and make her believe she could help her more than a mother could help a feverish child.
His mother smiled, "Let me rephrase it. I want you to stay here and keep me company. If I stay here with the help of my kind, but overprotective son, I'll feel shut out of the world and eventually want to tear my hair out. You need to stay and make me feel happy with your overly bubbly personality. Please." Ms. Halliday begged.
Kim really wanted to object, (She already felt it hard to keep her mind off Henry and her hands off herself. Imagine if she stayed in the same house as him. There would be a world of chaos.) Nevertheless, she couldn't say no to an ill woman. "Fine," Kim relented. "But heed my word. There will be no breakfast in bed. You are sick, but you're well enough to get down stairs and eat meals with the rest of the household. Oh, and before I forget, I won't be allowing the chefs to make my food or yours. I wouldn't know what they put into it. Can we agree on those terms?"
Ms. Halliday grinned, rubbing her hands together like a mischievous kid. "I agree, now I'm feeling tired again. Henry, dear, go with Kim and help her get her things. All right? Now, I dismiss you both."
Kim smiled "You can't dismiss me, because I'm letting myself out."
Henry had seen Kim and his mother do this back and forth thing. It was insanely cute. Well, Kim was insanely cute. His mother was just snappy. Henry left behind Kim, he closed the door lightly. Both of them stood outside the door awkwardly. "So, you wanna go get your things?" He asked, trying to break the silence.
Kim shrugged. "I guess, are you available right now? Or do you want to go later?"
Henry wanted to laugh. He did have an important meeting, but all he had to say to get out of his meeting was that he was with his mate. No one would question him further. "No, not right now. I'll get my keys and then I'll drive us there."
Kim glared at him. "No."
"No what?"
She placed a hand on her hip. "You are not driving me anywhere. I drove here in my car; I will drive us both there and back." She cocked a brow, waiting for him to say otherwise. "Are you ready to leave? I have my keys right here in my hand." She started walking away.
If she had looked at him right that second instead of turning away, she would have seen the grin forming on his lips. He loved her bullheadedness, especially when she said what she thought and didn't care about his opinion. Not even his friends spoke freely of what they thought, in fear of his wolf. He followed her. She was fast, even in her tall polka dot heels. She walked outside, not looking to see if he followed.
Henry was proud of his car, it was fast and it got him places, but he saw his mate's. It was sleek, black, expensive, and ridiculously fast. He always thought Kim had money problems, if she could afford this car then she probably wasn't as tight up as he thought.
Kim slipped in and turned it on.
They drove in silence. Even in a fast car, Henry noticed that she didn't go over the speed limit. He was glad; he didn't want his mate getting into a car accident. "So, you like this car?" Henry asked, trying to make conversation.
"Uh, yeah. That's why I got it. I wouldn't waste money on a car I don't like." She said. He thought she was in a bad mood, but when he looked at her face, she was smirking. She must have found that question funny.
"You like fast cars?"
She frowned. "Uh, yeah. Can we just not talk? You're just here to help me get my stuff. We don't need to chit chat. Alright?" She leaned over to turn on the music, hard rock music started playing. If you had asked Henry what kind of music he thought Kim listened to, he would have said pop. She sure dress colorfully and bright, he hadn't expected hard rock.
He embraced everything about Kim. Every day he learned a new fact about his Kim. She loved drinking smoothies out of funky shaped glasses. She wore vibrant colored shoes and looked smoking hot in everything she wore. Sometimes, some of the things he found out surprised Henry. Like, when he found out she used to do gymnastics when she was little. (His mother happened to mention that, really his mother had a big mouth and told him all about his mate.)
She pulled into a parking lot and got out. "Come on." She grumbled. He wondered if maybe she didn't want to spend any time with him at all. He was excited to spend any time with her, and super excited to get out of her car. Her car was like a little box that kept him stuck with her. Of course, he loved to be so close with her, but her scent was driving him crazy. Her peachy scent was all over her car. His seat smelled of her scent. Not the mention, but his close proximity to her was hard to handle. If he hadn't already said, mates were very drawn to each other in both the physical and mental aspects of a relationship.
He followed her into the building and up a flight of stairs. He stayed behind her, watching the sway of her hips.
Delicious. His wolf groaned, making Henry frown. Of course, Kim was both his wolf's and his, he just didn't like his wolf's open attraction to her. Or his over talkativeness because of her presence. He couldn't very well tell his wolf to shut up or Kim would think he was talking to her.
Kim walked into her apartment. "I guess I forgot to lock it behind me." She mumbled uncertainly, but Henry knew better.
Henry walked into her place. It was neat and tidy, exceptionally open. He smelled an unfamiliar scent. It didn't belong to her or anyone she spent a lot of time with. All the times she spent with him, he hadn't smelled this scent. When Kim spent a lot of time with Henry, she began to smell like him. So who ever had entered her apartment she didn't know or hadn't seen in a while. That thought didn't leave him with a good feeling.
Henry notice the wood next to her front door was splintered. Someone had broken into her apartment. He didn't know if whoever did it did it often or just this time.
Kim was in her bedroom. She pulled the suitcase out from under her bed and began filling it with as much clothes as possible. Because she was going to be seeing Henry a lot, she felt a little nagging feeling that she should dress up every day, but she knew that when taking care of Ms. Halliday that she'd be running around all over the place. So she packed what she'd wear on a usual day off. Just a pair of worn sneakers and exercise clothes: yoga pants, shorts, t-shirts, sweaters, some tank tops. She really didn't need to dress up, so why should she?
She was going through her bathroom, gathering up her toiletries, when she found a strange bag underneath her sink, behind her extra shampoos. It was made of fabric and seemed to have something in it. She untied the bag and peered in, it had bird claws, some herb looking substance, chicken bones, and...The locket she got from her grandmother.
"What the fuck?" Kim's nose wrinkled in disgust.
Henry came walking in. "What's wro..." The words died on his lips when he noticed the bag resting in the palm of her hand. His expression turned murderous, his lips pulled back into a scowl. "Give me that bag." He growled, extending his hand in her direction.
Kim jumped up, quickly handing him the strange item. "What is it? Why don't you like it? Do you know where it came from? I sure didn't put it there. Do you know who put it there? You look pretty angry about its presence."
Henry pulled out his lighter and lit the little sack on fire. It glowed a bright blue before bursting like an explosive and covering him in ash. He was very pissed to find a hex bag in his mate's house. Turns out, someone wanted her dead and that was NOT okay with Henry.
He heard a small rustling sound and ran from the room. Her bedroom window was now open and the white curtains blew about. Whoever it was had stayed to watch the event unravel and ran when their plans failed. He was glad they ran, or his mate would have had to watch him slaughter someone.
"What's going on?" Kim demanded from behind him.
He turned around, "Nothing." He tried lying. "Let's leave now. My mother will want us back soon and we will want to check on her." He snatched up her suitcase and wrapped an arm around her waist. She didn't object, which was good. Because Henry's wolf wasn't happy that someone would try to kill their mate. Her physical contact calmed his raging wolf. He practically dragged her out of the apartment and into the car. She also didn't question his strength in lifting both her luggage and herself, which the majority of male humans couldn't possibly consider doing.
She let him drive on the way back. Still, they drove in absolute silence. Which was how he noticed the black van tailing them. It had been driving behind them for quite a while. He was an excellent driver, so he could easily lose them. Now all he had to do was lose them without his mate finding out.
Henry had been very angry after he saw the bag that Kim found underneath her bathroom sink, for some unknown reason. He wore a menacing scowl, his large hands clenched into fists at his sides, he muttered some vile curse under his breath, and lit the small bag on fire. Kim was more than surprised when the bag burned a light blue color and burst like a dynamite.
Henry had raced from the room, he must have heard something. Her bedroom window was open, but no one was there. When Kim tried asking what was going on, Henry acted as though he hadn't just freaked out. Even as he tried calming himself, Kim still saw the anger drawing his lips into a frown.
He wrapped a protective arm around her waist and directed her out to the car. Kim would have liked to say that she allowed him to do so because he was angry, but in reality, she allowed him to do so because it felt nice being so close to him.
She let Henry drive back. Well, let wasn't the word she would have used. He asked her where her keys were and snatched them out of her hands. He drove with absolute concentration, so she didn't try to open conversation. It wouldn't have been fair anyway, seeming as how she specifically told him not to speak to her while driving there.
She thought that maybe he was angry with her for some reason. His jaw clenched painfully and his large hands tightened around the steering wheel with a death grip. She didn't even want to imagine what would happen if he turned his strong hands on her in anger. She had; however, liked imagining what would happen if he used his hands on her in other sorts of 'nonviolent' but still physical ways. She hoped he hadn't noticed the blush coloring her cheeks. She didn't think so though.
He kept his unwavering gaze on the road as though he were in the vehicle alone rather than with Kim. Kim wished she had been so cool about his presence when she was driving, but no, she was acutely aware of his every action. Even when he adjusted his seat belt, she knew. God, the worst part was when he spoke. His deep baritone voice broke through her focus, instantly sending shivers down her spine. He had asked if she liked her car.
Well, duh. She had thought, she had even answered with a duh statement. She hadn't wanted to sound so snappy; he was probably used to ditsy girls who answered with a yes sir and a no sir. How badly right then she wanted to be exactly the kind of girl he wanted. She decided not to talk anymore. Talking just ruined her chances with him even more.
The car lurched a little as Henry kicked the speed up a notch. She didn't want to tell him not to speed in her car, he probably enjoyed the thrill. He probably sped in expensive cars all the time, probably sitting next to some big-breasted beauty who only spoke three English words and didn't know the meaning of any of them.
Henry quickly glanced behind them, a dark look crossing his face and creating a murderous scowl. Kim also looked behind them, but all she saw was a simple car. Did he not like vans? She'd have to take a mental note of that: Doesn't like vans. On the other hand, maybe he didn't like black vans; maybe he had bad history with black vans, a run over dog, or something.
The car was way beyond the speed limit of a highway and they weren't even on a highway, they were on a street. Close to his house even. Part of her didn't want to get back to his house yet, she really liked being in close confinements with him, but with his speeding she just assumed he'd rather not be stuck in a car with her any longer than he had to. That rather hurt her feelings, though she didn't know why.
Henry shifted his gaze to her face. "I'm about to do something very different than what you're used to." He ground out. He wasn't even watching the road, yet he drove as if he was. He looked at her hard, like he was waiting for a reply.
Kim shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "What are you about to do?" She asked frightened, waiting for a cruel response like, "I'm about to whack you over the head and kill you, probably bury your body behind my neighbors brightly painted shed. Who, by the way, is a wrinkly old lady who brings homemade cookies in on bingo night." See, that to her was an unconventional method of murdering someone.
He turned back to look at the oncoming traffic. "I'm going to pass up the house." He said, right as they drove passed his street.
She raised a questioning brow. "Why?" She asked, drawing the word out. Maybe he did want to stay in the car longer with her. What a strange way to do so. If it had been her, she would have just driven slowly.
He frowned; obviously, he didn't want to answer.
She crossed her arms expectantly.
He finally sighed. "The people behind us have been driving right on our bumper for a while now. I'm going to take a longer route to my house. If they still persist, then I'm going to stop and have a.........a discussion with them." His hesitation was all she needed to know that talking was not on the immediate agenda.
"Driving on your bumper? Hate to break it to you, but that's what people do, Henry. They drive on the same road as you. It isn't strange that someone would be driving so closely. They probably have somewhere important to be. You know what WOULD be strange. If someone drove longer than they had to because they thought someone was following them." Kim smirked. "Now THAT I would question."
Henry sent her a grimace. "I am just being cautious," He muttered.
"Paranoid." Kim corrected. Henry didn't seem to like her gentle teasing, but Kim sure enjoyed it.
Henry didn't further press his opinion. Although, Kim had heard him mutter, "Cautious," under his breath.
It was only a matter of minutes before the van pulled into a random driveway, unloading a clown car full of children. Kim grinned, "Is the big bad wolf afraid of a few wittle kiddies?" She used her best child voice. Henry did not appreciate the tease.
"Caution is the best way to go about things, Kimberly. It's better to be over-cautious than under-cautious." He said calmly, but Kim sensed an underlying message behind his simple words. Not only that, but he used his dominant tone and her first name.
Kim just smirked, again. She thought he was just sulking because she made fun of him and proved him wrong, that black van wasn't full of angry men holding big guns on a killing streak. "Don't be so sour, Henry." She clicked under her tongue.
Henry didn't answer, instead, he drove. They drove through the back roads behind his house. Kim would have been complaining, seeing as how it was midday and she hadn't eaten anything but a sugar coated granola bar, (If she had known what sort of events she was being involved in, she would have eaten a large carb filled breakfast.) but she didn't want Henry to see her as a big pile of steamy whining chick. Therefore, she stayed quiet, trying to appear dignified and lady-like, though she was anything but.
Kim's hungry stomach let out a loud growl, breaking the awkward silence building between them and making it even more awkward. Kim blushed, "Sorry." She muttered, looking down to cover her face with her hair. Only to realize she had put her hair in a ponytail only that morning. From bad to worse, her stomach made another noise. Only this one sounded like a fart! Like she had passed gas in the car! Her face burned with embarrassment.
Henry smiled. He was taking amusement in her humiliation. Oh, that bastard! Kim would have liked to say she stopped crushing on him because he thought her embarrassment was hilarious, but she couldn't bring herself to even think that when his smile was just too damned cute.
She wanted to say something, anything that would relieve her off her embarrassment. "Did you know, that a marshmallow hitting Earth at the speed of light would cause an explosion equal in energy to the power of a few dozen hydrogen bombs?" Kim wanted to take the comment back as soon as it spilled out of her mouth. Oh, god. She groaned inwardly. He'll find out that all I can think about when I'm hungry is food. Embarrassing! Gr...No girls he dates have brains and here I am spouting off facts like a rambling idiot. She stopped her train of thought. She didn't like talking to herself or comparing herself to the seemingly perfect women he slept with.
He hid a smile, staring intently at her. "No. No, I did not know that, but thanks for the information." He liked that she knew odd, but interesting facts. It seemed like he liked everything about her. He wondered if he would find that fact interesting if it came from some typical woman he found at a local bar, but that fact didn't come from a typical woman, his mate gave it to him. It came from his woman; you'd sooner find her in a library with her nose stuck in a book than in a bar surrounded by alcohol and drunk men trying to hit on her, where he found most of the women he slept with.
They arrived at his house. It took longer than they had intended, with him straying from the shorter path, but they still got home. Kim refused to let Henry help her with her belongings, so he snuck them when her back was turned and took them upstairs to her bedroom. Needless to say, she was rather ticked when he returned to her. Her hands on her hips and her brows draw together, she simply stuck her tongue out in response.
The sight of her little pink tongue darting out from between her luscious lips almost made him groan. Everything about her was absolutely perfect. When he was a little pup, he used to think that the mated wolves were dumb. They talked about how perfect their mate was. Now he knew first hand how perfect Kim was in his eyes. She was every fantasy he had ever had come true. She was dipped in heaven and sprinkled with sunshine, he didn't know how she got that peachy scent on her, but he had fantasies about that too.
He decided then that he was going to tell her about her being his mate. Maybe she would accept him if he told her flat out. They had been having a pretty good day, with the positive banter and whatnot.
Henry caught Kim in the kitchen scavenging through the cupboards for edible food. He knew she was hungry; her growling stomach was testament to that. She yanked open drawers with aggressive force, cursing when she found nothing. She was muttering under her breath something about a sexy ass and stupid food.
"Kim, I need to speak with you." Henry sat himself down at the bar, where he had sat only a matter of hours ago. Strange that it felt like it had happened years ago, when in fact it happened hours ago.
Kim jerked upright, hiding a large zucchini behind her back like she was stealing from him. She forced an awkward half smile and feigned innocence. "Henry, what can I do for you?"
He took a deep breath and let it go. He wanted to tell it to her as it was. That for as long as they knew each other, for a human that wasn't long, that he was falling for her hard. They had known each other for a year now, a little more. "You know how I like you and all...." He began, a little nervous, but he was ready to tell her. He had been ready to tell her since he laid eyes on her.
Kim dropped the zucchini, a frown marring her pretty face. "Henry," She groaned his name, interrupting the confession that was supposed to let her know how he really felt. "I know where you're going that stupid statement." She emphasized the word stupid, making him feel little. "Just stop! Me no like you!" She pointed between them, back and forth. "We will NEVER happen. I don't give a flying crap ball if you 'like me and all'. You plus me equals never! That equation doesn't work in a calculator!"
"Why don't we work it out on paper then?" He suggested.
Kim slapped a hand over her face, letting it fall slowly off. "Henry, no means no. Never means never. No way ever in hell means never in a million years. Get it through your thick skull."
Henry's face fell, as a blanket of sadness was drawn over his head, causing Kim's heart to throb. She truly wanted to be with Henry, to be involved with him, but what would everyone think if she was with him?
"Oh, she just wants a raise. That's why she's sleeping with the boss's son." They'd say. She could already hear their awful words playing in the back of her mind. She didn't want everyone to think her some gold digger. When she finally started dating, she wanted people to know that she was dating someone because she liked them for who THEY are. Of course, she still had that rebellious streak. That rebellious streak probably wore black clothes and piercings; it glared at everyone, daring them to speak about her.
"But, Kim-" Henry started, getting up from the counter to approach her.
"Stop, Henry!" She barked. She held her hands up, palms out. "Please, just stop," She begged the last part. "I won't further our relationship. Please respect my decision, because I've already made up my mind." She really didn't want him to come near her. His masculine scent would overwhelm her and she'd want to throw herself in his arms as she always did whenever he neared her. She was steadfast on her choice, she would NOT date him. No matter what.
Henry's head bowed, his shoulders slumped with defeat, and he tucked his hands into his front pockets. "I understand. You're sure there's nothing I can do to change your mind?"
"Nothing."
Henry slumped out of the kitchen. The feeling of being rejected by your mate is worse than being hit by a semi. In fact, Henry would have rather been hit by a semi than Kim rejecting him.
For the rest of the night, neither Kim nor Henry saw each other. Henry stayed in his bedroom and Kim...she looked around every corner for any sign of him before dashing down the hall. It wasn't that he frightened her, more as if she was frightened by what she might do if she saw him. Probably throw herself into his strong arms and hang onto him indefinitely, beg for forgiveness. She wanted to apologize for the blunt way she told him how she felt, but she didn't want him to bother her again. He was just so attractive, why would someone so beautiful and kind waste their time with her? She didn't look anything like the girls he dated. She didn't have the type of body that men talked about doing things with. Her hips were too wide and her stomach too round, men didn't go around saying, "I slept with this chick who had the most perfect round stomach." She had the kind of face that was easily lost in a crowd. Her eyes were green, but not the kind of bright green eyes that she always wanted. Her eyes were a dark green, a hint of brown swimming in them.
The next day, Kim mostly stayed at Margaret's beck and call. She knew Margaret suspected something, even asked if Kim was all right. The other part of the day, where Margaret was sleeping or wanted to be left alone, Kim wandered about the large house. She peered around every corner just to make sure Henry wasn't there, and then dashed down the hall before he appeared. It wasn't that Kim didn't want to see Henry, well; actually, that's exactly what it was. She didn't want to see him. Well, she did, but she didn't. If you get it. She just couldn't make up her mind about whether or not she wanted to or didn't want to.
You see, Kim had an itty-bitty, teeny-tiny, small, little, maybe giant secret. She was rather engaged. Which made everything so much more complicated than it should have been. You probably think she's a cheating slut-bag, but that's not how Kim viewed herself. Kim was engaged to Edward Francisco, a rich Italian dude. It's not as if she loved him or anything, they hardly knew each other. They met maybe...once or twice...maybe. They'd been engaged a year ago, right before Kim met Henry. She was young...or, well, younger, and didn't have a boyfriend or anything. Therefore, an arranged marriage seemed logical and right. She met Edward, he was attractive, and most girls couldn't help but glance over, so she agreed to an arranged marriage. Then, literally a week later, she met Henry. He mesmerized every person around him. His beauty, his brains, his confidence, but unlike with Edward, Kim didn't care that everyone was staring at him. She wanted Henry all to herself, she didn't want to show off, and she didn't even want any female to look at him. Instantly, she wanted him all to herself. Of course, she disregarded that weird over possessive feeling and instead distanced herself from such a handsome temptation. Which sucked because he tried so hard to get her attention. Why? She would ask herself. She was a weed among flowers. People didn't pluck weeds to stick them in vases; they plucked weeds to throw them out. Kim really wanted to be around Henry, to be with him, but she had a fiancé.
Henry, on the other hand, brewed. He wanted his mate and he would do anything to get her. He had to resort to dabbling in black magic. Not literally black magic, he just decided to get the help of an evil witch...just kidding. He called Stephanie. She didn't answer, but he knew that with the right amount of persistence, she was bound to answer. She would be curious.
The phone rang and rang and rang, but still Stephanie wouldn't answer. He started to get agitated. He left voicemails demanding she answer her phone. It was a dire emergency! Still, Henry continued calling. A nonstop chain of calls.
Finally, "What?" She growled into her phone.
Relief, "Why didn't you answer?" He demanded, he was going to be the Alpha to the New York pack; she was part of that pack. "You knew I called."
A scoff. "I don't jump when you say jump. I don't bow when you say bow. I won't answer my phone if I don't want to. Are we clear, Mr. Alpha Sir?" She growled back, so she was still angry with him. He could hear the venom in her voice directed at him. Definitely still angry.
"I need your help." He confessed.
"Why would I help you with anything?" She spat.
"She rejected me."
There was silence. He thought maybe she hung up on him or the call dropped. "I'm so sorry." She mumbled, sympathy apparent in her still angry voice.
You see, a male wolf is born with evil and darkness that grows as they age. Also known as their wolf, but the female wolves are born with kindness and light that balances the evil and calms the beast within. Most wolves are put down before they get that old, but some run off on their own to wreak havoc. Those are called rouges. Eventually, if they don't find their mate, they go insane. The female wolf can only bring their mate peace and calm their wolf, which is why females are so valuable and precious to the canis lupus species. There is only one female for one male, as humans think of soul mates or their one true love.
However, if his or her mate rejects a wolf, they speed up the insanity process. The wolf views itself as being unworthy of its mate and soon goes mad. Steph knew that if Henry didn't earn Kim's love and acceptance that Henry would begin the unhinging. He didn't want to go crazy; he had seen wolves in his pack put down because they were viewed as a threat to themselves and society.
Steph sighed. "Henry, you know I would help, but-"
"I don't know what to do, she keeps pushing me away. I know she wants me, but she won't accept it." Henry was sure that came out as a whine, he hadn't meant it to. "My wolf is already going crazy, the mating process has begun and the insanity. I can feel it. I can feel both." He fisted his hair, tugging painfully until his scalp burned. "I need her." He whispered, more to himself than Steph. He needed her to calm him. He needed to smell her scent, he needed to see her, and he needed to hear her voice, to touch her soft skin, to taste her...
The phone went silent again.
"Steph?"
"I have a plan!" She exclaimed. "First, I need you to invite the entire pack for a formal dinner-"
"Why, my mom is sick. I don't think-"
"Just trust me, Henry. I know what I'm doing." She grumbled.
She explained her plan and they agreed on terms. Tonight Henry was going to hold a dinner in honor of his mother. It would be held in the ballroom and it would be a formal occasion. Hopefully his mother would be able to get out of bed for it.
YOU ARE READING
A Lockbox of Lust
RomanceKimberly Jones is in no way an ordinary woman, and the attraction she feels for her boss's son is in no way ordinary. It was a predestined kind of love, is what she thought. And entirely the truth. Henry Halliday, the Alpha to the New York pack, bo...
