Dark of kNight (24 page)

“Yes,” Daniel began. “We have decided to get married. I think sometime around April.”

Charlotte jumped up from the table and hugged both of us.

“Oh! I am so happy! I have to make plans. We must have an engagement party, then, oh, we need to find a place large enough and… ” She rambled on.

“Mom,” Daniel stopped her abruptly. “We have time to plan for all of the details. There are more pressing things we need to take care of first.”

“I’m wagering they don’t make it until April.” Jason shot in.

“December” Casey tossed up.

“No, I’m thinking September.” Heather joined in.

“Okay, guys, this isn’t a joke. I think Daniel and I can wait until April to be married.” Surprisingly, everyone including Charlotte shook their heads in agreement. I turned and looked at Daniel to see his reaction. He only shrugged his shoulders in response.

Apparently, I made the statement for my benefit. I remembered how I felt so out of control this morning. I knew I would have to be in better control of myself. Daniel would have to take a little more precautions of his own.

“I was thinking we could practice tonight.” Jason said breaking the momentary silence and changing the subject.

“That would be a great idea. Julie can learn how to work with Daniel.” Heather added with a smile.

“Practice?” I spoke up in between bites of food.

“Yes. We can go out tonight.” Jason added. “Casey, you up for the game?”

“No, I um, have plans to go to a movie with a friend.” Casey spoke up quickly.

“Well, I guess it will be just the four of us then.” Jason finished.

“You know what I would like to do.” I paused from eating. “I would like to go out and do a little shopping. Maybe dancing or something.” It appeared that I had said the wrong thing. Everyone chimed in at the same time with the same answer. “NO!”

Surprised by their reaction, I held my fork full of food to my mouth and stared at each of them.

“Julie, it is not a good time for you to be around humans.” Charlotte spoke softly coming to my rescue.

“I don’t understand.” I frowned. “I’m not going to attack a human. Right?”

“Well, dear, give yourself a little time to adjust. You are still learning to control yourself and you do not want to be exposed to humans. It is not that you would attack anyone.

It is just… well… our eyes tend to give us away. In case you have not noticed, your eyes are very black right now. It may frighten people.” Her voice was back to that motherly tone again. “The colors of our eyes are linked to our change in emotions. When we are excited, our eyes will turn black and on a softer side they will be a light brown.”

“Oh.” Remembering the shock I had when I looked into the mirror at my black eyes. The image of someone else seeing those eyes would be terrifying. The chills still ran up my spine when I saw Daniel’s eyes turn black.

The rest of the morning, I stayed at the Maxwell’s. Charlotte and Casey insisted on making plans together for an engagement party, making a list for the invitations and setting the date for next Saturday night. Heather made suggestions for the party favors. Daniel and Jason discussed the clinic in Scotland. Mostly, how they were going to arrange for Daniel moving back to the States.

Daniel called Thomas and they briefly discussed over the phone opening a sister clinic here in the States. It appeared that Thomas backed Daniel’s idea, and now Daniel and Jason proceeded with plans to open the new clinic. Jason and Heather would stay in Scotland, and Daniel, much to my happiness, would remain here in the States. The new clinic would cost a lot of money to start up. Again, Thomas reviewed my assets and between Daniel and me, we managed to cultivate enough money for the new venture.

≈≈≈

Throughout the whole day, my attention was divided between an engagement party, a wedding plan with Charlotte’s newfound committee, and Daniel and Jason’s plans for the new clinic. My head pounded with a headache from Hell.

To my relief, Daniel and Jason left together to find a location for the new clinic. When the both of them started talking complex computer systems, analytical programs and more technical equipment I had never heard of, I became lost in the conversation.

Charlotte’s web continued to weave with the wedding plans. Charlotte, Casey and Heather had already planned the engagement party, the wedding and the reception.

Charlotte handled all of the catering arrangements and the location. Casey and Heather had chosen the themes and colors. Occasionally I was asked for my input, smiling and nodding as appropriate.

Excusing myself from the business at hand, I desperately needed a break. I headed toward the patio and seated myself in the luxury of quietness. Easing myself onto the lounger, I placed one leg over the other and relaxed. I let the soothing sounds of the woodlands take me away from my stress.

Firstly, I contemplated the new research clinic with Daniel. It made sense to me to continue the research, which was of interest to my father. Biology is my passion and I did in fact enjoy its many facets. On the other hand, was I ready for such a challenge? Not to mention the inheritance of becoming a controlling partner in more than one of the million dollar corporations. The idea of traveling, making corporate and financial decisions frightened me. This was clearly something that my father had done very well. It wasn’t a skill that I’d learned from him. How was I to make any rational decisions that would benefit any one of these corporations?

Secondly, there was a wedding in my near future. Was I ready for this? Yes, I indeed appreciated Daniel and did love him. I’d already come to the conclusion that he would be a good choice. My father would’ve been proud of my choice to accept Daniel as my husband. In a small way, I felt that this union would be atonement for my father. Maybe in the same way, my father’s happiness could live through me.

Thirdly, there was still the question in my mind concerning Casey and her newfound boyfriend. She mentioned he was different. Different as in how? She never gave me all the details. What made Nathaniel so different that her parents wouldn't accept him? I considered the obvious; he wasn’t a Lycan. If he were human, then I could see where Thomas and Charlotte would have their differences. The repeat experience of my father’s would surely raise some fur. I assumed Casey knew the story all too well. I knew Casey better than that. If Nathaniel were a human, Casey would’ve told me. She would have known if anyone, that I would’ve sympathized with her. No, I was sure this newfound romantic interest was neither human nor lycan. What else could he be then?

A rush of fear ran through me. What if Nathaniel was a werewolf? It would make sense why she would hide this from everyone. A werewolf would pose a tremendous threat to our families. They were the sworn enemies of the Lycans. There were only two days left before we formed a pack and attacked the werewolves. Casey was aware of this and it didn’t seem to bother her. If her boyfriend was a werewolf, then the thought of her family destroying him would send her over the edge. Pushing the thought from my mind, I left it alone with the conclusion that Nathaniel wasn’t a werewolf. I knew, in time, the mystery would reveal itself. For whatever the reason, I was aware of the need to be prepared for the inevitable.

Closing my eyes, I sank deeper into the lounger. Listening to the birds in the trees singing, I heard the wind gently rustling through the trees. I heard a car engine and the sound of tires crunching on the pavement when it pulled in front of the house. Daniel and Jason had returned. I stayed seated, remained quiet and listened.

Moments later, the patio door opened followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. I inhaled deeply at the scent. It was Daniel. A sense of thrill ran through me.

Remembering to keep myself under control, I tried to suppress my feelings. The tingling in my body warned me he was close.

“How was your trip with Jason?” I asked casually, my eyes remained closed.

“Good. We found a building that be perfect for the new research clinic.” His voice rang out with notes of excitement. “So how is the wedding planning going?” He sat down on the lounger and pulled my legs into his lap.

“I think Charlotte has it all under control.”

He remained silent. His hands still gently rubbed my ankles, soothing my very soul. I opened my eyes to see the concerned expression on his face.

“You know, I understand that everything is moving fast for you. I can imagine how difficult this may be for you.” Pausing he looked down at his hands. Slowly his eyes lifted to mine followed by a slight frown. “Is there anything I can do to make this easier for you?”

“Well… there may be just one thing that you could do,” I teased.

Watching Daniel’s mouth turn into a grin only reinforced a smile on my lips. He rolled his eyes and dropped his head again. Raising his head slightly, his dark eyes peered at me through those luscious black eyelashes.

“I hope you realize are killing me.” His eyebrow lifted.

“Well, you started this,” I argued playfully.

“I guess the only solution is for me to stay a safe distance from you then. Maybe I should move back to Scotland until April.”

“No!” I snapped.

“Well, maybe I should stay with my parents then,” he continued.

“Are you afraid of the big bad wolf?” I teased again.

“Very.” His voice turned rich and deep.

“Daniel?” I breathed out.

“Yes?” he purred.

“You are doing it again!” I pulled my feet away from him and stood from the lounger. I turned to him and took his face in my hands. Leaning closer to him, I gently touched my lips to his. His mouth parted when my lips moved softly and smoothly.
“You may not have a choice next time,”
I whispered and let him go.

Quickly Daniel’s hands grabbed mine and pulled me back to him as he rose to his feet. Releasing my hands, he then placed his hands on my waist pulling me closer.

“I know exactly what you need.” He pursed his lips into a smile. “I know a quaint little French restaurant in Atlanta. The lights are dim. The food is great and you need a night out. We can take Heather and Jason and have a little fun for a change. No more talk of weddings, engagement parties or hunting werewolves.”

“So you mean we can just be human tonight?” I purred back at him.

Slowly leaning down to my face, his lips gently touched mine. “
As human as possible,”
he whispered on my lips.

Tilting my head back, I enjoyed the long sensuous kiss. Daniel had the effect on me that made me want to agree to anything. My hands wandered through his hair pulling him closer to me when the kiss deepened. Slowly we both came to a stop at the same time. Savoring the moment of the kiss, our lips smiled together while we looked longingly into each other’s eyes.

“I think we might be doing better at this,”
he whispered.

“We’ll see.” I purred.

Daniel and I left his parents’ house and headed back to my house to change clothes. I chose a light and casual blue thin-strapped dress. Daniel wore dress jeans and a dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He had let the shirt hang out over his jeans and opened at the top. I expected to see him on the cover of GQ magazine; he looked so handsome and sexy.
I insisted he not shave and leave his evening shadow. It added to the sex appeal for the night.

We drove back to pick up Heather and Jason. I suggested that they stay with us for the night, since we had no idea what time we would arrive back home. The drive to Atlanta would take an hour and a half. Jason, of course, joked that he and Heather would be our babysitters. Daniel and I promised we would be on our best behavior. Somehow, I don’t think they believed us.

The drive didn’t seem as long with the music and conversation. Jason and Heather explained how they first met. Heather had moved to Scotland with her parents from America when she was a small child. Her father had taken a job with one of the local banks in Edinburg. Jason had accepted a job as a medical scientist in Dublin, Ireland. He and a few of his friends went fishing in Scotland. After a long day of fun filled fishing, they had decided to spend the rest of the evening at one of the local pubs. He saw Heather and it was love at first sight. They were married six months later.

The complications they faced weren’t nearly as difficult as the ones which Daniel and I faced. Jason had said they were immediately attracted to each other, but he had never seen such an attraction as Daniel and I shared. According to their knowledge, most Lycans know their mates immediately when they see them. My thoughts ran back to my teenage years with Daniel. I didn’t seem to have that sense of knowing like the rest of them. Daniel was sure I was his mate, but still it made me wonder if there was something wrong with me. Maybe it was because I was only half Lycan. The answer satisfied me. I kept my thought to myself and dared not speak that I didn’t have the attuned senses they did. Everything would work out as it was supposed to. This was what I believed.

Arriving at the restaurant Daniel pulled in front and let Heather and me out of the car. We waited while Daniel parked the car and met us with Jason. The elegant restaurant carried a very expensive appeal. Gold chandeliers with crystal globes hung throughout the restaurant. The lightly lit tables were dressed with a single globed candle. The impressive white linen tablecloth was accented with a gold trim. The tall chairs, cushioned with plush white seats and backs.

The waitress arrived with the menus. Giving us a few moments, we all ordered a different dish. We enjoyed fresh baked French bread with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Daniel ordered as an appetizer Strawberries Romanoff which were fresh strawberries topped with a brandy cream sauce. For our dinner entrées, Heather and I ordered the Chef’s Specialty Chicken Friand, a puff pastry filled with chicken, mushrooms and a béchamel sauce, topped with a creamy mushroom sauce. Jason played it safe and ordered Rosemary roasted chicken. Daniel surprised us all and ordered a Quiche Lorraine. Somewhere there was a joke why real men don’t eat quiche.

The food was wonderfully delicious. We all tasted each other’s food. Daniel and I laughed loudly at Heather and Jason. They appeared to eat from one another’s plates more than they did their own. Several times Heather had warned Jason she would be removing a finger of his with her canine teeth. Our laughter became a little louder after another bottle of wine.