ROMANCE: The Bad Boy Meeting (39 page)

              Marie had no idea that Aaron watched her walk to her car. He was a sneaky bastard, though she would eventually thank him for it. The club wasn’t in the best part of town, but Maria didn’t really think about it much anymore. She walked to and from the club five nights a week and nothing bad had ever happened. After a while she started to let her guard down. The bouncers insisted that the girls walk out in pairs but Maria never understood it. Having another person with did mean bad things wouldn’t happen and people wouldn’t try to hurt you.

She shoved the door to the alley open and walked out, dressed in yoga pants and and a hoodie. When she wasn’t working she dressed modestly and comfortably. She spent so much time showing strangers her body that Maria wasn’t really interested in doing it off the clock.

              Her car was on the other side of the parking lot and she hummed to herself, jogging over to it in her dirty sneakers. Her face was free of make-up and she felt refreshed. The club had showers for the girls and most of them took advantage of the free hot water. No one liked going home covered in glitter and booze.

              The car’s door clicked when she hit the unlock button and she was about to yank the door open when a stranger’s arms curled around her. One caught her at the waist and the other slapped over her mouth to silence any screams that might leave her lips. 

              She couldn’t see the man’s face but she could hear drunken laughter over her left shoulder and she could smell the stink of cheap Vodka. She kicked her legs and swung her arms, twisting and turning to try and get herself away from the man.

              He was much stronger than her and much taller and simply lifted her off the ground, his grip tightening around her to the point that she feared he might break her ribs and puncture a lung. She sobbed around his hand, jaw snapping closed as she tried to bite into his hand but it was no use. She had no leverage.

              The larger, stronger man slammed her head into the side of her car and the world went black for a moment. A bright light appeared in her vision and her head swam with pain and dizziness. She saw spots even as her vision returned and her orientation was completely shot. The man had released her but she couldn’t run.

              Her legs shook underneath her and she fell back against the car when he spun her around, grabbing the waistband of her yoga pants and starting to roll them down. Her voice came out as a weak sob and she tried to grab the hem of her pants and pull them back up.

              “Please...Don’t do this.” She begged.

              The man simply brought a hand up and slapped her in response. Her head snapped to one side and the iron taste of blood filled her mouth. She gasped and spat out the thick, red liquid onto the concrete as her legs started to give out.

              The man was holding her up now and thanks to the head injury, she still couldn’t see his face or fight him. He was laughing drunkenly and trying to take her pants off again, but he wouldn’t make it very far.

              A loud, low rumbling growl was coming from the shadows and Maria’s head lolled to one side as she tried to see what or who was making the noise. Her vision was still blurry and full of dark spots but she could see the vague outline of what looked to be a massive black wolf. It moved like smoke across the parking lot and at first Maria was sure that she was seeing things. Then she saw her attackers face.

              His hold had loosened on her and she managed to slide out of his grip and slip down to the ground, curling up and letting out a weak sob. The look on the man’s face had been one of sheer terror and while she knew the man had every right to be scared, Maria didn’t feel the same fear.

              Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she covered her face to hide from whatever was about to come after the fat man who had assaulted her. She heard the sound of heavy, stumbling feet and then a scream followed by the distinct sound of bones crunching. More screams followed and Maria felt a hot splash of sticky liquid on her hands and arms.

              She pulled her hands away from her face, shaking when she saw blood on her hands and arms. Blood that didn’t belong to her. Her breath quickened and she swore her heart would beat out of her chest. Maria could hear the animal a good distance away and decided to try and get away while she still had time.

              Maria rolled onto her stomach and started crawling across the dirty parking lot to the club. If she could get in the building she would be safe from whatever monstrosity was crunching away on her attackers bones. Calling the cops hadn’t even crossed her mind but even if it had...What good were the cops going to do in this situation? They were just as powerless as she was against the strange wolf made of smoke.

              The door was nearly within her reach when the dark fog swept around to her, two large paws resting in front of her. She looked up and met it’s piercing blue gaze and couldn’t help thinking that she knew that look...She knew those eyes.

              Maria let out a little sob and put her forehead to the ground, the world swimming again.

              “Please...Please don’t hurt me.” She begged.

              As the world went black and she began to slip into unconsciousness and she expected to feel the sharp pain of teeth sinking into her neck but she only felt the almost reassuring nudge of a wet nose against her cheek.

              Maria was sure she had died in that dirty parking lot. The shadow wolf had snapped her neck and gobbled her up like it had her attacker. There was no possible way that she had survived it. She was vaguely aware of people talking around her, though it was in a foreign language she didn’t understand. Maybe they were angels trying to decide what to do with her. Maybe it was doctors trying to save her life. She really wasn’t sure and she hadn’t been allowed much time to think about it. The voices were gone just as quickly as they’d come.

              The next thing she remembered was someone pressing a cool cloth to her forehead, singing a soft song. It sounded like something her grandmother would sing and she was sure she’d died and gone to heaven but she couldn’t have been more wrong.

              The sun was what finally woke Maria. She had no idea how long she’d been out but she felt sore from laying down for too long. Maria groaned and put a hand to her head as she sat up slowly. The world spun for a moment but she eventually regained her composure and looked around the room. It wasn’t her small closet, but rather a large master bedroom with a huge bed and large windows that let in sunlight. It warmed her skin and made her sigh in relief.

              Maria slid out from under the heavy blankets she’d been sleeping under and swung her legs over the side of the bed, putting her feet flat on the floor. When she finally stood up and looked down, she noticed that she wasn’t wearing her own clothes anymore. Instead, she was wearing a long, floor length gown that was made of fine silk and she frowned a little as she ran her fingers over the pink fabric, trying to recall who it belonged to and where she was. All she could remember was that low, terrifying snarl from the alley.

              The large oak door to the bedroom swung open and Maria jumped, eyes wide as she turned to face whoever had come into the room. Her heart was beating out of her chest and her mouth suddenly felt horribly dry. She was surprised when a petite red head came bounding through the door way.

              She was a beautiful creature with long, red locks that were braided in one long plait down her back. Her skin was as pale as the ivory keys that Maria had once found her sanctuary in. The woman’s eyes were startlingly blue and reminded Maria of Aaron’s eyes. She was topless and had a golden chain around her waist that sheer, blue fabric had been folded over to cover her front and back end. The thin, sparkling fabric nearly touched the floor but that didn’t seem to be of any concern.

              The woman danced over to Maria and smiled at her, patting her cheek gently.

              “I’m glad to see that you’re awake.” She said, her voice thick with a foreign accent. “Aaron has been worried about you.”

              “Aaron?”

              “Oh yes, he saw the whole thing happen. He was quite worried that we might have to take you to the hospital.” She explained, nodding her head solemnly.

              Maria put a hand to her forehead and took a deep breath  to calm herself. Everything seemed so strange and out of place right now. She wanted to scream, cry and laugh all at the same time. She felt like it was a bit of a miracle that she was even alive. She dropped her hand slowly and looked at short woman, somehow managing to smile.

              “D-Did he see the dog? The big black shadow?” She asked, hoping she didn’t sound too crazy.

              The woman chewed her lip a little, obviously biting something back.

              “I’m not sure what he saw.” She admitted, looking down at her bare feet. She swept one across the floor and the golden bracelets around her ankles jingle a bit. “You can ask him, yourself, though.”

              “Oh good! Where is he?”

              “He’s gone for a walk in the woods. Why don’t you come down stairs with me and eat something? I’ve been feeding you broth but you haven’t been awake enough to really eat.”

              “How long was I out?”

              The red head put her finger to her chin, as if lost in thought. “About two days?”

              Maria was shocked but didn’t say anything else for a moment. She cleared her throat and looked over at the woman, looking her up and down. “Are you...Aaron’s wife?”

              “Oh no! We live together and he cares for me but he’s not my mate.”

              “You’re mate?”

              She just smiled and offered Maria her hand. “My name is Rein.”

              “Oh, right. I should have introduced myself...I’m sorry. My name is Maria.” She said, smiling weakly.

              “I know who you are. He talks about you often.” She said, no hint of jealousy in her voice.

              Maria blushed a deep crimson and laughed a little. “Really?”

              “Oh, yes” She sang, leading Maria to a little breakfast nook.

              Various meats and cheeses had already been laid out along with an assortment of fruit. Maria couldn’t deny the hunger that was rolling in her belly so she sat at the table and took a little bit of everything. She ate her share and then some, trying to be as lady like as possible and still get as much food in her belly as possible.

              Rein just hummed and smiled, continuing to cook more food. She didn’t stop until Maria finally started to slow down. She was in the middle of cleaning up empty plates and trays when she looked out onto the deck, smiling a little.

              “Aaron’s home.”

              Maria swallowed the bite of bacon that she had in her mouth and looked up, seeming a little surprised that Aaron was back so soon.

              “That was fast.” She mused, standing and setting her plate in the sink.

              Rein laughed a little and shook her head. “I sent him out hours ago. He was doing nothing but pacing back and forth in your room and he was driving me crazy so I kicked him out.” She said, sounding exasperated. “I tried to tell him that you would be okay but he worries so much. You can’t tell him other wise.”

              “Hours? He can just...walk around the woods for hours?” She asked, sounding surprised.

              “He adores the woods. It’s our home, you know.” She said, leading Maria out onto the deck.

              Rein seemed to speak in riddles and Maria didn’t know what to make of it. She felt as if Rein wasn’t telling her everything. There was an air of secrecy about the woman and she wanted to push her for more information but Maria felt it would be useless. Rein seemed to have a pretty steady resolve. Despite the fact that she was a small woman she seemed strong in both will and body. Maria couldn’t even place why she was making these assumptions.

              The patio that Maria was led to look out onto a vast expanse of green land. Just behind the deck was a field of lush grass and flowers that were just beginning to pop up out of the wet ground. They were at the tail end of winter and spring's warmth was just around the corner. It had just rained so the air was a bit chilly and a cool fog was hovering just above the grass. It was cold enough that Maria shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she’d worn a coat out of the house.

              Maria scrunched up her nose and eyed the tree line, her gaze darting back and forth as she tried to see Aaron among the foliage.

              “Where is he? I don’t see him.” She murmured, squinting a bit.

              Maria chuckled, raising her head and sniffing the air. “Don’t worry. He’s almost here.”

              A few moments after she said that, there was a break in the fog and a huge shadow began to emerge from the tree line. At first, Maria was grinning, sure that it was Aaron, but as the figure drew closer she realized it was the beast from the night she’d been attached. She’d never forget what that creature looked like. Her face fell and she paled when she got a good look at him, starting to take a step back.

              “No...No...Oh god, it’s him...It’s the wolf that tried to kill me!” She gasped, panic controlling her every movement.

              She tried to turn and bolt back into the house but Rein’s slim and surprisingly powerful fingers wrapped around her wrist to prevent her from running away.

              “Things are not as they appear, child. Just wait.” She said, her voice even and almost dreamy.

              If a giant shadow wolf wasn’t coming at her, Maria might had even taken comfort in Rein’s voice. It had the quality of someone who was a practiced and talented singer. Even though Rein was calm, it didn’t Maria’s own nerves in the least. She was sure that Rein was out to kill her. Why else would she be trapping her on this deck while the wolf slowly approached?

              “LET ME GO!” She screamed, trying to pull away.

              Just as Maria had suspected, Rein’s size was no indication of her strength and as much as she tried to pull away from the smaller woman, Maria couldn’t get away. Maria spun around just in time to see the wolf emerge from the fog. It’s powerful shoulders rippled with every step it took and Maria was surprised that she didn’t feel fear welling up inside of her. She was anxious, but not afraid. It was the same sensation she’d felt the first night she’d seen the creature. Maria was trying to escape out of instinct but her heart was telling her something very different.

              As the wolf moved closer, the dark fur began to retract into the skin and it’s claws disappeared back into the animal's skin. The shadow creature’s huge paws shorted and became human hands and feet as it stood up on it’s back legs and became a bipedal creature once more. The snout shortened and stretched before sinking back into the man’s face and revealing it’s identity to Maria.

              Aaron stood at the edge of the patio and hopped onto the wooden deck. He was completely nude thanks to the transformation, though it didn’t seem like it was thing that had even crossed his mind. Her eyes wandered south, taking in the flat expanse of his perfectly sculpted chest and stomach. His muscles were still tight and rippling from the effort of turning back into a human and when her eyes finally came to his hips she felt blood rush to her cheeks. Maria snapped her gaze back to Aaron’s face and he offered her a shy, almost apologetic smile.

              “It’s good to see you awake.”

              Maria tried to respond but her world went black again as she collapsed onto the deck, surprising both Rein and Aaron. Her fragile mind couldn’t handle all of this at once. It was a wonder her heart hadn’t stopped.

***

              “You didn’t warn her? Didn’t even give her a heads up?”

              “Do you really think that would have made a difference? She was terrified of you! If I told her what and who you were she probably would have booked it before you even got back. It was better that she thought you human until the last possible second.”

"What if she'd had a heart attack like that man in Chicago?"

              Maria woke up to the sound of discourse and groaned a little, rolling over away from the sound of it. She wanted to sleep off the headache that was starting to root itself in her temple. It took her a moment to remember where she was and what had happened but when she did, she jumped up, her eyes wide as she pressed herself against the headboard, looking between Aaron and Rein.

              “What...What is going on?” She demanded, her voice low and shaking.

              Aaron looked at Rein and sighed, kissing her forehead. “Why don’t you get out of the house for a while, Rein. Get yourself a new dress or take yourself out to a nice dinner.” He said offering her his credit card.

              She took the card and looked back at Maria, frowning a little and looking back up at Aaron. “You’re sure you’ll be alright?”

              “Of course, Libeling,” He said softly. “Now go.”

              Rein nodded and turned to leave them alone, closing the door behind her as she left. They probably needed some time alone to talk. A lot had happened the past few days. Maria looked at Aaron, her gaze unwavering and determined. Her lips shook as she spoke but her voice was strong.

              “I think you owe me an explanation.”