Finding His Mate

The next few weeks for Madison past as normal as they possibly can. She still hasn't heard anything about Moe's or her employment there, but she's getting paid every two weeks, double at that, so she can't complain. However, what's odd to her is the fact she hasn't heard a thing from Azeil. Besides their little interaction in the backroom, he hasn't even called her to make sure she's okay or recovered. Not that Madison needs his attention, but it would've been nice. Especially after hearing he usually doesn't show the level of affection he did with her to anyone else. She doesn't want to admit it, but a small part of her thought there was something there. She would be lying to herself if she said she isn't attracted to him, because who wouldn't be attracted to him?

She snaps out of her daydream at the sound of the cashier closing the register.

"Here's your change."

Stuffing the bills and coins into her pocket, Madison grabs her bag full of supplies and exits the store. As she walks to her next destination, her phone starts vibrating, alerting her of an incoming call.

"Yes, Tiffany."

"Why do you always greet me with such... disdain. It's starting to feel personal."

Madison rolls her eyes, "Because I know you're about to tell me some mess. What's up?"

"Lucky for you, today I'm not calling you with any drama. I have good news."

Madison waits for Tiffany to continue and groans once she doesn't. Typical Tiffany, always wanting to make a moment dramatic.

"Spit it out!"

"I got you a spot in the 'Uptown Arts' annual exhibition!"

A high shriek exits Madison, frightening passerby's. The Uptown Exhibition is one of the most famous art exhibits that every artist fights to get a spot in. Madison has been trying to get in since she's moved to the city to no avail.

"Tiff! This is huge! How did you do it?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I was sitting at a coffee shop, and this guy randomly walks up and starts talking to me. One thing leads to another, and we start talking about artists. Of course, I say you're my favorite artist, and I show him your work. He was impressed, and here we are."

Madison is about to respond but pauses. A random guy? While she wants to be excited, it's hard for her to believe this is a random act of kindness. The exclusivity of the exhibit alone leads her to think otherwise.

"Random guy. What does he look like?"

"Cute." Madison groans again.

"Tiff, seriously. What does this guy look like?"

"Let's see... Tall, dark, and handsome. Literally. The man would make Idris jealous. Plus, he has blue eyes. I have his card..."

Madison listens as Tiffany scrambles in her bag.

"Daniel. Daniel Rue. I tried looking him up, but couldn't find him anywhere. However, when I called Uptown, they did confirm that he's the big boss. I guess the guy likes laying low."

Madison bites the inside of her lip. This is interesting. On the surface, the pieces come together, but again, this is too convenient. Daniel Rue. She'll have to look into this man more as she prepares for the exhibit. It seems he is the silent orchestrator of all of this, and the last thing she wants is to be unprepared if she happens to meet him.

"Maddy. Are you still there?"

"Y-yes. I was just thinking. This is all so much, Tiff. I honestly don't know how to thank you."

"Honestly, don't thank me. I was just sitting pretty, minding my business. Just make sure you show up and show out! I'll forward you the email he sent me with all of the details."

Madison hangs up the phone and focuses on where she's going. While she would like to ponder m on this new information, that'll only lead her down a rabbit hole of conspiracies that she isn't particularly in the mood for. Plus, she now has other things to think about, like which pieces she's going to present. A smile spreads across her face as she approaches her destination.

"Home sweet home."

The one good thing that's come out of her 'furlough' is the extra time she has on her hands. Since she's getting paid double what she previously was, she's been able to quit her second job and focus on her art. With the extra money, Madison started leasing a small studio, just a few blocks from her apartment, hoping to create outside of the walls of her apartment. While it isn't much, it's something she can finally call her own.

Looking up at the walls, she admires her current paintings. Once she secured the studio, Tiffany insisted she showcases her art on the walls and in the windows for passerby's who may be interested in art pieces. With Tiffany's help, they managed to transport all of her works from her apartment's various crevices to her studio.

She organizes the supplies she just purchased from the art store, setting up to continue her most recent painting. The last couple of weeks have brought her enjoyable inspiration. She's been drawing fantasy species: werewolves, vampires... witches. Madison's not sure where this came from, as she's never had the inspiration to draw paranormal beings. However, surprisingly to her, her pieces have been perfect. Frighteningly good.

"Here's goes nothing.", she says to herself.

Picking up a brush, she stokes lines onto the canvas. Her latest piece is of a werewolf with piercing blue eyes. This particular piece has been meticulous. Each time she attempts to sculpt out the eyes, there's always something that doesn't quite convey what she's trying to tell. The wolf's eyes need to be specific, almost human-like. Almost like...

A tap on the window knocks her out of her trance. Her eyes widen once she registers who it is. He points to the door, signaling for her to let him in. For a brief moment, she considers ignoring him and getting back to painting, but who is she kidding? As she walks to unlock the door, she wipes her hands on her jeans.

"H-hey."

Azeil feels a flutter in his stomach at the sound of her voice. He quickly scans her face and sees her wound has healed, albeit leaving behind a scar. He clenches his jaw. Moe never returned to the compound that day, which he expects is because Moe is trying to escape consequence. His men began searching for Moe once it became apparent he wasn't returning, but he practically fell off the face of the earth.

"May I come in?"

Madison steps aside and lets him through. She watches as he looks around her studio, admiring her art pieces. For some reason, she starts to become nervous the longer he waits to say something.

"So... you were just in the neighborhood?"

Azeil turns around and nods his head. He's lying. He's kept tabs on her since the incident, waiting for the perfect moment to speak to her privately. At first, he thought his 'spying' would stop once she went to urgent care. However, something drew him to continue tracking her and making sure she is okay. He summed up that it's due to Moe being on the loose, but he knows he's fooling himself. Ever since he's laid eyes on her, a magnetic pull continues to lead him to her.

"Yes. I am looking at property around here and have been scoping the area," Azeil points to the paintings on the walls, "You draw?"

Madison nods her head. "Yea... these are my babies."

He walks around, taking in her pieces, and stops once he comes upon the unfinished piece she was working on before his arrival. He tilts his head to the side once he figures out what is supposed to be on the canvas.

"And this?"

Madison walks over and stands beside him. "This is my new baby. I'm not sure what to call him, but I randomly started sketching him out a couple of weeks ago. He's a beauty, yes?"

Azeil bends down to take a closer look. There's something very familiar about this wolf that he can't put his finger on. It's as if he knows who she is drawing. He stands up to his full height and looks down at her. She's nervous about something.

"It looks good. You have a way with detail, which is rare sometimes amongst artists."

Madison breathes out a sigh of relief at his approval. For some reason, him liking her art fills her with a sense of joy she otherwise wouldn't have felt from anyone else. Which is odd considering she doesn't even know him. She feels his demeanor change and wonders what he's thinking about.

"I have a proposal for you."

She tilts her head to the side as if to tell him to continue.

"I oversee a school upstate, and one initiative we would like to kick off is all things within the arts. It would be an honor if you can teach at the school every week."

Madison folds her arms across her chest. She wasn't expecting to hear this. She's not sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't a job proposal.

"So what about my job at the restaurant? I can't exactly afford to work part-time. The only reason I can afford this studio without having to work a second job is because you've doubled our pay."

Azeil shakes his head. "Don't worry about that. If you decide to take my offer, you'll be a salaried employee." He turns so that he is staring at her straight in the eyes. "Just name your price, and I'll match it."

Madison takes in his body heat, just as she did back at the restaurant, and closes her eyes. Where is all of this coming from? She finds it strange that he was even galavanting in this part of the city, and now he's offering her a new position at 'some school upstate.' She makes a mental note to pick Tiffany's brain about him. Her questions surrounding him are beginning to pile up, and it appears she has a fifty-fifty chance of getting answers out of him. While it's easy to chalk all of this up to coincidence, that's one thing Madison doesn't believe.

"I don't have a car."

Azeil waves his hand in dismissal. "I can cover that. Anything else?"

Madison thinks for a moment. The ball is in her court, and she isn't about to miss this shot at potentially crafting a job just right for her.

"When you say name your price, you mean it?"

Azeil nods his head and waits.

"And the health benefits?"

"Covered. Is that all?" He watches as a small smile appears on her face briefly before returning to her calm demeanor.

"I guess so. When would you like me to start?" Madison nervously bounces on her feet as his bright teeth appear. He's so handsome when he smiles and much more approachable than when he doesn't. Truthfully, he's pretty menacing otherwise.

"Well, if you don't mind, we can go to the compo- school right now. I would like to show you what you are getting yourself into before your full commitment. Th-that's if you have the time... I don't want to impede." Azeil boyishly smiles as he trips over his words. He's going to have to do better at his word choice if he's going to continue to get to know her. Now isn't the time to alarm her of his kind.

Madison notices how he trips over his words and wonders what's up? Compound? That's a very strange descriptor for a school. She looks around at her studio. She can use a distraction, especially since she's having trouble with her current piece.

"What the hell? I can use the distraction. Just let me clean up a bit and shut everything down, and we can be on our way."

Azeil watches as she scurries around, cleaning up. While not gentleman-like, he can't help but watch the sway of her hips and, most importantly, ass. While her frame is on the smaller side, she has a very nice ass that he's sure would feel amazing beneath his hands. His wolf growls in agreement at this. 'Down boy.'

"Huh?"

Azeil nervously looks at Madison. He thought he said that to himself. "Yes?"

"You said something."

Azeil shakes his head.

Madison stares at him a bit longer before continuing what she is doing. He said something, but she'll let him slide this time. She takes one last look around before closing the blinds and opening the door.

"After you."

Azeil walks over the threshold of the door and waits for her to lock-up. His car is parked a couple of blocks down from her studio, which he intentionally did not cause any red flags. He figures it would've been very odd for him to be 'roaming the neighborhood' and parked in front of her studio at the same time. She's too intelligent to have fallen for that.

They don't say much as they walk to his car, each of them thinking of what to say.

Madison whistles as they approach his vehicle. "Nice car."

Azeil shrugs and opens the car door for her, which slightly surprises Madison. It's not every day she meets a man who still has some manners. However, at the same time, it's also not every day she's in the presence of a man this intimately. As she settles into the leather seats, she watches as his massive body enters the car. It's at this moment Madison takes in his size. She knew he was huge, but being right beside him made her realize how large he is. Even his suit is straining to maintain against his muscles.

As they make their way to the school, there isn't much conversation happening, other than the occasional small talk, which Madison appreciates. She's not sure she has much to say anyway and would rather avoid possible word vomit. It seems as though he doesn't mind the silence either, possibly enjoying it even.

"You don't say too much, do you?" She asks. His lips curl up into a small smile.

"I've been told I'm a man of few words. I don't see the point in small talk. Either we're speaking about a topic we're both interested in, or we're not. No need to force anything."

Madison nods her head and looks ahead. The scenery starts to change from the city limits to a rural region she's not familiar with. They eventually turn down a road, leading to a remote area. Madison becomes nervous for a minute but remembers she's sharing her location with Tiffany just if he happens to be a serial killer. Further, in the distance, a large building becomes apparent, which she assumes is the school. As they get closer, Madison holds in a small gasp. The school is enormous. It's modern design contrasts with its worded surroundings, and yet somehow doesn't at the same time. Other buildings are surrounding it, which Madison assumes are administrative. So this is what he meant by compound?

He parks the car in a parking space in front of the main building and turns off the engine. "Ready?"

Madison nods her head and exits the car, ignoring his request for her not to touch the door. The fresh air hits her, reminding her that she needs to get out of the city more. By now, the sun is starting to set, casting a warm glow over the surrounding area.

"It's beautiful out here."

Azeil watches her closely as she takes in the area and feels a sense of pride. This is the reaction he was hoping he would receive.

"Yes, it is. My family bought this land years ago and have done everything in their power to keep it untouched."

"That must've been a dousey. I can only imagine how hard that was back in the day." She expected him to elaborate more on his family's history. However, he only stares at her before heading to the stairs that lead to the entrance. She makes a mental note to ask him more about it. She runs a bit to catch up to him and follows him into the main lobby.

"Where are the kids?" She expected to see some lingering faculty and children, at least, as it wasn't too late in the evening.

"Off. Today is a holiday."

Her face frowns up a bit. A holiday? Though she's not the most patriotic person, she knows her holidays. Today isn't one. She follows behind him as he shows her the school's corridors, which are even more magnificent than the outside. She can tell every detail was thoroughly thought out.

"And this is the designated arts area." Madison's eyes grow big as she takes in the studio. Azeil is sure they are about to bulge out of her skull and laughs.

"This is... amazing."

She looks back at him as if asking for permission to wander, and he nods his head. Leaning back against the wall, he folds his arms across his chest and watches as she bounces around like a kid at a candy shop. He hears her gasp occasionally as she discovers something new and knows he's got her locked in. After a few moments, he clears his throat, bringing her attention back to him.

"So. Do you like it?"

Madison looks around. She wants to say yes. However, something seems off about accepting this kind of offer. He doesn't even know her or her work ethic, yet here he is about to give her full reign over an art department within his school.

"What's the catch?"

His wolf howls as she stares at him directly in his eyes,... challengingly. He reminds himself that she isn't easily pushed, despite her small frame. Pushing himself off the wall, he walks over to where she's standing and internally smiles when he hears her breath catch in her throat. He's glad he isn't the only one feeling... feelings.

"Why does there have to be a catch?"

Madison rolls her eyes. Not him trying to start games with her. "You barely know me, Azeil. You don't even know if I can do what you want me to do, and yet, you're offering me a very serious position based on what? Intuition?"

Azeil waits a moment and thinks about what to say. He can't disclose that he's worried about her safety since Moe still hasn't been found. Or that his decision is indeed based on intuition and him not wanting to be too far from her. However, at the same time, he knows he can't just say some stupid shit that doesn't make sense. He has to be strategic here.

"Well... I do know a bit about you, Madison." Her eyebrows raise. "Madison Lithu. From a small, rural town in Pennsylvania. You attended an art school in California, where you received numerous awards and recognition for your pieces. Truly, that's all the information I need to know that you know what you are doing."

Azeil is about to disclose more information about her. However, he figures that's best left for a later time.

Madison looks off to the side before returning his gaze. "Fine. I guess my only question is, how do you expect me to travel up here almost every day? That was a two-hour drive."

"I'm glad you asked. Come."

She watches as he turns around, making his way toward the door leading to the hallway. He doesn't even look back to make sure she's following him, as if he knows she's going to listen to what he says. They make their way back to the car, driving down the road they used to get to the school. This time, before exiting to the main road, he turns down another route to the side that she didn't notice while they were driving in. After a few minutes, Madison sees they are riding through a small town.

"What's this town called?"

He completely ignores her question, continuing to look ahead. She starts to see people walking around and feels herself relax a bit. His 'man of few words' characteristic isn't welcoming or calming her nerves. They eventually turn down a street, leading to a small community of houses. As he parks the car, Madison notices a few of the townspeople staring and whispering to each other. Some even slightly bow to Azeil as he exits the vehicle. So caught up in what's going on around her, she doesn't notice Azeil open her door.

"Are you okay?"

Madison nods her head and steps out of the car. She shakes off the stares she's receiving and follows Azeil to one of the houses.

"What are we doing here?"

Azeil walks to the doormat and grabs the key stored under it. He walks back to Madison and hands her the key.

"What am I-," once she realizes what he's implying, Madison furiously shakes her head, "I can't accept this, Azeil."

She tries to give him the key back, but he pushes her hand away.

"It's yours. You said the drive is too long for you, so here is the solution."

Madison looks around. This is way too much. All she was expecting when she said that is an expense reimbursement or something. But a house? There's a catch.

"So what's the catch, then? You do realize this goes beyond any kind of benefits package employers would traditionally offer, right?"