Mariana walked to her car gradually her eyes drooping, she was tired, incredibly tired. Her boss had decided last week that she should work another shift plus close the bar at night, and unless she wanted to be trekking around New Hampshire for a new job she better suck it up and put a smiley face on. Well maybe he didn't say that way exactly but that was precisely how it came off to Mariana. She slumped against her car door and looked up at the night sky,
it is way too late I'm going to be sleeping all day and working all night at this rate.
She rummaged through her purse for the keys her bleary eyes making her it hard for her to focus what she was doing. That night she was practically throwing drinks together ready to get her shift over with, while she usually loved working there and hanging with the other employees tonight was too much for her.
I need to find a new job and soon,
Mariana finally comes across her keys and she opens her door sliding into the seat of her Beetle. She lays her head on the steering wheel breathing deeply, giving herself a little pep talk.
"Okay Mariana you can do this, just put the key into the little hole press the gas pedal and it's a what, 20 minute ride tops."
She can't help but giggle at how silly she sounds; she sits up and starts her car pulling out of the deserted parking lot slowly rubbing her dazed eyes. She drives down the road gingerly;
it would be just my luck if I ran over some poor animal...or person.
Thankfully no one else seems to be on the road as Mariana slogs slowly down the winding turns. She comes to a stop sign and sees a small ruffle in the trees on the dark road.
Great now I'm seeing things,
the ruffle turns into a small shape and then gets larger as it gets closer to her car. Mariana peers through squinted eyes rubbing them to try and clear her sleepy eyes.
What the hell it looks like a wolf,
fear strikes her as she see's definite features of a wolf, she's seen them enough living in New Hampshire, but they usually run away, not walk up to her yellow Beetle,
and their never that big. Should I honk the horn at it, maybe it will run away than...or try to attack my car.
Mariana gently presses on her gas moving as slowly as she can, the wolf doesn't move but trains its golden eyes on her as she gets closer, she sees that it is much larger than any normal wolf and its golden eyes turn a sharp icy blue under her high beams. She quickly turns them off getting a weird feeling of Déjà vu, the wolf is a shiny sleek silver color with long streaks of ebony.
It's beautiful,
Marianna stares in wonder but its beauty doesn't stop the fear from creeping up her spine as she finally passes it. She quickly drives the rest of the way home, the mystifying wolf in her mind until she falls asleep, dead to the world
I can't believe I saw her,
Achilleo dashes through the woods his strong powerful animal legs carrying him quickly and easily.
More importantly I can't believe I let her see me,
his mind mulls over her stunning face set in a mix of marvel and terror. He laughs to himself, or at least the best laugh he can manage out of this form, a harsh snort,
that's the usual reaction I get before the guns are pulled out.
He had kept his mind occupied for weeks, trying to get Mariana out of his head, and not to mention that damned letter from the council. Of course fate as usual wasn't working in his favor and he got weekly threats, as he liked to call them, from the council, reminding him of his duty. Than to make matter worse it seemed that Mariana had took Bale up on that date, and according to Bale the date was very satisfying, which could mean a number of things coming from him. Now he was not only angry he was aggravated that he was angry, that he was getting caught up in some human girl that he knew zilch about. Yeah she was beautiful, and feisty, intelligent, funny and a little quirky, based on Bales brags about their date. He shook his large wolf head and slowed to a standstill,
I need to stop thinking about her I will just find a nice were female get mated and forget all thoughts of Mariana.
He let out another snort of laughter,
like I could ever do that.
He wanted her, there was no denying that, but it was something even deeper than the physical want, something he could yet to explain.
It's no use anyway, she's human and God knows what Bale and she have done already.
That was always the flaw in the council's laws, it said no mating with humans but there was nothing about having sex, and man did Achilleo want to.
I just need to get away and forget about her, Bale, and the council's stupid letters.
Achilleo knows that's impossible he has a pack to run and getting away just wasn't happening anytime soon. Achilleo starts up his run again speeding up with each thought of Mariana in his mind, under him, moaning his name, as his mate.
Mate where did that come from,
Achilleo thinks to himself in shock,
I like her, hell I'm going crazy over this woman...but mate?
Achilleo battles against his body as he tries to think of all the reasons why he and Marianna won't work out. Besides her being human he has nothing, the connection he feels with her is confusing and Achilleo has never felt this way before.
Of course there have been women prior to meeting Mariana, some he even thought where mate worthy, but it never went farther than there. Bale used to tease him, saying he had commitment issues, and though Achilleo laughed it off it was true. He was scared shitless; he was so used to being closed off and alone he knew if anything was to happen with him and any woman he would have to open up. He just wasn't sure if he was ready for that, so he always ended up ruining every relationship, giving the females in his life reason to want to leave. Achilleo knew, werewolf or man that was just fucked up, but he couldn't stop it, he would never admit it to anyone but, as strong, powerful and intimidating he was, when it came to committing he ran away with his tail between his legs. That made him feel like a coward and that was not a feeling Achilleo was used to, he knew that all of this was coming out now for the reason of Mariana.
Maybe she would be that woman that wipes away my fears.
Mariana wakes confused, and drained, she remembers locking up the bar driving home, and... the wolf. Her mind runs over her memory of last night,
I wasn't drunk, I'm sure it wasn't a dream.
She shudders as she recalls those icy blue ices, and that intimidating stature.
It was quite a wolf,
she sighs getting out of the bed,
and I really need to find a new job.
She shakes out a cramp in her foot and stretches her arms over her head; slowly slipping from her warm sheets she goes to the kitchen starting a pot of coffee.
I don't usually drink this but if there was ever a time to this morning is.
She sips the hot coffee when it's finished, relishing the feeling of the liquid running down her parched throat. Mariana puts the cup in the sink and take a quick shower,
I have so much crap to do today, top of the list find a job.
She wraps a towel around her wet skin after she leaves the warm water sifting through her closet for something to slip on. She pulls out her favorite pair of seven dark jeans and a black v neck sweater; she pulls on a pair of her black knee high boots.
I minus well look cute, who know who I might see,
she giggles to herself. Immediately Achilleo pops into her head,
why am I thinking about him, Bales told me enough about him to know he's not interested much in anything but his job.
She still thinks about him though, those eyes, Mariana berates herself,
you went on a date with Bale and now you're daydreaming about his cousin.
She sighs and grabs her keys and purse,
why can't anything ever be simple?
Mariana walks down the streets of the shopping area in her town, it was crowded today so she parked her car on the corner instead of driving slowly through traffic all day.
Her it is,
she stands in front of a beautiful old fashion looking building, it looks out of place on the busy modern street, and people rush up and down the sidewalk, pass it, but a good number stop and go inside or just to admire it. Her friend Leann had told her that a restaurant in town was looking for some help and that it had amazing food and was beautiful and sophisticated, much unlike the bar she works at. Salutary Den runs across the top in an expensive looking script the red brick tones of the front has Mariana entranced and she quickly walks inside eager to see the rest. As soon as you walk inside you are in a warm looking room a dark wood covers the walls and floors and black leather furniture covers the spacious room with a booming fireplace in the middle of the room. The fire place is an amazing marble with two large wolves sitting next to each other. People sit in the chairs talking quietly as they are served glasses of wine, the Maitre d' comes a few times escorting people through a large wooden door obviously to the restaurant area.
"This is amazing." Marianna whispers not wanting to ruin the peaceful environment of the room.
"It is isn't it?" A deep voice booms behind her.
Marianna jumps and turns surprise lighting her eyes as she sees who it is.
"Bale, what are you doing here?"
He looks pleased at her surprise, "My cousin works here, Achilleo the big brutish guy that helped me move." He chuckles.
