The Hungry Wolf Ch 05

Hello again! I realize it has been a while, but I did warn you it would be. I think this should actually get me back on the normal schedule for posting this story. And I am not done with Bliss, I assure you, but Malcolm and Melody haven't been as open with me lately as they used to be, so it is taking a bit longer. (And to the anonymous emailer with the bondage bunny – you are an artist! But it won't make the words come any faster, sorry!)

Anyway – here is the fifth chapter. I hope you enjoy it and I hope it was worth the wait.

My thanks again to John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebrake for their unintended inspiration.

-W

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When Charlie woke the following morning, she didn't know whether to be angry or laugh at finding herself in Damien's bed. She could feel him behind her and turned her head to find him sleeping on his back, his left arm out and under her head. She smiled and carefully rolled over, not wanting to wake him. She watched him as he slept for a bit, eyes traveling from his hair down to the covers that rested just past his hip bones almost greedily. Charlie watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, fighting the urge to lean over and nibble at his little pink nipples. She dragged her eyes back up to his face, all lascivious thoughts fleeing before the peaceful look he wore. She glanced down at her hand, the morning light glinting off the ring on her finger, and she felt herself tear up. She remembered his declaration last night, and her heart swelled as she thought over all he would be giving up, the lengths he would go for her, and realized she was loved beyond anything she'd ever thought possible. She felt her last resistance to him, the last barrier she had erected between them, crumbling. She acknowledged to herself she had fallen in love with him and smiled realizing the thought no longer scared her. She carefully rolled back over and saw her tank top and underwear on the nightstand. She slowly got up and slipped her tank top on, padding over to her suitcase and pulling out her pajama pants, forgoing underwear until after her shower. She put them on and left, closing the door as quietly as possible.

Damien listened to her make her way downstairs and released a sigh he had been holding in. He rolled on to his stomach, laying his head on the still-warm sheets and breathing in her scent. He knew as soon as she had woken up, but remained still, unsure of how she would react to finding herself naked in his bed. He breathed deeply again, nose nuzzling the sheets, before rolling off the bed and stretching, checking the clock next to the bed to find it was just before 7AM. He could smell coffee brewing and smiled, grabbing clothes and making his way to the shower.

He washed up quickly and dressed, slipping on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, grabbing his socks and boots and heading downstairs. Charlie was at the stove, stirring something delicious smelling in a big pan, shaking her hips and humming to herself.

"I don't know if I should be more impressed by the show or the food," Damien teased, moving to the coffee pot and pouring himself a cup.

"Holy shit!" Charlie jumped and squealed, jerking the spatula in her hand and accidentally flinging some egg into her hair. "You really have to stop sneaking up on me like that."

"Sorry, my love," he said, walking over to her and kissing her cheek, picking the egg out of her hair and tossing it into the sink.

"Yeah, right," she said, smiling at the playfulness in his eyes. "I just bet you are."

"What are you making? Smells great." He looked over her shoulder at the eggs, sausage and vegetables in the pan.

"Breakfast. Just a quick scramble. Nothing fancy," Charlie said with a shrug. "Have a seat, it's almost done." She pointed to the breakfast bar where she'd set two place settings.

Damien smiled, moving around the counter and sliding onto one of the stools.

"Do you want some juice?" Charlie asked, setting butter and hot sauce on the counter in front of him.

"No, thank you." He sipped his coffee, watching as she put the scramble on two plates already boasting toast and sliced fruit. She turned and put one down in front of him, noting his wry smile.

"What?" she asked, putting the other plate in front of the empty stool.

"Nothing fancy, huh?"

"I like to cook."

"Uh huh," he said, picking up his fork and scooping a generous amount of eggs into his mouth, eyes closing and making happy sounds in his throat at the taste. "This is delicious."

"I'm glad you like it."

"What's in it?"

"Eggs, sausage, tomatoes, avocado, Dijon mustard and cream cheese."

"You know, I would never have thought to put those things together in one pan and call it breakfast," Damien laughed. "Did you go to school to learn to cook?"

"Nothing formal. Classes at community college, workshops and seminars."

"Really?" She nodded. "Well, I am even more impressed." Charlie blushed at that and he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "And I am running late," he said, glancing at the clock on microwave. "The delivery will be here at 8."

"You have to work today?" Charlie asked. Although she was relieved to have some time to herself, she felt a lurch in her gut at the thought of not seeing him all day.

"Sorry love. We need to get the fencing repaired as soon as possible, but I should be back by 2 or so." He looked down at his lap. "I will take you to get your car when I get back."

"What? Oh right. I forgot about that," she said, waving her hand. "It's okay, I'm not in a rush, really. Although it would be nice to have my stuff. It's just...I wasn't really expecting you to have to work."

He smiled, relieved she wasn't anxious to leave. "I'll have Lisa come visit you for lunch."

"Lisa?"

"I told you about her last night?"

"Oh. Right." She picked at her breakfast a moment. "That would be great."

"If you need anything, just ask Eva or Darian. They'll be here." He quickly cleared his plate, Charlie's eyes going wide at the disappearing food. "Delicious," he said, leaning over and kissing her gently.

"Thanks."

"Thank you, dolcezza," he said, standing up and taking his dishes to the sink.

"Damien, could you leave me Tony's number before you go?"

"Why?" he asked, turning around to look at her, his eyes narrowing.

"Because I want to talk to him."

"No. You don't need to talk to him."

"Excuse me?"

"You don't need to talk to him." He leaned against the sink and looked at her, arms folded across his chest.

"I want to talk to him."

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" Charlie asked, getting angry.

"Why do you want to talk to him?"

"Because I do."

"No. Not good enough, Charlie."

"Not

good enough?

What the hell does that mean? I want to talk to Tony because I do. Okay? He offered me his friendship and I fully intend on taking him up on it." She got up and came around the counter to stand in front of him. "I'm not asking your permission here. And for the record, this whole attitude of yours" she waved her hands at him "is really pissing me off." He stared at her hard, and she could see just how upset he was. "Why don't you want me to talk to him, Damien? What are you afraid he'll tell me?"

"Nothing," he bit out. Charlie looked at him closely and he turned his head, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"This is jealousy?" she asked quietly. She put her hand to his cheek when he refused to look at her. "Why would you be – oh." She raised her other hand to his face and gently turned his head to face her. He dropped his eyes to look at her feet and she tskd him. "Look at me, Damien, not at my feet." He slowly raised his eyes and Charlie tried not to show her shock at the hurt in them. "Tony offered to be an ear I can bend, someone I could vent to. That's all. I like the fact I have a friend I made here. Eva is wonderful – as I am sure Lisa will be – but they are talking with me at

your

behest, not mine. Can you see the difference?" He nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but Charlie put a finger over his lips. "I'm not trying to play you like she did. I would never do that to you. All I want from Tony is his friendship, Damien." She smiled at him, trying to reassure him. "But I will wait on that. Not because I agree that I need your permission – I don't need your permission – but because I don't want to cause you any more hurt. I don't like it when you look at me like that."

"Charlie-" he began.

"Nu-uh. You won this one. Just shut up and kiss me already, you...big galoot," she said, cutting him off.

He barked a laugh at that, and Charlie smiled in return, stepping to him and going up on her toes to hook her arms around his neck. Damien put his arms around her, capturing her mouth with his as he lifted her off her feet, making her squeal.

"You sure you have to go?" she whispered, feeling his cock hard against her stomach. She sucked his lower lip before nibbling at it. She suddenly wanted him, wanted to feel him inside her again, the exquisite feeling of fullness and pressure from him thrusting inside her, the weight and heat of his body as it covered hers.

"Charlie. My love," he moaned, kissing down her neck, making her shiver. He could smell how aroused she was and it took all he had to not carry her back upstairs and spend the day making love. "I have to go." He gently set her on her feet and untangling her arms.

"I know," she said, hooking one arm around his neck and cupping him through his jeans with her free hand. He groaned as she squeezed him.

"I will be back around 2."

"Alright. If you

have

to go," she said, giving him a pout. He bent down to kiss her and she slipped her tongue in his mouth, coaxing his out to suck on it before she released his mouth and began nuzzling at his neck.

"Make it around 1," he sighed as she playfully bit down his neck.

"Better," she said, moving her hands under his shirt and up his chest. She scraped her nails across his nipples. "Do I hear a noon?" She attacked his mouth again.

"Dolcezza," he said with a laugh, breaking the kiss and taking a step back as Charlie dropped her hands to her sides. "Hold that thought and we'll pick up where we left off when I get back."

"Fine," she said with a melodramatic sigh. He looked at her, eyebrow raised and she couldn't hold back the laughter anymore. "I'll be here when you get back," she said, smiling up at him.

"I'll be as quick as I can, my love."

"Go on," she said, turning him around and pushing him away.

She watched him leave and kicked herself for not having the courage to tell him she loved him. "I'll just have to be sure to tell him when he gets home," she said with a shrug as she started to clean up after breakfast. She got the kitchen back in order and went to the guest room she used last night, or started to, anyway, picking up her clothes and sandals and carrying them back upstairs to their room. She paused halfway up, realizing she just thought of the master suite as hers and Damien's. She waited for the panicky feeling she was sure would come, smiling as she continued upstairs when she realized it wasn't going to.

She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the phone. She wanted to call Becky, but wasn't sure what to tell her. How do you tell your best friend that you met a guy, fell for him completely in three days time, found out he's a werewolf and were seriously considering letting him make you a werewolf, too? She picked up the handset and laid back on the bed, giggling. "I don't have to tell her

everything

," she muttered, glancing at the clock.

She dialed Becky's work and waited for the recording to play, punching in her extension when prompted. The phone was on the third ring before she picked up.

"This is Ms Black." Her voice was smooth, professional, all business.

"Becky Black? Asset recovery specialist of the year in 2010

and

2011?" Charlie teased.

"Charlie!"

"Who else?" she laughed. "Got a minute?"

"Of course. What's up?"

"Well...I think I might stay on here for a bit."

"A bit?"

"Yeah."

"I see. Exactly how long is 'a bit'?"

"It's kind of...you know, however long." Charlie giggled, imagining Becky's reaction if she told her it was centuries.

"You got it bad, Char."

"You know something? I think you're right." She sat up on the bed and switched the phone to her right hand, holding out her left. "He sort of proposed last night."

"What! How do you sort of propose?"

"He got to his knee and said he wouldn't live where I wasn't, he loved me, and then he gave me a ring."

"As in a diamond ring?"

"Uh huh. It's exquisite, too."

"Wow," Becky said quietly.

"I know, Beck."

"What did you say?"

"That I need to think about it, I just needed some time. It was happening really fast, you know? I mean – three days, Beck. Three fucking days! That's just...nutso." Neither spoke for a minute.

"Sounds like you've decided," Becky finally said.

"Am I crazy? Is this totally stupid?"

Becky was quiet again, weighing her words. "You know, my first instinct is to say I don't know, Char. I mean, I haven't met him or seen you two together, and I would hate it if you got hurt. So I want to caution you. I feel it is my duty to caution you. But another part of me thinks you should throw that caution to the wind and just go with it. Who ever said there was a minimum time requirement for falling in love? Some people just know – instantly – and they live the fairytale happily ever after."

"I know," Charlie sighed.

"All I do know is you sound happy. You sound...how can I put this...serene."

"Serene?"

"We've been friends almost ten years now, right?"

"About that."

"And in all that time I think I've seen you fully relaxed maybe a dozen times. You always seemed like you were expecting something bad to happen. Like, no matter what we were doing or how much fun we were having, you were waiting for something to come along a ruin it, like you were looking over your shoulder for the big bad boogeyman."

"I did?"

"Yeah, you did," Becky said gently. "I mean, after what you've been through...I get it. And now it seems...I don't know...like the shrillness that was just under the surface is gone."

"Shrillness? Really?"

"You've been singing."

"How'd you know?" Charlie asked with a gasp.

"Because you only sing when you are really happy and relaxed. Remember Cabo?"

"Yeah," Charlie said with a laugh. She had gone to Cabo San Lucas with Becky and her then-girlfriend Maria five years ago and one night they ended up in a margarita bar singing karaoke with a group of college students. "That was a good time."

"And the first time I heard you sing."

"Was it?" Charlie asked, her tone shocked.

"It was."

"Huh."

"It was one of those rare occasions when you let yourself just be. You relaxed and all your guards were down."

"Huh," she repeated. Both women were silent for a while. "I wish you were here."

"I can't decide for you."

"I know that. I just...want your opinion, that's all."

"My opinion? Do what makes you happy."

"That simple, huh?"

"It always is." Both women were silent for a moment.

"Hey Beck...what would you do if you fell in love with someone fundamentally different from you?" Charlie asked at last.

"Different how?"

"Like, totally different from you?"

"Like what? Black? Republican? Jewish?"

"You've dated a black woman and a Jewish woman."

"And a republican or two," Becky laughed.

"Okay. Then just hypothetically, lets say all three."

"Damien's not a republican, is he?"

"No, he's not," Charlie laughed.

"Good. You had me worried there," Becky said, making Charlie laugh again.

Becky was quiet for a few moments, thinking over her friend's question carefully. "I don't know. I guess, if I loved them, the other stuff wouldn't matter, would it? I mean, she would have been those things when I fell in love with her, right? So if it didn't bother me as it happened, why would it bother me after it happened?" she said at last.

"I hadn't thought of that," Charlie said, a big grin spreading on her face. "If I fell for Damien before I knew, then why should it be different

now that I know

?" she squealed, throwing herself back on the bed. "You, my friend, are fucking brilliant."

"Tell me something I don't know," Becky snorted. "But I have to ask, before you knew

what

?"

"I...I can't say right now."

"No?"

"Let me ask you something else?"

"Shoot."

"Let's just say that this amazing person you met and fell for also fell in love with you, but in order to be with them you had to change yourself, fundamentally, to be what they were."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's say you met a wonderful woman who happened to be black and Jewish, and you two fell instantly in love. But in order to make it last, you had to become black and Jewish, too."

"I see." Charlie could hear her taking a deep breath. "Well, I'll tell you, I don't think that would be a sacrifice, Char, because it wouldn't change the person I am. And if it meant that much to her, if it were that important, and ensured our happiness then it wouldn't be a question on whether or not I would do it."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Thanks, Beck. What would I do without you?"

"Wander about aimless and forlorn?"

"Probably," Charlie laughed.

"Now will you tell me what's going on?"

"No. But I promise I will tell you soon."

"When?"

"When are you coming for a visit?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm dying for you to meet him."

"I can't wait to come out! Let me look at the calendar after lunch and get it figured out. I'll call you back and let you know tonight."

"That would be great." Charlie lay on the bed, smiling.

"Ugh, I have a meeting in five."

"Okay. I'll let you go. Call me tonight."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye."

Charlie laid there for a few more minutes, pulling the pillow Damien used over her face and breathing in his scent, a goofy grin on her face as she thought over what her friend had said. "It makes no difference what he is, or what I become, because it doesn't change who he is or who I am. It doesn't change what we have," she whispered into his pillow, hugging it to her, wishing he was there to share in her epiphany.

She sighed, reluctantly getting up and making the bed. She looked around for the box she'd gotten out of her car but it wasn't in his room. She stood still, trying to remember where it had gotten to, and startled when she heard someone calling her name.

"Hello?" she called, sticking her head out the bedroom door.

"Hi! It's Lisa. Mr.Dimeo asked me to come by and talk to you?" she called up the stairs.

"Oh! Right. I'll be right down." Charlie ran over to her suitcase and grabbed a pair of underwear, bra, her cutoffs and a plain white t-shirt before heading to the bathroom to change and wash up. She stared at herself in the mirror closely as she brushed her teeth. She looked tired, she thought, but happy. Happier than she would have thought possible. She quickly finished washing up and changing before bounding down the stairs barefoot.

"Lisa?" she asked as she saw a cute blonde sitting at the breakfast bar. She had a stylish looking bob that framed her round face perfectly, blue eyes and clear skin. She was nearly the same height as Charlie, making her happy she wasn't the only short person around.

"Hi! You must be Mr. Dimeo's mate."

"I...I don't know how to answer that," Charlie said giggling. She felt giddy after talking to Becky. "Just call me Charlie, okay?"

"Okay," Lisa said, giving her a shy smile.

"Am I breaking some sort of rule with that? Everyone keeps calling me his mate or Ms Bell, and it seems so formal."

"It's just respect, really. From, uh...lesser wolves."