To Love a Were

NB

: Hi all! Here's a new story I've been working on. I seem to like the name MacFarlane a lot so I'm using it again [although it has nothing to do with The Hunters]. Hope you like it and let me know what you think!

***

Dominic was restless. All the members on the board had already taken their seats and still the CEO had not arrived. The meeting had been rather sudden and it had made everyone anxious. Had their Alpha sensed a coming drop in stock prices?

As the highest ranking Beta and second in command, Dominic had gone through all their audited accounts and had spent the past hour studying the stock market for any potential problems. The property index was very important because a sudden drop in prices could mean a potential loss of land for the pack. They needed those lands to run around without being a danger to others or themselves. His thoughts suddenly went to his pregnant sister.

Fuming, Dominic fiddled with his handphone, deciding that he was going to call his Alpha in another five minutes should he still not arrive by then. He had tried to access his Alpha mentally through the bond they shared but he must have been too far away and out of reach.

Suddenly the meeting room door open and in strode the Alpha in question.

"Good morning everyone. I sincerely apologize..." Dominic looked up and realized that his Alpha was looking directly at him. He could almost hear the slight accent in his voice. Eian usually slipped into his native tongue when he was upset or distracted about something and it bothered Dominic that he wasn't given privy to what it was.

"It is not my habit of being tardy but I was held up at the medical centre." Dominic's eyes immediately flew to his Alpha.

Is it my sister?

Don't worry my friend... she's fine...

Dominic relaxed a little at his Alpha's words and sat waiting for him to begin the meeting.

"I have come to the decision... that it is time we open our board to humans." A second passed in silence before the room erupted into fevered accusations, disagreements and general commotion. Even Dominic found himself standing up in shock. Never since the founding of MacFarlane Realty had there ever been directors appointed from outside the pack. Was his Alpha suggesting that the current board of directors had been incompetent?

"No, I'm not saying that you all have been incompetent, but I think we need to learn to expand our minds by accepting other ideas from a world outside our pack life," said Eian, as though replying directly to Dominic's question. "We have recently procured some prime land that ought to be developed for commercial purposes; our pack has more than enough land as of now so this is not a threat to our security." Eian leaned back in his chair as he watched his Betas arguing among themselves. He knew they wanted to express their anger and concern towards him but somehow their wolf hierarchies had always put a limit to that. He glanced slightly to his right at Dominic who had sat down but was silent.

"Silence," he ordered. "This is exactly why I am tired of all of you never daring to voice your concerns or disagreements to me. What good would all your ideas be if you never share it with me, never dare to disagree with me? An outsider with no bonds to this pack would have no reservations about challenging me or coming up with alternative plans. I have no authority over them as an Alpha and this is what our firm needs in order for it to grow."

The chatter in the room quietened down and Eian could see the resignation on their faces.

"Oran would be reaching the five century mark and we both have come to the agreement that he should retire and stay in the compound to be with his family more."

Murmurs of agreement went around the room. Then one female Beta meekly raised her hand.

"Alpha... does that mean we are only hiring one human to fill in Oran's place?"

Eian beamed at her.

"That's a good question. No, actually we're going to hire two humans." Eian watched the confused looks on his board members before smiling at Dominic who was staring at him with a concerned look.

But Eian! That would mean one of us has to leave!

"I have also decided to step down as your Head Director." Instantly the room burst into an outroar.

"Alpha! You cannot do that!"

"Who's going to take your place?"

"How are we going to make decisions?"

Questions after questions sailed across the room towards him but Eian merely smiled.

"Dominic will do the hiring for these two positions and take care of all the other business matters." At the uncertain look on his Beta's faces, Eian spoke again, "It doesn't matter whether I am on the board or not. I

am

the board because this firm belongs to MacFarlane pack. Remember that. You're all dismissed."

Dominic was the only one who stayed in his seat while the rest scuttled out the meeting room. His blue eyes were fixed on Eian's intense green eyes.

"What are you really doing Eian?" the concern in Dominic's voice was unmistakable. They had been friends since they were pups and Dominic had no intention of letting his friend get away with hid decisions today without explainations.

"Are you questioning your Alpha, Dominic?" he replied with a stern voice. If Dominic hadn't been glaring at Eian, he would not have noticed the slight flicker of amusement in his Alpha's eyes.

"Don't give me that crap Eian... Tell me what is really wrong and I'll beg forgiveness for questioning my Alpha." Dominic stubbornly kept his gaze on his Alpha until the latter relented. His friend was clearly a stubborn, hot blooded wolf; a complete opposite of himself. He was always the calm, gentle and patient one... or so he'd like to think. The wolf inside him seemed amused at that description of himself.

"I'm going back to the medical centre. You're welcome to follow but I want the new directors hired by the end of this week." Eian turned his back and walked out of the room, leaving Dominic in a state of annoyance.

Mumbling curses under his breath, he stormed out of the room and began to call up the Human Resource department, threatening to breathe down their back every five minutes if they didn't bring him potential candidates by the end of the day. Snapping his hand phone shut, he hurried after Eian.

His Alpha was sitting comfortable at the passenger seat of his Lamborghini Reventón, dangling his car key in his fingers. Dominic managed to roll his eyes before snatching the keys away.

The drive to the medical centre was short, seeing that they were driving a sports car. Dominic's wolf reveled at the idea of being behind such a fast car that he was tempted to keep breaking the speed limit if it wasn't for Eian's constant reminder that he had not had pups to replace him yet.

***

Dominic parked the sports car perfectly into the reserved parking lot and together they made their way into the medical centre. He came here regularly with Pearl, his sister, for her checkups whenever he could so he was used to the odd sterile and clinical smell it had.

Eian did not say anything as they walked in but simply nodded to the various staff that had passed by. Eian himself had opened the medical centre about fifty years ago after some of his young wolves had graduated from medical school under the company's funding. There, he allowed the traditional healers and the modern medicine trained younglings to care for the sick and wounded Weres.

Finally, he stopped as a leggy blonde doctor came up to them. Dominic looked at her curiously as he had not seen her before.

"This is Doctor Amber MacFarlane. You'd probably not have seen her around because she's in pediatrics. Pearl's not had any pups yet," said Eian, once again reading his friend's expression as though he had said his thoughts out loud.

"Pleased to meet you," she replied with a bright smile, aimed for Eian, ignoring Dominic completely. "She's resting Eian... but I think she'd like to see you. As per your instructions, I have been the only one administering all her medication and changing her bandages. But she still calls your name ever so often."

"Thank you Amber." Eian entered the room, followed closely by Dominic. His friend's annoyance at the doctor immediately evaporated at the sight of what laid on the hospital bed. Once the door was closed, his nostrils were attacked by the most distinctive scent of blood that he had not sensed while they were outside.

"Is that... Eian... you cannot be serious!" he hissed in outrage. "What is that thing doing here?" he asked accusingly.

"That thing... is a child, a wounded child if I may add." Dominic watched his Alpha approach the bed, not daring to come close himself. He let out another hiss when his Alpha's fingers caressed the child's cheeks. Child or not, that thing was a Vampire and it was inside their medical facility, clearly a threat to them all.

"If you're going to behave like an asshole, then get the hell out of here. If she wakes up and gets scared I will personally break your bones Dominic," Eian's voice was calm and gentle but the eerie chillness in which he said it made the threat even more deadly. Dominic swallowed hard and inched away towards the door.

When Dominic had left, Eian gave a sigh and sat in the chair next to the bed. His fingers brushed the little girl's cheeks softly, feeling the icy coldness on his fingertips. Wanting her to get more warmth, he pulled up the blankets to her chin and settled to watch her breath; her little chest rising up and down and Eian desperately tried to hear her heartbeat even though the heartbeat monitor showed that it was stable.

Somehow sensing his presence, her eyes slowly fluttered open. The intensity of her blue eyes set against her pale skin and even paler white hair shocked him out of his daze.

"Eian..." she croaked. Eian felt his heart break at the fragility of her voice. She was searching for him, even though he was right beside her. Somehow she hadn't yet regained her eyesight after the trauma that befell her. Dominic had been right. She reeked of blood... but not her own. It had taken him and Amber a long time to wipe the blood off her as they couldn't bathe her yet seeing that she still had many wounds that were still healing.

"I'm here, my precious..." he whispered, bringing his face close to her cheeks, nuzzling it there, as though trying to pass on his warmth to her. His scent seemed to calm her down again and she fell back into sleep.

After making sure she was really asleep, Eian let himself out of the room and saw Dominic leaning against the opposite wall, waiting for him. He wasn't saying anything but his posture showed his disgust and annoyance. Eian didn't bother to calm his friend down but proceeded to find Amber to give further instructions to her. Dominic couldn't help but observe them. She was looking at him with such sultry eyes; her coat had been removed and her breasts were straining against her silk blouse. Any male within the vicinity could smell the bitch in heat but not Eian. The guy was totally immune to her come ons. Rolling his eyes, he went over to the nurse's counter and took a pen and paper. After scribbling something he approached the two of them and smugly took Amber's hands and slapped the scrap of paper into her palm before dragging Eian away from her.

"I'll give a call later," Eian said they walked away. Dominic turned back one last time to look at the pretty blonde Doctor and saw her face flushed. Surely she didn't think the number in her hands belonged to the Alpha did she?

***

Dominic was perusing the candidate list given by the Human Resource department. Some of them had personally applied for the position while others had to be personally head hunted should he choose to hire them. Dominic wasn't sure which was worst- actually interviewing a human, smelling their anxiety and desire for the job or begging like a dog to a human to ask them to work with them. As a general rule, Dominic hated humans but he hated Vampires more.

But his Alpha's words were a command so he'd have to make his best decision soon. He finally decided on two men- Sydney Sandilands and Ian Ramsey. He didn't really like women that much and found them useful only for sex, if nothing else. The first one came highly recommended by the HR department and after looking through the profile; he admitted that he would be a good addition to the company. The only problem was that Mr. Sandilands was already a marketing director in another company and thus Dominic would have to give a personal invitation to join their company. For a man to become a director at such a young age was definitely a sign that he was capable.

Grudgingly, Dominic put on his coat and notified his secretary about his plans. He'd ask her to give Mr. Sandilands's office a call to say that he was coming. He didn't bother waiting to see if the man was actually available. If he wasn't, then just as well. He wasn't going to wait around for a human.

When he arrived at the office lobby, Dominic was actually impressed by the size of the building he was in. It was a much bigger firm than theirs and possibly more well established. He flirted a little with the front desk clerk while he waited for her to grant him access up to see Sydney Sandilands. The petite lady was absolutely red by the time she was done with the calls. Dominic had looked at her with such roving eyes; licking his lips each time she looked his way. What was there not to like about him? He was six feet two, with a toned body achieved through rigorous training and weights; his blonde hair fanned his face perfectly, accentuating his sparkling blue eyes and sharp nose. On top of it all, he was sure she couldn't resist his lips. Haven't so many women told him he was the god of kissing?

He scribbled his number lazily on a piece of paper he found on the desk and winked at her before he made his way up.

The secretary outside Sydney Sandilands's office was another petite woman. What was it with this office and hiring petite women? Nevertheless, he flashed her a smile and she blushed as she told him to wait a moment.

"Miss Sandilands is ready to see you, Mr. MacFarlane," she said apologetically as she came out of the director's office. Dominic stood quite rooted on the spot for a moment. Surely she had made a mistake?

"I'm sorry. I'm here to see Sydney Sandilands. Mr.Sandilands? I think I've been sent to the wrong office."

The petite secretary looked at him questioningly then shook her head.

"There is only one Sydney Sandilands in this whole building sir, and she's inside there waiting for you." When he still didn't move, she added with a whisper, "She doesn't like to be kept waiting, sir."

"Ah, fuck this," he cursed under his breath. She must have lied on her resume or charmed her way up the ranks. He was going to go in out of courtesy and bluff his way out of it. There's no way in hell that he was hiring a woman.

But once he entered the door, all annoyance was wiped off his face and in its place was a mask he reserved for business; a no-nonsense attitude with the tendency to bully his way through to get what he wanted.

The woman that greeted him looked like one that was easily bullied. She had the most doe-eyed looking eyes that he had ever seen. It reminded him briefly of the little girl in the medical centre. He had not seen her eyes but he was assured that she would have that same child-likeness in them as the eyes he was seeing into right now. Then there was the question of her hair. It was blonde... yet it was red at the same time. He had never seen hair in that shade and from the looks of it, it was probably her real hair because her eyebrows and eyelash were of the same colour. On top of that she smelled like juicy strawberries...

"Do I pass your inspection, Mr. MacFarlane?" she asked with a slightly amused look in her eyes. For a moment, Dominic almost didn't hear her question but the slight howling of his wolf shook him out of his daze.

"I apologize for my rudeness. It is just that I have never seen someone like you before."

She looked up at him from her desk and gave him a half amuse, half annoyed look.

"That, is perhaps a redundant statement, seeing that we have never seen each other before. Please sit. I have many things I'd like to complete today. Please state your matter briefly."

Dominic was taken aback at how she had simply waved off his compliment and dived straight to business. So much for bullying her.

"My name is Dominic MacFarlane and I am currently the CE... I mean one of the directors at MacFarlane Realty. It's a relatively smaller firm as compared to yours but we are currently looking for someone to come on board with us as a board member and as it is, I think you are highly qualified for it."

"Highly qualified? Surely it doesn't take much to guess how qualified I am seeing that I am the Marketing Director here."

Dominic cocked his eyebrow. This woman was just impossible. Sweet talk would never move her but somehow her repartee was much appreciated by his wolf that he couldn't contain his excitement about actually getting this woman into his bed... did he just say bed? He meant the office...

Stop it!

He chided his wolf.

"Well, Mr. MacFarlane, if there's nothing else you have to say, you can see yourself out. Thank you," she said, dismissing him. Dominic was outraged. He had never yet met a bloody woman whom he could not control.

"I am here to openly invite you to take up a position as a board of director at our company. I sincerely hope that you would consider our proposal because our company is in need of experienced and dedicated employees. I know it is difficult for someone in your position to come down to our level, but I sincerely hope you would be up to the challenge," he said with a slight twinkle in his eyes. "With that said, we will still respect your decision but we hope that you could let us know as soon as possible." Then he turned and walked out the door, leaving Sydney staring at his back.

Every step he took to the elevator was difficult. His wolf kept on howling like an oversexed maniac. Sure, he would have loved to wipe that smug off her face... maybe pin her to the wall as he took her... What was he talking about? Annoyed with himself, Dominic rushed out of the building and hopped into his chauffeured car back to his own office, far away from that woman.

***

The Vampire girl had been restless. She kept waking up and screaming into the darkness for Eian, refusing to eat her medication and was eventually restrained because she had tried to attack Amber with her sharp talons. Amber did not understand why her Alpha was so protective over this child. It took her a lot of courage to even come near the Vampire. It was a common fact that the Vampire fang was lethal to Weres. Had Eian ever thought of that?

Her resentment was abated when she felt her phone vibrating and saw the number dialing it. So he had called after all!

"Hey Amber... I'll be coming round to pick you up in a few minutes. Eian's orders. He told me to get you home to the compound because you've had a long day today. He'll be taking over from you once we get there."

"Oh," she said, trying to hide her disappointment as much as possible. It was Dominic. So that was his number, not the Alpha's. Her Alpha was coming over not to look at her but at the Vampire child. Her level of resentment rose even more.

"Fine." Her reply was much more curt than she'd like but she was too upset to care. She sat at the nurses' desk, grumbling to herself until she saw Eian and Dominic walking up to her a few meters away. She vaguely heared the Vampire girl crying; she must have sensed Eian and was calling out for attention. Ignoring her, Amber walked forward to greet them. Her arms were open for the usual greeting but Eian simply went past her. Immediately her hand fell to her side and she turned to watch him disappear into the room; her face flushed with anger.