Chapter 10: Love, Actually.
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Caius had no choice but to return to work after his miserable discussion with Astrid. He didn't know what he'd been thinking when he'd shown up to the Magic Shop like that. It had been too fresh, too soon. He should have given Astrid some time before cornering her like that. But he had to let her know...had wanted to let her know how he felt about her.
But then, then she had gone and said what she had said. And pushed him out of the shop with her magic. So he had to simply return to work and regroup. Caius was exhausted from being pushed away by Astrid. He had thrown himself into work, and before long his day was coming to and end.
But not the drama.
Never the drama.
As he was rounding up with the guards for the evening he was frustrated to noticed their attention lacking. Actually, their attention was more than lacking, it was absolutely distracted. He could feel the men shifting in their spots, eyes lingering down the hall. Caius just about want to smash everything up and release his beast, he was so frustrated. He turned around to see what had the men all distracted. He was ready to shout at whoever it was who was causing such a spectacle down the hall, but the words died in his throat.
It was
Her
.
Astrid, impossibly beautiful, breath-taking and strutting down the hallway, her hips swaying in that seductive manner of hers.
So this was her game now, then? Temptation, distraction, throwing herself in his face, only to remind him that he couldn't have her. Only to remind him of the words she had hurled at him; when she had told him she'd go out and find another man. Caius felt white rage shoot through his soul.
Astrid was encased in what had to be the tightest dress ever known to man, which seemed to show every glorious curve on her exquisite figure and left absolutely nothing to the imagination. She was wearing heels which did everything to exaggerate her hips as they moved, and lengthened her already long, perfect legs.
Her hair was glossy and lightly curled, accentuating the beautiful contours of her face, her makeup - and she never wore makeup - it made her eyes all the more deeper, her face all the more bright and enchanting. Caius couldn't stop staring at her lips, painted in an alluring red clearly designed so that any man who saw her wearing it would instantly thing about her gorgeous lips kissing and sucking and-
She always looked beautiful, but right then and there, she was dressed as if she had every intention of catching herself a man. Which, Caius was devastated to realise, clearly wouldn't be hard for her.
She hadn't even gotten to a club and every single man in the hallway was diverted. He hadn't expected to see her back at the Underground after their feud this afternoon, but it was like she'd come back just to torment him. And Damn it, it was working.
He was so mad with himself and Astrid. Because even after everything she had said and he had done, he still found his heart hammering for her. Fuck, but she was his, damn it. When would she yield to him? What did he have to do to subdue her? To make her realise she belonged to him and that no other man living or dead had a right to see her this way.
"Wow", Lachlan laughed as Astrid passed them, heading towards the exit of the building, "Where are you going like that?"
"Out to the club," Astrid smiled, "just a night on the town."
"With anyone special?" Lachlan asked, and Caius wondered for a moment if the young pup was sweet on her. Caius just about wanted to smash to young wolf in his face.
"Just with some of the girls from the coven," Astrid replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. The movement sent a whoosh of exotic scent into his face and Caius was almost brought to his knees.
"So it's a night on the prowl then," Lachlan sighed, "Wish I could come."
"Lola will be there," Caius saw Lachlan blush at the mention of the woman's name, and Caius decided he wouldn't beat up the wolf, as clearly he was diverted by this other woman. Although Caius couldn't understand why. Who could notice any other women with Astrid in the room?
"Why don't you come out when you finish your shift?" he watched Astrid ask the young wolf.
"Will you be out that late?" Lachlan asked, "I'll finish around 1." So would Caius, he decided.
"Oh yeah," Astrid laughed a deep throaty laugh, "I will be out
all
night. Come on down."
Was it possible to be so angry that he could have a brain aneurysm?
"Ok," Lachlan replied, "Great!"
"See ya," She smiled, completely ignoring Caius as she passed him down the hallway and towards the exit.
Caius felt like the vein in his head was going to explode. She hadn't even spared him a look, he was furious.
"Alright, enough chatting," he yelled out, capturing their attention, and in fact causing a few of the guards to jump, 'No distractions, you get sloppy when you get distracted."
Caius decided one thing then and there, if Astrid was going out, he was going out too.
She'd come to know the folly of her flaunting by the end of the night, he was certain.
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"So you're coming with me, why?" Lachlan asked, a frown of annoyance apparent across the young werewolf's face. And really, Caius mused, it was completely understandable given the fact that he'd just been informed that he was giving a ride to his boss to a club on a Friday night.
"Because I have some business at the club," Caius snapped back, refusing to give the young man his real reason.
Lachlan didn't need to know that he was stalking his friend, in the hope of...well Caius wasn't sure what. In the hopes of ensuring she didn't hook up with some other guy? Did he have a right after what he'd done? Was it fair that it boiled his blood to think of Astrid with some man after he'd gone and fucked Vanessa?
But then, it wasn't that simple was it? because he was the one in love with Astrid, she'd pretty much told him she couldn't stand him. Fucking Vanessa hadn't made him forget Astrid, just made him disgusted with himself, and his wolf so furious with him he had barely heard from the beast since the event. That had never happened, and actually Caius was certain it was unnatural.
"Right," Lachlan replied as they pulled up in the car, "well, don't get in the way. I wouldn't want to deprive Astrid the chance to hook up with someone who may actually commit to her," he said pointedly at Caius. The mention of the witch's name made Caius jump.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Lachlan replied, pining him with a hard look. Caius opened his mouth to object but Lachlan cut him off, "and don't get all sanctimonious on me, ok? I
know
there's something going on with you two. Or at least there was."
Caius wasn't sure how best to approach the subject.
"Who else knows?"
"Pretty much everyone but Vanessa," Lachlan replied matter-of-factly. "I mean she was probably suspicious but then you went and fucked her, so I'd say that's gotten her off the scent of things. Although it pissed Astrid right off and I can't blame her."
Caius knew his eyes were horrified.
"Oh, don't give me that look," Lachlan rolled his eyes, "You can't expect Astrid to want to be with you anymore after fucking another woman. You broke her heart. You're lucky she hasn't hexed you."
"Broke her heart? She loathes me, there was never anything there, no heart to break."
"That's cruel, Caius. She has a heart, and it beats for you."
Caius bit back the urge to tell the younger man how ridiculous that sounded but decided against it. Astrid's heart didn't beat for him. Maybe he got her hot and wet, but that was about it.
Caius nodded, "So knowing how I've hurt your friend, knowing what I've done, you allowed me to come here."
"You mean, why did I allow you to come, knowing full well that you definitely won't let her hook up with anyone which is really unfair, and that you don't actually have business at the club tonight?" Caius looked stunned and Lachlan nodded, "Yeah, I guess I'm just a sucker for romance. Who knew?" he shrugged, "in any event, if you're going to be a pain tonight, you better make it up to her. Because she is going to give me hell about it. So, I don't know, at least fuck her, right?"
"I can't." Caius felt incredulous, felt like he was seeing the young pup for the first time.
"Why?"
"It goes against my agreement between out packs. I cannot compromise it."
"I thought the agreement was that you'd only get with Vanessa if you actually wanted to." Lachlan sighed, "and you don't want to fuck Vanessa. Its apparent to everyone, of course, except her. So Ergo, your deal is over and go take your woman."
"It's not that simple. I've made too many mistakes and Astrid has made it apparent that she has no interest in me."
"What Astrid says and what she thinks are two very different things. You think she'd be this spiteful and angry with you if she didn't care?"
"Lachlan-"
"Your excuses are annoying. It's a wonder she hasn't cursed you yet," Lachlan rolled his eyes again, "Aren't you supposed to be some big macho Alpha werewolf from a big, macho, alpha werewolf pack?"
Caius gave him a look of annoyance
"Don't start with me, pup." he found himself growling.
"All I'm saying is that you clearly like each other, do something about it. She isn't going to stay around and wait for you forever." Lachlan put his hands up as if to say 'don't shoot the messenger', "Anyway, I'm getting out and going in there and having a good old drink. You should do the same."
With that Lachlan left the car. Caius took a few minutes to think on it, reflecting with annoyance that he was probably right. If only he could talk to his master and get some advice, but there was no way he could do that without feeling like he'd betrayed his clan.
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Astrid was dancing and trying to have a good time with the other witches, but something had changed in her.
She didn't feel much like partying as it turned out - even if it had been amazing to see how angry her going out had made Caius, it just kind of felt...bitter.
She made her way to the bar to order another drink and hopefully make the evening more bearable, when she saw Lachlan come in. She waved towards the werewolf who spotted her and came right over.
"Hey Lachie, you made it!" Astrid said happily, as the bar tender came back to her with a martini, "Hey, can I get another one of these?" she asked the bartender, passing the drink to Lachlan
"Oh thanks!" Lachlan smiled enthusiastically, grabbing the cocktail and taking a sip, "Of course, I wouldn't miss it." The bartender came back with another drink and the two gravitated towards a table at the back of the club.
"So, fair warning," Lachlan started, and looked at Astrid seriously, "Caius is here."