Aziz:
The brisk November night air was something c alming to our senses as we walked down the busy streets of Richmond Virgina.
For hours, I watched from the recesses of my more human counterpart’s mind as we ventured from Belle Isle to East Cary St.
Since losing Caris to an instinct that drove all grieving mothers crazy, we’d found ourselves just as lost as our chosen was. Our actions over the last few months was a testament to how adrift we both seemed to be as well.
Women were in and out of whatever bed we chose to lie in for the night, and it wasn’t just limited to Richmond. In truth the large city-a place closest to our home was the next stop in a seemingly neverending trip of our latest conquests.
It was no secret that our bitterness was egging on the need to bed and bleed almost every woman that had the unfortunate opportunity to meet Alastair. Oddly enough, this trail of adulterous affairs all led back to Caris.
If one can believe, this whole time we’d be searching for her. It was in each city, country, or town that we sensed her where we’d end up falling off the bandwagon.
Once we had a tail on her, we’d cut off the women and the feeding cold turkey and immediately go on an immersive hunt for her. She knew that we were on to her; it was like a game to Caris. It was like she wanted to be found only so she can hurt us again; whether it be her being intentionally found on the lap of a man or in some even more inappropriate position. Each time she was found by Alastair, we could tell that she knew.
After a while, we’d stopped bombarding places where she’d been staying, jerking up or killing the men that she’d been toying around with. She’d only say something horrible like she was done with our relationship. Then she’d go find another pair of arms to get lost in before she herself took their life.
It was hard not to stop looking for her. Almost like it was an addiction of sorts. And admittedly, though Alastair seemed to wear his emotions on his sleeve far more than I, there was no need to deny that I felt the same. But doing this was as painful as if Caris herself were embedding a dagger into our heart.
Sometimes when we found her we could tell that she knew we were in the vicinity watching. As she did something particularly unbearable to see, it was as if she’d make direct eye contact with Alastair and me.
I’d like to have simply wrapped my teeth around her neck and bore her down into submission. However, in the end both Alastair and I knew that it would do more harm than good.
It was after these incessant and numerous conclusions that Alastair would decide to bury both our disregarded feelings into a woman.
Following moments like this, we’d follow a sweet scent to a woman that he’d take to bed. I’d get a little pleasure during the action but the best part was those times where he chose to feed. Sometimes, Alastair grew a conscious and would decide to leave before the women could awaken. Though I could count on one paw how many unscathed women were left behind.
On this night, we’d already gone through the rejection and loss of Caris and while I insisted that we head back home to the pack, Alastair had other plans. Tonight, we’d picked up a particularly decadent scent.
The scent was particularly strong; sharp yet subtle notes of blue freesia, white peach, fresh clementine violet. The hint of crisp muck and a touch of vanilla brought it all together. It was the most intoxicating thing either he or I ever smelled. There was no doubt that a taste would be in store tonight.
“Mmm,” even I could not resist commenting on the scent. “What is that?” I incredulously asked.
“I don’t know, buddy,” Alastair inhaled euphorically as we came to a stop in front of pub. He looked up at the sign, “Siné Irish Pub & Restaurant…hmm, interesting,” he said and then opened the door to the small and yet classy place.
In great fashion, the pub seemed quite authentic. The word was hardly ever in my vocabulary but the could be described as quite cozy, very spacious, and the atmosphere was very alluring.
Alastair sat at a stool at the bar, the scent had waned a little but was still present. This had never happened before. Usually a scent more or less stayed the same. Not this time. It was almost as if the holder of the scent knew that I was on to them and they wanted to hide.
“Is that possible?” I asked.
“You’d know before me,” said Alasair as he called for the bartender to popular him a glass of whiskey. He took a gulp and then subtly looked around. When no one stood out to him he turned back around and took another gulp.
“Are you looking for someone special tonight?” a throaty feminine voice asked.
As quickly as the male bartender handed Alastair the drink, he was gone. Alastair glanced up for only a moment long enough to acknowledge her voice, but something about her forced him to return his attention back to her.
She…was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen, and Alastair too, for that matter.
“Hello,” my more human counterpart greeted as we both considered that she’d be good enough for the night.
“You’re not from here,” she gathered from my accent.
“Neither are you,” countered Alastair as it seemed that this beautiful woman’s accent showed subtle hints of Northwestern Europe.
She smiled and tucked a voluminous curl behind her ear. “I’m not,” she replied. “Technically.”
Her teasing smile was infectious to me. She tended to a young man a few seats down before returning to me. Unusually enough, her seconds of absence seemed like minutes.
“So,” she said in that deep and still sensually feminine voice. “From where do you hale, Mr…”
“Wade,” Alastair answered without hesitation.
“Wade,” she repeated, and my eyes followed every movement of her plum colored lips. “Nice name,” she mouthed. “Straight and to the point,” she remarked. “Short,”
“Not…necessarily,” my counterpart chuckled dryly. I could feel the bubbliness surfacing within him, spreading to me. He was so intrigued by this woman-we both were. The conversation actually felt genuine. “Alastair Wade,” he introduced officially.
“Alastair,” she snickered. “Very dignified, and…powerful name,” she said. “I think I’ve heard your name before.”
“Really?” he was impressed by this. Why?
“Should you really be surprised? You own Virginia.”
Alastair cleared his t throat, frustrated by my comment. “Shut up Az,” he said in his mind before turning all of his attention back to the girl standing in front of us.
“You’re that philanthropist guy who owns most of Virginia.”
“Most…that’s cute,” said Alastair. “That’s mostly true,”
“Oh don’t be too modest,” she sarcastically remarked as she poured herself a drink and took a sip of it.
“Modest is my stock and trade,” said Alastair as his eyes continued to run the length of shimmering gold-brown skin. “So,” Alastair said. “You going to tell me your name?”
“Merari,” she smiled and as she did, that scent began to waft through the air again. It was her! “Merari Van Doren.”
*******
Alastair:
“A true…mate,” said John, bringing me out of my reverie of the past. “A human mate?”
Surely his reaction was warranted. It was hard to believe for me as well. I looked at John who seemed to be unable to wrap his mind around the fact that I had been trying to come to terms with for over twenty years now.
“I imagine even in human form, the mate bond is powerful,”
“Powerful?” I scoffed, shaking my head. “It was…I have no other way to compare to that of an inhuman on inhuman mating bond. I’ll say that a chosen bond harbors no comparison.”
“Is that right?” John obviously didn’t like this, but I wasn’t going to hide the truth for him just because of his feelings for Caris.
“Yes,” I replied without hesitation. “When I was around Merari, everything dissipated when I was around her. Nothing else mattered. It was like tunnel vision.”
“Tunnel vision. That’s one helluva bond,” John said. I didn’t bother to respond to what he’d said…because I knew that he wasn’t done. “I hope there’s enough space for Harlyn in that singular vision that Merari has given you.”
“Don’t you-” I growled. Both Aziz and myself having been thrown well across the line of patience as I slammed my fist against the table. A hint of my own power exerting through my fist. “Don’t you dare question the love that I have for my daughter!” I snapped. We were away from the other families in the restaurant but power of my fist going into the table could be heard throughout the restaurant.
“Sir, is everything alright?” the waiter quickly rushed over to our cracked table; good thing it was reinforced for accidental anger. Still, it was damaged, and I’d no doubt have to replace it.
“Everything’s fine,” said Toran. I had knocked over a glass and the spark of power that echoed from my hand shattered the plates. There was a bit of a mess. “Get us another table, if you don’t mind.” Of course the waiter didn’t mind. It was his job, but that was Toran-ever the polite beta.
“Yes sir. As you wish.” With a snap of the waiter’s fingers, the table disappeared and another reappeared with newly placed food.
“Thank you,” I said, wiping my hands with the napkin.
“Of course, sir,” said the waiter and snapped his finger again. The stickiness that was starting to dry between my fingers and on my suit was suddenly gone. Instead of repeating a thank you, I nodded a silent one. The waiter smiled and then disappeared to go and wait on everyone else in the restaurant.
John grimaced, suddenly realizing that he had finally gone too far. With his head bowed in submission, he finally backed off. “I apologize for speaking out of turn, alpha,” he said.
I sneered. “You’ve been speaking out of turn since we started this conversation. John,” I reminded him. “That’s not my problem, and you know that.”
“Then wh-”
“What?” I finished his sentence. “My problem, John, comes in when you question the love that I have for not only my daughter but the woman that I was married to. I trekked the world searching for Caris when she disappeared, and where were you?” John didn’t answer because we both knew where the delta was; in some woman’s bed just like I was. “Your wife wasn’t even dead yet before you started sleeping around, but I’ve always respected you and yours enough not to question your morals while she was on her deathbed. You know why, John?” I asked. He averted his gaze momentarily before struggling to face me again. Apparently, he wasn’t so shameless his past actions. “Because I realize that everyone grieves…everyone handles life in different ways. Not that I condone it. I don’t condone my own actions but in order for you to understand what I went through during that dark time, I want you to imagine that sick wife of yours seeing you betray her with another woman while you stared her directly in the face.”
His eyes seemed to widen in realization of the truth of what happened. I was glad that he understood my frustration, but I was very eager to put this subject to bed for good.
“Now…how do you think she would have handled it, seeing it over and over…and over again.”
He couldn’t even hold my gaze anymore. “I…I didn’t know.”
“Whether you did or not, I’d have expected you to at least not judge me for actions that you’d committed ten times over.”
“You’re right,” John finally said in resignation. “I’m sorry for judging you, alpha. It was out of place. And…I can imagine your frustration at my questioning your devotion to your little girl. I’d kill for mine.”
“And so would I,” I told him. “I’d kill for both of them. Without a second thought.”
“Hm,” John nodded in seeming agreement of my comment. “On that we seemed to have common ground without a doubt.”
“I’m glad we can agree.”
“Oh, how sweet. Are the boys bonding over babies?”
The sexy voice that broke through our conversation, not only averted my attention but Toran and John’s as well.
Without thought, I stood up. “Merari! What-”
“You might want to wrap your food up to go,” she said.
“Why? Is everything alright?”
“No,” she sighed. “I found a lead on our daughter. And it’s not good.”