Theo nodded rather enthusiastically at being able to leave the room.
I walked to the right-hand side of the bed and undid the cuff from her wrist. She pulled her arm towards her and rubbed it frantically.
“My husband is an idiot.”
“He is, a total idiot, but it’s because he’s blinded with love for you. The dingbat nicked my handcuffs to please you. Now I’m gonna be having words about his invasion of my space, but he’d have never have done anything like that a year ago. He’s just trying to please you.”
Shelley folded her arms over herself and exhaled.
“I suppose.”
“Look, when I eventually find my mate, I will make acts toward her that are out of nature. I will cook for her when I have hardly ever been in a kitchen in my life because to feed our mate is something we are duty bound to do. Once she is my mate, I will learn to cook so I can cherish her when she’s with cub.”
Shelley fastened her gaze on mine. She was calming down but her body posture was still taut. I was used to dealing with unpredictable behaviour in my line of work. If she launched she’d be cuffed again and it wouldn’t be for sexy times. “Aren’t you meeting my friend tonight?”
I looked at my watch. “Shit. Shit. I need to get out of here.”
Shelley put a hand on her stomach. “Oh God, I don’t feel so good.”
I rushed to her side. “Is it the baby?”
And then she puked. Red spray all across my shirt and jeans.
At that moment Theo walked in with a flannel and a small bowl of water. Shelley was looking mortified, and I was trying not to be sick myself.
“Oh, I’ll be back again in a moment… with a bucket.” Theo announced, leaving the room once more.
* * *
And that’s when I found myself sat with a towel wrapped around me in a guest room, while Theo laundered my clothes as nothing of his would fit my wide frame. I texted Kim to cancel, knowing there was no way my clothes would be ready on time. It would just have to be rescheduled, it couldn’t be helped. I put that it was an emergency, so she’d know I wasn’t messing her around. She knew I worked in law enforcement. She’d think it was that. I was bitterly disappointed. I’d wanted to clear the air and take her on a date, see if she really was the woman I’d like to eventually make my mate.
In the meantime I kept having Mary pop in to ‘see if I was alright’. Trouble was she never looked at my face when she said it. She might only look in her thirties, but she was still my friend’s mother, ghost or not. It was weird. I think Shelley or Kim needed to find a date for her. There must be other unsettled ghosts around the place.
While I waited for my clothes, I heard voices from downstairs and presumed Frankie or Margret had arrived to see what to do about Shelley and the appearance of fangs. I was in no rush to go say hi. The further away I was from Shelley’s pregnant ‘Mouth Vesuvius’, the better. I’d just stay in this guest room and lament my lost date.
Part of me wondered if it was a sign. Before Ebony’s predictions, I’d thought the idea of fate was a bag of shit, but when Ebony started telling me Kim was my destiny, I’d wanted to believe it. I’d been hooked on the woman since I first set eyes on her despite the fact she was cocky as fuck. You see, I felt it was surface bravado and that underneath there were layers to get through to find the real Kim. I wanted to peel back those layers and peel off her clothes.
“Ooops.” Mary giggled, and I realised my thoughts had produced a hard-on which was tenting the towel.
Fuck my life.
* * *
When my clothes had finally been returned, and I’d dressed again, I headed down to the living room. It was a benefit that the room was large because Shelley, Theo, Margret, Ebony, and Frankie, were sat in there, and now there was me and Mary to add to the party.
“Mother. You’re fading. Go rest.” Theo ordered.
“Yes, love. I was just about to say goodnight. It’s been a busy day. Goodnight all.”
“Thank you for caring for me when I was indisposed.” Ebony said in her cut-glass accent.
“Not a problem at all, lovey. I hope they get you all sorted. Okay people, I’m out of here. I look forward to seeing you all again under better circumstances. You too, big boy.”
I felt my face burn.
“Darius is fated to end up with Kim. It’s been seen in Ebony’s visions. Sorry, Mary.” Shelley told her while wearing a sympathetic look. It appeared her fangs had gone.
“Oh. What a shame. I’ll just have to order some more takeaways and see who turns up.” She said and then she disappeared.
“She burned herself out.” Shelley said in explanation. “She’ll be back in a few hours.”
“I must apologise for my mother’s behaviour. It is most unusual. She was never like this in life.”
“Yeah, her death gave her a new lease of life. Weird or what?” Shelley said to him.
“Alas. No one should have to witness their mother trying to flirt with their friends.”
“So have we found anything out about your fangs, or why Ebony’s visions have stopped?”
Frankie stood up from the sofa and began pacing. “Shelley’s fangs are easily explained. It’s an anomaly. She’s not turning into a vampire. It’s the fact she’s carrying a part-vampire child. The child is thirsty for blood and so it has caused a temporary genetic change that means Shelley can grow fangs in order to procure the blood. Obviously, she needs to be careful that pregnancy cravings don’t cause her to drain anyone. If she increases her intake, the cravings will be kept at bay and everything should be fine. Once the baby is born, Shelley will no longer grow fangs. Of course she’s considering been turned soon anyway, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now mother and baby are doing well.”
“And Ebony?”
“No one knows.” Ebony looked up at me. “I shouldn’t have lost them. I thought it meant I might die, but Frankie says that’s a myth, that seers don’t lose their visions, unless someone is doing this deliberately to me.”
“So someone could be trying to block them?”
“Yes. But I don’t know who or why, so unless something happens to reveal if that’s the case, there’s nothing I can do. In the meantime I shall take a recuperative break. It will be nice to be sober for a time. I’m having a visions and vodka detox.”
“Frankie and myself are going to research if there’s some kind of spell or potion we can make so that Ebony no longer has to reach for the vodka. It’s not healthy and they’re preventing Ebony from having a life of her own.” Shelley reached across to Ebony and placed a hand on her arm. “I’ve been a crap friend. I’d not thought about the fact that you’d not been able to rest and had been relying more and more on alcohol.”
“Oh, darling. It’s not your fault. That’s the life of a seer. It’s a fact that many do not live until old age. Suicide rates are high in my kind.”
“That’s not happening to you, Ebs. No way.”
“Right, so we think there could be someone in Withernsea tampering with your visions? Putting up a block?”
“It’s a possibility.” Frankie nodded.
“I’ll do some investigating. See if there’s anyone new to the area, who’s been in close proximity to Ebony. I’ll open a ‘black file’ police report.”
Frankie gasped “What has her ethnicity to do with this? I did not have you for a racist, Darius Wild.”
Ebony burst out laughing. “It’s what the supernatural cases are called, Frankie. Darius has to be careful being around human colleagues.”
“Oh.” Frankie looked sheepish.
Ebony stood and hugged him. “Thank you for looking out for me. It’s much appreciated.”
White feathers rained down over them both and the next minute Lucy appeared in the room. “Hey all. I’ve been sent here so you must be talking about something connected with my earth angel job. Care to enlighten me?”
“Long story short. I grew fangs, but it’s because of the baby.
Ebony’s visions are blocked and that could be because someone is interfering with them.”
“Oh they are.” Lucy said, perching on a sofa arm.
“Pardon?” We all said at once.
“It would be helpful if you could explain what’s going on?” I told her.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry, no can do. Angel vows. I’m on it though, you’ll just all have to trust me.”
Trust the recent Manager of Hell?
That was a new one.
* * *
This lot had exhausted me and the fact my date with Kim had been postponed itched at my skin. I looked at my watch. It was half past ten. I decided to call around to see her. Just to explain I’d been with her friends and that I wasn’t playing games. Enough of that had gone on between us. It was time for honesty. I said goodbye to everyone, got on my motorcycle and drove down to her house. My bike was powerful and made a lot of noise, so being considerate I parked it at the end of the estate and walked down. There was a taxi outside the front of her house with its engine running and as I walked closer, I saw that Kim was standing outside her house--with another man. On closer inspection I saw it was the new guy from the coffee shop. Well she didn’t waste any time. And then he kissed her. No more than a quick brush against her lips, but he kissed my mate. I felt my wolf churn inside me and had to resist the change as my body trembled with the urge to shift. He got in the taxi and it passed me as I stood on the pavement. As her eyes watched the taxi move away, I noted the moment she saw me standing there. She froze.
“Darius.” She shouted.
I couldn’t fight my change any longer. My wolf thrashed and twisted inside me to get free. So I ran, jumped on my bike and sped away for the woods. I needed to let loose with my animal. There was no way I wanted my human thoughts right now. I wanted to tear the ground up beneath my feet, and howl until every bit of the frustration had left me.
Chapter Ten
Kim
I’d not slept well. My mind churning with thoughts of yesterday. I’d decided against texting Darius, or trying to call him. There was only seeing him face-to-face now that could sort out this mess. Even worse, despite my tiredness, my day would be free of Jax’s coffee, because there was no way I was stepping foot in there. The last person I wanted to see was Seth. Not today.
Seth was lovely, but he was a potential friend. His kiss had produced nothing more than a warm sensation against my lips; it certainly hadn’t spread that warmth down to my core. Whereas seeing Darius had made my heart almost thud through my chest. I sat for a moment with my head in my hands. Then I pulled myself together, made a flask of instant coffee, pulling a face throughout; and then I grabbed my handbag and set off to work.
Giggles came out of Lucy’s office and I could hear Frankie mumbling. What was he doing out in the daytime? It went against his body clock which could make vampires feel really ill. Squeals erupted. Oh for God’s sake, what were her and Frankie doing in there? Okay, so it was nothing I’d not done with him myself in my own office in the past but come on. Have some respect for the ex. We’d only been fuck buddies so how did I term myself. Did ex work if you’d not been a girlfriend? Maybe now I was a no-fucks-buddy? I wish I gave no fucks certainly, about anything right now. Whatever was affecting Ebony’s mind, I could do with a dose of it.
I wandered through to Shelley’s office where I saw her drinking a large coffee with a flushed face.
“Hey, you look better. And you’re back on the dark stuff.”
She shook her head. “No, it's a glamour.” She shook it off to show me a glass of O-neg, then placed it back on. “It was my mum’s idea. Don’t know how I’d not thought of it. I’m drinking blood but I have it looking and tasting like coffee.”
“Now I know why your cheeks are pink. I thought it might have all been down to your randy husband.” Shelley’s brow creased. “I called you yesterday but Mary said he’d taken you to bed. Had got all caveman about Seth.”
“Yes, well the less we talk about last night the better. It was quite eventful.”
“Oh? I thought Ebony had come around.”
“She did. But then we had to get other people to come around. My mum, Frankie, and Darius.”
“What?” I pulled up a chair in front of her desk and sat down leaning closer.
“Well, first, in the throes of passion, I grew fangs and bit my husband.”
My jaw dropped.
“Did I hear you right? Did you just say you grew fangs?”
“Yep, fangs. Frankie looked it up, and it’s all the baby. But I have to drink loads of blood so that I don’t try to take a bite out of anyone else.”
I pulled the lapels of my jacket up around my neck. I’d already suffered random bites in the past, I didn’t need my best friend munching on me.
“And then most embarrassing of all…” Her face went red and this time it wasn’t to do with her blood intake. “Theo had handcuffed me to the bed.”
“Get Theo, going all Christian Grey.”
“Yeah, well Theo being Theo, had forgotten the keys to undo them.”
“I’m not following. He left them at the shop?”
“Oh no. My loving husband had left them at his best friend’s house. He’d borrowed Darius’ cuffs… without asking.”
My mouth dropped open again.
“Darius had to come free me and do you know how I repaid him? Well you must because he ended up cancelling your date because of it.”
I sighed. “No. No I don’t.”
“Oh. Well I threw up down him. All over his shirt and his jeans. Blood everywhere. We had to launder them while he waited. I’m sorry we messed up you two finally getting together to talk.”
“Oh, that’s okay.” I said, although it couldn’t have been further from okay.
I stood up and started backing away towards the door. “Well, it does sound like you had quite the adventure. I’d better get on now. I have a lot to do today.
“Okay, bestie. See you later. Sorry once again for messing up your evening.”
I nodded and left.
Back in my own office I almost threw myself down in my seat. Fuck. He’d ended up involved in Theo’s mess and then Shelley’s vomit. He couldn’t make the date because he was stuck at the farm, and what had I done? Had tea with Seth and then let him kiss me. I was a mess. I was the trollop and whore my father had always said I was. A waste of a person. I’d be better off staying on my own than trying to find a partner.
I’d brave it to the coffee shop just before closing and let Seth know nothing was going to happen between us. At least that was one mess I could get myself out of.
There was a knock and Frankie and Lucy burst into my office.
“Kim, we’re engaged!” Lucy yelled excitedly. “I’ve no ring yet, but I’m going to be Lucy Love. Oh my God, I’m so excited. I must tell Shelley.” She ran from the office down the corridor to Shelley’s.
“Wow. Congratulations.” I told Frankie, who looked more shocked than happy.
“Kim. My actual words to her were supposed to be, ‘Babe, can I finger your ring’. But I messed them up and said ‘can I ring your finger?’”
“Oh my God. Hahahahahahahahahahaha. Oh thank you for making me smile. Oh my God, hahahahahahha.” I creased over.
“Kim, you have to help me.”
I tried to catch my breath. “I’m not h-helping you get out of an accidental proposal.”
“No.” He shook his head vehemently. “I do want to marry her, even though we’ve only been dating for nine days. I can live with having proposed. She’s my one. But I need to do a new one. That can’t be it. That’s no story to tell our future children.”
He took a lingering look at my face. “Oh I can see you’re going to be no help whatsoever today. I’m glad my life is so amusing.” He went into his jacket pocket and extracted an A4 manilla envelope. “We’ll see if your face is still as creased with laughter when you’ve read this lot. The history of the Withernsea and Hogsthope pack
s. And thank you, Frankie, for staying up all night. Oh that’s okay, Kim. You’re welcome.”
My face froze.
“Yep, thought as much.”
“I’m sorry, Frankie. But I’m having a shit time and that did make me chuckle. I will help you plan an amazing proposal okay? And thanks for this information.”
His face relaxed. “Well, I’d better get to bed because I’m starting to feel a bit queasy.” He raised a warning finger at me. “Don’t you dare say a word about what I just told you.”
“I won’t. I promise. No woman needs to know her proposal was accidental and if you were going to propose anyway, what’s the problem?” Then I launched into Beyoncé's ‘Single Ladies’ and sang about putting a ring on it. Frankie huffed and zapped away.
* * *
I sat at my desk, poured myself a cup of instant and began reading. I took a swig of my drink and winced. It so wasn’t what I was used to. This is why you don’t shit where you eat, Kim. Leave all the dating agency customers well alone.
I opened the envelope and began reading.
WITHERNSEA AND HOGSTHORPE PACKS - A POTTED HISTORY
(Not to be reproduced. Copyright F. Love, 2018)
Until 1989 the pack was united as one - Withernsea. One member of the pack at that time was Arlo Wild. Arlo was mated with Freya Wild and she was carrying his cub. Arlo had been almost thirty years old when he had mated with Freya.
Arlo became the Alpha of the tribe following the death of his predecessor in battle. Two months before the birth of their son, Darius, Arlo met another wolf shifter from the Hull pack, Renee Thorn. His mating instinct kicked in and he was forced to confess to the pack that he had faked his ‘calling’ to Freya due to his age and worry about being cast from the pack.
He was thrown out of the pack in disgrace, leaving Freya to care for their newborn son alone. He started the Hogsthorpe pack and declared himself Alpha. Those that sided with him joined him, along with other rogue weres from other packs. The result was that Hogsthorpe has always been a volatile pack, and Arlo ended up ousted as leader and killed in 1992.
The Complete Collection: Supernatural Dating Agency Books 1-6 Page 31
