by Angel Nyx
“Sure. I’ll think about it. So, what’s the plan while you’re visiting? Is there anything special you want to see or do in Beaumont?”
“The Fire Museum of Texas. My little guy, here, loves fire trucks and everything to do with them, so going there is a must,” Casey said. She laughed when Jacob yelled, ‘Yeah!’
“See, what’d I tell ya?”
“Fire trucks are so cool! I wanna be a fireman when I grow up!”
“You can be whatever you want, kiddo,” Casey said and ruffled her son’s hair.
“I’m free the next couple of days. I can show you around Beaumont, including the Fire Museum.” Rory leaned over like she was sharing a secret with Jacob. “I’ve been there; it’s really cool.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“Cool!”
Casey smiled at her son’s excitement. It helped to push the painful thoughts, that kept intruding, to the back of her mind. If she could just keep them there, maybe her heart would stop hurting so much.
Chapter Eight
Nikolai
Nikolai stood on his Alpha’s front porch and ran a hand through his hair. He was nervous. He rarely ever got nervous. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this way; it had been that many years. He knew why he was nervous, but that didn’t help calm him any. There was a good chance Lily would tell him nothing. He couldn’t very well force her to disclose Casey’s whereabouts to him. With a frustrated growl, he squared his shoulders, lifted his hand, and knocked.
Several long minutes passed and he began to wonder if she’d gone out and left her car home as it was sitting in the driveway. Just as he turned to leave, his ears picked up with the sound of footsteps nearing the other side of the front door. The lock turned, the door opened, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief.
“Afternoon, Nikolai. What brings you by?”
“Good afternoon, Lily. I wish to speak with you. About Casey. Declan has informed me she is not in New Orleans.”
“No, she isn’t. Come on inside. Can I get you something to drink?”
“Nyet. Thank you, but I am fine.” He followed her into the house and on through to the kitchen where he watched her fix herself a glass of tea.
“I’m surprised you came by so quickly. I was expecting it to take a few days for you to figure out she wasn’t here right now.”
“Given my previous…reactions, that is understandable. I am not proud of the way I treated her. She did not deserve that.”
“No, she didn’t. She’s been through hell and you made it worse. You want to know where she is, don’t you?”
“Da. Please.”
“It’s not that simple, Nikolai. Showing up here and saying ‘I feel bad’ doesn’t tell me you’re serious. What would you say to her, right now, if you could?”
Nikolai wanted to growl at her. Instead he took a deep breath to calm his tiger and replied, “I would ask her forgiveness for hurting her. I would beg her to give me time to know her, time to find a way to make this connection between us work.”
He stood there while he waited for Lily to respond. He felt uncharacteristic impatience and had to remind himself to remain calm.
“She’ll be back in a few days. She just needed a vacation. Before you try to argue with me, I will ask her if she wants you to know where she is when I talk to her later. That’s the best I can give you for now, Nikolai.”
“Spasibo. Thank you, Lily.” What else could he do but thank her?
“Don’t thank me. Casey’s family and I don’t like seeing her hurting. If I can do something to help make things better between the two of you, I will. I’ll let you know what she says tomorrow.”
Nikolai nodded and headed toward the front door. “Do you know what her favorite flower is? And her favorite color?”
“Her favorite color is blue. As for her favorite flower, I think it’s violets. Why do you ask?”
“It is nothing for you to be concerned with. Spasibo. Have a good day, Lily.” As he made his way to his car, he was already plotting. He needed the perfect gift to give her, to beg her forgiveness. With that in mind, his first stop on the way home was at a jewelry store.
Casey
It was late evening. Casey was curled up on the sofa with a glass of tea while her son sat on the floor in front of the coffee table with his sketchpad. They’d spent the afternoon doing a little sightseeing, then had gone back to Rory’s for dinner. She knew Lily would be calling soon and she found herself chewing worriedly on her bottom lip.
“Stop that.”
Casey blinked at Malcolm. “Stop what?”
“You’re worrying. Stop it. We’re here to relax and enjoy ourselves, darling.”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t help but worry, Malcolm. I know it doesn’t make sense—he shunned me, but I’m still worried. He and a small team went out of the country on a security job and I’m worried about him.”
“I know, babe, but that’s not going to help you to relax. Besides, I’m sure he’s fine. He’s done this kind of thing for how long?”
Casey was saved from answering by the ringing of her phone. A quick glance at it had her bringing it to her ear. “Hey, Lily, I was just thinking about you a few minutes ago. I figured you’d be calling soon.”
“Hey, girl. I just wanted to see how you guys are doing. Are you enjoying yourselves so far?”
Casey got up and moved to the bedroom she was sleeping in so she could talk to Lily in private. “I suppose.”
“You suppose? That doesn’t sound very promising.”
Casey sighed as she sat on the bed. “I know. I’m trying, and I know Jacob liked the sightseeing we did earlier. I just…”
“Can’t stop thinking about a certain tiger?”
“Yeah.” She rubbed a hand across her face. “It’s stupid, I know.”
“No, it’s not, Casey. You’re drawn to him as your mate. The instincts are so damn hard to ignore. I know that firsthand.”
“Maybe you’re right. How are things there?”
“They’re good, Case. So, I had a visitor earlier.”
Casey took in a sudden breath. “He’s back?”
“Yeah. Declan told him you weren’t in New Orleans so he came here to ask me where you were.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing. I told him you needed to get away for a few days and that it’s up to you whether or not I tell him where you’re at.”
Casey closed her eyes. “I don’t know…”
“I asked him what he would do if he could talk to you and he said he would beg for your forgiveness. It’s up to you, girl. I want you to enjoy your little vacation and not stress about anything.”
“Let me think about it and get back to you?”
“Of course,” Lily replied.
They talked for a little longer before Casey finally hung up and went back out to the living room. At the questioning look Malcolm gave her she shook her head to indicate she didn’t want to talk about the phone call just yet.
“I have an idea. Why don’t we make some popcorn and watch movies?” Rory suggested.
Before long, they had two huge bowls of popcorn, and they’d put in How to Train Your Dragon because Jacob hadn’t seen it yet.
By the time the popcorn was gone they’d watched two more movies, and Jacob was falling asleep where he was stretched out on the floor.
“Bedtime, sleepyhead,” Casey said and picked him up. “Goodnight, Malcolm, Rory,” she said before she took her son to the guest room he was sleeping in, tucked him in, then headed for bed herself. They had a full day of fun planned for the next day. She and Jacob were going to hit some of the museums while Malcolm spent more time with his sister.
Chapter Nine
Nikolai
For three days now he’d been waiting to find out where Casey was. Three days of pacing the floor, three days of questioning his Alpha’s mate, and he was starting to wonder if Lily had even said anything to Casey. He wa
s on the verge of doing something he never would have imagined himself doing: asking Sasha to track her down. It would be a complete violation of Casey’s privacy, but he was beginning to feel desperate.
Nikolai was once again pacing his small apartment when his phone dinged to let him know he’d received a text. Taking it from his pocket, he nearly lost it when he read the text he’d received from Lily.
Casey is in Beaumont, Texas. Malcolm has a sister who lives there, and he invited Casey along when he went for a visit. Don’t fuck this up, Nikolai.
She’d included the address where Casey was staying and he immediately put it into the GPS on his phone.
Thank you, Lily. I will do all that I can to not do that.
The only thing Nikolai took with him when he left was the gift he’d gotten Casey. He just hoped she liked it.
Halfway to his destination, Nikolai found himself being waylaid by an accident. He was driving along the I-10 when a pair of cars roared past him. He shook his head at their speeding and then, seconds later, he was slamming on the brakes and jerking the wheel of his car to try to avoid the pair of cars as the one in the left-hand lane clipped the other, causing both cars to spin out of control.
Swearing under his breath, he felt the passenger-side wheels lose traction just as the car began to spin. It clipped one of the other cars and he found himself rolling. All he could think was, Fuck, before the car came to a stop on its wheels. The roof was damaged, making it difficult to open the door, but as soon as he stopped moving, he was out and rushing to the other two cars.
Just as he reached the first car, he pulled his phone out, intending to report the accident, and growled in frustration. There was no signal and no one else was stopping. What was wrong with people? The driver of the first car was bleeding profusely from a head wound and moaned when he tried to move.
“Do not move—you may have damaged your spine and moving could paralyze you.” He needed to check on the second driver but he was reluctant to move away with the man in front of him bleeding so much.
The sound of a vehicle slowing down and pulling off the road caught his attention and he turned his head in time to see the driver of the new vehicle approach.
“Help is on the way. I’m with the fire department. I was headed home when I saw the accident and called it in.”
Nikolai sent up a silent prayer of thanks. “That is good. Check on the other driver. I haven’t had the chance to assess his injuries.”
Ten minutes later emergency personnel were arriving: police, fire, and ambulance. The driver of the second car was pinned, and he had to be cut out before both accident victims were rushed off to the closest hospital.
Nikolai found himself at the police station filling out a report. Not only was he a witness to the accident, he was also one of the ‘accident victims’. His car was towed to a repair shop, approved of by his insurance company, and finally, hours later, he was back on the road in a rental.
By the time he reached Beaumont, it was late. He considered finding a hotel and waiting until morning to see Casey but he dismissed the idea. She was expecting him and he didn’t want her to think he’d decided not to come. He just hoped she wasn’t asleep.
When he pulled up outside the address Lily had given him, Nikolai sat there looking at the house. Lights were still on, so someone was awake. Steeling himself for the possibility she might refuse to see him at this hour, he got out of the car and made his way to the door. Once there, he pressed the doorbell and waited.
A few minutes later the door opened and a young woman stood in the doorway. “Can I help you?”
“My apologies for ringing your doorbell so late. My name is Nikolai Romanov. I am here to speak with Casey.”
The woman arched a brow. “I think she expected you a couple of hours ago. If you’ll wait here, I’ll get her for you.”
Nikolai nodded and stood there on the porch while the door was closed. Would she come to the door or would she send him away?
Just when he was beginning to think they’d forgotten he was out there, the door opened and Casey stood there,
“It’s late, Nikolai. You were supposed to be here hours ago. I figured you changed your mind and you weren’t coming.”
“Nyet, I did not change my mind. I am sorry I did not arrive when you were expecting me. There was an accident on the way here. Two cars collided in front of me, and despite my best efforts to avoid a collision, I clipped one of the cars, spun, and then my car rolled. I was lucky, it came to a stop on its wheels, but it was damaged.”
Casey blinked at him. “Oh my God. Are you okay? What about the other drivers?”
“The other drivers were taken to the hospital.” He studied her a moment. “I am fine, Solnyshko. I had a few scratches but they’ve already healed.” Someone inside the house cleared their throat and Nikolai cocked a brow.
Casey turned at the noise. Malcolm stood behind her. “Why are you making him stand on the porch?”
“Oh!” Casey turned back around and gave Nikolai a sheepish smile. “Please, come in, Nikolai.”
“Spasibo, thank you,” he murmured and stepped into the house. “Malcolm.” He nodded at the lion shifter. Had he not known the other man was gay he might have felt a spike of jealousy over the fact Casey was there with him.
“Nikolai.” Malcolm nodded back. “I’ll give you two a little privacy,” he added and disappeared down the hall.
Casey motioned toward the sofa in the living room. “Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?”
Nikolai shook his head. “Nyet but thank you.” He sat and watched her as she lowered herself onto the chair opposite from the sofa.
“Why are you here, Nikolai? You made your opinion very clear the day we met at Pack headquarters.”
Nikolai took a deep breath before he responded. “I come to seek your forgiveness, Solnyshko. The way I behaved was unacceptable. I know that you were just as…surprised as I was by the connection between us.”
Casey snorted. “Surprised is one word for it.”
“Confused, puzzled, conflicted. Those are good as well, da?” At her nod he continued. “I know my words hurt you and that shames me. After I spoke with Lily and she promised to inform you I’d asked about you, I found myself sitting in front of a jeweler’s. I wanted to give you something, both as a peace offering, as well as a gift to show you that you are important.” He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a long, narrow box. Moving to kneel in front of her, he opened the box to reveal the item nestled inside. It was a pearl necklace with five clear, deep blue beads in the center. Each bead held violet petals inside.
Casey
Casey sat there, staring at the delicate-looking necklace for several moments, before her fingers reached out to touch the blue beads. “Nikolai…it’s beautiful,” she finally breathed. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to, Solnyshko. You deserve much more than this.”
“That’s the third time you’ve called me that. What does it mean?”
Nikolai smirked at her. “Sunshine. That is what you are.”
Casey felt her cheeks warm as she blushed from his comment. “This is a drastic change from the way you acted even a few days ago, Nikolai.”
“Da. I am not proud of my behavior before. You deserved better than that. It took me by such surprise that I reacted poorly. In the animal kingdom, a wolf and a tiger would never mate; they are natural enemies. But, as it has been pointed out to me, that is clearly not the case among shifters. The connection between our animals is undeniable.”
“So, let me get this straight. The reason you’re here is because of your tiger. It’s not because of a genuine interest in me but because your tiger has decided I’m its mate and that’s that.” She closed the box the necklace was in and held it out to him. “I can’t accept this gift. I don’t want someone who isn’t interested in me.”
Nikolai growled. “That is not what I meant.”
Casey arc
hed a brow. “Oh? Then what did you mean, Nikolai? You’re not talking to me like a man who is interested in or attracted to a woman. You’re talking about our animal halves.” She rubbed her temples. “Look, it’s late and I’m tired. Maybe I’m just not getting your meaning. Why don’t we get together tomorrow and talk more over breakfast?” She was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. She wasn’t sure why though. Was it because of her wolf? Or was it because she was genuinely interested in him? There was no denying the fact he was attractive but looks weren’t everything.
“If that is what you wish, Solnyshko. Give me your phone.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “My phone?”
“Da. So that I can put my number in it. You can call or text me when you are awake.”
“Oh.” He was letting the decision of whether or not she followed through on breakfast be hers alone. The fact he wasn’t going to pressure her made her feel oddly happy. She handed him her phone, and once he was done putting his number in it and he handed it back to her, she slipped it into her pocket. “I’ll see you to the door.”
Once they reached the door, she watched as Nikolai paused and lifted his hand to lightly touch her cheek. She had to fight the urge to lean into his touch.
“Sleep well, Solnyshko. Until tomorrow.”
Then he was gone. She watched him climb into the rental car and drive away before she closed the door and leaned against it. Had she misunderstood what he’d meant? Did his interest go beyond the mate connection? She wished she knew, but she had zero experience with men. With a sigh, and a heavy heart, she locked the door, turned off the lights, and went to bed. She would deal with her troubled thoughts in the morning.
