“Yes, sir.”
“Ah. Now I see. I take it that this woman is a person who lives in the background? Someone who is there but no one sees?”
“Yes.” Shame filled Sebastian. It was kind of a shitty way to describe someone, but it was true. How many people out there were just like white noise? You see them but then you really don’t.
“But your wolf saw her. And now you see her. Have you ever seen, really seen a woman, any woman? Or just amused yourself?”
“Honestly, she’s the first. I’ve had so many women and I’ve enjoyed them. My wolf has enjoyed them, but, yes. This is the first woman I’ve seen.”
“Ah. Just so. Well, you’re going to have to make a decision. Because your wolf has set his sights on a mate. Either you join with this woman and make her your mate or you forfeit your children’s future.”
“What? What? Forfeit? What are you talking about?”
“For a werewolf to propagate his lines, he must have a mate. Not a wife but a mate. Werewolves only choose mates. Humans choose wives. I was in love long ago and I had planned to make a special woman my mate. Before we could marry, she was killed. My wolf and I grieved and I eventually married. We had your father. As you know, your father doesn’t have the wolf. He did, however, marry for love and his genetics were passed onto you. If you don’t mate with this woman, then whoever you marry, you’ll simply have human children and you’ll forfeit having wolf children, like I did.”
Sebastian felt a cold chill run through his body. To not have wolf pups? To not pass on his wolf? He brought himself back to his grandfather.
“But why does the wolf get to choose?”
“You’ve known this woman for three years. You weren’t paying attention, but your wolf was. Your wolf fell in love with her. I’m not saying you have to choose her. You can marry who you wish and though your wolf won’t be happy about it, it will happen. But you’ll never had the pups you want. Only human babies. Mind, I loved your father very much. But there was something missing within me and I longed for a pup.”
Sebastian could hear the sorrow in his grandfather’s voice. It tore at him and he bid his grandfather goodnight and hung up. He sat staring into space. How had this happened? He’d been a fool to be so oblivious to his wolf’s needs and actions. He knew others who let their wolves loose more often, they were wilder. But he was an alpha and he had to maintain control. Some of the wilder werewolves ended up in prison or dead. Others became police or soldiers, wanting to fight, kill, or protect. He looked down at the painting and his hand reached out and caressed the wolf and the woman. Natalya had dreamed about his wolf and she’d painted him. How had she known? Had she seen him? Truly seen the real Sebastian?
“I’ve got to get to know her. I can’t just marry her, I’ve got to feel more than lust,” he said out loud. He was addressing his wolf, but he was also speaking to himself. He had taken the first step and he picked his phone up. He was Animal Lover. Her photo had popped up on his app. He used the app to meet and hook up with women. To have sex with whoever answered. No strings attached. He’d texted her and flirted with her. Sebastian smiled. He’d watched her face as she answered his texted. He’d also seen the disappointment when he’d ended. He bent his head and ran his fingers through his hair. This was getting complicated. Now, he had to decide if he wanted pups or human babies. He wasn’t ready for kids. Hell, he wasn’t even thirty yet. But, if he didn’t let his werewolf take the mate of his choice, then he’d never have his children. Or at least they wouldn’t have the wolf.
He’d not missed the sadness and regret in his grandfather’s voice. He looked once more at the painting. She was talented. She had cared about him, more than he’d known. But I knew, his werewolf said.
“Then why in the hell didn’t you tell me?” he snarled.
Because you’re a dumbass and don’t know when a good woman is near you. You saw how she looked at us but you didn’t pay attention. She wasn’t pretty enough. She has your attention now. By the way, who do you think has been putting out all those pheromones? the werewolf laughed.
“Fuck off,” he said and fell backwards onto the bed. His towel slipped off his hips and he stared at the ceiling. He had wondered why women were suddenly attracted to him. More than normal, he amended. Was that why Nat was so drawn to him? Had his wolf trapped her too? Hormones and pheromones drove the sexual drive and the need to mate. It pushed animals and humans alike.
He had to investigate, he had to know who Natalya was. If he was going to commit himself to her, mate with her, then he’d need to know more. When he mated with her, he would be bound to her for the rest of his life. If she weren’t a good person, he’d be tethered to her. You know she’s a good person, you’re just stalling for time, his wolf said softly. Sebastian closed his eyes. His wolf sounded so rational, unlike earlier when he wanted to go fuck Nat’s brains out. I wanna fuck her, his wolf howled. Shit. He’d have to watch what he thought. Apparently, the thought of having sex with this woman was a big trigger for his wolf.
The belly dancing completion was at the end of the week. He’d already bought his ticket and he’d go watch her. He thought that she would look amazing in one of those skimpy costumes. He smiled. The wolf started to say something lude.
“Shut the fuck up. You keep it up and I’ll marry some bitch and you’ll never get your pups,” he snarled. The wolf didn’t utter a word.
FIVE
Tonya and Natalya stood off in the wings, they would be up in about ten minutes. The Peterson sisters were out there now and they were doing a wonderful job. Her heart sunk. She’d have to be happy with second or third. She and Tonya had practiced for hours, getting the routine down. But it was up to the judges. She looked down at her cleavage. The twins were popping out just enough but not so much that she had to worry about one of her boobs coming out. She’d seen it happen to others on more than one occasion and all dancers feared that. Nothing like getting your dance on and tit pops out to say hello. She stifled a giggle. Her nerves were getting the best of her. Her hair was swept up and away from her face.
Many dancers opted to let their hair hang long, but she found it got in the way. Her girdle had small crystals that glittered when they caught the light. She had a hip scarf with small coins attached which clinked pleasantly. Her skirt was divided but was also several inches shorter. Years before she’d made the mistake of having a skirt too long and had tripped and twisted her ankle. It had been an embarrassing and painful lesson. The colors were deep greens and shot through with silver threads. Her skin was pale and she thought it suited her. She wore a three-strand Swarovski crystal beaded necklace about her waist which was connected to her bodice. When she moved her hips, the strands would move and glitter.
Tonya was dressed in pale pink and it flattered her honey brown skin. There were shots of leaf green and deep turquois ribbons going through the pantaloons, which were tight at the ankles. Tonya was nearly four inches taller and they were a contrasting team. The scarf at her hips was a deep burgundy. Her hair was intricately braided with crystals scattered throughout the dark locks.
Nat sighed happily. She might be a butterface but she felt beautiful today. She had applied eyeliner to her lids, giving them an uplifted slant. Her lips were blood red and Tonya had used the same blood red lipstick. Their choices in costumes complemented the other and she thought they made a striking pair.
Her attention was drawn back and she applauded automatically. The Peterson sisters exited and two other women went up on stage. They were next. She took in a deep breath and let it out. She thought about this week. It had been the winter clothing shoot and Sebastian had been in her chair nearly every day. She had become more comfortable with him and he had even surprised her by engaging her in conversation. Japanese conversation. At first, she’d tried to put him off.
“I’ve not used it in a while. I’m sure I’ll just murder it,” she prevaricated.
“Then we’ll practice,” he said, giving her the most bea
utiful smile. Her heart had hit the inside of her ribcage painfully. Over and over, she had to remind herself that she was a butterface to him and just to be nice. He was only being nice and polite. It was her problem to deal with. After a while, the nervousness had passed and they had fallen into easy conversation. He had even laughed a few times and she really thought she just might rip his clothing off and hop up on his lap and grind him. But she had been a good girl and restrained herself.
She had avoided fantasizing about him with the help of her new chat buddy, Animal Lover. He was funny and they had just started sexting. Her face heated up at their conversation last night. Each had agreed to masturbate as they texted. She had even told him about her three vibrators, Big Bad Wolf, Mr. Long and Slender and Mr. Hurt Me Good. He had suggested Big Bad Wolf. He had then sent her a photo of his cock and she’d nearly choked. It was long, fairy fucking nearly as big as Big Bad Wolf and it was thick and she’d gotten so wet that it was almost embarrassing.
He’d asked her for a picture of whatever body part she was comfortable with sending. So, she took a picture of her hand, like she was grasping his cock. She couldn’t bring herself to take a picture of anything more intimate. If this didn’t work out, he’d have a picture of her intimate parts. If it didn’t work out, she at least had a picture of his lovely cock. She had been halfway tempted to ask for a voice conversation, to hear his voice, but she hesitated. He said to go slow. So, slow it was. She texted that she wanted to take his beautiful cock into her mouth. She’d never actually done that to a man, but she knew the mechanics. She was a virgin, or an actual live breathing having sex with an actual man, virgin. She’d been using her vibrators for years. Oh, she’d gotten into some heavy petting, above clothing, but she’d never actually placed hands on raw skin. Butterfaces usually didn’t or if they did, they regretted it.
Every time she got far enough in a relationship with a man to want to have sex, something just killed it. Something the guy usually did or said. Men weren’t normally patient about wanting to have sex and Animal Lover was different. Maybe that was why she was willing to wait. To be patient, because she’d never come across a man who had been. Was Animal Lover a pipe dream? Was he too good to be true? Was he even a man? Was that cock even his? Shit, he could be some creepy guy. That was the thing. You just didn’t know who was on the other end. She thought about setting up a meeting with him. Something very public.
Hey, I’ve got an event coming up in three weeks. I work as a stylist/makeup artist. There is an end of season ball and all the industry workers, models and big wigs will be there. Would you like to come? It can be our first meeting, she texted.
Sure, what do I wear? I can rent something.
A nice suit is fine. You know what I look like, how will I know you? she wrote.
I’ll come to you. Send me the date, location and time. Now, let me tell you what I want to do to you. First, I’m going to lay you on your back, with your legs wide open. I want you comfy, so grab a pillow. I’m laying between your legs and I’m opening you with my tongue. I’m tasting you. You taste good, by the way.
That had made her giggle and hot all at once. By the end of the sexting, she’d had three orgasms. She was brought out of her thoughts by the change in music. This relationship was still fantasy but come the fashion ball, it would be reality. If this didn’t work out, she’d delete the app. Why was she having such a hard time meeting real men? Everything in her life was nearly a virtual reality. The people she worked on weren’t real, they were models and photographed to be put in media. They were virtual people. Just like her virtual feelings for Sebastian. It was as though she didn’t know how to live in reality.
Tonya nudged her. Time to get her mind in the game. She hugged Tonya fiercely. At least Tonya was real.
↔
The large auditorium was hot and stank of humans. Sebastian had to shut down his olfactory senses. There were so many scents around him it was overwhelming to him and his wolf. He was watching two women on stage; they were really talented. One had about twenty pounds extra on her hips and belly, but she worked it and worked it great. Her body was limber and seemed to have a mind of its own. The women moved their hips hypnotically with the music. He was twenty feet from the stage where there was a massive crush of people. He didn’t think he could stand being in the middle of all that. His eyesight was better than humans and he saw them with perfect clarity.
As they thrusted their hips in unison, he felt his own hips want to respond. He tamped down on that. Come on, I wanna hump the air. If we get close enough to someone, we can air fuck them, his wolf whispered. Keep it up and we’ll leave before Natalya comes out. There was no rejoinder from the wolf. Good. The music ended and he added his applause to the crowd’s. The women were good. He heard a woman announce the next couple. It was Natalya and Tonya. He shifted and moved a little closer. The music started and he smiled. He had heard of Cheb Mami but he’d never heard of this song before. He had noticed that some of the acts had used traditional music while others used more modern music. He watched in utter fascination as Nat moved across the stage, her hips moving gracefully.
His mouth fell open and he felt his cock filling in a rush. She was stunning, truly stunning. She wore just a hint of makeup and her eyes really sparkled. They were a deep dark jade green, unfathomable. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her and they moved from her breasts, to her waist and then hips. He could feel his wolf moving within him and Sebastian stuck his hands in his pockets before he embarrassed himself by rubbing his hard shaft. Huh. After the sexting last night, he’d been left breathless. He liked that she’d not sent him anything but her hand and he’d laughed when she’d named her vibrators. The fact that one was called Big Bad Wolf made Sebastian wonder about her.
The fact that there were so many wolf references with her made him wonder once more if she’d picked up his wolf on a subliminal level. Were they fated to be mated? That was a favorite saying among there wolves. Fated to be mated. He’d never believed in that, yet, here she was. Wallpaper that had come to life. Background noise that was now blaring in his brain. He could no more ignore her than cut off his cock. I got your cock right here, right now, the wolf yowled.
When in the hell had his wolf become so filthy? Each day it seemed like his wolf was taking over, pushing his human self aside. That wasn’t good. It was a good thing that he was going to tell her on the night of the ball. He was pretty sure she was going to be shocked and maybe a little angry. But she couldn’t really be angry, because he didn’t officially know about her fantasy love affair with him.
It had been hard to pull her out of her shell. She’d not wanted to engage in conversation with him in the chair. When she’d scratched and massaged his scalp, his leg had started to jiggle wildly. That had caused her to laugh, but in reality, it had been his wolf, just under the surface. It was as though the wolf was pressed up against his skin, it would only take a slight light nudge and the wolf would be through. Only threatening the wolf with ceasing contact with Nat had kept the animal at bay. He’d warned the animal that it was imperative that Natalya be told first before shown the wolf. To do otherwise would send her far away from them both. If Natalya rejected the wolf, they both knew it was game over. The wolf clearly understood it and kept away, just barely.
He had already gotten a room at the hotel that was hosting the event. He’d made the reservation two months ago and he was glad he had. Now, if things went right, he’d introduce himself to her and if she didn’t slap the hell out of him, he’d take her up to his room and he would ease her into his world. He wouldn’t show her his wolf just yet. It would be too soon, but once the initial meet and greet, they could develop their relationship. The wolf instinctively knew this process and would mind his Ps and Qs. Convincing a human woman to accept a werewolf as a lover was tricky business. That was where the heavy use of pheromones came in. The human woman was inundated with the pheromones, especially if she were in a room with a werewolf.
It was a shitty tactic, but if it weren’t so, he doubted any woman would get near him and his wolf. It had been that way since the beginning of time or at least that was what his grandfather had told him. There were true love matches, but the pheromones were needed to keep the woman bound to the man until the mating process was done. Once done, the woman would be bound to her man and his wolf forever. It was also tricky, because if a woman was high on pheromones and other alphas interfered there could be a struggle or war or fight for her. Werewolves were notoriously tricky. He’d heard on more than one occasion where a werewolf had been cuckolded and an alpha had taken his intended mate.
When an alpha saw a werewolf’s interest in a woman, then as an alpha, that male felt he should have first crack. It was an ego thing. If I can steal your woman, you’re not wolf enough to keep her. That was why you reviled your wolf in private, you didn’t want other wolves around. He would take Natalya up to his room and then they would go from there. He had it planned out and went over and over it in his mind. His wolf sat on the sidelines grinning like a fool.
The song was nearly over and she had done a magnificent job. All others had paled in comparison and intellectually he knew it was only because it was her that he felt that way. Was he falling in love with her? Was the love that the wolf felt for her seeping into his bones? She was smart, talented, sweet, funny, shy and her lips. The wolf moved but said nothing. Huh. Maybe because he was beginning to feel the same the wolf calmed a bit. Was that it? Was that why the wolf was so wild and unruly? Because they were not in alignment? His balance was off? He and the werewolf were intellectually the same but the werewolf housed all the raw and visceral emotions. If the wolf didn’t do that, then the human side could get caught up in emotional relationships that wouldn’t necessarily lead to a mate or might lead to the wrong mate.
The Werewolf's Ball: The Resplendent Alpha Page 5
