She considered this for a long moment. On second glance, it did seem as if he was ill. But if she was wrong, and they switched drinks, she could still get in trouble.
Something about him, though, spoke volumes. He seemed so honest, so innocent, and just in a bad place. Whether money or not, if he had lost something of value, then she wanted to help him. There were many people who had helped her in various stages in her life, and Christie believed in Karma.
Although, she did have to admit, there was one more thing attracting her. There was something about this man that made her suspect, after years of studying them, that he was more than he appeared. The way his hair swept over his head, the way his eyes were shaped, the way he kept his collar buttoned up to his neck- something wasn’t right. Christie had the sneaking suspicion he was a shifter.
She had never actually met one out in the open although she had met ones that came to her for her field of study, comfortable in their in deity and in well protected spaces. This man was clearly trying to pass as full human, and live a normal life.
Shifters sometimes got horribly ill like this; if their body chemistry was off, if they weren’t eating properly, if their magic was not working. She wondered if he had recently changed for the first time, or he didn’t have time to take care of himself. Either way, it was clear, high roller of not, that he needed her help.
She weighed it in her head. Her boss was gone, and the men weren't rowdy. There was no reason one more round of drinks would make them so. Besides, different judgment calls by different waitresses meant that, if they weren’t falling down or puking in an alleyway, someone else would likely serve them.
She glanced into his beautiful eyes once more, and then nodded.
“Fine….Have you eaten anything today?”
“No,” he admitted, wincing a bit. “It hasn’t been particularly…easy to keep anything down.”
“I can get you some toast,” she said. “Or some fries. Solid carbs help to settle the stomach.”
“That would be nice,” he said, reaching into his wallet and leaving a pile of folded bills on the counter. “Please, keep the change.”
Not wanting to bother her anymore, he walked out of the room. Despite his state, she thought he looked majestic, regal as he walked.
She wondered what kind of shifter he was as she went to count the pills. Bear or dragon were possible, they were both strong. But somehow, he didn’t fit the profile of either of those.
She nearly had a heart attack when she counted the money. It was hundreds of dollars over, leaving her with a tip that was more than she had made all month. She had heard of the high rollers being generous, but this was ridiculous.
She was sure that he had made a mistake, and she debated whether to tell him or not. If she kept it, she could be off work for the next two weeks and still have enough left over to pay next month’s rent.
But she couldn’t do that, she decided. If he had made a mistake, it would be super awkward in a few moments. And so, she readied the order, going over the wording in her head.
Finally, when all the drinks were on a tray and a plate of extra salty fries were steaming, she picked it up, approaching the high rollers table from the back.
She could see that he was winning, and she scanned the table of objects and chips, trying to figure out what exactly it was that he had gambled away. There were car keys and house keys, as well as folded pieces of paper and various bits of jewelry.
Just as she was putting down the new drink, she spotted it. It was a blue signet ring, with the shape of a werewolf over it. It glowed slightly from the inside, and she realized at once what it was. He was a werewolf shifter, and the key to his magic was in there. If somebody walked away with that tonight, he would likely die. Hell, the fact that it was even off his finger for more than five minutes was probably what was causing him to degenerate that fast.
Her eyes widened and she glanced at the gentleman who had it. Looking over his shoulder, she could see that he had a full house.
The werewolf shifter was growing paler by the minute, and she knew they were running out of time. She had to do something and fast, especially if he didn’t want his indecent exposed.
“Sir,” she said, as she handed him the fries. “You left me a rather large tip. Did you mean to over pay by…” she dropped to his ear, whispering what was supposed to be the total. “A full house.”
He didn’t react, although it was clear he heard. Nodding only slightly, as if she were an annoying waitress, he let her leave, and re-arranged his cards, giving him the winning hand.
Chapter 2
At the end of the night, Christie was pleased to see that he had the ring back on his finger and a large pile of chips in front of him. The other players got up from the table grumbling, but none of them accusing him of cheating. She swept by to pick up all the empty dishes as they finally packed up and left.
“Do you want me to cash those in for you?” she asked. He smiled at her. He still looked pale, and she calculated that he had not been wearing his magic ring for two hours, which was almost deadly. “Since you almost gambled away your life?”
He looked up in shock.
“How did you know…?”
“My PHD is in social work, with a focus on helping shifters,” she shrugged. “Which is why I’m stuck working here. Being a student isn’t exactly a glamorous life. Not like a high roller.”
“We’re just like anyone else,” he shrugged. “Except…you know…”
“Sure,” she replied, and he pushed the chips towards her.
“Do you want big bills or small ones?” she asked and he shrugged.
“It’s your tip, you decide.”
Her jaw fell open.
“You already left me a tip.”
“What is the price of saving one’s life exactly?” he asked, lowering his voice. “I made a stupid mistake tonight, I thought that I could have it back within five minutes. Clearly, if it wasn’t for you, you’d be doing a lot more cleaning than just the dishes.”
“We all make mistakes,” she replied. “It doesn’t matter who we are, it’s probably one thing that every species has in common.”
“Well, that’s a small comfort,” he said, and doubled over, coughing. She put down the dishes, pulling up a chair.
“Two hours could have killed you,” she said, and he winced.
“I know. It’ll be awhile before the magic goes back into my blood. I need to shift, and then it’ll be rough in human form…”
“Is there someone I can call for you?” she asked. He shook his head.
“Just me and my shadow,” he replied, smiling ruefully.
“Come home with me,” she blurted out before she really thought that through. His face reflected surprise and shock.
“What?”
“I live about 10 minutes walk away, and there’s a couple alley ways where you can change safely,” she said. “No one will be watching. I live alone, pretty basic digs, but you’ll be safe. You shouldn’t be alone right now, there’s enough research to prove that would be your second stupid decision of the night.”
He smirked at that, searching her eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“You’ve practically paid my rent for the next year. I think you are entitled to a night there. Just don’t expect five star luxury.”
“It’s OK,” he replied. “I grew up in the projects of Louisiana. I’m sure where you live will be homey and warm.”
“If the heater is working,” she replied. “I don’t even know your name.”
“John Blanc,” he replied and her jaw unhinged.
“Jesus, you practically own this city. What are you doing out here?”
“Everyone wants to feel normal once in awhile,” he replied. “What’s your name?”
“Christie,” she replied. “I’m actually from a farm in Canada, but I came here to study for my degree.”
“Well, it’s lovely to meet you,” he said as the clock struck 3am.
He yawned, “I’m sorry, it’s been a long day.”
“Let me just finish up and then we can go,” she said standing up. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute as she cashed in the chips and put away the final dishes. This was a stranger that she was inviting into her home, and a werewolf shifter at that. She would never do this under any other circumstances. But something about this man seemed honest and truthful. She felt like he would never hurt her; that her loyalty would be respected. It had certainly already been rewarded.
“Alright,” she said a few minutes later when everything was picked up. “I’m ready to go when you are.”
He put a hand on the table, steadying himself and then rose. She couldn’t get over how handsome he looked, even in the harsh electric light. And apparently he was a gentleman, because despite his pounding head, he helped her with her coat before getting his own.
The wind was harsh outside, the temperature having dropped brutally. It was instinct that made Christie take his arm as they walked. As soon as she realized what she had done, she blushed and pulled back.
“Sorry,” she said, looking up at him. “I used to do that to my ex boyfriend back home.”
“No need to be sorry,” he replied. “It ‘ a cold night.”
“The wind makes it worse,” she said. Their feet were the only sounds on the hard pavement.
“Do you walk this alone every night?” he asked. She nodded. “You shouldn’t. Someone should walk you home. This isn’t safe.”
“Oh well, the thing with doing a PHD and working is that you don’t have much time to make friends,” she admitted. He glanced at her.
“No boyfriend?”
“No, we broke up after I had been out here for a year, and I never really…found anyone else since. What about you?”
“There was a girl, once,” he replied. “She was a wolf shifter and our families…they didn’t get along.”
Christie had heard of the rivalry between the shifter types, and she thought it sounded like old fashion racism. No matter how much the world changed in some aspects, it stayed the same in others.
“That’s too bad,” she replied and he shrugged.
“I’ve accepted that we can’t be together,” he replied, as they turned the corner to the back alley she had indicated. “Now I’m just trying…hoping, for happiness.”
“Well, you should at least get some relief by shifting,” she said, as she stood at the edge of the alley. “Are you powerful enough to be aware of your surroundings?”
“Yes,” he answered. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. And I wouldn’t be long, it’s cold out.”
“By all means,” she said, putting her hands in her pocket.
He walked to the middle of the alleyway, and bent over.
Her mouth could not stay closed at what she saw next. The blue light from his ring covered him, and his long hair grew into a mane as he twisted onto all fours. He was a beautiful werewolf, an alpha for sure, strong and powerful.
Christie watched as his paws formed perfectly. Slowly, he turned around to face her. And there, in his face, were the very same eyes that she saw in the restaurant, the same golden brown pools.
“Hello,” she said, softly, as he took a few steps towards her. “Hello, I think you’re beautiful. Take as long as you like.”
He stayed in werewolf form for 5 minutes, letting her pet him and lolling against her stomach. But she shivered one time too many, despite his warmth, and he took the hint, pacing back to the middle of the alleyway to transform back.
“That was the most epic thing I have ever seen,” she said, as soon as she was sure he could hear. He was naked, and she tried to avert her eyes as he made a grab for his pants. But his perfect human body looked like something out of a magazine, a perfect art form, and she couldn’t help but stare. She felt a tingle between her legs that she tried to ignore. It had been a very long time since anyone had been to her house, let alone a boy.
“Just normal life,” he looked much better as soon as he came back to her, color in his cheeks, and strength in his neck. “Thank you, for watching out for me.”
“No problem,” she shrugged.
“You aren’t going to…write about this in a thesis or something?” he asked, and her eyes widened as she shook her head.
“No, of course not. That would be kind of denying the very morals that my thesis stands on, I could never do that.”
“You are an angel,” he said softly. “I don’t know how anyone hasn’t swept you up by now?”
“Just normal life,” she replied, with a rueful smile. He laughed.
“Well angel, lead the way.”
Her skin was so dark it melted with the black night, and he couldn’t help but admire how beautiful she looked, standing in the moonlight. He couldn’t believe that someone so beautiful, with such a kind heart, had not been swept up and married by now. She seemed so nice, so smart, and so sexy, and yet here she was, walking these streets at night. He felt fiercely protective over her, his werewolf instinct coming into full play.
Her apartment was a third floor walk up, and when she opened the door, he felt a rush of his childhood. A bachelor apartment, kept neat only because it was so sparse, yet cozy.
On the wall and on the desk were various pictures and articles. She took his coat as he wandered towards them, recognizing some by names and others by sight.
“You’ve interviewed many of my friends,” he said. She raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”
“These ones,” he pointed to two werewolf shifters and a dragon that had pages of notes attached to them. “But these three are very much into that type of research, into helping people. They have gotten to a place in their lives where they feel comfortable being out in the open.”
“You don’t?” she asked. He sighed.
“When I was in a relationship, I felt like I could be. But now, I don’t want her to know where I am, I don’t want her family to know, I don’t want to cause anyone trouble. I just want to live.”
“Yeah,” she sunk onto the bed, and he followed suit. “I get that. I certainly didn't want any of the drama from back home to follow me here. There were some people who I didn't even tell that I moved.”
“Exactly,” he said, sitting on the bed beside her. “You understand.”
“Smarter than I look,” she leaned against the wall where the bed was set up. “If you’re cold, you can grab the blanket.”
“I’m alright,” he admitted. “This is a nice place you’ve got, actually. Cozy, quirky.”
“Just like me,” she said with a laugh. “That’s what my friends say when they want to describe me. All my friends are skinny, you see, and…normal. They just want to do what their parents are doing, they don’t want to think outside the box, they want to look like the magazines.”
“Well, I think you’re beautiful,” he said, turning his head towards her. “And quirky is a good thing.”
“Oh,” she blushed. “Thank you. You don’t do too bad yourself.”
“I think I cheat,” he replied. “Shifters get the best of both worlds. And people are animals too, so many are doubly attracted to shifters.”
“Not because they are nice, or funny, or handsome, or any of those things,” she answered. She noticed that their faces were inches apart, but she didn’t want to bring it up. “Not because they are actually good people.”
“Nope,” he said, but his voice was low. “Most people don’t bother to…understand us.”
“Most people are dumb,” she replied, before she thought. “And they don’t understand that you are the next evolution, that you are better than humans. That it’s us who are behind, and struggling to catch up.”
“I’ve never seen anyone see the world like you do,” he said leaning in. He hadn’t meant to, he had meant to be respectful. But her lips made her irresistible, her eyes gleaming. Before he knew what was happening, he kissed her, full on the mouth.
Chapter 3
She h
ad been kissed before of course, but never quite like this. This was something she had read about in romance novels. Fireworks went off in her brain as she frantically tried to regain control of her mind. Christie was used to being very much in control; very sensible. She wasn't ever used to losing control. But this was something like no other. It was like this man, this beautiful shifter, was sucking all the control out of her. Her body was on fire, her mind tingling with desire. When they finally broke apart, she was gasping for breath. But he wasn't done. He had a hungry look about him that she had only seen on Hollywood hotshots. But this wasn't a Hollywood set. They were in her living room and he was clearly hungry for her.
He laid her back on the bed, as he kissed her, his fingertips gentle as he ran up and down her shoulders and arms. It sent shivers down her spine as he touched her in crevices and nooks that had long since been ignored. His white skin on her ebony features was electrifying, and his focus was entirely on her.
“Are you...is this okay?” he asked softly, whispering in her ear. It felt like the words were lost from her lips and she could only nod. His fingers trailed down her stomach and onto the top of her pants.
“Are you sure this is okay?” he asked, and she groaned in response, closing her eyes in anticipation. He took that as a sign that all was well and continued his exploration of the top of her pant line. She gasped, meeting his eyes.
“Please,” she begged. Christie had only ever been with one person before. But this was different, this wasn't just out of duty or out of habit. She had been with her farm boyfriend previously for so long that it felt like it was just something they did to keep each other entertained. This however, was a whole new ball game.
With a smirk on his face, he traced her pant line before giving both of her pant legs a slight yank, pulling them to reveal pink lace panties. He made short work of them as well, and his long lanky fingers soon made contact with her shaved mound.
ROMANCE: Paranormal Romance: The Valley (Book One) (Fun, Sexy, Mature Young Adult Vampire Shape Shifter Romance) Page 21
