Chapter Two
"Are you alright, Nikolai? You're sitting in front of me and yet you seem not to be here."
Nick blinked twice, then focused his eyes on the older man across the table. "Apologies, grandfather, I've been busy and had a lot of things on my mind," he picked up the teapot and poured some tea into the empty cup. His mind was occupied by a lot of things. Well, one thing, actually, he thought, but kept that to himself. The wedding had been a week ago, and since then, he found it harder and harder to stop his mind from wandering to that night when he had a free moment. Since the wedding, even his dreams were filled with things he didn't dare think out loud. Dreams so vivid, he'd wake up aroused and frustrated, craving for soft skin and that sweet scent. So, in true Nick Vrost fashion, he plunged himself into work and avoided anyone except the Alpha and his security team. By the end of the day, he was so exhausted that he slept like a rock.
"Nikolai, let Garret do that," Vasili Vrost motioned to his butler, who had quickly stepped forward to try and take the pot of tea from Nick.
The Lycan gave the distinguished older man a stern look, and the butler stopped halfway, seemingly trapped between the two men sitting down to tea. "It's ok, Garret, I've got it," Nick's face softened as he looked at the kindly old butler, who had been his favorite playmate when he was much younger. "Will you please give my grandfather and me some privacy? We'll ring when we're done."
"Yes, Master Nick," the butler bowed his head and exited the library.
"I can't believe you're still having him serve tea. He must be over 60, grandfather," Nick admonished.
"Well," the older man took a sip of the tea. "And what would you have him do? Go back to the England or maybe retire in a cottage somewhere? He would grow old within months and wither away."
Nick admitted silently to himself that his grandfather was right. Garret was old school, educated in England. He had been with the Vrost family since he was 18 and Nick perhaps saw him take a vacation only a handful of times. Forcing him to retire (and that was the only way they'd get rid of him) would be an insult to Garret, and the equivalent of kicking him out into the street, even with the generous retirement fund they would provide him. No, Garret would probably die (happily) shining the family silver or with a pot of tea in his hands. He and Vasili were cut from the same cloth. Even though his grandfather was 75, he was still managing the family estates and businesses in the US and in Europe.
"And stop changing the subject, Nikolai," Vasili put the cup down gently, but his voice was stern. "What is on your mind that you can't even listen to an old man ramble on?"
"Just a lot of work. Especially since I'm down one man on my security force and making sure the Alpha's sister and her husband are secure while on their honeymoon," Nick supplied quickly.
"Ah yes. True Mates. Fascinating, but more important, gives all of our kind some hope," he took another sip of his tea. "Did you give my apologies to the Alpha for missing the wedding?"
"Of course. He accepted your apologies gracefully and sends his regards," Nick replied. "Now, what was so urgent that you want to ask me to tea in the middle of the week? You know that I never miss our monthly dinners."
Though Nick was busy with his role as the Alpha's second-in-command and Vasili split his time between Europe and the US, they always met for dinner at the end of the month, whether that meant Nick flew to wherever his grandfather was at the moment or Vasili arranged his schedule to be in New York. It had been that way since Nick left for college when he was 18, when his grandmother insisted on those monthly dinners. Even though she was gone, the two men made it a point to always keep that date.
That's why he was surprised by the call from the older Lycan, asking him to tea at the Hudson estate in the middle of the month. Nick never denied Vasili anything, and he cleared his schedule so he could drive up, to have tea with the man who practically raised him. Besides, he loved being at the old mansion and it brought back a lot of good memories.
Vasili took a deep breath. "Nikolai, as you know, I'm getting old."
Nick sighed inwardly. Not this again. "Yes, grandfather, but you said during your last physical that your doctor pronounced you fit as a fiddle."
"Bah," he waved his hand dramatically. "Yes, for someone my age. But I feel it in my bones. I can't recover as fast as I used to and it's only going to get worse. I've already started reducing my travel schedule. I'd like to stay in New York for longer periods."
"It happens to everyone. Even Lycans."
"Yes, and that's why I asked you to tea today."
Nick lips tightened, his jaw setting in a hard line. Losing his grandmother had been hard. He couldn't think of what it would be like to lose his last living relative and parental figure.
"Nikolai, please, I've been begging you for the past years. I want to see your children, my great grandpups. I want to be strong enough to play with them, talk to them, and tell them about our family."
"Grandfather, I told you..."
"And I've been telling you," Vasili interrupted, his voice quavering slightly, but gaining strength. "I'm tired of waiting. Yes, you're the Beta, a great honor for our family, the first to serve in any capacity to the clan. And you're busy, too busy to find a Lycan girl to marry. But the longer you wait, the shorter my time and my patience gets. You've forced my hand."
He was taken aback by his grandfather's words. "Please, grandfather, calm down."
"No, you listen," the older Lycan was almost shouting. "I've decided that if I don't see any progress in the next two years, I will leave everything to Dmitri. Including this house."
Nick's jaw tightened. Dmitri Karkarov was a distant relative, maybe a third or fourth cousin. He was a good man, and actually helped Vasili run their Eastern European estates and holdings. But, he was not a Vrost. "Grandfather, that's rather drastic, isn't it?"
"Well, I'm getting desperate," Vasili declared. "And, in any case, he's married to that nice Lycan girl and if you don't produce any offspring, most of the holdings would have gone to him and any heir he produced once you are gone."
The younger Lycan balled his fists in anger, but kept his emotions in check. He wasn't worried about the money - he certainly was well-paid by Fenrir, both with salary and equity, and he could retire comfortably right now if he wanted to. Plus, when his parents died, they'd left him a sizable trust. But the house belonged to the Vrost family. His grandfather was trying to get a rise out of him and they'd clashed many times in the past years over many things, from his choice of schools to his line of work. Even though Nick loved his grandfather, he'd never show the older Lycan he was rattled. But what was he supposed to do with this news?
"You can't expect me to produce children in two years. You know it doesn't work that way, not with us." Lycans always had problems producing offspring, with many couples failing to get pregnant even after many years and if they did, rarely had more than one pup.
Vasili nodded. "Yes, I know. I would have wanted more than one child but I was blessed with your father. And so were your parents, to have you. Which is why I want to see you try. Married or engaged. I'd be happy for a child out of wedlock at this point, as long you can prove it's yours."
Nick felt a headache coming on. He rubbed the place between his brows with two fingers, trying to soothe it away.
"Well?" Vasili asked.
Nick slumped back in his chair in defeat. "What do you want me to do?"
The Lycan smiled. "There are many eligible single young Lycan women in New York and all over America. Many of them from great families, their lineage traceable back to the first wave of Lycans from the old country. Or you can even expand your search to Europe, Africa, Asia, any continent that has Lycans. You can have your choice."
"But you've already made yours?" Nick asked, anticipating the answer.
"I've made a list," Vasili produced a piece of paper from his coat pocket. "Let's begin, shall we?"
Nick groaned inwardly. This was going to be a long afternoon.
> ***
Tea with his grandfather had turned into dinner, and after hours of talking, Nick truly felt exhausted. He appeased Vasili somewhat by listening to his suggestions and telling him he'd consider meeting all the eligible Lycan ladies he had on his list. But he made no indication that he would even call any of the women or ask them out on a date any time soon. Meanwhile, he'd bought himself some time, maybe enough time to convince Vasili to forget his plan or...what the alternative was, he wasn't quite sure.
He drove his black Mercedes into his private garage at North Cluster in The Enclave in one of the basement levels, where he kept his other vehicles. Walking into the elevator, he pressed the button for the Penthouse. He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest when the elevator stopped at the ground floor. Maybe whoever was on the other side of the door would be intimidated and opt to take the next elevator.
The doors opened and he breathed in a familiar scent, one he could never forget. Candy apples and caramels, favorite treats from his childhood, and a scent that was unique to Cady. Humans didn't normally smell so strong or distinctly to Lycans, but some did. Mostly, humans smelled like sweat and certain pheromones, and most Lycans could tell a human apart from other Lycans because of their lack of a distinct scent. But maybe Cady had a Lycan ancestor, which was not unusual for someone in her position. Nick thought it was curious that she could smell like a Lycan and human at the same time, but still, he never thought to mention it, as that really wasn't his business.
"Mr...er, Nick," Cady's beautiful indigo blue eyes grew wide as she looked at the elevator car's occupant.
"Cady, good evening." Nick greeted and put his arms down to his sides. "Working late?"
"As usual," the redhead nodded as she stepped into the elevator. "And you?"
"Out on a personal matter," Nick casually mentioned.
"I see," Cady replied as the doors closed and she pressed the floor to her own apartment, a few floors below his own. A heartbeat passed and car began to ascend.
"What have-"
"Did you-"
Both of them stopped awkwardly as they spoke at the same time.
"Go ahead," Nick nodded.
"No, you go," Cady began. "I just wanted to--" She gasped and stopped suddenly when the elevator car was plunged into darkness.
Nick cursed softly, then reached out the touch Cady on the shoulder reassuringly as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. "Are you ok?" he asked as his hand tightened around her shoulder. He felt her shiver slightly as the lone emergency light overhead flickered.
"Yes, I'm ok, just startled," her voice was slightly shaky and he could smell the anxiety coming off her in waves.
He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he knew it was more important to find out what happened. Nick buzzed the emergency button on the elevator panel. "This is Nick Vrost. What's going on? Who's on duty?"
"Mr. Vrost, sir," came the crackly voice from the speaker. "This is Johnson from security, team Epsilon. Sorry sir, power outage in parts of the building. The generators are taking longer to kick in. I just called in the maintenance guy, but he's still coming from downtown."
"And how long will it take to fix it?" Nick asked impatiently.
There was a long pause. "It'll take him at least 30 minutes to get here, he said, sir."
Nick let out a defeated sigh. "Alright, well, do what you can."
"Yes sir," Johnson's voice crackled through the speaker, followed by hollow silence.
Nick leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. Of all the people to get trapped with in an elevator. He turned to his companion. "Looks like we'll be here awhile."
Cady nodded meekly, but Nick could tell her unease was rising by the minute. A surge of protectiveness grew in him. "Are you alright, Cady?"
"I'm...I..." she opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She began to heave, as if she couldn't breathe.
"Cady!" Nick took her hand and pulled her closer to him. This seemed to only make her more anxious, so he loosened his grip. "Breathe, Cady, don't worry, we'll be fine. I'm here."
Cady nodded, even as she broke into a sweat. "I can't...I don't like..." Her eyes grew wide as she looked around the elevator car.
It was obvious to Nick that the redhead was having some sort of panic attack from being in an enclosed space. Nick placed his hand on her back, rubbing up and down slowly. "Close your eyes...that's good..." he soothed. He kneeled down on the floor and tugged at her hand, making her sit down next to him. She sat obediently, tucking her legs under her.
"Now, just keep your eyes closed. Imagine we're somewhere else. Like the beach on a moonlit night or a park." He continued to rub her back soothingly, and soon, Cady's breathing became normal. They sat together for a while, and at some point, Cady had naturally moved closer to him and placed her head on his shoulder. He breathed in her delicious, sweet scent, and he started feeling slightly anxious himself. He wasn't quite sure what he'd do if they were left alone much longer. Probably something I'd regret, he thought.
"I'm sorry," Cady finally spoke. Her eyes remained closed and her head on his shoulder. "It's just, I hate small spaces. Always have. It's not so bad, but being in the dark like this makes it worse."
"Don't worry," Nick assured her. "Everyone has something that they're afraid of."
She gave a small laugh. "Even you?"
He smiled in the dim light. "Even me. When I was young, I was always scared of storms. I used to jump into my grandparents' bed when there was thunder and lightning outside."
"Your grandparents?" Cady inquired. "What about your parents?"
"They died when I was young. And so I was left in my father's parents' care."
"Oh," Cady's voice fell. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. It's just that it was the second time you mentioned them, your grandmother at least."
"It's alright, I was very young when it happened," Nick shrugged. "I've accepted it, and my grandmother and grandfather gave me more than enough love growing up."
"Still...I mean..." Cady's voice drifted. "I'm being silly, getting all worked up about being in an enclosed space." She took a deep breath. "It's getting hot in here, though," she declared. She unbuttoned the top three buttons of her blouse and began to fan herself.
Nick's heartbeat spiked when he saw a bit of lace and cleavage. His keen senses picked up her scent again, giving him a heady feeling. Willing himself to calm down, he loosened his tie, discarded his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, exposing his muscular forearms. "I'm going to check in with security." He stood up and pressed the call button. "What's going on there? I need a status report, Johnson."
"Sir," the voice burst through the speaker. "Maintenance guy just arrived. You're the only ones we know of trapped in the elevators, so he's gonna work on getting the power back right now. Five minutes, he says."
"Good," Nick said gruffly, then sat down on the floor again next to Cady. "Are you ok? Can you hang on for another five minutes?"
Cady nodded. "I'm good now. Thank you."
The Lycan nodded and said nothing, but leaned back again the wall of the elevator. The five minutes passed quickly in comfortable silence, then the lights overheard flickered to life, and the car began to move.
"Finally!" Cady sighed in relief. Cool air began to pump through the vents and she took a long, deep breath.
Nick stood up, offering his hand to her, which she took with a grateful nod. Cady smoothed down her skirt, fixed her blouse and put her stiletto heels back on. Watching her in such an intimate manner made something in him growl with hunger, and he pictured her doing the same thing after a delightful afternoon romp in his bed. Where the hell did that come from? Before he could act on his thoughts, the elevator doors opened to her floor.
"Thank you, Nick," she smiled weakly at him. "Glad I wasn't stuck in there alone."
"You're welcome," he answered automatically.
"Good night," she waved casually at him, and all he could do was watch her walk away as the elevator doors
closed.
Chapter Three
It was a cool, fall morning as Cady laid the flowers on the gray slab of stone. The marker wasn't fresh, as the elements had worn away much of the polish and shine it once had. It read "Luther Gray, beloved father and loyal friend". The second date etched on the stone was exactly 9 years ago.
"Hello, dad," she greeted as she touched the stone carefully. She never failed to show up on this date every year, and this was the one day she disconnected from Fenrir and the rest of the world, turning off her cellphone and tablet. Though the pain of his death had slowly reduced to a dull ache through the years, his last day on earth was still fresh in her memory.
9 years ago...
Cady wrung her hands nervously as she waited for her father to come home from work. She arrived late last night from Paris, so she barely saw her dad, only giving him a kiss goodnight before stumbling into bed and goodbye this morning before he went to work. She spent the day in their apartment (well, his apartment, as she had left some time ago), unpacking and sleeping, but mostly practicing what she would say to him. Luther was a busy man, being Human Liaison to one of the most powerful Lycan clans in the world, but tonight he promised her that he had cleared his schedule so they could have dinner uninterrupted. So, after a quick trip to the market, she started making dinner - a simple salad, pasta, and steak, medium-rare, her dad's favorite.
"Now this is a nice sight to see!" Luther declared as he entered the kitchen. He was a tall, thin man with graying hair and blue-violet eyes, which he had passed on to his daughter.
Cady ran up to her dad and gave him a big hug, "Welcome home," she greeted.
"Welcome home," he greeted back and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Go and wash up, and we can start dinner," she said, ushering him towards the sink.
Soon, they sat down to dinner, talking and catching up. They last saw each other 3 months ago, when Cady had graduated from Sorbonne. She was 18 when she moved to Paris, did a year in Oxford and then finished her studies back in Sorbonne, graduating with top honors five years later with an undergraduate in International Business and a combination fast-tracked MBA. After the ceremony, they had dinner much like this one, but at her favorite bistro in the Latin Quarter, not far from her flat.
Blood Moon: Book 2 of the True Mates Series: A Werewolf Shifter Paranormal Romance Page 2
