She had felt that same helplessness most of her childhood and had taken great strides not to feel that way as much as possible in adult life. But when it came to life itself, there was no control to be had.
Katrina woke up in a cold sweat, not wanting to go back to sleep, but she knew she needed to. She sipped on the glass of milk she kept beside her bed, just in case. She tried to lay back down, but her thoughts began racing uncontrollably about her parents, which were much like the mysterious ghosts whispering in the wind around her tonight.
There was a reason she had grown up mostly with her grandmother. Her parents had not been the best of people to be around. They weren’t married when they had her, and her father resented the fact that he felt trapped by this family he hadn’t expected. It turned into anger a lot of the time; yelling and throwing objects was a regular occurrence in her early life.
There had been a time, when she was around three that her father had clipped her leg with a stone bowl he’d thrown in a rage. Katrina hardly remembered, but she still had the scar to prove it. That was when he’d packed his bags and left. It was better to leave and not be responsible than to be so angry that he harmed his own child, even by accident.
Her mother had been devastated and never got over it, constantly seeking to replace him with even worse look-alikes.
When things got too tough for Katrina to handle she would call her grandmother or just walk to her house if they lived close by. By nine, she was living there permanently because her mother couldn’t stop fighting with her, and her father didn’t want to see her.
Katrina had grown up and learned that they were two flawed and embarrassed people who didn’t like being reminded of how badly they had screwed up. Unfortunately, Katrina happened to be that reminder.
She had sought relationships with them both when she was a teen, but she had soon stopped identifying herself as part of their families. She never seemed to fit in with the lives they led now, and it was hard to forgive and forget when they brought her onto the earth and then chose not to care for her properly.
So, she had moved on. But now that she was alone in the world again, her thoughts went to them more often than she liked to admit. She missed her mother’s laughter and her father’s soft eyes and musky scent. She always got over it eventually, but something about this time seemed different; probably because there was little to distract her.
She had tried to call her mother a few times after her grandmother had passed, but the conversations never turned out well. Her mother didn’t even come to the funeral, which made no sense. It embarrassed Katrina that they were related when things like that happened.
Fear shut down any new attempts to try to make contact with her father. He had walked out all those years ago for a reason, and attempts to meet him had never been to her satisfaction. But that craving for family, for a closeness to someone was still there below the surface no matter how much she tried to push it down and weed it out.
With a sigh Katrina threw the covers off herself, giving up on the idea of sleep for the moment.
Instead, she decided to go and meet her so called ghosts head on. She pulled on a light sweater to shield herself from the wind and tiptoed quietly down the stairs and to the door. The sides of the property were very open and had small gardens in them. Maybe if she walked around and got some fresh air, she’d come back to bed with a fresh perspective. If not, maybe the walk would tire her out enough to go back to a dreamless sleep.
As her feet touched the grass, a chill ran through her body. It wasn’t that cold, but the sound of the whipping wind sent a chill through her body. The whistling had turned to a full on howl. Or was that an animal? She hadn’t thought much about the wild animals that could easily be prowling the grounds. The only protection for the property was a bunch of hedges and a small fence that she doubted would hold anything out if it really wanted in.
Shaking her head free of the momentary paranoia, Katrina pressed on into one of the gardens, smelling the herbs that were growing around her feet. Their smell did bring a calming feeling and helped to clear her head a bit.
She looked up at the towering house, it did look a little creepier in the nighttime, she had to admit. She wondered what Zachary was doing up there all alone like herself. Was he sleeping, or was he tossing and turning too?
He was someone she could consider getting closer to and forming a bond with; she just didn’t know for sure if he wanted it too.
But nothing good in life ever came to anyone without hard work and a few risks.
Katrina smiled to herself and came back around the house, meaning to head back inside. The fresh air had served its purpose. There was something there with Zachary to be explored. She didn’t need her absent father or irresponsible mother to fill any voids.
She heard the howl again and then a low growl and knew that what she had heard earlier had not been the wind. The sound was closer than it had been before.. Slowly, she dared to turn around.
In front her stood a wolf. Katrina sucked in her breath. The brown and grey animal had its teeth bared as if ready to pounce. The animal looked straight at her as if calculating and then leaped, pinning her onto the hard ground.
Katrina was sure she was a goner. She didn’t even scream. But as she looked at her barking, drooling assailant head on, she noticed a familiar scar on its cheek. Could it be?
“Zachary?” she asked, breathless, her voice barely carried in the wisp of the wind. The wolf’s growls ceased, and he looked upon her with intelligent and beautiful dark eyes; the eyes of a man she had just begun to get to know. And she knew the answers now to why he was always alone.
Before she had time to assimilate the vision, the wolf ran off as quickly as it appeared, a short whimper falling behind it.
Chapter Six
The next morning, Katrina woke up feeling invigorated. It was a new day full of new things to discover, and she was full of questions for Zachary.
She was no teen romance fanatic, but she had to admit that meeting a real live werewolf was exciting. She had never seen or met one, even though they were “out” in society, and so she had pushed it to the back of her mind with many other things. If she didn’t see it, then it was like it didn’t exist. It didn’t matter. It had still been like fiction in her head until she had witnessed it. His scar had been the giveaway. There was no mistake; Zachary was a werewolf.
How long had he been trying to keep it a secret and still live a semi normal life? Did he have any business associates that knew? Her head was full of so many wonderings that she had to sort through them and get a grip on what might be most appropriate.
After all, she didn’t know his history or how thrilled he would be that she knew about it. She doubted he would be ready to sip some tea at the breakfast table and tell her all about turning into a werewolf. He clearly wasn’t that type of guy anyway.
Expecting to have some kind of run in with Zachary, she made sure not to head downstairs in her pajamas. It was bad enough he had seen her in his wolf form looking like a zombie. She wasn’t going to allow for that impression again now that he could see her with human eyes. She slipped on an long orange dress and brushed through her hair a few times before heading down, feeling hopeful about what she would find.
The place was strangely quiet. In fact, none of the other staff was anywhere in sight. She looked around in the dining room and found no food, but there was a check sitting at her usual seat. She picked it up and saw an outrageous number on it; the kind of number a person could live on for years to come. The craziest part was that it had her name on it.
What was going on, and where was Zachary?
When she turned around, holding the check out in front of her like it was a stinky piece of trash, she almost ran smack dab into Zachary. He was quiet, and his eyes looked like he hadn’t gotten any sleep. This time, she knew the reason behind it though.
“You scared me,” she told him, grabbing her chest. “What is this all about?” she asked h
olding out the check to him.
“It’s a check for you, Katrina. It’s your ticket out of here.” Zachary’s dark eyes burned into her as he said the words.
Katrina looked at him in confusion. There was none of the usual feeling in his voice. He seemed really stressed, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“What are you talking about, Zachary?”
“You don’t have to pretend that it doesn’t bother you, Katrina. You don’t work here anymore. All of that money is yours. All you have to do is walk out that door and never speak of what you learned while you were here.”
Katrina was beginning to understand, and she had to force her jaw closed, which was hanging open in shock. She put her hands on her hips and stood her ground, letting him know she was not happy with his line of thinking.
“I am not going anywhere, Zachary. You are not just my boss; you have become my friend. I don’t care what you think of yourself or what you think I should feel about what I know.”
She waited for a response but she could see that Zachary was just as set in his line of thinking as she was in hers.
“The cat’s out of the bag, and I don’t care. In fact, I find it fascinating. I was coming down here ready to ask a million questions and feeling like a weight was lifted off of this relationship, whatever it is, because the truth was finally out there in the open. There’s nothing to hide or tip toe around anymore.”
She paused and shifted her weight. “Now, if you want to fire me out of your own embarrassment, fine. But I am not going to take your ridiculous hush money or let you think for a second I’m the kind of person to look down on you for what you are.”
Katrina took a deep breath and passed the check over to him, shaking it at him until he took it back.
He looked at it in confusion. He looked down at the check in his hand then back at Katrina.
“But aren’t you frightened of me? I’m a monster.”
Katrina’s expression softened, and she approached him, getting as close as she could without crossing too many boundaries, even though her insides were daring her to do so.
Now that she realized what he was, she was even more attracted to him. It was like there was this unspoken power in the air around him even though he looked so exhausted.
“I can tell that you think that, but I don’t see any reason to be afraid of you. You’re not dangerous. If you were dangerous then you would have hurt me last night…but you didn’t,” she told him softly. “You’re just different.”
It looked like it might have been the first time anyone had even planted such a thought in his mind. She could tell almost instantly that there was a story to what he had become, and it was definitely the reason he kept himself in isolation.
“Are you sure?” he finally asked, his eyes shining in a new light as he looked up at her.
The intensity of the connection between them was too great. If he didn’t make a move, she was going to. But she didn’t have to.
Zachary reached out with his hand and entangled it in her hair, pulling her face to his with his fist. She melted into his, allowing him to pull her close to his body with his other hand.
The kiss felt so right, like she had been waiting on that kiss her whole life. It felt like it had been written down in a history book meant just for her, and she could see stars all around her when she closed her eyes.
His warm breath had a scent she couldn’t describe as she tasted him, letting her tongue slip into his mouth and his into hers. It was heavenly. Their bodies fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces, and she was sure she had chosen that job for a reason. She was meant to meet this amazing man; more than a man.
She pulled away and didn’t know how long the kiss had lasted. It felt like forever and yet not long enough. Katrina touched her lips, and she could still feel him there. She had to be sure it was real.
“I’m sorry,” Zachary said, his eyes wide with shock at what he had just done. “I just keep screwing up.”
Katrina laughed nervously.
“You didn’t screw up,” she admitted. “I told you that I wasn’t afraid of you, Zachary,” she whispered, reaching out for his hand. “I admire you, and what you are, it fascinates me. I have so many questions.” Her whole body was full of electricity. She felt like she could run a marathon, but she knew she had work to do. “But I know it must be a sensitive subject to you.”
Zachary nodded. “I have not been this way most of my life. It is a more recent development, and I’ve had a hard time coping. Look, I have a lot of meetings and things going on today; important ones, but I want to talk to you about this. I let my staff off for the day to deal with this revelation.” He pointed between the two of them, and they both laughed at the double meaning behind his words. “Why don’t you go out and get some breakfast and then we’ll both get to work. Then, tonight, I would like to take the time to talk about things and have a real dinner; just the two of us with you not as my assistant. I think maybe I’ll order something nice or even do the cooking myself.”
“You mean… like a date, Zachary?” Katrina asked with a sly smile.
“Yeah, I suppose so.”
Chapter Seven
There was a different air in the house and a pep in Katrina’s step that night as she ran around her room trying to put together the perfect look.
She had not packed the right clothes for a date with her boss, so her choices were few and far between. She didn’t even have a whole lot of makeup left and didn’t know much about the tiny little town nearby that she went to that very morning to get some breakfast to bring home at the only fast food place in the area.
The town was quaint and quite a drive compared to what she was used to back home. She hadn’t gotten a good look for fear of breaking the rules of her contract. More than ever she was beginning to understand the reasons for isolation and secrecy, and she didn’t want to be the next person to come up missing for getting involved with the wrong job and then not following the rules.
Katrina went into the bathroom and began to pull her hair down from the makeshift curlers she had used. For lack of anything better, she had wet her hair and rolled up anything the right shape and size she could find around the house, and she was hoping it looked even. Luckily, it did; it looked flowy and shiny as it bounced high on her shoulders.
Her eyes were done up, and she had on a light gloss on her lips. The final touch was the one skirt she had found buried at the bottom of her bag and a black shirt that hugged her body tightly. It would have to be good enough.
Looking at the time, she had only a couple of minutes until dinner, so she decided to give herself a quick glance in the mirror and then head downstairs to see what was in store for her. Her blood was pulsing inside of her head with nerves and excitement as she took the stairs two at a time.
When she came into the dining room she gasped. The only light was coming from candles lit at intervals down the center of the table. The candles were framed by what could only be described as a feast.
She was almost certain he ordered the food; there was no way he had made so much by himself in the amount of time he had, but it was amazing just the same. She had never seen anything so amazing in her life; especially aimed at impressing her.
Katina turned when she heard Zachary’s footsteps behind her. He looked like a different man. His broad chest and shoulders were covered in a tailored blue button down shirt that tucked into fitted black trousers. If she hadn’t been so surprised she would have whistled at the sight.
“How do you like it?” his soft voice asked, prickling the little hairs on the back of her neck and giving her goose bumps. He smelled so good, his strong jaw bare after a fresh shave. His eyes and his scar stood out in the candlelight. He looked incredibly sexy. She didn’t know how she had resisted him for so long already.
“Where did you get such a feast?” she asked, looking back at the table.
“I made it,” he said, as if it were no big feat.
“You
made all this?”
Zachary laughed. A loud, beautiful laugh that made Katrina smile.
“I didn’t always have servants and a chef you know, when I first started out I had to make food for myself.”
She tried to picture Zachary in a kitchen. It had never occurred to her that he might not have always been a billionaire. She’d just assumed that he’d been born with a silver spoon in his mouth like most of the rich people she’d read about.
“It’s beautiful. No one has ever done something like this for me before.” She looked around, blinking several times to make sure it was real and still there. “It feels like a dream.”
“I find it hard to believe no one has done something like this for you. You’re an amazing human being, Katrina.”
His compliment made her tingle all over as he led her to a chair and pulled it out for her before taking a seat across from her. She could once again feel that connection between them from across the table, and she didn’t know how she was going to make it through the dinner without closing the distance between them. But part of why they were there was to talk, and she really did want to get some answers to her questions.
“You look beautiful,” he told her as he poured both of them some fragrant red wine. Katrina smiled at him and felt herself blush a little. He was going through great lengths like no one ever had, and she felt so special.
“So, tell me what questions you have and I will do my best to answer” he said after carving the roast chicken that sat glistening between them.
“I want to know your story. What is it like to be like you? Why do you hide it from the outside world even though your kind is out in the open now?” Katrina leaned forward. “I guess there are a lot of things I want to know, but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or obligated.”
Zachary chuckled and reached across the table to place his hand on top of hers. It felt incredibly warm, like he was a walking heater. Maybe that was part of him being a werewolf.
ROMANCE: PARANORMAL ROMANCE: The Billionaire Shifter´s Secret Baby (Werewolf Alpha Male Pregnancy Interracial Romance) (Paranormal Young Adult Suspense Romance) Page 3
