It started with the small things. Tommy would tell her that her skirt was too short or her neckline too low. He said he couldn’t concentrate when all the boys at school were looking at her. So she changed the way she dressed to please him. Then he was resentful of all the time she spent with Sybil and Amelia, so every free moment she had was spent with him. She ignored her family and friends.
Then it started getting worse. He would call her names or tell her she looked fat in a certain outfit. When she started talking back, he would either laugh at her or accuse her of overreacting. The one time she actually had the courage to break up with him, he started shouting at her and calling her stupid and ugly. He told her she belonged to him, and no one would ever love her. They had a huge fight and she went home in tears, but the next day, as she was leaving to go to school, there was a gift on the hood of her car. A cute and cuddly teddy bear. He begged her to take him back, saying he would change. She believed him and they made up.
That’s when the cycle would start all over again.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel tight. Ever since she finally broke free of Tommy’s influence, she vowed to never let another man take control of her like that. No, she valued her freedom far too much, and mate or not, she would never fall into that trap ever again.
Chapter Five
Petros watched the car as it tore out of the parking lot. He let out a curse and kicked the teddy bear as he made his way to his pickup.
He managed to get into the driver’s seat, despite his body feeling completely numb. Driving out of the lot, he headed back toward town, to the Blackstone Hotel where he had been staying at for the past week.
Fate really did hate him. He could confirm that now. Perhaps it was his punishment for surviving. Not just once, but twice. Because what kind of life would this be? To be living with this gigantic hole in his chest? He should have died in Cyprus. No, wait. He should have died long before that.
As he drove down Main Street, his stomach growled. He realized it had been hours since his last meal. Eager to get the perimeter tour done and catch Kate before she left, he had skipped lunch. Now he was famished. He was tired of eating the food at the hotel, so he decided to stop by one of the restaurants in town.
Not all the establishments were operating, though it seemed like more and more of them were re-opening every day. There was a queue outside Rosie’s Bakery and Cafe, and since patience was not part of his vocabulary at the moment, he headed to the diner instead. A friendly waitress led him to an empty table and gave him a menu.
He quickly decided on his meal and dictated his order to the young server. As he looked around, he saw someone familiar at the table across from him.
Sybil Lennox sat by herself, a book in one hand. White headphones were stuck in her ears, and she bounced her knees as she listened to some upbeat tune. Perhaps sensing Petros’ gaze, she turned her silvery eyes toward him, which widened when she realized who was looking at her. She quickly put her book down, then got up and walked to his table.
“Hey! We haven’t been formally introduced,” she said, taking the earphones out of her ears. “I’m Sybil Lennox.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Lennox,” he greeted.
“Please, it’s just Sybil,” she said. “And you’re Petros, right?”
“Yes.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. Though he was sure she was nice enough, he was not up for company at the moment.
His brusqueness didn’t seem to faze her, and she flashed him a smile as she sat down on the empty chair across from him. “You know, you’re not what I thought you’d be.”
“Oh? And what did you think I would be?”
She chuckled. It was hard to believe this cheerful young woman housed a dangerous creature inside of her. “I mean, you’re not what I thought Kate’s mate would be like. She’s so … Kate, and you’re awfully serious. But they say opposites attract, right?”
“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” he said glumly.
Her silver eyes sparkled. “I guess she’s not making it easy for you.”
“You guessed correctly.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ve seen it lots of times. You can keep on resisting the mating call, but then bam!” She slapped her palms together in a dramatic manner. “You’ll end up with each other anyway.”
“Thank you, but I think perhaps this time fate will not be so kind.” The words, once out of his mouth, weighed on his shoulders even more and the hole in his chest seemed to expand.
“What are you talking about?” Sybil asked.
Petros clasped his hands together and placed them on top of the table. “It seems no matter what I do, Kate is determined to hate me.”
“What did you do?” she asked matter-of-factly.
“Excuse me?”
Sybil planted her elbows on the table and then placed her chin on her palms. “What exactly did you do?”
“Well, uh, I must admit I was too … enthusiastic the first time we met. But she was avoiding me, and I had no choice.”
“No choice except to carry her off on your shoulder?” Her eyebrow raised up all the way to her hairline.
“Yes, well, perhaps that was hasty of me.” He cleared his throat. “But I made my intentions clear. I’m not going to toy with her. I only wish to be with her forever and make her happy for the rest of her life.”
“Did you tell her that?” Sybil asked. “I mean, did you mention that part about making her happy?”
“Er ….” He scratched his head. He definitely said something about forever. And having pups with her. But for some reason, he couldn’t recall telling her that all he wanted was to make her happy. But surely she must realize that, right? “I attempted to woo her today.”
“Woo her?”
“Yes. I took my cues from your American movies and gave her gifts. Flowers. Chocolates. I even arranged to have a gift waiting for her on the hood of her car to surprise her.”
“You did?” Sybil’s eyes narrowed at him. “What kind of gift?”
“A stuffed teddy bear.”
“A what?” Sybil rose from her seat and slammed her hands down. Petros swore he saw smoke curling out of her nostrils. The dragon inside her remained tightly reigned in, but the raw power coming from her had his own wolf frozen in apprehension. Even the other patrons stopped what they were doing to stare at them.
“A teddy—”
“I know what you said.” She sank back down on the chair and placed her hands over her face. “Oh no,” she said in a soft voice.
“What did I do wrong?” he asked. “Sybil?”
Putting her hands down, Sybil looked up at him, her face grim. “Look, it’s not my story to tell. But … when we were younger, there was this guy. Her boyfriend. An ex.”
He swallowed the jealousy rearing its ugly head. “And?”
“He didn’t treat her so well.”
Petros clenched his fists under the table. “Did he hurt her? Touch her?”
“What? No!” Sybil shook her head. “I would have burned him to ash if he did. He didn’t hurt her physically. That was the worst part.” She looked down at her shoes. “We didn’t see it. None of us did.” She took a deep breath. “He would make her feel bad about herself, and she would try to break up with him. Then he’d try to win her back with some kind of gift. The first one was a teddy bear, waiting for her on top of her car. Then it was other gifts. I think one time he even got her this expensive bracelet.”
No wonder she had reacted that way to his gifts. It was an unfortunate coincidence, and he would most certainly not have done it had he known.
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Why she acted the way she did around him. His mate had been hurt in the past and having been burned, of course she would be wary of any romantic entanglement. “But she was able to get away from him.”
“She did.” Sybil suppressed a laugh. “And she got back at him in the most spectacular way possible. In a w
ay only Kate could.”
He breathed a sigh. At least he wouldn’t have to murder anyone today. “You are her closest friend, correct?”
Sybil nodded. “She’s a year younger than Amelia and me, but yeah, I’ve known her all my life.”
“What should I do then? To win her?”
She tapped a finger on her chin. “Well, first, you need to pull back on the mate stuff. The more you make her feel trapped, the more she’ll want to get away.”
“Right.” Okay, he could do that. Try to control his feelings of possessiveness.
“And as for the gifts … Kate doesn’t do flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and definitely no more stuffed animals.”
“I think that part was made clear to me.”
“Just, you know … get to know her. Take it slow. And let her get to know you.”
“Slow.” It was agonizing to think he would have to take it slow with his mate, especially when his wolf was urging him to claim her. But he would do it for her. “Okay.”
Sybil clapped her hands together. “It’ll work out! I know it will.”
It had to work out. “Thank you, Sybil,” he said.
She smiled at him, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Just, you know, take care of her, okay?”
“Of course.” He didn’t want to incur the wrath of the female dragon after all. Still, he couldn’t help but notice the sadness in her eyes. “What is wrong?”
“What?” she asked. “Nothing.
“It’s not nothing,” Petros said. “Please, you’ve helped me a lot. You can confide in me as well.”
Her shoulders sagged. “I’m really happy that you and Kate are mates and everything. Really, I am. It’s just … well, I know that once you guys are mated and start having kids and stuff … I’ll be alone.”
“What?” Her words took him by surprise. “I’m not here to take Kate away from you or any of her friends.”
“I know that, but … it’s different. You’ll see.” She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “Like, sure you guys will still be here and we’ll see each other, but it will be different, you know? You’ll have each other, and I’ll have nobody.”
“I promise you, Sybil, I will not let your friendship with Kate fade away,” he said.
“That’s very kind of you,” she replied, seemingly mollified.
“I know all about loneliness,” Petros continued. “But once you find your own mate, you won’t be alone anymore.”
She sighed. “Thanks, but I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. Everyone here is just too intimidated by who I am. And what I am.”
Petros realized how lonely it must truly be for Sybil. Though she was a beautiful woman, most men would be intimidated by her wealth, family, and her power. But that didn’t mean her mate was not out there. He found his way to Kate, so he believed Sybil would find her intended mate, too.
“Any man who could not see past all that is a fool and not a worthy partner.” He looked her straight in the eye. “Sybil, you are fierce, loyal, and strong. Any man would be lucky to have you. I have traveled many miles to meet my mate. Perhaps yours is still making his journey to you.”
She gave him a weak smile. “Thank you, Petros. You’re too kind. And I know you’re definitely a worthy mate to Kate.”
Petros hoped with his entire being that was true.
Chapter Six
If Kate were a lesser woman, she would have quit the contract and not shown up for work. But she wasn’t. And she wasn’t a coward. If Petros even came near her, she had a few choice words for him.
But, much to her surprise, Petros kept his distance. She spied him in his office, working hard, his usual stony stare directed at his computer screen or to whomever was in front of him at the moment. He didn’t glance her way when she walked by. To be absolutely sure, she even made several trips across the office.
Nope, he didn’t look up or even break his concentration. Not even when she made sure to walk real slow. Just in case he didn’t realize she was around.
Good. This was for the best. They should just ignore each other and pretend nothing happened. Like, nothing ever happened between them. Not that first kiss. Or the second one.
Ugh.
She shoved her headphones over her ears and turned to her computer. But even as she tried to work, a small itch formed deep inside her. She ignored it, but it began to grow until she just couldn’t get it out of her head.
Did she go too far yesterday? Okay, maybe tossing the bear to the ground, then at him, was a little dramatic. But the memories of Tommy made her do that.
Petros didn’t know.
Of course he didn’t know. That was a million years ago. She got out of that situation if a little scarred. And Tommy, that emotionally abusive asshole, had to leave town after she got her revenge.
She popped her head over the cubicle again. Petros wasn’t in his office. Where did he go? Her mind immediately went to that skank, Agatha. Was she around here? The bitch sent dagger eyes at her whenever they ran into each other. It was obvious she wanted Petros for herself. Well, she could have him for all she cared.
“Kate?”
She nearly jumped out of her skin. Petros was standing right behind her. Speak of the devil. “What?” she snapped.
“Christina would like to see us in the conference room,” he said, his voice all business-like.
“Give me one minute. I need to save my work and close out of the system.”
He gave her a curt nod and left without saying anything else. She stared after him, dumbfounded for a moment. Well, a voice inside her said. This is what you wanted, right?
Right.
She saved her program and picked up her laptop, placing it under her arm. Entering the empty conference room, she sat on the first chair on the right. A minute passed, and she was still alone.
Since there was no one here, Kate opened the lid of her laptop and scrolled to the saved page on her web browser. Yes! She put in the initial bid for the Chevelle this morning and so far, no one had outbid her yet.
“Nice car,” Christina said as she looked over Kate’s shoulder. Petros walked in after her and took the seat opposite from Kate.
“Uh, thanks,” she said, not bothering to hide the fact that she was dicking around on the web during office hours. They were the ones who called her to this meeting and arrived late.
“Chevelle, right? Nineteen Seventy?” Christina asked as she sat at the head of the table.
“Yeah. And she’s gonna be all mine soon.”
“Do you not own a car already? Something similar?” Petros asked.
Oh, so he was going to make small talk now? “That’s Nathan’s car. He’s letting me borrow it while he’s away.”
His dark brows knitted together. “A car that is decades old doesn’t seem like a good idea. Does it even have safety belts?”
Wow, the nerve of this Judgy McJudgerson. “If you must know, my dad and I are going to fix up the car, just as soon as he and Ma come back from their trip.”
“Why did he not do it before?” he asked.
“Duh, because he worked on Nathan’s first.”
He scratched his head.
“What now?” she asked.
“Well, it seems strange to me that he would not restore your car of choice to ensure your safety before you left, yet he would gladly do it for his son.”
“What?” Kate’s voice rose. “You don’t have any siblings, do you?”
Christina looked at Petros, then shot Kate a nervous look.
“It’s not what you think,” Kate continued. “See, while Nathan was, believe it or not, a good boy who got straight A’s and loved spending time with our folks, I was the one who was always out, preferring to hang out with my … friends.” A lump in her throat began to form. “But as I got older, I realized how much my parents really cared about me. Besides, it’s not like I can afford a car like that out of college. I’m saving up for it with my own cash.”
Though her p
arents were comfortably wealthy, they never spoiled her or Nathan. Clark and Martha Caldwell taught their children the value of hard work. Nathan worked at the mines for four summers straight to buy his Mustang. Though Kate was still somewhat of a slacker, she worked for every single thing in her life.
“My apologies,” Petros said in a tight voice.
“All right, children,” Christina said, rolling her eyes. “Can we start?”
Kate gave Petros a dirty look then nodded at Christina.
The meeting took the better part of an hour, with Christina asking to make some changes to her software and Petros adding a few comments here and there. But for the most part, all the things they wanted were reasonable and would actually improve their workflow.
“Looks like everything is going smoothly,” Christina said. “Thank you for your hard work, Kate.” She gathered her things. “I need to go on a video call with my father in fifteen minutes, then Jason will want to leave as soon as I’m done so I best get on with my day.”
They adjourned their meeting and closed up the conference room. As soon as they walked out the door, Agatha, who was all the way across the room, zeroed in on them, then began to walk their way.
“Petros,” she said, her smile dazzling. “Are you finished with your meeting? There’s something I need you to see.”
“What is it?”
“It’s ….” Her gaze flickered over to Kate. “Classified. I can’t just let anyone see this.”
Her wolf wanted to smack this bitch up, and for once Kate wanted to give in. She wondered how much trouble she could get in, but with Christina right beside her, she guessed it would be a lot.
“Fine. Show me what it is.” He nodded at Kate and Christina and followed Agatha to her cubicle.
“For what it’s worth,” Christina said, placing a reassuring hand on Kate’s arm, “he’s not interested. No matter what she’s showing him.”
“Ha!” She snorted. “I don’t give a flying fuck.”
“Uh-huh,” Christina said. “Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The Blackstone She-Wolf: Blackstone Mountain 6 Page 5
