by J C Gordon
Jared nodded his head sadly. “He’s the only one of five innocents to survive a forced turning. It took three weeks for him to be coherent enough to begin to understand what had happened to him. Many days I thought he would lose the battle, but he fought hard to live. I believe he fought for Annie’s sake. I think somewhere deep inside him, he wanted to return to her.”
He turned to his side so he could look directly at the vampire. “He’s a latent Alpha, Caleb. His nature is too gentle to allow him to lead. He abhors violence and that has been an added reason why he’s struggled so hard to be one with the pack. His last meeting with Annie when he was in wolf form seemed to help him to integrate more. He seemed more at peace with himself and even began to take women to his bed. That was until last night.”
Caleb looked down at the road and pursed his lips thoughtfully. “How is he today?”
“We put him in the safe room last night just as a precaution, but apart from weeping, he maintained enough control so I let him out after a few hours. Aaron is his closest friend so he stayed at his house last night. Aaron says he is quiet and withdrawn but appears stable enough. He reckons Rafe will work out his issues in his own mind and find a balance eventually.”
Jared straightened and took a few steps from the car, automatically letting his eyes roam over the surrounding area for any signs of movement. He had come to the meeting alone, but he wouldn’t put it past some of his pack to be hanging around just in case there was trouble. He didn’t see any of them but he knew they were there.
Caleb watched him with a slight smile on his lips. He, too, knew the other Weres were about but he didn’t take it as an insult. After last night, it was only right they were wary of him and why he wanted to speak to their Alpha.
“Jared, the only way I can see out of this mess is for Annie to know the truth.” He watched the other man tense, and held up his hand as the Alpha spun around to face him. “Hear me out first. You can’t tell her of your existence but I can tell her of mine. I hadn’t planned on letting her know my true nature so soon, but it would appear it’s necessary for the truth to come out. Once she knows of vampires, she will find out about Weres. Once she knows of Weres, there will be no reason to keep Rafe from her.”
Jared frowned, digging his hands in his pockets. “That’s just semantics, Caleb, and you know it. It doesn’t matter who tells her about Weres. It’s the fact she would know of our existence.”
“What do you think your mate will say when she finds out about all of this?” Caleb countered, watching the Alpha tense further. “Do you think she’ll agree to stay with you knowing your part in her friend’s misery? I’ve only met Millie once but I could sense her deep attachment to Annie. She will not roll over and agree to mate with you, Jared, you know that yourself, otherwise you would have taken her for your own by now.”
Millie’s beautiful face sprang to Jared’s mind and his wolf howled loudly and began to pace restlessly. What Caleb said was true. His Millie would fight him tooth and nail over Annie and Rafe. He didn’t need the vampire to tell him that. He sighed and his frown deepened.
“This is what I will agree to, Caleb. You reveal yourself to Annie and we’ll see how she handles that bombshell. If she’s willing to accept you for who you truly are then I’ll meet with you again and we can discuss whether or not she can be trusted with the knowledge of our existence. If I feel she can handle it, I’ll take it to the pack and we’ll put it to a vote. I can’t make this decision arbitrarily, my friend. I have over two hundred lives to protect here. They deserve to have a say in this.”
Caleb regarded him intently for a long moment and then finally nodded his agreement. “Will Rafe be strong enough to hold on until a decision is reached?”
Jared’s eyes turned sad. He genuinely liked the big man and it pained him greatly to lose him. “I don’t know.” He had to be honest about it. “You have to understand, Caleb. I can’t risk the lives of two hundred for the sake of one, no matter how much I like him. If Rafe isn’t strong enough to work this out then…”
He didn’t complete the sentence but then he didn’t have to. Caleb knew exactly what the outcome would be if Rafe went rogue. Walking over to the Alpha, he held out his hand. “I understand, Jared.”
Jared clasped Caleb’s arm in a firm grip and managed a crooked smile. “I’m relieved I do not have to go to war with you, Caleb.”
“As am I,” Caleb smiled, before turning and striding back to his car. He slid in quickly and tore off down the road.
CHAPTER nine
Rhianna dressed casually for her lunch date with Caleb. She didn’t think he’d be taking her anywhere too fancy as they were going property viewing afterwards. She pulled on a pair of comfortable jeans and a summer top in deep purple. She picked up a button down sweater just in case the afternoon turned cooler and hurried downstairs to wait for Caleb.
He arrived five minutes later in a brand new flashy Porsche that looked exactly like his old one. She smiled when he pulled up and quickly opened the door before he could get out and come around to her, as appeared to be his usual habit so far.
“Hi!” She smiled, trying not to cringe as her voice came out sounding breathless. Seriously, he was going to think she was an airhead the way she gushed every time he came near. She couldn’t resist running her gaze over his face, noticing the slight tightening of his mouth.
“I would have come up for you.” The words came out a tad sharper than Caleb meant them too and he had to bite the inside of his mouth to contain his annoyance. Rhianna merely continued to smile at him, her lavender eyes twinkling.
“I know you would have but this is the twenty-first century, Caleb. We delicate little women have had the vote and independence for a very long time now. We don’t need men to open car doors and escort us downstairs anymore.”
Her easy smile and teasing tone wiped the slight frown from his face as he leaned towards her and inhaled her sweet scent before brushing her lips with his. “But I like doing those things for you, Annie.” Their breaths mingled and it felt so natural his lips curved in a smile.
“Call me old fashioned but I like the woman I’m with to be treasured and treated with respect when I’m with her.”
She pulled back a fraction and gave him another little smile that tugged at his heart. “All your women or just me?” She was teasing him, laughing at his choice of words. That small gesture made his heart flutter. No one had teased him in a long time, except for Demetri, but he didn’t count. Having Rhianna’s sweetness and laughter washing over him was refreshing.
He caught a handful of her curls and raised them to his face so he could inhale the fresh clean bouquet of her shampoo. “I see no other woman when I’m with you. I see no other woman when we’re apart either. I see only you, Annie.”
Her lips brushed his softly and she sighed with pleasure. “You say all the right things, Caleb,” she laughed, her voice breathless once more, as she sat back in her seat and put on her seatbelt. He was positively sinful with his sexy voice and all the right words.
“I merely speak the truth.” His smile was wide as he started the car and headed off into the traffic. He’d opted for an informal lunch spot, choosing one of the local burger bars. It would be quick and then they could start looking for a place for Rhianna to start her business. He watched with fascination as she polished off a burger and fries with a large diet cola.
He toyed with his own burger, managing to force some of the rare beef into his mouth. It wasn’t that he couldn’t eat human food; all vampires could to keep up appearances. It just didn’t taste of much to him so wasn’t all that enjoyable an experience.
He saw Rhianna’s gaze slide to his plate a couple of times and he forced another mouthful of beef into his mouth, chewing slowly. He’d eat the food for her if it made her happy. Soon she would know the truth but for a short time, he wanted to appear normal. He was surprised when he actually finished the burger and found it hadn’t been half as bad as he’d imagined
it would be. Maybe it was because the beautiful little redhead across from him was smiling so sweetly at him. Her pleasure seemed to radiate out towards him and he couldn’t help but bathe in it.
Caleb paid the bill and stood up, grabbing her hand in his. “So which property are we going to view first?” He smiled as Rhianna began to all but hum with excitement as they walked down to their first viewing. Everything about her was infectious and he couldn’t remember a time he’d enjoyed himself more.
Two hours later and her bubbly excitement had waned considerably as they came out of the last property on her list. None of the buildings had been exactly what she was looking for and the one she had quite liked was so expensive it was completely blown out of the water.
Her disappointment wrenched at Caleb’s heart and he hugged her to his side and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ve got a suggestion, Annie,” he finally said. “Will you promise to hear me out and not get mad at me?”
Rhianna stared up at him curiously. His expression was so serious and he seemed to be nervous as he gazed down at her. “Okay.” She was quickly coming to realise that Caleb was a man like none she had ever met. His attentiveness was old school and he was used to being in charge. Seeing a hint of uncertainty about him was intriguing.
Caleb smiled and tugged her into the next street. He stopped in front of an old shop that was currently empty. He watched Rhianna’s face light up as she took in the traditional Victorian front of the shop and then her expression dropped.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to afford this place, Caleb.” She said it doubtfully, biting her bottom lip.
“You promised to hear me out first.” He smiled, pulling out a set of keys and unlocking the front doors and pushing them wide open. He entered the building and waited for Rhianna to join him.
The space was huge and very dirty, but the potential for the exact kind of bookstore Rhianna wanted to open was there. “It’s a great space, Caleb,” she said, her eyes running to the stairs that led to the upper floor. “I could put the second hand books and café area up on the top floor and have the storytelling area by the big bay window just over there.”
She walked further into the large room checking out the back storeroom area with the small kitchen and full bathroom. She turned back into the main room and looked at him. “I can’t afford this.”
“No, you can’t,” he agreed with a tight smile. “It would take up most of your budget to buy this place, which wouldn’t leave much over to equip it and have a cushion for any lean times in the business. However, if you leased it, you could afford it.”
“I told you I didn’t want to lease a building.” Rhianna shook her head in the negative, determination in her voice. “My landlord could pull the lease out from under me at any time. I don’t want to be at the mercy of a possible bad landlord.”
“I could negotiate an extremely good lease for you,” he argued gently. “For as long as you want with no get out clauses for the landlord.”
He watched her lavender eyes narrow slightly as she looked at him. “What landlord would be stupid enough to agree to something like that?”
It was hard not to smile as she stared at him so suspiciously. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she worked out what was going on. Caleb closed the gap between them and pulled her into his arms. “One whose only concern is your happiness.”
“You own this building,” she finally said, her gaze intent as she searched his face.
“I would give it to you but I know you wouldn’t accept it.” Caleb stroked her cheekbone lightly. “I know you want to do this on your own, Annie. I promise you I’ll charge you the correct market rate for the lease. The only thing I’ll give to you freely is the length of time you want to be here. If you want a thirty-year lease or a fifty-year lease, it’s yours. I’m not using the building for anything else anyway.”
She gaped up at him stunned, unable to say a word as she took in what he was saying. Her eyes fell from his and she looked around the room slowly, feeling a bubble of excitement welling up inside. “You would seriously have given me this beautiful building?” she asked incredulously.
“I still would if you’d accept it from me,” he told her with a tight smile. He knew she wouldn’t accept it, not as a gift. The bookstore was her dream and she needed to do it on her own. He just wanted to be part of her dream, to have some deeper connection with her.
“You know I’m not going to do that,” she smiled and he nodded his head.
“You will consider leasing it from me though?” Caleb was surprised at how anxious he was to have her agreement to the idea. It meant a lot for her to see the wisdom in his proposal.
Rhianna pulled out of his embrace and walked around the large room, her eyes beginning to shine again with excitement. “How soon can you have the lease drawn up?” she finally asked and was rewarded with a beautiful smile crossing his face.
“I’ve already had it drawn up, just in case you agreed to my suggestion. It’s in the car.” He crossed the room, pulling her into his arms again so he could kiss her soundly on the lips. “I’ll help you as much or as little as you want me to, Annie. Just let me know what I can do and I’ll do it.”
They stayed inside the building for another half an hour while Rhianna talked through her ideas and Caleb offered suggestions. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been more enchanted listening to someone talk about a new project they were interested in.
Sure, the bookstore was small fry compared to the large corporate deals he was usually involved in, but because this was Rhianna’s dream, it was suddenly the most important thing in his world. Her excitement and enthusiasm was infectious, and he found himself smiling as he listened to her.
It was amazing how this woman was turning his life so completely topsy-turvy. It frightened him even as it exhilarated him. He didn’t want it to ever end and yet he knew he had to reveal his true nature to her and soon. Would she still want to be with him when she knew the truth? He couldn’t imagine his life without her anymore. She had to be strong enough to accept him for who he was. If she wasn’t, he didn’t know how he would be able to go on without her.
Caleb argued with himself internally over whether or not to have her sign the lease before he told her the truth. His selfish side wanted to tie her to him any way he could and he was almost amused at the inner debate going on inside his head. A few months ago, it wouldn’t have been an issue. He’d have done what he wanted and to hell with the consequences. Now he was arguing with himself about doing the right thing rather than what he wanted.
“Do you mind stopping off at my place before going home?” he asked Rhianna as he locked up the property. He heard her sharp intake of breath and hid a smile. He wondered what was going through her mind right now. Did she anticipate his request meant he wanted to have his wicked way with her? He most certainly did, but he’d added another condition to his now lengthy list of conditions he was applying to himself where she was concerned. He wouldn’t make love to her again until she knew exactly who she was laying with.
“No problem,” she said quietly, as she climbed into the car as he held the door open for her.
Rhianna was not as oblivious to Caleb’s erratic mood shifts as he thought. She was conscious of the fact he had something on his mind. He lapsed into long periods of quiet thought as she talked about her ideas, though he smiled and nodded as if he was paying complete attention to her. She felt a slight feeling of apprehension settle over her, especially when he asked if she’d go back to his place. He had something to tell her and whatever it was made him nervous and uncertain. This didn’t bode well for whatever it was he was about to tell her.
They were at his mansion a lot quicker than she really wanted to be. The closer they got to his home the quieter and more intense his expression became. His mood triggered something inside her, and she found herself becoming more unsettled too.
Caleb was mentally working out where he would tell her. N
ot the drawing room. If he took her in there he’d most likely chicken out and take her before the fire as he had the first night they met. The kitchen was too cold and sterile and the bedrooms were out for similar reasons to the drawing room. That only left the library.
He tugged Rhianna by the hand, feeling her feet drag slightly as she began to tense as if sensing something momentous was about to happen. He tried to smile reassuringly at her, but he knew his smile didn’t reach his eyes and was probably more of a grimace than a true smile.
Rhianna barely noticed the room he took her into it. She sank down onto the leather sofa he led her to and then watched as Caleb began to slowly pace in front of her, as if he was in some internal debate with himself. “Whatever it is, Caleb, just say it,” she finally said as the tension in the room became almost tangible. “I mean, it can’t be that bad, can it?”
She watched him stop pacing and turn his head to look at her. His expression frightened her slightly, and she swallowed nervously. “What is it, Caleb? Oh God, please don’t tell me you’re married!” The look of outright shock that crossed his face almost made her laugh.
It wasn’t just the shock, he looked completely stunned at the very notion of being married. Rhianna tried not to sigh with relief. If he’d been married she would have had to stop seeing him. She wasn’t about to become the ‘other woman’ in a relationship.
“No, I am not married.” Caleb’s voice was low and slightly pained.
Rhianna tried to lighten the mood a bit. She managed a little laugh. “Well, it can’t be anything worse than that,” she quipped lightly and was rewarded by a deep frown from him. She felt her disquiet grow stronger as she stared at him.
It was worse than being married? What could be worse than that? Her mind strove to come up with something, anything that would cause her more heartache than finding out he belonged to someone else. He spoke suddenly and Rhianna felt her heart stop dead in her chest.
