Hugh had risen early and had eaten breakfast by 07:30. Knox was impatient to go back to Annie’s house, prowling around Hugh’s mind like a predator. He wanted to claim his mate, it was his nature and Hugh knew he couldn’t help it but Knox was getting harder to control where Annie was concerned. Hugh gathered some work he could do in the car in case he had to wait once more, grabbed his phone and keys and headed out to his car. By 07:50 Hugh was back outside Annie’s house. Nothing had changed, the house was still dark and he couldn’t detect her scent. He settled in, checking emails and doing the mundane admin tasks that his position of Reiver Reckoner required him to do.
He cast his mind back to what Lennox had said, about him being ready to take over, as he had from his father when he was much younger than Lennox. His ancestors had all been Delta’s, trained warriors but with special duties within the pack. To be the Crozier Delta meant one was also the Reckoner, or in modern parlance, the pack accountant. It was an exalted position and one Hugh had relished. It made him part of the highest echelon in Reiver society, he had lived a charmed and comfortable life and as well as using his skills to make the pack rich, he had used them to further feather his own nest. Finance was something that came easily to him, just as it did to Lennox. Hugh had been able to not only assure the future of the pack’s wealth with savvy investing, even if the investments weren’t always entirely legal, he had also ensured that Lennox and Lyall were taken care of financially. With careful management, the money would continue to grow for generations to come.
“MATE!” Knox’s deep growl rumbled in his head. Hugh’s head snapped up and his heart flipped in his chest, he saw Annie walking down the street towards her house wearing hiking attire. He frowned, so she hadn’t been out for dinner, she had been out all night hiking, seriously? He scanned her face, she looked better than she had in the photographs, her face had some colour and she definitely looked happier, less tired. He watched as she rummaged in her rucksack, unable to find whatever she was looking for, she dropped the bag to the floor, stooping down to search further. He watched in fascination at the fluidity of her movements, she was elegant, even in her hiking gear. Suddenly she found what she was looking for, straightening up she fished her keys from her bag and let herself in her house, slamming the door behind her. Hugh was rooted to the spot struck by her beauty and grace, luckily he couldn’t smell her scent from here in the car so Knox was a bit easier to control plus Hugh needed a minute to compose himself.
“Talk to her, claim her as ours.”
“Ok, ok Knox, give me a minute, I need to know exactly what I’m going to say.”
Knox huffed with impatience. “Hurry.” was all he had to say.
Hugh sat for another half an hour before plucking up the courage to walk across the road to her door. For Goddess’s sake, he was a fucking Reiver, scared of nothing he told himself, get over there. He rang the bell and waited whilst restraining Knox from breaking the door down.
Annie was feeling good, she danced around the kitchen to the music on the radio whilst making a bacon sandwich and brewing coffee. As she was walking to the sitting room, sandwich in one hand and her coffee in the other, the doorbell rang. Frowning at who would be calling this early on a Sunday morning she put her sandwich on the hall table and walked down the hallway to the front door. Just she put her hand on the handle a scent hit her nose almost stopping her breathing and causing her heart to hammer in her chest. Cedar and sandalwood, the man...the handsome stranger was on the other side of her door. Her heart fell, she had only just got Sabine back and now he was here to reject her, Sabine couldn’t, shouldn’t have to take any more hurt. Annie was rooted to the spot, crippled with anxiety and indecision, tears prickling her eyes. Should she walk away from this door, refuse to face him so he couldn’t reject her, or open the door and deal with the fallout of yet more injury to her wolf? As she stood there frozen with fear, the doorbell rang again and Annie jumped almost spilling her coffee. There was no point ignoring him, he knew she was there, as she knew if she could smell him, he could smell her.
“Sabine,” Annie called to her wolf, “What do we do, I can’t lose you again?” her tears threatening to spill over.
“I don’t think we have a choice, I’m stronger now Annie, we’ll get through this, open the door, hopefully he will reject us and leave.”
“I know you’re there Annie, please open the door or shall I have my wolf break it down?” said a soft Scottish accent.
With a deep breath she slowly pressed the handle and swung the door inwards, her gaze crashing into his. There he was, in all his massive glory, the handsome man. He wore a black suit, pristine white shirt open at the neck, perfect hair swept back off his perfect face. Annie’s breath hitched in her throat, she scanned his features and frowned slightly, he looked nervous, just for a second but then it was gone. He looked like he was searching for the right words to say and after a few more seconds of awkward silence Annie decided to help him out, she wanted this over and done with as quickly as possible.
“Can I help you?” she kept her face passive, she would not cry in front of this man.
“Yes, my name is Hugh Crozier and I am here to ask if you would join me for lunch.” His soft accent sent butterflies to Annie’s stomach. Sabine, her interest piqued at his new turn of events had moved forward to see the man through Annie’s eyes turning then from blue to black.
“Lunch?” asked Annie frowning, this wasn’t what she expected him to say, “Just do what you came here to do and leave.”
“What?...I came here to ask you to have lunch with me, I would like to spend some time with you. So...will you join me?” Hugh couldn’t stop staring at her, she looked so beautiful, loose white shirt, jeans, her hair wet and loose, he tried to put his finger on what it was about her that he found so attractive. She looked so natural, he noticed with interest that her blue eyes had turned black meaning her wolf was present, pale skin, no make-up, bare feet. She was just fucking stunning, she quite literally took his breath away. Her scent was scrambling his thoughts making it hard to think in a straight line, why he had ever run away from her in the first place he had no idea. He suddenly realised she was talking.
“I’m sorry, say that again.” said Hugh, embarrassed.
“I said I can’t I’m busy today.” She lied. “If you came here to reject me just do it, you don’t have to take me to lunch to soften the blow, and besides, dragging it out only makes it worse.” Annie decided that the direct approach might be the swiftest way to end this pain. Sabine whimpered in her head and Annie was starting to get angry. What gave this man, however handsome, however alluring his scent might be, the right to run away from her leaving her in agony and almost killing her wolf, then have the fucking nerve to somehow find out where she lived and turn up at her house, ask her out for lunch only to reject her at the end of it. She stared at him in defiance, holding her ground. She noticed his eyes were shifting from brown to onyx and he seemed to be fighting for control with his wolf.
Hugh made a decision, “I don’t want to reject you, I had some issues with myself when we met but they are sorted now. I would very much like to take you to lunch and get to know you. My beast however wants to throw you over his shoulder, take you back home and claim you as his own and it’s getting harder to control him, so I honestly think lunch is the better option for you.” Hugh gave her what he hoped was a winning smile, he was sounding more confident than he felt and he knew he was rambling. “I tell you what, come for one drink with me, just one drink. If you don’t want to see me again then I will leave you alone.”
Annie was completely confused, he was looking at her like she was the only woman in the world, the way he looked at her at the wedding and the way he was looking at her now were such polar opposites, it made no sense. Something had changed but she had no idea what it was plus difficult to think rationally whilst being assaulted by his masculine scent. Sabine was being no help as she seemed to be warming to this man.
“When?” snapped Annie, her resolve crumbling, not helped by Sabine urging her to agree.
“Tonight, seeing as you are busy today, say 7pm, I’m staying at The Stags in the square, do you know it?”
“Yes, I know it.” Annie could feel Sabine’s excitement, she was intrigued by this man.
“Good, I’ll see you then.” he smiled, exhaling with relief.
Annie was left dumfounded on the doorstep as Hugh walked back to his car, just before he got in he turned and gave her another dazzling smile. She shut the door and retrieving her sandwich went into the sitting room in a daze. Chewing on her sandwich robotically, she pondered over what had just happened. Had she really just agreed to go on a date with her mate, had that really just happened? Sabine was excited but Annie was conflicted, is this what she wanted? Yes, but at the same time no, she reflected back on the thoughts she had about giving up everything for a mate.
“Well it’s too late now, if we don’t turn up he will probably come back and smash the door down, throw you in his fancy car and take you to Scotland.” laughed Sabine nervously.
“Oh Goddess.” sighed Annie, rolling her eyes.