Dark Wolf
You found me
The smell of my blood had drawn me close.
Feathertail.
Annie spent the rest of the day trying to keep busy. Anytime she was still, thoughts of Hugh Crozier sneaked into her head distracting her. Maybe she should have gone for lunch then at least she wouldn’t have spent hours fretting about that evenings meeting. She had considered having a nap but decided against it as she would probably only end up dreaming of him and would turn up to the date hot and flustered. At least she could put a name to a face now, Hugh, she liked it and it suited him. She found herself wondering what pack he came from as a picture of his smile flashed into her head. The pull of the bond was as strong as ever and she wondered if he felt it too. Ah, she was doing it again, thinking of him, she stomped upstairs to get ready as a way of distracting herself from any more thoughts of Hugh bloody Crozier.
Hugh was sat at a table outside The Stag when Annie arrived. He watched her walk towards him. She looked as amazing as ever, long black wool coat, long black boots and her hair left down. She was nothing like the Reiver women back home, they were all about dressing up and showing off their wealth. As Reivers were followers of the old religion, she-wolves aspired to nothing else but finding their mates and producing pups as they had always believed that their strength was in numbers. He didn’t know one she-wolf who had obtained any education after leaving school and certainly none who had gone outside the pack and forged out a career and he wasn’t sure how he was going to deal with this independent woman.
Annie had a simple elegance, everything she wore accentuated quiet class, she chose classic styles, minimal jewellery and only ever light make-up, nothing complicated, nothing fussy. He thought back to the wedding, that dark blue dress which clung in all the right places, not too short and the halter neck, showing just enough of her shoulders to look elegant rather than trashy.
As she reached the table Hugh stood and smiled, her scent assaulting his nose making him slightly light headed. Annie nodded in his direction and took a seat opposite him, looking him up and down she suddenly announced “I think we should sit inside.”
“Oh, ok.” replied Hugh, confused “I thought it would be better out here where we wouldn’t be overheard.” he explained.
“Normally I would agree with you but I have spent twenty or more years in the human world without ever revealing myself. You’ve been here one day and you’re about to blow my cover.” Annie smiled at him coldly as she stood, Hugh followed her lead clueless as to what she meant but he followed her regardless. He tried to open the door for her but Annie got there first, pulling the door open and disappearing through it. All Hugh could do was trail after her as she led the way inside and found a table in a quiet corner while he went to the bar and ordered two whiskeys. He weaved through the sparse Sunday night customers back to the table taking a seat opposite Annie.
Once he was seated he asked her what she meant outside.
“You haven’t spent much time around humans have you?” she asked.
“No, not really, only when doing business, why do you ask?”
“When mixing with humans the trick is to blend in, right?”
Hugh nodded, not sure where she going with this.
“It’s four degrees outside and you’re sat there in your shirt and suit pants. Do you see any humans sat outside in summer attire? No, do you know why? Because it’s bloody freezing.” she finished, slightly annoyed. “I know we don’t feel the cold but they do, you already stand out due to your size so don’t do anything else that makes you more noticeable or the next thing you know it’s all pitchforks and lighted torches. I have a good life here and I don’t want anything to screw that up, ok?”
Hugh looked around at the humans in their thick sweaters.
“Ah, I see.” he mumbled. “Ok.” answered Hugh with a nod.
“Why do you live outside your pack, I’ve never known anyone do that, especially not a she-wolf?” asked Hugh, curious. Annie looked at him incredulous.
“Gosh Hugh, the seventies called, they want their opinions back.” snorted Annie.
Hugh realised he was making a mess of this, he was trying to make light conversation to find out more about her but was managing to either threaten to expose or insult her and Knox was prowling in his head, frustrated that Hugh didn’t just throw her in the car and take her home.
“I’m sorry.” he stammered, “That came out wrong, I’m just curious why you don’t live with your pack.”
He saw the colour rise slightly in her cheeks. “There was nothing there for me so I left.” she answered cryptically.
“What pack are you from?” she asked, changing the subject.
“I’m a Delta from the Reiver Pack.”
“What’s your special duty then?” enquired Annie, keeping her face passive.
“Reckoner.” he replied. “Accountant, investor, I take care of the pack finances.” he added when he saw her frown, assuming she didn’t know what a Reckoner was.
“I thought you were going to say private detective or something considering you found out my name and where I live.” said Annie, lifting the glass of amber liquid to her lips.
This totally threw Hugh off kilter, he hadn’t thought of a story to explain how he had found her and he could hardly tell her the truth without looking like a stalker. “I asked the omega who took care of you at the wedding.” improvised Hugh.
“I wasn’t aware he had my address.” she countered watching him over the rim of her glass.
Crap, she got him with that one, she was smart. “Well he got it for me somehow, so, what do you do for a living?” replied Hugh hoping to rapidly change the subject and reminded himself that he wasn’t meant to know anything about her.
“What very efficient omegas you have.” she looked at Hugh suspiciously. “I teach history at the university here.” she answered placing her glass back on the table.
“Human history?” asked Hugh.
“Yes, of course, if I taught our history it would be all pitchforks and lighted torches, remember?”
“Do you like it here, living in the human world, I mean you have to hide yourself, pretend to be one of them?” asked Hugh, glancing at the humans in the bar.
“Yes I do, humans and wolves are not so different, I love my job and I worked hard to get where I am, in the human world, no one gives a damn what gender their professor is.” she answered icily, not liking his attitude towards humans.
An awkward silence settled between them until Hugh, pushed by Knox blurted,
“Will you miss it when you move to be with me?”
Annie stared at him with disbelief. “When I what? You looked at me with horror and disgust when we met and then left without a word, what the hell makes you think I’m going to move or do anything with you?”
“Well that is the way of these things isn’t it?” asked Hugh. He was getting a bad feeling that he had just said something insensitive again, he was no good with this stuff, it was why he preferred numbers to people, numbers were so much easier to deal with. This wasn’t going the way he had hoped and he didn’t know how to put it right. “I mean, we are mates so I just thought...”
“Let me get this straight,” snapped Annie cutting him off. “You think I’m going to just leave my job, my house, my friends and everything I love and cherish to live with you in Highlands, what would you have me do there exactly, wait for you to get home with your supper on the table, fetch you your slippers and be available for whenever you feel like a fuck, is that what you think?”
There was a moments silence from Hugh, then he answered “Well, I don’t see any other way, do you? The Goddess chooses a mate for us, her decision is law.” said Hugh confidently, he sounded like a religious nut to Annie.
“Well how about this,” Annie was furious at his out-dated assumptions, keeping her temper and her voice down she asked, “What about you, would you give up everything you love and hold dear and move here with me?”
Hugh’s face fell, the thought of moving away from his children hurt his heart.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’m not the compliant little she-wolf you are looking for, as for the mate bond being law, let me tell you, it’s not and I should know. Thanks for the drink.” spat Annie, draining her glass. She stood and picked up her coat. His scent was assaulting her and she couldn’t think straight, she was a mess of anger and confusion, it was suffocating and she needed to think. Yes, she wanted happiness, but not at the expense of her freedom and independence, and she most certainly didn’t want to be stuck with a misogynistic dinosaur either.