Hugh was stunned, how could anyone reject this woman? He wondered what had happened to the wolves that had rejected her, he was fairly sure that they were not doing as well as she. It was rumoured that rejecting a mate hurt the wolf of the one doing the rejecting, not just the one who was rejected. The shame always seemed to fall on the rejected though, he could see the obvious injustice in that. Hugh tried to imagine how he would have felt if someone had rejected one of his pups, the thought made him angry.
Annie arrived back at the table and sat down placed a glass in front of Hugh.
“So that’s why you live in the human world?” he asked.
Annie nodded.
“You’ve always been alone?”
Annie knew what he was asking and thought she might as well be honest. “No, I’ve had a few relationships, all long lasting, until it all ended in tears of course.” she frowned, staring into her glass as she swirled the liquor around.
“With humans?” Hugh raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, the wolves weren’t interested remember, but they all ended when they wanted children. I couldn’t have a child with a human and run the risk they would explode into a wolf when they turned fifteen could I? So whenever they mentioned wanting a child, I would have to end it whether I wanted to or not.”
“Oh, yeah I can see how that would be difficult.” said Hugh angry that fate had dealt her a bad hand in life that she had no control over.
“Do you know what happened to the wolves that rejected you?”
“Only the second one, at the Moon Ball about two years later my parents saw the girlfriend, she had apparently found her true mate. It seems once she met him, she didn’t think twice about her boyfriend or pups and went off with him, so I guess that’s what we call Karma.” said Annie with an ironic smile.
“He didn’t come and find you?”
“No, I had left Yorkshire by then anyway.” said Annie, sipping her drink.
“So you still have your wolf, can you shift?”
Annie considered her words carefully, should she tell him that he almost killed her wolf, or lie? She decided on the truth.
“Yes I have my wolf, after I met you she went dormant, not dead just inactive, there’s only so much a wolf can take and my wolf has had more damage done to her than most. I had to go to a henge and pray to the Goddess to return her to me, the Goddess thankfully listened to my prayers, my wolf was returned and now she is stronger than ever.”
“A what?” asked a confused Hugh.
“Henges, stone circles, the humans think they were built by ancient humans but they are wrong, they were built by our ancestors. They don’t chart the sun, they chart the moon. On full moon, some of them in certain places are very powerful, they have magical properties.” Annie wondered if Hugh had ever read a book in his life or just did calculus or whatever he did. “There’s one not far from here, I went last night and the Goddess listened to my prayers and returned my wolf. I haven’t had time to go for a run yet but she feels strong enough to shift again.”
“I almost killed your wolf?” Hugh looked horrified and Knox was growling with displeasure.
“Well, yes, you did, not just you to be fair, the other two are just as responsible.” Annie answered honestly.
“I don’t know what to say.” replied Hugh staring at her. He marvelled at how strong this woman was as he became lost in her blue eyes, she somehow survived everything that life threw at her. She didn’t need anything, relied on no one. Hugh realised that he wasn’t going to be able to force Annie into being with him, he didn’t want to either, he wanted her to choose to be with him. She was a very independent and self sufficient person. He knew from her file that she financially supported herself and apart from a small inheritance she had received once her parents died, everything she owned she had worked and paid for herself. He felt like a piece of shit for hurting her wolf but the stone circle thing amazed him, he had never heard of such a thing. He decided she probably knew about these things with her being a historian, but still, to find a way to ask the Goddess for something and have it granted was incredible. He only had a vague idea of his own pack’s history, only what he’d learned in school and basically at the time, he thought history was boring.
“Well, I have work tomorrow so I better go.” said Annie looking at her watch.
“Have one more before you go?” asked Hugh, he was not ready to let her go just yet. Annie nodded so Hugh stood and walked across the room towards the bar. Annie watched him go noting how his broad shoulders filled his shirt in all the right places, how his suit trousers fitted his slim waist perfectly and she liked the grace in the way he moved. He might be an accountant but he was clearly trained and kept himself in good shape. Sabine was drooling at the sight too, Annie made sure she had stopped ogling by the time he turned to walk back to their table.
“I have to go back to Scotland tomorrow morning, but I can come back next weekend and I was wondering if you would go to dinner with me?” asked Hugh once he had sat down.
“Oh, ok.” replied Annie slowly, “Would you like me to book a table somewhere?”
“Anywhere you like.” he replied nodding. “Saturday ok for you?”
“Sure.” agreed Annie nodding.
“I will call you later in the week to confirm, I’ll book a room here before I leave.”
“You’ll need my number then.” said Annie rummaging through her bag for her card.
Hugh realised he’d almost slipped up again. “Yeah of course, I was going to ask for that.” he improvised. He took her card and slipped it into his breast pocket, little did Annie know that all her numbers and email were already stored in Hugh’s phone. Once they finished their drinks, Annie stood and started to put her coat on.
“I’ll give you a lift home.” said Hugh, searching his trouser pockets for his keys.
“No you won’t, you’ve been drinking.” chuckled Annie.
“Give a second to grab my jacket then, I’ll walk you.”
Before she could argue, Hugh had stalked across the room and disappeared up the stairs towards the hotel’s rooms. She waited patiently as the barman walked around collecting the empty glasses.
“Do you think he will kiss us?” whispered Sabine like a love sick teenager.
“Shsssh Sabine, I don’t think I’m quite ready for that yet.” admonished Annie, she couldn’t help smiling though.
Hugh soon reappeared. “Do I look suitably human?” he smirked.
“You’ll do.” answered Annie, smirking back.
The walk home was no more than ten minutes and Hugh animatedly chatted about his pups, telling her about his grandkids and how he hoped that one of Lennox’s sons would take the place of Reckoner when he came of age.
“It might be Lyall’s daughter rather than Lennox’s son.” Annie pointed out, giving him a sideways glance.
“We aren’t as modern in that kind of thinking as other packs.” Hugh admitted. “You may be right though.”
“Someone has to drag you lot into this century kicking and screaming at some point you know.” replied Annie.
By this time, they had reached Annie’s front door.
“Well, thank you Hugh, I had a nice time. It was nice to talk wolf things for a change.”
He was going to reply but was distracted by how she said his name. It was the first time she had used it without anger and it liked how it sounded when she did.
“Until next weekend then.” he said, and bidding her goodbye, he watched her let herself into her house and only when the door was shut and he heard the lock fall into place did he turn to leave.
“You should have claimed her.” growled Knox.
“No I shouldn’t, she needs time.” replied Hugh grinning, walking back to his hotel feeling like he was floating.