Chapter 25: Do You Believe in Werewolves?

TERESA.

He kissed me. He actually kissed me. And I kissed him back. Was it a kiss born out of fear? Or was it one from his heart? I would never know. He seemed like a man that would get everything he desired, including me. In that kiss was the sweetness of pure passion; my million thoughts concentrated on only one.

My body shivered in such a way I could not think was even possible. But I became vulnerable. His real seduction began the moment he followed me down this dark alley, before I could even say a word or before our souls recognize each other.

What happened next was like a divine dance of our hearts melting in our chests. Now he knew my weakness, him. But I was going to fix that. He ignited in me eternal flames, but I didn’t want to become weak. I didn’t want to let that passion consume me.

Having him so close to my already hectic beating heart made me realize something that the fear I was experiencing was way less than the desire cutting through my body.

What the hell was happening to me around this man? I didn’t know what was going on, but I could swear somebody was following me. But Sebastian was here on time. Sebastian… it was the first time I said his name, even if it was a whisper in my mind.

And we were still here in front of each other, breathing desire in one another. If I would say I didn’t dream of such a consuming passion, I would lie. But with him, my boss? It was like I was living in a fantasy world, with bad people chasing me and a knight saving me at the last minute. But they did not build me for fantasies. My reality was enough.

“Is this thing gone?”

My voice was a frightened whisper, cutting through the silence of the night. I was trying to get together, but everything was so recent. Sebastian’s arms were still wrapped around me and gave me the warmth and comfort I really needed.

“He is gone. Don’t worry about him. Let us try to move slowly and return to the conference. Stay close to me!”

That was more like an order, but one meant to keep me alive? Why do I have the feeling that my life was in danger? I didn’t like that feeling. My heart was pounding to tighten my chest, but my footsteps followed him closely.

His long rough fingers tangled with mine sent shivers through my entire being, from the toes on my feet to every pore, breathing him in. Even while running, his aroma enveloped me and the memory of that kiss was like my medication, the song to my hectic heart longing already for his embrace.

I wondered if he could read minds because, if he did, my calm self would turn into a storm in the middle of an erupting volcano.

It wasn’t long before we arrived safely that the man from earlier, with the right eye cross, greeted us right from the entrance. I didn’t quite understand what or whom they were talking about, but probably about my incident.

“Are you guys alright? Sebastian?” his tone seemed a little upset, worried.

“We are fine, Erik, but I thought you already…”

“Don’t worry, after that, I will take care of him!”

“Who will you take care of? I don’t understand…” I knew I must have looked scared and puzzled, but so many fears ran through my head right now that I couldn’t even think straight. I was not that ignorant to know that someone was after me tonight.

“You don’t have to worry about it Miss, Sebastian, she will take good care of you. These places are a little dangerous at night. You know, thieves, malicious people who have nothing better to do but to scare the poor girls that walk alone, just like you. God help, Sebastian was there on time.”

This man’s voice was so warm, so caring. I didn’t know why, but the feeling that this man was passing to me was belonging, safety, and trust. This was the second time I was feeling like this since the evening started.

It seemed to me that I knew this man in a previous life. It gave me this idea of being so close to me. But maybe it was all in my wild imagination. I just met him tonight. And it was understandable with what I have been through. It was still hard for me to get used to the idea that someone wanted to hurt me.

“Erik, let me introduce her to you. This is Teresa Bradly, my new marketing manager. Teresa, meet my best and old friend, Erick Von Hagen,”

And just when I heard that name, the feeling of earlier became stronger. Why does it sound so familiar? My imagination played tricks on me, so I had to detach myself and respond to his courtesy with the same interest.

“The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Von Hagen. So, I understand you are not from these parts!”

“Excuse me, Miss?”

“Your name, Mr. Von Hagen, is so deafening yet unusual in England” also his eyes seemed to have something very familiar. But I just can’t put my finger on it.

“Oh, yes. Actually, I am from Berlin, Germany. But I like to roam the world!”

“Berlin, you say? That is odd…”

“Why is that, Miss Bradley? Why do you find it odd that I was from Berlin?” This question might have a million answers, but the only one didn’t give me the peace I needed.

“It could be just a coincidence, but my roots are actually there, in Berlin.”

“Oh, really? My turn to say is odd. Bradley does not seem to be a German name.”

Erik Von Hagen has just ventured into a cold field and is very dangerous, with many open wounds that I really did not intend to reopen. At least not now.

“It is an endless story, Mr. Von Hagen, and I am sure I will bore you with it!” I didn’t really want to get into details that could actually hurt me. And besides my life, it was none of his business.

And then another fresh face approached. This one was giving me the creeps. My intuition was again warning me, but this time I didn’t feel warmth or belonging, but distrust and anxiety.

She appeared to be a fire sparkling in the middle of hell itself. Nasty feeling, but I can seem to get rid of it. And for the picture to be complete, Sebastian also knew her and wasted no time in getting to know each other.

“Teresa, let me introduce to you the most brilliant mind genetic has. None other than Dr. Luana Antonov. Doctor, this is my new acquisition, Miss Teresa Bradley. She will run the Marketing Department,”

Oh, so that was me now, his new acquisition. I could feel my blood boiling in my veins. Just when I thought he couldn’t be more arrogant than he already is, he came with this.

Maybe he had been brought to the belief that he was superior to everyone else, but then my new purpose would be to lower him with his two feet on the ground and make him see that not everything revolves around him. Someone had to put him in his place.

But back to the woman in front of me. Her long blonde hair was framing perfectly, her pale face and her eyes that reflected so much knowledge were like a wall to her soul. I had been having this gift of reading people’s souls, but hers I can’t. It was like she had no soul at all. I couldn’t get past this wall she seemed to have created around her.

“It is so nice to meet you, Miss Bradley, and welcome to the company!” Even her hoarse voice, not very soft as a woman should have, had become a question mark. I knew women with such voices, but she was different. It gives me the impression that her soul was in the wrong body.

“It is nice to meet you too, Dr. Antonov. Also, a pleasure to be part of the team. Tell me, what kind of research do you do?”

Maybe my question wasn’t the right one. Luana’s condition suddenly changed from calm to restless in just a few seconds. He seemed to want to avoid the answer or simply choose the right one to give me. After all, science was not my strong point, so any answer she gave me would have satisfied me.

This does not mean that I will ignore my suspicions and I will not want to get closer to her. The question was actually if I was doing the right thing or should I have stayed away. But nothing prepared me for her direct and concise answer, which came as a question.

“Tell me, Miss Bradley, do you believe in werewolves?”