“I’m not sure.” Alicia looked at Max through narrowed eyes. “But I bet you do.”
“Actually I do, but I think you need to figure this out yourself.” He stepped back into the darkened room.
Alicia could hear him rummaging around, but the bright lights around her made it impossible for her to see anything. She could follow him, but that scent surrounded her, made her feel docile. Instead, she sat back in the chair. “Okay, so you’re not going to tell me how the two are tied together. Are you going to let me use your computer so I can get some research done?”
“Of course.” Taking her hand, he led her into the darkness.
“Ohh, the inner sanctum.” She hadn’t noticed the lights along the corridor when she stood in the bright light.
“Stop it.” He pulled her behind him as he walked toward a wooden door in a recess in the wall.
“I can’t help it. You know how I hate all this cloak and dagger stuff, yet you seem to thrive on it.”
Max opened the door. “You’ll love my computer system. It’s top of the line.”
“A man’s toy,” she mumbled.
“I heard that.” He flipped a switch to reveal one of the most sophisticated computers she’d ever seen sitting on a desk she was pretty sure was larger than hers.
“Wow! Talk about boys with their toys! How much did you spend on this?” Alicia slid into the plush leather seat. The soft material and the warm scent had her close her eyes for just a moment. She could get used to this. “On the other hand, don’t answer that. I’m pretty sure this cost more than I make in a year and I really don’t need to know.”
“It does what I need it to do.” He gave her a knowing smile. She wondered what he was thinking.
“You trust me with this?” She looked up at his lean body resting against the doorframe.
“Didn’t you trust me enough to take this job?”
“Good answer.” She tapped on a few keys and smiled when the screen popped up. “Any restrictions?”
“Just don’t break it.” He turned toward the corridor. “I’ll bring you something to eat in a couple of hours.”
She nodded as she focused on the computer. “Too cool.”
Just as he left she swore she heard him say he knew she would love it. “Excuse me?”
“Enjoy yourself.” He popped his head back in for a moment. “I’ll come back and check on you.”
“Okay.” She used his state of the art Trackball to see what Max had in his memory. The mouse glided across the screen. “Wow, I’m gonna have to get me one of these.”
It didn’t surprise her to find several of the sites she’d visited recently. One was nothing more than a fan site. People who believed in werewolves. “Unbelievable. Don’t know how people can be so gullible.”
She read the information in front of her. Somewhere along the line there had to be some truth in these tales. Alicia was going to find it.
If only she knew how.
***
“Hungry?”
Alicia looked up from the screen she had been staring at for hours. She yawned, stretched and heard something pop while she glanced at the clock display on the screen. “Holy cow! Didn’t realize it had gotten this late.”
“It’s okay. I get like that, too. The good thing is Jacob makes sure I’m always fed. We’ve got ham, roast beef, pastrami.”
“Real meat and potatoes man, huh?” She stood up. “Any chicken or turkey?”
“Probably.” He gestured for her to follow him. “You should find everything you need.”
“What happened to you bringing me lunch?”
“You don’t strike me as a person who would just settle for anything I brought you.” He looked back at her and wiggled his eyebrows. “I thought you’d feel better if you took command of making your own sandwich.”
Alicia raised a brow as she followed him. This wasn’t the same man she had been talking to. He was teasing her, acting like they had known each other for years. He even let her follow him. The last time she came to his house they fought over who would go last.
The huge kitchen took her breath away. Cabinets lined the walls. The sink sat in front of a large bay window. A quick look let her know it was a beautiful panoramic view. The fridge and stove were part of a center console. “My whole apartment could fit in here.”
“I know it’s a bit much, but Mother used to entertain all the time and she needed this monstrosity. Give me a minute and I’ll get everything out on the counter.” He moved about the room, opening the refrigerator and the cabinets to pull out meat, cheese, bread, chips, and condiments. “So what were you searching for on the web?”
“I was trying to find where the legend picked up the references of werewolves.” She took a plate from the top of the counter. “But didn’t find anything concrete.”
“No?” He didn’t look at her as he prepared his sandwich.
“Just those stanzas that talk about the pack. And there was a reference to some obscure book.” She leaned a hip against the counter and worked on her sandwich. Leaning her elbows against the black marble top, she looked up at him. “I saw the picture of it. It was small with a red velvet cover.”
“What was the title?” He swallowed hard as his eyes wandered from her face to a point south.
“'Werewolves, The Origin.'” Alicia straightened before she took a bite of her sandwich. No need to continue the peep show she had inadvertently given him. “It’s a bit corny for a name, but it’s supposed to be handwritten. One of the oldest books in existence.”
“Interesting.” Max blotted his lips. “Will you excuse me for a moment?”
Alicia had a mouthful of food so all she could do was nod. What was that all about anyway? In minutes he was back. She swallowed hard, recognizing what he held in his hand. “Is that the book?”
“Yes.” He held it out to her.
“You’re kidding.” She wiped her hands before she took it from him. Opening the book, she looked at the yellowed worn pages. “Latin. When was this written?”
“Middle Ages. Somewhere in the mid-1400s. I have a translation if you need it.”
“I learned Latin in high school. For some reason the language never left me.” She hugged the book to her chest. “If you don’t mind I’ll finish eating while I read.”
“You can use the plant room if you like.” He picked up her plate.
“Plant room?” She followed him, carrying her drink.
“Mom. She loved plants, had the things all over the house. When I took over I corralled them all into one room.” He opened the smoked glass double doors by pushing them in. “Jacob takes care of them for me.”
She could smell a crispness, an earthy tang that hot houses had. The deep foliage green of the room was accented by vibrant colors in the settees and chairs. The furniture resembled nature too. It was difficult to separate the two. Life climbed the walls, blanketed the floor. A perfect haven to get away from the craziness of everyday life. “This is amazing.”
“When my parents were young they lived in a small home here on this land. As the family grew and Dad made more money they added to it. Dad ended up building the house around Mom’s garden. It was her favorite place. This is the center of the house now. Each of the glass doors leads to a different section of this place.” Max pressed a supple green leaf between two fingers. “When she passed I knew I couldn’t keep her garden the way she did so I put a glass roof over the garden and closed it in. Adding her plants seemed like the right thing to do.”
“It’s a beautiful memorial.”
“Thanks.” He walked back toward the door. “I’ll be back to check on you again in a couple hours.”
She spied a vibrant red wicker chair near one of the glass doors. “I’ll be there if you need me.”
He nodded and disappeared.
***
Alicia rubbed her eyes before turning another page. She read about half of the handwritten book. It was fascinating, but she was sure it was more fiction than fact.
No one believed in werewolves, yet the book was all about how to spot them, what their strengths and weaknesses were. “They should have named this book 'How to Care for Your Werewolf.'”
Off in the distance Alicia heard the bay of a wolf. “Here in Charlotte? No way. It’s probably a neighbor’s dog.”
She heard the sound again and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as goosebumps rose on her arms. She had been afraid of wolves most of her life. It was stupid really. When she was a child her father had taken her to the zoo. They had gone to see the wolves there. As she stood next to the bars that separated them from the animals all the wolves stopped what they were doing, walked up to where she stood and just stared. It frightened her and she called for her father. All hell broke loose when her father picked her up and started to leave the den area. The wolves went mad. At least it seemed like that to a six-year-old. They started barking and growling. The snapping of teeth had her screaming which brought the handlers in. She never went back to the zoo after that and had never gotten over her fear. “Just perfect. I’m now afraid of some silly dog because I’ve been reading about werewolves.”
She closed the book and stood up. Moving around the foliage she looked up and found the moon. “Figures. Looks like a full moon tonight.”
“So it seems,” said Max.
She sucked her breath in at the sound of his voice. “Oh. I didn’t hear you come in.” Alicia sat the book against the cushion of her chair, trying to calm her heart down.
“I was coming in to check on you and I heard you talking out loud to yourself.” He stepped into the center of the room and gazed up at the moon.
Alicia blushed and stood up. “I’ve been known to do that from time to time.”
“As long as you don’t answer yourself.” A lone howl sounded nearby.
“Hey, sometimes it’s the only intelligent conversation I have.” Alicia jumped when she realized just how close that last howl was before wrapping her arms around herself. That was a little too creepy for her. Her fear of wolves then reading a book about werewolves made it all a bit much.
“Okay.” He looked at her. “I’m going out to check the grounds. Go back to your reading.”
“What time is it?” She stretched.
“It’s still early.”
“It can’t be that early.” She looked up at the moon high in the sky. “It’s nighttime.”
“It’s around eleven.”
“Eleven!” She started toward the door.
“Where are you going?” He snagged her arm before she could leave the room.
“Home.” She tried to pull her arm free from his grasp, but found he had her in a secure hold. She needed to get out of here. “It’s almost bedtime.”
“Stay.”
“Huh-uh. Not a good idea. My boss would kill me.” She didn’t know how to free her arm without starting some bizarre tug-o-war, but she had to get out of here.
“It isn’t a good idea for you to leave this late.”
“Late? Five seconds ago you said it was early.” His sudden change in attitude frightened her. The eyes that stared into hers seemed almost black. The second time she thought that. She’d think they were black if she hadn’t seen them in daylight.
“Okay. I’d rather you not leave right now.” He released his grip on her. “I’d like to find out what caused that howl.”
“And what? You’re going to go out in the dark searching for some dog?” She took a step back the moment he released her. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to leave now. She didn’t want to run the risk of meeting her nightmare. “I’m sure I’ll be safe if you walk me to my…”
Her jeep was still at the office. She was stuck unless Max agreed to take her to her vehicle.
“It’s probably one of the neighbor’s dogs, but just in case it’s some stray I would feel better if you would let me check it out first.” He gave her a lazy, sexy smile. The one that melted her bones.
“Well, okay.” She relaxed a little. An image of him looking for the howler popped in her head. She couldn’t stop the laugher from flowing out of her.
“What?”
“Sorry. I imagined you tiptoeing out into the woods nearby with a flashlight and a bat shouting ‘Come out, come out, where ever you are’.” A small giggle escaped her after she heard her own words. “Sorry. Can’t get the image out of my head.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He frowned just enough to make Alicia smile. It was kind of endearing. “I’m just going to check the perimeter. Make sure there’s nothing nearby and then I’ll take you back to your Jeep or call you a taxi.”
The taxi sounded good, but another howl rooted her to the spot. “I’ll wait right here.”
“Are you okay?” He looked at her for a moment then gestured for her to head out of the room before him. “How about I move you to a room with thicker walls? Jacob just got back. I bet he’s in the kitchen making tea.”
Anything to block the howling. She nodded and followed him into the kitchen.
Jacob stood next to the stove. He turned when they entered. “Miss Braswell! How are you this evening?”
“The dogs outside have her a little nervous,” Max informed him. “I’m going to go out and check to see if it’s that stray that has been coming around lately. I thought you could make her a cup of tea?”
He had the kettle in his hand before Max finished speaking. “Do you have a preference, Miss Braswell?”
“Not really. I’m more of a coffee drinker.” Another howl filled the air, making Alicia cringe.
“I have just the thing then.” Jacob looked up at Max who took the cue to go. He knew Alicia was in good hands.
***
Her nerves were on edge. If she could she’d run out of the building screaming. Instead she had to act like nothing was wrong.
“So how long have you been afraid of wolves?”
“That obvious, huh?” She dipped her head for a moment. “Since I was a kid.”
“What happened?”
“We went to the zoo and my dad brought me to the wolves den. For some reason they all lined up in front of me.”
“That is interesting. Were you wearing a fragrance or something that might have drawn them to you?”
“I was six. My parents didn’t let me wear anything more than pretend deodorant.” The kettle started to scream and Jacob poured the hot water into a cup where tea waited. “It scared me.”
“This might sound like a strange question but were they all male?”
What an odd question. “I have no idea. All I remember was how angry they got when my dad tried to protect me.”
“Just trying to help you figure out what happened. If all the wolves came to you, I’d assume you were wearing something that caught their nose. I’ve seen the wolves at the zoo and they normally ignore everyone. It’s very unusual for all of them to go and stare at a young child.”
“I’m special I guess.” Alicia sipped her tea. “Thanks for the tea, Jacob.”
He smiled. “There are times when it is just what you need.”
“How long have you worked for Max?”
“I’ve worked for his family for decades.”
They talked about Max’s parents and how Jacob watched him grow up. The stories he told helped her forget all about the howling going on outside.
***
Crisp clean air filled his lungs as he ran out into the woods. The hard packed ground felt good beneath his paws. He loved this. The freedom. The simple pleasure of going out for a run without having a heavy weight on his shoulders.
It only happened when he ran.
He stopped in a small clearing and bayed at the full moon. If he were human he’d laugh at the joy coursing through his veins. The old myth about the full moon didn’t affect his kind, but most of them stuck to it for the sake of humans.
Max pawed the ground. Sniffing, he caught a scent in the air that reminded him why he had come out tonight.
With a turn to his right, he trotted into the trees. He slowed, sniffing the air again. A slight growl filled the air as he drew close to something on another rise.
In a blink of an eye Max was human.
“You know I like you best this way.” Sonora’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Stop being feral. You came here to try to steal the female from me.”
“Of course.” She circled him. Her gaze roamed over his naked body. “I can smell her on you.”
“I have hired her to help me.” He shouldn’t have brought her here. Now Sonora would think she was important to him. As much as she fascinated him, he knew he needed to keep his distance. The pack expected him to mate with another of his kind. Being the alpha male had its obligations.
“Help you find the Tears?” Sonora laughed. “She can’t help you find what you seek. This female isn’t one of us.”
“You’ve always hated humans. Why?” He didn’t need anyone reminding him of his obligations. He knew what was expected of him.
“Why do you care?” She crossed her arms over her breasts. “Let’s get back on topic. You came here to make me swear to leave your little human friend alone.”
“But you won’t.”
“You know me well.” One side of her mouth quirked up. “Your human is safe for now. But you can’t keep her hidden for long. Sooner or later she’ll escape you and then she’ll be mine.”
“This human is in my employ. The rules for any human in my employ stands for her as well.” He placed his hands on his hips. “And you will abide by that rule.”
“Fine.” She sighed. “I’ll follow that stupid rule of yours. For now.”
“Good. I expect you to stick to that. Now, get off my property or I’ll call the police.”
“As if they could catch me.” Her laugh turned into a bark as she bounded off into the woods.
“If you harm one hair on her head I will come after you.” He knew he could catch her and if she made him angry enough he could kill her.
***
Alicia tried to stifle a yawn, but Jacob saw it.
“Mr. Santos is taking a lot longer than I expected him to. Perhaps you’d like to rest while you wait?”
She looked at her watch. Two hours had passed. The thought of what Mr. Duncan would say if he found out had her hesitating. “I’ll call a cab.”
“If that is what you want to do, but I know Mr. Santos would be a lot happier if you would wait until he got back.”
“I need to get to my Jeep. It’s still sitting in front of the office building. My boss will have a cow if it’s there in the morning. He’ll wonder why and won’t be happy if he learns I stayed here.”
“I could have a service bring it here for you. Then you can head home once Mr. Santos has made sure it’s safe.”
That made the most sense. She knew she was safest here, and her fear had her wanting to find a small hole to crawl into. But allowing him to show her to a room? That would be a big mistake.
“The room has a sitting area that you could use if you don’t want to rest.”
“Jacob, this is so unprofessional.”
“I promise that I will be very discreet, so will Mr. Santos.”
Alicia drummed her fingers on the counter. No one would know unless she opened her big mouth and it would be nice to close her eyes for a minute or two. Another yawn had her agreeing.
“Excellent.” Jacob rinsed out their cups before showing her the way to the guestroom. “The room is in one of the older sections of the house. This is actually the old master bedroom.”
“Are you sure this is okay?”
“Oh, yes. This is the room I put most of our guests in. It is nice and private.”
She wanted to ask where Max’s room was, but knew better.
“Here we are.” He opened the door and stepped aside.
She stepped into the room and gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
“The misses decorated it. She did such a lovely job I couldn’t change it.”
She turned and found him smiling. “You had a soft place in your heart for Max’s mom, didn’t you?”
“She was the best employer I could have asked for. The love she and her husband shared was something to see. It made me believe in true love.” He folded down the duvet and fluffed the closest pillow. “If you press zero on the phone it will call my room. Let me know if you need anything and I’ll bring it. If you find it hard to rest there is a Jacuzzi in the bathroom.”
Alicia couldn’t stop herself and she walked to the door he gestured to. She stepped into the oversized room with a sunken tub. Plants and flowers filled the room. One of her favorite fantasies was taking a long, hot bath in a tub like this.
“There are towels in that cabinet. There’s a bathrobe in the other one. Above the towels you’ll find oils and bubble bath if you’d like.”
She grinned. As crazy as it sounded she was tempted.
“I’m assuming Mr. Santos will be back in an hour or two.” He walked to the door. “If he comes back in the next few minutes I’ll call you. In the meantime, get comfortable.”
Thank you, Jacob.”
He nodded and left.
Alicia wandered around the room. It was warm and inviting with greens and lavenders as the predominant colors. She could get used to this. The bed looked so inviting she decided she would lie down for a bit. Slipping off her shoes, she sat on the bed. First she lay on top of the covers, not wanting to muss the bed, but she was a snuggler so she couldn’t get comfortable.
Sitting up, she looked around. She still had the little red book even though she thought she left it in the garden room. Max must have picked it up and left it where Jacob could move it if she decided to use one of their rooms. After the howling the thought of reading put her off.
There was that wonderful bathtub. Baths always relaxed her and Jacob had told her she was free to use it. The question was should she? Not real professional of her, but then again neither was being in the bedroom in the first place. “What did Gramma used to say? In for a penny, in for a pound?”
She threw the lock and walked to the huge bathroom with the large sunken tub. With a smile, she ran her hand over the lip. This looked just like the one she used to dream about when she needed to get away from it all. Convincing herself that there was nothing wrong with the situation, she turned and opened the French doors to the cabinet Jacob pointed her to.
“Ooh, look at these towels!” She sunk her fingers into the fluffy things. After she chose just about the fluffiest one she could find, she started looking at the oils and bubble bath. Her professionalism faded in the light of fulfilling a long standing fantasy. This wasn’t a smart move but she couldn’t seem to step away from the idea. “I really shouldn’t do this.”
But the tub kept calling to her and in the end it won.
She picked a soft smelling oil. “Relaxation and aphrodisiac… the relaxation I need, but aphrodisiac…”