Chapter 8 — The Past Comes Back

A Year and a Half Later…

The museum was hosting an opening to show off some new pieces that had just come into our collection.

After making sure the event planner had everything in place, I went home to get changed.

It has been a while since I have been able to get dressed up for an event. Not that I enjoy wearing dresses or having to wear heels. But it is kind of nice to be able to do this once in a while.

I pulled out a long sleek black dress that had one long sleeve on the left side and a slit going up to my thigh on the right. The material was soft and velvety. I may be older but black was still my go to color.

I rolled my hair in a low bun and applied just a light amount of makeup. I added a tear drop necklace and some earrings. I stepped into some heels, hopefully my feet will not kill me for wearing these and made my way out the door.

The guests were already arriving as I made my way up the steps to the museum. I caught a quick whiff of something that made me stop for a moment. I vaguely remember that smell. It had been a few years since I had smelled it.

Sasha: Wait. I think I know that smell.

Me: We will figure it out later. I have to get inside.

I decided to blow it off and continued to make my way into the museum.

I grabbed a glass of white wine as the server passed by me. Ah yes, my liquid courage. Come on friend let’s make it through this night together. I say to myself as I start to take sips from the glass and make my way through the crowd.

I vaguely smelled the scent again, oh no, I did not need this tonight. I could tell that Sasha was trying to figure out where we had smelled that smell before.

Sasha: Yes! Mm smells so good.

Me: NO!

Sasha: Oh yes! That is the smell of our mate. Where is he? Let me see him.

Me: No, no it can’t be.

I started to look around as the scent got stronger and that was then I saw them, those icy blue eyes.

Sasha: MATE!

I rolled my eyes into the back of my head. Crap.

He was standing across the room with a tall brunette hanging on his arm beside him.

Sasha: BITCH

Me: Calm down, please let’s be rational about this.

No, I cannot be mated to Dom. He hates me. But it looks like he already decided on another. Maybe he will reject me.

Sasha: No! I don’t want him to reject us.

Dom slowly made his way toward me while greeting people and acknowledging them along the way. But his eyes stayed glued on to me burning into me.

I wanted to leave but my feet had other plans and glued me right to that spot.

Me: Traitor.

Sasha: We are meeting our mate. I have waited two years for this day. I am not going to let you run away again!

Deep breaths, deep breaths.

Dom strolls up to me and stops a foot away. His eyes are like a thunderstorm waiting to rip into me.

“Well, well Tr…Charity, it’s been a long time.” Says with valor.

He almost called me Troublemaker! Bastard.

My eyes narrowed at him, before saying, “Well, well Dominic Furi you are right, it has been a long time.”

I look up over at the girl who is just staring me down with a look of disgust.

“Charity, I would like you to meet Ofelia. Ofelia this is Charity, we used to go to school together.”

Really? That’s all!

“Nice to meet you Charity,” she says in a muted tone. As she continues to look down upon me.

Six-inch heels and I am still shorter than most wolves.

Why Goddess Why?

Sasha: Tell her! Tell her she needs to get her filthy paws off our mate.

Me: Easy.

“So, Charity are you here with anyone?” Ofelia asks as she waves her hand around the room.

If only.

Sasha: Let me take her, come on.

Me: Sasha, I can handle this.

I smiled and said, “No, I am here by myself tonight.”

Thankfully I noticed Erick my boss motioning for me to make the speech.

“Excuse me, it looks like I am needed.”

I walk around them trying not to touch Dom, afraid of what it would do. I have to be strong. I can do this.

I walked up to the stage and over to the microphone.

“Good Evening Everyone, thank you for coming tonight! My name is Charity Meadows, I am one of the Curators here at the museum. I am extremely pleased to be showing you some of the historical artifacts that we were able to acquire for our collection, here at the History Museum of Wolves.”

I pause for a moment and take a deep breath. Making sure that I do not look at Dom, I continue my speech while looking through the crowd.

“Times have been changing for years. Almost every time a new Alpha takes over a pack, they will look over the laws and see what laws apply to their pack and which laws they deem no longer fit. The world is always changing and evolving, but we need to remember our roots. We need to be reminded of how it was in the beginning when our first packs moved over here from Europe. We were able to acquire one of the original scripts of the laws from the first four packs that took a leap of faith and brought their packs here to America.”

I motion to the side of me where they pull up the curtain to display the artifact.

“We also had found documents of the original treaties that were signed by the four packs.”

Another curtain is pulled up.

“And in the next room you will see different tools, weapons and articles of woven cloths that we were able to preserve as well. Thank you so much for coming this evening and supporting the History Museum of Wolves.”

Thank Goddess. I made it through.

I stepped down the stairs and started to quickly walk to my office. Grabbing another glass of Champagne from the waiter and started taking big sips from it.

“Miss. Meadows, I have a question for you?”

I turn and quickly a smile creeps over my face as I see my dashingly handsome best friend, Silas.

“Silas!” Immediately I rush into his arms.

He hugs me tight. And we both take a deep breath and relax. He pulls away from me and takes a look at me.

“Char, you look absolutely amazing.”

I blush and say, “Thank you, and you! Look at you, you are even more handsome now than when we were in high school.”

“I do make this look good.”

His signature phrase. Oh, how I have missed him.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“I had to see your debut here at the Museum what kind of friend would I be.”

“A better one than me. That’s for sure,” I say as I look down at my fingers as I tangled them into each other around the glass.

He walks over and pulls my chin up and makes me look him in the eye before saying, “You had to do, what was best for you. I understand. I will admit at first I was hurt, but I always knew how much I meant to you.”

A tear drops from my eye. How much I have missed this guy.

He brushes my cheek to wipe the tear away.

“There is none of that, tonight. We are here to have a good time.”

He holds his arm for me to hook into and I do.

“Umm …. One thing before we push forward.” I blurt out.

“Yeah?”

“Okay, before you say anything, please listen to everything I have to say.”

“Okay…” He gives me a peculiar look.

“My mate is here tonight. I just found out, no I have not said anything to them yet, because it’s a bit of a tricky situation especially since he brought a date with him.”

“Okay, show me who he is.” He starts to look around the room.

“Oh…you know him,” I say as I place the empty glass on a tray as it walked by. Where are the filled glasses when you need them?

“Who is it?”

“Dom” I breath out.

“Oh Shit, seriously Char!” He puts up his fist to cover his mouth.

“You think I would make something like that up.”

“No, you wouldn’t. You haven’t talked to him at all?” he asks.

I tilted my head from side to side in a so-so manner before responding.

“He came up to me right before I had to make my speech.” I said as I grabbed another glass of wine from another server and taking a big gulp. Ah friend where have you been.

“Stop it, you know you are a light weight when it comes to that stuff.” As he tries to pull the drink from out of my hand.

“But I need my liquid courage.” I whine as he takes my drink away from me and finishes it before placing the empty glass on a tray that was passing by.

“Look at me, you are Charity Meadows, aka The Troublemaker.”

I scrunched my nose to that nickname.

“You were a hellion in High School, not afraid of anyone. Especially Dom, you are strong and courageous. You will get through this night, and I will be by your side the entire time.”

I nod in agreement to his pep talk.

“Silas.” I hear a woman gently calling to Silas.

“Yes, my love.” I hear him say as he releases me and quickly holds onto a woman I have never seen before.

“Charity, this is Gwendolyn. My mate.”

WHAT!!!

“Wow! Mate, Gwendolyn it is so nice to meet you.” I said completely dumb struck. Why did he not tell me that he had found his mate.

“It’s good to meet you to Charity. I’ll admit I was a little nervous to meet the infamous Charity. Everyone just raves about you,” she says in a hesitant voice.

“Ha-ha,” I let a nervous laugh before saying, “I think everyone saw me more as a little sister they had to mess with.”

We all laugh. I notice she has a little bump.

“Oh, Goddess are you expecting?”

“Yes! Our first little pup. Silas is absolutely thrilled,” she says as she rubs his shoulder.

He pulls her into him and kisses her on the forehead. I give a slight smile. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy for him. I have just missed out on so many things while I was being selfish only wanting to do what I wanted and not going back to be with my family and friends. Like I said, things can change quick.

“Honey, I am getting a little tired. Would it be okay if we headed home already?”

“Of course, love.” He turns to me with a sad look on his face. “I am so sorry, Charity but I have to go.”

“No, of course. Please get her home. I will catch up with you when I come home this weekend.”

“Really? Planning a visit, are you?”

I give him a slight glare and said, “Yes, I have some time off and decided to come home for a visit.”

He walks over and gives me a hug but jumps back when we hear a growl from his mate.

“I am so sorry; these hormones are just crazy,” she says apologetically.

I keep my distance and just wave good-bye. What else can happen tonight.

Sasha: Don’t ask.

The next moment I was thrown up against the wall and had a hand against my neck. He leaned his head against mine as he breathed deeply. I roll my eyes into the back of my head, and I breathed in his scent. His touch sending tingles all through-out my body, even if it’s not a sincere one.

He finally speaks out “Two years!”

“Dom please” I try to get him to release my neck. I was scared at this moment even though I knew I shouldn’t be, but I was. I have left him a few times while I ran away not wanting to emotionally deal with anything.

He releases my neck as he puts both of his arms on either side of me leaning against the wall.

“You knew that night, didn’t you?”

He still has not opened his eyes to look at me.

“No, not completely.”

He opens his eyes, and I am trapped by those icy blues.

“But you had a hunch?”

“My wolf was enjoying your scent and it was close to midnight.”

“I am not following?” he says in a confused tone.

“The mate-bond.” I answer.

“It was your twenty-first at midnight?” he asks with anger in his tone.

I nod slowly as I look at his face.

He punches the wall next to me. That’s my cue to leave. I immediately bolt taking off through the crowd. Making my way towards the exit. I couldn’t do this. Not here. Not with so many people watching.

I make my way to the exit of the museum and start walking down the stairs as I lift my dress to help me see the steps below. The last thing I need is to fall right now. I start heading down the street to where my car is parked. He catches me as I walked past an alleyway and pulls me to the side. His eyes are a deep yellow. How did he get here so quickly before me?

“Dom?” I say with fear laced into my tone.

“Shut up Charity.” He yells at me. It’s no longer Dom talking but his wolf and he was pissed.

“You have any idea what I have been through these past two years?”

I shook my head. Not being able to speak.

“It’s been hell. I needed you. I almost choose another mate over you.” He said as he pointed in the direction of the wolf he came with tonight.

He wasn’t mated.

Sasha: Oh, thank Goddess!

I look down at my fingers as I twist them and say, “Maybe that would be best.”

“What?” His voice faltered.

Sasha: Like he said, What?

Still not able to look him in the eye, not knowing if this was Dom or his wolf, I continue to talk, “Dom, we have always had this hatred for one another. How is this bond supposed to change all that?”

I take a peek up at his face and I notice his eyes quickly turned back to their icy blue, Dom was in control again. I looked back down, how am I going to do this?

“What are you saying Charity?”

I looked at him with tears burning my eyes as I started to say, “I Charity Mead …”

Dom covers my mouth so I can no longer say it.

“Don’t Charity” He says as he takes his other arm and wraps it around me and places his forehead on top of mine.

And there it is again that electric feeling I get when our skins touch. Why Goddess Why? Why him? I close my eyes as I try to calm myself down while my wolf Sasha is going crazy inside me.

Sasha: Don’t you dare do it. I will never speak to you again if you reject our mate.

Great.

I try to push myself away from him, but at the same time I am wanting to just accept this and continue to let him hold me. I needed to think.

“Please, I am begging you, don’t reject me,” he says as he tries to look me in the eyes to see that he was sincere about this.

Those icy blue eyes, damn it.

I nod my head letting him know that I am not going to say it. He removes his hand from my mouth and releases me.

We both stand there quiet for a moment.

“Maybe we should move this somewhere a little more private. My place is just a few blocks away from here.” I offer.

He seems to perk up a little as I say this.

“Yes, that would be great.”

He moves closer to me, but I press my hand against his chest before saying, “I am not making any promises that is going to happen, I feel that we have a lot to talk about. I want us to be open and honest with each other.”

He takes a step back and nods his head in agreement, “I can agree to that. Are we doing this all sober or should we invite alcohol to come along?”

I laugh, “As much as I would love for him to partake in this conversation, I think it might fuel us and become a more heated situation than it needs to be.”

“Alright let’s go.”

“What about your DATE!” I say with a little bit more bite to it then I intended it to have.

He smiles, “I already sent her home.”

“Good.”

He raises an eyebrow at me and smirks.

I shake my head at him as we make our way to our cars, and I give him the address to the cottage that I am staying at.