Chapter Ten
Saturday – Southern Maryland
I stand in the field behind the wolf pup’s house. This child has no clue what he is facing. I despise this place and this land. Why his father brought them here, I haven’t the slightest clue. I stalk forward towards the house, ice crunching beneath my paws. I saw him shift last night while I waited outside of his mate’s house for her to come back home. I saw him circle the woods looking for a trail. My trail, I laugh at the thought of his ignorance in thinking he could track me. The true Alpha. The King.
He is in there, with his bitch. I can smell her need and lick my fangs. My muzzle is still wet and sticky with blood from my most recent kill. She will taste so sweet when I tear her limb from limb while he watches. Then I’ll put him down and finally put an end to the Caomhanach pack. I will rightfully rule their lands as my own. He brought her here to protect her, fine. I will wait. I have been waiting for three-hundred years. Another few months will not deter me. I turn and head back to the wood line. Breaking into a run when I reach the trees. I’ll head home and take care of the old man first.
Then he will come to me.
***
Saturday – Southern Maryland
Melody
We spend the majority of the day curled together on the couch. Finn assures me that there were no signs of any wolves, natural or supernatural, around my house. Rachel has assured him there have been zero reported sightings in our area or the surrounding areas. Gah! I hate her already! I relax and finally shake the feeling that the other shoe is about to drop.
It’s early afternoon when I sit up and stretch out my arms above my head. “What are we going to do for dinner?” I keep stretching, reaching towards the ceiling. When I finish, I turn, and Finn is looking at me with a look of horror in his eyes.
“We just had lunch. Are you always hungry?”
“Mmm, yes,” I answer after I think about it for a second, then smile. “So? What’s the plan? You know what sounds really good since it’s so cold and it is officially our snow day?”
“What, love?” Finn asks, smiling at me.
“Chili and peanut butter sandwiches.” I see his face show genuine fear now.
“What? Peanut butter sandwiches and chili, lass? Americans are so strange. That is not a thing. You’re pulling my leg. Tell me it’s a joke.”
I giggle. “No, it's not. Growing up, we always had it. It is delicious. You dip the sandwich in the chili like you would with grilled cheese and tomato soup. I promise you’ll love it!” I smile at him again. “Please, sir?” I wink at him when I say sir.
“I can’t say no to you. I have some of the things we need. I can run out and grab the things I don’t have. I do make a mean chili.” Finn pulls me to him, kissing me firmly on the mouth.
“Do you think it’s safe to drive in the ice, though? I haven’t heard any plows go by all day. I think we may be stuck inside.” I turn to look out the window behind the couch.
“Ah, lass. I didn’t say I was going to drive,” Finn winks at me this time, “I’ve got perfect traction control.” I giggle at him.
“Okay, Big Bad, if you say so. I’m going to hop in the shower while you run out to the store,” then I stop and raise my eyebrows at him. “Well, that brings a whole new meaning to that, doesn’t it? Running to the store. You enjoy being the wolf, don’t you? Can I see you in that form?”
“Yes, and no.” I pout at his answer, but I don’t push. He told me last night that there were rules they are bound to, and I suspect this is one of them. I won’t try to push the subject again. He picks up on my surrender and says, “Thank you. Now you go shower, and I’ll get what we need. Then we can have this awful dinner you’ve suggested.”
As I stand from the couch, he playfully smacks my ass, and I squeal, taking off down the hall towards the bathroom. He jumps up and runs after me. He is on me before I reach the bathroom door. I stumble, and he turns me in his arms as we hit the ground. His back is on the wood floor. I’m lying on top of him, breathing heavily. I quickly plant a kiss on his lips.
Sir?” I ask. “Can I help you? I was on my way to shower. You’ve interrupted me.” He grabs me by my sides and starts to tickle me. I scream as peals of laughter come out of me. I can’t breathe, and he is laughing with me. “No, stop, please I can’t breathe, Finn. Please. No.”
He pauses for a moment, then says, “On one condition.”
“What's that?” I ask, gasping for breath and trying to free myself from his grip while I can. But it’s no use, he is too strong.
“Kiss me.” He smiles, and I see his canines. His eyes flash, and I lean down and kiss the Big Bad Wolf.
“See,” I say when I lean back, my hands on his chest, “that didn’t hurt, did it? It’s okay to let go and be yourself, Finn. You’re the wolf. I’ll take the wolf.” He nods at me and pulls me in for another kiss.
***
I shower and put on a clean pajama shirt and shorts while Finn is gone. Then head to the kitchen to start chopping vegetables. When he comes into the kitchen through the back door, I can feel the bitter cold rolling off his skin. But heat instantly floods me, I get goosebumps, and the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Butterflies flip in my stomach, and a warm tingling spreads through my body. I smile at the sensation. I love the reaction my body has to Finn’s presence.
“It’s a real howler out there, lass,” he says and shakes the ice out of his hair. I giggle because he reminds me of a wet dog shaking out his coat.
Finn looks at me and pauses. I see a look I’m not sure I understand in his eyes. Flustered there, Big Bad? “What’s up?” I ask, trying to put my finger on it.
“Do you plan on getting dressed at any point today?” Finn asks. I look down at my pajamas. This set has little deer covering it. I swipe a pepper off the cutting board and take a bite of it.
“Nope,” I pause, chew, then smile at him, “it’s an official snow day. That means an official PJ day too. Why? What’s wrong with them?” I point one of my feet out and do a little twirl. Finn sneaks up behind me mid-spin and slides his freezing cold hands up my stomach under my shirt.
“Holy shit! Finn,” I yell and jump, trying to twist out of his grasp, “your hands are like ice. Get them off of me!” I’m giggling, squealing, trying to turn away from him any way I can, but I’m smiling so much my cheeks ache with it. I stop and look at his face. He is smiling too. Love. It’s what I see in his eyes now, and it is the first word that pops into my mind. Run is the second one. I’m terrified of losing him already. I’m afraid of what it will do to me after only two weeks with him, and I know in my heart if this man keeps looking at me with love like that in his eyes, it will kill me to lose him. Finn is still smiling when he kisses me, his cold nose touching mine. I wrinkle my nose and smile back at him. Lost in the moment, I let him hold me as his body starts to warm against mine.
“Ready to get dinner started? I know you’re looking forward to trying this amazing meal,” I say with a flourish as I motion to the sliced peppers and onions on the counter.
“Oh. Absolutely and on the plus side, if this turns out to be really rubbish, I can always run out and track myself down a doe to feast on for the night.” Raising my eyebrow at him, I smirk, making sure he knows that both the humor and innuendo are not lost on me.
“Mmm-hmm, I’m sure there will be no need for that. You just wait and see, mister. This is going to be amazing,” I turn back to the counter, “at least, I hope so.” I say under my breath. Finn spins me by the shoulder then.
“You hope? What is that supposed to mean?”
“Well, it's been years since I’ve had it. But I remember growing up in the Midwest, and my mom would make us peanut butter and chili anytime it snowed. It’s been, I don’t know, thirteen years since I’ve had it.” The confession has him glaring daggers at me.
In my best impression of him, I say, “Donna be lookin’ at me like that, sir,” then I stick my tongue out at him and go back to slicing peppers for the chili.
***
We settle down to eat bowls of chili in front of the fire on the couch and turn the TV on but keep the volume low. “Well, here goes nothing,” I say, dipping the corner of my peanut butter sandwich into my bowl of chili and toasting him with it.
“This. No. This is. This is gross. Mel, I’m sorry, I wanted to like it. But nope, it's a no for me.” He sets his plate down on the coffee table. “I think I’ll just stick with the chili.” I sit, chewing my sandwich slowly, quietly, and look into my bowl. “Go ahead, Melody. Tell me what you think. Is it everything you remembered?” I stop chewing and turn to look at him, scrunching my face.
“My mom swears by it. She even says they served it in school.”
“Ha! That explains a lot about it! This is a school lunch gone bad, that’s for sure.” He takes a bite of his chili. “But this, it's delicious. I make a damn good chili. Don’t I, lass? Don’t you worry, I won't be judging you if you put that sandwich down and just eat the chili,” he winks, “at least not too badly.”
I silently set my sandwich on the table next to his, avoiding eye contact at all costs. “It’s weird. It’s just downright weird. I can’t wrap my head around the combination of flavors.” I start laughing then. “I’m so sorry, Finn. I remember liking it as a kid. Don’t throw me out into the cold for making you eat that, okay?” He pats my thigh.
“Of course not, baby. We can come up with something much better than that as punishment.” The muscles in my belly tighten, and I feel my pussy get wet the second the word leaves his lips.
“Oh, I think so, sir.” I wink. After two bowls of warm chili and two rum and Cokes, I’m lying back on the pillows in the corner of the couch, my feet stretched out in Finn’s lap. He is rubbing them gently. The flicker of the fire and the glow of the TV are the only light in the room. I smile at us snuggled up together. This is perfect. I think I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend the day than here with Finn. I fall asleep on the couch, looking forward to what tomorrow will bring.