HOME | DD

Description
I woke up early in the morning, only a few hours after we had gone to bed. I’d slept most of the previous day, so I would be satisfied for a while- unless I did something very strenuous. A light and constant pattering of rain tapped at the glass of the window, a pleasant music I have always loved. A tanned arm had me hooked about my waist and shallow breathing thrummed against my ear.

Here it was, this pivotal moment- one I had experienced only once before in my lifetime. The rain, the calm quiet, the warmth of the man sharing my bed, his fingers on my stomach. It was then that I knew I would give my life for this person. The dawning of my choice hit me like a punch to the face. A sad déjà vu set over me, a reminder of the loss of the previous receiver of this enlightenment. I simultaneously felt so joyful at my realization and nervous about sharing it. But I must. I am obligated to tell him.

I gently pulled out of his embrace and up onto my feet to make him breakfast. Hopefully I was not too late: Ivan informed me that Alpha Turner had given him the past week or so off from his duties to his pack, but they would begin again today. This morning at 4 he was to patrol with four other wolves, up until 5 this evening. A sharp ache shot pain up into my body when I shifted my weight, causing me to gasp and hold in a groan. As I slowly stood and the pain did not diminish, I knew there was no possible way I would be able to go to work today. Halfway to the door, Ivan stirred with a frown on his face and glanced around the room. When his eyes landed on me, he frowned again and started to rise. “Vincent-“

I hurried over to him and pressed a soothing kiss to his forehead. “I go to make your breakfast, friend,” I whispered, admiring his features in the dark, the glint of his eyes, the quick descent of his angular nose and jaw. “Is there anything in particular you would like before you leave? We don’t have much food- I will buy things for us later today. Perhaps you could write me a small list of what you specifically want while I am out?”

I noticed his still-frowning brow, the downturned lips. His arms snaked under my thighs and he tugged me over him so that his that sharp nose nuzzled into my stomach. Though thoroughly confused, I allowed him to intake small sniffs under my shirt. Before I could ask, he spoke. “I’ll be the first to know, within the first week.” His voice was deep, yet to thaw its morning husk. “If we have a mini-us. In here, I mean,” he kissed my skin. I hummed, but before I could respond he began again. “And don’t call me friend. I’m not your friend, I’m your mate.” He didn’t sound angry or threatening or negative in any way. He was still much too sleepy for that.

I froze in thought for a moment, wondering what this might mean. “I’ll come retrieve you when your food is finished… mate.” I pecked his cheek and left his arms again, grimacing at the pain in my rear. The heat-dulling patches stuck snugly to my thigh when I applied them. Maneuvering my way through boxes to the kitchen, I opened the fridge absentmindedly and grabbed the ingredients for a quick omelet and bacon. What could he have meant? I wondered sadly as depressing and confusing thoughts formed while I cooked in the dark. Not friends? Just mates? I feel now that I have maybe, possibly, made a mistake in rushing into this whole business. Some wolfmen packs- not too many, I’ve heard- treat marriage as a contract of slavery. Ivan’s statement reminds me very much of these packs. However Alpha Turner and his mate seem to treat each other as equals, and Ivan had done so for the weeks from our meeting up until this point. Surely I am overthinking the situation. He only mumbled something in his sleep, only tired talk.

My thoughts were interrupted when the same tan arms slid under my own as they worked at the stove. He fed his bad habit and sniffed into my hair. After a moment he broke the silence. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m your mate, or that you’re easy to read. But you looked… perturbed after I said what I did. So I’m going to explain.” He kissed the back of my neck and the normally-flesh-melting heat translated into the comforting warmth my body had grown to appreciate after its years of numb frigidity. “If you introduce me as a friend, there’s room for someone to think it’s ok to hit on you. Which it isn’t, because we’re mates. So if you say that to start with, of course I’m your friend if I’m your mate. No one gets confused, so if anyone does hit on you I know it’s not an accident.”

We stood for a moment in silence while I reconstructed the sentence into something I could understand more easily. “Hit on you” does not mean “hit you”. I learned that a while ago, but it still confused me frequently. I quieted the flame and turned in his arms to bump my nose into his chin. He pecked sadly at my cheek where some bruises from yesterday’s fight spread like a deep ocean over my face. “I understand. Thank you for explaining it to me.” This morning’s revelation surfaced to mind again, causing a deep frown to crease into my brow. Before I addressed it, I brought up another worry of mine. “Ivan, yesterday evening when I spoke of children, specifically of vampires having them… Something about being born of a body not completely alive makes them much more susceptible to being miscarried or having disabilities. I am ready to embark on such a venture, but it is not for me to decide by myself anymore. I met a vampire woman whose daughter developed extreme photosensitivity. She could not leave her mansion and the windows had to always remain closed. The only light she ever saw was that of a candle. You must understand… our child might have this problem. Perhaps he will be born without a limb, or with diabetes, or autism, or in a vegetative state. Are you prepared to raise and love someone with these kinds of issues? Someone possibly unable to speak to you- to love you?”

His eyes glazed over in thought. I hugged him for a long moment and plated his eggs and bacon. He sat in front of them while I poured him a glass of water. A mental list began in my head- orange juice, more bacon (those were the last strips), eggs, bread, apples, pasta, tomatoes… Oh, I haven’t made ratatouille in quite a long time. Perhaps I will prepare it tonight for dinner.

“I think I can do it.” He finished his food and, now much more awake, got up to place his dishes in the sink. “I might get frustrated or… lost from time to time. But you just being with me will make everything better.” He took my hand and led me back to the room. “What’s your favourite movie?”

He changed the subject before I could tell him what I needed to. My nerves only built with the passing time. Trying to focus on his question, I shrugged and followed him to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth. “A better question would be about the genre. I enjoy horror, adventure, documentaries… I liked ‘Jaws’ and ‘Finding Nemo’. I also love the animated Disney movies- ‘Treasure Planet’ is one of my favourites. What about you?”

He smirked and shook his head, unaware of my discomfort. “A Disney movie, huh? Nice choice. I think mine is ‘The Boy in Striped Pajamas’.”

I cringed and shook my head. “No… What a depressing movie. Too real, too true…” I plucked up the courage to speak my mind, still on the previous subject. “You understand… How should I put this…” He rinsed and raised his head to look at me in the mirror solemnly. “The fact that I am speaking to you about possible children… When I said I was ready to have children with you, I meant that I-“ Deep breaths. Even though I do not need to breathe unless to speak, the action is calming. Hopefully now is not too soon. Relationships are so complicated these days- much more so than when I married. “I have come to love you as completely as possible.” My nerves got the better of me, causing an avalanche of words to pour from my mouth. Ivan’s eyes widened in the mirror, his shoulders tensed, but otherwise he did not react visibly. “You have stirred my blood, which has not been moved in many years. Your touch both burns and soothes my flesh, and your presence both frightens me as a werewolf yet calms me as my mate.” Another breath, closed eyes. “I felt you should know even if my… epiphany is not reciprocated.”

When I opened my eyes seconds later, my mate was facing me and centimeters away. “I figured a person of your age, with your life experience,” his breath washed over me, his eyes closed in pleasure as he sniffed my scent. “…you wouldn’t be so quick to give yourself completely to someone else. I feel special, I think.”

“You begin to realize that even a lifetime is not enough for certain things,” I answered, kissing him softly. “I was once told and now firmly believe that love is a fearless warrior, constantly battling the changing emotions of the participants. Time is wasted in the decision making process, and I refuse to waste it any longer.”

His smile nearly blinded me, excitement shining in his eyes, the rocking of his feet expressing his happiness. “Ok, one, your ‘epiphany’ is definitely reciprocated, and two, you’re gonna meet my grandmother later because we have to go over there and get something from her place that I wanna give you.” He hugged me tight and sighed as he spun us around the room. “Vincent! You just made my day- my life!” Ivan dragged me out to the living room and yanked the door open, only to wait expectantly in the doorway with the drizzle behind him. Just staring at me, that happy, smug grin revealing cloud-white teeth. “I’m gonna be late,” he said, still standing there.

“…Yes,” I answered uncertainly, his giddiness beginning to affect me. Still he waited. “Usually the remedy for this is to start towards your destination as quickly as-“

“Don’t get smart with me, mate,” he growled playfully, rolling his eyes. “I’m waiting for a goodbye kiss. Duh.”

My smile nearly as bright as his, I walked forward, tilted my head, leaned up ever so slightly, and slowly kissed him. A dull blaze started up in the pit of my stomach. Hands curled around my back and my fingers twisted into his hair.

I broke the connection before it became too heated. His eyes still closed, he frowned and leaned in further as if to recapture the intensity. “You are now even later,” I whispered. “You best be going. How does ratatouille sound for dinner?”

He exhaled heavily, stepping back through the doorway. “Never had it. But everything you make is good.” And after a cheeky wink, he turned into the dark morning and trotted away through the rain happily, a skip to his step.

I shook my head and shut the door, facing the room full of boxes behind me. Might as well begin unpacking, as stores won’t be open for another four hours at least. The first one I opened contained many of my old clothes- and when I say old, I mean from about 60-90 years ago. Collared shirts with their cuffed and billowing sleeves, black tweed button-down vests, tight-fitting dress shoes. Frayed here, yellowed there. That box I kept closed, sliding into the hallway closet where Ivan would (hopefully) never find it. The second was heavy with books, filled to the brim with old tomes I had not touched in perhaps decades. I quickly got lost in one while attempting to organize them on the bookshelf in the living room and spent the better part of two hours completing “The Turn of the Screw”, then another twenty minutes contemplating the plot. The kittens woke while I read and chased each other around the house on unsteady paws. I watched them go, every so-often throwing a string or small toy for them. Having gotten next to nowhere in the cleaning process, I tried once again to empty another box- only this time to find within it my bow harp, dust clinging to the board and a string popped out of place. A pile of sheet music lay in a heap at the bottom, haphazardly thrown into the box. Who knows when last I practiced? Another two or so hours I played the seven-stringed instrument, happy to see I could easily pick up where I had left off so many years ago.

A knock rang through the house from the front door. I set down the instrument and peeked around the curtain to the front window, wondering A. who would want to visit me that knows I live here, and B. why they insist upon doing so this early in the morning. A slightly-wet Darius stood on the other side, his hood pulled over his head and nose dripping with rain. Confused, I opened the door and ushered him inside. “Darius.” He smiled at me a little awkwardly, shoulders tense and eyes hidden under dark bangs. “What can I help you with?” And what could be so important that you had to rush over first thing in the morning in the rain?

He shrugged, glancing around the untidy room, then back to me. “Just thought I’d come over and hang out- if that’s ok. I don’t want to be barging in or anything. Just… you know, you’re new to the pack and you don’t know anyone well, so… maybe we could be friends, you know?” He seemed a little nervous and at a loss. I suspected he was told to come visit, most likely by the Alpha, to either truly be friends with me or to spy on me, the “bloodsucker”. Or both.

Of course I voiced none of this. Instead I smiled back at him and offered to take his jacket, which he handed over. “I would like that very much, Darius. Please, make yourself comfortable.” I gestured to the couch. “I’ve been trying to unpack a little, but as you can see I haven’t gotten very far.” My rear began to ache again, a reminder of the previous night’s events.

“I can help if you’d like. And… what the heck happened to your face?” He tilted his head a little with the question and now seemed truly intrigued. “You get in a fight?”

I knew he would most likely be telling the Alpha anything interesting we spoke of. I had to be careful of what I said. “Yesterday at work a customer dissatisfied with his order decided he wanted to let the staff know. This is how he chose to do it.” I shrugged like it was nothing and knelt by another box- only to be distracted by an empty flower box sitting on the side table with many bags of seeds and a sticky note with only a heart drawn on it. I smiled, picking up the note and flipping through the seeds. Tomato, cucumber, hydrangea, iris, lilly, forget-me-nots. So many different seeds!

“You get some good punches in?” He smirked devilishly as he knelt by a box near me. “I guess hitting your customers isn’t good business, but… did you?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “No, he was very strong. Perhaps one good hit-“ the one below the belt, I recall now, “-but nothing too serious.”

We worked for a few hours, Darius mainly organizing books while I took care of the flower box and attached it to the front window. Once the rain slowed, I decided to head out to the store. I also needed to visit the coffee shop to tell them I would not be in tonight. With a sigh, I stood from the couch and slipped on my boots. “Darius, it has been a pleasure becoming friends with you,” I called from the hallway where I retrieved my coat. When I walked back to the living room, he was fiddling with my harp, plucking strings with a concentrated frown on his face. “But I’m afraid I must now go out for a bit. I know you were instructed to watch me.” Here he looked up and flushed red with shame. I only smiled reassuringly. “Do not worry. I had a fun time either way, and I was hoping perhaps our friendship could sustain itself even outside your watch shifts of me.”

He sighed in relief, returning my smile. “I’d love that too. Thanks for understanding. I didn’t choose to come spy on you, and you seem like a nice guy.”

I opened the door and glanced back at him. “It’s perfectly alright. Since I assume you were assigned to do it all day, I give you permission to invite over anyone you would like while I am out. However.” I raised my brows at him pointedly. “Should you invite your mate over, I would prefer you both not fornicate in my bed. I believe there is a guest bedroom, and the couch is-“

“Ew! I get it, I get it!” He shook his head in disgust, laughing at me and absentmindedly petting one of the kittens. “Don’t worry, Sebastian’s on patrol today anyways.”

After exchanging goodbyes, I avoided the roads and paths to the main gate, where many wolfmen would surely be wandering. Instead I headed straight in the direction of the fence through some woods and climbed over it. The cloudy skies blocked most of the sun’s rays, making the trip to the grocery mart quick and painless. Many heads turned to steal peeks at my face painted hues of dark blue and purple. Ignoring them as best I could, I walked through the store and checked things off my mental list. Orange juice, ingredients for ratatouille, eggs-

“Oh!” I looked up from the shelf when my cart bumped into someone. “I’m very sorry!”

The man smiled at me, shrugging casually. “No worries. I wasn’t watching either. You making ratatouille?” he asked when he glanced over the items in my cart.

I’ve always loved talking to other chefs. After a small sniff of air, I knew he was a wolfman. He must surely know I am a vampire by now, after breathing so close to me. But he didn’t seem troubled or wary, and my love of cooking overrode my desire to keep my guard up- he seems friendly enough, and what could he possibly do to me in such a public place? “In fact I am. It’s been quite some time since I last prepared it, so I’m hoping it turns out well.”

“Ah,” he nodded understandingly and placed his basket on the ground. “My name’s Kraig, by the way. You are?”

I shook his hand. “Vincent,” I answered with a smile.

He smiled back and pulled back. “So, Vincent. I can’t help but notice your mating mark,” he gestured to it with a pointed finger. “Are you mated to someone in the Brian Turner pack? I’m assuming because his is the only pack around here.”

I had thought he was from the pack. Apparently not. I wonder where he is from, and why he is here? A moment of thought later and I decided the answer to his question could not be used maliciously and he was only making small talk. Though his mention of my mark felt a little personal for a stranger to be questioning. “Yes, I am indeed. We found each other near two months ago.”

“It must’ve been a… strange meeting, to say the least.”

He must mean the fact that my mate is a werewolf. I chuckled, shaking my head and fiddling with the hem of my coat. “He nearly killed me,” I whispered to make sure no innocent shoppers overheard. “Being what I am, I could not notice the bond until many days after we met, when he finally told me about it.”

We talked like this while we shopped, even to the register. In this time I learned that Kraig was part of a large pack under an Alpha Jerome Chester who had come to meet with Alpha Turner about an alliance, or asking for permission to move nearby, or something of that sort. The way Kraig spoke of it made it sound like a large affair. I wonder if Ivan, being 4th in command, knew about it yet.

We stopped outside the store. The rain had quickened yet again. He fiddled with his one bag and a bottle of some carbonated drink as brown as dirt, obviously as uneager to separate as myself. I have actually made a friend of my own- not only that, but he’s a wolfman. What an accomplishment! And now we must part ways. “…Do you wanna exchange phone numbers? We’ll be seeing some more of each other if the alliance goes well, which it looks like it will. Maybe we can hang out sometime?” He pulled out a thin, sleek piece of metal from his pocket which I’ve now identified as a portable telephone.

I shook my head sadly. “I do not own a phone,” I replied.

“Oh.” He hesitated, stuffing the device back into his pocket. “…Let me help you carry your bags to your car,” he offered after a short pause, taking hold of some of my many plastic bags.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I also do not have a car.”

He smiled and started walking away with my bags. “Then let me drive you home!” he spoke loudly over the boom of thunder. “I won’t let you walk in this rain. Besides, your pack lands are like four miles from here. Don’t tell me you walked to get here too?”

I followed him to his car and laughed while placing bags in the back seat. “Then I won’t tell you!”

He shook his head with a chuckle and stepped into the front seat. I asked him to stop about two blocks away and ran into the coffee shop to tell the cashier behind the counter that I was unable to work that night. She nodded and discreetly looked over my beaten face, but cheerfully said she would inform the manager.

Minutes later we pulled through the main gates and drove to the far left, where over some hills stood our temporary house. He parked his car in the driveway and we raced in the rain to carry the bags through the door, laughing in exhilaration at the rolls of thunder and streaks of jagged lightning. “Thank you for driving me home,” I said as we placed the bags in the kitchen. “I appreciate your help.”

“No problem.” He took another sip from his drink. “I don’t have anywhere to be yet anyways.”

I frowned at his statement while putting away the groceries. “Do you and your pack have a place to stay?”

He shook his head. “As far as I can tell and from what I’ve been mind-linked, we’re going to stay in some guest houses and the male and female quarters here. It sounds like the meeting is going well.” He paused for a moment and took on a far-away look, probably listening conversing with someone. “Yeah, that’s the setup right now. So I’ll be told where to stay in a bit, once it’s over.”

I was tempted to offer him the guest room in our home, but the decision should be made with Ivan’s consent as well. Speaking of the guest bedroom, I picked up sounds of shuffling- too much for one person. I smirked to my new friend who also heard the sounds and began to sniff the air. “A friend of mine was here earlier,” I whispered while chopping up zucchini on the cutting board. “I have a feeling he invited his mate over after I left.”

Kraig’s lips formed an “o” and he nodded knowingly. “I see.”

Not a moment later, both Darius and Seb shuffled through the hallway, both slightly flustered as I had expected. Darius’ face reddened when our eyes met and I raised my brows at him. Seb greeted me politely and looked Kraig up and down. I introduced everyone, and after the exchanging of names they seemed to get along well. Seb and Kraig began speaking about the alliance, with Darius interjecting every once in a while. I hummed softly as I cooked, sautéing the vegetables and arranging them in layers upon layers in a baking pan. Throw some seasonings on top, cover with a final layer of sauce, top off with some cheese, and bake for a half hour.

‘Hey!’

I turned to look at the conversing wolfmen behind me, trying to answer whoever called. But no one faced me. They all still talked together as though they hadn’t heard anything. How odd. Maybe-

‘Love of my life! I’m at the door!’

The words jumped around my head, voiceless and nameless. I assumed it was Ivan, considering I didn’t know who else would consider me the love of their life. After several moments of pure confusion, I realized he must be speaking to me through the link. I walked to the front door to open it and, sure enough, a dripping-wet Ivan stood on the mat. He sent me a toothy grin and kissed me without room for words, his wet hair sticking to both our faces. “Missed you,” he said when we separated. “Who else is here?” He sniffed the air, but got distracted by the smell of my hair, apparently, because he buried his wet face in it, carefully placing a hand around my bruised cheek.

“Darius stayed over all day,” I answered, smoothing out the hair sticking up every which way. “He invited Seb over when I was out shopping- which is when I met Kraig, who is a member of the pack that Alpha Turner has decided to ally with. I was wondering if he might spend the night here, perhaps Seb and Darius too, if they’d like. Kraig will do it somewhere on the grounds anyway, and it’s pouring outside. He can take the guest bedroom. Darius and Seb can sleep in the living room, or we can offer them our room-“

“That’s a no,” he interrupted, pulling back to nuzzle my nose with closed eyes. “They can all stay over, but I want to ‘fornicate’, as you say, with you tonight. If that’s ok with you.” He opened his eyes and smirked. “If you’re still up for ‘bearing my children’. Because I want kids with you as soon as possible. Maybe you already have one!” His eyes grew wide at the thought. “I can’t wait to find out! We should have sex like, five times a day-“

“Ivan. You are getting sidetracked.” I laughed and placed a kiss on his forehead, leading him to the kitchen. “It is ‘ok’ with me. You do not have to ask permission. Though five times per day may be too much. I am still sore very sore from yesterday.”

We entered the kitchen and I again introduced Kraig. They shook hands amicably, and Ivan said a quick ‘hello’ to Seb and Darius before excusing himself to change into dry clothes. By the time he returned, the ratatouille had finished, we each had a plateful, and everyone had agreed to stay the night. Darius suggested we watch a movie I had never heard of, but everyone else seemed to think it the best production to ever exist. So we got comfortable around the television set and ate our food while watching. I did not enjoy the movie- something about a man who had no memories, was some kind of superhuman, and who was being hunted by people for some unknown reason. I just sat beside Ivan and pretended to know what was happening. After the movie was over, Kraig took his leave to the guest room, thanking us for our hospitality. Darius and Seb prepared for bed, as did Ivan and myself once we reached the bedroom.

“Now,” he said while removing his clothes, facing me with hungry and happy eyes. “How about we make some babies?”

I laughed at him and, once finished applying new heat patches, walked closer to him. “We can try,” I whispered, nuzzling into his cheek lovingly. “I could not ask for a better mate to try with.”

For a few moments we just stood in the dark of our room. He held me by my arms, I rested my head on his shoulder, and we listened to the rain hit the roof in a soothing lullaby.