Running from...: A Blackrock Wolf Pack Novel, page 23
“I wish he was here to say that himself.”
“You know he’s busy. If he wasn’t dealing with the mess your ex had made, you know he would be here himself. It’s just your bad luck that you have to deal with the better-looking brother.” Crow’s eyes twinkled as they crinkled at the corners.
Chuckling softly to myself, I couldn’t seem to help it. The look of amusement on his rugged face was the sweetest thing I had seen for some time.
He asked with a furrowed brow, “What’s so funny?”
“I’m sorry.” I waved a hand at him to show that I meant no offense. “That was quite a speech you had prepared.”
Crow grinned, “I was working on it all the way home from the hospital. I think you’re good for my brother, so I thought I would poke my nose in and see if I can help out the two of you.”
“Well, I didn’t want to interrupt you and spoil your moment.” I smiled broadly, feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. “So, where will it be?”
“Where will what be?”
“This second date?”
Crow burst out laughing and started filling his face with his sandwich. “I’ll leave the details up to the two of you. I don’t mind poking my nose in to get you both back on the right track, but I don’t need to know any of the sexual details.”
Shaking my head at him, I took a bite of my own, following his advice about getting better. Now that I knew I still had a second date to look forward to, I had a greater incentive.
Chapter Twenty
Ellis: You know that feeling you get when you want to high-five someone? In the face…
Charlie: At least ten times a day
Well, as second dates go, this was one quite spectacular. And crowded.
Even with the healing power of the wolf, it had taken a while to get back to normal, and then real life had gotten in the way. The girls weren’t inclined to leave my side and Roz had been sending through a steady stream of reports on the rogue wolf who was attacking innocents. The attacks were becoming more ferocious and we were still no closer to finding the suspect. It was infuriating and taking up every minute of my day.
Hence why our second date had been pushed back.
It wasn’t just me, though. Deacon had been snowed under with pack business. It was just so difficult for us to find time for more than a quick coffee in the diner, and I refused to see any of those times as a second date. After such a spectacularly romantic first date, we weren’t going to settle for anything less.
“Are you sure I can’t get you anything else?” Connie asked, hovering around with a plate of apple pie in one hand and a jug of homemade custard in the other.
“Seriously, Connie. If I try and eat another bite, I think I’m going to explode.” I said as I sat back, laying a hand on my full and satisfied stomach.
Christmas had finally rolled around, and all the gang had crowded in at Connie’s place to celebrate. How she had managed to fit us all in was beyond me, and she had been slaving for days, making enough food to feed an army. And now it looked like she was determined to make us all eat it.
“Deacon? You’ll have another slice, won’t you?” she asked him with a look of hope clearly written on her face.
He glanced over at me, probably hoping I would save him, so I said, “Make sure you give him an extra-large slice, Connie. He was just raving about how delicious it was.”
“Oh, fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’ll be right back.” Connie virtually skipped out of the living room, pleased to be feeding one of her boys.
“Are you trying to kill me?” Deacon whispered as he draped an arm around my shoulder.
“Don’t be so grumpy. Didn’t you see her face? She was delighted that you enjoyed it.”
“I’ve already had two slices of pie.”
“And now you’ll be having another.” I laughed, poking him in the side.
“And an extra-large slice at that.” He shook his head but soon started smiling again when Connie came back in with a fresh bowl of pie and custard for him.
What could top a picnic in the snow on a first date? Christmas dinner with friends for our second date. It was a perfect day.
Everyone seemed rather surprised at how well I bounced back after the attack. They all assumed that I would either collapse in a jabbering wreck or curl up in a ball in the corner of a room and never speak again. It seemed unbelievable to them that I wanted to carry on with my life and not think about what I had been through. It just wasn’t me. I needed to keep busy and feel useful in my life, which was why I buried myself in work. If I could catch the monster who was destroying so many lives, I would be doing some good in the world.
It was a liberating feeling. It felt like I had finally had my life in my own hands and could proceed as I wished. Rob didn’t have a say in what was going to happen to me, and no man would ever try to rule me again.
Deacon wasn’t Rob. I knew this in my heart, and it was the reason why I wanted to explore the feelings I had for him. The connection between us was strong and we both knew where we were heading, but the dating was only just beginning and I was looking forward to every minute of it.
Deacon and I had tried to arrange our second date on a Friday, but we soon saw the error of our ways when Connie joined us at our table at the steakhouse, not leaving until we agreed to join her at Hannagan’s to meet up with the girls. Honestly, I don’t think Connie even realized it had been a date, and seeing as we had only been alone for literally five minutes, so I didn’t class it as one, either.
This was our first true outing as a couple. It was surprisingly easy and apart from the cheeky grins the girls kept throwing our way through Christmas dinner, it felt like we had been doing this forever.
It may not have been the intimate and romantic date that I had envisaged, it was everything I needed and more. The holidays were a difficult time for me, what with everything that happened with Rob and my parents. Being surrounded by people who had come to mean so much to me was just what I needed.
Shaking his head at me with a small smile on his lips, Deacon stood up with his still half-full bowl of pie and slipped into the kitchen while Connie wasn’t looking. He truly loved that old woman and wouldn’t ever want to hurt her feelings, even if it was only over not being able to finish her Christmas feast. With a nod of the head, he motioned for me to follow him.
The quiet of the kitchen was a welcome reprieve after all the noise and the chatter from the people in the living room.
“Ellis?”
I turned to see Deacon standing near the door. He had my thick quilted coat in his hands.
“Walk with me?”
I nodded and shrugged my coat on as he held it out for me. Without a word, I followed him out into Connie’s garden.
It was a beautiful sight, especially in the depths of winter. Snow coated the stoned pathway that wound around the small frozen pond, leading to a small seating area. Deacon stepped forward and brushed the powdery snow from the seats and we sat opposite one another.
He didn’t say anything but handed me a small wrapped gift. The red foil was festive and stark against the white of the day.
“We said we weren’t going to get anything!”
“I may have lied,” he chuckled. “I know I promised never to lie to you, but it’s only something small and this was a good one, trust me.”
Carefully peeling back the wrapping, I couldn’t help the smile when I saw he had got me a dreamcatcher. I remember saying to him once before that I had always wanted one but had never got around to getting one.
“You remembered.”
“I remember everything you’ve told me.”
I held it up high to admire it properly. It was beautiful, although I wasn’t entirely sure it was traditional. Not that it mattered to me. I loved the tiny crystals that reflected the light. “It’s wonderful. Thank you,” I placed it on my lap and leaned forward to give me a small kiss on the lips.
Deacon smiled back at me before turning solemn. “I promised to protect you. But I wasn’t there when it mattered.”
“You couldn’t have known.” We had been over this many times before, but Deacon still blamed himself. I told him over and over again that he was the one who saved me, but it was taking him time to accept that.
He sighed heavily. “All I can promise you now is that the nightmares are in the past. This will protect you in your dreams, and you can leave the rest to me.” He pulled me up and into his arms.
“You can’t protect me from everything.” I smiled wryly, knowing that life can throw you a curveball when you least expect it, but also know that if I had Deacon by my side, we would get through whatever troubles came our way.
“Watch me,” he growled before taking my lips once more in a knee-shaking kiss.
Once upon a time, my mother had told me that a woman should be properly kissed at least once in her life. Now, I finally knew what she meant.
Two months later…
I wanted a dog to provide me with unconditional love, but I got a cat to remind me that I don’t deserve it. It’s all about balance
“I don’t know where the hell we’re going to put all this stuff,” I said as I walked around Deacon’s house.
“You don’t have to worry about anything just yet.”
“But you’re the one who said we would be better off in my house because it’s bigger. I think with all your stuff, we’re going to have to look for a mansion!”
Things were moving rapidly. Deacon was no longer making subtle hints about our future, he was outright asking me when we were setting the date and when we were moving in together, the whole shebang.
Funnily enough, it didn’t scare the crap out of me. Heck, I was loving every second of it. Now that we had both given in to the connection, there was no point in holding back. It was fate.
When I moved to Blackrock, I had been escaping my past, running to a future that I thought I wanted. Now? Now, I was experiencing more than I ever thought possible.
Deacon was everything I could have asked for. If someone had given me a pen and paper and told me to list everything I wanted in a man, the result would have been him.
That sounded sickly sweet and sappy, even to my own ears, but it’s true. Not that I’m saying he doesn’t get on my nerves when he leaves his dirty socks on the floor or doesn’t put down the toilet seat, but at least those are little niggles. Life would have been boring without them. I don’t think I could have handled perfection every second of the day. The small annoyances kept us both in check.
The girls were over the moon about our situation and were loving learning more about pack protocol. Of course, there was only so much I could tell them, but what they did learn fascinated them.
“Come on, I’ll drop you off before I meet with Crow.”
The drive home was uneventful and we relished in the moment of peace. Peace wasn’t something we had a lot of. Between my demanding job and Deacon’s Alpha position, there always seemed to be a ringing phone or a knock on the door, usually at the most inopportune moment.
“Wait here,” Deacon said sharply as soon as we pulled up outside my house.
He should have known better. Even though he was officially my Alpha now, there was no way I was letting him boss me around like that.
Getting out of the car, I walked to the gate at the end of the garden. “What is it?”
“I told you to stay in the car.”
“And I asked you what is it?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
He sighed and walked back up the path. “There was a package on the doorstep. I wanted to be careful.”
With Rob and Cora still on the loose, we had to watch what came through the post, but everything had been quiet.
Up until now.
“And?”
“You might need to see this for yourself.”
Stepping forward, I took a deep breath and peered around him.
I sucked in a breath and felt tears start to prickle at my eyes.
Bending down, the welcoming meow I heard coming from the basket had the tears leaking from my eyes.
“A lady dropped the basket off, your old next-door neighbor. Bug was here when she dropped the cat off.”
My eyes snapped to his. “And he left my cat outside in the freezing snow?”
Deacon started laughing. “No. He’s hiding over,” and he pointed to where Bug was hiding behind a tree, like a big kid. He had a massive grin on his face, knowing how much I had missed my cat.
Scooping up the basket, I took her straight inside, plucked her out, and cradled her in my arms. To some people, it was just a cat. To me? She was family. It felt like everything was finally falling into place.
Twelve Months later…
Ellis: The only reason the term 'Ladies first' was invented was for the guy to check out the woman's ass.
Charlie: Too true!
Blackrock didn’t lose its magic for me. If anything, the changes in my life made it all the more special.
Once Deacon and I had fully succumbed to the soulmate connection, we didn’t see any point in waiting any longer. Connie, Ana, and the girls had a whale of a time planning not only a traditional wedding but also a binding ritual. Seeing as none of them were wolves, they were intrigued by every aspect and loved being part of it.
Traditionally, non-wolves weren’t invited into pack rituals, but seeing as Blackrock lived by its own rules, Deacon extended exclusive invitations to our friends. There would have been no way we would have been able to get away with not inviting them, so it was easier to include them rather than have them gatecrashing and causing a major scene.
It wasn’t just the changes to our life as a couple that came as a welcome surprise, it was everything. Ana spoke more about her abilities as an Otherkin, which was fascinating. Rachel alluded to her more mystical abilities, but seeing as none of the other girls knew what she was, it was like getting blood out of a stone and Rachel was loving every second of it. She was a mystery we all wanted to unfold now that she had started laying out the bread crumb trail. I found it amazing that they all had grown up in this town and had never gotten to the bottom of it, but Blackrock accepted everyone, it was as simple as that.
The biggest surprise to me was the pack itself. I had grown up in a pack that I knew was dysfunctional, but I didn’t know any better. I did now. They truly were a family and pulled together if someone was in trouble. They proved it when they came to my aid over my ex, and even more so when they accepted me into their family as the mate of their Alpha.
What wasn't such a surprise was that my cat wasn't a huge fan of Deacon, or any of the others in the pack for that matter. She was a sweet thing, but whenever anyone came over, she would hide in my bedroom until it was safe to come out. I knew it would take some time, but I hoped she would come to love him as much as I did.
Life had been quiet, but hectic if that makes sense. Work was still as busy as ever and trying to juggle my life with Deacon and the pack always kept things interesting.
Tonight, we were finally having a well-deserved date night. It wasn’t anything spectacular, after all, nothing could beat that first date, but we always carved out time to be together.
Due to the fact that he had been called away on pack business, I was meeting Deacon at the steakhouse. I could only hope that our date wasn’t gatecrashed by one of our many friends or the pack, which had happened countless times before.
With one last glance in the mirror, I grinned at the bottle of Elimiscent which remained unused on the shelf in the bathroom. There was no hiding now. It didn’t matter who identified me as a wolf, Deacon was the one who had claimed me.
Grabbing my bag and keys, I carefully made my way out to the car. The snow had finally stopped falling this afternoon, but it was freezing and I didn’t trust my luck on the ice. It had never been a friend to me.
Thankfully, the roads were clear into town and I found a parking space across the road from the steakhouse. Jogging across the road, I tried to keep my head down so no one spotted me. It was a stealth mission, just to have a dinner date with my husband!
Taking a table over near the window, I ordered an orange juice and waited for Deacon to appear. So far, I hadn’t received a message from him so it looked likely he wasn’t going to have to cancel.
Within a few minutes, I saw him striding through the door. Watching him unawares like that, it hit me every time just how lucky I was. Not only was he a perfect gentleman and an Alpha wolf, but he also wasn’t at all bad on the eyes. Tall, dark, and dangerous, my man still had it in him to give me butterflies.
As soon as he spotted me, Deacon grinned and made his way over, shrugging his coat off and hanging it on the back of his chair. Before sitting down, he came around the table to give me a chaste kiss.
“How was your day?” I asked.
“Busy, as always. Yours?”
“Same old, same old.”
We were interrupted when the waitress came over to take our orders and as soon as she walked away, I said, “Deacon, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Deacon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I need to talk to you, too.”
Seeing how strained he looked, I sat back in the chair, “You better go first.”
“I know you’ve been busting your ass on this case,” Deacon nodded, knowing the investigation took up most of my waking hours. “There’s been a breakthrough.”
“What? How? I haven’t heard anything?”
“I’ve just come from a pack meeting. I wanted to be the one to tell you so you can report back to Roz.”
“Okay. Well, don’t keep me in suspense?” Excitement swam through me at the thought of finally bringing this monster to heel.
“You’re not going to like it,” Deacon paused and put his hand over mine. “It’s Rob.”
