Moonsong, page 12
“Us Millie, you’re one of us,” he turned her face towards his. “You have those same wants and desires within you, waiting to be set free…”
“I told you Chase, I’m not exactly an innocent little virgin…”
“It’s not the same,” he promised, brushing his lips over hers lightly. “Being with one of our kind, it’s not like regular sex, it’s more… it’s just more. Once you choose me as your mate… it will be unlike anything either of us has known before, part of our souls merging…”
Amelia wanted to believe his pretty words, the lure of fantastically magical sex was a powerful one, especially coupled with the man’s attentions. The almost poetic expression of their joining took her by surprise; she hadn’t expected him to be that sensitive to such things. But again there was that pressure to choose him as her mate when they’d known each other less than a week.
“Chase…” she pulled away in a warning tone.
“Millie… I’m not trying to push you, I swear. But I do have to look to the future, and I see you in it. What’s wrong with trying to plan a future for us together?”
“When you’re planning that future as a foregone conclusion, that’s the part that gets me, Chase. You said once I choose you as my mate, not if. Maybe I’ll never marry, did you ever think about that?”
He looked at her as if she’d said something sacrilegious. “Don’t you want to share your life with someone, Millie? Raise a family? Be part of something bigger than yourself?”
“I don’t know, maybe. We’ll see… but I’m telling you, I won’t be rushed into anything. If you can’t just date me for now… well then maybe we need to…”
“Okay, okay,” the interruption came swiftly. “I’m sorry, we’ll date for now, I can handle it. I’ll be good, I promise.” He raised his hand in a fair approximation of scout’s honor. “You know, I’ve never had a girl object to me talking about taking things in a more serious direction before, usually I have the other problem,” he remarked with a dramatic sigh.
“Oh? You’ve got other girls lined up around the block wanting to move into the big house and have your puppies?” she smirked in return.
“Maybe,” he answered a trifle smugly.
“So why the big pursuit after me, if not because of the prophecy?” Millie pressed a little harder, thinking she already knew the answer to that one.
“Because you’re different, in a cute, clueless sort of way.” She opened her mouth to protest but he silenced her with a finger to her lips. “I like that you’re not sucking up to me because of my position in the pack. I’ve had the same sort of problem you’re having right now. Never knowing if someone likes me because of my devastatingly charming smile, or because they want to be the mate of the next Alpha. So yeah, I get what you’re saying, and no Millie, I’m not playing you just because of the prophecy.” He let the ever present smile drop for a moment and returned her gaze earnestly.
Her expression softened at the admission, and Millie’s hand rose to stroke against his smooth shaven jaw. “Then you can understand my wanting to take thing slow, see if this attraction between us is more than hormones and plans for the future. After all, wolves mate for life don’t they?”
The smile returned to his face and he leaned closer. “Yes, they do, and the same holds true for us. Once you choose your true mate you’re joined for life. We don’t hold true to any modern concepts of divorce or annulment.”
“Wow, that’s a pretty heavy commitment then. But if we’re fated to be together…” Millie closed the distance between them, brushing her lips over his. “…then there’s nothing for you to be worried about, now is there?” Lips curved into a smile as she kissed him, a reward for being patient through all the heavy talk. Chase responded, letting her set the pace. Millie was only too happy to remain in command of the kiss and she deepened it, seeking out his tongue with hers, searching for the spark that emerged the other night when he’d first kissed her in the woods.
The kiss grew in intensity, and it was he who pulled back first. “We should go in now, it’s getting late and I don’t want you to get sick, you’re such a delicate little thing,” he rubbed her back softly.
Still a little dazed by the kiss, it took a moment for his words to sink in, a pucker of a frown appearing on her brow before she smoothed it away with an effort. He made it sound like she was helpless, naïve and almost sickly, when she was none of those things. But she nodded without commenting on his last ludicrous statement. “It is getting late.”
“We should have dinner in town tomorrow, maybe try a real date, what do you say?” he asked suddenly.
“Ah sure, that sounds like fun.” It would be interesting to see how he interacted with the rest of the town, not just at a pack meeting. “Casual or dressy?”
A chuckle left his lips and he tapped her lightly on the nose. “We don’t do dressy here in Cutter’s Folly, not at any of the restaurants in town at any rate, though Gran has had some fancy shindigs here at the house in her day.”
“Oh, right.” It stood to reason; nothing from her trips into town had shown anything fancier than a family steakhouse type restaurant. “Okay then, do you want to meet in town or drive in together?”
“I’ll drive,” Chase said decisively, helping her off his lap before he rose to his feet. “You haven’t been for a ride in my baby yet, have you?”
“Nope, I haven’t had that pleasure,” Millie shook her head. He was one of those was he?
“Alright then, maybe after dinner we can go for a little drive, I promise not to run out of gas,” he grinned.
“Alright, it’s a date.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Amelie, please come in here for a moment.” Adele’s voice came floating out to her the moment her foot hit the bottom stair. Pausing for a moment, Amelia tried to think if she could get away with pretending as if she hadn’t heard the call…
Probably not.
Obediently responding, Millie came to stand before the old wooden desk, waiting expectantly.
“Please, take a seat, I believe we have much to discuss.” Silently Amelia did as instructed, half expecting to be told they’d reached an ‘accord’ and she’d be shipped off to Seattle or some place else. “Amelie…” Adele sighed, taking off her glasses, setting them down on the corner of her scarred desk blotter. “I understand you are under the impression that I intend to… ‘sell you off to the highest bidder’, I believe was the expression.”
Not quite trusting herself to speak yet, Millie simply nodded. Did that mean she was contradicting that particular theory?
“After the way I took you in, after the talk we had only the other day about your future here with the pack, you honestly believe me to be so callous, so cold, as to sell my own grandchild? What have I done to earn such distrust?” She directed the full power of her steely gaze upon the girl.
Surprised by the accusation, it took a moment for Millie to find her voice. “Oh, I dunno, those guys showing up with a satchel full of cash and you trotting me out for inspection… that does give a girl something to think about. I’m surprised they didn’t examine my teeth,” she scoffed.
“Those guys, as you call them, are powerful men of a rival pack and not to be dealt with lightly,” Adele replied. “We do have an accord with them, as well as many years of peaceful co-existence, but all of that can be destroyed in a heartbeat if this was not handled carefully. I had to let them think we are giving their offer all of the consideration it deserves.”
Not having thought about it from that perspective, Millie wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. “But the money… you accepted it.”
“That was a mere token, as Mr. Jaeger tried to explain to you, ma chere. You would be worth much, much more should any agreement be reached. Think of it as a gift, to be kept no matter what we decide.”
“A gift.” Those shifters sure took courting to a whole different level, didn’t they?
“Indeed, a gift to be set aside for you as a bridal present, no matter who you choose as your mate. That doesn’t sound quite as barbaric a custom, does it?”
“Set aside for me?” That did take the sinister edge off of things, and Amelia started to doubt herself as the righteous anger deflated. Had she been wrong in making snap judgments against her grandmother too quickly?
“As I said, ma chere, I’m not trying to sell you into anything. I have my own hopes where your future is concerned, of course, but I am confident the fates will allow for the best course before you to be revealed when the time is right,” she smiled at Millie sagely.
“I’m trying to trust in that too,” Millie admitted softly. “Grandmother, I’m sorry if I come across as ungrateful or untrusting. The last thing I want to do is alienate myself from you, you’re the only family I’ve got left. But you can understand how things looked…”
Adele waved away the concern. “It’s forgotten; I merely wanted to clear the air between us, as they say. Is anything else troubling you?”
Nothing that could be solved by a conversation with her grandmother. “No, except… well, I was thinking about getting a job in town.” Millie waited to hear what Adele thought about the idea before taking it any further.
“A job?” Adele frowned, “but why? You haven’t exhausted the funds I’ve put at your disposal already have you?”
“No, not even close.” Amelia couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m used to having a lot more to fill my day and I miss the human interaction is all.”
“I see,” she replied slowly. “And what sort of work would you like to pursue in town?”
Pleased she hadn’t said anything forbidding so far, Amelia realized the idea was only half formed in her mind. “I’m not really sure; I don’t know who’s hiring, or what positions there are really. I mean I’ve worked at a sandwich shop before, and one summer at the mall selling sunglasses.”
“And you would find fulfillment in such a job?”
Millie took her skepticism in stride. “Well, yeah. It’s not a lifelong dream of mine to work in a coffee shop or anything, but it would give me something to do and I could get to know the people in town a bit better. You know, really decide if this is the place I want to settle down in.”
“Very well, I’m certain you’ll find something in town. If you like I can make some calls…”
“No, you don’t have to worry about it Grandmother, I’ll take care of it. I’m the one who wants to keep busy, right?” Millie smiled, pleasantly surprised by how easy it’d been to secure Adele’s blessing. Hot on the heels of that thought was the troubling realization that she’d sought her blessing in the first place. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair. I think I’ll maybe head into town this afternoon and start making some inquiries.”
“Fine, fine.” Adele gave the appearance of already switching gears in her mind as she waved Millie off.
Scarlett waited for Amelia outside Adele’s office, an anxious cast to her face. “I hope you don’t mind my talking to Gran about all of that. I hated to see you so upset over the whole thing when it was just a big misunderstanding.”
“Oh, you mean about the Seattle people?” Millie assumed it was Chase who’d ratted her out after their talk the day before. “No, I don’t mind. In fact, it was good to clear the air between us; get rid of the misconceptions,” she used her grandmother’s words.
“Oh good, ‘cause Chase said you looked like you wanted to pack up and leave and… well, you just got here.”
Amelia smiled at the forlorn note in her cousin’s voice; she’d gotten used to having her around too. “Don’t worry; I’m not going anywhere yet. Actually, I’m going to go job hunting in town today. Any ideas as to where I should start?”
Scarlett blinked in surprise. “I… don’t know. Off hand I’m not sure who might be hiring. Maybe at the trading post or the café?”
“That’s what I was thinking to start off with. With any luck, I might end up with a job by the end of the day,” Millie grinned.
“And Gran, she was fine with the idea of you getting a job?”
“Sure, why shouldn’t she be?” Millie gave a half shrug.
“No reason.” Scarlett’s blonde locks bounced as she shook her head. “Do you want me to come with you? Into town I mean?”
“Oh, no, that’s sweet of you, but I think I can manage on my own. I should get ready to go; I want to get an early start.”
“You wouldn’t want anything to interfere with your hot date tonight, right?” Scarlett gave her a mischievous grin.
“You really are in the know aren’t you?” Did they all meet once a night and debrief on her comings and goings, for Pete’s sake?
“Chase needed some advice.”
“Advice on…” Amelia prompted for more.
“Just advice,” Scarlett’s eyes sparkled. “Beyond that I’m sworn to secrecy, but I hope you have a great night together,” she added sincerely.
“Thanks, I hope so too.” The better to let go of crazy ideas of something that wasn’t meant to be.
*
It turned out to be much easier to get a job than she would have thought. In fact, they hired her on the spot in less than fifteen minutes. Amelia wasn’t naïve enough to think who she was didn’t enter into the conversation. After all, how hard was it for Amelie LaRoche to get a job as a waitress at the LaRoche owned Moonsong Café? Still, Kenny the manager was friendly enough, and she felt comfortable with the other waitresses, Juliet and Cherrilyn and Skinny Pete working in the kitchen.
The next few days she settled into a comfortable routine, Chase or Scarlett often dropping in to visit with her and linger over coffee or a meal. Millie grew to know the regulars and they welcomed her with open smiles and friendly greetings.
Chase was on his best behavior, doing his part to woo her the way she wanted to be and not upset the unspoken barrier between them by pushing too far too fast. Millie was learning to appreciate his snarky sense of humor and take his overblown compliments in the playful manner in which they were intended. The night before, she’d come home to a bedroom absolutely covered with red roses on every available surface.
Deciding to share the wealth a little, Amelia brought in a few bunches of roses to the café that morning to brighten up the place and to enjoy them during the day. The ladies exclaimed over the roses of course, and Millie filled them in on a little bit of gossip where she and Chase were concerned, without going into too much detail.
“Fella spends that much money on flowers, he expects something in return,” Cherrilyn commented, a knowing look on her face.
“He can expect it all he wants…” Millie replied loftily, putting on another pot of coffee.
“Good looking guy like that, you better reel him in soon, girl, or I’ll steal him myself.” The auburn haired waitress grinned, adjusting the pale blue work uniform a bit so her ample cleavage sat up a little higher, her thick waist straining at the confines of the fabric. Though the older woman might be of an age where she could actually be Chase’s mother rather than paramour, it didn’t dampen her libido one bit.
“Hey, I’m all for the spirit of competition, you go right ahead and jump in any time you want,” Millie grinned back at her new friend. As much as she enjoyed Chase’s attentions, it hadn’t deepened into anything more yet, at least not on her side.
“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t,” Cherrilyn sniffed. “Well, look at that, here comes sunshine,” she muttered sourly as the door opened and Cutter strode in, shaking the rain from his head and shoulders.
“Who…” The rest of the words died in Millie’s throat as she caught the object of Cherrilyn’s comment. He looked the same as he had the last time she’d seen him, only grouchier if such a thing could be imagined.
Cutter sat at the counter, shoulders hunched over as he resolutely ignored the patrons and staff equally, except to call out his order. “Coffee,” he demanded, without bothering to look up from the menu on the counter before him.
Cherrilyn scowled, “Charming as usual.”
“I’ll get this one,” Millie volunteered, even though technically he’d taken a seat in Cherrilyn’s section. Moving over with a coffee pot, she overturned the coffee mug on the counter and filled it up, watching him all the while. “Cream for your coffee?” she asked softly, waiting to see what his reaction would be once he noticed her, or if there would be no reaction at all.
His eyes came up in shock and Cutter nodded, speechless for the moment.
It wasn’t nothing to him, seeing her again. Millie could see that right off the bat and a smile came to her lips as she produced a little metal container of creamer from under the counter. “Here you go. See anything you like?” her eyes flashed with faint amusement, she could have been referring to the menu or maybe something more.
“Definitely. In fact, it’s hard to know where to start,” he recovered, eyes sweeping over her form appreciatively before returning to meet her gaze.
Amelia felt her cheeks grow warmer at the frank inspection, and she wished for a fleeting moment she wasn’t wearing the plain blue uniform with her hair pulled into a simple ponytail. “Well, are you in the mood for something sweet or something savory?” she replied, setting down the pot and drawing out her notepad, more to have something to do with herself rather than stare back at him across the counter.
“Never could say no to something sweet, especially when it comes in such a pretty package,” Cutter grinned. “But I’d better stick to something savory first; I’ve got a long drive ahead of me today.”
“You’re going on a trip?” A tiny pucker appeared on her smooth brow at the thought of him leaving; though it should be nothing to her, shouldn’t it?
“Just for the day, dropping off some of my work in the City.”
“Oh, I gotcha,” Millie nodded. “I saw some of your stuff at the gallery, it’s…” Stopping to try and describe how it made her feel, she gave up and gave him a helpless smile. “I don’t have the right words to describe it, and you’ve probably heard them all before by art critics way more qualified to judge those things. But I guess I’ll settle for… inspiring; the way you find the true beauty in a subject.”
