Chapter 1
As the first snowflake settled, it whispered secrets of a winter tale waiting to unfold. I watch the snowfall from the ballroom near the top of a skyscraper hotel. I could hear the whispers, but I did not believe in fate or magic, so I ignored the foreshadowing of my destiny. Instead, I turn to watch the next chapter of a true love journey play out on the dance floor .
Sitting alone at my assigned table, the bride’s smile warms my heart as her new husband dips her again. My friend, Trina found her happy ending, or beginning, with a wonderful man and I am overjoyed for her. But for me, the eternal singleton who never has use for a plus one, I sit here and mourn my lot in life. My envious heart yearned for a turn at finding a person who would take my hand and lead me into a lifelong dance. So I plaster a smile on my face, pack up my stuff, and start to weave my way out of the ballroom. I almost reach the door when I feel a firm grip on my shoulder. After a bracing breath I reach for my goodbye smile and turn around.
“You’re leaving.” The man with the green eyes is on the other end of the hand. I caught glimpses of him throughout the ceremony and dinner. Every time I saw him he returned my gaze with an assessing look and a bemused smile. Around the desert course, I found myself actively seeking him out just to feel the jump in my heart rate when our eyes locked to remind myself I can feel.
Recovering my composure, I up the wattage of my smile,“Yes, long week and I have a long drive home.”
“No you don’t.” He firmly stated.
And now my anger spikes. Emotionally exhausted from wearing a happy mask for my friends, I am not in a place for someone to tell me my business. “Yes I do, I am well aware of where I live and it is time for me to go.” I tartly respond.
He drops his hand and gives his head a quick shake. “What I mean is there is an awful storm out there, you can’t drive in it.”
Dismay fills my chest as I look outside and confirm this fact. The snowglobe effect I was just admiring changed into a whiteout situation. “Where did this come from?” The glue I used to keep myself together starts to dissolve and tears fill my eyes. Turn my head and drop my gaze to hide my distress.
“Which is fortunate because now I can ask you to dance.” He continues, full of charm oblivious to my distress.
This comment whips my head up and increases the tears gathering at the edge of my eyes. After a long day of being alone, no one to sit with at the ceremony, stilted conversation at dinner, and complete abandonment for the first few dances I have no reserves for charm. He recoils at my expression and his withdrawal is my last straw. Blinded by my tears I turn to find somewhere to hide to regroup and figure out my next step. And in a moment, I am literally swept off my feet.
He picks me up as if I am a feather pillow, not a curvy woman who tries hard but never fits in places made for the norm. Stunned by the turn of events, I awkwardly place a hand on his shoulder as he swiftly carries me down the garish carpet of a high end, midtown hotel. Turning abruptly, he moves into a narrow hallway and sets me down. I look up at him with a mixture of awe and annoyance. The shock turns my bone deep sadness into a small amount of spunk.
Giving him a look I crafted running meetings for the last decade, one meant to quell the incessant and increasingly ludicrous comments from the software engineers. “What was the point of that?” I demand
He looked a bit surprised by his actions and appears to be grappling with a reason. His eyes spear into mine “I panicked”
”You panicked so you picked me up and took me away?” This anger was a wonderful change from the empty abyss I floated in for the last few weeks.
”Look, I’m sorry for not talking to you sooner, I was just waiting for the first dance to finish before I introduced myself.” Taken aback at his admission which brought a grim determination to his face. “Then I saw you leaving and… and I just needed to meet you.”
”Fine, Cassie Paul, nice to meet you.” I hold my hand out in the tight space between us.
”Callum MacIntosh.” His hand slides into the handshake like a caress causing me to gasp slightly.
I start to turn away and mutter ”Great, this has been just great.” My forehead smacks into a solid beam.
Rearing back, I find the beam to be Callum’s forearm.
“I’m sorry, I would just like a few words before we go back.”
My hackles rise as I am boxed in between his arms. “Please let me go.” I say with quiet firmness.
He looks down at me and drops his arms. “I am usually very charming and smooth.” He mutters with a hint of anger. Lifting his head he again makes eye contact with repentance. “I offer sincerest apologies. You are free to leave at any time.” He takes a step back and I take a deep breath. I start to move back towards the main hall.
”Why are you so sad? That is why I took you away. I spent the whole wedding waiting for the right moment to talk to you. Our eyes met over and over, but my manners kept me involved in my duties. When we spoke at the door, the sadness in your eyes, the weariness, it robbed me of my breath. If you care to share, I have a sympathetic ear.” This stops my retreat and renews well of depression crawling up my throat. I crumble on myself, too worn to fight.
I feel his warmth and hear his soft voice in my ear. “May I hold you?” I nod, my throat too full to respond. I feel sturdy arms wrap around my back as he turns me into his broad chest. One hand runs up my neck to gently settle my head down into the groove of his shoulders. We stand there for countless minutes in silence. I focus on my breathing, trying to match his measured inhales. Slowly the tension I subconsciously hold leaves my muscles and I hear him sigh.
”There, would you like to go back in and dance with me or leave?” He asks against my hair.
”Where would I go?” I choke out. My vocal cords rusty from emotion.
”We could go back to my place. It is close, warm, and has a large fluffy guest bed.”
My entire body shouts yes, with my heart in the lead. The last few minutes of comfort gave me a level of peace I have not felt for years. But reality and sanity prevailed. “Thank you for the offer, but we have just met and I am not that kind of girl.” I said, sarcasm heavy in my voice. Truthfully I had no idea what kind of girl I am, this man and offer is a new experience for me.
”I did say guest room, my dear. There are no rooms at the hotel and it is far too dangerous to travel far. While you apparently know nothing about me, I have heard Trina talk about you. I know what kind of woman you are.” His embrace loosens and I step back while I work out my options.
He continues “What if Graham gave his approval? If he says you have nothing to worry about, will you come home with me and allow me to take care of you?”
Realizing my options are limited and knowing I could trust Trina’s new husband fully, I decide to listen to my gut. “I trust Graham. But all I need is a place to stay for the night, a good night’s sleep will set me right.”
“Hey Callum, Trina said you need me.” Graham jogged up to us. I am very impressed at Cullum’s ability to text and comfort.
“Yes, Ms Paul needs to leave but can’t go home due to the snow. I offered her my guest room, but she is understandably cautious.”
Graham turns his earnest gaze to me. “Callum is good people, Cassie. Your safety is assured.”
“Would you let your sister stay with him?”
“Cassie, he is the best guy I know. Please go home with him so Trina and I don’t have to worry. I swear on the sacred vows I took today.” Graham looks earnestly into my eyes. He does not make statements like that lightly.
“Okay, you convinced me. Thanks Graham.” Graham nods at Callum, offers him a small salute and jogs back into the ballroom. I could see how eager he is to get back to his new wife.
Callum offers me his arm and I give into the fantasy of Prince Charming whisking me away from the ball. I allow him to lead me down to the parking garage while enjoying the feel of his biceps playing under his shirt.
After a short drive in a luxurious car, I find myself in a heated underground garage and parks. As he turns off the car, he says “I am horribly old fashioned. Please allow me to open your door.”
I remain seated with a wry smile as he walks around the car. I enjoy the view of a tall muscular man in a well cut suit opening my door. I take the offered hand to exit, feeling the warmth from before. He leads me to the elevator and we begin the trip up.
I have been silent from the time we left, with no compulsion to fill the space with polite conversation. I continue with this while I watch the numbers slowly increase on the screen above the door. Callum turns to me and I assume it is to make a comment. But I am wrong.
He advances toward me as I retreat until my back hits the wall. His body presses slightly into me as one of his hands runs down my arm to link with mine.
“I am very attracted to you, Cassie.” He whispers into my mouth.
“I don’t have a lot of experience with that,” I blurt out.
He leans back slightly to look me in the eye. I can see him assess my implications behind my comment. “People are blind to beauty. I am not. Can I kiss you?”
For once, I listened to my heart “Yes”
He leaned in again and softly pressed his lips to mine. Then he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. I was lost to sensation. A maelstrom of emotion swirled around me. My first and only coherent thought was “Am I getting my wish?” I shuddered as his hand came up to cup my face. His lips caress my cheek and I lean into him, aligning my body with his, feeling the warm, solid torso. My stomach is full of glitter and stars burst behind my eyelids as hands move onto my neck. The constant motion of the elevator slows as he pulls back slightly to give me a few light pecks as a ding notifies us to our arrival at his floor.
With a tortured sigh he untangles from me and leads me into an expansive apartment. Windows ring around the outside of a great room giving an appearance of sitting in a wind whipped cloud with the storm outside. Bespoke furniture looked comfortable but unapproachable. The kitchen contains all of the fashionable and high end appliances. The envy in my heart spiked at the thought of cooking there.
“I will show you to your room. There are some clothes in the dresser, help yourself and get cozy. While you get settled, I will make some coca. A night like this needs coca.”
He leads me down the hall and gestures to a room with a cloud like bed, two well cushioned chairs and an attached bathroom. Callum leaves me as I move to the dresser. Finding the clothes he promised, I make myself at home by changing and freshening up. As I leave, I notice a complicated lock on the outside of the door. This gives me pause and I resolve to find out its purpose.
When I am ready, I pad out to the great room in fuzzy socks to find Callum lighting a fire as the kettle starts to whistle. Once the fire is established he fills two mugs and hands one to me, gesturing to a plush armchair in front of the hearth. I settle in with a hum of approval.
“Thank you so much Callum, this is the coziest I have felt in a long time.”
He chuckles lightly from the marching chair and takes a sip of his drink. “This is the bare minimum for me. I can’t wait to wow you tomorrow.”
I send him an arch look “Tomorrow I will be back home.”
“My dear, this storm is predicted to continue for days. I would feel more comfortable with you spending the weekend.”
Due to my independent streak and hardhead, I just hummed into my mug and settled in to enjoy the night. Allowing him his delusions, I change the subject. “That is an unusual lock on the guest room door. Are you planning to abduct me?”
An expression of amused shock passes across his face. “Trina mentioned you’re observant.” He pauses as he gathers his thoughts “I am a leader of an… organization… and sometimes members need to have a safe place to spend the night.” He hedges.
“So you’re a mob boss, okay, but why is locking from the outside making people in the room safe? Doesn’t it make them prisoners?”
“Trina and Graham were not exaggerating your intellect.” He closes his eyes in reflection, then opens them to lock on to mine. “You are completely safe here. No harm will come to you, that I swear on my life..” I give an inadvertent shiver as his words resonate down to my bones. I have never felt safer in my life. A long silence stretches out between us as we both sip the coca. Callum appears to struggle with the next explanation. I allow him the space to figure it out. While I would appreciate a truthful answer, my gut is quite happy, my intuition tells me all is well and my heart is content. It is just my mind, my practical forthright mind, having an issue with his responses.
Finally he meets my eyes and attraction spears through me as our gazes lock. “I am the leader of a werewolf pack. When they are in the city and need a safe place to be for the full moon, they use one of my guest rooms.” There is no artifice in his words or expression. This is truth for him.
I sit stunned with this revelation. Does he really expect me to believe that I am sitting across from a mythical beast? According to the arch in his dark well defended eyebrows, he does. How am I now attracted to eyebrows?
Callum clears his throat bringing my attention back to him. “This is not something I share easily, but you are too clever to fool for long and I want no secrets between us.”
”There is nothing between us, much less secrets.” I state firmly.
”I disagree, at least from my perspective. In the elevator there was something, something I have not felt for a long time. Something I thought was lost to me.”
Absorbing this information, I work to breathe calmly to slow my racing pulse. Callum shifts forward and gently places my hand in his palm. His earnest gaze meets my eyes. “Please trust your instincts.” He entreats. “You feel safe here, you seem to enjoy my company. The kiss we shared, well it confirmed that you are special. Don’t let the fantastic change your mind now. I would love to get to know you better and you are welcome here.”
I hold his gaze and know in my bones that I am safer here than anywhere else. Even if he is delusional. Then it clicks in my brain. “Do you Graham because he is a werewolf? Does Trina know?”
Callum chuckles and leans back, letting my hand slide out of his. I feel the loss as the cold air chills my skin.
”Trina is the werewolf, Graham is my nephew of sorts.”
I blink a few times. My mentee, the person I shared countless dinners and hotel rooms, is part of his delusion? She was the most practical person I know, there is no way she could be…. Wait, she was out of town once a month. Once a month she was unreachable and it always fell during the full moon.
”I see some parts of your friendship are starting to make sense. So let’s leave this on the table tonight. I have shared my reasons for telling you, I am sure eventually you can understand why Trina didn’t share that side of her. Why don’t I walk you to your room and you can get the sleep you need.”
I shake my head slightly “Yes, sleep would be best.” I stand and take his offered arm. The wind was now sending sheets of snow through the dark night. I am not going back out in that.
We walk arm and arm to my bedroom. Once there, Callum acts like the gentleman his outward appearance promises to be and he drops my arm. As I turn to open the door he says “May I have a goodnight kiss?”
He is unfairly charming and I passed exhaustion hours ago. His lips turn up in a hopeful smile.
“I have one more question.” I state
Callum freezes slightly, “Okay.”
”How is Graham your nephew of sorts?”
”Let’s leave fantastical explanations until tomorrow.” He responds ruefully.
I realized I agree with him. My fantastic limit was reached when it was relevaed that I may be good friends with a lycanthrope. ”Then I would welcome a good night kiss.” I look up at him with a soft smile.
His hands cup my face as if it is a treasured object. He moves in slowly to give me a gentle but firm kiss. As he retreats I open my eyes to look into the vibrant green of his. He mutters a few words in a language I don’t understand. I look at him puzzled. He gives me a smile and lays a kiss on my forehead, he drops his hands and steps away. “Sleep well.” And he waits until I am in the room with the door closed. I hear him walk away as I climb into bed. I am asleep the moment my head hits the pillow.
