Her Perilous Wolf, Julie Steimle [howl and other poems TXT] 📗

to him, knowing he and Daisy had an intense sexual relationship before he had finally gotten rid of his addiction to the she-wolf, “she was also a werewolf, and therefore I can’t blame him for wanting to be with a woman who had a lot more in common with him.”

A brief hush filled the room.

“The only thing she had in common with me was that she was a werewolf,” Rick murmured, still blushing from shame. His eyes lifted to Audry. “And she was never what I truly wanted.”

Audry’s cheeks went pink. Yet she said, “No. You wanted someone like Eve.”

Rick blushed nearly beet red now. She could tell he felt laid bare.

Yet Michael laughed out loud. He patted Rick on the shoulder. “I get you man.”

Vicky looked sharply to him. “Who’s Eve?”

Both looked to her, coloring more.

“Eve is a demon,” Audry explained, not embarrassed at all that Rick had liked her. It made sense. She understood.

Both men looked to Audry.

“She also saved my life in Africa,” Audry added. “And I do believe she is madly in love with and engaged to marry a man named Hanz.”

Both Michael and Rick nodded, affirming that. Rick met her gaze, smirking as he knew she had been teasing him.

“Where is Hanz now, do you think?” Michael asked Rick.

Shrugging, Rick said with a peek to Audry, “He heard a rumor Eve was in the Congo and went that way. But I guess he missed her if she was in Kenya with Audry.”

“It was Tanzania by then,” Audry said, then added, “But I think those angels took her out of Africa after she saved me, so she’s not there anymore. They were furious.”

“Angels?” Vicky stood there, swaying dizzily on her feet. Selena braced her from falling. So did Michael, gently steadying her other shoulder.

Audry nodded to her. “Those are real too. I saw about five of them. With wings and scythes and swords. No halos.”

Michael exchanged a look with Rick who had nodded.

Leaving Vicky, rushing over to her, Selena wrapped her arms around Audry, nearly pushing Rick off the couch. “You really were in danger then. People only see angels in extreme occasions.”

“Did you see any today?” Vincent asked her.

“No.” Audry shook her head. She looked to Rick who had regained his seat and was glaring at Selena. “I don’t think I needed one.”

Rick smiled at her, tears welling in his eyes again.

The clock ticked in the background.

“So,” Vincent asked, breaking the awkward silence. “What’s the plan?”

They all sighed, shaking of the seven minute lull.

“Audry stays with Selena until we can figure out a bodyguard for her so she can go back to her research and finish her PhD,” Rick declared definitively.

“About that,” Audry cut in, pushing away from him and Selena for some space as she was feeling smothered. “I talked with my professor, and I am going to have to rework my thesis. So, I think I may get a job with a non-profit for a while to give me time to think things over. I’m still trying to figure out what to do.”

“What happened?” Rick was genuinely concerned.

She shrugged, glad he cared. “Everything I had been pursuing in the field had already been done before. I was not contributing anything new. I need to go back and figure out what I can do to help in dealing with the problems with wolves connected to rural living areas. And maybe I should choose something else to work on instead.”

He nodded. “Ok. I see.”

“Perhaps I could help figure out a nonlethal way of warding off hostile werewolves,” she murmured with an eye roll. “Though that would make heads turn.”

Rick laughed. He nodded, imagining it. “Ah, yeah… I don’t know how that would fare in academia. They’ve got the most closed minds of all.”

“That’s ironic,” Vincent muttered. He grabbed some juice and poured himself a glass. He then looked around, getting the impression that something was missing. He looked to the table.

Vicky nodded. She seemed satisfied, content over the answers. Even comfortable. She then looked to Michael who appeared a degree sheepish, awkwardly standing next to her. She nudged him. “Does your offer still stand?”

He blinked then turned in a stare at her. “You’re not freaked out?”

She shrugged. “I’m a little weirded out. But that job offer still sounds good.”

“Job offer?” Vincent looked to Michael, one hand on the juice carton.

Blushing, Michael admitted, “I extended an offer for her to work with accounting in the company. And, I dunno, maybe later be my personal secretary?”

Vincent and Audry whipped their eyes to Vicky who blushed only faintly. She was smiling proudly, actually.

Audry smirked with a nod. What was she to do? Her cousin knew the main facts. At least she would be making an informed decision now.

Grinning back, Vicky looked to her brother next.

Vincent sighed. “It’s your life. It’s not like I’m not fraternizing either.”

“Fraternizing?” Rick echoed. “Uh, what?”

Audry laughed, nodding, as did Vicky.

“That’s how our grandfather would see it,” Vincent explained. “If he can’t have a slice of the pie—you know business contracts, mergers—he then will consider you to be the opposition. He already sees Deacon Enterprises as a huge competitor. Your dad won’t do business with our grandfather, and the same with Tristain Enterprises.” Vincent poured himself a full glass of juice.

Rick nodded. “Oh. I get it.” He reached for a glass also, feeling thirsty.

Michael snickered, shaking his head.  

“So then, should we keep it a secret?” Vicky asked, glancing to her cousin as well as Selena.

Audry snorted, not caring. She accepted a glass of juice Rick offered her.

Selena shrugged, not sure if her opinion mattered in this case.

Vincent shook his head, before taking a sip. “No. You do you. It’s not like you owe grandpa anything.”

Rick raised his eyebrows, wondering on that. Michael also held an incredulous look. They knew just like Selena did the pressures of wealthy family who had expectations.

Vincent reached to the taco tray to get more chips and toppings, saying, “I’ll run interference between Grandpa Bruchenhaus and you guys. For all we know, he might play nice, dreaming of mergers that won’t happen.”

His hand scraped an empty spot. He looked down and saw Darth munching up the last chip. During their distracted conversation, the dog had licked off all the sour cream, eaten all the cheese, left the green stuff, but licked off all the beans and the olives. “Darth!”

“What?” Audry then looked at the damage. She broke into a laugh. Everyone else stared down at the dog, who had helped himself to their taco fixings.

“I guess he was hungry,” Rick said while Selena’s jaw dropped.

“Bad dog!” Selena shook a finger at Darth, who ducked behind Audry’s legs.

“Do you have any chicken?” Rick asked, patting Darth’s head.

“For you or for him?” Selena snapped, hands onto hips.

“Sure,” Rick said with a chuckle, rising to go into the kitchen for it. “But let’s start with him.”

Vicky sidled up to Audry, scooting onto the couch “Is a werewolf going to go vegan for you?”

Watching Rick venture into the kitchen for the sake of her hungry dog, Audry shook her head. “That would be an unfair expectation.”

“What about what he expects for you?” Vicky asked almost desperately.

Sighing, Audry leaned against the soft couch back. “I’ve already had this debate in my head a thousand times since I realized what he was. If I want to kiss him, I can no longer eat honey or garlic—”

“Ooh.” Vicky winced. “No Italian? No pizza?”

Audry sighed, wondering if there was a kind of pizza without garlic. “I think there are ways around it. But, I’m going to have to coat my silver bullet with an acrylic. He’s allergic.”

Vicky raised her eyebrows. She whispered, “Is there anything else you’d have to change?”

Shrugging, Audry said as it amused her, “No romantic walks under the full moon.”

“That’s real?” Vicky stiffened, seizing Audry’s wrist.

Audry nodded, but chuckled.

“And what compromises is he making for you?” Vicky demanded, in earnest.

Rick came back with strips of boneless chicken for Darth. “How about a mostly vegetarian diet.”

Audry shook her head at him. “You’d be miserable.”

He shrugged. “But she’s right. You would be making the larger adjustment. My life is insane. If you want to back out now—”

Audry hopped up, making him drop the chicken (which Darth quickly snatched from the carpet), and pressed her forehead against his. “I am not backing out. The pros far outweigh the cons.”

“Do they?” he whispered in earnest. “Because from what I see, I’m getting the better end of the deal. You are the most amazing woman I ever met.”

She blushed. “Am not.”

“Are.”

“You know Jessica and Eve,” Audry retorted. “I am your third choice.”

He shook his head. “No. I liked them only because I met them first. Meeting you changed everything.”

Warm shivers went down her like electricity.

He leaned in closer with a hiss so quiet only she could hear. “You are why I am no longer addicted to Daisy. You saved me. Jessica could not help me. Neither could Eve. But you, whom I have been trying desperately not to fall in love with (because I was attracted to you right away), you knocked every notion of that she-wolf out of my head. You make her smell soppy.”

Audry smirked. “I make her smell soppy?”

He nodded, his forehead rocking against hers. “Smell is a powerful if not important component to wolf attraction. You can curse Daisy and that stupid balm you put on at the beach, if you want.”

Audry colored.

“It took everything in me to restrain myself,” he whispered. “As I don’t want to ever hurt you. But I have not been able to get you out of my head since.”

She knew what that meant. She recalled the dream she had when camping on the beach after Hogan had attacked her. The wolf had been in the dream. And though the wolf had saved her, she could feel his intense passion for her. And the morning after, when Rick had reacted so strongly to the balm, she had been terrified that he too would try to rape her. It was that look in his eyes that said it.

But he hadn’t. He meant it when he said he had no desire to harm her.

Audry kissed him.

After just a couple seconds of the two enjoying each other’s soft affection, Tommy muttered, “Get a room.”

They immediately pulled apart, shooting him a dirty look.

“Maybe she should move in with you,” Selena suggested with a smirk.

Vicky’s jaw had dropped. Vincent had been staring at the ceiling.

Yet Michael shook his head and stepped toward the door. “Time to go. Howie, grab the dog and let’s give the ladies some space.”

Reluctantly nodding, Rick kissed Audry on the cheek and searched around for Darth who had actually been at his right, licking Rick’s hand in hopes for more chicken. Rick grabbed onto the leash. When he stepped back, he said to Audry, “How about I pick you up at eight tomorrow and we’ll get breakfast together? I don’t think dinner can happen tonight.”

Audry nodded. That was a healthy start.

Vicky waved to Michael, and surprisingly, Selena kissed Tommy on the cheek. As they all went out, Vincent grumbled, “Am I now the third wheel in this group?”

Chuckling, Audry waved to Rick who had replied to him, quite convincingly, “No. Of course not. You’re our bodyguard.”

“Funny.” Vincent waved to his sister and cousin, all four men stepping onto the elevator soon after. Selena closed the door when they were gone.

“You and Tommy Whitefeather, huh?” Audry smirked with fond amusement.

Selena shrugged in a would-be nonchalant way. “Oh, I’ve always liked him. But he was older than me by eight years, and I always figured it was kid crush. I mean, I was ten when he was eighteen. But now… well. We’re both adults now, aren’t we?”

Both Vicky and Audry smiled. Both silently agreed that none of their relationships were what they had expected to be when they were young.

*

Over the course of the following week, Audry was kept busy with this and that—first with breakfast with Rick, which was pleasant but also