Chapter 3: Chapter 3~ Love Potions

Alexis’ POV~

Alexis and Helena head out from the pack house and Helena is angry “What the fuck was that? I have known that boy fifteen years! He has never been so rude! Granted..there are only two other lone wolves in his territory and they have been here ten years..but that attitude he had with you was uncalled for!” Alexis laughs “Aunt Helena…he’s not the first asshole I have dealt with in my life…I’m sure he won’t be the last. And, sometimes, it happens…you meet someone and they rub you the wrong way. Obviously, that’s what happened with me…first glance, he decided to not like me…and I’m fine with that! I don’t have to deal with him, unless there’s trouble. I’m not going looking for it…so it’s fine! Let’s go home…you call Max..and we will grab some dinner somewhere…my treat! I want to see the town!”

She grins “You’re right! Your first night in town…it’s Saturday night and the Wolf’s Den will be popping!” We get home and I ask how fancy this place is..she shrugs… it’s a club…so dressy enough to be fashionable and casual enough to be comfortable. What the fuck does that mean!?

I run up to my room…showering, I towel off and walk into my closet… I decide on leather shorts that lace up the sides, my thigh high boots and a silver sequined halter top. Letting my hair hang loose and adding beachy waves, I sit to do makeup. A dark purple smoky eye with winged liner and plum lipstick to match my natural plum colored hair! I look smokin’! Running down the stairs, I interrupt Max kissing my aunt…Oops! “My eyes! My poor eyes! Get a room, guys!” They laugh and Helena pops me on the ass “Cheeky girl” I open the door, skipping out I yell “Let’s gooo! Time for some letting loose fun!”

Aunt Helena was right, if the parking lot is any indication..this place IS poppin’ ! There’s even a doorman! We queue the line and are inside in less than 15 minutes. Max tells us to grab a table and he will order drinks. Sitting down, I can see the majority of the people in here are wolves. That’s fine with me…I plan on avoiding them, anyway. If you aren’t pureblood, wolves tend to be snobs.. and maybe that was Blake’s problem with me. Whoa! Why did that ass pop into my head!?

Max walks over with a waitress and asks if we want menus before the band starts and we nod! Max says “I gotta admit, most girls don’t drink bourbon.” I smile and shrug “I’m not a froufrou umbrella sweet drink kinda girl! Shit! Half the time, I forget I’m a girl, anyway!” They laugh and Helena smiles “You were always a tomboy! Preferring martial arts and fighting to ballet and cheerleading! You’re a black belt in three disciplines now?” I giggle “Yep,,,much to mom’s chagrin! I did enjoy gymnastics, but I guess that’s a sort of unisex sport!”

We ordered dinner..and the steak I had was melt in my mouth tender! Really good! The waitress brought another round of drinks, and the band started their first set! Good food! Good bourbon! Great music! This is gonna be my hangout!! “Aunt Helena! Let’s have my birthday here next weekend? I like this place!” She laughs and agrees! We drank and danced..and had a good time! I really like Max for my aunt. She’s happy with him and I couldn’t ask for anything else!

We were home by eleven and I left them watching a movie. I felt inspired with the great night we’d had and wanted to paint. Walking into my studio, I set my easel and blobbed paint on my palette and let my mind move my brushes. Lost in music, I painted. Helena stepped in and asked when I was going to sleep!? I looked at the clock… Holy Shit! It was after 3! I looked at what I painted and was stunned! I had painted a moonlit scene…by a river, with a waterfall. Beside the river, stood a black wolf…with startling emerald eyes, with golden flecks. He looked ready to step off the canvas! My aunt gasped and said “That is stunning! Who is the wolf?” I shrugged…looking at the wolf “I’ve never seen him before. I didn’t even realize I was painting a wolf! I was looking out past the gardens and saw the river..with the moon shining off the water” She stares at it…then asks “Can I hang it in the store? Please!? I really like it!” I told her absolutely…we will take it in tomorrow, after I’ve framed it!

Getting out of bed, I showered and dressed in jeans and a pink floyd tee shirt and adidas…I skipped to the attic and framed the painting. By the time I was done, Helena hollered time to eat…we’re running late! She owns the store! How late can we be? Are we gonna get fired? I grabbed the breakfast wrap she’d fixed and go cup of coffee!! There is no way I’m functioning without caffeine!

The shop is adorable! I wander around allowing myself to become accustomed to her products…. Learning how she sets them up.. I come to a shelf…reading labels…and I laugh! “Aunt Helena? Love potions? Do people actually buy these? Have you spelled them? If you have…I don’t know that I can sell them! I’m not comfortable messing with fate.. and I certainly won’t go against the Moon Goddess! I understand that you only answer to Hecate…but I answer to them both! Please say they aren’t spelled” She shakes her head “I would never tamper with a true mate bond. People do buy them…but they are only temporary. The feeling only lasts two hours..if you read the label, you will find the disclaimer. And if love develops after the two hours..then it was meant to be, right?” I am shaking my head “No..no..no! It’s wrong! What if they buy the potions in bulk? What if they are giving them to someone every two hours for several days, Aunt Helena? That’s definitely tampering!”

Her eyes widen and she mutters “I didn’t think of that.. I’m so dumb! A girl came in last week and bought 24 bottles….what if it was to steal someone’s mate? Oh my Goddess! Remove them from the shelf…I will only sell them one at a time! From now on, whoever wants them, must give their name so we can track how many they are buying.” I am once again shaking my head…”What if we change the formula…allowing the potion to only affect the person drinking it to only feel the effects for 15 minutes? That should solve that issue…but to be honest, I’m still not entirely comfortable. We only get one mate…what would you feel if someone took yours? If someone stole Max?”

She started pulling them all off the shelf shaking her head.”I didn’t think…what if it’s already happened?” I hug her to me and tell her “If that girl comes back…we figure out who she’s feeding the potion to..and remove the effects! It’s fixable. We just have to be careful. We don’t need a black mark on our souls”