Chapter 10

“Alpha we oh...” I squealed only hearing an unknown man and grabbed the closest thing which was the tartan blanket. “Gregor! I’m busy!” I look up to Gregor seeing that he’s looking up to the wooden ceiling, his broad chest filled the doorway. “Sorry Alpha, there’s reports of vampires in the mountains making their way here” he said to the ceiling

“Vampires?” I squeaked, “They’re extinct!” Damian ignored me addressing Gregor instead

“Well what are you doing here?” Damian snapped “You know what to do”

“Already on it just thought you’d want to know” eyes still glued to the ceiling, a flush creeping over his neck. “Well… yes but not right now. From now on knock before you enter”

“Yes Alpha… apologies. Congratulations by the way” he turned and left the room.

“Sorry about that… I didn’t ever really instil privacy, never needed to” he rested his arm over my blanketed form

“It’s OK” my voice small with embarrassment “Vampires?”

“Oh, yeah they terrorise us about once a month. I swear they just find it fun.” Damian’s voice did suggest he wasn’t bothered, but I was “But it’s daylight” I pointed out, gesturing to the window

“That’s not a problem they have, they take a tonic that protects them from the UV” his tone off-handed. He wasn’t annoyed by my questions so I kept asking.

“They’re not extinct?” I started shuffling slightly towards him feeling cold without his body next to me

“No, because werewolf bites kill them they tend to leave us alone. But for some reason they keep trying to get into our territory” that seemed to bug him. He narrowed his eyes slightly, thoughts creasing his smooth forehead “You don’t know why?” he seemed to know everything else

“Not a dicky bell. I wish I did then I may be able to help them”. Damian shifted onto his back pulling me with him so I was half laid on him (not complaining).

“You’d help them?” I asked incredulously, lifting myself up to look at his face

“As long as their intentions weren’t malicious I would consider anything. But they will not talk, only try to sneak in. I wouldn’t worry, our patrols are strong and we spot them long before they get close” I nod, but an uneasy feeling clamped onto my stomach. I couldn’t believe vampires still existed, they died out about the time werewolf numbers increased. That’s what our history books stated. Obviously they needed a little updating.

“What else don’t packs know about?”

“Many things my dear, but you’ll find them all out in due course. You must be starving I’ve not seen you eat yet” he was correct, I hadn’t noticed but I was really hungry. I nod “You grab a shower I’ll go grab your bags. Then I’ll show off my cooking skills” his smile the widest I’d seen it yet. Who was I to turn down Damian showing off for me? A warmth spread through me at the thought… he wanted to please me.

I took a while to work out the shower. There were knobs and buttons everywhere, some were for the jets in the wall, as well as the overhead shower. Finally I was in the shower. Different shampoos were lined up so I sniffed each to see which one I liked, picking apple. I heard a noise amongst the jets and looked to the door of the bathroom which was now open; Damian stood smiling, arms folded seemingly watching me. “How long does it take one to shower?” he asked in amusement. “I’ve only been in 5 minutes, your shower’s complicated”

“Oh, yeah forgot about that. Sorry. Well your bags are in the dressing room. I’m going to start cooking, it’ll be ready in an hour!” he turned, leaving the bathroom.

I was dressed with towel dried hair falling down my back. Now I just needed to find the kitchen. I opened one door, bathroom; good to know. Another door which looked like a TV room or something. Dining room. Ah! I could see the kitchen through the dining room. “You found me then” he smiled, straightening from the oven. The kitchen was as beautiful as the rest of the house, black cabinets with wooden worktops. I could see from the floor length windows that the kitchen was located to the back of the house, from the window I could also see that the kitchen continued outside, worktops and a large BBQ. I do like a good BBQ.

“What’s cooking?” Nico’s voice floated from somewhere in the house.

“Can’t I have one day?” Damian shouted back. Nicos swanned through the door, an attractive dark brown haired woman on his arm. “Darling, I told you they’d want some alone time!” the woman batted Nicos on the chest. “I want you to meet Eva” he responded, dragging her further into the room. I raked my hand through my still wet hair. I looked a mess compared to this woman. Her olive skin and dark brown eyes gave her a Grecian look, matched with her white dress. Compared to the jeans and t-shirt I’d thrown on worried I’d be late for food.

I stood self consciously while Damian and Nicos bickered. “You embarrassed me in front of that pack. Learn the place they think you are!”

“Oh shut up old man I’m an Alpha as much as you, I won’t bow to your every whim”

“Nicos! Here we’re relaxed, in front of other packs we can’t be”

“Oh whatever. Are you ever going to tell me what I’m eating?”

“I’m not cooking for-” The dark haired woman slipped from Nicos’ arm and approached me, allowing me to drown out their voices.

I tried to smile sweetly but I’m sure it was a grimace. “Don’t worry about these two, they bicker today they same they did 200 years ago when I met them. I hoped they’d grow out of it… but no” she had a slight accent that I couldn’t place, but it was faint, she’d obviously adopted Nicos’ accent with how long she’d been there. “So you’ve been here 200 years?”

“Yes, doesn’t feel that long though. It was a shock for me to know other werewolf’s existed, let alone immortality” I looked to her

“You… weren’t a werewolf?”

“Yes, but me and my father were the only ones. I lived on an island east of here. Nicos turned up one day, my life changed” she smiled showing slightly wonky but still beautiful teeth. “I’m Iris by the way.”

“Eva” I shook her hand

“I bet you have quite a few questions” she asked knowingly

“I honestly don’t know what I need to know right now… My head’s not quite got round a few things. I was about to get married to someone… then Damian turned up.” Iris nodded knowingly,

“I was married but the moment Nicos bit me… it was like my wolf hated me for being with another man.”

“Same, she’s not talking to me much right now.” I admitted

“Your wolf will realise that you both had no idea. She’ll soon forgive you.” Iris placed her hand on my forearm comfortingly. I felt like maybe I had an ally with Iris, she seemed to have experienced similar when she was first mated. “It was lovely to meet you, but I better drag Nicos away, Damian’s looking a little too angry” I looked over to him and the whites of his eyes were now blue and his face had turned a shade of red.

Iris looped her arm around Nicos “Come on darling, I’ll make you something to eat. Let’s leave them to get to know each other. Or they may have sex right in front of you!” she sang as she quite forcibly dragged him from the kitchen. Damian turned and I could see him breathing deeply ′comfort mate′ my wolf’s tiny voice came in my head.

I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind and pushed my face into his bare muscular back. His hands landed on mine “He knows what buttons to press” Damian mumbled, “Why do you let him get you worked up? He probably wouldn’t do it if you didn’t get annoyed”

“I don’t know, normally he doesn’t get under my skin that bad. I just want to be alone with you… and he wasn’t accepting that.”

“Well we’re alone now” I comforted.

“Yeah, and food’s nearly ready” he turned in my arms, a smile back on his face. “You can go explore at bit more if you want while I finish up.”

“No, I’m quite happy here” I gave him a squeeze then sat in a chair at the kitchen island, watching him.