Chapter 19 - Bite Me

Nathaniel Black

I stared out the window of my office, towards the sea of pine trees, past the mountains and towards the coast, towards the city and the tall buildings made of concrete and glass. I couldn’t concentrate, I was thinking of her, sitting in her office, being perfect and beautiful.

She’d probably just gotten back from her lunch break and was likely sitting at her desk, double checking the grades of the paper’s she’d marked yesterday. She’s left her hair out again today, smoothly brushed down her back and she’d worn a simple black dress with a green jacket, and I’d kissed her goodbye as she got into her car and drove to the university.

There were now three things on my desk in front of me. The ring box, the house key, and the silver knife she’d left behind when she left a year ago. I’d sat them down simply and refused to look at them as it was my past, my present and the future I so badly wanted. The woman who I loved was afraid of commitment, and I felt in my bones it wasn’t just because of the past we’d encountered, it was because of her parents.

I’d realised when I was in her office, that I needed her to be my wife, and it was all I could think about. How I could propose, where I could find the perfect moment, the perfect place, the perfect time where she’d say yes.

“You called?” Jamie said, appearing in the doorway of my room.

I breathed in sharply and gave him a smile, tearing my eyes from the window. “Yeah, did you bring the first aid kit?”

“Yeah, what did you do?” Jamie chuckled as I flopped my tablet down on my desk, scattering the three objects.

He glanced at the objects, but didn’t say a word just placed the first aid kit on my desk and unclipped it. “It wasn’t so much me,” I grunted as I removed my shirt and the gauze I’d slapped on my shoulder.

“You got bitten?” Jamie said, his voice nearly a shriek. “Who bit you?”

“Alice,” I said and I could feel the grin spreading on my face life wild fire.

“Why would you bite you?” he started, but his worlds trailed off and he looked up at me, “oh- I see,” and he grinned cockily.

“Oh shut up.”

“No, it’s good to see things are going well between you two. How was the city?”

“It was good, we went on a date.”

“You went on a date?” Jamie said, as he cleaned the bite with a clear liquid that stung, and the smeared a yellow salve on a fresh gauze and smacked it firmly onto my shoulder.

“Yeah, I picked he up from work, we went out for dinner and then we went for a walk on the board walk. It was nice.”

“And very out of character,” Jamie said rolling his eyes and taping the gauze in place.

“We’re officially dating,” I sighed as he finished, and I leaned back in my chair.

Jamie looked at me, scanning my face with worry laced in his eyes, “are you okay?”

“I shouldn’t have rushed her when we first met,” I sighed, rubbing my eyes, “I think it’s only made her more afraid, afraid of me and the life we could have together.”

“She’s you mate Nate, you’re meant to end up together, even if it takes a while, I have faith that everything will end up fine,” he said attempting to reassure me, and placing a firm hand on my non-injured shoulder.

“What’s with the things on your desk?” Jamie asked, inspecting the key.

“Ah, well you know what the knife is, you know what the ring is, but the key is to her house. She gave it to me.”

“See, you guys are doing great!” He grinned with fake reassurance.

“For humans!” I ranted, “she’s my mate! Not, not-”

“Some random girl you met at a bar?”

I glared at him, “don’t give me that crap! I mean you and Grace are happy, how did you get her to come here? Live with you? Be happy?”

“I built her a house.”

“I have seven houses!”

“Not the same. I built Grace a house, it’s in her name. If she want to sell it, paint it or burn it down she can. She can kick me out if she wants. It’s hers. I gave her a save space that was hers, I let her decorate it and design the bathroom, it is her house.”

I looked at him blankly, “so?”

“You have two homes in the city, you have your family home behind the pack house, which is going to remind her of every single time you guys fought. Then you have the pack house, where you have Gina lurking in every corner. I mean do you know how many times I found her lingering around your room waiting to pounce on you when you got home? The woman is a piranha!”

I ran my hands through my hair, “so I’m taking her into hostile environment every time she comes here? What do you suggest I do?”

“Go away each weekend, maybe your chateau, in the mountains, I can run things for the weekends while you two kiss and fuck.”

“Hey-” I warned.

“Oh please, you smell like her and you’re pretty much glowing like a fairy. I know she didn’t bite you cause she was mad at you,” he said with a wink.

“Oi,” I growled and I have him a glare.

“Okay, okay, just think about it,” he chuckled, and he grabbed the first aid kit as he walked towards the door.

He stopped in the threshold and turned back to look at me, “make sure you talk to Gina. Make it clear that she’s never to set foot in your room again.”

I threw my stapler across the room at him and her ducked out of the hallway, and I could hear his chaotic laughs as he walked down the hallway.