Chapter 3 – Birthday
Maeve
“Your blouse is wet,” he replied, motioning to my chest.
Looking down, I realized my shirt had gotten wet when I carried the flower vase back to the front desk. The soft blue blouse was practically see-through over the wet patch. A groan slipped from me as I inwardly thought, fuck my luck!
“One second.” I quickly spun in the chair and reached for my cardigan—slipping it on to hide the wet spot. Sucking in another deep breath, I spun around to face him.
“Ooh, Haggis, all you need is the glasses to complete the librarian look,” Flaym smiled as he sauntered over.
“What are you doing here?” Rex turned to Flaym.
“Helping Grandma to her book club meeting,” he laughed. “You should go check it out. They’re discussing BDSM, and one of the old gals made a poster board with accoutrements. They might need your expertise to explain some of the things.”
“I’m certain you’ve had enough experience to be their guest speaker,” Rex grinned.
My mind reels, and I’m both enamored and terrified all at once. I knew a great deal about BDSM through the pages of my spicy books, but I have zero experience. Awareness courses through me when their attention turns back to me, and a wave of uncomfortable emotion stirs in the pit of my stomach. I remind myself that Rex has never wanted me. He had openly rejected and humiliated me. When I threw myself at him at the Halloween party last year… he was repulsed by me.
I frowned and took a step back.
“The books are here. Would you like to wait while I get them? Or would you like me to send them back with your Grandmother?”
“I’ll wait,” he replies, and I jot down the section and Dewey numbers on a post-it note before I go in search of the books.
My mind whirls, and I feel him walking behind me. I turn left and steal a glance over my shoulder. He’s looking away at something else, clearly not interested in me at all. My eyes take in his clothing… designer and expensive.
Turning down a row of tall bookshelves, I start scanning the titles. The first is a history of ancient magic book which is on the shelf just above my reach. Before I could turn to look for a step stool, I felt his body press against my back as he reached over me to retrieve the book.
I was ready to protest, but the casual look he gave me, as if he’d done nothing wrong, made the words freeze on the tip of my tongue.
The second book, an anthology of Celtic legends, was buried in the back of the library. We walked silently, and I tried not to think about the heat of his body pressed against me. My mouth had gone dry, and being around him was disarming.
“What are your plans for tonight?” He asked as if he was talking to a long-time friend.
“Tonight?” The question took me by surprise.
His lips tipped up, and his eyes seemed to twinkle. “Your birthday.”
“Oh, right… my birthday. I’m having dinner with friends and family. I might head into the city this weekend.” I added the latter so that my plans sounded more exciting. “The other book is just over here.”
I hated that I sounded so pathetic. I hated that he was talking to me… that he knew it was my birthday, and that he still affected me like this.
“It’s so quiet back here,” he said, following close behind me. “Far away from everyone else.”
“It’s a library… there are quiet corners.”
“Ever catch young pups making out in the hidden corners?”
“Only at the kissing cave,” I replied before I could stop myself.
A low chuckle rumbled in his throat, and my pulse quickened. I turned my attention to the spines of the books and searched for the anthology the Alpha King wanted. As my rotten luck would have it, the book was on the bottom shelf. I quickly bent over to retrieve it and heard a low growl.
“Sorry,” he cleared his throat. “I just got a mind link.”
His blue eyes had turned dark and swirled like the Milky Way. I knew they were his lycan eyes because they were intense, and I quickly averted my gaze. “You can take the books. I’ll check them out to the Alpha King.”
“Thank you,” he said gruffly, taking the book from me before leaving.
I stared at his retreating form, wondering what the hell just happened.
I spent the rest of the day going about my duties absentmindedly. My thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation Rex and Flaym had about BDSM. Of course, I knew neither would be a virgin. Wolves were highly sexual creatures, and these were mature males, but shifters with kinks was something I wasn’t expecting. By late afternoon, my imagination was starting to get the best of me, and I was envisioning what it would be like to be draped across his thick, muscled thighs as he spanked me with a book.
Shaking my head, I swore to give myself a break from reading smutt no matter what Brianna recommended next.
“Are you okay?” Wendy asked. “You seem distracted today.”
“If we were in Scotland, I’d tell you ma heid’s mince ,” I laughed, knowing she wouldn’t understand the Scottish phrase. “I’m a bit confused, and my head feels scrambled.”
“It sucks turning eighteen under a new moon,” she naturally assumed my distraction was my birthday. “Isn’t there a Celtic legend about children born on the night of a new moon?” She asked.
“Just because my birthday falls during a new moon doesn’t mean there was a new moon when I was born.”
It was six o’clock when I left the library. Wendy was working the closing shift until eight, and I was heading home to have birthday dinner. I slowed at the corner before turning onto the main road and noticed a motorcycle drive past. For a moment, I thought it was Rex who favored motorbikes, but then I realized it was Storm when her long, silvery hair caught my eye.
“Enough, Maeve, you foolish girl! He didn’t want you,” I scold myself again, remembering the kiss we shared at the Halloween party last year.
All-Hallows Eve has Scottish roots and has always been one of my favorite festivals growing up. I loved everything about it, from carving neep lanterns to apple dookin’. We went out guising— pretending to be spirits to ward off evil and collecting treats.
I was so happy when Persephone invited us to the Halloween party her triplet brothers were throwing at the mansion. The ballroom had been decorated like the inside of a haunted house. Even though there were black lights, strobe lights, and hanging candles, it was still dark inside.
“It’s so dark in here,” I whispered anxiously to Brianna, tugging up the top of my costume that was a wee bit too low for my comfort.
“We’re in a room full of wolves with great night vision,” she replied, reminding me that we were still seventeen and wolfless.
I thought my Little Red Riding Hood costume, with its black bodice and fish nets, may have been a bit on the seductive side, but it seemed very reserved compared to the other females. Brianna wore a sexy nurse costume similar to the other girls here. They were everywhere I looked: a sexy witch, sexy devil, sexy kitten, sexy police officer… all the sultry possibilities were here tonight. Some looked more like lingerie than costumes.
Feeling eyes on me, I tugged at the cape of the red hood, trying to cover a bit more of myself.
“There you are!” Persephone squeaked, rushing over to greet us. She was wearing a Wonder Woman costume, and she looked amazing. My eyes drifted over her shoulder, and I realized all the royals were dressed in superhero costumes.
Lukas was in a Superman costume, and I wasn’t sure who Spiderman and Batman were, but I knew it had to be Rex, Kairo, or Caspian. The gray eyes told me that Ranger was Captain America. Persephone’s older triplet brothers looked great as Power Rangers. Ironically enough, Storm was dressed as Storm, and her eyes swirled like a brewing storm.
A scream rang out from the back of the ballroom, followed by a roar of laughter. Flaym yelled, “HULK ANGRY,” and shot to the middle of the dance floor covered in green paint. The cheering grew louder when he snarled and ripped his shirt off.
“Come on, let's find a drink and check out the photo booth, ” Persephone giggled, and we made our way to the drink table.
Someone dressed in a pirate costume asked me which way to Grandma’s house, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Then I heard a few males snickering comments about eating me, as the book says, and how tasty I looked. It wasn’t until we were on the dance floor that I regretted my costume choice.
We were dancing in a group when I felt hands on my hips. I looked over my shoulder to see who it was, but he was wearing an actual wolf mask. I stiffened when he pressed his erection into my back.
“My, what big tits you have,” he purred, grinding into me.
Before I could respond, a snarling Batman swooped in and grabbed the wolf by the throat. Heads turned toward us, and I wasn’t sure what had just happened.
“Rex?” Lukas questioned, and my breath hitched. Rex… Rex was in the Batman costume.
“Brad was just leaving,” he growled, shoving Brad to the door.
“Are you okay?” Persephone asked.
“I’m fine,” I managed to say with a smile, but I was still shocked. Rex had disappeared with the big bad wolf, and I couldn’t believe he threw out a pack member for me. “I’m going to use the restroom,” I said, stepping out of the ballroom into the hall. I was almost to the ladies' room when I heard his voice behind me.
“Is this what you wanted?” Rex rasped, taking my arm and guiding me away from the party down the hall.
“Excuse me?” Swallowing hard, I looked up to meet his eyes. He had removed the mask, and he looked angry.
We stopped walking, and I pressed my back against the wall. His hand immediately shot up to the wall beside my head, and he leaned in. Sweet Goddess, he was beautiful—massive, strong, broad shoulders with masculine energy that sent a shiver through me.
“In a room full of wolf shifters, you dressed as Little Red Riding Hood,” he glared at me in frustration.
I blinked. “Was I not supposed to?”
“You prance in here, showing off your luscious curves to a bunch of horny wolves. Fuck, Maeve! What did you think would happen?” He growled like some possessive boyfriend.
“There are half-naked females in there... my costume is modest compared to most of them.”
His eyes turned dark, and his jaw clenched. “I want nothing more than to lift that little red dress up, yank those little red panties down, and paint that ass red with my palm!”
I wasn’t sure I heard everything correctly because my heartbeat was pounding inside my ears. Desire exploded inside me at his words, and the flickering flames in my belly raged like an inferno. He was so close, and I had waited so long. I had always wanted him… and at this moment… he wanted me, too.
Like a fool, hope rose in my chest.
I shot to my tippy toes and pressed my lips against his. He stood frozen for a few seconds before he released a low guttural groan. Then I felt his hand fist my hair, and he kissed me back. His kiss was rough and demanding. His tongue invaded my mouth, and I moaned into the kiss. He tasted incredible.
I moved my lips, trying to keep up with the experience of his, but he groaned again and pulled back.
“What the fuck, Maeve?” His nostrils flared, and his brow furrowed. “What do you think you’re doing? You’re a pup… why are you even here?” He roared, and I stumbled back into the wall.
“Rex, I’m—”
“Alpha!” He snapped. “It’s Alpha Rex to you.”
My eyes stung with unshed tears, and I felt my heart breaking. I was a fucking bampot through and through.
“I’m sorry, Alpha.”
“That was a mistake,” he growled and looked at me in disgust… as if I had somehow bewitched him into kissing me back. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
He ran his fingers through his black hair and turned his gaze away from me… He couldn’t stand to look at me. “You don’t even have a wolf yet.”
Rejection exploded inside of me until I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“Fuck!” He cursed again with a growl, and I couldn’t bring myself to look up. “This never happened, and it will never happen again,” he ordered roughly, and I shrank back into myself, wishing I could disappear into the wall.
All I felt was rejection and shame. How could I have believed that Rex would ever want me? I choked back a sob, refusing to fall apart in front of him, but I couldn't stop the tears.
“Excuse me, Alpha,” I whispered, dashing for the door.
It’s been nearly a year since that night, and I haven’t spoken to Rex since. I had caught glimpses of him at pack events, usually with females hanging on him, but I had avoided him entirely since the kiss. It was a mistake, and I had repulsed him.
A flutter of uncomfortable emotion swirled inside of me. A mixture of embarrassment and shame that I hadn’t felt in months. I quickly shoved it down and replaced it with anger. Today was my birthday, and I wouldn’t let Rex ruin this for me.
In the last year, I had taken his disgust and used it to keep me determinedto lose weight and exercise, but it was always a vicious cycle for me. Two steps forward and three steps back with a tumble in the whipping cream. I had lost twelve pounds, but no one seemed to notice. Secretly, I hoped my wolf metabolism would help with my weight once I started shifting. I didn’t want my mate to have the same reaction that Rex did.
When I arrived home, Brianna, Persephone, and Sol were in the kitchen with my grandparents, ready to celebrate my birthday. I was greeted with a room full of balloons, ribbons, and a big birthday banner. To my surprise, several wrapped presents sat on the counter beside a cake and my favorite Scottish raspberry dessert, Cranachan.
Eighteen was an important milestone in the human and shifter world. I should have been in the moment with my family and friends, but all I could do was think about him. All that hard work to get over him, and with one visit to the library, Rex was invading my thoughts again.
“Maeve?” I heard my grandad call, but I had missed whatever he said.
“I’m sorry,” I shook my head.
“It must be torture waiting another night for your wolf,” Sol said. She had turned eighteen three months ago, and was crushed when she didn’t feel a mate bond with anyone in the pack. Sol’s father was the Royal Zeta, and I knew she would eventually find her high-ranking mate. I didn’t put much stock into rank, I just wanted someone who would love and care for me the way my parents and grandparents loved each other.
“I was just thinking about the hot springs,” I sighed.
“It's a new moon,” Brianna told me with a frown.
Werewolves couldn’t shift during a new moon, so patrols couldn’t patrol the forest as usual. The pack had a curfew during a new moon, but I still wanted to take a calming soak. I had waited my entire life to turn eighteen and finally shift.
If anything… I deserved a consolation prize.