Chapter 32
Later, we exited the office, hand in hand.
“Bonnie had everything moved to the cabin. If you want to stay there tonight, we can. I will make you dinner.”
“I can cook, you know. In case you have other matters you need to attend to.”
“Nope, it’s just me and you until tomorrow.”
We boarded the elevator and rode it down to the first floor.
Maddox, still holding my hand, led the way to the kitchen.
Together, we combed through the walk-ins and dry-stock, looking for something to spark his creativity.
Steaks, vegetables, and pasta all got set onto a large metal table.
He continued selecting food from the shelves and adding things to the growing pile.
Spices, condiments, onions, potatoes, milk, juice, flour, sugar, butter, and more.
“What are you doing? We are not going to eat all of this.”
“Not tonight, no, but what if you want snacks later?” he said as he added popcorn kernels and chocolate chips to the pile.
“Or breakfast in the morning?” He threw a pack of bacon on the table next to the eggs.
“What if you need to refuel in the middle of the night?” he said, winking at me. I laughed at him and looked around.
“No chocolate cake?” I asked dramatically.
“I can make you chocolate cake,” he chimed as he reached for dark cocoa powder. “I take you for a dark chocolate girl.”
“You would be correct. I like all things, dark and bitter.”
“Yeah, you do,” he said as he leaned down to give me a peck on the lips. We finished in the kitchen, and Maddox asked one of the chefs to have the groceries delivered to the cabin.
Exiting the kitchen, we went out the back door and walked through the garden and onto the path leading through the woods.
“So, did you get everything done that you were working on? Security logistics with Bonnie.”
“I did, and tomorrow I am going to be running over the layout with her. I believe we’re both meeting with her in the solarium, the library, and the location where the gala will take place.
She is leaning toward the gala being outdoors.
She will be seeking your approval though; she won’t finalize anything without your okay. ”
“Right here would be amazing.” A large open area that sat just past the garden. “This space looks like it was created for outdoor events.”
“It kind of was—this is the spot she was talking about.”
We continued on our way, arriving at the cabin. I unlocked the door and we went inside. I took off the wedges that I had been wearing all day and felt better instantly.
“I think I want to call Alexander; I never did get a chance to do that.”
Maddox began to bring the groceries in from the porch. I grabbed a couple of bags and followed him into the kitchen. While I began unpacking the food, he got the remaining groceries from the porch.
I thought it might be a good time to inquire about the other leaders. I had to learn a little about them prior to their arrival.
“So, Oscar is the werewolf leader, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“So, give me some information. I can’t remain totally clueless about these people.”
“What would you like to know? He is married. One child—a girl named Uryah; they just call her Rye. His wife’s name is Alexandra. Oscar has been the werewolf leader for the past twenty-five years. He’s a large man—most werewolves are.”
I emptied the rest of the bags onto the island, setting the reusable bags to the side. Maddox stowed things in the fridge, keeping others out to use.
“So how old is Uryah?” I asked, curious if she was an actual adolescent.
“Honestly, I think she may be the same age as you. Twenty-six, right?”
“Yes, I am twenty-six. Does she have a mate or is that part a myth too?”
“She does not have a mate—unless something has changed. Years ago, the mate bond was very real. Over the years, most werewolf packs have let that fall to the wayside. It was an antiquated practice and gave people no choice in the matter. It led to discourse within packs, not to mention infidelity, depression, and suicide.”
“I thought it was their inner wolf telling them what to do?”
“I am not a werewolf, but from what I understand, that is how it worked. Would you want an animal living in your psyche, telling you who you had to be with?”
“No, but I figured due to traditions, and possible stronger bloodlines.”
“I get your drift. As time passed, the human in them learned to control the wolf. They needed to do that, to keep from hurting people. They didn’t want to be mindless killing machines once a month.”
He pulled a cutting board from the cabinet and put on an apron. He began cleaning and cutting up vegetables.
“So, they can only change once a month?”
“That’s the beauty of the whole thing. Once a werewolf gains complete control over their wolf, they can change whenever they want. The human side has to be the one in control though.”
“Can you think of anything else off the top of your head that I need to know about werewolves?”
“They can be pretty hot-headed, but they are also very loyal.”
He skewered tomatoes, mushrooms, squash, and bell peppers onto skewers and brushed them with oil and sprinkled them with seasoning.
“Like a protective dog.”
Maddox turned toward the door with plates of food for the grill as he burst into laughter.
“I don’t suggest you let a werewolf hear you say that. They can be—sensitive creatures—try not to offend them. Let’s go start the grill. We can talk out there while it’s heating up.”
I got up from the chair, stopped at the fridge, and snatched a bottle of water. “Do you want anything? A beer? Water?”
“I’ll take a beer; it’s one of the unspoken rules of men. If I am grilling, I am drinking beer.”
I grabbed a bottle and walked through the patio door that Maddox was holding open with his foot.
An outdoor table shaded by an umbrella sat nearby.
He set the food down and took the top off the grill, filled it with charcoal, and got it going.
When he finished, he joined me at the table.
I stood up and took my jacket off; the sun was bright and giving off some heat.
He picked up his beer. Twisting off the top, he took a drink.
“So, shapeshifters? Matthew, right?”
“Yes, Matthew. His wife is Heather and they have two children: Shane, the youngest, and Scarlett. She is the oldest, but she has no interest in following in his footsteps.”
“Maybe she will come around,” I said, trying to sound hopeful.
“Maybe, but it doesn’t matter; the choice is hers. We never force anyone into this.”
“Well, that is smart. Forcing people to do things never ends well. How long has Matthew been the head of the shapeshifters?”
“Around forty years. He is the longest-standing leader among us.”
“That’s a long time.”
Maddox stood up and removed the top from the grill, setting it to the side. He added the vegetables to the grill and replaced the lid.
“There have been leaders in the past that have been in command longer. These creatures don’t have entirely normal lifespans in comparison to humans.”
“So, who? Oscar, Matthew, and ...?”
“Caspien. His wife is Katrina and his daughter’s name is Jillian. They are bringing his nephew Andrew with them. Cas isn’t a bloodline leader; he was elected. His daughter will never rule unless she is nominated for the position.”
Maddox got to his feet again and removed the lid from the grill and rotated the vegetable skewers. He added the steaks to the grate and replaced the lid.
“I will be right back. I need more water. Would you like another beer?”
“Yeah, thanks.” I went inside the cabin and retrieved the beverages from the refrigerator. I set my water on the table and walked over to Maddox at the grill and handed him the beer. He leaned down and gave me a kiss. I kept my lips puckered until he returned for a second time.
“Mmm. I love your kisses,” I said when I pulled away.
I returned to the table and opened my water, taking a drink. I replaced the cap and waited for Maddox to come back and join me. As soon as he was in the chair, I started in again.
“Caspien is a witch, right?”
“Yes, Caspien is a witch.”
“So, what happened to the bloodline leader? No kids?”
“Not exactly. The last bloodline leader was Owen; he was his parents’ only child.
They passed when he was a teenager. He grew up, met a girl, and had a child.
When she was about six months pregnant, they had gotten into an argument about how to raise their child.
She didn’t want her to be exposed to any of it until she was an adult.
Owen felt that she needed to be better prepared.
Things got heated and Owen took off on his motorcycle.
He ended up losing control and crashing; he was killed instantly.
Faith couldn’t bring herself to raise the girl alone.
She didn’t want her to be in Owen’s world, especially without him.
She thought if Salem never knew, then she wouldn’t be in danger. ”
“What did she end up doing?” I asked, wondering what happened.
“She gave her up for adoption. It was a private adoption, so at first no one else knew where she was except Faith. She couldn’t stop a witch from becoming a witch though.
Salem had a really hard time as a teenager: depression, anxiety, feeling like she didn’t know who she was.
Cryptids that find out about themselves on accident without any prior knowledge, and not a soul who understands them, tend to suffer mentally.
She is good now; still unwilling to learn anything about this part of her life yet.
She has said that she isn’t sure that she ever will. ”
“That’s sad. I couldn’t imagine not knowing the person that I inherited all this from. It was hard enough just not knowing this part of his life without having strange powers to boot.”
“It’s a hell of a way to find out something like that.” He got up and flipped the steaks.
“If she ever decides to come forward, the position is hers by birthright?”