Chapter 1
IRENE P.O.V
The minute I stepped out of the hospital, the cold air of winter hit me in the face. Another difficult shift just ended and I badly need to blow off the steam, lately it seems like every patient who enters my ICU dies. It gets me exhausted mentally and physically and sometimes it makes me wonder why I became A nurse in the first place. Then I thought of my mother. She is the most powerful witch in the blue sky coven, one of the most largest and well respected covens in this country.
She didn't get to be that powerful by accident,my mother was cruel, bloodthirsty and terrifying. She had tried everything possible to raise me up to be just like her but I refused.
Because of this she hated me, she was only using me to carry on her legacy, she would always force me to practice magic until I became perfect in every spell, incantation, potion and power that I could.
When I turned seventeen I was already lethal as she was, but I never liked seeing everyone walk around my mother with fear in them, because it wasn't the type of life I wanted for myself. I want to be loved, to have a family of my own and to feel like I made a difference in this world, I wanted to be forced for good, I wanted to be a ray of fucking sunshine.
So I left, I told my mother I would never be what she wanted me to be. At first I was worried she would come looking for me,and force me into servitude but her disappointment in me was so big that she never looked for me, she told me to leave and never come back so I did . That was four years ago, I went to a nursing school and graduated with honors. I moved to Sydney ,where I became an ICU nurse in a big hospital.
I save life every day with my skill, because I never use magic,but occasionally I use healing charms on my patients when I think no one would notice,but that is hardly ever. In The last couple of weeks though, I did try a charm on a burn patient, hoping the young woman would heal quickly and not feel so much pain. Burns are one of the worst kinds of pain and I couldn't stand seeing her suffer with it.
Today,that woman died of the infection we tried so hard to prevent, everytime I close my eyes I saw her family around her bed, holding her hand hoping she would come back to life. This made my heart hurt so much but I tried my best to save her l. So today I decided to drink away my pain and sorrow. Usually I try to stay away from every other supernatural being.
My mother made many enemies in that world and the last thing I ever needed was someone recognizing who's daughter I am and trying to kill me as a way of getting revenge from her. It's not like she would ever care if I got killed.
There is a well known bar in town for supernatural beings to come and mingle with humans, and for some reason this particular bar keeps calling me tonight. Maybe because I tried using charm on the woman earlier but failed. Or maybe I just need to be around people who would understand me better. Either way I'm heading in that direction tonight,I didn't bother to change out of my work clothes. I could feel my breath in the cold air and hear my feet on the hard floor. They were sore from the long shit that just ended, but the pain kept me grounded, reminding me of my purpose.
I walked for a very long time, trying to clear what happened today off my mind. Sydney is a beautiful city and I love the views of the building, seeing people going in and out of them. As I near the bar, I walked past a few others with people laughing and drinking excited for the weekend ahead. No matter how much I envied them I always remember the danger that comes with the supernatural world. I walked in through a small entrance where the bouncer looked me over. I created a small ball of light in my hand to show him that I know exactly what this place means. I walked in and started taking off my hat and gloves, my hair was messy from being tied up under a hat all day. I took it out and arranged it into a messy bun on my head as I looked around the whole place. I didn't feel like sitting at a table so I looked around the bar for a comfortable spot. The people around there were not much,so I headed for that direction. There was a vacant seat near a very large man. I praised him from behind. He had blonde hair, shorter on the side and longer on the top and incredibly broad shoulders . He was wearing a fitted black shirt that shows his tapered waist. The light jeans he was wearing showed off his thick thighs and since he didn't have any sleeves, I could see his firm muscles on his arms. He lifted his glass of amber liquid and I watched as his muscles ripped through his arms and veins popped out. God, how easy it would be to stick an IV in those babies. It had been a long time since I looked at a man and I figured why not? I went up next to him and cleared my throat. He looked at me and his eyes made me forget what I was going to say. They were the most beautiful mixture of color I had ever seen. I must have hesitated for too long because he raised his eyebrow like he was waiting for me to say something.
" Is this seat taken?"
" Not at all"
I couldn't tell if he had a slight accent or if that was just my imagination, he kept looking at me as I say on the stool and ordered for a drink. When I turned to look back at him, I caught his eyes again. They look wide in surprise" that weird". I thought to myself, I took a moment to scan the rest of his body features, strong nose,sharp jawline, full pink lips and the most beautiful long neck.
" I bet that neck would be fun to suck on, "what the hell, where did that come from?"
I needed to get my shit together, it's not like I have never seen a hot guy before. But this guy,he wasn't just hot. He is handsome. When my gaze traveled up back to his eyes,they were still on me. But instead of his surprised look, his eyes narrowed, his eyebrows were knitted together in confusion, I wasn't expecting this kind of reaction from him at all. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him and as I stared at him,I felt a warmth travel through my body and goosebumps appear on my body. It had been a long time since I had gotten laid, but I have never had a reaction like this to a man.
" What is your name?" This question pulled me out of my thoughts.
" What"
" Your name?" Fuck, get it together Irene.
"It's Irene. What's yours?"
" Ethan"
" It's nice to meet you Ethan". It's definitely an accent, like this guy needs to get any hotter. Of course I was wearing the most unflattering pair of scrubs and a messy bun when I met the most beautiful creature that exists in the entire world. He must have noticed what I was wearing considering his next attempt at conversation.
" Most women don't wear an outfit like that to a bar".
" I'm not most women". I snarl at him. Yes, Irene is cool.
He chuckled and it was a low rumbling sound like the last few bits of thunder after a summer storm.
" Actually I just came back from work, it was a hard day and I need to drink my sorrow away".
" Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,what do you do?" His eyes twinkled and he seemed genuinely interested.
" I'm a nurse in an intensive care unit of a local hospital. A patient died today".
"I'm so sorry". He reached across the small amount of space that separated us and rested his hand on my arm. It felt like a spark of electricity shooting up my arm, it scared me and I pulled back quickly and put my hand on my lap. I couldn't meet his gaze for a second, worried I wasn't affecting him the way he was affecting me. I cleared my small throat and smiled at him.
" What about you? What do you do?"
" I'm in town for a few weeks doing security".
" Security? Like a bodyguard?"
" Yes, people will pay someone like me to protect them".
" Someone like you?" He gave me a sly smile and I caught on immediately. I had almost forgotten where I was, obviously he was some kind of supernatural being.
" And what exactly are you?"
He narrowed his eyes at me again,like he was trying to decide if I could be trusted with this bit of information. Then he took a deep breath, turned his body on the stool to face me and look me straight in the eyes.
" I'm a werewolf ".
" Holy shit".
Chapter 2
Ethan's P.O.V
I don't have the habit of telling a random stranger that I'm a werewolf, but this woman wasn't random. Not at all, I could smell her as soon as she walked in. An intoxicating sweet smell of cinnamon and vanilla,as soon as we made eye contact I knew. My wolf howled inside me and started chanting the word mate, mate,mate. When I came to this bar to relax after a day of protecting a rich dickhead from the people he had screwed over,the last thing I expected was to meet my mate. I could tell by her smell that she isn't a werewolf, that gave me concerns,that means she couldn't understand what mate bond is although by her reaction I knew she could feel it,not only the way she looked at me but when I touched her,which was a little experiment and she clearly reacted to our connection. I was intrigued by my little mate. She was nearly a foot shorter than me, her long hair tied up head and got beautiful brown eyes with a mix of golden honey. She had a short nose, a small mouth and a gorgeous smile. The awful looking clothes she was putting on did give me much of an idea of how her body looks, but I knew she was perfectly fitted for me. Because she was made for me just like I was made for her.
Her reaction when she processed what I had told her was exactly what I had expected, surprise and then fear. It hurt me to know that someone that was this important to me was already scared of me, but I didn't want to beat around the bush. I wanted her to know exactly who she is dealing with so she could make an informed decision about our future, if there was going to be one.
" Oh, that... not what I was expecting".
" Really, what were you expecting?"
" I honestly don't know". She huffed a little laugh and looked at me again calculating, I could see she was trying to decide how dangerous I could be. She has no idea that I would never hurt her. I wouldn't hurt her because it goes against my nature.
" Don't worry, I will never hurt you"
" How do you know?"
"What?"
How do you know that you will never hurt me? Well I wasn't expecting that.
" It's hard to explain,but the fact that you are gorgeous helps".
I gave her my best smile hoping to put her at ease. Her face flush pink and she smiled at me,she was so adorable. I had this intense urge to yell " you are my mate" at her and take her to my hotel room, but I have a feeling that she won't appreciate it.
" You are not so bad yourself. Plus I'm definitely a dog person".
I couldn't help but laugh at that and she laughed along with me. We sat together for a long while drinking and laughing. Not too long she picks her phone up to check the time and sighs.
" It's getting late,I have to work in the morning, I need to head home".
"Can I take you? I just want to make sure you get home safely". And it was true, even though I couldn't explain it to her. I already have an intense feeling of protectiveness towards her, I needed to make sure she was safe. I followed her out of the door when she turned to look at me.
" I don't think that's a great idea, Ethan".
" Why not?"
" We just aren't meant for eachother".
I looked at her confused, because she had no idea how great a pair we are, but I didn't want to tell her that just yet.
" Ethan I'm a witch". God damnit, that was the worst thing I was expecting to hear from her, it was well known throughout our history that werewolves and Witches do not match well. She must have seen my look of shock and confusion because she followed up the revelation.
" But I'm a good witch". What the fuck was that suppose to be? She was able to see through my confusion again.
I don't really practice my magic, sometimes I try using it to heal my patients, but I don't belong to a coven,I'm trying my best to live like a normal person.
I couldn't decide if it was a good thing or bad thing, I was glad she wasn't a typical witch but if she wants to be a normal person, how could she fit into my decidedly not normal life? As I shook myself from my confused stupor,I realized she had started walking away. Any concerns about how this would work were thrown to the back of my mind as sheer terror took over me at the idea of losing her.
" Wait! Irene! wait, I caught up to her quickly. Such tiny legs,God she is so cute.
" I don't care that you are a witch,I can't explain everything right now but I just feel drawn to you. I want to see where this goes,if you will give me a chance".
"Really?" She looked at me with wide, vulnerable eyes and I wanted to reassure her. I have to touch her,I can't help it. I reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of my hand. I saw her pupil dilate and she smiled at me,the spark that ran through my hand helped to soothe me.I had never experienced the mate bond before and it was much stronger than I had expected.
" Yes,love. Give me a chance". The endearment slipped before I could stop myself. It must not have freaked her out because her eyes softened and she gave me a small nod.
" I don't know how to do this. I don't really even date normal guys let alone someone like you".
" How about dinner? Tomorrow night?"
"Let me guess,you eat your steak rare?" She laughs at her own joke and it was the cutest fucking thing I've ever seen. My tiny little mate was going to have a big bad wolf wrapped around her finger in no time.
" Ok sure, dinner tomorrow night". She gave me her phone number and I walked her home. When we got to the door of her apartment building,she stopped.
" This is me".
" Goodnight Irene". I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her in a hug, she stiffed for a moment then wrapped her arms around my waist and relaxed into me. The way her body fit mine, her curves matching mine perfectly,it was more than anything I ever could have wanted . The spark between us flooded my senses making me feel tipsier than the whiskey I drank tonight ever would have.
" Goodnight Ethan". She said breathlessly,she turned to walk away only looking back as the door shut behind her. I waited a minute or two for what I knew I just didn't want to leave ,as I turned towards the hotel I was both exhausted and exhilarated as I drifted off to sleep that night, Irene's face was the last image on my mind.
Chapter 3
Irene P.O.V
Work the next day was a circle of taking care of patients and obsessing over my thoughts. Pass the pills" but he's a werewolf" talk to a doctor." But he's freaking hot"start an IV. This is a terrible idea to discharge a patient. Note to self: wear that Lacy underwear with a matching bra. When I sat down to lunch looking forward to some uninterrupted obsessing. I noticed a text from Ethan.
Ethan: Are we still on for tonight?
I couldn't help it I had to tease him
Me: May I ask who this is?
Ethan: really? How many people are asking about your plans tonight?
Me: I have so many good and enticing offers just trying to figure out which one to choose.
I giggled to myself and it wasn't until Three seconds before my phone started ringing.
" Hello?"
" Who else is trying to take you on a date tonight?" I giggled again. He sounded irritated so I let the joke go.
" No one. I was just trying to tease you, I'm looking forward to seeing you". He let out a breath of relief and laughed.
" I'm looking forward to it as well, can I pick you up at six?"
" Sure, bye Ethan".
" Bye Irene ".
" God I love the way he says my name, gosh I'm crazy. He says my name like everyone else ,well no he doesn't. He says it with that deep voice and sexy inflection like he would say it the same way if his dick was inside me right now. Oh my God , get your mind out of the gutter girl.
After work I showered,shaved every inch of hair that needed to be shaved, moisturized the shit out of myself and put on a black wrap dress over my matching red lace bra and underwear set and completed the look with some strappy black heels. I looked myself over in the mirror.
Damn girl,you are so beautiful.
Before my inner monologue could compliment me further, the buzz of the door alerted me that my fine spouse of date had arrived. I put on my clothes and met him at the front door.
" Hello beauty" oh my gosh isn't he just a charmer.
" You look pretty handsome yourself". He really was, he was wearing a black button down shirt with the sleeve rolled up to his elbow and gray dress pants,but no coat.
" Aren't you cold?"
" No, I tend to run warm". He winked at me.
" Oh, yeah that makes sense ".
I giggled as I slid into the passenger seat of his truck as he held the door for me. We chatted on our way to the restaurant. I kept staring at his profile wondering why a man as gorgeous as him was interested in me. A couple of times I caught him looking at me. Once he seemed particularly interested in my thigh where my dress rolled up a little from me sitting with my legs crossed. We pulled off at a restaurant about twenty minutes later.
" I hope you like Italian dishes".
" I love it,but no steakhouse?" He laughs and God knows I love the sound of his laughter.
" Maybe next time".
Next time? He's already planning for the next time.
I couldn't decide if that was arrogantly annoying or vulnerably adorable. He opened the door for me and ushered me inside with his hand at the small of my back. Even through my coat and dress I could feel the spark of his touch through me. Once we arrived at our table I took off my coat and his gaze ran over my body immediately. His eyes met mine and his pupils had nearly turned black. He shook his head slightly and looked back at me,his eyes back to that beautiful mixture of color I was already becoming attached to.
" You look gorgeous tonight, Irene".
"If you like this dress,you really do like what is underneath it". I whispered into his ear.
" Don't tempt me to love". He whispered back.
My cheek flushed as his eyes turned black again. Next time ? Oh yeah there is definitely going to be a next time.
Ethan P.O.V
From the moment I picked her up, Irene kept me entertained. I can't believe how easy a conversation can go between the both of us. I had never felt so comfortable being around women. She has a way of listening to you that makes you feel like the center of her world and it has been a long time since someone made me feel that important. I explained my life,the pack house, the different members of my family.
" So you have two brothers?"
"Yes".
" Are they younger or older?"
" I'm the oldest".
How many members belong to your pack?
" Well .. just over five thousand now, we are growing though. We are broken up into multiple small towns,we look at it more like a community, a nice place to raise children, some werewolves look at their packs like a killing machine trying to take over other packs and become the largest they can be. We enjoy peace and quiet; we only fight to defend ourselves.
" I can relate to that, it must be nice having siblings, I also wished I had sisters growing up, are you close to your brothers?".
" Yes I am, especially with Paul, my immediate younger brother, I talk to him whenever I need someone to talk to ".
It was nice that she already knew about my kind, I can imagine being mated to a human and having to explain all of this. On top of how at ease she made me feel , she was completely and amazingly gorgeous. I have never seen a woman as beautiful as her. When she took off her coat and I got my first look at her body, my wolf almost took over and tried to seal the mate bond right on our table. She was thin with a firm breast and somewhat muscular arms and her legs were curvy, ending in dainty ankles.
I wonder how they would feel wrapped around my waist. These intrusive sexual thoughts kept entering my mind at random times through the evening. When she took her first bite of dessert and moan,I nearly lost my shit. Too quickly the meal ended and I had to take her home,but I don't want her to think that I'm pushy. On the drive back to her place I was thinking over my strategy, I wanted her to ease into our relationship to build feeling on her own without being forced by the mate bond. I was going to ask her to spend the rest of her life and change everything for me. I needed to be as respectful and understanding as possible.
" Will it be alright if I kiss you?"
" What? I'm still a guy, I had pulled up at the front of her apartment building and she was looking at me with wide eyes, obviously surprised by my question. After a bit she smiled and nodded.
" Say it love".
" Yes you can kiss me".
I leaned over and cupped her cheek in my hand and slowly lowered my head to meet her lips.I felt her warm breath on my lips. I hovered for a moment in case she changed her mind. When she didn't pull back I pressed my lips to hers, barely at first but the spark between us felt like fireworks and I quickly deepened my kiss. I ran my tongue over her bottom lip and asked for entrance into her mouth. She put her hand on my shoulder and leaned as close to me as she could and opened her mouth for me. I was able to explore her with my tongue. She tasted sweet and delicious. I could keep kissing her for the rest of my life . She moaned into my mouth and sucked on my bottom lip, this little action made my dick erect. I hoped she would get too many ideas as it was too early for that.I unzipped her coat a little while she was otherwise occupied and grudgingly pulled back from the kiss. I pulled the sleeve of her dress back a little.
" What are you doing?" She had a dazed look on her face that did wonders to stroke my ego.
I couldn't let you leave without seeing what was under your dress. I pulled the fabric covering her breast back and got a glimpse of her red lace bra,I groaned and she giggled before zipping her cloth back up.
" Thank you for dinner. It was lovely".
" Lovely enough to do it again?"
"Yes absolutely".
" How about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow ?"
I will be in town for just a couple of weeks more and I don't want to waste time on bullshit social etiquette about waiting for a certain amount of time before calling you.
She looked at me for a minute before laughing and I barely controlled my urge to suck on her neck and mark her as mine.
" Tomorrow sounds good, you can come to my apartment and I will cook for you".
" Okay,I'm looking forward to it. Goodnight Irene ". I leaned forward to kiss her again, a quick kiss that left me wanting more.
" Goodnight Ethan".
She slipped out of my truck, and went straight into her apartment while I sat there looking at her figure disappear into the building, still savoring the taste the kiss left in my mouth, if the rest of my pack could see me right now, that would probably tease me if how deep I'm falling in love with my little mate.
When I arrived back at the hotel, I stripped myself down and got into the shower. There was no way I could sleep with my dick as hard as a rock. I stood under the hot water and imagined Irene in there with me. Kissing her, touching her and hearing the sound of her moan as I played with her. It was a word record of how I finished quickly, I drifted off to sleep immediately wishing she was there with me, laying In my arms leaning her head on my chest.
" Oh yeah". I thought to myself I'm done for.