Chapter 2

Akane jumped when her doorbell rang. She smoothed her hands over her very plain yet elegant red silk dress; it tied at her shoulders and skimmed her body all the way down to her black high heel clad feet. She hoped he did not think she had worn a night gown in anticipation of other things. Her heart beat fast as she moved to the door to open it.

"You look lovely, my darling," Shunsui said, eyeing her with an appreciative stare that bordered on lecherous. He was a man after all so she couldn't really blame him since all she was wearing was a thin piece of silk. He leaned forward to kiss her briefly on her shiny red lips. "Shall we go?"

"Yes, of course," she responded, offering him her hand to lead her out the door. She walked slowly because her knees felt so weak. A single red rose with a note attached lay on the leather seat when he opened the door of his expensive luxury car. She picked up the long stemmed rose, holding it to her nose as she slid into the seat. She had grown accustomed, almost addicted, to that wonderfully intoxicating, slightly dizzy feeling she experienced from the scent of the roses. Her fingers shook as she opened the note to read it.

In the orchard and rose garden, I long to see your face.

In the taste of sweetness, I long to kiss your lips.

In the shadows of passion, I long for your love.*

Damn! Akane closed her eyes, holding the note and the rose to her chest. She could virtually feel herself falling for him as warmth bloomed in her chest and spread over her body. Her skin prickled with awareness where he rested his hand on her thigh. She opened her eyes and reached down to lace her small delicate fingers with his strong thick ones.

"I want to show you my garden when we get to the house. I would like for my roses to see you," he said, turning his head to give her an ardent smile that heated her blood. "The one who will own them like you own my heart."

Akane did not realize she was holding her breath until her lungs began to ache. She slowly exhaled, forcing herself to take long deep breaths. Her eyes widened when they stopped in front of a black iron gate guarded by two six foot tall lions on the top of towering cement columns. A high and wide cement wall that reminded her of the ones built around castles surrounded his home. She watched as the gates slowly parted and swung open. A circular stone driveway, with a fountain and several red rose bushes in the middle, led to the front of a massive hulking mansion. This man seemed beyond obsessed with the roses. She bit her lower lip to keep herself from gaping at the gorgeous and bigger than life home.

Akane took his hand when he opened her door to help her out of the car. She felt like a fairytale princess. This whole scenario had a decidedly surreal feeling to it, and she could not help but wonder when reality would come crashing in. Rangiku accused her of being too practical for her own good and often sacrificing the present to think about the future. Maybe she was right. What could be so wrong with just enjoying the moment and getting carried away with it? She followed her tall, handsome host up the front steps as he opened the door to his house to lead her inside. A massive foyer complete with chandelier and marble floors greeted her when they walked in. It reminded her of the stuffy, formal mansions she had seen pictures of in so many magazines. Very aesthetically pleasing yet not very friendly and inviting.

"Follow me, darling," he said, leading her through the house to a pair of French doors that opened onto a large veranda. Beyond that was a labyrinth of rose bushes in every different color imaginable that stretched across most of the back yard.

"This is amazing," she gasped.

"Come walk with me," Shunsui invited her, holding his hand out to her.

Akane allowed him to lead her across the veranda and stone walkway that led to entrance of the maze. She was glad he knew where he was going when he led her through all of the twists and turns. She listened carefully as he pointed out different roses and gave their names while they slowly strolled through the bushes that had been cultivated into gorgeous living walls. They came to what she assumed was the middle of the labyrinth where an imposing stone table took up the center of the area. There was a large bush, almost a tree, of red roses behind the table. Their lovely perfume filled the area and made her whole body tingle as she breathed in their remarkable scent. Smaller tables with chairs were also in the clearing along with a fountain. She was surprised when he led her to the huge table. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest when his large hands circled her waist and lifted her onto it.

"What do you think, my darling?" he asked, grazing her face with his fingertips as he pushed her long flowing hair behind her ear.

"It's the most marvelous thing I've ever seen. I'm simply awestruck. There really aren't words to describe how I feel when I look at it," she said, looking into his eyes when she felt his breath on her throat. Heat rushed through her body from the way he was looking at her with a deep, intense longing in his eyes.

"I know exactly what you mean," he murmured, his voice deep and seductive in her ears.

"Shunsui, I-"she began but he pressed his finger to her lips to stop her. The warm breeze of the balmy summer evening blew across her skin raising goose bumps over her entire body. Her fingers reached up to brush back stray strands of hair from his face as they stared into each other's eyes in the eerie silence of the garden. Her fingers slid through his hair which was loose and flowed down his back in long waves.

"What would you give to me, Akane? How much would you allow me to take from you right now?" he inquired, his desire laden voice raspy. "What do you want from me in return?"

Akane pulled him closer, squeezing his hips between her knees. Her finger traced his lips causing lustful desire to cloud his dark gray eyes. "Will you give me your mouth?" she asked in a whisper, leaning toward him.

"Yes," he replied, pressing his mouth against hers.

Akane moaned as he his lips moved gently against hers in a tentative, undemanding kiss. She was disappointed when he broke the kiss and moved back slightly to look at her. She held on to his shoulders, hooking her ankles together behind his back as she enclosed his waist.

"What else would you ask of me?" he inquired, sliding his fingertips down her cheeks.

"A smile," she requested, staring at his prominent canines when he smiled. "Your teeth." She gasped when he pulled her against him and tenderly nipped the sensitive flesh beneath her earlobe. Would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? She could feel his jaw muscles fluttering against her cheek as he pressed his face against hers. Her cheek slid against the amazingly silky soft hair on his face as she turned her face to kiss the spastically working muscle. "Your jaws."

Akane's belly tightened with arousal when he made a sound that was a distinct growl. She could feel his throat vibrating against her hand that was pressed to it. Her body began to tremble with a growing hunger. Her eyes met his and she could see the same appetite there. "Would you give me your hunger?"

"Yes," he moaned, almost whining like a dog as he pulled her against him.

Akane gasped when she felt the proof of his hunger pressed against her aching womanhood. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her. She moved her hips, rubbing against the bulge below his waist when she asked, "Would you starve without me?"

"Yes," he answered, sliding his hands under her dress that was already pushed up to her thighs.

Akane's fingers began to slowly release the buttons on his shirt when his lips moved back to hers. She opened the white dress shirt, pushing it and his jacket off together. Her hands slid over her chest and she was shocked by how hairy he was. She pulled her mouth from his to look at his broad muscular chest to see it and his belly were covered with a thick coating of hair. It was not coarse or wiry like most chest hair. It was soft and velvety not at all unpleasant under her fingertips, just shocking to see.

"Does it disgust you? Do you want to leave?" he inquired, lowering his eyes to avoid hers.

"No. I like it," she assured him and she did. She untied the bows at her shoulders, lowering her dress to her waist to reveal her breasts to him. She pulled him tightly against her, pushing her breasts against his astoundingly hairy chest. It tickled and it teased and it felt really good as her hardened nipples scraped against the hard contours of his well-developed pectoral muscles. She wiggled around a bit, tightening her legs around him. She smiled when a low whine escaped him. Her lips moved to his ear to whisper the next question as her fingers rested on the button of his dress pants. "Would you offer me your hunger?"

"Yes," he whispered, kissing her as she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He moaned against her lips as she reached inside to grasp his hard member and pull it out.

Akane raised her hips when his thumbs hooked over the elastic of her underwear to slide it off. She already knew the answer to the next question, but she asked it anyway. "Do you love me?"

"Yes," he answered, staring into her eyes as he pushed into her willing body. An expression somewhere between pleasure and pain twisted his face as his eyes fluttered closed.

Akane leaned back on her hands, raising her hips so he could enter her completely. She was shivering despite the warm night air that surrounded them.

"Are you all right, my love?" he asked, feeling her body shivering.

"Yes. I-I just want you so m-much," she stuttered. She threw back her head and cried out when he moved inside of her. Her hand slid up his furry belly, pulling the hair slightly as she twisted her fingers into it. Without a doubt he was the most interesting and unusual man she had ever met. She sat up, wrapping her arms around him to press his warm fuzzy chest to hers. There was something about him that just drew her to him. Even though she thought she would be repulsed by all the hair, it instead enthralled and excited her.

"I knew you are the one I've been searching for," he whispered in her ear as he slowly moved in and out of her. "I knew you had to be my mate."

Akane ignored the strange reference to her as a mate. He could not be referring to marriage already. He struck her as something animalistic and wolf-like between the overgrown canine teeth and the shocking amount of hair on his body. She held him close as he made love to her and lavished kisses on her face, neck, and shoulders.

"I love you," he whispered, sliding his hands under her behind to pull her into him as he began to thrust harder and faster.

Akane buried her face against his chest, the soft hair tickling her nose and cheeks as he ravished her body with pleasure, indulging the hunger he had stirred in her. A distinct heat and tightness started to build deep within her as he came closer to releasing the pent up energy of his arousal. She cried out as he moved faster, holding her tightly against him. Her lips pressed against his throat, feeling it vibrate with a deep guttural growl of pleasure. She raked her fingernails down his back, shocked to find it covered with hair. She leaned back to look at him, seeing his canine teeth were longer and pressing into his bottom lip despite his lips being parted slightly.

"Open your eyes, Shunsui. Look at me," Akane ordered gently. What she saw took her breath away. They had changed into a liquid silver color and virtually glowed.

"I'm sorry, Akane. I'm sorry for not telling you what I am," he apologized, pushing into her hard as he leaned forward to hold the back of her head.

"What are you?" she gasped, crying out as he moved harder and faster within her to push her to an orgasm.

"What do you think?" he inquired, throwing back his head and howling loudly when he released in side of her.

"Oh, my god!" she screamed with shock as much as passion when her body shuddered and convulsed from the sudden orgasm that sent shock waves of pleasure through her. Her body trembled as she lay underneath him, feeling his hot breath against her chest and neck. "Are you going to kill me?"

"No," he answered, pressing a kiss to her throat. "I love you. I want to be with you."

"I'm confused. I don't understand," she said, pressing her palm to her forehead. When did sanity flee? How did she get here in crazy town with the mayor standing in front of her? He thinks he's a werewolf?

"I'll explain everything in time. You need to get over the initial shock first. We will go eat the dinner that has been prepared for us. There's a very rare steak waiting for me."

Better a steak than her for dinner. But of course, she had been the appetizer.

*Poem by Rumi

Garden scene dialogue was inspired by the spoken word intro by Jim Steinman and Marcia McClain to the song You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) by Meat Loaf from his 1977 album Bat Out of Hell, written by Jim Steinman.