CHAPTER 2

You Make Me Feel

As the movie continued Eliot found himself losing interest in the story line and found himself sneaking glances at Gemma. She was enthralled. He smiled as she flinched into his side when a movie monster jumped across the screen. As the main characters started to make their way through a dark tunnel and the music and sound effects built the tension, Eliot could smell Gemma's building unease. He knew it was nothing serious, nothing more than her enjoying the movie and letting herself be involved in it, but his wolf couldn't help responding. He let a purr rumble in his chest and smiled when she cuddled closer. He could feel the others on the couch relax a little as well.

Eliot noticed Nate staring at him and he shrugged one shoulder and looked back at the screen.

As the credits rolled everyone got up and stretched, collecting popcorn bowls, folding blankets, and one by one heading up the stairs to their rooms.

Eliot had sent Gemma off so that she could shower and get ready for bed while he washed up popcorn bowls.

Nate settled on a stool at the counter. "Gemma seems like a very nice girl."

"She is." Eliot smiled while he washed.

"What was that thing earlier?" Nate tilted his chin at Eliot's chest.

"Purring." Eliot could feel the blood rush to his ears and the back of his neck. He hoped that Nate wouldn't notice or would think it was just the hot water.

"Really?" Nate smirked. "I've never heard you or Hardison do that before."

"It's an Alpha thing, but I couldn't do it before Gemma."

"Well I think it's sweet." Sophie smiled as she draped herself over Nate's shoulders.

Eliot couldn't help a small smile. "Gemma likes it."

"She does seem very well adjusted." Sophie slid up onto her own seat.

"She's been through a lot but since she already knew about the supernatural, werewolves weren't as big of a shock as they could have been." Eliot thought about what he knew of Quinn's break up with his fiancé in North Carolina, and he was properly grateful that Gemma hadn't just ordered him away.

"She does seem to be taking things in stride." Nate smiled when he thought of the tangle of bodies on the couch. "How are the others doing with her?"

Eliot was sure that Nate's calculating mind was already running odds and scenarios. "They've all gone out of their way to help. Frankly, I'm surprised it's gone so well. I figured there'd be some hurt feelings or resentment from Parker and Hardison with all the big changes at once."

"That's what makes them so great on a job, their ability to adapt on the fly." Sophie commented. "It makes sense that they'd adapt to changes in the pack the same way."

"Speaking of adapting to things…" Nate stood with a stretch. "I'm still adapting to this time zone."

Sophie slid off of her chair and taking Nate's hand she walked with him up to their room.

Eliot set the last bowl in the drainer, flipped off the lights, and headed upstairs as well.

When he opened the door the bright light of the overhead lights was almost a shock as he came in from the dark hall. He could hear Gemma's heartbeat in the bathroom and he smiled to himself. He pulled open a drawer in his dresser and pulled out a small nightlight. He plugged it in and turned off the room lights. He turned on the bedside lamps so that it wouldn't be too dark when Gemma came in.

It wasn't long before Gemma opened the bathroom door. Eliot grabbed his pajamas from the dresser and stopped so that he could kiss Gemma. With his clothes fisted in his hand, he pulled her closer and let his other hand slide along her jaw and into her damp hair. He let his lips brush softly against hers and smiled a little when he felt her hands pull against his jeans in anticipation. He kissed her, taking his time, letting the way she moved against him and the little sounds she made tell him what she liked. After a few moments when he didn't think that he could stand anymore he broke the kiss. Placing a light kiss on her forehead he held her for a moment.

"You get comfortable. I'm gonna catch a quick shower." He gave her one more squeeze before he stepped away and headed for the shower.

~~o0o~~

When Eliot opened the door from the bathroom and stepped into his bedroom, it took a second for his eyes to adjust. Gemma had turned off both bedside lamps and the night light was the only light in the room. It was more than enough light to make out Gemma curled in the bed with her back to him.

He scented the air and picked up her unease. "Gemma, are you okay?"

There was a hesitation before he heard her hum a soft reply. "Mhmm."

He slowly approached the bed and sat lightly on the edge. "You can't lie to a werewolf darlin'. Did you change your mind about sleeping arrangements? I don't mind sleeping on the couch."

She hunched her shoulders a little. "No."

Eliot sighed. "Alright." He reached out and ran a finger over the curve of her shoulder. "Tell me what's going on then."

She turned as she sat up, crossing her legs. "I think I'm being dumb. I think I'm just overthinking things and it probably isn't that big of a deal."

Eliot couldn't help the half smile. He didn't have a clue what she was talking about, and she seemed to have started in the middle of the conversation. "Okay, let's pretend that I don't know what you're talking about, because I really don't. What are you overthinking?"

Gemma looked down at her hands in her lap. "The way you made me feel. It shouldn't be a big deal because it was how I wanted to feel anyway. So…"

Eliot set a finger on her knee. "Made you feel? You're making it sound like I manipulated you."

She nodded.

Eliot tamped down his immediate flare of irritation. He made sure his voice was calm and under control. "I hope that you feel the same way about me that I feel about you, but Gemma, if you don't it's okay. I won't be mad. Nothing bad will happen if you've changed your mind about everything." His wolf wanted to whine, and he was pretty sure his heart might break if she really did decide she was done with him.

Tears welled in her eyes and Eliot gripped the covers on the bed to keep from reaching out to her.

"No. I don't want to breakup with you."

"Okay." He took a deep breath. "What made you think that I was doing something to you?"

"When you kissed me…" The blush of her cheeks flared to make her whole face feel like it was on fire. "It made me want you." Her voice trailed to a whisper. "Made me want you to do more."

Her explanation made something click into place in his mind. "Gemma, I can't make you feel anything. I know the vampires can force your body to feel lust or pain, but I can't. Werewolves can't do that."

"What about the bonds you have with your pack? The connection you said you feel to me?"

"The bonds that I share with the rest of the pack means that I can feel what they feel. They can push emotions to me and I can push things to them. But just because I push something to them doesn't mean it will make them feel that way."

She tilted her head and reached for his hand. "What do you mean?"

"If I'm angry or sad and Parker pushes happiness through our bond, then I can decide to take what she sent and not be so angry or cheer myself up. Or I can feel that she sent happiness and refuse to be influenced by it."

"Okay."

"As much as I wish that you and I had that kind of connection we don't. So I have even less influence over you than I do with anyone else in the pack."

"But you made me feel…"

He gave her hand another squeeze. "When I kissed you and held you close, that's all that was, a kiss. The fact that you, that your body, responded to that touch is normal."

She frowned.

"If you hadn't liked me and I kissed you like that, aside from deserving to have my face slapped, you probably wouldn't have felt anything like what you did." He thought back over all the other times that he'd kissed her, or she'd kissed him. "Remember that first time you kissed me outside Ms. Teo's house?"

Her blush had almost subsided but at his words, her cheeks colored again. She nodded.

"Didn't you feel something then?" He tried to let how he'd felt show on his face. "You had me turned on. I didn't know what had made you decide to kiss me like that, but I liked it. I liked it in all kinds of ways."

She bit her lip and looked at him from under her lashes. "I liked it too." She huffed and looked at him more directly. "But like I said. I know I'm just overthinking things."

"No." He rubbed his thumb over her hand. "You being concerned that I was forcing something on you is a big deal. I won't ever force you to do anything. I want you to want me, and I want you to trust what you're feeling. I want you to trust me."

She leaned forward but stopped. "Can I kiss you again?"

"You can kiss me anytime you want." He held his arms open and let her come to him.

She kissed him lightly and rested her forehead against his. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Don't be sorry." He cupped her face in his palms and kissed the tip of her nose before leaning back just a little so that she could see his face. "Anything that makes you uncomfortable is important. You should always tell me." He smiled. "Sophie will tell you that I'm a man so there are all kinds of things I just don't understand. So that means I may not get it on my own, you will have to tell me."

She nodded and ran her hands across his shoulders and linked them behind his neck. She gave a small tug and he complied, leaning into her. She kissed him again.

After a moment he broke the kiss and pulled her into a hug. "We need to get some sleep and if we keep that up…"

"Do you want more?"

He nodded and moved so that she could see his face. "Yes. But I think we both need time to think about what happened earlier. I didn't bring you to Portland so that I could sleep with you. I brought you here so that we could spend time together. So that you could get to know me."

She smiled and kissed him quickly. "Thank you."

He stood and pulled the covers back. He settled in and with a smile at her, he deliberately closed his eyes as he laid his head on the pillow. His smile grew as he felt her slide closer to him and curl up against his chest.

"Goodnight Gemma."

~~o0o~~

Eliot felt Gemma's hands slide into his hair and he noticed an odd quality to her eyes. As he opened his mouth to ask what was happening, she leaned in and kissed him. He felt the tip of her tongue play across his lip and lust shot through his body. He couldn't help the moan that escaped him.

With a shove of her leg against his hip she rolled him onto his back. She placed several wet kisses across his collarbones and he felt lust rush through him again.

"Wait, Gemma." He gasped as he felt her weight settle over his hips. "Are you…"

He didn't get to finish his question as she leaned over him. He saw her eyes flicker for a second before the green of her eyes was replaced by the ruby gaze of a vampire. The gaze held him in place, and he couldn't move as she leaned down. He could feel the sharp points of her fangs on the side of his neck.

Eliot woke with a gasp and slid out of bed. He took several deep calming breaths and waited for his heart to stop racing. His wolf was still unsettled and he paced the length of the room.

Feeling helpless at the hands of someone he trusted. Feeling his body betray him. Feeling Gemma betray him. He shuddered while he thought about the nightmare. He marveled that Gemma hadn't left the room all together last night, if that's what she felt. It was a visceral reminder that he needed to take things slow with Gemma.

He'd never had to build a relationship before. The women he'd known had either liked him and they'd had a good time together or they weren't interested, and he'd moved on to someone else that was interested in a no-strings-attached-good-time.

He looked at Gemma, asleep in his bed, and he went still. He didn't want no-strings-attached. He knew it would be worth it to wait, to help her work through all the things that the vampires had twisted up.

Gemma moaned and reached across his side of the bed. He didn't want her to wake up like that, so he lifted the covers and carefully slid in next to her. The arm she'd reached out with wrapped across his chest with a strength he was surprised by. She curled into him so that her head and most of her shoulders were resting across his chest.

She mumbled and sighed. Eliot brushed the hair back from her face and checked her scent. He knew she was dreaming but he couldn't tell if it was a good dream or a bad one. He wrapped his arms around her and let a purr rumble in his chest.

The look on his face showed how scared he was. He hadn't knelt in front of her so much as it seemed like his legs refused to hold him up anymore. He had reached for her hands but stopped and let his hands fall to his knees. As his head fell forward his face was hidden behind the curtain of his hair. She ran her hands into his hair and he looked up at her with a pained expression. She wanted to make it better, but she wasn't sure what she should do.

~~o0o~~

Gemma woke slowly and smiled when she smelled Eliot under her cheek. She realized her head was on his chest and she could hear his heart beat. He was doing that purring thing that she liked. She turned her head and looked up at him.

He smiled down at her. "Mornin' sleepy head."

"What time is it?"

"Nearly seven Portland time. Makes it nearly nine a.m. in New Orleans."

"So does that mean I slept in or is it early?"

He ran a hand through her hair smoothing it away from her face. "How ever you want that to work." He chuckled. "You ready for breakfast?"

She nodded as she sat up. "What time do you usually get up?"

Eliot shrugged. "I've been sleeping a lot more than I used to but it still varies a lot."

She slid out of bed and stretched. "How long have you been awake?"

"A few hours." He shrugged.

She turned to look at him. "You didn't need to sit around and wait for me. You could have done whatever you normally do."

He held an arm out and she went to him. He held her close for a second and kissed the top of her head. "I did. I worked on my meditation and I watched you." He smiled as he let her go. "Usually when I'm up before the rest of the pack I'll meditate or go for a run. And usually I end up picturing what you might be doing, but today was better because I got to watch your pretty face while you slept." He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as he opened the bedroom door.

In the kitchen, he got her set up with fresh coffee. He went to the fridge, pulled out the small container of French vanilla creamer, and set it on the counter next to Gemma's mug. He handed her the sugar bowl as he went to get his apron from its usual hook.

Gemma fixed her cup of coffee and smiled at the taste. "Who else uses the French vanilla creamer?" Her eyes were still closed in bliss as she inhaled the scent coming from her mug.

"You can thank Hardison." Eliot smiled at the look on her face. "I would guess he saw a shopping receipt or a purchase history or something."

She started to laugh and nearly choked on her coffee. "You say that, like it's the most normal thing in the world for someone to be spying on me."

He frowned and absent mindedly scratched at the back of his neck. He remembered how much he'd hated Hardison's nosing around when the team had first gotten together but he realized he'd gotten used to it somewhere along the way. "I'm sorry. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"No. That's not what I meant." She slid off of her stool and came around the end of the counter. She slipped into his arms and wrapped her own arms lightly around his waist. "I thought it was funny. I know that you and your pack are looking after me and Ms. Teo and that's hard when you are so far away."

He rubbed a hand up and down her back. "It is because we care. Hardison wanted to make sure you felt at home here so he tried to make sure we'd have things that you liked on hand."

She pushed up on her toes and kissed his cheek before she went back to her coffee. "I'm surprised it was Hardison though." She smiled as she settled on her seat.

"Why's that?" Eliot started pulling out all the things he'd need to make breakfast.

"You can tell that things between him and Parker are pretty tight. I wouldn't have thought that he'd think of something like creamer for me."

"The whole pack has been pretty excited about your visit. Some of it is because they can all feel how excited I've been. And some of it is just because we live in each other's pockets so much, it's hard not to be interested in what the others are excited about."

"I guess so." She thought about how it would be to live with a family like that.

"Quinn offered us his room last night, and I know he's been riding herd on the others about keeping this place neat for your visit." He started cracking eggs into a bowl. "I wasn't given much of a chance to prepare anything." He smiled.

When he looked up, she was looking at the vase full of daisies that was sitting in the middle of the kitchen table. "I hope you don't mind daisies. I guess I should have asked what your favorite flower is." He frowned as he started whisking the eggs to a froth.

"I love them." She smiled at him. "I don't really have a favorite, I guess." She looked back at the flowers and smiled.

"It's gonna sound weird but I get you daisies because I really care about you. I remember walking home with you, carrying all those spring flowers and I thought how beautiful you looked. When we finally worked things out between us I kept picturing you with those flowers and it just felt right to buy you daisies."

"That doesn't sound weird." She sipped her coffee but couldn't hide her pink cheeks entirely behind the mug.

"I'm sure you probably expected roses, and I'd be glad to buy you roses if you like them better."

She looked at the frown creasing his forehead. "El, what's the problem with roses?" He looked up at her. "You seemed fine until you started talking about roses."

"I've bought roses for women before. Usually as a thank you after…" He took a deep breath and looked at her. "I bought them because it looked romantic but it didn't mean anything to me."

She held a hand out across the counter and he took it. "So no roses." She smiled. "Even before you told me all of that, I loved the daisies. I love them even more now, because I know you were thinking of me and it's not just some generic gesture." She squeezed his hand. "Thank you for my flowers."

He turned her hand in his and kissed her knuckles.