After a good nights rest I smile as I roll over. But instead of finding my handsome boyfriend, the bed is empty. I turn to look at the bedside clock and see that it reads it is noon. 'Oh yea he's at work. ' I think to myself as I stretch out. "I need to get ready to go to work myself." I get up, go to the bathroom, and grab a quick shower. Once I'm out of the shower, I grab all my clothes that I keep here into a pile so that Ms. Bower can take care of it when she comes in next. I pull on my jeans and riding boots, as I grab my bag packing the few things I need to bring back with me to the apartment. I throw on a plain red racer back shirt and grab my jacket. I find my helmet and place it on the foyer table along with my bag. I run up stairs, find my riding boots, and get ready to head out. I grab my phone and ear buds putting them in and finding a play-list I want to listen to. I jump on my bike and rev it up. I sit there for a moment and think about parking my bike and taking the scion FX instead. I shake my head and turn the wheel to go out on the drive way and head back to the city.
Three hours later it's now five something and I pull up to my apartment complex. I decide that I'm gonna park my bike in one of the covered parking garage in the back. I look behind me and pull back out into the road and make my way to the covered parking garage. I pull in and get off my bike. As I walk over to the stair well I take off my helmet and turn off my ear buds. I head up stairs and walk through the door leading into the hallway of my floor. I head for my door, unlock it, and walk in. I shut the door behind me locking it. I toss my back pack and helmet onto the couch and go straight for my bedroom. I flip on the lights and start to get ready for work. I brush my hair out and pull it up into a high pony tail. All three colors seem more vibrant tonight than usual, but I shrug it off. I braid my pony tail and check myself in the mirror. I put on a lace choker that covers a large portion of my neck. It has a cascade of bead work that comes to a point just above my breasts. The final stone at the bottom, center string is a blood red garnet stone. It's real, and Eirik gave it to me as a birthday present. I've always loved it and tonight I'm in a feisty mood. I look at the clock and it's seven. I go to my window and look out over the city with it's twinkling lights. I smile to myself. I head into my closet grabbing a strapless shirt, a pair of tight swim short pulling them on, and decide that I will be even more daring. I grab a black skirt that is tight to my mid thigh and then is slightly flowy. After I make sure I'm all good to go for work, I grab my cell phone and text Eirik.
" So what time are we opening?"
ding
" Hello to you too. We open at 9 tonight. Please be here a little bit early. We need to talk. Nothing big we just need to talk."
ding
"Aren't I always there a little bit early? I'm about to leave in a bit" I text him back and put my phone in my pocket. I grab my ear buds and sling them around my neck. I grab my pink and white joe rocket jacket, grab my icon sinner helmet and I'm back out the door and on the road.
As usual the drive the Enigma is relaxing. You would think after driving this route for so long one would become tired of the ride. Not me...I loved it. Any chance I had to ride I took it. As usual, I pulled up to the club and parked my bike in the garage. I look at my phone and see that I'm about an hour early getting in. Still, I look at GT-40 admiring the midnight blue paint. I smile to myself as I take off my helmet walking up the stair case. Pushing through the first door I see Eirik at the end of the hall still sporting his mohawk only this time the color seemed more burgundy this time. I shrug it off and continue to walk towards him. I notice he's on the phone and wait patiently by while he finishes. He glances at me and eyes me up and down. I look down at my pants, they look like dress pants but they are comfortable and stretchy. My shirt was a strapless red tube top that was lace covered with a sash and bow under my breasts, and slightly flowy under the sash and bow. I touched my necklace and looked at him like * what are you looking at? * And that's what I noticed he was looking at the necklace I was wearing.
After a few minutes Eirik was finally off the phone and I just stood there staring at him. I could feel the air becoming electrified between us. The more he stared at me the more the electricity built between us. He shakes his head as if coming back to the world around him. As quick as the electricity built up between us it was gone with the shake of his head.
"You wanted to talk to me about something?" I ask finally breaking the silence between us. I shift from foot to foot but I keep my hand on the garnet attached to my necklace.
"Yes, we need to talk about this guy you are hanging around." He runs his hand over his mohawk. His rings shining the in the hallway light. "I don't want him in here any more. I'm not going to tell you who you can and can't be with. However, this is my bar and I don't want him back inside. I'm sorry if this upsets you Lilianna, but this is where I stand on the matter." he continues to stare at me speaking more sternly than I have heard him speak in a long time.
"That's fine. Like you said it's your bar." I say rolling my eyes. Figuring he was going to start into me about me disappearing, but thankfully he left it alone. "So boss anything else you wanna talk about. Your style seems to have changed a bit." I comment seeing that he was wearing some older styled rings that seem to be from the 15th and 16th century. He still wore a pin strip Armani suit, but there seemed to a livery collar around his neck that looked to be fit for a king. Or, at least that's how I saw it. I step closer to him and breath in his scent. Smelling of the ocean and earth at the same time. I close my eyes and I can see the ocean next to a vast forest. A shiver runs down my spine. Opening my eyes I can see that we are standing within inches of one another.
"i know you know what I am. I've never hidden that from you. Nor would I hide anything from you. Not with everything we've been through together. However, I must inform you about the man you are dating or thinking about dating." He took my hand and I felt the electricity shoot through our touch. He sighed, bowed his head, and looked into my eyes. "You know you have the most beautiful green eyes. It's almost like staring into the purest of emeralds. But, I digress, your new boyfriend is a werewolf."
I look at him with a puzzled look on my face. How could my boyfriend...wow my boyfriend that sounds so weird. Considering how long it's been since I'd truly dated anyone. But the word werewolf didn't surprise me. Knowing me I knew sooner or later I would end up dating another supernatural. Shaking my head I look up at his purple eyes and they seem to give off the soft glow again. "Ok two things. First off we both knew sooner or later I'd end up with a supernatural. We both know that supernaturals are everywhere. So no big deal. I was just really hoping I could have a normal relationship. Considering my horrible past." I stop and wrap my arms around Eirik. I feel his arms snake around me and I find comfort in his embrace. "Secondly why do your eyes seem to glow every so often. I dismissed it at first thinking it was just the lighting in the club. I just saw it again so I figured I'd ask."
I could feel the vibration of his soft chuckle. Just as I could feel the warmth of his breath flow over me. "I agree completely. As for the so called glow that you see. Well that's a bit difficult to explain. I just don't want you to run." He holds me back forcing me to release him. Looking up at him I wait to see what he's going to reveal. " My eyes tend to get a 'glow' as you call it when I have extreme emotions. Such as love, anger, or when I get protective of someone. Such as you. What you are more than likely seeing right now stems from me loving you."
"Oh, why would I run? I love you too you big teddy bear." I say playfully slapping him on the chest.
"No I do not mean as in the love we have had for each other as family. I mean as in -" Eirik gets cut off by Henry coming through the door.
"Hey Lili come on, I need you downstairs I need to know what you need. It's suppose to be a big night tonight remember?" He says smiling. "Oh I'm sorry boss was I interrupting something? I'm sorry...Ah...Lili come down when you are finished." Henry smiles and back out heading back into the bar.
I look back up to Eirik waiting for him to finish. I can a fight going on behind eyes. I can tell he's debating if he should finish saying what he was saying. Then I see a change in him. "I will strike a bargain with you Lilianna. Your new boyfriend more than likely won't introduce you to his pack for the simple fact of no one will accept you. I am not trying to be rude or unpleasant, but he will break your heart. He will, at some point, no longer be able to still be with you. He will be forced, by the pack, to take a mate and wolves mate for life. I'm only telling you this because I am looking out for you." He says all this calmly. All I can do is stare at him. Letting my brain wrap around what he is saying. Not really knowing how I should feel. Eirik has always been truthful with me at least, everything that he has told me in the past was always true. So I have no real not to believe him. He lets go of my hand placing both of his hands on each of my upper arms. "Are you still with me?" I hear him ask. "Lilianna?"
"Yes, yes I'm sorry" I say shaking my head. "It's a lot to wrap my head around. I know you've never lied to me before, but I still feel you are wrong about this."
"Well like I said I will strike a bargain with you. If he does bring you to meet his pack then I will stay out of your love life. However, if he doesn't..." he trailed off.
I looked at him staring into his amethyst eyes. "If he doesn't... what? What do you get out this?" I said taking a step back and crossing my arms.
"Then I shall escort you to one of my kinds' masque ball. It will be a date." He said keeping eye contact, never wavering.
I stood there in front of a man I knew had lived for hundreds of years. Hell I knew what he was. Yet, somehow, he never scared me. Even the idea of going out with him didn't scare me. What scared me were the feelings I had for him that were starting to bubble to the surface. He had been there with me when I had a boyfriend who nearly put me in the hospital. He kept safe and has always watched over me. "Fine, I'll take your bet. We are suppose to go to the house out in the country again on my next few days off. I'll bring it up with him then. We shall see what happens." I say shaking his hand.
"Then it is settled. Also I will tell you the full reason about why my eyes glow."
"Yes, you were starting to tell me then Henry came up."
"Yes, yes, but I will tell you that reason once we find out about the outcome of the original bargain." He says. "Now go down stairs I'm sure Henry wants you to make sure everything is ok."
"Is Henry a supernatural as well or is he human?" I ask as I stop at the door leading into the club. I turn around and see Eirik make sure everything is in place. I watch him and study him. His movements are fluid, almost like liquid. He turns and looks at me. He smiles a true smile that I can see reaches his eyes. Yet, with this smile for the first time I see his extended K-nine teeth.
"You may ask him that question. I'm sure he will tell you." He says still smiling. With that he turns and goes into his office, shutting his door softly. I hear the click and turn around myself to enter the bar.
Back behind my bar the evening starts off slow but it picks up come midnight as we become full to capacity. I was doing great as far as tips. The bar was pulsing with the moving bodies of the patrons and the pumping bass from the blasting music. I have to give it to Eirik he had some great Djs come to play at the club. Though, tonight seemed different. I seemed to be checking everyone to see if I could spot the supernaturals around me. If there were any. I had begged Henry for a vampire and I was rewarded with a large toothy grin when I asked him. Which actually mad e a lot of sense on Henry's part. No matter how many cases of beer he was carrying it never seemed to bother him. It never seemed to be heavy to him. I kept myself busy making the patrons happy. I really never stopped moving as I served up drink after drink, shot after shot. Though still my mind's wheels kept turning as I took in those around me. Wondering and checking to see who was what exactly. It seemed most were human, though from I could tell those who were supernaturals that worked here were vampires.
After having the Dj call last call I started on my chores of cleaning up my bar and making sure everything was put away. I start my coffee pot so that when I am able to I can go out and do my daily ritual of drinking coffee on the seawall. As I am wiping down a gentleman is still sitting at my bar. Though most of the patrons have left. I leave him be while I clean up most of the bar. I take my tally of what beer I need and what liquor I need. I turn and see the man is still sitting there though this time I notice that he has no drink in front of him. "Sir, I'm sorry but we are closing." I say walking up to him. As I walk up I notice that he is a very well built man. He is wearing a gray under armor shirt and I can see the definition of his muscles through the shirt. It seems as though the man was chiseled from stone. Yet, before I knew it Henry and Eirik both were next to me.
"Lili come with me in the back." Henry said taking my hand pulling me gently into the back of the back of the bar. "Come on Lili you can help me take count of inventory back here." He continued as he got me through the door.
"What the hell was that all about?" I ask my hand on my hips. I wasn't the least bit happy about being dragged away.
"Look I don't know how old you think Eirik is, but I can tell you this. He was around for Henry VIII and the Cousin's War." Henry said as he walked over to the walk in cooler. "He's on the council and the man that was sitting at your bar. Well, he too is on the council, and I'm assuming Eirik sensed too that the man seemed interested in you." He called out from the freezer. I just stood there.
"So wait you mean to tell me that that man is what? Older than Eirik? Lived with Eirik? An elder...I think is what they are called? At least that's what it is called in the books that I've read." I wave my hands in the air admitting defeat. Screw it. I find a spot sit and just give up on my coffee.
"Kinda. There is a council and they basically do nothing. They sit around, going over treaties and deciding what is still needed as 'laws' for our kind. They go things with other supernatural leaders to make sure everyone and everything Tis..." he pauses as he comes out the cooler and and sets down two empty kegs. " Basically in order. they make up the rules to stay with in the times. Example they will discuss a treaty about supers who can't go to certain places of the city because there may have been a war hundreds or even centuries ago. Vampires and wolves had a war and basically came to a stalemate; deciding that neither side could go into the others territory."
"Ok?"
"Well the council gets together with the local pack leaders and go over treaties. More or less making a truce. If the local pack leaders and the council and everyone else has no problems then the war is finished, and a truce is made."He finished shrugging his shoulders. "Kinda like how the world is ran today. I know that there are no more wars that I know of and if someone acts out of line they are punished accordingly."
"Ok so basically supers as you call them are ran as their own people and countries. They follow the rules just as us humans do with our societies." I say as I look over to the door. Wondering what the hell is going on in the bar.
"Yea pretty much." He picks up two full kegs that he had brought out and put them back on the cooler. I watch him and wonder how the hell I never noticed any of these things going on around me. "So I hear this new guy you are seeing is a wolf. From what I have seen of him he's one of the local pack leaders."
Now that got my attention. My head snapped to look at Henry. "What did you just say?" I ask doing all I can to keep my jaw from hitting the floor.
"Yea you're new boycandy is a local pack leader. I've seen him before talking with the council. What? You didn't know." He asked as he finished up closing up the freezer and walking over to me.
It took all I had to not come out of my skin. "No I didn't know. Honestly I just learned he's a wolf. He hasn't said anything to me about being a wolf let a lone being a pack leader. " I say shaking my head. Why was it I couldn't figure this stuff out? "He's seemed so normal to me." I just sat there my head in my hands. Everything I had learned tonight was more than any one person could handle.
"Lilianna?"
I turned around hearing my name and saw Eirik standing in the door way. I turned and looked at Henry who just shrugged, unlocked a door, and disappeared into a hallway. I turned back looking at Eirik who seemed pained or at at war with something inside of him. I stood up walking over to him and just wrapped my arms around him. I don't know why but for me Eirik represented safety and security. I knew when I was with him, I would always be safe and protected. And frankly right now. That was all I wanted. I could him physically relax and wrap his arms around me. I inhaled deeply and could smell roses, and a faint hint of cedar on his clothes. I knew that with everything that I had been through Eirik would always be there for me.
"Lili if you want you can either take my car home, take your bike, or you can stay here." Eirik said softly. He stroked my hair and planted a chastised kiss on the top of my head.
"Stay here? Where am I gonna sleep on my bar top?" I ask almost laughing. I look up at him and I can see his eyes are glowing. I just smiled and laid my head back on his chest.
"Believe it or not there is an apartment built into the garage area that can be accessed through my office or in the garage area. Though, like I said you have three choices. Which you may choose is up to you. I have no problems with either." He said now rubbing his hand up and down my back.
"Who was the man at the bar?"
"He was a council member. I'm sure Henry has explained a few things to you about how everything works. I'm sure he's explained my role." He said. I nod my head listening to him. "Apparently, he smelled your boyfriend on you and thought you were a wolf. He cares very little for wolves." I again nodded my head and stayed where I was.
I took a few minutes and decided that I could just stay at the club that night. It wasn't like I was going to be meeting up with anyone. I always kept an extra charge behind my bar for my phone. Just to be safe. I took a step back, looking up and asked. "So this 'apartment' in the garage, does it at least have a shower, and comfortable bed?" I smiled as I asked. A bit of the fear and confusion leaving my body.
Smiling kindly he answered "Yes it's fully stocked with anything you may need. Though, I do beg your forgiveness it is not filled with girly things. I mainly use it and so does Henry when one of us stays here. More myself than him."
"That's fine as long as I can take a quick shower and relax. Oh does the bar wifi make it out there?" I asked looking at my phone, walking back out to the main bar, and grabbing my things from behind the bar. I left my helmet since I wasn't going home. I turned the coffee pot off and figured I could clean it out when I woke up and before I started work. Eirik looked around and started to make his way to the stairs. Though, right before he went up I noticed he flipped a switch though nothing happened. I shrugged it off and went to follow Eirik.
"No to answer your question. There's another wifi connection for that area." He said as he turned his head to answer me. Eirik kept walking the back way to get to the garage. Once we hit the door and entered the garage I saw that the large doors are closed. I guess he caught me staring. "Yes I closed the doors earlier when I was waiting on you." He answered. I shrugged and kept walking along with him. We went down the stairs, walked to the far end of the garage and that's when I saw I large enclosed area. It looked plain but sturdy and secure.
"Is it safe out here?" I ask as I look around and start to rethink my decision. Eirik just looks at me and smiles.
He reaches for the door, turning the handle and motioning for me to enter. As I enter through the door, I see that there's a short staircase leading down and what looks like a metal door. As we descend down the stairs, the door in front of me pops open slightly. I push through door and walk into something that seems out of the dream of a Persian sultan. Persian rugs littered all over the floor and hanging from ceiling to floor, lanterns hung from various heights with soft glowing faux candles, a very large four poster bed sat against the wall with dark fabric hanging off of it, and what look like a very large TV opposite the bed. It felt cooler down here and I knew we had to be below ground. Walking up to the bed, I threw my stuff on and top of the plus comforter. I run my hands over the colorful fabric of the beautiful and plush comforter. I look across the bed and on the same wall the bed is against I see another door. I just start looking around and find that I am more comfortable here than I have been in a long time. This place is like a dream, a fantasy almost.
"Like I said there is a shower just on the other side of the bed. There is also a closet to the right of the TV. You can watch whatever you want. The wifi pass-code is eskimo kiss."
I cut him off looking at him. "That's it that's the smell in here that I recognize. It's eskimo kiss."
He nods and continues talking " I won't be far away if you need anything. There are only two remotes that open the door. I will have one just in case you need me for anything and you will have one." He says setting a key fob down on a large night stand. "Just call me or text me to let me know you need anything. There's a small fridge with sodas, waters, snacks if you want anything. Have a good sleep my dear Lili." He came and gave a hug. I hugged him back. He kissed the top of my head, releasing me and stepping back. With that he turned and left leaving me to my own devices.