In The Beginning, Chapter 66
Charlie POV
I was sat in the kitchen, naked, with Daniel’s arms around me, neither of us spoke as we found comfort in the other, but not a solution to our relationship issues. Breaking our frozen moment, Daniel began stroking my arms softly.
“We should think about getting in the shower if we are going to be ready for the ceremony tonight.” He whispered, I span around, shocked and a little sceptical.
“Are you sure?” I asked searching both his eyes and the bond for his true feelings.
“Yes.” He said closing his eyes like he was resigning himself to his decision. “You made some good points...” He conceded, though through gritted teeth. “But you remain between Ben and Bailey whenever you cannot be beside me.”
“Fine, but tonight only. I will not have a bodyguard at every pack event, it will make people think you don’t trust them or me, either way it will affect the pack.” I countered.
“Can we tackle them as they come? If there is an attack before another event... I won’t be able to overlook that. Your safety has to come first.” He desperately tried to explain.
“I understand, but I’m getting stronger, I’m sure that if there was an attack, I could teleport myself, maybe even Maria and Bailey too.” I added hopefully but immediately began back tracking when he visibly paled. “Maybe I just teleport myself here tonight, and work on adding Maria and Bailey to my training. I won’t try it until Theia thinks I'm strong enough?” He didn’t reply for a moment, I could feel his emotions whirling around, like a tornado, only instead of carrying debris, it was painful memories, whipping at him as they swirled around his mind.
“If there is an attack tonight, you teleport here, the patrol will be notified and will station themselves around the house until myself or Ben arrives. We will talk to Theia about the viability of you teleporting yourself, Bailey and Maria tomorrow.” He stated clearly, the tempest in his mind easing as he accepted what had to be done. His nose had barely left my hair, which I knew was also helping him calm down. I sat silently, while he ran his nose over my skin, allowing it to quell the last battling fears trying to hound him. We were sat with our backs to the wall, the doors to the garden to our right, the door to the pantry and laundry room directly opposite us and to the left of the stove. Directly to our left was the hall that held Daniel’s office door, the stairs, and the opening to the living room. Looking at it, I was suddenly struck by the knowledge that there was an entire section of the house I had not seen. Daniel’s office was long and thin, it only took up a third of the wall it shared with the kitchen.
“Hey what’s behind there?” I asked before I could stop myself, Daniel extracted his face from inside my curls to look at where I was asking about, and I thought I saw his cheeks flush a little.
“Do- do you want me to show you now?” He asked, and I could feel the apprehension rolling off him. I grabbed my shirt off the floor, fishing my phone out of the pocket.
“We have a little time, but we will have to leave anymore... distractions until we get back tonight.” I warned, turning to wrap my arms around his neck, making my inference unmistakeable by wriggling my hips, and pressing my breasts against his chest.
“You ask the impossible woman, have you seen you naked, and wet.” He growled, pulling my legs higher.
“I could always bathe alone, so I don’t tempt you?” I asked innocently, the flash of his wolf in his eyes sent a little shiver down my spine.
“You, are my mate. We will bathe together.” The gravelly voice of his wolf snarled, offended by my offer.
“I was only teasing, you don’t have to show me if you aren’t comfortable with it, and I love bathing with you, in the tub or the shower. You know that.” I subdued his wolf until he could claw back control, by rubbing my nose along his, then down his neck to his chest. Leaving little licks and kisses as I went until Daniel’s hands on me let me know he was back, his breathing a little faster as his body responded to my touch. It still felt a little silly at first, but Daniel’s responses gave me the confidence to keep going and do more.
“Charlie?” He gasped, I felt his body respond as I continued to rub myself on him, as a wolf would. “If you want the tour, you had better stop before I can no longer control myself!” He cried as my fingers traced the muscles in his back. I froze, I wanted to know, but I also liked watching Daniel’s reactions to my attempts at Lycan seduction. “Come on.” He chuckled, lifting me off his lap, he handed me his shirt to wear, as he threw his underwear on, and led me through the house almost to the front door. He opened the door opposite the living room that I had assumed was a closet, inside was a small den, with a large comfortable love seat, and a few decorations, and another door. Daniel led me through the den, leading me to the door, and the hidden space. He led me by the hand into a pitch-black room. “Don’t move.” He whispered before disappearing. Soft lighting flickered along the wall behind me, illuminating a wall of curtains. Confused, I made to step forward when they began opening, and I saw floor to ceiling windows, that exposed the forest. They were designed to appear as if the trees were an extension of the room, and the effect was breath-taking. I turned, looking for Daniel, it was only then I saw the other three walls of the room were floor to ceiling bookcases, stuffed full of books, little brass ladders that did not look sturdy enough to support Daniel’s weight, were each sat on the far right of each bookcase, connected to rails along the top. The sconces were made to look like old fashioned oil lamps, complete with glass domes that were shaped like petals of a flower.
“It’s like a mini-” I began.
“-version of the library from Beauty and the Beast.” We said at the same time, his enormous frame somehow stealthily extracted himself from the shadows. To my right was an even larger love seat than in the den, with comfortable looking overstuffed cushions in a forest green. The dark wood floors almost looked like the ground outside, the dark wood continuing to the bookshelves, so they looked like they had been carved into the forest. The ceiling looked like a canopy of leaves until it got close to the windows. Even the curtain poles looked like dark vines, like the room had been constructed with magic.
“You also mentioned something about a treehouse? Or a series of ‘book nooks’?” He quoted, and I definitely saw a slight blush to his cheeks, mine were burning with embarrassment. I had rattled off a lot of nonsense during our first few dream dates, believing that he was imaginary, including a bunch of half-cocked ideas about my dream house when he had asked. The truth was I didn’t really know what I wanted, I had only thought about building homes, buying one for my mother, of course I’d seen the odd HGTV show and made note of a few things I thought were interesting, one of them being several different library ideas, a dream I had carried since the first time I saw Beauty and the Beast as a girl. “I tried to incorporate as many of the ideas as possible...” I turned back to him confused.
“You made this for me?” I asked, and his cheeks were definitely red.
“Well... yeah.” He shrugged, looking at the floor like he wanted it to open up and swallow him whole.
“Then why didn’t you show me before?” I asked, tucking myself under his arm, in an attempt to drag him out of his bashfulness.
“I had a plan, but then we had that stupid fight, and you believed Ben, and I ended up asking you at your apartment, but you said no, so I thought I would wait and set up a picnic. But then Ireland happened- and I already- and you said yes that time, and it never seemed like the right time. I was going to give it to you for your birthday, but my wolf terrorised you and it didn’t feel right giving it to you then. Like I was trying to buy your forgiveness... so it just sorta... sat here.” He seemed to run out of steam towards then end of his little rant, but I was still struggling to fill in the blanks and understand exactly what he was trying to say.
“You were going to give me a library, to propose?” I asked incredulously.
“It was supposed to be symbolic.” He mumbled, clearly still embarrassed, while I was overwhelmed, and touched he had put so much thought and effort into making the pack house, my dream home. “I was going to ask you to move in at the same time... I know this place isn’t everyone’s taste, and I was worried you might not like it here... I wanted to give you someplace special.” He spoke low.
“It’s... amazing, beautiful, better than what I imagined!” I laughed, glancing around, his head shot up in surprise.
“You really like it?” He asked excitedly.
“Of course, I do!” I cried, jumping into his arms, and wrapping my arms around his neck. “It’s perfect!” I smiled, tears of joy threatening to spill from my eyes.
“Then why are you crying?” He whispered, claiming my lips softly.
“Because I’ve never been loved like this before, and I’m so incredibly happy!” I laughed, planting a firmer kiss on his lips.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
