Chapter 9

~Alistair~

I saw Eliana off to her car, a white Maserati, which had been parked in the parking lot. As we left my office, any employee passing by stared at us, and I knew many eyes were on us as we both walked together.

“I think people are staring because you’re holding my waist,” She said, with an aura of shyness enveloping her.

“I think it’s because they’ve never seen a woman coming to see me, and I’m walking out with a beautiful one today,” I told her.

“No woman has ever come to see you?” She inquired, surprised.

“Yes. You’re the first one,” I told her, shooting a smile in her direction.

When we had gotten to her car, her driver, a young man who seemed to be in his middle twenties stepped out of the car, and held the door for her.

She turned to face me. “Garrett was right. We do look like we’re going on a date, and honestly, I wish we were. You still haven’t made up for leaving me all alone the other night,” She said.

I placed my hands on her shoulders. “Trust me, Eliana, I’d have loved to go out with you right now, but I’m really busy,” I said.

She smiled, expressing that she understood. “I understand, Alistair. I’m sure it’s not easy to run a company, especially since you’re the only child. You should focus on your company,” She told me.

“I want to focus on you, too. How about we go out on Saturday?” I proposed.

A smile lit up her face. “I’m always open to going out with you to a fancy restaurant,” She said.

I shook my head. “No, not a fancy restaurant this time around. I was actually thinking of something more fun, like going to the beach. What do you think?” I asked.

“Wow. I haven’t been to a beach in years. I’d like to do that, but how about we have like a group thing? You and Jennifer with Garrett, and I could bring my friend along, Carrie. We are both always at home, and we could use some fun at the beach,” She said, proposing a counter-offer.

“Sounds like a plan. I was thinking of doing something with just us two, but the beach is actually more fun with more people around from what I’ve seen,” I told her.

“Oh. You’ve never been to the beach with people?” She asked, looking quite surprised.

I nodded my head in the affirmative. “Yeah. I like the scenery, so, I usually go out there sometimes, pay for a private spot, and sit in the sand, staring at the waters. I do that when I need to think about something really disturbing, or when I want to clear my head from some depressing thoughts,” I explained.

“That’s sweet. Except for when we had a field trip in the college a few years ago, the last time I was at the beach was the week before prom night. Candice, Nick, Sam and I had so much fun. Life was so much better with them around,” She said.

“Well, you’ve got me now, and I’ll make life even better than it was before for you,” I promised, meaning every bit of what I had said.

She smiled, and embraced me without warning, her warmth enveloping my body, and passing on a soothing feeling to me.

I hugged her, too, and after like a minute, we both let go of each other.

“You smell really nice,” She said, with her ever warm smile.

“Thank you,” I said.

“You’re welcome. I have to go now. I’m sure my parents are going to be furious when they learn that I ditched my date,” She said, with a dry laugh.

“I’m sure they already know that you ditched your date, ma’am. They already called me like five times, but I haven’t picked up,” Her driver said, inviting himself into our conversation.

“Oh, Davies. This is why you’re the best. Your mum is okay now, right?” She asked.

“Yes ma’am,” He responded.

“That’s good to know. When we get home, you’ll tell my parents that I went to visit the cemetery, and your phone was in the car because you were not in it, and you were rather watching me from a distance. How’s that sound?” She asked.

“Perfect, ma’am,” He said, with a smile, obviously happy that he wasn’t going to get into trouble in any way.

“So, this is where we say goodbye for today,” She told me, who had been standing there all along, listening to how politely she spoke to her driver.

Damn! The girl had a lot of good qualities, to the extent that she even seemed too good to be true. What if she was just faking it? That wasn’t possible. I’d know.

“Okay, Eliana. I’ll give you a call,” I said.

She placed her hand on my cheek, and brought me closer to her, then gave me a simple kiss on the lips as a parting gift, then turned around.

She stepped into her car, and while I waved, I watched as Davies, her driver started the car and soon, the car was out of sight.

I went back inside the company, feeling angry at Jenny, and hoping to confront her as soon as I got to my office. She was becoming annoying, and although I tried to look at things from her own perspective and understand her, things were becoming so difficult with her, and if I didn’t put her in her place as soon as I possibly could, sooner or later, she was going to become worse than she already was, and things will get out of hand.

I stepped into the office after getting off the elevator, and met her sitting with her legs crossed on the chair Eliana had previously been sitting on. Her brother, Garrett, was flipping through the pages of a book that he had gotten from the shelf, and barely looked at me, as I approaches his sister. It was obvious he was paying attention, but only to the book he seemed engrossed with.

“What was that for, Jenny?” I inquired.

“What are you talking about?” She retorted, looking at me crossly, with her arms folded tightly underneath her breasts, anger written all over her.

“You know what I’m talking about, but first of all, I want to say that I told you before that getting a wolf as a pet was a dumb mistake,” He said.

“Because of my injury? That’s why it’s a dumb mistake?” She retorted, slightly raising her voice.

“Yes. Wolves aren’t meant to be pets. They are wild animals. You can’t keep putting yourself in danger simply because you want to prove that wolves can be tamed,” I said to her.

She scoffed. “I’m not trying to prove anything to one. Even if it bites me, I’ll heal, so, what are you stressing about? It’ll adapt to civilisation soon,”

I rolled my eyes. “You found a wolf on your last business trip when you went into the woods in Wisconsin. I don’t know what you went to look for in the woods. Somehow, you smuggled it down here. If it was a baby wolf, it would have been different. You brought a full grown wolf to California, and expect it to adapt to your way of life all of a sudden? Let it go into the forest where it belongs. You aren’t doing it any justice by locking it up in a cage. It’s furious at you, and that’s why it keeps biting you and attacking you,” I explained.

“He calms down when I show him I’m a wolf too. We’re all wolves here, all of us in this room. Why are you then discriminating against the poor thing? Isn’t it one of your own?” She asked, like a stupid person would.

“It’s not one of my own. I’m a werewolf, and I still have human traits. I’m not an animal, okay?”

She rolled her eyes, and stood up from her chair, with the intention of leaving the office. “That’s all you wanted to say, right?” She asked.

“No, Jenny. I wanted to ask why you were filled with envy and anger when Eliana was here some minutes ago. That’s the main reason I wanted to speak to you,” I said.

She guffawed. “Envy? Why should I be green with envy? What’s so special about that brown-skinned girl that you make issues with me all the time now? What?” She yelled.

“Calm down,” I said, even though I knew that she could shout all she wanted and no one would hear, since the office was soundproofed.

“I won’t calm down. You’re accusing me of being jealous because of that girl, and you expect me to calm down. If she had blonde hair, everyone would call her a dumb blonde. I’m better than she is. I’m not some princess that knows how to just dress up and look pretty. I’m independent, fierce, beautiful, intelligent and strong, so, don’t you try to belittle me or take away the confidence I have in myself by telling me to my face that I’m jealous or envious of that stupid girl,” She said, without pausing for breath, and gave me a look that could kill if only looks could kill.

I swallowed, knowing fully well that no matter how I argued or tried to make her see things from a reasonable point of view, she wasn’t ready to step down from her high horse and admit all the things I had said or even render an apology.

“I sensed how offended and jealous you were when you got in here and met Eliana, and I was going to talk to you about it at home, but since the matter is already out, I figured I should involve myself in the discussion. You and Alistair are just friends, right? Where’s the anger then coming from?” Garrett asked, closing the book he had been going through.

“Fine! I was angry, but because of something else. I think it’s because the wolf bit me, but I certainly wasn’t angry because of Eliana, and I sure as hell aren’t jealous of her. I’m sorry for acting up,” She said, then without bothering for any of us to say anything, walked out of the office, with an aura of anger around her.

“You know she was lying, right?” Garrett asked.

I rolled my eyes. “She’s your sister, and I am done with this conversation,” I said, even though I knew deep down that she had been telling a lie.

“Okay then. My sister wants you to give me a job in your com...”

“I agreed to forgive you doesn’t mean I’d just let you into my life. I’m not giving you a job, no matter what your sister says,” I objected, cutting in.

“It’d have been nice if you had let me finish. I don’t want to work here, so, in case she brings up the topic, please, tell her you can’t and that there’s more than enough workers here,” He pleaded.

“You lazy piece of shit. You want to live off your sister, isn’t it? You don’t want to work, do you?” I asked.

“I want to, but I’m not used to things like this. I want to do something I love. I love animals a lot, so, I was thinking of working as a veterinarian,” He said.

I shot him a small smile. “Becoming a man, are we? I’d get a good place for you before the end of tomorrow. How does that sound?”

“It sounds awesome, thanks,” He said.

I wanted to have an open heart towards Garrett, but someone like him didn’t seem so trustworthy to me. I didn’t believe that people changed. I was a staunch believer of the fact that when you give people second chances, you’d wish you hadn’t, because a leopard can never hide his spots.