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Following the Feeling Ch. 01

By: cricketmuse



Groggily she walked into the restaurant and headed for the hostess stations. A petite woman with amber hair and green eyes smiled and asked, "Do you have a reservation?"

"It's under the name Gareth for 9 o'clock," she responded around a yawn.

The hostess checked her book, smiled and picked up two menus. "Will you follow me, please?"

Kiera hastily nodded while smothering another yawn. They walked through a maze of well dressed tables mostly occupied by other diners. At a booth towards the back the waitress waited until Kiera sat and then handed her a menu then put the other one down on the opposite side. A waiter immediately appeared to place her napkin on her lap.

My, what service, Kiera thought while smiling her thanks.

"Would you like to order a drink now while you wait for your other party?" the waiter asked while yet another waiter, also handsome, poured glasses of water.

Mentally rolling her eyes at the number of attractive servers, she replied, "No thanks, just water for now."

With a dazzling, yet polite smile, the waiter and water bearer walked on to be oh so helpful to other tables. Sipping her water, Kiera surreptitiously looked around at the other diners. Some were casually dressed, but most had nice cocktail dresses and suits on. She felt worn down and ragged in her present company. She picked up the menu and saw many offerings in beef and pork and lamb and more meat dishes. She wasn't a vegetarian, but how much meat could one place offer? She put the menu down with a sigh and leaned her head back against the back and closed her eyes.

He's nervous, he must be going to propose tonight. She already knows and is impatient for him to ask. A waiter is irritated with his current table. The group there is drunk and lusting after the cute waiter. Someone in the kitchen is angry and probably yelling at someone else who is also angry, but scared too. 

The emotions of the people in the restaurant rolled over and through Kiera's mind. She couldn't turn it off, couldn't make it quiet when she was this tired. She just wanted to be home with her cats and with the quiet. The blessed quiet and stillness of home. But no, Gareth insisted they have dinner tonight and picked "the best restaurant in the city" to come to. She agreed because she liked Gareth's company and he'd just haunt her cell phone and doorstep until she agreed. Single gay friends would be the death of her, Kiera thought with a smile. Single gay friends who finally showed up, that is.

"Kit-kat, you look positively run over."

Kiera opened her eyes and her smiles wearily grew. "Always a charmer, you. No wonder David dumped your sorry ass."

Garteth slip into the booth across from her and glared. "Not nice and totally uncalled for. My God, how long has is been since you've slept?"

Kiera tried to think. "What day is it?"

"Thursday. It's September 22nd, official first day of Autumn, 9:05 PM," he finished while looking at his watch.

"Hmm, you were late."

"No, I'm sure I was in the parking lot by 9:00. And don't dodge the question, Kit-Kat."

Kiera sighed and picked up her menu. A petite sirloin sounded nice with sautéed mushrooms and a side salad. Maybe a nice hearty meal would put her out. Isn't there something in turkey to make her sleep? Or is it just sleepy? She was already sleepy she needed no help there, and besides there wasn't turkey on the menu. Petite sirloin it was. 

"I caught a cat nap on Tuesday afternoon before opening the bar," she finally replied.

Gareth huffed in that way of his that seemed both refined and offended. As if it was her fault. As if it impeded his life. As if. 

"Love, whatever it is this time that's keeping you up, you need to fix it. Or try drugs. Have you tried taking something?"

"Yeah well I've tried smoking pot, but it just makes me hungry," she said with a smirk. "What are you going to have?"

"I've been craving some big meat," he answered with the same smirk, "I think I'll have the prime rib. This is the best restaurant in town for steak, you know. Apparently the owners own their own ranch and raise the best beef."

"Freaky." 

Gareth began to speak, but just then one of the good looking waiters came over to take their order. Gareth ordered a glass of red wine and the prime rib and Kiera ordered the sirloin, medium rare.

"Would you care for a cocktail with dinner?" the waiter asked.

"No alcohol for me, thanks."

With a lingering smile he nodded and walked back to the kitchen. 

"I think he was flirting with you, K. Pity. All the cute ones are straight."

Kiera laughed at that. "One, the popular saying is all the good ones are married or gay and two, I'm pretty sure being charming is in the job description."

"I said cute ones, not good ones. Rarely do the two meet. And you seem to have forgotten that you a quite a lovely creature. Speaking of creature, back to your freaky statement. I would think that given your...uniqueness, that you could appreciate a restaurant with a certain flair. Something out the ordinary, like you." 

Kiera's eyebrow raised. "I think there was a compliment in there somewhere, but it got lost. I'd ask you to try again, but I'd rather you didn't. I'm too tired and there's way too much going on here for me to focus on sifting through your words looking for sense. So let's talk about..." and then she slammed her fist on the table.

Gareth grabbed for the water glasses and exclaimed, "Shit, K, what the fuck was that about?"

But she was lost to feeling. Not hers, but someone else's nearby. Someone in pain and fear and...dying. 

"Someone...is...dying," she hissed through clenched teeth. 

Gareth looked around, but didn't see anything unusual other than the other diners staring at their table. He leaned forward and whispered, "K, I don't see anything. Just breathe. Maybe an ambulance is driving by, just breathe through it."

"Not passing. Close."

"Can I help you?" the waiter asked with a concerned face. 

Kiera's eyes rolled up to his. His immediately dropped to the ground. "I-I'll just get th-the manager."

Through the haze of pain and terror she was experiencing, she felt the waiter's fear like a lick again the back of her brain. She didn't care if she upset the waiter. She didn't care that she scared him even if it wasn't intentional. She just wanted to be able to breathe and escape from the vicinity. She pushed herself up from the table and Gareth stood quickly to catch her arm. 

"Don't touch," she warned. Strong emotions could be transferred through touch and she'd rather not subject her friend to this. With as much focus as she could muster she started her way back through the maze of gaping diners to the entrance. They probably thought she was having an asthma attack with her shallow wheezing breaths. Almost at the entrance, just a few more steps and then the door was blocked by a towering bulk of a man.

"I'm sorry, but can I help you? I'm the owner and will assist you in any way I can," he spoke in a professional, yet soothing tone. "Should I call a cab or do you require emergency assistance?"

"Move," Kiera whispered while being assailed by an excruciating wave of pain induced terror. 

Gareth moved beside her and said, "She'll be fine, just needs some fresh air. You know how these intimate settings can, uh, overwhelm a girl."

He continued speaking to the man Kiera only registered as large while she sidled between them with barely a brush of clothing and headed outside. At the first blast of cool evening air reached her she drew a deep breathe and tried desperately not to scream. She turned left away from the source of what she sensed, and then stopped. This wasn't natural death, it was murder. The fresh air and space cleared her brain enough to feel some guilt about just walking away. She turned around and walked in the other direction while following the trail of emotions she felt. Such extreme feelings blocked out most everything else, though she knew Gareth was worried and was following her along with someone else. The feelings magnified as she approached a dark alley. She paused at the entrance.

"Stay here," a voice said behind her, but she didn't hear it. Kiera stepped into the darkness of the alleyway heedless of the hands that tried to hold her back. She walked about halfway down before her other senses picked up what the one had already been screaming. The bitter metallic smell of blood, the red splashes of it painting the dimly lit walls. And there in the middle was a huge beastlike creature biting at a man who desperately tried to fight it off. His eyes were wide and panicked, but alert. 

As the scene sank in, Kiera was roughly pushed aside as a great growl echoed through the alley. The beast raised its head at the growl and whipped around to meet the new aggressor. It was barreled backwards over his recent victim and thrown to the ground. Kiera dimly registered the man from the restaurant entrance, but her primary focus was on the bloodied heap of a man on the ground. Inching forward she pulled off her sweater and tried to find the best place to staunch the blood flow. Gareth knelt next to her while watching the fight in front of them. He tore off his dinner jacket and also started covering gaping wounds and applying pressure. The man on the ground growled at them, but was too weak to do otherwise. 

Seconds later they heard strange yelping and growling and then the beast fell to the ground. The restaurant owner stood with his back to them for another half minute before turning to join them on the ground. 

"Derek, help is on its way," he said while looking over the various wounds. 

"Should I call 911?" Gareth asked tremulously. He was pretty sure he was going to be sick. 

"No," the man growled. "Help is coming."

Kiera was still only peripherally aware of the conversation. The man on the ground still pulsed with fear and pain and...shame? She reached out and touched his hand. After an initial jerk the man settled back down and looked back at her. 

"Okay," she whispered, "it's going to be okay." Meanwhile she let calmness fill her and she pushed it into him like a warm blanket meant to soothe away the fear and pain.

In response he tightened his grip on her hand. They sat like that for another minute before voices were heard. In a rush a group of people surrounded the small group pushing them aside to get to Derek. He refused to release Kiera's hand and held onto her like a life raft while the people spoke with the other man, replaced the sweater and jacket with swathes of bandages and as an afterthought covered the dead beast with a black tarp. Minutes later they were ready to transport Derek, not through the entrance of the alley but rather towards the back. Kiera was dragged along despite everyone's efforts to get him to let go of her. At the other end they went into one of the buildings which was attached to the restaurant and then into a large elevator. It went down several floors and then pinged open to what looked like a hospital corridor. It was white and smelled sterile. They rushed along to a room that housed a doctor and roomful of nurses who swarmed around their patient as soon as he was transported onto a bed. In the rush Kiera managed to free herself with one last burst of calm into Derek. He whimpered briefly, but settled. 

She stepped back and looked around. She blinked and then everyone else's feelings came rushing into her mind. It was intense, but manageable. She saw Gareth slumped in a corner and walked towards him. Again her way was blocked by a towering figure.

"You." he began. It was the man from the restaurant. He was glaring, but she didn't sense his anger was directed at her. "You knew something was wrong when you were in the restaurant."

"Yes," Kiera replied. 

His eyes narrowed, "What are you?"

She blinked. "I'm human. What are you?"

"I'm not," he answered with a growl. "How did you know? Are you a witch or a psychic?"

Kiera's spine stiffened at his interrogatory tone. Somehow she knew she should be afraid, but she was too tired and emotionally wrung out too heed her natural fear.

"Empath," she bit out. 

"So you just felt something and went to investigate? How altruistic. How do I know you aren't lying? That you aren't working with them? That you haven't been assigned to ingratiate yourself to the pack by "saving" one of our lives? That the bastard who attacked Derek was supposed to finish the damage and be gone before you showed up? Who are you?"

The last accusatory question echoed in the room while the doctor and nurses tried desperately to ignore the distraction. Kiera stood there while her own emotions warred within until one won. It was anger. 

"What the FUCK are you talking about?" And with that the exhaustion caught up with her and she passed out at his feet. 

Grayson James Gray, Alpha of the most prestigious werewolf pack in the Southern states, stared down in disbelief at the woman at his feet. Of all the ways he'd made woman lose consciousness, while screaming at him was a first. He stared down at her still form, over at the terrified man in the corner and at the bed where his staff worked on Derek. Shaking his head he scooped her up and growled at the man, "Follow me."

Following the Feeling Ch. 02



"Well, Náčelník, you've managed to kill an enemy without questioning him first and kidnapped two humans. This has been a busy night even for you."

Grayson sighed as Lena, the reigning Alpha female, joined him in the security control room. It was a favorite spot of his, a quiet escape from the pack while being able to watch them all. Lena teased him for his voyeuristic tendency even while supporting his desire to keep tabs on the goings on of the pack. She brushed her fingers through his hair in greeting then also took a seat in front of the monitors. 

"I didn't kidnap anyone," Gray said after a few moments. "See?" 

Following his pointing to one of the lower monitors she saw a man sitting in the restaurant's kitchen sipping from a mug. He was talking with a few pack members and his posture seemed relaxed. It was around 2 A.M, but the restaurant staff was still cleaning up for the day and preparing for tomorrow. Her eyes drifted to the monitors in the club and they too were escorting out the last few patrons and cleaning. She swept her eyes over the two dozen or so screens and asked, "I was told there was a female, where is she?"

"She's sleeping in the infirmary," he replied pointing briefly to a darkened screen. 

"Infirmary? I was told they were both unharmed." Gray huffed, "You've been told a lot of information and yet seem to know nothing of the situation. She's fine, just sleeping. The doctor checked her vitals and other than a somewhat high pulse rate everything is normal. Her friend said she has insomnia and will sometimes suddenly lose consciousness when stressed. I imagine seeing what she did she became stressed."

"And you yelled at her," Lena said with a smile. Again brushing his hair she continued, "Funny how you didn't mention that."

Grayson caught her hand and held it in his own. The physical connection was soothing to them both and strengthened their partnership. Even though they had sex in the past, the two Alphas worked together as partners. Neither had in interest in each other as mates and when Alistair, the current Beta, had championed into his rank he also won Lena's heart. The stir caused by such unusual circumstances abated when it became clear Alistair wasn't going to challenge Grayson for Alpha rank. He was happy in his position and the three remained close as leaders and friends. As a combined force of strength, intelligence and business acumen they had achieved both financial and physical security for the pack. 

"It seems I too was stressed," he finally admitted. "An attack that close and we didn't sense it? That close to public exposure? And the only reason we caught him was because some stranger freaked out a waiter and then led me to the scene? It was just too fantastic."

"Unsettling indeed," Lena agreed, "someone should have sensed that Derek was in trouble. I've sent out some scouts to follow attacker's scent trail, hopefully they will be able to backtrack to his territory and then we'll know who is responsible. We'll question the humans before sending them on their way, but initial reports conclude that they were not involved in the attack." Lena sighed deeply, "Of course we'll have to make sure they won't run straight to the press or police. We can scare them into believing we'll rip them apart if they talk, but it seems so archaic and tedious."

"You used to like scaring the humans, when did you get soft?" Gray laughed at Lena's scowl. Her eyes narrowed further and then flicked over to the monitors.

"If you don't behave, Náčelník, I'll send you to deal with the humans alone. And from what I can see they are a handful."

Gray followed her gaze back to the infirmary monitors. Beside the one showing Derek bandaged up and sleeping, the camera that monitors the hallway displayed the human female exiting her room. She slowly padded down the hallway pausing briefly at Derek's door then continued on. The Alpha pair silently watched her from screen to screen as she made her way through the mazelike hallways and stairs. She moved unhurriedly, but seemed to have a destination. At some point on the second floor she stopped midstride, turned to the wall and reached out her hand. She looked around for a few minutes and wandered up and down the hallway, but always returned the same spot. After awhile she simply stood facing the wall with her head slightly tilted to the side. 

"I guess I should go see what she's looking for," Grayson stated.

Lena shook her head, "I'll go with you. After your last encounter she may be wary of you, big, bad wolf that you are."

Kiera woke up in an unfamiliar darkened room. She felt moderately well rested and figured she'd slept for several hours. Unsettled by her memories of the evening and not sensing Gareth near-by, she quickly got up and exited the room. To her relief she was still in her clothes although she couldn't find her purse. She wondered if she had even taken her purse when leaving the restaurant in her rush to escape. Kiera turned left and stopped at the next door. Inside was the man from the alley. She could tell he was resting, but the distress was noticeable. Taking a moment pick up Gareth's trail she continued down the hallway. The place was huge and quiet. A few people passed her, but they didn't make eye contact or speak to her. She could feel their curiosity, but she was hesitant to ask for directions. If what she thought was true then she wasn't about to initiate contact if they were willing to let her pass. Kiera stopped in the middle of yet another hallway and turned right. She could feel Gareth's presence on the other side. He felt okay, not scared or threatened, and even a bit jovial. She rolled her eyes that he could be cheerful in almost any situation, but she supposed that's one of the things she liked about him. She searched the hallway for an entrance, but each direction seemed to lead away rather than towards where she wanted to go. Frustrated she returned to the spot and tried to figure out what to do next. Soon she felt a presence nearing, but remained rooted in her spot. Hiding, she figured, was probably futile.

"Can we help you?" a male voice asked.

The voice and the words were an echo from earlier. Tapping on the wall she replied, "I want to be there."

Grayson and Lena exchanged bemused glances. Stepping forward and into the woman's line of sight she said, "Hello, my name is Lena and this is Grayson. I believe you met him earlier although haven't been introduced. We'd like to help you if you can tell us what you need."

Kiera turned to face the speaker whose face reflected the same curiosity and quiet strength that flowed over Kiera's senses. She always liked honest people and this Lena was no exception, even if she may not really be people.

"Hi. Sorry about being short, but I'm just trying to find my friend and he's on the other side of this wall, but I can't figure out how to get there. So, in short, I want to be there." 

Lena nodded, "Okay we can get you there, but maybe on the way we could have a little chat? Maybe start with your name and then how you do that."

"What?"

"Find your friend through the wall." Lena smiled and turned back the way they came. "This way."

Kiera turned her attention to the man called Grayson. He stood silently assessing her, but didn't exude the same aggression from earlier. The mistrust was still there, but also a curiosity. As if she was the oddity in this place. Ha. A gray eyed man named Grayson, now that's odd, she thought, quickly followed by, Handsome though, for a brute.

Shaking her head as Grayson's eyes sharpened, Kiera moved to follow Lena. 

"You name?" Lena asked.

"Kiera. I've already told him," with a thumb gesture behind her where Grayson paced along, "that I'm empathic which is how I knew that something was happening back in the alley and it's how I know where Gareth is. I tried to follow his trail, but the traffic around here is too heavy and I lost it. Then I picked him up again, but ended up at the wall."

"Interesting," Lena nodded at the elevators, "I don't think I've ever met an empath. So you're saying you can track down someone just by, what, following their feelings?"

Kiera shrugged, "Kind of. I can't just find anyone; I can sense Gareth because I know him so well. His...emotional patterns are familiar to me so it's easier for me to pick him out. If you hid from me I probably couldn't find you since I don't know you that well. With familiarity comes recognition, does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense," Lena replied with a half smile. She imagined Kiera's tracking by feelings was similar to their tracking by smell. 

Grayson was reaching the same conclusions but asked, "How is it that you found Derek? Thomas, the waiter, said you were acting strangely before you left the restaurant. Outside I saw you hardly hesitated before heading down the alley. How do you know Derek?"

Kiera sensed that his question was not antagonistic, but still felt the sting of his previous accusations. Handsome or not, this man was not to be trusted no matter what her sense told her. He was large, intense and capable of great violence. The power that pulsed from Lena was dwarfed by force of this man's presence. 

"I don't know him," she began, "but I told you I knew something was wrong." 

She stopped as they went through a doorway into a hall lined with offices. At the far end was a white door with a round window in it. A kitchen? What was this place, she wondered. However she couldn't deny that Gareth's presence was stronger here. 

"Because you sensed it," Grayson interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes. It was sudden and strong and terrible. It's like this," she said pausing to face them both, "everyone is like a radio. Most radios are quiet background noise, it's there but it doesn't really distract you...or me as it were. With practice I can guess what someone is doing or thinking based on their emotional response, uh, like hearing a low melody and recognizing the words to the song. So it's like the radios are on all the time and I get used to them being there. Then sometimes someone's "emotional radio" is turned all the way up and I can't ignore it. That's what happened last night. Your friend's radio was screaming in my head and I chose to check it out instead of walk away. Although, in hindsight, I really should have hopped in a cab." 

"We're grateful you didn't," Lena expressed. Shrugging Kiera turned away from them and walked through the white door. Sure enough Gareth sat at a large marble counter jabbering away with some hot waiter. Not the waiter from earlier, she noted.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. I know it was hard to break away from my bedside, but I'm glad you seem to be staying strong."

Grinning Gareth hugged her to his side and said, "My little Kit-Kat, I knew you would be just fine. And Donny here makes the best coffee, I had to stay awake while you slumbered, sleeping beauty."

"Good news, I'm up. Let's go home." With that she tried to pull him to his feet.

Watching their antics Grayson felt an illogical desire to separate them. The man was obviously gay and she was obviously just ready to leave, but he had a difficult time suppressing the impulse. He evaluated her appearance: above average height, short brown hair in what Lena referred to as a pixie cut, eyes that seemed green, but he'd sworn they were blue in the infirmary, average build, almost everything about her said "nothing special." Except she was empathic and she saved one of his men and she stood up against his anger and she seemed to lack any artifice, but remained a mystery and that no matter what something whispered "special" when he looked at her. Disgusted he wondered if he really just needed to go hunting, but for game far more satisfying than food. He smiled briefly at that thought, but stopped when Kiera flicked her eyes towards him. Ah yes, lust is an emotion she can probably pick up.

"Let's go, Gareth," she insisted. 

Lena again stepped forward. "Kiera, I'm sure you'd like nothing better than to go home to rest, but there are some things we need to discuss first. Perhaps Donny can prepare a midnight snack while we talk?"

Donny hopped up at Lena's polite order and asked, "What would you like? How about peppered steak with onion risotto?"

"Sound delectable, Donny, but I was thinking sandwiches," Lena replied. "Perhaps the peppered steak for dinner tomorrow...rather tonight."

Bowing his head Donny rushed across to the walk in fridge to complete his Alpha's order. Lena and Grayson led the two back into the hallway and into one of the offices. It was orderly, but quite obviously used often. Grayson sat behind the desk and Lena pulled one of the chairs around to his side so she could sit facing the two wary humans. She looked at Grayson who nodded his assent and then began.

"First I'd like to express my gratitude for your help tonight. We are not certain about many of the details of the attack you witnessed other than Derek would have died if not for you. I know you have questions and I'd like to give you the opportunity to ask them, but I must say this first. What you have stumbled into is very sensitive. It is in all of our best interests that what transpired this evening does not become known to the public. If we are to trust you as we'd like to do, we must ensure you will respect our wishes in this regard. Now where should I begin?"

Gareth's question was interrupted by a knocking at the door.

"Enter," Grayson commanded.

Donny came in arms laden with a large tray of sandwiches and drinks. The four remained silent as he placed the tray on the desk, handed everyone a cloth napkin and exited. Kiera noted that he didn't make eye contact with anyone though his eyes did slide towards Gareth a few times. Gareth was quick to grab a plate, but 

Kiera still had no appetite and if the clock on the wall was to be believed it would be time for breakfast soon. 

Around a bite Gareth asked, "So...what's going on here? I mean obviously something big, but I just don't understand."

"A reasonable question. Let us say that what is considered fiction is often based on fact. The things you're told as children to fear in the dark are sometimes real. That creatures unknown to man exist and living side by side with you."

Gareth's expression remained confused so Lena looked to Kiera. "You above all should realize that there are things that are best kept secret."

"I know something is different about you and him and most of the others around here. But I'm not a mind reader, I don't know details. Determining what you are is beyond me so it's best if you just tell us."

"We're werewolves, shapeshifters, loup-garou, lycanthropes. Is that clear enough?" Grayson huffed. He appreciated Lena's diplomacy but he'd rather get to the point. "We are everything you've heard of and feared as children. We have big teeth and sharp claws and will use them if you tell anyone about us. So while Lena said it's in all of our best interests, it's mostly in your best interest, and those you love, for you to keep our secret."

"Gray!" Lena admonished. "Please don't be frightened by him he's just tired and has a lot on his mind."

Kiera smirked, "Yes I can see how that would make him threaten our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Really there's no need to scare us straight. I get that you have a big secret to keep and that a lot of people rely on you."

"Donny said you own the whole block," Gareth piped up. "I just thought you were big investors, silly me."  "And honestly," Kiera continued, "I didn't have any intention to bring police or the media into this. I just want to go home, take a shower and resume my life. What happened tonight can just be left in the "things I'd rather not remember" bin of my memory. Gareth?"

He nodded but added, "I'm not likely to forget and if this is the only opportunity I'll have I would really like to ask some questions."

Gray was still imagining Kiera in the shower so Lena replied, "Of course you can ask whatever you like as long as it doesn't leave this room."

"My first question is if werewolves date humans and if so, is Donny single?"

Kiera's eyes widened at the question. Figuring he'd be busy for awhile learning all there is to know about werewolves she stood and headed for the door. 

"Where are you going," Gray interrupted Lena's response.

"I think the more I know the harder it will be to assign said knowledge to "things I'd rather not remember" so I'm going to walk around." With that she walked out. 

Gray exchanged glances with Lena who nodded before continuing her banter with Gareth. He stood to follow the human who was quickly becoming a pain and stopped outside the office door. Assured of their promise to keep quiet he really didn't have a need to keep watch over them. The pack won't engage them unless spoken to as were their orders around new people. It didn't matter if she wandered around; someone was always watching the security monitors. Her lack of curiosity irked him as did her flippant assurances. She's just been entrusted with a great secret, she should care. What kind of person doesn't care about finding out the truth about werewolves? The same kind that laughed at his threats, he supposed. Gray acknowledged that he had been rude to them. It was expected of him as a leader to recognize an error and make it right. Perhaps he should seek her out just to apologize. It was, after all, what an Alpha should do.

Kiera wandered through the kitchens into the dining room. With the lights on dim it was eerie and still beautiful. Elegance on pause, she thought. There were fewer wait staff around and she supposed most had gone home for the night. Were thy all werewolves? Is that sanitary? Didn't one of the myths she heard state that they were contagious? Shaking her head Kiera concluded that their big secret would not remain so if they were turning all their patrons into werewolves. Resigned to waiting for Gareth's questioning to end, his excitement and curiosity were palpable, she made her way through the dining room. In the back was a bar with a grand piano and hightop tables. The place was far more lavish that her bar, but it still felt like familiar ground. She chose one of the tables and settled in to wait. 

She was making a mental list of things to do later today when she felt an approaching presence. This being followed habit was quickly wearing thin.

"I'm fine, thanks, just waiting for my friend to be done and then I'll be on my way."

Gray approached her table and sat. "I didn't come here to check up on you," he began. "I just wanted to apologize for my rudeness back there."

"Back where exactly? Back there in the emergency room place when you accused me of being a spy or back there in the office when you threatened my life?"

"Both," he replied through gritted teeth. He was finding it hard to be civil with this impertinent creature. 

"Accepted," Kiera said with a raised eyebrow, "although your delivery needs work." They sat in silence for a few moments, he trying to stay in control and she willing Gareth to wrap it up. His frustration beat at her mind and she realized she'd been a bit rude herself.

"Thanks for, uh, letting me crash here for a few hours. I was really exhausted. And...nice place."

Accepting the olive branch Gray said, "I appreciate your compliment although I should mention that the best thing about Grazing is the food which you haven't yet tried."

"I meant to, but with all the excitement eating got put on the backburner. I had a really big lunch like twelve hours ago so I'm ... this place is called Grazing."

"It is," Gray replied trying to keep up with her conversational jump.

"Grayson the owner of Grazing with the gray eyes," she giggled. "And you serve Grey Goose at the bar, I love it."

Gray wondered if tonight's revelations tipped the mental scales out of her favor. He watched her giggle and was simultaneously charmed and worried. 




Following the Feeling Ch. 02



"Do you need to lie down again?"

Composing herself Kiera said, "No, no, I'm fine. Just a little punch drunk. 3 A.M. does weird things to the brain you know. But hey since you follow me everywhere you must not mind that much."

"I don't follow you everywhere," he stated firmly noting he's done just that for several hours. "We should check on your friend."

Standing Kiera stretched as much as she could, hearing her bones snap back into place. "Good idea, I'm pretty sure he's winding down."

They walked back across the dining room, but at the kitchen doors Gray stopped and held her back. Startled at the sudden contact her eyes snapped up to his. He too was startled by the feelings that tingled through his brain. His? Hers?

"I wanted to ask you a question," he said quietly. 

She just waited with raised eyebrows.

"Aren't you in the least bit curious?"

"I am," Kiera admitted, "but the knowing may affect my life. So I'd rather not know." 

"You don't think your life has already been affected by tonight?" he pressed.

"That's two questions," she said with a small smile. "You only wanted to ask one."

With that she pulled her arm free from his warm grip and went into the kitchen. 

"Time to go," she announced to Gareth who was once again in the kitchen. Lena sat with him, but she noticed that Donny was absent. 

"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a wide grin. Smiling, Lena said, "I'll have a driver take you both home. It was a pleasure to meet you both."

She met Grayson's eyes when she'd said "pleasure" with a brief impish smile. Apparently Kiera isn't the only one who observed his new shadowing behavior.

"No need," Gareth was saying, "my car is parked across the street. I'm sure Kiera walked," at her nod he continued, "so I'll take her home."

"It's no trouble," Grayson said, "to arrange another car to take her so you can head straight home."

"I appreciate the offer, but," Gareth countered, "I'm going to impose on her hospitality tonight as she lives much closer than I and I'd rather not drive home. Oh and I'm pretty sure I'm calling in sick tomorrow."

"If you're too tired to drive, we can find you accommodations for the night." Gray stated.

"Oh no," Kiera piped up, "I'm sleeping in MY bed tonight, er this morning. And you're staying in the guest room this time. I'm not up to girl talk tonight, this morning, whatever."

Turning to Lena she continued, "It's been interesting. Thanks for your patience and uh, not eating us."

"My pleasure," Lena replied with a large smile. She found these two refreshing, "Thank you again for your help tonight."

The four made their way to the door while Gareth and Lena exchanged good-byes. She wasn't certain, but Kiera thought they were making plans to meet again. Strange night indeed. Gray unlocked the entrance and held open the door.

"Goodnight, I hope to see you again soon," he heard himself say. It was ludicrous and he blamed exhaustion.

"Goodnight," Kiera repeated. 

"What a night!" Gareth exclaimed at the car. "Can you believe it? And I can't tell anyone! How am I going to keep this to myself?"

"You're going to remember what could happen if you don't keep it to yourself," Kiera answered. "You're going to remember that those people trusted us and it's very poor form to break that trust."

"Ah, my Kit-Kat, you always put things in the right perspective for me."

Kiera rolled her eyes then looked out the window at businesses lining the street. So who can put things in perspective for her?



"That went better than I hoped," Lena said as they made their way home. 

Each building on the block had condos built atop them. As Alphas their apartments were the largest, spanning an entire floor each. The lower ranks lived above the restaurant, café and pub, but Grayson's condo was above a men's clothing store and Lena's was above a day spa. Some members of the pack chose to have their own living arrangements and careers, but all were welcome to work close to the hub of activity.

"Did it?" Grayson wearily asked. 

"It did," Lena asserted. "We were able to stop a direct attack and save Derek's life, protected the pack from exposure and made two human friends. It was as good a night as any."

Stopping at her door Grayson stated, "We were directly attacked this evening and exposed ourselves to two humans. While we were able to do damage control this evening was anything but good."

Lena raised herself on tiptoe to kiss his cheek and said, "Well I got the feeling you wouldn't mind exposing yourself to one of those humans, Náčelník."

Growling, Gray said goodnight and stalked off. The only thing worse than lusting after a strange new woman was having his partner know about it. It was only a matter of time until Alistair knew and then both of them would tease him. It was difficult to instill fear in his near equals although they knew better than to tease him in front of others. No, his mocking was done in private by his dearest friends. Such is the life of an Alpha male. 



Following the Feeling Ch. 03



Thank you all for your kind words and support. I should change my user name to Tickled Pink because that's how I feel whenever I read the comments. I'm not sure what I appreciate more: the people who care enough to write constructive criticism or the people who defend me! I hope this story continues to entertain and tantalize the reading masses! 

 CricketMuse

++++++++++++++++++++

The next afternoon Gareth found Kiera working on her laptop in the kitchen. Her white cat, Bianca, got up from her perch in the window to rub up against him in greeting. 

"Is there coffee?" he asked as he dropped into one of the dinette chairs. 

"There was coffee, but that was a couple hours ago. There's tea now."

"Iced or hot?"

Kiera looked up at her friend. "Sweet iced tea, but I can make hot if you want."

"No, iced is good. Is there anything to eat?" 

"Chicken salad or smoked turkey, there's some provolone cheese too. Do you want me to make you a sandwich?"

"I think I can handle it," Gareth stated while going to the fridge.

The clickety-clack of the keyboard continued while Gareth made his lunch. He moved around the kitchen with the familiarity that comes with long friendship. Minutes later he had a chicken salad sandwich, dill pickle and a large glass of tea. He sat back down at the table and was instantly surrounded by Bianca and Felix, Kiera's orange tabby. 

"No begging, go lay down," he admonished.

Again looking up Kiera said, "They're cats, they don't take orders. How's your sandwich?"

"Good."

"And you slept alright?"

"Always. I heard you moving around a bit though."

"Yeah I tried to get more sleep, but gave up around eight. I debated between catching up on my DVR and getting some paperwork done. Responsibility won this time," she said with a smile. "Speaking of which did you call work?"

Wrinkling his nose Gareth replied, "I left a message before I went to sleep. In case anyone asks I had food poisoning. You see, I was up all night vomiting, but if they really needed me I could drag myself off my deathbed for work. Strangely no one called."

"Gross. Can't your lies be more pleasant like you had to drive up to take your Mom to the doctor or something that doesn't involve throwing up?"

"Listen to me, love, if you want to sell a lie you better make it big and unquestionable. No one wants details about food poisoning."

Nodding she agreed, "True enough, I don't even want to hear the make believe details."

Gareth finished his lunch and refilled both of their glasses. "So about last night…"

"That's right! I need you to give me a ride to the bar on your way home. I left my car there and it's pretty out of the way for the others to come get me."

"Aren't your car keys in your purse?"

"Shit."

Last night they discovered her purse had not made it home with them. Fortunately Gareth had a house key, but they both knew Kiera would have broken through a window instead of driving back to the restaurant. They also knew that it was only a matter of time before she would have to go back despite her desire to do otherwise. Gareth could have mentioned he had plans to go back on Saturday, but didn't. Despite her aversion she needed to face what happened and who they had met.

She compressed her lips and leaned back in her chair. "There's a spare set of keys at the bar. I'll get my purse later, but I don't want to think about it right now."

"Why not? I mean it was one of those life changing experiences, like coming out to my parents or getting drunk and waking up in San Francisco with a man whose name I didn't remember. That was, by the way, totally awesome.

"That was the same weekend," Kiera laughed. "Your parents called me sobbing about you calling them from a bar and telling them you're gay and then disappearing for two days. They called the police for Pete's sake! I had to assure them you'd come back and that you could date men and still be a lawyer."

"I miss college," he snickered. 

They recounted some of the more outrageous times they spent in college: the parties, the late nights, the last minute miracle essays and all the things that brought them closer as friends. Gareth knew she was uncomfortable about last night and let the subject go. They kept the conversation light and avoided any darker or more serious topics. Gareth knew the werewolf conversation was simply postponed until Kiera felt less threatened by the situation. She was at her most stubborn when she felt at a disadvantage and meeting something more unnatural than her was a definite disadvantage. 

After an hour of reminiscing Gareth announced he was going to take a shower and then would drive her to the bar. Kiera used the time to finalize some budgeting paperwork and change for the evening. She put on a burgundy tank top and blue jeans, styled her hair and brushed her teeth. Unfortunately for Gareth he had to wear the same clothes from the previous day which he made a point to bemoan.

"I look like a slob," he complained as they got in his car. 

"Don't worry, Gare-bear, no one is looking," Kiera retorted and stuck out her tongue. 

He dropped her off in front of the bar with a kiss and a promise to stop by later. Kiera looked up at the sign that always made her smile, "A Typical Oasis." The place was her pride and joy and anything but typical. The front door opened and there stood one of her friends, Amber. 

"I saw you in arms of a beast," she said simply.

Kiera's smile fell off her face.

++++++++++++++++++++

Grayson's day was packed full of the usual responsibilities. He resolved some pack disputes, oversaw the redecorating of their dance club, Moonlight, completed some paperwork and sent an email out to the surrounding packs about the attack. It pained him to mention the few details they had about the attack, but he had hopes that one of them would have some information. Each pack worked like an independent nation, but there was still an information network in place. It kept packs that shared boundaries from stepping on each other's toes and aware if any disturbances threatened their way of life. Still, any aggression that exposed a possible weakness within a pack could open the doors to additional attacks. Grayson had beefed up security within the city limits and sent out additional border guards. His initiative went a long way to assure the pack that everything was under control. Derek was released from the infirmary, though still showed signs of healing, and Grayson offered him the enemy's corpse. Derek wasted no time in gorging on what he could before sharing with the rest of the pack. A kill was a kill after all and nothing went to waste. Lena expressed the activity was beneficial for Derek. He was relatively new to the pack and was still establishing position. 

Relieved of his most pressing concerns, Grayson sat alone in the security room. Even though he had a set of monitors in his suite he preferred to stay close by. That was until the door opened.

"And they called it puppy lo-ove!"

The booming voice belonged to Alistair, Beta of the pack and mate of Lena. He was one of the few who would dare mock Grayson, but was wise enough to do it in private.

"Shut the door you ass," Grayson grumbled. He had almost thought the previous night's strangeness would pass by unmentioned.

"Yes, Sir," Alistair mock saluted. "I just wanted to confirm some of the additional security measures we're putting in place and ask who you want to send after the girl."

Grayson looked quizzically at his friend. "Lena and I agreed not to put a watch on the humans. They seemed sincere in their promise to keep quiet. In fact, she said Gareth was coming back on his own cognizance and that you were having dinner with him on Saturday. We have no further interest in the woman."

Alistair sensed the lie in that statement, but was wise enough not to point it out. "True enough, but we still need to send someone to her."

"Explain yourself."

Smiling Alistair said, "We have the center of her world, the portal to her feminine being, that which will answer all her mysteries in our possession."

"Explain yourself without the obscurity," Gray growled. 

Tsking Alistair stood and opened the door, "Temper, temper, Chief. I meant she left her handbag behind and I'm sure the little lady will want it back ASAP."

Gray stared at the bag hanging from the tips of Alistair's fingers. It was nondescript black, small sized and brought back everything he'd suppressed throughout the day. Not special, but special. It was a loose end and an open door to possibility.

"Consequently," Alistair was saying, "I'm having a background check run on her. You know, just to make sure she is who and what she says she is."

"That's unnecessary," Gray replied. "Kiera was just an innocent bystander last night who unwittingly stumbled into our world."

"Quite the change in tune, my lord Alpha," Alistair noted with a sly smile. "The pack has been buzzing with rumors of your shouting at the little 'innocent bystander' and following her around like she was making off with the silver." 

Alistair fell silent at Gray's dark scowl. Tweaking his Alpha's temper was only fun when he wouldn't face retribution. From what his love confided the little human stirred up some strong feelings in their mighty Alpha. Known as a firm, but fair leader who had exemplary control over his temper, Gary's outbursts yesterday were singular indeed. Lena worried about the distraction, but as a red blooded mail Alistair was more amused by the possible development. A werewolf and human connection was not unheard of, but certainly rare among the higher ranking wolves. And it was unheard of an Alpha pursuing a paranormal. Sometimes witches were welcomed by the pack as advisors, but never considered as a romantic possibility. 

Then again, Alistair mused, Gray may just be after the tail rather than the woman. Even an Alpha needs variety away from the panting bitches around here. 

"Do you know where to find her," Grayson asked his Beta.

"Yup, she owns a bar not too far from here; a place just a mile or so north alongside Riverstone Park." 

In a casual tone Alistair continued, "Lena and I think we should send someone nonthreatening over, like one of the Omegas or Donny. Derek volunteered to go, he seems to have developed quite an attachment for the girl, but I think it's best to keep him indoors for a few more days. What do you think?"

"I'll go," Gray announced. "There's no need to bother others."

"Well that's generous of you, but I don't think the task requires your Alpha personal touch," Alistair replied while suppressing his smile. It was playing out just as Lena supposed. "Donny can zip over and back with plenty of time to get ready for work tonight."

But Gray had already grabbed the bag out of Alistair's hand. "Just tell me where to find her."

"If you insist. The twins have the directions; they'll be your escort this evening."

The two men walked through the halls towards the basement garage. Along the way Grayson argued against having bodyguards escort him off grounds, but Alistair insisted.

"This isn't for your protection so much as the pack's peace of mind. Everyone is on high alert and the last thing they want is to risk the lives of their beloved Alphas. Lena has guards assigned to her too and she's not even leaving the grounds."

"Fine," Grayson huffed when they reached a dark blue SUV. 

Standing next to it were his two assigned guards, twins named Zachary and Zane. They stood with identical impassive expressions which belied their true amicable nature when off duty. Nevertheless they were expert fighters and well versed in armed combat. If Grayson felt he needed protection the pair would have been his top choices. At his nod the trio piled into the SUV. He rolled down the passenger's side window at Alistair's knock.

"Try to remember to play nice with the little human this time around," Alistair teased, "we'll call your cell should anything come up." 

With that he waved good-bye and the SUV drove out of the garage. The sun was setting and the streets were lined with rush hour traffic. Gray knew he could have walked, but trusted Alistair in regards to security. At the truck crawled through the streets he felt both excited and then angry at himself for his excitement. He wanted to handle this delivery so he could assure himself the feelings last night were transitory. Once he proved to himself that he felt nothing towards the human he could move on with the business of running the pack without distraction.

++++++++++++++++++++

The closest parking they could find was a couple blocks from the bar's entrance. They were silent as the three walked through the darkening streets back towards the bar. 

"A Typical Oasis" the sign read. Grayson smiled a bit at the cleverly hidden joke. A bar owned by an empath was "atypical" indeed. Though it was fairly early in the evening the bar was busy. Men and women mingled throughout the space, some were clustered along the long wooden bar and others were either sitting at bistro tables or dancing to the music that pumped through the surrounding speakers. As a business owner Grayson admired the layout and variety of clientele. He saw people in suits talking with people in jeans, ladies in dresses flirting with guys wearing polo shirts and shorts. Grayson made his way to the bar intending to ask for Kiera. Zane followed, but Zack started a circuit around the interior. 

Squeezing between people Grayson motioned for one of the bartenders. A statuesque woman with sleek black hair and dark blue eyes came up to him.

"I need to speak with the manager," he said over the din.

"I am," she replied, "what can I do for you?"

Gray was taken aback, "I'm looking for a woman named Kiera, and I was told she owns this bar."

"Co-owner actually. A group of us own the place. Kiera will be out on the floor in awhile, but she's not available right now. Have a drink while you wait."

"I need to see her now," he insisted.

The bartender's pretty eyes widened dramatically at the statement. She looked him over again, her eyes trailing from his dark brown hair tousled from the walk to his intense gray eyes and roaming over his strong facial structure. He didn't look like he was there to talk business with Kiera and the prospect was as surprising as it was welcome. Had Kiera been keeping delicious secrets from them? 

Smiling seductively the bartender said, "Wait here just a sec." 

She walked down to the other end of the bar and spoke to a man who was busy making a martini. They both looked over at Gray who stood impatiently and then the woman returned. 

"Kiera's working on inventory in the back. I guess it would be okay to let you back there. Just come around the end of the bar and I'll let you in the storeroom."

Grayson told Zane to stay put and walked around the end of the bar. The woman met him and opened up a door to the back marked Private. They walked down the hallway passed two other doors and then she opened the one on the end.

"Follow the stairs down and then turn right. She's in there somewhere. My name is Jasmine, by the way. And you are?"

"Grayson," he answered while looking down the dimly lit stairs. The woman talking to him was attractive and had an interesting accent, but he was suddenly anxious to see Kiera again. 

"Nice purse," Jasmine winked and walked away leaving him alone at the entrance of the storeroom.

Grayson took a deep breath and walked down the stairs. The storeroom seemed to run the whole length of the floor upstairs and was full of stacked chairs, tables and liquor stores. He heard humming and walked towards the source. Soon he picked up Kiera's scent telling him he was on the right track, and that she was alone. He spied her standing in front of boxes filled with liquor bottles. Her back was to him so he took a moment to look her over. He sighed in relief that the strange feelings that plagued him last night didn't surface. It was just as he thought, a momentary intrigue perpetuated by extreme events.

"Oh where, oh where, has my 151 rum gone? Oh where, oh where could it be," Kiera sang to herself.

She knew suddenly that she was no longer alone, but didn't turn around. She expected it was Mason or one of the other guys either taking a break. Kiera wasn't about to turn around to face a fresh bout of teasing for singing to herself. She found what she was looking for, checked it off the list and moved to the next box.

Gray realized the longer he stood there watching the more awkward it would be when she realized who he was. It was time to give her the handbag and then head home. Intending to make his presence known he cleared his throat.

Nothing. Just more humming.

He tried again, but again there was no response. It was a novel experience to be ignored and not one he enjoyed. Grayson wondered how he could get her attention without startling her when she finally spoke.

"If you're going to hover at least make yourself useful. Take a case of lager upstairs to chill. Last weekend we couldn't keep up with demand."

"Uh," Grayson was at a loss. In the old days he had worked in a pub, but hadn't been ordered to do manual labor in many years.

Kiera stiffened and whipped around. The deep voice belonging to that one syllable was familiar, but unexpected. She realized too late that the presence was not one of the employees and that she was cornered in the storeroom with a werewolf. She stumbled into the boxes behind her in the instinctual reaction to escape. 

Grayson rushed to put her at ease and held up her purse, "I just came here to return your bag. You left it in the restaurant. Jasmine said it would be okay for me to come down here."

"Oh," Kiera said stared dumbly at the handbag he offered.

"Oh," she said again then reached for her purse, "thanks."

They stood that way for a few moments while Kiera assimilated the situation and Grayson waited. He could hear her heart begin to slow from its startled pace. The predator in him thrilled at the fluttering heartbeat, but the man tried to appear as nonthreatening as possible. He stood quietly as she clutched her purse to her chest and continued to stare at him. He met her wary green gaze and smiled calmly.

At his smile Kiera jerked and rushed into speech, "Thanks so much, you saved my life. I was going to go to the restaurant to get my bag, but I didn't have time today and then I had to work so I thought I'd get it tomorrow or Sunday. I was lost without my keys, but I have a spare set. It would have been harder to drive without my license and of course no one wants to be without their credit cards, so thanks again. Oh and in case you're wondering, I haven't told anyone about last night. I promised and I always keep my word."

Grayson's smile broadened as she rambled. "I didn't come here to check on you; I was informed that a woman's purse was the center of her universe so I knew I had to get it back to you as soon as possible."

"True enough," she agreed. 

Grayson noticed she didn't return his smile, but was slowly relaxing. He also noticed the longer they talked the more the spark of interest grew within him. He decided it was time to make a graceful exit.

"You have a nice place upstairs," he said instead. "How long have you been in business?"

Kiera frowned slightly. She had hoped he would leave after she thanked him, but now he was complimenting her bar and making small talk.

"Well, I guess it's been just about three years," she answered. 

"It seems to pull in good business," he said.

"We do alright. Friday and Saturday nights are the most crowded. It's not as elegant as the bar in your restaurant, but we seem to stay busy." 

"That bar is mostly for patrons waiting for a table. We also have a British style pub that caters to a more casual crowd. And of course the night club draws in an assorted clientele."




Following the Feeling Ch. 03



Kiera smiled slightly, "I bet. I think Jasmine has been to that club. Moonlight, right?"

"That's it," he affirmed.

"Is that some sort of joke?" Kiera asked.

"No more than A Typical Oasis, I suspect."

Kiera rolled her eyes. "I know, it's terrible, but it was the only name we could all agree on. Mason wanted to call it A Pair of Norms Paradise."

"Definitely obscure. Does that mean you're not the only one with unique abilities?" Gray ignored the twinge he felt when she mentioned another man so casually. 

"Yeah we're a bunch of oddities around here," she carelessly replied. 

Kiera felt more at ease talking with Grayson even though the whole experience was so bizarre. Making small talk with a werewolf in her storeroom was not a situation she never expected to find herself. Since it seemed Grayson was making every effort to be nice she reciprocated in kind. And, she realized, when she wasn't angry at him she found him to be quite handsome. She knew Jasmine sent him down here expecting a romantic connection and wondered what she was going to tell the gang. 

With that thought in mind Kiera said politely, "Well, thanks again, but I really need to get back to work. I'll walk you up."

Gray recognized her abrupt change in demeanor. He had been enjoying their conversation and wasn't ready to let it end. He wanted to get to know her better and figure out what it was that enticed him so. He thought about it while she led him upstairs and down the hallway.

"I'd like to see you again," he said as they approached the door. "Maybe we could have dinner some time?"

Kiera paused with her hand on the door handle. She looked back at Grayson who waited for her response. If she was interested in dating he was the sort of person she'd want. Smart, handsome and professional, he seemed to be the iconic prime catch. That was if she could overlook the fact that he was a werewolf. But in her estimation strangeness was a bonus rather than a blemish. 

"I can't," she replied.

Grayson scowled. He hadn't asked anyone out on a date in a long time and didn't consider being rejected.

"Why not," he pressed. "We can meet on neutral territory, wherever you want to go. I'd really like to see you again."

But Kiera was shaking her head. "Thank you for asking, but I don't date." 

She walked back into the bar leaving him behind to ponder her response. Kiera noticed Jasmine watching her with a sly smile. She started to smile back then felt tension ripple through her mind. Immediately she started seeking the source, but the bar was too crowded for a clear path. The tension spiked as Kiera walked through the bar. She spotted a heated argument between two men near the dance floor. It appeared they were arguing over a spilled beverage, their voices drawing the attention of other customers. Kiera tried to find Adam, the bouncer, but he was nowhere in sight. In an attempt to diffuse the situation she walked up to the men.

"Gentlemen," she said in a calm voice, "I see there's been an accident. Why don't you both go up to the bar for a free drink?"

"I had a drink and then this asshole bumped into me," one shouted. 

"I said I was sorry, man, what the hell else do you want?" the other shouted back. 

Kiera could tell they were both inebriated, but again tried reason, "I'm sorry, sir, but we'll be happy to replace it for you."

Swinging his bleary gaze to her the first one sneered, "You goin' to replace the shirt too, girlie? How about my fucking pride?"

Kiera knew neither man was going to back down. "If you can't calm down, I'm going to have to ask you both to leave."

"Back the fuck off," the first guy said and pushed her roughly. 

A moment later the man was sprawled on the ground. Grayson grabbed the second man by the shirt and growled in his face, "She said it's time to go, so go."

"Grayson!" Kiera was shocked by his behavior. She could feel fury rippling off him like waves of steam and knew the situation was about to get very bad. 

She tried to take hold of Grayson's arm, but her own was grabbed back by a stranger. The man held her firmly and shook his head at her. His eyes shifted to another man who looked identical to him and nodded at Grayson. The second man walked up and starting talking to Grayson quietly. Grayson glared at him, but released the second drunk. By this point the first one was back on his feet with his fists raised. The twin not holding Kiera intercepted the man and herded both drunks to the entrance. 

Moments later Adam appeared and said to Kiera, "I'm sorry, I was in the can. What the hell happened? Who is this?"

Kiera yanked her arm free and stormed towards Grayson. "What do you think you were doing? I had it under control and you practically started a brawl!"

"Under control?" he shouted back. "That bastard could have hit you just as easily as pushed you. You had no control."

Kiera seethed and dimly realized she was absorbing his anger as her own. She knew she needed to back away, but instead started poking him in the chest. "You're the one with no control, you're the one who assaulted the customers and you're the one whose interference wasn't wanted in the first place!"

"Uh, Kiki," a man's voice said, "you're scaring the remaining customers. Maybe you could take this somewhere else?"

Both Kiera and Gray glared at the newcomer. Kiera understood that Mason was trying to diffuse the tense situation, but at the moment she was too worked up to care. 

"Mind your business, Mason," she warned.

"Sweets, that's exactly what I'm doing, minding our business. You're freaking out the norms and you're leaking your anger on everyone."

"It's not mine, it's his," she said defensively. Taking a deep breath she faced Grayson who was still glaring at Mason. "Come with me."

She again led Grayson to the private door, ignoring the looks cast their way by her friends. She heard Mason offer an apology for the excitement and a round on the house. At the door she noticed the twins were following them.

"Are these yours," she asked with an arched eyebrow.

Gray's jaw was clenched too hard to speak so he just nodded shortly and opened the door. He ordered his guards to stay put with a look then followed Kiera to one of the offices. 

Kiera paced back and forth trying to get back in control. Finally she said, "You had no right to interfere…"

"That bastard pushed you, I was protecting you," Grayson interrupted.

"I don't need protection!" she exploded. "And I certainly don't need some big, bad werewolf causing a scene in my bar! I saw you kill someone with your bare hands last night, the safety of my patrons is my responsibility!"

"I wasn't going to kill anyone," Grayson fumed. "Last night was completely different and you know it."

"You're right, it was different! What you do on your territory is your business, but what you do here is mine! I will not lose this place because you have some misplaced need to champion weak little girls. I'm not weak and I'm not just a little girl!"

By the end of her rant Kiera was again toe to toe with Grayson and poking him in the chest. Later Grayson would muse over her consistent way of making a point, but at the moment he had to make one of his own. 

Grabbing her around the waist Grayson leaned over her ear and growled, "It's not wise for little girls to antagonize big, bad werewolves, especially when no one is here to protect you from me."

Kiera's eyes flashed up at his and her lack of fear in his arms enflamed him. Without thought he captured his lips with hers in a bruising kiss. She may have opened her mouth to stop him, but he used the opportunity to slip his tongue in. Grayson tasted her sweet tongue as it twined around his and was lost She was hot and delicious. Her passion quickly rose to match his own and within moments they were grasping at each other crazily. He could feel her heart race and smell her desire as they kissed. He backed her up against a desk and pressed her down with his body. When he slipped his leg between hers and pushed upward he was rewarded with a throaty groan. Grayson released her mouth to graze his lips and teeth down her neck. Kiera whimpered and moaned as he explored the sensitive area with his mouth. She clutched at his hair and his shirt, pulling him into her tighter. Grayson growled as she expressed her growing desire and as he explored her curves beneath the tank top. Pulling the top and bra down in one movement, he laved then latched onto a pink nipple. 

The pressure between her legs built as he sucked and Kiera knew she was close to going over the edge. She opened her eyes and saw Grayson's head bent down over her breasts. The sight was just as alluring as the sensations swirling within her body. She felt his pleasure as well as her own and was losing herself in the strength of feelings. Gray opened his eyes to meet hers and growled against her nipples.

"Your passion tastes like sin," he rumbled.

Kiera's eyes rolled back and she tugged him up to her mouth. They kissed for long moments as he tugged on her nipples and kept the pressure between her legs. Her breath got shorter and shorter as she neared the pinnacle of ecstasy. Too late she felt her mental walls falling as she was overwhelmed by pleasure.

"No," she said softly.

Thinking she was rethinking their passion Grayson renewed his seduction, "Yes, sweetheart, give me all you've got."

He kissed her hungrily even as she weakly tried to push him away. As he twined their tongues together he felt a strange tingle of warmth that grew rapidly. Suddenly it was like floodgates opened and he felt irritation and happiness and sadness all mixed up into one. He drew back from Kiera as his brain was assaulted with emotions. The feelings battered at him for long moments until they finally dissipated. 

When he became aware of his surroundings he saw Kiera sitting upright with her hand over her mouth. She had tears in her eyes even as the passion simmered. 

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to, I can't help it."

Shakily Grayson sat in one of the chairs, "What the hell was that?"

"It's me. It's what I sense as an empath" She swallowed, "Sometimes it transfers to someone else when we're touching. If I feel…strongly about something I can't maintain my mental walls at the same time. I tried to warn you, I'm so sorry."

Grayson tried to make sense out of what she said. "So when you lose control you really lose control and whoever you're in contact with gets some of your power?"

"It's usually temporary, but can be powerful," she said while pulling her shirt back up. 

Gray watched her straighten up the disarray he had caused and was tempted to risk it just to mess her up again. The feelings that attacked him were weird and uncomfortable, but he still remembered the pleasure from before. She had apologized twice already and he supposed he owed her one for pouncing on her, but he wasn't feeling apologetic. He wanted to possess her fully, but this new development could cause problems. 

Grayson rubbed his face while thinking how best to proceed. He decided to be honest, "Listen, Kiera, I think this is weird for both of us, but I think there's something between us that needs to be explored."

"Grayson I think it's our best interests if we accept what happened as a momentary lapse and go our separate ways."

"No."

"What do you mean no?" Kiera raised an eyebrow.

Gray stood and cupped her cheek with his hand. "I mean no, I'm not willing to walk away. We'll go slowly, how about dinner tomorrow night?"

Kiera searched his piercing gray eyes for disgust over what happened, but couldn't see anything other than smoldering sensuality. 

Still she said, "I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't."

Grayson's rebuttal was interrupted by the ringing of his cell. He was tempted to ignore, but saw it was from Alistair. 

"Stay right there," he ordered then flipped open the phone. "This had better be important."

"The scouts are back and have information about the attacker. I would have waited until you returned, but I expected you back an hour ago," Alistair reported. His no-nonsense tone tipped Grayson to the seriousness of the state of affairs more than his words.

"Fine, we'll be there in twenty minutes," Gray closed the phone and faced Kiera who was still sitting on the desk. 

"I have to go," he said, "but I'll be back later."

Standing up Kiera replied, "Don't. Just stay away. We're done here."

Striding over Grayson dipped his head to kiss her briefly. 

"We're nowhere near done, sweetheart. I promise I'll be back."

Kiera watched Grayson leave then collapsed into a chair. She was more afraid of his promise than of his threats the night before. She wondered how her life had gotten so flipped around in twenty-four hours. And she wondered why she didn't wish harder to have it back the way it was. 



Following the Feeling Ch. 04



Thank you again for your comments and for your patience. I hope I haven't lost readers with the time it took me to finish Chapter 4. Chap 5 is in process, but I can't promise I'll have it up right away. All good things in due time, right?

 Cricketmuse

*

From behind the bar Jasmine and Mason watched Grayson leave with his twin entourage. Some people gawked at them as they passed, but most had moved on with their evening. When Kiera didn't emerge from the back within a few minutes Mason said he was going to check on her. 

"Don't bother," Jasmine remarked. "She probably just needs to cool off." 

"I'd think you'd be more interested in what went on," Mason muttered under his breath. "You're not one to pass up juicy gossip."

Jasmine smiled flirtatiously while a customer gave her a large tip. The balding man practically drooled on the bar whenever she served him. Her exotic features always kept the compliments and tips flowing. 

Moving down to where Mason filled pint glasses with lager she replied, "I'll get the story soon enough, but we're too packed to take a time-out for interrogation. Besides if Kiera doesn't want to talk then I'll need back-up and Amber isn't expected until eleven." 

"Cheater."

They grinned at each other and went back to work.

** ** ** *** ** ** **

Grayson used the short drive to refocus his thoughts from what happened at the bar to his pack. He knew the trackers' report could not be shared over the phone line since privacy could only be ensured within pack confines. Still he fought the urge to return to Kiera and overcome her objections. He was sure he could quell her fears if given more time alone. His mouth watered at the thought of seducing her slowly. Once his craving was sated then he could again think rationally. No more chasing after pretty little humans, no matter how unique she was. 

Lena, Alistair and the scouts waited in one of the conference rooms. They exchanged brief pleasantries, skillfully skirting his field trip, and then got down to business. 

"We followed the wolf's trail northwest until it ended at a shack just a mile out our boundary."

"In Rudd's territory?" Grayson inquired.

"That is correct, Sir," Wyatt, the pack's lead tracker, answered. "However the shack was located deep in the woods far south of their hub. We didn't scent others either. It seems to have been a one man operation."

Lena grimaced. "That doesn't give us much of lead."

The subordinate trackers shifted uncomfortably as no one wanted to provide bad news to their Alphas, but Wyatt stated, "This does give us some information, my Lady. We can assume that the rogue acted on his own motives and tried to make us think Rudd was involved in the attack. He may have intended to start a war between packs and then moved in to take over the losing Alpha's pack at its weakest moment."

Alistair huffed. "That's a lot of assumptions based on a shack in the woods, Wyatt. Did you find anything there to support your theory?"

"We found nothing. By scent alone we calculated that he'd been in that location for at least two weeks, but we found no evidence of life. No food stores, no ash in the fireplace, nothing. If it hadn't been for Brian," he pointed to one of the wolves, "we would have lost the trail long before finding the shack. It was as if the attacker didn't exist." 

"And this made you conclude that he was purposely trying to frame Rudd for the attack," Grayson stated. "Assuming he succeeded and then left a trail to Rudd's territory, we might well have believed what he intended. Are you sure no one else was involved?"

Wyatt shook his head. "We can't be sure of anything with what little we found. He may well have been working for Rudd or with other wolves. All we know is that no one else was at the shack."

The trio dismissed the scouts with thanks despite their dissatisfaction with the report. They discussed how to proceed with the little information they received and decided to keep security bulked up in the meantime. Gray also ordered to have a couple scouts sent into Rudd's territory to make discreet inquiries on the pack's status. If discovered, it would anger the fellow Alpha and possibly create a new enemy of their closest neighbor. Rudd was more reasonable than quick tempered, but he would not like being spied upon. Once business was concluded they ordered supper to be served. They discussed how the pack was reacting to recent events and concluded most were concerned, but not panicked. 

They were chatting about recent births and matings when the subject Grayson feared, but expected arose.

"Speaking of mated bliss, Gray, how did your errand go?"

"Fine."

"Behave, my love," Lena intervened. "Gray is allowed his privacy when it comes to amatory pursuits."

Grayson lifted a brow at that. The pack respected his position, but often tracked his daily movements like the worst paparazzi. And while he had been known to pursue humans for a night's pleasure they'd be shocked to know he had practically begged Kiera for a date. Which she refused. If he was as wise as they gave him credit for, he'd cut his losses and find a nice mid-ranking wolf to play with. 

"She doesn't want to see me again," he admitted to his friends. 

"I'm certain she didn't want to see you the first time," Alistair smirked, "but I take it you did your best to convince her otherwise?" 

Gray took a deep breath, smelled her on his clothes, and knew they could smell her too. "I asked her very politely. Then we argued...again. I kissed her. Then something weird happened. And then you called. I told her I'd be back."

Lena tapped her fingernails on the table. "Why don't you just call her up and ask her out instead of driving back over there. If she refuses then maybe you should move on. No use wasting your time chasing after someone who doesn't want to be chased."

Her words made him picture chasing after Kiera in the woods like prey. Imagined what would happen when he caught her. His blood pumped harder just thinking about it.

"Sure," Alistair was saying, "give her a ring and offer to meet her in neutral territory, like a coffeehouse or something."

"Or invite her to join her friend for dinner tomorrow. She may be more comfortable in a casual get together."

"I want her to myself," Grayson stated. 

Silence. 

"Forgive my plain speaking," Alistair began, "but this doesn't seem to be your usual situation so your pursuit should be different. Take her. Take her until she submits to your advances and then…" he finished with a gesture.

Gray mulled that over a minute then said, "There are laws against that sort of approach, Al."

Lena grasped her mate's hand and said, "Love, the rules of the pack don't work in the human world. He couldn't possibly take that approach and not face repercussions." 

Alistair squeezed Lena's hand and said, "Yes, of course you're right, my dear."

Grayson rolled his eyes at the lovestruck duo and stood. "I'm going to excuse myself now."

On his way out of the conference room Alistair called out, "Just call her, friend. Call her home, her cell, her business, but just don't let this fester. We don't want to deal with your temper."

"I don't have her phone number," Gray retorted.

Alistair grinned. "Of course we do. We also have her home address, her friends' numbers and all sorts of useful information."

Glaring Gray replied, "I told you to not do a background search, I'd hate to find my orders were disobeyed."

"Nonsense we'd acquired that information before you called halt. The file is on your desk." 

Gray walked out and wandered through the hallways leading to the surveillance room. He stopped when he reached the door and stared at it for a few moments. It was ridiculous to call her after she had denied him. Denied his offer. Denied his kiss. But did she really or was she just scared by her response? He recalled those minutes when she met him kiss for scorching kiss. They devoured each other in those precious few minutes. It was her own response that scared her, and him too if he was honest. The overwhelming emotion of everyone around them burned into his brain and made him draw away from her. Was the risk of that reoccurring more threatening than her refusal? 

No. 

He wanted. He would have. 

Grayson stalked to his office, intimidating everyone along the way with his purposeful glare. Sitting atop his desk was a red folder. He sat and opened it up. Perusing through the first few pages he saw photocopies of Kiera's driver's license, her college transcript and other personal information. Glancing at the clock he debated which number would be best to reach her. At 12:30 she was probably still working so he decided her cell phone was the safest option. He dialed and listened impatiently to each ring.

"Five minutes!" Her curt voice answered and then there was a click. 

He stared at the handset as the dial tone buzzed and wondered what to do next.

** ** ** *** ** ** **

For her part Kiera didn't have a lot of time to dwell on the heated moments in the office. She tried to return to inventory, but after a half an hour Mason came down and said the patrons were requesting her presence at the bar. Many of the customers who witnessed her verbal smack down were impressed and wanted to buy her a drink, or at least buy a drink from her. 

"They want a cold one from the hot vixen," he said and she reluctantly made her way up front. 

Mostly it was men, young and middle aged who wanted to try their hand at wooing the woman who almost started a bar brawl. She supposed it was a male thing, but nevertheless she smiled and joked with them and sent them on their way. Jasmine, never short of male attention herself, helped her handle the more persistent, inebriated ones. Friday's were always busy and the night provided no exception. At one point Adam, the bouncer, had to stop the inflow of patrons when they reached max capacity. The noise and orders were all good things for the business and for Kiera's state of mind. She was able to focus on work only for several hours and dodge any questioning from her friends. Amber came in for the closing shift around 11:00 and took over Jasmine's place until closing. 

Kiera was in the middle of a large order when her cell phone, hooked in her pants, started vibrating. She let it go to voicemail while she finished making drinks. A few minutes later it buzzed again so she picked up.

"Hey it's Gareth, we need to talk."

"I'm a little busy here," she replied.

"I know, but it's important," he insisted.

Kiera grimaced, Gareth's definition of important was vague. He could be stranded somewhere or just need help picking out a shirt. 

"Is it life or death?"

"No, but…"

"Then I'll call you back in five minutes." Kiera ended the call and rushed with a smile to the next set of customers. 

A scarce minute later her phone buzzed again. She considered ignoring it, but picked it up and shouted, "Five minutes!" then hung up.

Fortunately her phone remained silent for the next twenty minutes it took to serve the pressing crowd. When she reached a lull in her bartending duties she switched places with Mason behind the bar and went into the office where she could hear herself think. She took a deep, cleansing breath, smiling at the revenue they were making tonight and then called Gareth back.

"That was longer than 5 minutes, you know," he grumbled.

"Sorry, Garebear, but we've got a full house tonight. Sorry about yelling at you, what's up?" 

There a pause on the other end and then he began, "Well it seems silly now, but…"

She rolled her eyes, and prompted, "Go ahead and spill. You know you want to tell me."

"It's just that I was a Happiness having some drinks with the guys and I got the feeling I was being watched. I spotted some big guy checking me out and he might have just been a bear, but I got the heebie jeebies from the looks he was giving me."  

Knowing that Happiness was a bar geared towards the male gay community and that a bear was not Gareth's type of man, Kiera consoled, "You can't always choose the kind of guys you check out. None of us can. Did he try to pressure you or anything?"

Another pause. "No, but I thought I had seen him earlier today. And then again at the bar. My mind may just be preoccupied by what happened last night, but do you think he could have been one of them? And that maybe he's following me?"

Mulling over her own experience she said, "I don't know, Gare. Grayson came to the bar tonight and we talked, but I didn't get the impression that we were being treated as a threat or being watched."

"Grayson? The guy in charge of all of them came to your bar? What'd he want?" Gareth's voice rose incredulously. 

"He just, uh, brought me my purse."

"Your purse? Huh. Doesn't he have peons or something to do that sort of stuff?"

Kiera shifted in her chair, suddenly conscious of the warmth caused by recent memories. She knew that Grayson didn't have to come personally and after the kiss they shared she knew exactly why he'd come. But it didn't change the fact that she couldn't pursue a relationship with him, or anyone for that matter. Her ability could harm anyone she let too close. She tried to explain that to him and even after getting a small taste he seemed unconvinced. However it was a lesson she learned the hard way when she was younger and had no intention of repeating. 

"I guess he was already heading this way," she lied, "but I really don't think they're following us."

"You're probably right," Gareth conceded. "I'll still ask Lena tomorrow night just to be sure."

They spoke for a few minutes longer about his plans the following night and what her night had been like. She skirted the events from earlier in the evening and left out the kiss entirely. She knew he'd hear about it eventually, but didn't want to endure an interrogation. At least not yet, she knew Jasmine was just biding her time. She'd left the bar for a late dinner, but would most likely return after closing to corner her. As a rule they kept no secrets and she knew they were dying to know more about Grayson. It was both a blessing and curse to have such a close knit group of friends. And keeping anything from Amber, a clairvoyant, was a wasted effort. She often knew things before they occurred. 

I saw you in the arms of a beast.

So that's what that meant. Pretty literal, Kiera thought. Amber's predictions were normally enigmatic and fractured where "beast" could mean trouble or a really bad day. She supposed that Grayson's outer form hid what he really was, but he was still a beast. A werewolf. 

Shaking her head Kiera pushed aside her useless introspection and went back out to finish her shift. 

** ** ** *** ** ** **

After last call it took an additional 45 minutes to get everyone out. They cashed the tills, cleaned up before gathering at one of the tall tables to sort out tips and share interesting stories about their customers.

Mason broached the subject about Grayson first. "So, K, what was that about?"

She didn't pretend to misunderstand, "He's just someone Gareth and I ran into last night. As it turned out I left my purse at the restaurant he owns and he was nice enough to deliver it. The rest was just…misguided heroics."

Mason still looked dissatisfied. 

Jasmine was downright skeptical. "I'm not an empath, but I know sexual tension when I see it. He wasn't being heroic, he was staking a claim. I wouldn't have been surprised if he knocked you over the head and carried you out of here. You know we're going to get the truth so spill."

Kiera resigned herself to sharing all the details. "He did express interest and we…let's just say Amber was right."

Smiling dreamily Amber replied, "I usually am, eventually. What was I right about this time?"

"You said you saw me in the arms of beast. Well Grayson was that beast. We fought and then we kissed."

Jumping up Jasmine declared, "I knew it! That hotness was all over you like a dog in heat wasn't he? All those muscles and that sexy body just about melted my bones when I saw him. I don't blame you, sister. Nicely done and it's about time I say."

Kiera was uncomfortable with her friend's description which was probably more accurate than she realized. She was saved from admitting anything further when Amber interjected.

"No, that hasn't happened yet. I still see you in the arms of a beast," she muttered. "Not long from now, but not now. Or did it? I can't tell for sure. I see you here, so maybe it has happened." Amber looked around bemused. "Something's missing, it's night, but not now night."

As she lapsed into confused silence the rest shared a knowing look. Amber was a genius, but her mouth and brain didn't always agree. Sometimes she lost herself in her visions and lost track of time and place. It used to be unnerving, but they were used to her fractured explanations. 

"Regardless," Kiera began again, "I'm not going to see him again so it isn't important."

"Why not?" Jasmine griped. "You never date. And now this mouthwatering prime example of luscious man throws himself at you and you just dismiss him? Kiera you're crazy to blow him off."

"You know why."

They stared at each other for several moments. They knew to what she referred, but no one wanted to say it out loud. Even years old it was still a sensitive issue. 

Quietly Jasmine said, "Kiera, love, you can't keep yourself apart from the world for the rest of your life. It wasn't your fault."

"I disagree." 

With that Kiera got up and headed to the office to collect her belongings. When she returned everyone was ready to lock up. They walked out the back and stood in the cool evening air saying their good-byes. However after several moments of chatting, the previous conversation dropped, they decided no one was ready for bed. Instead they walked around to the front, crossed the street and strolled through the park. It was dimly lit which suited them fine. Adam walked slightly behind them, always on guard in the dark. They talked and laughed all the way to a small 24 hour diner across the park. It was almost 4 am before they decided to go home. All tension eased, the paranorms and Adam parted ways with hugs and kisses. 

While hugging Kiera close, Jasmine whispered a parting shot of "Give him a chance." 

Kiera entered her dark house and was immediately accosted by her hungry felines. She sat in the kitchen with a mug of decaf tea while they munched on their late dinner. It was a common ritual in which the quiet ceremony helped Kiera decompress after a busy night. As dawn lit the sky she decided it was time to attempt sleep although the tornado of thoughts promised no such respite. Kiera showered, changed into her usual sleep attire of a t-shirt and panties and at the last took her cell phone out to charge. She opened it to clear out recent calls and noticed a number she didn't recognize. It didn't have an identifier so she supposed it was a wrong number. She looked at the time and realized it came in sometime while she was working, but wasn't missed so she must have answered. 

"Too early to call back," she thought and closed the phone.

** ** ** *** ** ** **

Bright and early Grayson started his day all the while grumbling about the brightness and the earliness. He hadn't slept well reliving the sting of Kiera's last rejection. The five minutes she demanded had come and gone and she never called back. It was, to say the least, a huge sting on his ego. He'd never been so summarily dismissed by anyone, least of all someone he was interested in. Over his second cup of coffee he decided to take Lena's advice and let the matter go. In the human world persistence could be interpreted as stalking and he couldn't afford to draw attention to himself or his pack. She was just an interesting piece to chase, not the elusive answer to his deepest desire. 




Following the Feeling Ch. 04



Ignoring the mockery his wolf made of that conclusion Gray buried himself in paperwork. They were in the process of redecorating Moonlight, the dance club, and he spent the morning paying invoices and approving change orders. He was deeply involved when his office phone rang. 

"Go ahead," he expected it to be one of the betas with a morning report.

"Hello?"

Looking up at the caller id he realized the call had not come from inside the building. ,

"Hello," the familiar female voice said again, "I received a call from this number and was returning it."

"Kiera? This is Grayson." He kept his voice calm despite the slight shock of hearing a voice he least expected.

"Oh." Then a long pause. "I, ah, you called me?"

"I did." Brilliant, he thought. 

"Ok, well…did you want something?" she sounded as surprised and awkward as he felt at the moment. 

You. "I was just calling to ask you if you'd reconsidered going out with me. To talk about what happened yesterday or just to talk." Liar, his mind mocked.

"Reconsidered," there was a spark in her voice that warmed him. He was already conditioned to like when she was angry. 

"I hadn't reconsidered it, no," she continued. "So if that's all I'll let you go."

Uh-uh, he thought, not now that I have you again. "Come on, at least we could have a meal together, to make up for the used cell phone minutes."

His confidence grew with each minute she remained on the line. He heard her huff and anticipated the next question. 

"Should I even bother asking how you got my cell phone number?"

"Probably not, but I'll explain over lunch. What time works for you?"

Kiera was ready to provide a curt refusal, but thought about Jasmine's parting words and replied, "I have to be at work by four and have some errands to run so the earlier the better."

Looking at the time, nine o'clock, Gray suggested, "Why don't we meet at eleven? Should I pick you up or do you want to meet somewhere?"

Kiera bit her lip then answered, "Fine, eleven will work. I'd rather meet you there. I'm not picky, so what are you in the mood for?"

Gray knew he'd get in trouble with his answer to that question. Feeling the rush of victory he offered, "There's a nice restaurant on Brook Street called Sempler's Café. They have a varied menu and outside seating available." 

He wanted her at ease and the best place to do that was an open place on neutral territory. He didn't mention that the couple that ran it were pack. He too wanted the option of security, but knew a call ahead could assure discreetness. 

"I've seen it, but have never been. Sounds good, I'll see you there."

"At eleven," he said.

"At eleven," she repeated with a muffled laugh. 

They ended the call with polite goodbyes. Grayson started at the phone for several moments afterward with a grin on his face. A little step, but one in the right direction. He strolled to his quarters with a jaunty step to prepare for their date.

** ** ** *** ** ** **

At eleven sharp Grayson stood outside Sempler's Café trying to contain his smile. But when he saw Kiera walking towards him it broke free in dazzling force. At any rate Kiera was dazzled and struck with the image of grinning wolf. Her trepidation returned until his smile warmed considerably as he looked down at her.

"You look lovely," he simply said. 

Grayson minded her personal space and guided her to a table outside at her nod of approval. They ordered drinks and Kiera pored over the menu while Grayson sat back and watched her. He drank in the way her hair glowed auburn in the sun, the long line of her neck, and the smooth skin exposed by her tank top. 

"Do you know what you're going to order? Their salads sound nice." Kiera looked up and caught him staring.

"I'm sure they are, this place has a reputation for excellent food, but I'm going to get my usual burger. You can't find a better one in the city."

He left out that the ranch that provides Grazing their beef also supplied the café and a handful other were-owned restaurants. The ranch was originally a safe hunting ground, but they started raising cattle when most moved within city limits. The wolves' sensitive taste buds were generally offended by the meat offered in grocery stores so raising their own livestock became a convenient solution. The pack still gathered and hunted in the surrounding forest, but Grayson hadn't been out there in several months.

"Of course you're a meat eater," she observed.

Leaning forward he asked, "Do you really want to jump into that topic?"

Kiera blushed at her faux pas and shook her head.

"I think I'll get the grilled chicken salad," she said instead.

"An excellent choice, my dear," a new voice replied. Kiera looked up and saw their waitress had returned. She was a lovely older woman with the kind of smile that could put anyone at ease. She took Gray's order with the same sweet smile and left them alone. 

They chatted about the weather and the local news and other safe topics throughout the meal, which Kiera agreed was excellent. She asked how Derek was doing and he assured her he was perfectly fine, explaining that they healed much faster than humans. As time wore on she became more comfortable talking to Grayson and discovered they had a fair amount in common. She tried not to get caught up in how handsome he was when he smiled or lulled by the smooth baritone of his voice, but at some point she realized that he was quite a nice guy, when they weren't arguing. One hour became two, but neither seemed inclined to end their date. After coaxing her into ordering strawberry shortcake for dessert Grayson turned the conversation into a more personal direction.

"So tell me what it's like growing up as an empath."

Kiera smirked. "Have we reached the question and answer portion of our date? No wonder you wanted to sweeten me up." 

Gray's answering smile was almost boyish in delight. "I do believe we have unless you have a problem with that."

"No it's fine, but I expect a fair exchange. Question for question." She had a few questions of her own she finally felt comfortable enough to ask.

At his nod Kiera took a bite of her dessert and considered her answer.

"Growing up as an empath wasn't easy. I cried a lot until I learned more control over my filtering techniques. Then there's the mistake of telling someone who couldn't handle it and suddenly being ostracized in school. Few people like being called a freak, you know. But I met people who also had paranormal abilities and once I realized I wasn't alone in the world it made a huge difference." 

"Weren't your parents able to help you deal with your abilities?" 

Kiera wagged her finger at him, "Nuh-uh. Question for question, it's my turn."

"Follow-up questions shouldn't count as a new question only a request for clarification," he defended.

"Changing the rules already? I didn't realize you were a cheater, Mr. Gray." Kiera licked a dollop of whipped cream off her finger making his eyes darken as they tracked her motions.

"Fine," he replied distractedly, "Your turn."

Kiera hesitated briefly and then asked, "How long have you been…what you are? 

Gray's brow quirked at her question. "What do you mean?"

Looking around she leaned forward whispering, "You know, a werewolf."

Gray leaned in as well and whispered back mere inches from her mouth, "All my life, sweet. I'm a natural."

"What's a natural?"

This time Gray shook his head, "I believe that's a follow up question, Ms. Sheppard."

"Okay well then you get to ask two questions next time." Kiera liked this game, it was safe and yet her insides warmed as she bantered with him. She couldn't recall a time when she had had so much fun with someone outside her tiny group. And she was quite certain she'd never told him her last name, it was another question to ask.

Having similar thoughts, Gray replied, "Being a natural means I was born a werewolf, with two werewolf parents, aunts, uncles, and so on. Despite what the myths say very few of our species came to be that way through outside influences." Ignoring her confused expression he continued, "My turn, did your parents help you adjust to life as an empath?"

"No. What's your next question?"

"Wait, that's it? A one word answer? Who's trying to cheat now," he huffed.

"It's not my fault you asked a yes or no question. Maybe you should have put more thought into it. You're not very good at this you know." 

They continued to argue, but without the anger that had tainted their previous encounters. He demanded and she pouted and ran verbal circles around him at every opportunity. He knew she was smart, but never guessed how clever or evasive she could be when pressed into a corner. As the afternoon ran on they learned more from each other and the bond that Grayson had suspected was possible grew until he was determined to know not just something, but everything about the woman who sat across from him. Kiera sensed his determination, but was far from feeling threatened by it. Maybe it was because they were so different from the rest of the population, but they just seemed to see eye to eye when it came to being honest and yet discreet. Living in a world within the world they had experienced the same need for secrecy. She respected that Gray didn't push too hard and shared things with him she never expected to like how her parents abandoned her when they realized she was different and how she met Amber in the orphanage when she was nine. She told him how she had trouble sleeping most of the time. He explained how he became Alpha by succession enforced by a victorious challenge against other wolves and how he ran the pack with Lena's help. 

For the most part they were left alone to talk, but the waitress, Anita, was sure to keep their glasses full. When Kiera had excused herself to the restroom Anita used the opportunity to express her approval over her Alpha's choice. He tried to dissuade her from thinking he'd made a choice in mate, but even as he said the words something niggled in his mind. He thought he'd like to enjoy Kiera's company, but hadn't considered far beyond that. Choosing a playmate and choosing a lifemate were two very different things, the second being one he'd avoid so far without any criticism. And a human mate was rare among the higher ranking wolves. Still…

** ** ** *** ** ** **

"Oh my God, I'm going to be late!" 

Kiera bounded up from the table just about tumbling it over. 

"It's almost four, I have to go, I'm late," she repeated with a wide eyes. 

"You sound very much like a white rabbit I once read about," Gray replied calmly, also standing. 

Not about to be amused by his comments or his nonchalance, Kiera started walking away from the restaurant with a final wave to their attentive waitress. "It's not funny, I'm never late. Even when I haven't slept for 3 days and have the late shift I'm still there on time. I'm never going to hear the end of this if I'm late because of you."

She finished the last word with a poke at Grayson's chest. He held his hands up in surrender (and to resist grabbing her) and walked her dutifully to her car. 

As she jabbed the key in the door he asked, "When can I see you again?" 

She tried to ignore the longing that resonated from him. "I work all night, inventory and then bartend until closing like last night."

Grayson wrapped his arms around her preventing her from sitting in her car. Against her neck he asked, "What about after closing, you should be free then. We both know you're not going to sleep."

Kiera closed her eyes as his breath warmed from the outside in. She realized she wanted him to kiss her again and the thought both thrilled and terrified her. Her reasons for keeping him at bay were very real and very much her own, but her knees grew weak in the strength of his embrace. 

"I…ok," she relented.

He rewarded her with a small kiss just behind her ear. "Two?" he whispered.

Turning to meet his eyes she said, "Make it closer to 2:30."

Grayson leaned forward to brush his lips against hers, desire emanating from his mind into hers. A brief moment passed then he opened her car door and ushered her in. 

"Two thirty," he repeated to her shy smile. 

Feeling triumphant Grayson watched Kiera drive away before meeting Zack and Zane beside a SUV. Neither made a comment on the drive back to the hub, but all three were quietly pleased in their own way.

** ** ** *** ** ** ** 

Also pleased was the man who'd watched the whole encounter safely ensconced in shadows. A potentially dangerous job had just become a lot simpler with the Alpha's new infatuation.



Following the Feeling Ch. 05



See the wait wasn't too bad this time, was it? I could have made this chapter longer, but I wanted to get it posted and move forward with Chapter 6. For the one poster, sorry there's no sex yet, but all these darn obstacles keep ruining Kiera and Grayson's alone time! I know rude, right? 

Enjoy! CricketMuse

** ** ** *** ** ** **

Kiera entered A Typical Oasis, the bar she owned with her closest friends, at a quarter past four. Amber was sitting in the office absently flipping through a magazine. She looked up when Kiera rushed in and tossed her purse on the desk.

"You're late," she said without looking up.

"I know I'm sorry. Why are you here, I thought you were off today." Kiera plopped down on the chairs.

Amber simply shrugged. With no further response forthcoming Kiera stood and went to the front where Adam, Jasmine, Mason and one of their part-time waitresses got ready to open at five. She waved off her friends questioning glances and went behind the bar to get herself a bottle of water. Jasmine joined her as she slugged down the water in several gulps, half trying to cool herself off from the residual heat from Grayson's embrace, half to mentally prepare herself for the evening.

"Did you oversleep?" Jasmine asked. She noticed her friend's flushed face and wondered at the cause.

"No, I was out and lost track of time." Kiera couldn't keep the defensive tone from her voice. She was never late and Jasmine made a veritable habit out of it, but no one ever got on her case. Instead they laughed it off as one of the perks of owning their own business. Kiera bit her tongue from saying such as she sensed Jasmine's concern was genuine. No one in the room was suspicious, only confused by her out of character behavior. 

"Did you call in Amber for a shift, she didn't say why she's here today," she asked.

Jasmine shrugged, "Nope she just showed up and has been hanging out in the office. When we asked what why she came in she said she wanted to."

The girls chatted while setting up the bar then Kiera went downstairs to work on inventory and the others opened up. Her knack for organization made her the best candidate to keep track of and order supplies. She also worked on the bookkeeping with Mason's help. Jasmine liked to keep things interesting by booking local bands or holding contests. Amber's contribution to the business was to be an efficient worker, but she rarely involved herself in anything else. As a team they had built a successful business that provided enough income to keep them living comfortably. It was a vast improvement from their individual careers, such as they were, and Kiera was very proud of their achievement. 

The hours before her shift at the bar rolled by uneventfully, her mind wandering from time to time to her afternoon. She knew something was growing between her and Grayson, but didn't want to think far beyond the moment. Planning ahead had always led to problems in her life since unexpected obstacles often appeared just as she felt like she'd settled in normal society.

She recalled Grayson's question about growing up as an empath, knowing she'd left out a lot of details. Her parents, from what she remembered, couldn't understand why their little girl always cried. When she was old enough to talk and tried to tell them about the pain she felt they took her to the doctor. Of course nothing was wrong with her physically, but she couldn't explain how she felt other's feelings in her head. At the doctor's suggestion they took her to a therapist who asked her questions about her feelings, but when she told him that they weren't her feelings, that they belonged to others he said she had a delusional imagination. For a little girl it was scary to feel happiness, fear, sadness, lust and all other emotions far too advanced for her to comprehend. She just wanted to be loved by her family, but knew before they acknowledged it how much they despised her for being different. She was given to the custody of the state when she was eight and put in a home for disturbed children. It was a living nightmare for her, unable to escape the onslaught of untutored feelings that beat at her brain day and night. It was like a radio turned up to maximum volume until she couldn't sleep or think. She drowned in a sea of other people's emotions and started falling into the madness she'd been diagnosed with. 

Then Amber found her one rainy day and without a word took hold of her hand. The simple gesture helped Kiera surface once more and focus on the serenity that flowed from the young girl. Amber was two years younger and put into the home when her drug addicted Mother tried to sell her for heroine. Kiera always suspected Amber was calm because of the drugs that had polluted her body as a babe. They provided her brain a respite from the visions that came unbidden to her. What she knew for sure was that Amber saved her sanity that day and many days forward. Together they worked on controlling their abilities and eventually Kiera could filter the constant stream of human emotion into a manageable hum. As she aged her abilities grew until she could track people familiar to her and project feelings into others. At fifteen she escaped from the home with Amber. They moved to a little Midwest town where she got a job as a waitress. With the money they made she was able to attend the local college and graduated by the time she was eighteen with a degree in education. They moved to Baton Rouge and with forged documents Kiera got hired as a professor, working mostly in the evenings. 

They lived comfortably for a couple years and then Amber had a vision about a girl in trouble. The girl had turned out to be Jasmine. They found her outside a night club being accosted by a group of men. Her exotic Persian looks made her a target for small town good old boys who'd had too much to drink. In their first tandem act Jasmine used the confusion caused by Kiera and Amber's appearance to force the men away from her. She used her telekinetic ability to knock them over like bowling pins. Kiera injected their minds with fear, the emotion she was feeling strongest, and the men scattered in terror. It was an acquaintance built on their paranormal abilities, but quickly grew to friendship. Likewise they met Mason when he, capable of astral projection, insinuated himself into Jasmine's dreams. Using the link they tracked him down in Texas and confronted him. Caught off guard he'd admitted that it was an accident, but in finding Jasmine attractive wanted to get to know her better. The threesome accepted his apology and Jasmine and Mason dated for a few months. The relationship fizzled, but they remained close friends and eventually decided sticking together was a good plan. Paranorms banded together in a norms' world. 

And so it went through good and bad until they opened their little bar with an unexpected infusion of cash and a silent fifth partner. Moving to Aventon was their clean slate, a new town with no preconceived notions. They chose it because of the warm weather and distance from their previous locations. Three years later they ran a steady business and had their version of normal lives.

Kiera's life had taken a turn for the abnormal 48 hours ago with a painful shock of terror in her weary brain and the introduction to a world she'd never suspected. She guessed her normal life was a thing of the past as long as Grayson pursued her with his smoldering gray eyes and hot touches. The realization brought her train of thought full circle. She couldn't continue to resist Gray's advances, but didn't want to plan beyond the moment. 

** ** ** *** ** ** **

With no valid excuse Grayson gave into Lena's urging to join her and Alistair for dinner with Gareth. The man was affable and curious, asking questions about their species and how the myths differed from reality. Lena and Alistair answered most of his questions while Gray sat quietly. He listened as Gareth regaled them with the tale of how he met Kiera and her friends. 

He'd been out with his boyfriend in Baton Rouge and they wandered into bar for an after dinner drink. Kiera had been seated next to them and struck up a conversation with them over a bowl of peanuts. Before they left for the night Kiera had handed him a napkin. He'd thought she was trying to give him her number for some reason, but when he got home he'd opened it and saw a note.

He's cheating on you.

Gareth had confronted his boyfriend, Leonard, who after lengthy denials finally admitted to be seeing someone else and using Gareth for financial reasons. He'd gone back to the bar every night for a week looking for Kiera. When she showed up he'd cornered her and asked how she knew about his boyfriend's infidelity. She first told him that Leonard's demeanor gave him away, but confided in him about her empathy when pressed for details. Being a law student made him skeptical to New Age practices so it took another demonstration to convince him. His disbelief sparked her anger and she made him cry in front of everyone. It was hilarious in retrospect, but terrified him at the time. She apologized, offered to buy him a drink and by the end of the evening they were fast friends. He'd met the other girls soon after and the foursome hung out frequently until they moved away. A couple years ago he decided to leave Louisiana and looked for a position in the area and was hired at a prestigious law firm downtown. 

"So," Grayson queried, "you two were both in college together?"

"Yes and no. I was a student and she was a professor in the Sociology Department. She helped me through some tough assignments. It wasn't until later I found out the little faker was lying about her age. I'm actually a year older and there I was running to her for help," Gareth laughed.

The three wolves exchanged glances. Things that didn't add up in the background check suddenly made sense. It seemed Grayson's new interest had less of a clean paper trail than they thought if some of the information they received was false. The realization reinforced Grayson's desire to learn everything about the little empath. 2:30 couldn't come soon enough in his opinion. 

The conversation veered to other topics like the businesses owned by the pack and how long they'd been settled in the area. Sharing private information about the pack attested to their trust in Gareth. He was used to keeping secrets, first about his sexuality and later about Kiera and friends, so the gesture of faith was not lost on him. He hoped that Kiera was also able to make friends with them since he hated to keep secrets from her. Besides, he reflected, Amber was sure to envision their secret sooner or later. Gareth had found out early on that few secrets could be kept from that bunch. He made a note to talk to Kiera later to find out if she'd told them anything yet. 

** ** ** *** ** ** **

Grayson checked the time again. The evening was wearing on his patience and the comfortable small talk taking place didn't help. After dinner they had adjourned to one of the leisure rooms to continue chatting. Both Derek and Danny from the kitchen staff joined them and for the past hour the wolves and Gareth had been sharing anecdotes. The jovial air was a constant reminder of his date with Kiera that afternoon. The time with her had flown by while these few hours had dragged on. 

Despite smiling at the appropriate times while they talked, he started to plan what they'd do when he saw Kiera again. Part of him wanted to fill in the spaces between the stories Gareth had shared. He felt like he'd learned much, but not nearly enough. However another part of him wanted to drag her to the closest dark corner and ravish her. That part was currently making him restless and irritable. 

"I want to be able to thank her again," Derek was saying, "for everything she did. Kiera was a really my guardian angel that night. First with the way she found me and then how she kept me calm. I can still feel the warmth of her hand in mine like an anchor…"

Derek's gushing accolades were interrupted by a rumbling growl. 

Everyone turned to look at the source, a glaring Grayson. The lesser wolves immediately ducked their heads in submission as Gareth looked around in confusion. Alistair ignored the growl's intent and smiled back at his Alpha.

Lena scowled at him and addressed the group. "Yes we're all upset about the other night, but fortunately it appears that it was an isolated attack. We're lucky that no one was harmed permanently and I've been meaning to mention just how brave you were that evening, Derek."

Upon being addressed directly Derek raised his head, nodding in acknowledgement of her words.

"Nevertheless," she continued, "we must all remain vigilant. Isn't that right, Náčelník?"

"Indeed" was the curt response. "In fact," he continued with sudden insight, "I think we should extend our protection to our new human friends. It's the least we can offer after their bravery."

He didn't say that he intended to keep a very close, personal watch on Kiera. But until things were settled between them the pretext of acting as the protector would bypass any more suspicion about his interest. In the least it should silence the rumor mill for a few days. And after that, if things progressed as he planned, then he could confirm their relationship with the pack. 

With lifted brows Gareth responded, "Well I wouldn't mind some extra company," he smiled at Danny, "but Kiera likes her space. And her privacy. And she's not really thrilled about our new acquaintance."

It was apparent to the Alphas and Alistair that the empath hadn't shared details about her recent interactions with Grayson. Perhaps she hadn't had time to talk to him yet, but most likely she was keeping the burgeoning relationship private. It was another point Gray would have to discuss with her. Being as close as she was with Gareth, who knew what he was, and her friends, who didn't, the news was sure to break soon. He could help her decide was safe to discuss and what was best left unsaid. He'd have to get to know her friends better before deciding if it was safe to share the pack's secret. 

"I'll run it passed her tonight and let you know how she reacts," Gareth announced. 

Gray grimaced. If Gareth stayed late they were sure to cross paths at the bar. He surmised he'd have to have that particular talk sooner than later. Having a one night stand with a human was far less complicated.

** ** *** ** ** **

The Saturday rush gave Kiera very little time to talk to Gareth. He'd arrived around midnight excited about his evening with the werewolves. She told him between serving customers that they could talk later, but he decided to hang around. She worried that he'd stay passed closing and find out she was meeting Grayson. It was sure to cause a stir with her friends, but couldn't encourage him to leave and call tomorrow. She'd already planned to leave a few minutes after closing and meet Grayson outside. 

Her nerves were a constant distraction. She'd already failed to alert Adam to growing anger that led to a fight. Fortunately it was quickly contained and her friends blamed tiredness on her lapse. They didn't seem to suspect she was preoccupied with a pair of gray eyes set in a handsome face. Eyes that had been singed in her mind as they watched her with a predator's grace all afternoon. 

"Last call!" 

Mason's 1:45 announcement was met with the usual rush to the bar. They served the last orders quickly to get everyone out. By ten passed two the place was mostly clear. Only a couple of people chatted while finishing their beverages. One man slumped passed out in a booth. Mason's attempt to rouse him failed so they let him be for the time being. They worked in unison to close up and clean, Kiera's butterflies exacerbated by Gareth dogging her heels. Amber opted to stay in the office asserting it was her day off. 

Two thirty came with another flush of nerves for Kiera, but the door didn't open. She half hoped Grayson was either running late or decided not to come. She ignored the ache she felt about the last option. 

"We need to talk, K," Gareth was saying again.

"I know, Gareth, and I think we should arrange to hang out tomorrow. I've had a long day and I'm bushed." It wasn't a lie; the ups and downs of the day had left her exhausted. 

"But I need to talk to you about you know what," he insisted with a surreptitious look at the others. 

She sighed. One of the reasons Gareth was a great lawyer was his persistence. Deciding some truth was in order she said, "Gareth, I'm not free tonight. I have plans after this."

"Plans?" he exclaimed loudly.

The rest of the group turned to the duo and then turned to the door when it swung open. Grayson walked in followed by Zach and Zane. 

Kiera saw the light go off in Gareth's head and then exchanged glances with Gray. He hesitated at the entrance unsure of his welcome. Kiera felt his indecision and laughed suddenly. 

"You might as well come in. The cat, as they say, is out of the bag." To her surprise she actually felt the tension that had been building up all day dissipate. 

Her relief trigged Grayson's and he moved forward to kiss her lightly. 

"Hi," he said with eyes gleaming. 

"Hi there, it's nice to see you again. Gareth, guys, you've met Grayson. Well the lot of you hasn't been introduced, but I'm sure you remember him." 

Jasmine, Mason and Adam all nodded dumbly, shocked. Gareth attempted to compose himself.

"Long time, no see," he quipped. 

Grayson cleared his throat and introduced them to his bodyguards. Kiera bade them to sit at the bar while the rest finished closing up. The mood had turned quiet with unanswered questions, but Kiera didn't pick up on any negativity. In fact she a strange combination of glee and triumph skitter through her mind. Fifteen minutes later, sans the usual chatter, the place was ready to lock up.

Kiera went over to wake up their lone patron who'd not stirred during the closing process. She could impress her will to get him moving quicker than the force Adam would use. She grasped the man's warm shoulder and shook slightly. 

"Time to head home," she whispered. The man stirred sleepily and she turned to unlock the front door for him. 

Amber stepped out from the back, looked around and said, "Now is now."

The group all turned their attention to her except for Kiera. A muscled arm clamped around her waist, the other grabbed her throat.

"Ah," was all she managed to get out. 

"You!" Gareth shouted. "It's the man from last night!" 

The others turned to see her restrained by the drunk. A deep growl rumbled in Kiera's ear. She shivered, trying not to be overwhelmed by the hateful feelings that emanated from the man. There was still glee and triumph, but also a coarse aggression. 

"Let her go," Grayson ordered. He sniffed the air to determine the threat and discovered the man before them was were. He'd missed it on entering, as had his guards. 

"I'll let the human go," the gravelly voice said, "but I want you in return." 

"Who are you, what do you want with me?" Grayson demanded. 

"I want your blood." 

With that Kiera was held tighter to the man's body. The man burned like a furnace and she squirmed. Her mind was just adjusting to her predicament when the arms around her changed. They grew longer, hairier, more muscled and she heard popping behind her. Her friends watched in horror as the man turned to something they never imagined. Jasmine screamed. 

Grayson watched the wolf change and felt fear for Kiera. Within the embrace of the beast she could be broken in mere moments. He fought his own wolf which tried to surface in response of the threat. He knew the twins wouldn't make a move without his command. His first priority was to get Kiera safely away from the werewolf. 




Following the Feeling Ch. 05



"Your blood or hers," the menacing voice more guttural than before. Kiera gasped when claws clutched at her throat.

Through clenched teeth Grayson threatened, "If you hurt her you won't escape alive."

The claws at Kiera's neck tightened even further until she felt the sting of her flesh being pierced. Kiera desperately fought to not panic. She stared straight ahead; saw the other werewolves' anger and her friends' fear. She searched her brain for ideas, but came up empty. Her fate was in the hands of the creature behind her. She hoped Grayson wouldn't surrender to its demand, fearing it would be the death of them all. 

At the scent of Kiera's blood Grayson lost the battle against his wolf. His body contorted, the sounds of bones popping scaring the humans further. Allowing the change to overcome him Grayson felt a spurt of relief. He was now on even ground with the beast who dared to touch Kiera. 

She watched as Grayson, the man who only recently kissed her into ecstasy, transformed into a werewolf. Her mind knew that he could, but never imagined she would see it. He was huge, nearly seven feet tall with dark gray fur and lethal claws. His eyes retained their gray hue, but were filled with a wildness she'd never seen before. Behind him the other two transformed as well, one snow white and the other pitch black. The part of her brain that was strangely calm wondered how twins could look so different in their werewolf form.

Her attention returned to her imprisonment when the beast holding her leaned down and growled against her neck. His fetid breath stung the wounds he'd caused. 

"Your bitch will die if you move, Alpha. Surrender yourself now or she dies."

Grayson growled in response. "Release her now and I might let you live."

"Kiera," a small voice called. Kiera shifted her eyes to Amber. "I see you in the arms of a beast. Make him let you go."

Make him. Kiera searched the beast's mind, but couldn't find anything to use. His anger would only harm her further, she was sure. Her fear was just as useless. She knew Amber wouldn't have spoken unless she knew there was a way. She looked helplessly at Grayson for help. His eyes, still familiar, burned into hers. There she found more anger, frustration and a possessiveness that left her breathless. 

The creature behind her demanded Gray's surrender, slowly moving them towards the front door. He must have known the front door was locked and bolted securely, but the steered her that way anyway. She knew if he got her outside she would die. Kiera's attempts to pull away were rewarded with another gash at her throat.

"Your bitch bleeds so nice," he taunted, "I can play with her for hours before she dies."

A shot of dark lust sliced through Kiera's mind. She knew that her pain was pleasure for the beast behind her. She grasped it and let it build like a tidal wave. They were standing in front of the window when she shoved the lust and fear into him with a forceful burst. He howled in response and his body grew hard against her back. It was all the distraction they were going to get. She elbowed his muscled abdomen hard and threw her body forward. A moment later the beast went flying backward through the window, followed quickly by the twins. 

Grayson caught Kiera before she fell to the floor. He hauled her into his embrace, holding her with a constriction that left her gasping for air. His arms tightened more when she tried to move away.

"Too tight," she wheezed. Immediately the arms loosened so she could pull air into her lungs. He still held her close against his furry chest. She breathed in his musk deeply reassured by the relief emanating from Grayson. It didn't occur to her to be afraid of him, not when he held her so securely. Kiera was grateful for his presence even as she accepted the cause of the assault lay in her association with him. 

He pulled her away from his chest after long moments and began inspecting her for injuries. She glanced over at her friends who still by the bar. Jasmine eyes were full of tears, but nodded when Kiera raised her eyebrow. Once again the empath and telekinetic used the one-two punch to rid themselves of a problem. 

"I'm okay," she told Grayson. 

The words broke the spell of silence, her friends rushing forward to embrace her. The humans were still wary of Grayson in his were form, but he wasn't about to move from Kiera's side until the twins returned. 

"What the hell is going on," Adam demanded. "What the fuck are you?" 

Grayson growled, but answered, "A werewolf."

"No, no, no, no, that shit doesn't exist." Mason stared at Grayson in disbelief. "That's crazy."

"Shut up, Mason. You sound hysterical," Jasmine retorted.

"I'm okay," Kiera stated again as Grayson's inspection continued. She slapped a paw away in aggravation.

Standing on shaky legs she walked over to the bar and sat. Amber and Jasmine flanked her leaving the men to stand uncertainly. 

"Adam, I think we need to board up that window. There's stuff downstairs," Kiera instructed. "Will you men come back here?" She asked Grayson.

He nodded, a strange looking movement from a werewolf, and rasped, "They're return when they find him. I need to call the pack and have a search party sent."

"Can you dial a phone?" Amber asked.

"This is too weird, I need a drink." Mason walked behind the bar and poured himself a shot. 

"Maybe you should turn back," Kiera suggested to Grayson. 

He shook his head. "I can sense better this way. I want to know if that bastard returns."

Entranced by words coming out of the long muzzle she relented. "Okay, then I'll call your pack. What's the number?"

** ** ** *** ** ** **

Two hours later the bar's window was boarded up and the space was filled with pack members. Most were in human form, but a few were in their were form. The humans were overwhelmed and uncomfortable from being locked in with so many strangers. Grayson had changed back to his human form when the others joined him and he barked out orders for a search party, beefed up security and an alert to be sent to the pack members not living in the hub. Kiera was amazed with his leadership skills, gone was the playful man with whom she'd eating lunch. 

The twins returned a while later and changed into fresh clothes then reported that the assailant had gotten away, but the trackers were still on his trail. Zane had managed to injure the beast before he got escaped them, but the blood trail would only stay fresh for a short time. Angry, but reassured the bastard was moving away from the city, Grayson ordered everyone present back to the hub. 

He found Kiera with the other paranorms and Adam in the office and updated them on the situation. Adam was allowed to leave after promising to not call the police. He left reluctantly, but knew he couldn't help his bosses any more. Kiera sent him off with a hug and promised to call him in the afternoon. It was nearing dawn and they were all exhausted. The bar was closed on Sunday and they'd try to get the window fixed on Monday before opening.

Grayson objected to the bar reopening, but the paranorms wouldn't hear it. This was their business and it would open as long as they had breath in their bodies. Gray argued that was exactly why he didn't want it to open until they'd caught the enemy wolf. 

"We appreciate your concern," Kiera said, "but it's not your choice to make. We'll be open for business on Monday like we were last Monday."

They compromised by agreeing to having a few of his pack guard the place. 

"Are you sending a guard to our houses as well," Jasmine asked.

"You're coming to stay at the hub." Grayson stated. "If he comes back he'll be able to track you to your homes."

"No," Kiera refused, "I'm going home to my bed."

"Don't argue with me on this," Grayson snarled. "I've had a long night and I'm not going to let you be unprotected for one minute until the bastard is captured or dead."

"So put a guard on my house. I don't care, but I am going home."

Nothing was easy with Kiera. In a low voice he reasoned, "You can have your own rooms, the best accommodations. Only if you're surrounded by my people will I feel safe enough to let you out of my sight. I just want to keep you safe."

"I said no."

Gray clenched his teeth in frustration. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the relative privacy of the hall. In a quick movement he backed her up against the wall. Leaning chest to chest he rumbled, "You almost died tonight. I cannot protect you if you don't cooperate. Just give me an inch of cooperation to keep you alive."

Overcome by heat and intensity Kiera was barely able to reply. "I know you want to keep me safe, but I need to go home. I have to have some normalcy for me to survive, this experience is just so surreal. And that's coming from a paranormal. Please understand."

He sighed deeply, his breath a caress against her lips. "If you insist on this then I have to insist that we stay with you."

"We?"

Nodding he continued, "I won't feel secure unless you have a dozen guards, plus me. If you won't come with me to the hub then consider me joined to your hip." 

"But…"

He closed the distance between them before the refusal left her mouth. He devoured her mouth with all the frustration and residual fear he felt for her. Kiera tried to back away, but was pinned against the wall. She relented with a sigh and kissed him back. She was too tired to keep her mental walls in place, but he didn't shrink from the emotions that flowed through him. He used his kiss to prove his determination to get his way and she was helpless, too tired, to resist. The heat swelled between them reaching a fever pitch when he caught scent of her arousal. If he didn't respect her modesty he would have mated them in the hall. As it was their night wasn't quite over yet and both were exhausted. When he took her fully he intended them both to be fully awake and able to spend hours exploring this passion.

He broke the kiss when he heard the office door open. Amber peeked out and asked, "Well?"

Flushed Kiera replied, "We're going to stay at my house, all of us."

With a childlike enthusiasm out of place for the night's events Amber squealed, "Sleepover!"



Following the Feeling Ch. 06



Thank you again for your comments and interest in this little tale of mine. I'm also thankful for the extra help I receive. After Chapter 5's disaster I decided to enlist the help of an editor. Hope you enjoy!

CricketMuse

** ** *** ** **

Dawn's red silken tendrils followed a small caravan of vehicles as they wended their way quietly through the sleeping streets. They drove past downtown, the suburbs and headed into an area still relatively untouched by man's development. The pine trees grew thicker here, the nocturnal critters headed to bed, bellies full of the night's repast. A few miles from town the caravan turned into a long driveway and parked in front of the two-story home. 

Kiera exited her car, followed closely by Grayson who had insisted on riding with her. The others: half a dozen werewolves, three paranormals and one human all headed inside after them. She gave a brief tour then left them to take a shower. The stench from her attacker clung to her clothes, hair and skin. Afterwards her small injuries were disinfected and bandaged. Grayson had offered to heal them for her, but the process of having her wounds licked discomfited her. She was too tired to notice the spasm of hurt that crossed Grayson's features at her refusal. 

Kiera used the distraction of Grayson giving orders to his pack for guard duty to slip upstairs to her bedroom. She looked under the bed to find Bianca and Felix hiding from the chaos downstairs. Satisfied they were safe and had food, she crawled into her king sized bed and snuggled into the cool covers. Amber bounded into the bed with the same enthusiasm she'd exhibited earlier and they both were joined by Jasmine scant moments later. 

There was a reason Kiera had a king sized bed, but it had little to do with any sort of male company. When the four paranorms had moved to Aventon this was their first residence. Amber snuck into Kiera's bed frequently enough to warrant the purchase. As the bar's profit increased Mason and Jasmine moved into their own places. Only Amber had not purchased a permanent domicile, but rather traveled between the three homes. 

With her closest friends at her side Kiera had no difficulty in tuning out the clamor emanating from downstairs and fell into a deep sleep.

** ** *** ** ** 

She was standing on a beach, the waves licking at her toes. She watched the sunset before her turn the blue sky into a kaleidoscope of colors. She closed her eyes and listened to the steady whoosh and hush of the waves, her toes sinking deeply into the spongy sand at her feet. This was her quiet place, the place she came to be still and at peace. She let the turbulent thoughts in her mind ripple away like the tide, ignored the hum of emotions that were not her own and stared into the dying light of day. Just briefly she wished for a warm presence to be pressed against her back.

A rustle interrupted her meditation; she sluggishly turned her head towards the source. A man clothed in shadows walked out from the sea grass and headed towards her. She held her breath, but released it when the shadow became substance. 

"We should talk," Mason said without welcome.

Kiera sighed, her happy place was supposed to be inviolate, but Mason could breach her mental walls while her body slept. 

"I don't suppose this could wait until morning," she asked, "I was having a moment."

Looking towards the sunset he replied, "I see that, but as you know privacy is no longer an option while we're awake. I got stuck sharing a room with Gareth, by the way. Thanks for your help there."

"Oh don't be so prissy, he won't come on to you. Not unless you invite him to that is. Are you feeling insecure?"

Mason dug his toes in the sand grumbling, "No, that's not the point. This is our house I should have my own room."

With brow arched Kiera asked, "Is this what you wanted to talk to me about? Because, Mason, I could really use the alone time right now."

"No I wanted to talk to you about our current situation. Jasmine isn't nearly as concerned as she ought to be and I can't get into Amber's head." 

"She's busy acting as my mental buffer," Kiera explained. "How come I'm the last one you've approached?"

"Because you're the closest to those...people and I wasn't sure how you felt about this state of affairs. I want to get away from them, but I can't leave you guys behind."

"Why can't you?" Kiera shrugged. "We're supposed to be well protected by those people and it was my insistence that had you all here with me." 

"So what, you're fine with this? Your house has been invaded by werewolves for crissakes and one of them attacked you tonight! Their leader is all over you like white on rice and I haven't seen you balk once. What's going on here, K?"

The sun reversed direction and started its ascent to the sky. The calm she'd managed was gone and Kiera needed the warmth to comfort her.

"First," she answered calmly, "the creature that attacked wasn't one of them as you insinuated. Yes, it was a werewolf, but Grayson and his pack are different. They're...civilized. Second, my relationship with Grayson will quickly become none of your damn business if you don't watch your tongue. I'm not sure what's going on between us, but I'm not going to dismiss him simply because you don't approve. The girls don't have a problem with it and neither should you. It's not really anything yet so don't worry about it. I like him and am attracted to him, but you know I'm not just going to jump into something serious."

Mason had the clearest blue eyes when he was angry, they nearly glowed with emotion. He huffed, "I don't know what is going on, but it seems pretty serious, K. I hope you realize that before it's too late."

With that he turned to walk back into the sea grass. "I'll see you at breakfast," he said over his shoulder and then disappeared. 

Kiera looked up at the now blazing sun and realized her quiet time was over.

** ** *** ** **

Kiera woke up to an empty bed. She stretched lazily and looked over at the clock on her nightstand; it was already two o'clock. She was a bit surprised she'd slept around eight hours, the first full night's rest she'd had in over a month. Nature's call lured her to the bathroom, one look at her hair made her wince. The short cut was easy to style, but was nigh unmanageable when slept on wet. She hopped back in the shower to freshen up and relax the tight muscles in her back. The cuts are her neck protested against the hot water, but she made sure to clean them thoroughly. She was shaving her legs when she picked up Amber's approach. Moments later she heard the creak from the toilet seat.

"Morning, love," Kiera greeted. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, but it's the afternoon now," a sing song voice replied. "Can we do something fun for our sleepover tonight? We all fell asleep too fast last night."

Kiera smiled, thinking her friend unflappable. Amber was cheerful in most situations and seemed unfazed by their recent experience. It was comforting after her conversation with Mason. 

"Sure, what would you like to do tonight?"

"I don't know, we'll think of something. Jasmine is arguing with one of the guards, she wants to go to the store but they won't let her. She doesn't like your coffee."

Jasmine didn't like being told what she could and couldn't do, but Kiera didn't point that out. Having so many people under one roof was bound to cause issues, especially when half of them were strangers; and werewolves. 

"She's going to try to sneak out," Amber finished. 

"Did she tell you that?" 

"No." Amber hummed. "The bad wolf is far away, they should let her go." 

Kiera paused in her shaving. "Do you know where the bad wolf is, Amber?"

"No, I can't see him. But they'll catch him soon, it won't help much though. He's just a thug hired for a job. Did he hurt you badly?"

"He didn't hurt me badly, just scared me a lot. Do you see anything else that can help them, Amber?"

Kiera learned the best way to keep Amber focused was to ask direct questions. Sometimes she freely offered what she'd envisioned, but many times it had to be drawn out. The process was frustrating to Jasmine who was too impatient, but Kiera had honed the skill of questioning her clairvoyant friend.

"Nothing else, sorry. A bank is going to be robbed though," she added as an afterthought. 

Kiera didn't question her further. The robbery could take place locally or miles away and at any given time. She continued shaving as both were content to be silent. The silence was short lived though, Jasmine was coming towards them.

"This is intolerable!" she complained. "They won't let me leave, they won't run my errand, and they aren't any help at all!"

"Good afternoon," Kiera called lightly.

Jasmine humphed and then screeched, "Get out of here!"

The bathroom's small space was getting more crowded by the minute. Kiera searched to discover at least two more people present, only one of which was slightly familiar. She was grateful for the barrier of the opaque shower curtain, but still felt a bit uncomfortable. 

"We just wanted to make sure you weren't trying to jump out the window," a feminine voice said. "Our orders are to keep you safe and that entails..."

"I don't care," Jasmine shrieked, "I don't have to follow your commander's orders! I want my coffee!"

Kiera grinned. Jasmine's only real link to her Persian heritage was her love of strong coffee; the rest of her was all American. She'd been the target of Jasmine's caffeine withdrawals before and didn't want to interfere. 

"Kiera, can you explain to them how important this is to me? I can't seem to get it through their thick wolf skulls."

Kiera sniggered quietly, again comforted that Jasmine wasn't feeling threatened by their new acquaintances. Her laugh made her knick her knee cutting the laugh off. 

"Kiera, is that you in there?" a male voice asked. "It's me, Derek."

"Hey there, how are you feeling?" Kiera inquired politely. Why not make small talk with virtual strangers while naked in the shower? Her life was never going to be normal anyway.

"I'm much better, thanks. Are you okay in there? 'Cause I can smell blood." Derek's voice was closer than before. 

"Just peachy, but I could use a little priva..."

"What's going on in here? Ginny, it's your turn to patrol. Derek, get back downstairs and give the women a little privacy."

Grayson's perusal took in Jasmine's fuming countenance and Amber's serene one. He smelled a third body and realized in that moment that Kiera was in the shower. His head swiveled to the gold damask shower curtain and willed it to be transparent. Ginny and Derek vacated the bathroom, but Jasmine stood her ground hands on hips while Amber just sat cross legged on the toilet lid. 

"I want to go to the store," she demanded. 

"Derek called me with your request and we picked up supplies to make your coffee along with fresh clothes and other items. You'll find them all downstairs," he finished still staring at the shower curtain. 

Jasmine rushed out, followed much more leisurely by Amber. The sound of rushing water was the only sound for a solid minute. 

Then, "Are you still out there?" Kiera called out.

"Mmhmm," was the response. 

"Could you leave the bathroom so I can get out?" she requested.

Grayson wanted to join her, not leave. He'd been surprised to realize Kiera had gone to bed without saying anything to him or inviting him to join her. He'd crept upstairs after the house had settled in and spied on her sleeping form. She was cuddled with her friends, much like the pack did when sleeping together. He wanted to pick her up and whisk her back to the room he'd claimed, but wasn't sure of the response he'd receive in the morning. Grayson knew Kiera could run hot or cold depending on her mood and circumstances and he didn't want to violate the budding trust with an impulsive act. Like stripping down and joining her in the shower. 

"I'll just be outside," he answered. 

Kiera waited under the cooling water for a few minutes, blushing fiercely. A part of her had wanted him to refuse her request. What was happening to her?

She turned off the faucet and dried herself the best she could in the shower stall before exiting. She wrapped the towel tightly around herself and brushed her hair and teeth before leaving the bathroom. She gasped when she saw Grayson lounging on her bed.

"What? You said you'd be outside," she accused, blushing once again.

Grayson grinned. "I'm outside the bathroom just like you requested."

"Well can you wait outside my bedroom while I get dressed?" she gestured towards the door.

"No. But you're welcome to get dressed, I'll wait," he added magnanimously.

She looked back at the bathroom sans a door and considered her options. The only places she could dress in private was within the shower stall or her walk-in closet. Both were undesirable and prudish. Fine, she decided. She could talk to him with just a towel on. It was large and covered her from chest to knees; it could withstand the weight of his scorching gaze. 

"Never mind, what can I do for you?" She asked the question challengingly.

Gray patted the bed beside him. "You can make yourself comfortable. I just wanted to check on how you're doing and give you an update."

Holding her arms across her hardening nipples Kiera crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. He was an arms length from her, the closest she was willing to be to him in her state of undress.

"What's up?" She prodded.

"Well the trackers haven't returned yet, but the news coming back is that they're following the trail east. The other one came from the northwest, but we're certain they are connected. Two isolated attacks are unheard of and most challengers make themselves known rather than these sneak attacks. I'm the obvious target, but their motives are still unknown. The whole pack is on high alert. We don't know how many of these rogues are out there and we want to be better prepared the next time."

Kiera slumped a little. "Are you certain there's going to be a next time? Amber saw your trackers catching the attacker from last night, but didn't mention another attack."

Grayson frowned at Kiera's announcement. Her friend's visions hadn't been helpful last night and he had no reason to use them as a useful source. "That may be the case, but we're keeping security beefed up until this mess is over. It'd be easier if you and your friends would stay at the hub where security is assured."

"Don't," Kiera raised her hand, "I already told you I'm not going to be kept from my home. We're as safe here as anywhere."

"You really believe that, don't you?" Grayson grimaced. It was proving impossible to talk sense into the woman. 

"I do. So what's the plan?" Kiera considered that particular argument closed.

Stretching out he replied, "For now, you stay put under constant guard. My people will run your bar until we're sure it's secure."

"What? No way, that's not an option!"

Her defiance was squelched by his grabbing her and pulling her down next to him. He covered her lower body with a broad leg and leaned over her. Her protest caught in her throat at his nearness. Gray's eyes traveled across her face, her injured neck and lower to the mounds attempting to escape the towel after the tussle. His body was burning, but her cheeks were red. He loved her blush and wanted to taste it. 

"I didn't get to kiss you goodnight," he rumbled, "and I didn't get to kiss you good morning. That's two kisses that I'm owed." 

Kiera wanted to protest, but she wanted to feel his lips against hers more. She leaned up and touched her lips to his briefly.

Leaning back quickly, she said, "That's one."

Grayson's grin returned in full force. "Oh no, minx, that's not even close."

He closed the distance and brushed his lips against hers until she opened her mouth to welcome him. He licked her lips then dove into her mouth like a starving man after his first meal. She answered with equal fervor, the resistance from before gone. The more she kissed him the more she craved him; it was absurd to deny that fact. The anger and frustration dissipated into passion that consumed her. He'd told her the first time that she tasted of sin; surely he tasted of temptation. 

They explored each other's mouths for long minutes before he drew away a fraction. 

"One," he beamed.

He didn't have to encourage her for two. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. The leg pinning her down began to move against parts of her that were quickly becoming aroused. She lifted her body up against him moaning into his mouth. His mouth moved from hers to brush against her cheek and then continued south.

Kiera watched Grayson slither down her body, brushing against hers all the way. He stopped at her feet and rubbed his face against her ankles. She jerked at the sensation of his beard shadow against the sensitive skin there. He rubbed and kissed while moving slowly back up. The towel created a barrier at her knees.

He lifted it a few inches then inhaled. "You cut yourself."

Dazed Kiera could only nod in response. She'd heard of erogenous zones, but somehow he'd made all of her skin sensitive to his touch. Another moan escaped as his tongue laved at the small nick on her knee. The sting of contact faded before he moved to do the same to the other knee. The way he licked and kissed her knees it felt like he was caressing her breasts. She was embarrassed, but turned on as he moved further up to her thighs. Again he repeated the process of rubbing his cheek against her soft skin followed by kissing and licking before moving on. 

The towel continued to be pushed upwards past her throbbing pussy to her waist. She wanted to pull the damned thing off, but was paralyzed with pleasure. Gray bent down into her pussy and inhaled deeply then groaned. The vibration made her body tense and her womb clench. Instead of lingering he moved on. She grabbed his head, heedless of anything other than her need. He easily shook her off and kissed her belly.

"Patience, sweetheart," he teased. 

Kiera didn't hear him. She was battling her body, but also her mental walls. She tried desperately to stay in control, but a nibble at her belly button defeated her will. The force of emotion stormed out of her and into him. Expecting the onslaught he gritted his teeth as he felt their desire joined by a series of strange emotions. The wave went on for a minute, but his wolf swallowed the frustration, boredom, contentment and anger that attacked his mind. He continued his seduction of her pliant body when the wave ebbed away.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Hush," he replied against her waist. 

He moved to her left arm and worked his way up with licks, nibbles and kisses before shifting to the right arm. When he reached her shoulder he gripped the towel and pulled it away. Her breasts were heaving as she panted beneath him. Taking in the treasure seen in the light of day for the first time, he began again. His cheek rubbed against the sensitive curves while he licked and kissed her nipples. They were a pale pink at first, but his ministrations caused them to darken. He nipped at the hard tips causing her whole body to shudder.

"Please," she begged, her desire making her desperate for release.

He lingered at her breasts a bit then moved up the long column of her neck. Grayson started on the side unmarred by injury then moved to the red cuts on the other side; he licked until they faded to a healing pink. Satisfied he lay fully across her body and pressed his aching, still clad cock against the softest part of her. He held her head between his large hands and kissed her mouth. The dual sensations threw her into ecstasy. She screamed into his mouth and raked her nails against his back. He kept grinding into her until the screams abated and her head fell back in exhaustion.




Following the Feeling Ch. 06



Grayson propped himself on his elbows and waited for Kiera's senses to return. She was well and truly marked by his scent, a victory she didn't realize. Now his pack would know his intent was serious when it came to the slip of a girl beneath him. 

She opened her glazed eyes and saw him smiling above her, gray eyes now molten silver.

"Two," he whispered. 

** ** *** ** **

Kiera was certain she'd never experienced pleasure to match what had happened. And if the bulge pressing against her was any indication the best was yet to come. It took her several minutes to focus on anything other than the pleasure coursing through her body. 

"Are you hungry?" Grayson smiled down at her flushed face.

She looked down his body, realized that he was fully dressed while she was nude. If he wanted her to reciprocate she was more than willing to accommodate him. 

Grayson caught the direction of her gaze and laughed a bit painfully.

"I mean real food, my love, you need sustenance."

Her eyes traveled up to his in disbelief. "But...What about? We're... You're not done."

"Oh no, we're certainly not done, but I don't want to overtax your starving body."

Her protest was interrupted by a growl. This time it originated from her stomach and not his throat. His eyes crinkled in response. He rolled off her and stood. 

"Come on, get dressed and we'll feed you then take a walk."

He grasped her arm and pulled her upright. She allowed him to walk her around the room to her dresser where he pulled out underclothes, a tank top and jeans. With his assistance she was dressed and propelled downstairs.

Kiera was shocked. She rarely took a lover, but never before had one satisfied her so thoroughly and then didn't take her fully. She wondered if he didn't want to have sex with her because she was human. He definitely seemed interested in her body and he hadn't given any indication they couldn't sleep together due to species differences. But maybe what he did to her was considered sex between werewolves. Whatever the reason, she was a bit put out by his easy manner after knocking her world off its axis.

Gray reached for her hand at the base of the stairway and pulled her into the kitchen. Along the way she saw various people, known and unknown, milling about. She hardly had a chance to note her friends' condition before entering the kitchen. There Felix sat at the feet of one of Grayson's twin bodyguards having overcome his initial fear. She knew he was not afraid of the dogs that sometimes wandered around their property, but was still surprised at his casual demeanor. Gray sat her at the table and moved around her kitchen with a familiarity that bothered her. He'd moved into her life and made space for himself without permission. Then again, she recalled the perks of having him so close by and at ease. He made her a sandwich then served her with a flourish. She smiled her thanks before eating, a little too stunned at the chaos around to respond. 

Grayson leaned up against the countertop watching her eat and noted the others were watching her too. They were too well trained to invade her personal space to confirm the scent, but the warmth of her body emitted her arousal and the mark of his scent. Not even the pungent smell of Persian coffee could disguise it. No one dared comment in her presence, but the questions in their eyes were answered by the triumphant glow of his. 

Kiera ate in silence, feeling self aware and embarrassed. She wondered if the werewolves heard what went on upstairs, then decided she'd rather not know. It was a private moment if only in her mind. 

Mason came in the kitchen for a refill and stopped when he saw Kiera sitting at the table surrounded by Grayson and his pack.

"Look who decided to join us. I never thought I'd see the day when Kiera overslept. Bad dreams K?" He finished with a smirk.

Kiera just rolled her eyes and kept eating. Mason would adjust eventually, but she had no desire to tempt the devil in him. She left that honor to Jasmine who loved to push Mason's buttons. 

"Aw, K, don't be put out," Mason said then bussed her on the cheek. "I promise I'll behave."

Kiera no sooner finished her sandwich and chips before Grayson swooped in to take her plate. 

He washed it briskly despite the nearby dishwasher and then announced, "We're going for a walk alone. Watch the others and we'll be back soon."

Without pausing Gray pulled Kiera up from the table and out the door. They exited onto the house's wraparound porch facing the woods where he headed without waiting for her consent. 

Kiera allowed herself to be led without taking issue with his purposeful momentum. She had a few questions and preferred privacy before asking them. 

They walked a bit into the forest before halting by a fallen tree. His gesture insinuated she should sit, but he remained standing for the time being.

"We need to talk," he began.

Kiera couldn't help the laugh that escaped. How many conversations these past couple days started that way? She composed herself when he glowered down at her. 

"Sorry, go ahead."

"There's something about our differences that I wanted to discuss."

Here it was the no human-werewolf fornication rule. 

"I wanted to finish what I started upstairs, but I thought that we should clear some things up."

Hmm, maybe they could have sex, but he was going to tell her it couldn't go further. He was the top wolf in his pack and his responsibilities precluded dating humans. 

Kiera's thoughts meandered as she watched Grayson pace back and forth. She sensed his nervousness and wanted to ease his discomfort.

"It's okay." She said. "Just get it all out in the open and then we can move on. After the past couple of days I can handle anything." Well almost, she mentally corrected. 

"Ok," he steeled his resolve, "here it is. Sex with a werewolf is different than a human male. It's a lot more...involved."

Kiera thought that over. "Do you mean you turn into your other form when having sex?" 

She wasn't sure how she felt about that. Yesterday she wasn't scared of his werewolf form, but she had been so relieved to be alive she hadn't given it much thought. Nevertheless, Kiera wasn't sure if she wanted to welcome the big, bad wolf into her bed if he was always going to get furry.

Grayson shook his head to her question. "No I don't transform during sex, but will when we mate."

"Wait, what's the difference?"

"When we mate it will be a bonding ritual that transcends sex," he explained. "It's the most primal of our rituals and I won't be able to control the transformation. It's best to release the were form beforehand to avoid any...damage during the ritual."

Kiera stared up at him for long moments. They had started talking about sex, rather than doing it which she would have preferred, and then he started talking about primal rituals and bonding. She tried to follow his path, but found herself lost. 

"You won't have sex with me unless I let you do some ritual?" 

Gray huffed, wondering how to make her understand. "I was just trying to explain the difference between sex and mating. When we have sex I'll stay in human form, but when we mate I'll be in were form. You've been so reluctant before today that I didn't want to take the chance of scaring you when we had sex." He knelt before her and took her hands in his. 

"I want you so badly that I can't risk losing you. I don't know your reasons, but you have to understand that I won't hurt you."

Kiera's eyes softened, "I'm not scared of you, Gray. I'm scared of myself. That's why I resisted you. But you've been so damn persistent."

Gray was taken aback. She apologized whenever she lost control over her empathic abilities, but he thought that was simply because he'd pushed away the first time it happened. 

"Why would you be scared of yourself?" He pulled her off the log onto his lap. "You're so soft and responsive and I love that you lose control."

"You don't understand," she insisted. "When I lose control people get hurt. I tried to explain that to you before, but you didn't listen. I can't hurt anyone again, I just can't do it."

Gray held her trembling form tightly and encouraged, "Tell me what happened."

"I killed someone!" Kiera blurted through her tears. "I lost control and I broke him. His mind couldn't take the emotions when they didn't dissipate right away. I tried to help him, but he wouldn't let me touch him. He ran away and...and he killed himself." 

"I can't hurt you like I did him," she looked at him with glossy eyes. "I couldn't bear it."

Grayson listened to her confession and felt her pain. She'd blamed herself for something out of her control and spurned his advances to protect him. His heart swelled.

"You can't hurt me, sweetheart," he comforted. "I'm much stronger than you credit me and I can handle it. And while I don't want to hurt you either, you should know that when we make love my body will change."

Kiera wiped her eyes and said, "You told me you didn't change during sex."

"I don't transform into my were form, but my cock will grow a knot. It can be painful at first, but I'll be as gentle as I can."

"A knot?" Her inner pain faded as her confusion grew. 

"Yes, it locks us together during sex. It's the wolf's way of ensuring your body holds in my seed. I'll wear a condom until we mate so you don't have to worry about getting pregnant."

"Oh." 

It was the best she could manage. Then something else pricked her mind. 

"You keep saying 'when' or 'until' about mating like it's a forgone conclusion."

He knew he was rushing her a bit, but also wanted to be honest. "I fully intend to take you as my mate, Kiera. You're the one I want at my side for the rest of my life. I'll protect you and provide for you and pleasure you until you can't stand."

Kiera heard his words, but also heard what wasn't said. He didn't say he'd love her, only that he'd protect and provide for her. Pleasure was wonderful, but she wasn't sure how she could commit herself to someone without loving them or being loved in return. 

He saw her frown and tried to assure her. "Don't worry we haven't reached that hurdle yet. I just wanted you to be aware of my intentions."

Kiera blinked. "Okay. So can we still have sex?"

Grayson grinned and hugged her tight. He knew down to his core that she was right for him; it was simply a matter of persuading her. His wolf growled in anticipation at the thought of convincing the contrary woman in his arms.



Following the Feeling Ch. 07



So here it is after many months. For the record it took me four and a half months to finish the first page, and then the rest were completed in about seven hours. It's funny how that works out. Anyway, thanks again for all the positive feedback. I hope this chapter is worth the wait.

Cricket 

** ** *** ** **

"Is that a yes?" Kiera asked snuggled in Grayson's tight embrace.

Lost in his own thoughts, Grayson had to think back to her question.

So can we still have sex?

He grinned at the memory. "Yes," he answered. "We can definitely still have sex."

"Good," she replied then levered herself out of his lap.

"Hey where are you going?" Grayson tried to grasp her hand, but missed.

Brushing the debris off her clothes Kiera said, "Back inside. The day is half over and I have things to do."

Grayson stood and followed her back to the house. She wasn't avoiding him like before, but he was no more pleased by her easy dismissal of their time alone.

He caught up to her at the edge of the woods and held her back. "Like what? I told you we were taking care of the bar's window today."

"Well there's Gareth. He's anxious about something and I want to see what's wrong. Then I have to at least pretend to act like a hostess with all these guests lingering about and I have to plan for tonight."

For a moment Grayson thought she meant the night with him, but her response lacked any hint of passion. He was strangely disappointed, but knew he could stoke her passion with ease. Plus she was right; there were things to be done today. He needed to go home and get updates on the search for the werewolf that escaped them last night and the status of the spies he'd sent into Rudd's territory. Lena could handle the day to day issues of the pack, but he wanted to stay informed on anything out of the ordinary. The pack's safety was primary in his mind, but he wished he could spend more time with Kiera. 

Kiera had started moving again and he fell into step beside her. "What's going on tonight?" he asked.

Kiera smiled. "Not sure yet, but Amber has her heart set on something fun for the sleepover. After last night we could all use a little fun."

"That's fine as long as you stay here tonight. I've given orders to the guards to keep a watch on all of you, but I'm not risking you all gallivanting around town in search of fun."

His pronouncement earned him an elbow in the ribs. "I wasn't planning on going out, but need I remind you that you're not in charge of us?"

"No but I guess I need to remind you that I'm unwilling to let you out of my sight until the danger has passed. Like it or not," he growled. "You and your friends are now involved in this. Even if I can't watch you myself at all times, I can damn well make sure you stay in a protected environment."

Kiera huffed. "I told you the werewolf from last night is long gone. Amber said he's a hired hand, a thug, and that even when you catch him he won't give anything up." 

"Even so," Grayson argued, "where there's one, there's bound to be another until whoever hired them gets what he wants or is stopped. I have to ensure that they can't use you to get to me."

Grayson saw the unconvinced look on Kiera's face and wanted to shake her. Did she truly believe she couldn't be used against him? She didn't realized just how much he was willing to risk to keep her out of harm's way. But he would do just that until the danger had passed and she was safe. For good - with him. 

Kiera was physically pushed back by the force of fierce protectiveness emanating from Grayson. She was afraid how overpowering it felt until she acknowledged that he'd never hurt her. Not physically, at least, but that kind of possessiveness could turn ugly if not appeased. 

Can I appease him? She wondered. Am I strong enough to protect him even as he tries to protect me from others?

Grayson misinterpreted her shocked expression. "Don't worry, Kiera, we'll find whoever is causing this trouble and make sure he doesn't hurt anyone. Just stop fighting my attempts to keep you safe, it only makes things harder."

"Fine," she clipped and continued towards the house, 

"You're angry," he said quietly.

"I'm not," she replied. 

He would not make a good empath, she realized. Kiera felt frustrated and worried, but not angry. She didn't like unknowns and this whole situation was too surreal for her. Three days ago her biggest worries were about budgets and inventory, but now there seemed to be danger around every corner. She knew she could trust Grayson and the other werewolves, but didn't know enough about them to properly deal with their presence in her life. She desired Grayson and could feel his desire for her, but again it seemed so out of place with everything else thrown at them these past few days. She would just have to deal with it all at once and hope she didn't become overwhelmed. 

They walked back into the kitchen which was blissfully vacant. Kiera got water from the fridge and decided she'd talk to Gareth before finding the girls. She turned to find Grayson assessing her quietly. She met his gaze for long moments before curiosity overtook her.

"What?"

Grayson gave a small smile. "Nothing, I just like to look at you."

Kiera felt her her cheeks redden. "Thanks, you're not so bad yourself." 

Another few moments passed before he started again. "Tonight I want you to wait up for me, okay? I have to leave for awhile, but I'll be back. And I don't want you sneaking off to bed with your girlfriends again."

Kiera's eyebrows rose. "I didn't sneak off last night; I was tired and went to bed. You didn't even come up in the equation."

"Exactly," he stated. "I want you to spend the night with me. Make me part of your equation."

"Okay," Kiera replied. It was easy enough to concede to his request. "The girls can stay in the other bedroom upstairs and Mason can stay in his old room tonight."

Thinking about Gareth, she continued, "Gareth is going to have to work tomorrow morning. It's best if he's able to go home today."

"He was trailed by the werewolf that attacked you last night, he's safer here."

Prepared for that argument, Kiera countered, "You have lots of werewolves under you, right? Well, send one or two with Gareth to watch over him. He can't just stop going to work because we might be attacked again and all his stuff is at his condo."  

Grayson thought about it and agreed. "Fine, he can go home today as long as no one else does." With a grin he continued, "If the rest of you came to stay with us we'd have more resources to utilize." 

"Nice try," Kiera rolled her eyes. "I'm staying here and so are the others unless they get to go home. And as long as we're on the topic of what we can and can't do, we're going back to work tomorrow."

Grayson clenched his jaw. He knew she wouldn't listen to reason. "Fine," he bit out. "But the twins and anyone else I assign will be there too. Consider them free help."

"Aren't the twins your personal guards?" she asked.

"They are because they're the best, so now they're your guards."

Kiera was flattered but, "Who's going to be guarding you?"

Grayson scowled. "I can protect myself."

Shaking her head Kiera asserted, "The main threat is towards you, it doesn't make sense for you to not be guarded."

"I'll have back-up, don't worry about it. As you may have noticed I am quite capable of taking care of myself."

"If you say so," Kiera shrugged. She wouldn't let herself worry over him; she had enough on her plate at the moment. 

Grayson approached her and draped his hands over her shoulders. "Kiera, you're smart and brave, but you can't protect yourself against this kind of threat. You can't defend yourself against a werewolf."

He brushed his fingers against the place where she'd been hurt by the attackers claws. She winced expecting the sting of her injury, but surprisingly the pain didn't come. With a quizzical glance at Grayson's face she raised her hand and rubbed the healed skin on her neck. It felt slightly slick, but lacked the cuts she'd seen earlier. 

"How?" Kiera looked up at Grayson who grinned in response.

"I took care of it," he replied simply.

"When?" Kiera recalled turning down his offer last night. The cuts were still there when she checked them this morning.

""Hmm, I believe it happened somewhere between me kissing you good night and then kissing you good morning until you came apart in my arms."

The heated timber of his voice, his words, her memory and the feelings emanating in waves from him all conspired to make Kiera blush again. 

"Oh," she cleared her throat. "Thanks."

"Any time," he replied. Then again, "Scratch that. I don't want you to put yourself in that kind of danger again."

"If you recall," Kiera replied smartly, "it was Jasmine and I that got rid of the werewolf last night. We're quite capable of taking care of ourselves."

Grayson leaned down and growled into her ear, "Don't even try that argument, sweetheart. Or else I'll keep you under lock and key until the end of your days."

Kiera pushed away and smirked. His quick aggression was a bit amusing in the light of day. "Don't think you can keep me here without my permission, wolf boy. Be reasonable and we'll continue to get along. Otherwise, you can stuff your protective watch."

"Oh I like this one," a new voice said.

Kiera turned to the kitchen entrance and took in the dark haired man standing there. He didn't look familiar, but she'd seen so many new faces in the past 24 hours that she couldn't be sure if they'd met. 

"Yep," he continued while sauntering in, "our esteemed leader has picked a real hellcat this time."

Grayson groaned at the intrusion. "What do you want, Alistair?"

"Not much, a nice nest egg and some puppies to raise would be nice. Lena seems amendable to the idea so we'll be trying the next time she goes in heat."

Kiera snickered and snuck past Grayson to offer her hand. "Hi, I don't think we've met. I'm Kiera."

"Alistair," he replied taking her small hand into his own. "I've heard a fair share about you, but I have to say that you exceed my expectations."

Kiera faltered a bit, she didn't like being talked about, but he gave off such a friendly air that she couldn't help smiling back. When he leaned over her hand to kiss the back of it, she giggled. She could feel Grayson's displeasure and it made her laugh out loud. Apparently men of all species could be silly with their jealousy. 

She retrieved her hand and stepped back. "It's nice to meet you. Can I offer you anything to drink?"

Alistair shook his head and looked over at Grayson. "I'm here to take you back to the hub. There's a call you need to make and then some meetings to attend. Everyone is on high alert and Lena is handling most questions, but the pack wants to talk to you."

Grayson nodded. "I'll be right out."

He shot Alistair a piercing look to dismiss his second in command, but the man refused to budge. He was looking Kiera over like she was a fancy new toy. 

"Alistair. Out."

Straightening, Alistair saluted. "Right away, sir."

He turned with a wink to Kiera and left them alone.

"I have to go," Grayson said.

"I heard that," Kiera replied, still smiling. "I'll be here."

He walked up and took her in his arms. Gray looked down into her shining emerald eyes and wanted to carry her back upstairs. Leaning down he whispered against her lips, "Later."

Grayson was kissing her before she could reply, but she made known with her response how much she was looking forward to that. It was so easy to fall under the spell of his passion, she thought. And falling never felt so good. 

Pulling back slightly Kiera took a deep breath. "Get out of here before I forget how to be a good hostess."

Her reply made Grayson smile broadly and he tapped her on the butt before disentangling them. Another quick kiss then he was gone. For now.

** ** *** ** **

Kiera left the kitchen intent on finding Gareth, only to make it as far as the living room when her name was called. She turned to see a young man with tawny hair and cerulean eyes approach her. 

"Hey, it's Derek."

She looked over the man she'd seen brutalized just days ago and was amazed at his recovery. He didn't bear any scars or anything to indicate he'd been near death recently.

"Wow," Kiera exclaimed, "you look great!"

Derek looked down at himself and smiled shyly. "Yes, thanks to you."

Kiera recalled the moment she'd almost walked away from the terror she'd felt and was happy with her choice to turn around. The young man before her was boyishly handsome and his soft blue eyes gleamed with admiration.

"Well," she cleared her throat, "I only did a small part. You are the one who held on and healed yourself."

Derek looked at his guardian angel and said fervently, "You did everything for me, Kiera. I owe my life to you."

They smiled at each other with shared memories before he excused himself to patrol the outside perimeter.

Still smiling, Kiera picked up Gareth's emotions and followed them to her office. He was sitting in front of her computer typing feverishly.

"Hey," she called out and sat in one of the office chairs. "What's up?"

Gareth looked up briefly and frowned. "It's nothing."

Kiera rolled her eyes. Her friend wasn't known for keeping his feelings to himself.

"Tell me, Gare-bear."

"It's just that I have this deadline tomorrow morning and I'm doing what I can from here, but my case files are at home. I know it's a small grievance in comparison to everything, however I can't help but worry about the trouble I'll get in if it's not done on time."

"I have good news for you then," Kiera's smile resurfaced. "I talked Grayson into letting you go home. I know you have to work extra hard if you plan on impressing the partners."

Gareth eyes lit up. "Really? That's great! Can I go now?"

"Tired of me already? Well I never," Kiera teased.

They chatted a little longer before Kiera gave in to his anxiousness. 

"Get out of here," she said.

"Consider me gone," he replied and did just that.

Kiera watched him leave with a couple werewolves she barely recognized from the night before, and then went to find Amber and Jasmine. The duo was watching T.V. in Jasmine's old room, the other upstairs bedroom. They told her Mason had taken a jog with one of the guards. She was glad he would be able to relieve some stress through running and hoped his attitude about the situation would soon improve.

The girls were more bored than worried so they discussed what they could do that evening. Movies and margaritas, a frequent weekend activity for them, was dismissed, but they all agreed they could go for a drink or two…or five. They rummaged around the kitchen for supplies and found a few bottles of wine and some snacks. After checking with the guards inside, they went upstairs with their arms full of supplies.

** ** *** ** **

The call Grayson had to make was to Rudd, the Alpha of the neighboring werewolf pack. He shared most of the details of the past few days, leaving out the fact that he'd sent men into the other wolf's territory. He was fairly certain Rudd wasn't behind the attacks, but wasn't prepared to take the chance. Any Alpha with a growing pack often looked to neighboring territories for additional space. The call was mostly one-sided; Rudd hadn't experienced any similar attacks. He offered to send out an alert and to monitor his borders for any suspicious activities. They ended the call with professional courtesy, but Grayson didn't feel any more secure about Rudd's intentions. 

Afterwards he, Lena and Alistair met with other pack members to field any questions and get reports. The members who lived outside the hub questioned whether they should come to stay close by until the threat was resolved. Grayson didn't feel like they should do anything other than stay extra alert until more was known. The wolves with families were welcomed to stay so the little ones could be watched by their extended family. Everyone seemed frustrated that there were more questions than answers. Grayson and Lena tried to assure them that precautions had been taken to protect the whole pack. They had about a hundred members at the moment, about twice the size of a normal pack, but they had many strong warriors guarding their territory. Lena dispatched guards to the ranch on the outskirts of their territory since it was the most vulnerable to attack. With plans agreed upon and executed, Grayson felt confident that his pack was safe for the time being. 

The scouts sent after the attacker had not returned, but had called to report they were still on the wolf's trail. It was a matter of time before they had some answers. Grayson recalled Kiera's assertion that they wouldn't learn anything from him, but was determined to capture the one who dared to attack her. For that offense, information or not, his blood would spill. 

Grayson had a quick meal, intending to return to Kiera's house as soon as possible, but it was several hours before he could leave the hub. Lena and Alistair assured him they would call if any updates were available and Alistair teased him mercilessly over Gray's choice of a hellcat. He left the couple to their own devices, which would be quite lascivious based on the looks they shared, and packed an overnight bag in his condo. He tried to remain reserved, but the idea of being with Kiera sent thrills through his blood. Only days had passed since their meeting and he could wait no longer to experience her unleashed passion. He'd not discussed his intent to mate with her to Lena or Alistair, but knew the conversation would have to be had soon. Taking a human was rare, but Grayson was used to dealing with rarities during his leadership. The pack would accept her, he would make them if need be. With that thought in mind he left in his personal vehicle, a black Camaro SS, and drove quickly to Kiera's house.

** ** *** ** **

Grayson was greeted at the house's entrance by Zane. He reported that all was safe, but Gray detected humor in the guard's black eyes.

"Have they tried to leave?" he asked warily.

Zane shook his head. "No, Sir, they haven't attempted to leave the premises. They've been very…agreeable."

Gray narrowed his eyes at Zane's tone. "Is there something I should know?"

Zane snickered, "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, Sir."

Displeased with the vague response Grayson entered the house. Derek and Zach sat on the couch in front of a large T.V. watching a sports channel. They looked up at his approach, but other than bowing their heads in deference didn't move from their spot. 

"Report," he ordered.

"Nothing to report," Zach replied. "Mason is in the office. Scott and Terrance are patrolling the back and forest."

Grayson noted that neither Kiera nor the other women had been mentioned. He waited for Zach to continue, but nothing seemed forthcoming. 

He hated that he had to ask. "Where's everyone else?"

Zach and Derek exchanged glances before Zach stated, "The women are upstairs with Ginny. They're having a girl's thing and ordered us to stay downstairs."

Grayson saw both men were smiling and his curiosity grew. He walked to the base of the stairs and listened. He couldn't hear any talking, but music trickled downstairs. With a last look at the relaxing guards he made his way upstairs. Grayson followed the music into Kiera's room, but was surprised to find no one inside. The window was open so he set down his overnight bag and walked over. The stereo's speakers were positioned towards the open window and it blasted up-tempo music. It sounded like something he'd hear at Moonlight, the nightclub he owned. He looked outside, thinking there was a balcony, but found nothing. He looked around then heard the trill of women's laughter. The sound was coming from above him, but he couldn't see anything in the darkness other than the edge of the roof. 




Following the Feeling Ch. 07



"Kiera," he called out.

More laughter greeted him. 

"Kiera!" he shouted above the booming music.

"Grayson?" Kiera's voice shouted back. "No boy's allowed!"

He realized that they were all on the roof. She'd found a way to follow his orders without actually doing what he wished. He'd hoped their girl's time would involve movies and facials and whatever silly things women did to amuse themselves. Grayson mused briefly that Kiera never seemed to do what he expected. 

He grabbed the roof's ledge and levered himself up with powerful arms. The sight before him would have been funny if he wasn't so peeved. Kiera, Jasmine, Amber and Ginny lounged atop the roof's incline on blankets with candles and bottles of wine. All opened, he noticed. 

The women screeched at his sudden appearance. 

"Get down!" Jasmine yelled. "No boy's allowed!"

"Sir," Ginny slurred, bowing her head clumsily, "all is well."

The four women all started laughing again, falling over themselves in a drunken pile of hilarity. Grayson watched as Kiera got to her knees and started shuffling towards him.

"Hey there, handsome," she greeted. "How's it hanging?"

Grayson had to catch her as she fell into his embrace. It was, to date, the most effusive welcome he'd received from her. He watched bemusedly as she crawled up his torso and threw her arms around his neck. The scent of sweet wine brushed his face as she smiled into his face. Without further warning Kiera started kissing him. It was enthusiastic, but sloppy and he had no response for her. 

The women behind her started cheering and he swore he heard Ginny say, "You go, girl!"

"Mmm," Kiera crooned into his neck, "you smell good."

Grayson gently pulled her back to arm's length and looked into her glazed eyes. They were endearingly flirtatious, but undeniably hazy. 

"Are you ok?" he asked mildly.

"Yesh," she answered then fell into another fit of laughter. 

A reluctant smile threatened to appear, but Grayson fought it off. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Uh," Kiera looked over her shoulder to the others. "Tons, do you have any idea how diffi…hard it is to get a werewolf drunk?" 

He did, as a matter of fact. He surmised based on Ginny's radiant face that they managed to accomplish the difficult feat of getting a werewolf plastered. Their metabolism was much faster than a human's, but a large quantity of alcohol could still level them. 

"Ok," he said, "fun time is over; let's get you inside before someone falls off the roof."

This announcement was met with a series of refusals, the loudest of which came from Kiera. 

"No, no, no!" she cried out. "We're having a good time, just leave us be!"

"No boy's allowed," Jasmine stated again.

They all starting chanting, "No boy's allowed! No boy's allowed!"

Ginny, Grayson thought, was very responsible which is why he entrusted her to guard duty, but apparently loyalty to her Alpha was eclipsed by the devotion she held to her gender. 

While he tried to decide how to deal with the drunken women, Kiera pulled herself close again and started nuzzling his neck. He looked down to see her smiling and batting her eyelashes flirtatiously. He felt the humor filling him like a warm bath and smiled back. Gray knew that he shouldn't feel this happy, but couldn't deny the feelings within him. He chuckled down at her and kissed her lightly on the lips.

The gesture caused another series of catcalls as he realized his humor wasn't necessarily his. He pulled back from Kiera and whispered, "Are you doing something to me?"

Kiera smiled broadly and replied, "I just want you to be happy, and you have a lovely smile. It makes my toes tingle."

The admission would have been touching if she wasn't so tipsy. He decided to fight back the feelings she poured out with one of his own. He gazed into her face and let the desire grow. A second later the loopy smile fell off Kiera's face and she raised herself up to kiss him again. Grayson dodged her attempts, his sobriety his greatest weapon in this battle. 

"Come inside," he murmured. "Come inside to make me smile for you."

Kiera blinked; in her inebriated state it was hard to control her empathic ability. She felt humor emanating from behind her, but Grayson's desire easily burned it away. Sitting so close to him while he gazed down at her made it impossible to resist him. He was breathtakingly handsome and she seriously wanted to kiss him. 

"Ok," she breathed. "Take me inside."

"Fiddlesticks!" Amber cried behind them.

Kiera turned and saw her friend holding their last bottle upside down. 

"It's empty, party's over," Amber pouted. 

The pronouncement was met with groans of disappointment. En masse the three stood up and started gathering up their picnic.

Kiera turned back to Gray. "See, we're done anyway. Carry me away, Lancelot."

It took Grayson another five minutes to convince the women that they couldn't just jump back down to the window. He placed Ginny at the edge with strict orders to keep them in place while he went inside for reinforcements. By the time he, Derek and Zach made it back to the window four pairs of feet dangled above them.

"Stay still!" Grayson shouted. 

He flipped off the music and then guided the women safely inside. They laughed the whole time and wiggled in the men's grasp. Impatient with waiting Ginny jumped off the roof and landed heavily on the ground below. The women cheered from the window when she stood up and bowed. 

Derek and Zach tried to herd Jasmine and Amber out of the bedroom, but they kept jumping onto the bed. Amber made it under the covers before Derek fished her out. 

"Hey you," she struggled in his grasp. "Get your puppy paws off me, cutie pie!"

He ended the wrestling match by tossing her over his shoulder.

"Don't throw up on me," he warned.

Zach tried a more gallant approach and swooped Jasmine up in his arms then carried her down the hall to the other bedroom. 

Grayson kept his arms around Kiera the whole time, using gentle force to keep her from jumping on the bed or chasing after the others. She struggled feebly against his embrace, giggling all the while. 

"Ok, ok, I give," she finally surrendered.

Alone in her bedroom Grayson accepted that the evening was not going as planned. Instead of a romantic tryst he had to deal with a drunk, surly empath. He walked her to the bathroom then left the room briefly. Having deposited the other two in their bedroom, Derek and Zach went back downstairs to check on Ginny. At his order Zach brought up a glass of water and reported that Ginny had passed out on the couch. She'd sober up quickly with sleep.

Grayson reentered the bedroom to find Kiera taking off her jeans. Her bra was already on the floor. He guided her into the bed and handed her the water. She took a few sips then fell back into the mattress. 

"Bedtime," she announced and rolled over.

Grayson shucked his jeans and shirt, but chose to leave his boxers on in case Kiera was not as welcoming to his presence in the morning. He shifted her further into the bed so he could lay closest to the door. Despite the house being secure, he felt safer with his body between Kiera and the entrance. He curled up behind her still form and sighed. 

"Did you eat anything tonight?" He hoped she wasn't going to be sick.

"Yeah," she mumbled. "Chicken and cheese. Oh and some crackersh."

Soon her breathing evened out. Grayson sighed again and fell asleep.

** ** *** ** **

Kiera woke up in the darkness. Her mouth was dry and the sour taste of wine made her grimace. She was grateful that she didn't have a headache, but her bladder ached to fullness. She shifted towards the side of the bed, but couldn't move far. Taking note of her surroundings she felt a hot presence pressing against her back. The weight of a muscled arm held her down and she became conscious of the fact that neither Amber nor Jasmine was with her. A tingle of fear skittered down her spine before she realized it was Grayson. She tried to remember the last moments before sleep, but everything was hazy. Kiera lay still for a few moments coming to terms with the man in her bed, but her bladder suffered no doubts other than whether it could wait any longer.  

Kiera shifted forward again, but the arm draped across her refused to budge. She tried to wriggle herself downward intending to slip out that way, but her attempt was blocked by the arm tightening and pulling her close. Kiera grinned, he was over protective even in sleep, but she knew she had to gain her freedom soon. She lifted her right arm to dislodge his and gained a few inches. She inched forward then stopped when a deep growl emanated from behind her. She looked back hoping Grayson had woken up, but his eyes were still closed and his breath was steady. 

She pushed up more forcefully with her arm and slid forward. Kiera froze as Grayson's teeth bit down on the join of her neck and growled. 

"Grayson," she whispered.

The teeth at her neck became a lesser threat when his tightening arm squeezed her waist. She did not want to embarrass herself like this, not with him in bed with her.

"Grayson," she tried again.

"Hmm," he rumbled against her neck.

She turned her head as far as she could. "Grayson, let go of me."

"No."

Kiera huffed and shot her elbow in his chest. "I have to go," she said urgently.

The teeth retracted only to be replaced by his lips. Still mostly asleep Grayson started kissing her neck. She was soft and warm in his arms and he never wanted to release her.

"Damn it," she muttered. His kisses made her body respond, but she had another pressing need to fulfill.

Grayson came to wakefulness and continued his assault on her body. The arm at her waist lifted to her breasts while his mouth nipped and suckled at her neck. He felt her tremble and it was all the invitation his sleep-addled brain needed. He rolled her over onto her back and swooped down to take her lips. She opened her mouth to speak, inadvertently granting him access to the recesses of her mouth. He kissed her passionately for long moments using his hands to map out her body in the dark. Kiera started falling under the spell of his seduction, reaching up to grasp his hair and pull him closer. When he shifted his body over hers, she squeaked.

"Grayson, stop!" she cried out. 

He lifted his head to frown down at her. "What?"

"I have to go," she said.

"Where?" Grayson didn't think there was anywhere she had to be at this hour.

"There," she motioned her head towards the bathroom with wide eyes.

Confused Grayson looked over at the bathroom before realizing what she was trying to say. He grinned then rolled his body off of hers. Kiera glared, an ineffectual gesture with her flushed cheeks giving away her desire, then climbed over him to get to the bathroom. 

At the door she turned, "There's no door, go wait outside."

Grayson's grin widened at her modesty, but did as she asked. 

** ** *** ** **

Kiera used the bathroom then brushed her teeth to get rid of the taste in her mouth. She couldn't imagine why Grayson would want to kiss her with that sour taste. She kept the lights out and followed the wall back into the bedroom. She saw that Grayson hadn't returned and wondered whether she should go looking for him. The house was quiet, but she saw that it was only four in the morning. No one would be up for several hours. She didn't require a lot of sleep and her ability didn't allow it anyway. There was just too much noise in her head, especially with all these people in her house. 

Lost in thought Kiera felt a brush of emotion in her mind. She searched and recognized it to be Grayson. He was becoming recognizable to her, an interesting development for such a short acquaintance. It usually took her much longer before being able to track someone by their emotional patterns. She stood in the middle of the bedroom and followed him around the house until he started back upstairs.

As he approached her from behind, Kiera leaned back into his body. He wrapped his arms around her, one hand holding up a fresh glass of water. She took it gratefully and drank it down. Without releasing her Grayson took back the glass and placed it on her dresser. They stood in the dark stillness for a minute.

"You can't sneak up on me anymore; I can feel you in my head."

Gray kissed the top of her head. "I don't think I've ever purposely snuck up on you."

"Maybe not, but you do seem to show up when I least expect it."

"Hmm," he rumbled, "I do like to take you by surprise. It's the only time I have any advantage with you."

Kiera lifted her arms over her head to embrace his neck. She sighed, "You always seem to have the advantage with me."

Moving his hands upwards against her breasts he said, "Maybe I should take advantage again."

Kiera turned her head and answered him with a kiss. The hands brushing against her breasts tightened deliciously, suffusing her body in passionate heat. Delving into her mouth with his tongue Grayson tasted the sweetness of toothpaste and Kiera's desire. He moved them forward, turning her around to lower them both to the bed. Kiera reluctantly released his mouth to scoot backwards then pulled him over her. It was the welcome Grayson had craved since the early moments of meeting her. 

Their mouths tangled as the fever between them grew. Kiera lifted her body to rub against his, his heat attracting her like a moth to the flame. She held his head still so she could kiss him with all the desire of her being. His passion fed her, her body, her mind, until she couldn't feel anything but Grayson. It was a loss of control she never allowed herself in fear of the consequences, but knew now that Grayson could handle anything she dished out. The freedom he offered her was a greater aphrodisiac than his hard body or handsome face. 

Kiera felt him pushing up her shirt and lifted to assist him. They sat up in bed so he could pull her shirt over her head then he bowed down to kiss her stomach, her waist, her breasts, anything he could reach with his mouth. Kiera grasped his shoulders for balance, whimpering desperately. She allowed him to bow her back onto the bed and watched as he slithered down her body to kiss the skin above her panties. Impatient with his patient loving Kiera reached down and pushed her panties down her legs.  

Grayson laughed against her stomach, "In such a rush, are we?"

Dropping her head against the pillows Kiera groaned, "God, Grayson, you're going to play hard to get with me now?"

Traveling back up the luscious expanse of her torso with slow kisses Gray looked up, "Fair is fair, sweetheart."

His hellcat responded with a swat on his head. The light smack brought his wolf close to the surface. Grayson wanted to pin her down with his teeth at her neck until she submitted to his mastery. With a deep breath he pushed the beast down and continued his careful seduction. 

Catching her hands in one of his, Grayson tsked, "None of that now, play nice."

Kiera smiled and undulated beneath him to rub against his growing erection. "I'm trying to play nice. Don't you want to play with me?"

Grayson groaned and took her mouth in a devouring kiss. The woman could tip him over the edge every time. He rubbed himself against her naked body until her body moved in a frenzy beneath his. She permeated his senses: her soft skin, her sweet tongue, the smell of her desire all drove him to the brink. 

With a growl Grayson sat up to shuck his boxers and came back down on her with the force of his passion. She scratched at his back and wrapped her legs around his waist. She wanted him and knew from the emotions beating at her that he wanted her too. The time to play had passed.

Grayson nudged up against her soft, slick pussy before remembering the condom. It was a promise he made to her that afternoon, but instantly hated the idea of. He held her waist still when Kiera tried to thrust herself against him again. He pinned her down while trying to regain a modicum of control. 

"Wha…where are you going?" she exclaimed when Grayson pulled away again. 

He couldn't respond his teeth gritted as he held onto his control. Gray found the box of condoms in his overnight bag and brought it over to the bed.

"Oh," Kiera said when she spotted the box, then looked down. 

Moonlight was shining just enough through the curtains for her to gaze at Gray's naked form. The muscles she'd felt against her were delineated in stark relief down his torso, his body was Greek sculpture perfect. Her eyes followed the path of his dark hair down to his waist and beyond. His erection reared up and the tip glistened with pre-cum. She guessed he was at least eight inches long and the girth of his cock thrilled her. Then she frowned.

Grayson paused while Kiera ate him alive with her eyes. The appreciation that lit them made him even more impatient to get back in bed. He didn't expect her to frown when looking down at his cock though and a niggle of doubt surfaced.

"What is it?"

Kiera's eyes shot up to his in surprise. She didn't realize she'd been staring.

"Nothing."

Grayson scowled and sat at the edge of the bed. "Don't tell me you're having second thoughts."

Kiera shook her head quickly. "No, absolutely not. It's just what you told me this afternoon about…it."

Thinking back to their conversation Grayson let out a brief, pained laugh. "That comes later."

Kiera smiled shyly. "Did I ruin the moment?"

Grayson crawled to hover over her. "Never."

He lowered himself with powerful arms to kiss her gently, reassuringly. Kiera wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled herself up into his body. One leg wrapped around his thigh as she tried to wrap herself around him. He took the hint and lowered them the rest of the way to the bed. Soft kisses soon transformed into the hot fervor from moments ago. Grayson stopped long enough to put on a condom then lunged back into Kiera's welcoming embrace. He used his mouth and hands to bring her to the brink then pulled back when she was about to go over. He brushed against her slick pussy lips with his fingers and rewarded her panting pleas by pushing two inside her. Grayson listened to the desperate breaths she took as he stroked her deeply. As she reached her apex he curved his fingers and scraped against her g-spot. Kiera bit her lip to keep from screaming as he thrust her into ecstasy. 

When she could breath again she reached up to his face and begged, "Now, Gray, make love to me now."

He kissed her mouth, her neck, and her breasts then wrapped her legs around his waist. Without waiting for another invitation Grayson started pushing forward. Kiera undulated and opened her body to him without hesitation and nearly cried at the feel of his cock entering her. He moved slowly until he was deeply seated then rocked his hips back and forth. The friction caused Kiera to have another orgasm; her body clasped his more tightly than Gray thought was possible. He waited for her again and when she opened her eyes and kissed him deeply Grayson began to thrust himself powerfully into Kiera's lush body. Kiera tried to move with him, but she was already exhausted. Despite that she kept herself open and pliable for Grayson's thrusts. He thrust harder, until his hips moved in a blur of speed faster than any human man was capable. He watched Kiera closely, mindful of the frailty of her body, only to be encouraged by her gasping moans. As he reached his peak Grayson released his control over the wolf enough for the knot at the base of his cock to form. 

Kiera's eyes flew open at the new pressure forcing itself into her body. She tightened her muscles which only caused Grayson to move faster and harder. The push of the knot was unyielding until it had forced itself within her. To Kiera's surprise it pressed up against her g-spot which combined with the deep friction of Grayson's thrusts she was soon tossed over into another orgasm. This time the scream couldn't be held back, but was lost beneath the roar of Grayson's orgasm. He jerked and shoved his way deeper inside her body until every last drop of his come had filled the condom. 




Following the Feeling Ch. 07



They gasped for long moments as sounds of their pleasure echoed around them. Nuzzled in the crook of Kiera's neck, Grayson licked the salty sweat off her skin. Thinking of what he'd yet to taste, he grinned. He was sure to make a feast of her soon, but in the meantime this small taste of her was enough to satiate the beast within.



Following the Feeling Ch. 08



"Good morning, my love, are you hungry?"

Grayson awakened at the sound of Kiera's soft whisper. He liked hearing the endearment on her lips and reached over to her. When he touched cold sheets his eyes opened to see that Kiera was not lying next to him. Confused he rolled over and saw Kiera sitting on the floor next to the bed. The white cat she was petting, the recipient of her quiet words, flicked her tail and hissed at his intrusion.

Kiera looked up as Bianca skittered under the bed to meet Grayson's slate gray eyes. She noticed hey were still heavy with sleep.

"Good morning," she said with a smile, "did I wake you?"

"Come here," he rumbled in response.

The gravely voice resonated through Kiera's being; she could no more refuse his order than not take her next breath. She rose and sat in the small space he didn't inhabit. 

"Good morning," she said again while bending over to kiss his warm lips. He growled in response then pulled her closer for a deeper kiss. His tongue swept over hers deliciously. 

"Good morning," he replied after letting her go. He ran his fingers through her sleep tousled hair, noting that she wore a tank top and pale pink underwear. 

"How long have you been up?" 

Kiera shrugged nonchalantly, "About half an hour."

Gray turned to bury his head against her hip. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Kiera had to take a deep breath against the sensations of his warm breath and soft hair touching her skin.

"I didn't want to disturb you, I didn't know if you're a late sleeper or not." 

The admission made her realize that there was a lot she didn't know about the man who shared her bed. The worry raised by that realization flickered away as he continued to nuzzle and kiss her exposed skin. Stranger or not, he knew her body intimately.

"How do you feel?" he asked against the soft skin of Kiera's thigh.

The question was so unexpected it surprised a laugh from her. Kiera met Grayson's puzzled expression.

"Sorry," she said with a wide smile. "I just can't recall the last time someone asked me that."

Grayson rose to lean on an elbow. "What do you mean?"

Kiera took a deep breath, looking into his mesmerizing gray eyes seemed to make her forget all else around her. 

"No one asks me that. It's always 'what do you feel?' or 'can you tell me what so and so feels'...no one ever asks me how I feel."

Gray thought about what she had said and realized that her friends may have been neglecting Kiera over their own interests. Her feelings were very important to Grayson and he wanted her to understand that.

"So?" he persisted, "How do you feel?"

Kiera thought before answering. "Hungry. And in need of a shower. Not necessarily in that order."

He leaned his head down and took a deep whiff. "You smell heavenly to me," he said. "Like sex and sweat. I love it."

Eyes widening, Kiera replied, "That's exactly what I need to wash off before I go downstairs. I already feel like the others know what we did last night, there's no need to rub it in their faces."

Grayson lowered his face to nuzzle against her belly. The smell was exactly what he wanted his people to scent. Then they would know that she was his and in his protection. His woman, his future mate, the thought made him hard. 

Kiera watched as Gray rubbed his face against her; he seemed to revel in their shared scents. The act felt more intimate than the amazing sex they'd already shared. Kiera envied the sun as it touched his tousled hair. She reached down to run her fingers through his hair, dark and silky soft. Her eyes traveled down his naked torso until the sheet covering his waist blocked her view. She realized that this man, a werewolf, had the most beautiful body she'd ever seen. It boggled the mind that such a perfectly formed creature would have any interest in her. Kiera knew she was average, in looks at least, with a body that wasn't supermodel thin or toned. As he continued to nuzzle her, Kiera felt an overwhelming desire to worship the body that gave her such pleasure. 

Her hands traveled from his hair down to his shoulder and then lower to a magnificent, furred chest. Entranced by her feather light touch, Gray lay back down to let her explore. Kiera's gaze followed her fingers as they moved down the length of Grayson's body and settled against his stomach where the muscles rippled with strength. She traced each delineated muscle then ran her finger along the border of the sheet covering him. His responding groan encouraged her to go further: under the sheet, through coarse pubic hair, until she reached his already hardened manhood. 

A deep breath expelled from Grayson's lungs when Kiera grabbed him. She glanced briefly at his face to assure herself that the exploration was welcome before refocusing on the heated lance within her grasp. So long and hard, the skin of his cock felt soft, but the strength underneath entranced Kiera.

She gripped him and measured him with her palm. The shy girl in her was embarrassed for touching him so intimately, but the wanton could not resist. His groan was all the invitation she needed to grip him firmly and pull up in an intimate embrace. Kiera felt his arms surround her, one around her buttocks and the other down to the vee between her legs. Like her own explorations, he touched her intimately. Kiera granted him access by parting her legs without giving up the treasure she held.

A sigh of surrender escaped her lungs when Grayson's hand breached the safety of her thighs to brush against her sex. Gray maneuvered her down beside him then reached beneath the waistline of her panties to brush against her damp folds. 

Kiera squirmed within Grayson's tender grasp until she faced his throbbing cock. She ignored his attempts to turn her around and bent down to taste his cock. The tip was hard like the rest of him and she brushed her lips against it. He bucked against her tender ministrations, but she held fast to taste him again. Kiera guided his cock to her lips with a soft kiss then opened her mouth to take him inside. Overwhelmed by the feeling of his heat, Kiera leaned forward until she had half of him inside her mouth. She pulled back sensuously then dove in again. 

"God," he breathed.

Kiera met his eyes smiling like a siren. "No, it's Kiera. Now stay still and let me play," she ordered then brought him into her mouth again.

Gripping his length with her right hand, Kiera licked the veins of his cock. Upon reaching the tip she took a deep breath and then swallowed as much as she could into her mouth. Kiera laved her tongue against Grayson's cock as she took as much as she could into her mouth. It was the first time she had ever done anything like this and was thrilled by the heady feeling of power that coursed through her. He tasted like salt and lust and she couldn't get enough. She pushed out the feelings of the people awake in the house and focused solely on Gray's emotions. He was drowning in lust, which she took inside her being while she bobbed up and down on him. She listened as his breath expelled from his lungs in deep gasps, felt the wild desire and reveled in the fact that she was the cause of it. 

This was intimacy, she thought, this is what she'd been missing. 

** ** *** ** ** 

Grayson endured Kiera's enthusiastic embrace as long as her could. Despite his years of sexual activity, this is the sort of thing he'd always been missing; the worship of his body by another for no other reason than pure desire. He tried to respond in kind with his fingers exploring Kiera's wet folds, but soon the pleasure that overcame his being was too much to bear. He lounged against the bed, trying to remain in control, but her passionate sucks on his cock grew too much to bear. He felt the beast slip its bonds as the knot formed at the base of his cock. He heard Kiera's breathless response, but she spared little time to acclimate to the newness, the strangeness of his beast, before moving her lips to the knot. Feeling her acceptance and desire drove Grayson over the edge. He waited until she slipped her magical mouth over him again before thrusting into her mouth. His hands slipped from her body to grip her head and force her mouth deeper until her satin lips brushed against the knot that had formed. Guiding her over him, Grayson thrust deeper as the desire to come overwhelmed him. With a deep growl, he thrust faster until he started coming into Kiera's welcoming haven. 

Burst upon burst of come flowed into Kiera's mouth which she swallowed with greedy abandon. Her hands gripped Gray's waist as he thrust continuously into her mouth. He tasted of salt and wildness. She felt distinctly triumphant as he came apart by her ministrations. When at last the spurts ended, she felt oddly bereft of her prize.

Breathing deeply, Grayson used what strength was left in him to pull Kiera upward into his embrace. He listened to her panting against his throat and wanted to repay her in kind. With shaking hands he reached down and delved again between her legs. 

Feeling triumphant in her victory over Grayson, Kiera was surprised when he pulled her against him again. His lips seduced her with his talented tongue while his hands removed her tank top then swept down her body. One hand brushed her thigh while the other delved between her legs. Dizzy from the pleasure she had wrought, Kiera had little defense again Grayson's attack. She opened her legs to welcome him, but was surprised when he teased her wet lips apart. The feeling of his thick fingers between her folds was too much.

"No!" she cried out when Gray shoved two fingers into her.

"Your turn, sweetness," he countered. 

Grayson's fingers worked magic upon Kiera's body as they thrust deep into her sheath while his thumb tantalized her clit. Soon she was too caught up in desire to resist and lay back to allow him full access to her body. 

"Take me!" Kiera cried desperately.

Her wishes were ignored as Grayson continued to fondle her. Instead of mounting her, Grayson pushed deeper inside her pussy and hooked his fingers against her G-spot. Kiera nearly wept with the pleasure that assailed her; she pushed against his hands in desperation as the tidal wave of her desire grew.

"Now, my sweet," he whispered against her panting lips. Grayson kissed her deeply as his thumb thrust against the hardened kernel of her clit. Kiera flew apart in a sea of pleasure, crying and screaming Grayson's name.

Gasping for air, Kiera wrapped herself around Grayson as the orgasm wrecked her body. His fingers remained lodged deep inside and she couldn't keep from clasping her muscles around him. It was delicious bliss that she relished with each breath of her body.

Grayson pulled her deeper into him embrace with his free arm and marveled at the bold, sensual creature in his arms. 

** ** *** ** **

Seemingly endless moments later, Kiera was still stunned from the pleasure Grayson was able to pull from her body. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced and the thought both thrilled and terrified her. 

Against her hair he rumbled, "How do you feel now?"

Kiera smiled against his chest. "Still hungry and definitely in need of a shower," she teased.

Gray chuckled and hugged her close. "Which do you want first?"

Kiera pulled herself from his warm embrace and looked down into slate grey eyes. The tenderness she felt emanating from him pleased her a great deal.

"Shower first, food after."

Grayson stretched until several bones cracked. With a great sigh he replied, "Ok, I would have chosen food, but if you insist on a shower then I'm game."

"No," Kiera pushed at his chest. "We can't take a shower together."

"Why not?" He queried, already imagining rubbing soap all over her luscious body. Then he'd rinse her clean and resume his seduction, the idea had him growing hard again.

Kiera rolled her eyes, "Because I know what you're feeling and I need to get clean without distraction. Besides," she reasoned, "I'm already pretty sore and need to recuperate a little before we, you know, go again."

An eyebrow lifted. "Sore?"

She shook her head at the implied question. "Not there, but everywhere else. I'm not used to being so...active."

Grayson laughed again. "Ok, go take your shower and I'll make sure breakfast is ready for you."

Already moving off the bed, Kiera turned back. "Don't you want to shower? You can go first if you want, as long as you don't take too long."

Gray leaned forward to bury his face against her naked back. The smell of sex permeated his oversensitive nose bringing him to full hardness.

"No, you go first. I'll shower later."

If she wouldn't willingly carry his scent on her then he would carry hers. Then the pack would know without a doubt that he'd claimed her, would understand that she would be at his side as his mate. He was exerting patience that was rare for their breed when it came to claiming their mates, but he had to tread carefully to avoid scaring her human sensibilities. He wondered if he should propose, like humans did to legalize their union. He looked up into her curious and now wary gaze and decided he would continue to court her until her acceptance of him was absolute. 

Kiera shrugged and headed for the bathroom. "I could use a little privacy," she called out over the shower.

Gray rolled his eyes, but got up and put on his jeans. "I'll be downstairs, holler if you need help scrubbing your back."

He heard her snort as he left the bedroom. 

Kiera walked under the hot spray and let it soak into her muscles. She wasn't kidding when she told Gray that she was sore. Her legs ached the worst, probably from clinging to him so tightly last night. The memory made her smile, but she focused at the task on hand and scrubbed her body soundly.

** ** *** ** **

By the time Kiera finished getting ready she was shaking with hunger and the smell that wafted from downstairs called to her. She looked down the hall to the other bedroom and saw the door was still closed. The girls were sleeping in, the lucky brats. Jasmine was able to sleep for ten hours a night if left to her own devices, a skill Kiera envied. Smiling, Kiera made her way down the stairs and through the living room, but only made it halfway before stopping in her tracks. 

A large, sleeping werewolf was sprawled on her couch. Its head was hanging off with its tongue lolling out in a comical way. Kiera observed the sight with bemusement, half admiring the pretty brown and white fur and half shocked by how the large beast dwarfed her. The first time she'd seen them in this form she was distracted by the situation, but now seeing the wolf in casual repose in her house made her accept the reality of her life. She was keeping company with non-humans, and had taken one into her bed. Grayson was this creature too, large and potentially dangerous. Staring, Kiera noticed the fur around the breast area rounded out with small nipples barely visible above fur. A female, Kiera deduced the werewolf was probably Ginny. They had bonded over liquor and laughter last night and Kiera realized that despite the momentary doubt, she trusted Ginny, Grayson and all the others in her home. Different or not, she believed that the werewolves were not the monsters fiction had made them out to be. 

Kiera was reminded of her initial destination by a loud rumble from her stomach. She turned and saw Grayson standing a couple feet back with his arms crossed. 

"Hey," she said guiltily. Staring was not polite in any culture.

Grayson's eyes narrowed momentarily before he closed the distance between them. "I thought you said I couldn't sneak up on you anymore."

It was not the words she expected. She'd shored up her mental walls as tightly as she could when people started waking up. There was no off switch, but she'd learned how to tone it down when she focused. The act was so ingrained that she hardly noticed until her house was filled with virtual strangers. 

She shrugged, "You can't unless I let you, I guess. Besides I expected you to be in the kitchen which isn't so far from where you were standing."

A small smile appeared as Gray leaned close enough to kiss her, "Can you sense me now?" he teased.

The flutter in her stomach now had little to do with hunger, "Yes," she whispered back. 

He brushed a soft kiss on her lips while wrapping his arms around her. Kiera melted, comforted by his heat and strength. Grayson turned her around in his arms to face the still sleeping Ginny. 

"She had a bit of a hangover; you girls did quite a number on her. This form is more comfortable for us when we're healing. Are you okay with this?"

The real question was whether she was okay with being faced with the reality of werewolves in her life, not just in their human form, but in their wolf form as well. It was a potential barrier in their relationship; Gray recognized the need for her to accept all aspects of him for their future together to exist. If she couldn't deal with it, he wasn't sure what he'd do. Beg? Maybe...

Kiera leaned back against his chest and absorbed the apprehension he felt. She shook her head, "Five days ago I don't know what I would have said, but right now I'm okay." 

She turned her face to look into his eyes, "I can't promise that I won't be shocked by anything I see, but I can promise to keep an open mind. I like you, Gray, and this is just part of who you are. I'm okay with that."

Gray's smile returned, but before he could speak she stated, "Now feed me before I pass out."

"Your wish is my command," he replied grandly. 

They entered the kitchen with his arm wrapped around her waist which he used to guide her into a chair next to Amber. Kiera recognized most of the people in her kitchen, but there were a couple new people milling about. She always thought the kitchen was large, but it felt crowded. She pushed down her unease to return the smiles and greetings. 

Like her personal waiter Grayson served her coffee and juice then asked. "So what do you want for breakfast? Today's offerings include eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, omelets, pancakes, French toast and some sort of hash thing Derek came up with."

"Uh, that's a lot to choose from. I usually just have toast or cereal." Kiera wasn't even sure she had the right cookware to make everything that was listed.

"It's true," Amber piped up. "Try the hash, it looks funky but tastes good."

** ** *** ** **

Kiera managed to eat everything she was served and given the vast quantities of food, she was surprised at that feat. Mason joined them when she was almost done, looking more relaxed than she'd seen him for days. Over a final cup of strong coffee she mulled over what needed to be done that day. The bar would be open, with or without Gray's blessing, and she would have to work. She mentioned shifts and to her mild surprise both Amber and Mason were anxious to work. They agreed to meet at the A Typical Oasis around five and get started on the early shift. Jasmine, Kiera learned, was still sleeping off the effects of the previous evening. The three friends decided her tardiness in the morning meant Jasmine would be part of the closing shift. 

A call to Adam confirmed he was okay and he had not seen anything untoward over the weekend. Kiera also called Gareth, who was frantically busy, but otherwise well. He was more worried about them, but pleased with his werewolf guard. Having been friendly with paranormals for several years, Gareth was demonstrating an enormous ability to adapt to the strange. 

Kiera concluded the call by extracting Gareth's promise to stop by the bar after work. With business concluded, Kiera ran upstairs to brush her teeth. Grayson appeared a few minutes later.

"I think," he said while leaning against the bathroom doorframe, "that we should return to the Hub until you start work. We can hang out and have a late lunch at Grazing, and then I'll drive you to work."




Following the Feeling Ch. 08



Kiera rinsed out her mouth before replying, "I have my own car, Gray, you don't need to chaperone me."

Gray took a deep breath before walking up to Kiera and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I know you can drive yourself," he said, resting his chin on her shoulder. "But I'd feel better if I drove you."

Capturing his gaze in the mirror, Kiera conceded. "Fine, you can drive me around today."

At his grin she continued, "Don't think that I'm always going to let you get your way."

Gray kissed her neck then murmured against it, "I don't ever expect to get my way with you, sweetheart, but a guy has to try."

** ** *** ** **

They drove into the city quietly, Gray concentrating on the drive and Kiera admiring the sleek ride of his sports car. Apparently being top wolf had its advantages, she thought. They arrived at the Hub, where Grayson escorted her to his condo without stopping to speak with the other wolves who tried to capture his attention. Kiera couldn't read any hostility from the others, but there was a wary curiosity that made her wonder what they knew about the Alpha's relationship. In his condo, a small, but neat living space, Grayson again offered to share a shower. At her refusal he showed her how to work the TV remote then excused himself. Never one for television, Kiera used the unsupervised time to explore Gray's home. She found everything in order, almost too neat for a bachelor, and nothing interesting other than some pictures of him with an older looking man. With her senses on high alert she was able to be back on the couch and watching a game show before he emerged from his bedroom, looking fresh and delicious.

"Find anything good?" He asked with an arched brow.

"What makes you think I snooped," she retorted.

Joining her on the couch Grayson pulled her into his arms. "Because you're a woman. Women always snoop."

An elbow jab to his side was her only response. 

They relaxed companionably for awhile, watching TV and arguing about the pricing game they watched. When the show ended Kiera could sense how tired Gray was and suggested they take a nap. With a gleam in his eyes, Grayson escorted her to his large bedroom, stripped them down to their undergarments and guided her into his bed. 

Kiera tried to sleep after Grayson dozed off, but found herself unable to. Instead she focused on the feelings of the pack as they went about their daily tasks. It was comforting to know that the werewolves felt very similar to normals. They had their own fears and happiness and even boredom. It felt...normal.

Beside her Gray slept peacefully although she noticed that any shift of her body caused him to tighten his grip on her. It wasn't aggressive, but it wasn't what she was used to either. When she shared a bed with her friends they didn't notice any of her movements. But with Gray, she felt like he was very aware of her even in sleep and didn't dare let her move away from him. The thought made her reflect on his statement that she was his mate. It was a foreign term, and she didn't know what he really wanted from her. A bed mate? A girlfriend or wife? Did werewolves cling to anyone they slept with?

The thoughts swirled in her head until Gray's phone rang. He grunted in his sleep, but didn't make any move to answer. As soon as it beeped to voicemail, the phone rang again. And again. As the fourth series of rings started Kiera nudged at Grayson.

In response, his hands started traveling over her body. It was a different sort of intimacy that she was unfamiliar with and tried to move away. Suddenly she found herself pinned down with Grayson looming over her, his sleep laden eyes open but unfocused. Grayson bent down to kiss her neck. The tingling warmth aroused her, but the phone began its insistent ring.

"Gray," she whispered against his neck as he kissed her jaw, "your phone."

"Forget it." He murmured as his lips traveled down to her breasts. His seduction was nearly unbearable.

Nearly, but not quite. Kiera gripped Grayson's hair and pulled him up. 

"Your phone," she said sternly.

With a groan he rolled over and reached for his phone. As he scrolled through missed calls, it started to ring again.

"This is Grayson," he answered with a gruff voice. Kiera smiled at his tone, sensing the irritation he felt at the intrusion.

"Can it wait? Uh-huh, right. Okay I'll be there in ten minutes." With a brisk movement Gray hung up the phone.

He sighed, looked over at Kiera and sighed again.

The irritation had morphed into something colder, something angry. 

"What is it?"

Gray sat up in bed and turned away from her before answering.

"The trackers are back, they caught the rogue wolf and he's in our custody." He looked over his shoulder. "They want me to be there for questioning."

The idyll of the past few days slipped away as Kiera relived the moments her life was in danger. She understood his anger now, and understood that his obligation to the pack superseded their time alone.

Sitting up Kiera said, "We need to go."

"No."

Grayson stood to pull on his clothes. Kiera didn't need to see his face or set of his shoulders to sense the tension that was rising in him.

"You stay here," he commanded. "I'll go interrogate the bastard and find out who hired him to attack you."

Kiera argued, "That won't work. Amber said he's just a hired thug and doesn't have any pertinent information. I can find out more from him than you can."

Incredulous Grayson snapped, "How? By searching his feelings? You're an empath, Kiera, not a mind reader. I can make him talk. Now you stay here and don't move or I will have to confine you."

Kiera gritted her teeth, but said nothing. Grayson didn't understand her ability no more than she understood his. It was an impasse that needed to be addressed, but she knew he wouldn't listen. He was too damn stubborn to listen.

"Fine. Go."

Grayson's slitted eyes contradicted his soft hand on her face. He stared into her eyes as if trying to determine how angry she felt. But he couldn't read her like she could him and didn't know of her ability to hide her feelings from her expression.

"I'll be back soon," he promised in soft tones.

Kiera accepted the kiss he placed upon her lips and didn't move as he walked out the bedroom. When the sound of the front door closing reached her ears, Kiera leapt out of bed and got dressed. She waited until she sensed Grayson was further away before pulling open the front door and striding out. 

Waiting, be damned she thought. She was going to get answers.



Following the Feeling Ch. 09



Here's another chapter to make up for the long wait for Chapter 8. This one is short, but important to help the story along. 

Thanks, CricketMuse

** ** *** ** ** 

Kiera walked away from Grayson's apartment hoping she'd be able to find her way out without getting lost. The building itself was easy to navigate, but once she found herself outside she realized she had no idea where to go. She wandered towards Grazing, a half block away, but turned into the alleyway she'd Derek. She remembered the doorway they'd been ushered through when he was taken to the infirmary.

Soon enough she was in a hallway lined with what looked like hospital rooms. Kiera focused on Grayson and realized that he was somewhere in the building. If the kitchen was up and over, perhaps the place they sent prisoners was down. She found the elevator from that first night and chose the button for the basement. Sure enough, once she walked out she could feel a wave of aggression. Kiera crept down the long hallway until she came to a locked doorway guarded by two men. 

They glowered at her as she approached. Kiera tapped into her inner bossy self and declared, "I'm with Grayson, let me in."

The guards straightened at her tone, but one said, "No one is allowed access in here without permission."

As a rule Kiera tried not to tamper with other people's feelings. It was intrusive and manipulative and made her feel like she was using her ability unfairly. But she knew that the only way she was going to get through the door was to either draw attention to herself by calling Grayson or to make the guards feel like they could trust her. She chose the second option and focused on making them feel safe and relaxed.

"It's okay," she tried again. "I'm supposed to help your Alpha with the prisoner."

Twin frowns met her pronouncement before fading into dazed smiles. The larger guard nodded and opened the door.

"Right this way, miss," he said.

With an apologetic smile, Kiera walked passed the guards and through the doorway.

** ** *** ** **

It didn't take her long to find her destination. Grayson was no longer present in the room she approached, but there was someone else she recognized. Gathering her resolve she opened the door and strode in. Alistair stood in front of a one way mirror speaking in quiet tones to the other two present. His surprised expression at her sudden presence made Kiera question her decision to come. 

"Kiera, what are you doing here?"

Taking a deep breath Kiera replied, "I came to talk to the prisoner."

Taking her arm, Alistair attempted to steer her away from the mirror and out of the room. "That's not a good idea. He's dangerous and Grayson wouldn't approve."

Pulling her arm away Kiera replied, "I know he's dangerous. I was nearly his victim a couple days ago. But I want to talk to him."

"Gray will back in a few...wait!"

Kiera ignored Alistair and walked through the door next to the mirrored wall. She found herself in a new room with the very restrained and very beaten werewolf that had attacked her. Chains bound the werewolf, still in human form, to a steel chair bolted to the floor. Blood seeped from wounds on his face and his eyes were nearly swollen shut. It didn't take a detective to realize that most of the injuries were the result of Grayson's anger. Kiera waited for the prisoner to raise his head to look up at her before approaching.

Standing a few feet away she began, "Why did you attack me?"

"Human scum," he growled, "what are you doing here?"

"Why did you attack me," she asked again.

"Because I could. Because you're fragile and human and are merely a chew toy for the likes of me."

"No," she contradicted. "You're lying."

"What makes you so sure," he spat.

"I know. I know when you're lying. I know that it wasn't your idea to attack me and I know that you are nothing more than hired help. So who hired you?"

The werewolf sneered. "No one hired me. I wanted to hurt the Alpha asshole of this pathetic pack and so I attacked his bitch, you."

Kiera rolled her eyes. "More lies," she pronounced. "You're a pawn; you're the one who's pathetic. Whipped and beat and barely able to breath from the fear you're feeling." She paused and focused on his murky eyes. "But not of the pack, that's not the source of your fear. You're afraid of someone or something else. Who is it?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!" The werewolf strained against his bonds, but they held tight. 

Kiera didn't point out the lie, but instead walked behind the imprisoned werewolf and whispered in his ear as her anger grew, "You don't think you're going to tell me, but you will. You will spill all your secrets before I leave this room or you'll be begging for someone to end your miserable life. You think I'm fragile? You think because I'm human that I can't hurt a big, bad wolf man like you? Well listen to me, you sack of fleas, this fragile little human bitch is going to make you regret you laid a paw on me. I've been through more hell than you can imagine and I'm now about to listen to another lie from you. Now tell me who ordered you to attack me."

"Fuck you!"

** ** *** ** **

Watching through the one-way mirror, Alistair watched in horror as Kiera approached the bound werewolf. He had already called Lena to alert her of the development, but she'd said to leave Kiera be unless it looked like their prisoner was going to break free. He knew Grayson was going to punish them all for Kiera's brazen behavior, but he was also intrigued to watch the little human empath that would be Gray's mate take matters into her own hands. She wasn't a wilting violet, he knew, and she was turning out to be much, much more than he expected. After whispering into the prisoner's ear, Alistair watched as Kiera straightened after the werewolf's insult. Instead of looking afraid, her face took on a determined expression. She tilted her head a moment, looked up at the mirror and the placed her hands on the werewolf's shoulders.

What followed was the most agonizing scream of terror Alistair had ever witnessed. The werewolf struggled to shake Kiera's touch off of him to no avail. His body bowed and the blood on his face from Grayson's punishment seemed slight compared to the fear that now clouded his features. Moments later he started begging for Kiera to let him go, sobbing and choking on his tears.

It was both horrific and fascinating.

** ** *** ** **

"PLEASE STOP" the werewolf begged. "STOP IT AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT!"

Kiera tested the truth of his words before backing down. She had made the fear the creature felt towards whatever had ordered him to attack her and magnified it tenfold. It was a dirty trick and one she hadn't attempted in many years. 

"Who ordered you to attack me?" A soft, soothing tone.

"The dark thing," he howled, "the dark creature said I needed to weaken the Alpha, get his blood and bring it to him. But he's too well guarded! So I followed him and saw him with you. I wasn't trying to kill you, but I needed the Alpha's blood."

Kiera pressed, "Who is the dark creature?"

"I don't know! Please don't hurt me again, I never saw his face! I just wanted the money, I just wanted the blood, I don't know. I don't know!"

Kiera realized that she'd pushed too hard and that the werewolf was not only telling the truth but was on the edge of losing his mind. She felt immediately guilty and pushed a feeling of calm and serenity into the prisoner, much as she'd done with Derek just a few days ago. Relieved of the fear, he slumped into unconsciousness. 

It wasn't a lot of information, but it confirmed Amber's vision was correct and that something other than the werewolf was after Grayson and his pack. Kiera took a few moments to collect herself before walking out.

Alistair met her on the other side.

"Did you hear?"

He nodded.

"Any idea what the dark creature is," she asked.

Alistair shook his head, arms crossed and face guarded.

"I'm sorry," Kiera said, "but I had to know why he attacked me. I couldn't just..."

Dropping his arms Alistair offered Kiera a small smile, "You don't need to apologize to me, I'm just a little amazed at what you just did in there. I knew you were a hellcat, but I didn't know you were so strong."

Kiera shook her head at that. 

"I'm not strong," she said. "I'm tired and stressed and I think that I'm about to get in a lot of trouble."

That last was said as Kiera picked up Grayson's emotions, he was coming and he was angry. She hesitated, but then walked out into the hallway.

Almost as soon as she'd exited the interrogation room she was shoved against a wall. Her eyes shot up and met Gray's, his own silver and enraged. 

** ** *** ** ** 

"I told you to stay in my room!" he shouted. "What the fuck are you doing down here?"

The quiet part of her mind wondered if she should just apologize, but the other part...

"I told you before, I don't take orders from you! I'm not one of your damn supplicants and you're not the boss of me!"

So much for apologizing.

Incensed by her audaciousness and angry at himself for not assigning a guard to keep her safe, Grayson pushed her harder into the wall. She brought out the primal part of himself that was usually kept buried except when hunting or battling for supremacy. But that was the position her attitude put him in, battling to conquer his wayward future mate.

Leaning down into her face he growled, "As long as you're in my protection you will follow every order or I will tie you to my bed until you know your place!"

"My place," the rage Kiera felt at his words made her scream. "My place is wherever I damn well please to be, when will you get that through your furry, testosterone fueled brain?"

"Your place is with me, by my side and in my bed and anywhere I can keep you safe!"

Kiera tried to argue, she had a scathing tirade ready on her tongue, but the words were lost as Grayson's mouth attacked her own. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and tried to dominate in deed as he couldn't in words. Her frustrated scream reverberated in his mouth and he answered with a growl no human could produce. The wolf was controlling his brain and it had to subdue the woman struggling against his powerful embrace. Her nails clawing against his back drove him into a frenzy of animalistic lust and he lifted her from the ground so he could thrust his whole body against the softest parts of her.

As his aggression transformed into desire, Kiera felt her own anger drain away from her. She tried to maintain it, but his emotions flowed into her like a raging tide and she was swept away. Lost in feeling, she answered his kisses by biting his lower lip. The act served to make Grayson lose all sense and he started pulling at her clothes. He would mate her and mark her now and then she'd be his. No more questions, no more arguments, nothing but lust and primal instinct. Kiera tossed her head back against the wall that supported her when Gray started sucking on her neck. It was madness, but it ensnared them both and she thrilled in his passion.

"Gray," a stern, female voice barked.

Grayson tore the shirt from Kiera and attacked the top of her breasts. She thrust herself against him moaning for more.

"Stop right now!" Lena shouted. 

Grayson was torn away from Kiera and tossed against the opposite wall. He instinctively snarled at the intruder before Lena pushed him back again. With her hand pressing against his chest Lena forced him to meet her eyes.

"Náčelník, you cannot take her now. Not without her consent."

"She's willing, now get out of my way before I thrash you," he growled.

"No."

"Lena, do not force me to dominate you today."

With a short laugh Lena replied, "Alpha, there's only one woman in this hallway you want to prove your dominance to and it's not me. She may be willing, but she doesn't know what that means for her. Without her expressed consent I cannot allow you to mate with Kiera."

Others had gathered in the hall, all looking on warily as their Alphas argued and the half naked human slumped nearby. Only Alistair dared to interrupt the posturing.

"My lord Alpha," he said in even tones, "we were able to get some information from the prisoner."

"I don't care, Alistair!"

"You should," he persisted. "He revealed he was hired by something, some dark creature, to get your blood. Kiera was just a means to an end. You're the real target."

"We knew that already, he said as much during the attack." Grayson was breathing heavily, but getting control over himself.

Well, we knew he wanted you. We didn't know about this creature. I think we should alert the pack of this information, the sooner the better."

Glowering at his Beta, Grayson tried to think of a reason to deny the request. But as sanity returned he knew he couldn't postpone the pack of any new information regarding the threat even if he'd rather be claiming his mate.

"Fine. Contact the top pack members and have them meet us to discuss." 

He looked over at Kiera as she was pulling her tank top back on. He really wanted to tear it off again, but restrained himself. 

"Have Kiera escorted to my apartments and assign a guard to stand outside at all times." This order earned him a glare from the object of his desire. 

"I'll escort her," Lena offered. 

Grayson tried to argue that Lena was needed for the conference, but she dissuaded his argument by appointing Alistair to attend in her stead. Grayson then tried to argue that Alistair would already be at the meeting as Beta, but then Lena countered by declaring Alistair was acting as both Beta and her mate and therefore she would not be needed. Begrudgingly Grayson agreed and left with the others.

Not a little shell shocked over recent events Kiera leaned against the wall during the Alpha's exchange. She watched as Grayson strode away with only a dark, possessive look cast in her direction. It was a cold conclusion to the fire he had ignited in her. Emotionally wrung out and getting a headache, she was ready to give in to his demands for once and relax in his apartment.

Lena had other plans.

"You must be hungry, let's go get some lunch."

Kiera shook her head, "Not really."

Guiding her by the arm Lena walked them through the guarded doors and onto the elevator. 

As the doors shut Lena stated, "Kiera, we really need to have a little talk. And we need to have it now."