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Charlie found that the growling of the werewolves was different from the growl of the vampires. She didn’t know why she noticed it, but she did. The werewolves sounded like upset dogs, while the vampires had a primal growl. Charlie sighed and stood on tiptoes to reach up
to place a k*ss on Vidar’s cheek.
“It’s okay, we’re here to be friendly,” she told him. He stopped growling and nodded. He
didn’t take his eyes off Burt. Burt had also stopped growling a
cleared his throat. A moment later, the room was silent again. Charlie kept walking, with Vidar pasted to her side. She walked up to Burt and held out her hand. “Nice to see you again Burt, and your sister as well,” she said, and he shook her hand while smiling..
“Grim,” Burt said, giving Vidar a quick nod.
“Williams,” Vidar said and mirrored the nod.
“Haven’t this been a fun start to the evening?” Henry said. “How about we sit down and get this thing started so we can all go home as soon as possible,” he added. Vidar pulled out the middle chair for Charlie. She sat down and Vidar took the seat on her left side and Henry on her right.
“Alpha Williams, you formally asked to see the maiden under our clan’s protection. I present to you maiden Charlie,” Henry said.
“The Williams pack thank you, clan Manarola, for allowing us to meet your maiden. Maiden. Charlie, it is an honour to formally get introduced to you,” Burt said. Both Henry and Charlie nodded. “I asked for this meeting to establish a first contact with you, to tell you about who we are and to ensure you that you are always welcome to reach out to us, no matter why.”
Charlie nodded.
“I am looking forward to learning more about your pack,” she told him.
“I don’t think I introduced myself the last time we met. I’m Delia,” Burt’s sister said, reaching her hand across the table. Charlie smiled at her.
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“I’m Charlie,” Charlie told her and shook her hand.
“You will have to give my best to Lilly,” Delia said.
“I would love to, but I probably won’t. I don’t know how I would explain all of this to her,” Charlie told her. Delia laughed.
“I can see how it would be an issue,” she agreed. The short exchange had eased the mood in
the room a little.
“Charlie, we would like you to come and stay with the pack for a week or two. No matter how
good I explain things, some aspects of our life is best to be experienced,” Burt said.
“That won’t be happening,” Vidar objected.
“Who asked you?” Burt growled.
“Gentlemen,” Charlie interrupted before they got everyone going again. “It’s a kind offer. Would I be able to bring someone with me?” she asked Burt. Burt reluctantly switched the
focus back to her.
“We recognise you might need an escort. We would agree to a two vampire escort, but it won’t be him,” Burt said, glaring at Vidar. Charlie felt the vampire’s heckle rise.
“Then I will have to decline. I’m sure we can arrange a daytime visit in a couple of days. where I can bring two other vampires. But I won’t be staying overnight under those conditions,” Charlie said.
“Charlie, they might have told you we will pose a danger to you, but we won’t. We have no wish to hurt you in any way. Vampires have their own agenda, and it’s important that your understand they aren’t as perfect as they have told you,” Burt told her.
“How presumptuous of you. Not only do you presume my protectors try to skew my view of this new world that I’m walking into, you also presume if they were doing it, I wouldn’t be intelligent enough to be able to see it. I don’t know where these ideas come from, if that is how you would have handled a maiden if you found them. But I can tell you that what I have heard about werewolves from the vampires is a complex description. I have heard about the
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feud between the species, that there are a lot of distrusts between you. Despite of this, I have learnt about werewolves that opened their pack for a vampire in need. I have learnt they can be proud warriors and loyal to a fault. I have heard about the impact the full moon has on you, that you won’t hurt humans unless there is no other way. I would say I have a rounded, mostly positive view of you. But I must say you have managed to lower that by several notches,” Charlie said. There was a stunned silence after her little speech. Then Delia started. to laugh. Vidar followed her, and then Henry. Even Charlie had to smile. The only one not looking pleased was Burt.
“Please forgive my brother. He sometimes thinks with his smaller head and it rarely turns out well for him. We have heard rumours that Vidar and you have been staying very close this
week. Add to that, the little scene you put up in the pub, and we drew the conclusion there was a relationship brewing. It seems we were right,” she explained.
“It is,” Charlie agreed. She didn’t know how much she wanted to tell them about her relationship with Vidar.
“It’s irresponsible at best and dangerous at worst,” Burt said in an angry voice. “Charlie, I get the lure of feeling safe and protected at a time like this in your life. But he should have warned you about how easy it would be for you to start imprinting on him.”
“We have had that talk,” Charlie nodded. She felt like this conversation was derailing and focusing on her personal life. She needed it to switch focus, so she turned to Delia. “Vidar told me the different species all have their version of imprinting. I think you have mates. Is that right? How does it work?” she asked her. Delia nodded.
“That’s right. It differs quite a bit from imprinting. We know the moment we meet our mate, it’s an instant recognition between the two. There are mates that meet as children if they are from the same pack and then spend years waiting for their coming of age to seal the bond. For some, th
don’t find their mate until later in life, some will never find them,” Delia told
her.
“It must be hard to live knowing your mate is out there somewhere and not know where,” Charlie said.
“That’s why it’s important for you to meet as many of our pack as possible,” Burt said. “The moon goddess pair mates together for several reasons, to make sure we have someone to lean.
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on in life, for fulfilment and for reproductive purposes. Therefor our mates will always be either another werewolf or a maiden,” he explained.
“You want me to spend time in your pack to see if I’m a mate of one of your members?” Charlie asked. It sounded a little too much like they saw her as an object. She felt Vidar tense up next
to her and she took his hand in hers under the table.
“Yes, we can even invite other packs to visit at the same time,” Burt said with enthusiasm.
“It’s not the only reason,” Delia told her. She was more receptive to Charlie’s mood than her brother was. Charlie sent her a smile.
“No, no, of course not. But it is important and we need to do it before an imprinting establishes between the two of you. When it does, and if you both recognise it and act on it, that will become the singular soul bond and all others that might have been will fade,” Burt explained. Charlie looked at Vidar. She saw how badly he wanted to cause harm to Burt for even thinking about separating the two of them. But he held back. He seemed to know what she was silently asking him and nodded.
“Well then, there is no need to haste. Vidar and I imprinted on each other the moment we met,” Charlie told them. Again, there was a stunned silence in the room.
“Congratulations, that is a rare thing to have happened. It means the fates are determined for you to be bonded with each other. I, for one, can’t wait to see what they have in store for you,” Delia said and gave both Charlie and Vidar a huge smile. She seemed genuinely happy.
“Thank you,” Charlie said.
“Are you sure it wasn’t a trick?” Burt asked. It was easy to see how suspicious he was of the vampires. Delia rolled her eyes.
“Are you accusing me of manipulating Charlie?” Vidar asked with a barely contained growl.
“If the shoes fit,” Burt said.
“Again, I apologise for my brother. He’s an idiot, but he’s my brother, so I can’t just let him become werewolf slush,” Delia quickly interrupted and turned towards her brother. “I told
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you, you would have known at the bar if she were your mate. Accept reality,” she told him and flicked her finger against his forehead. “Charlie, it was a pleasure to see you again. Thank you for agreeing to this, and again, sorry for my brother. I think we will head out and let our alpha get his head screwed on properly. I hope we can do it again sometime. I truly would like for you to visit the pack sometime, bring your vampire and whoever else you want,” Delia
said.
“Thank you, Delia. It has been an interesting evening. I would love to get in touch again,” Charlie said. She paused and took out her phone, unlocked it and handed it to Delia. “Put in your number and I will send you mine,” she told her. Delia smiled and put her number in Charlie’s phone and handed it back..
“I knew I liked you. Clan Manarola, thank you for agreeing to this meeting. We will be withdrawing in peace,” she said to Henry and Vidar.
“It was a pleasure meeting you. If werewolves weren’t so strict on the alpha being a male, I think you could give your brother a good fight for the title,” Henry said. Vidar was satisfied. with a grunt and a nod. They remained seated as the werewolves got up and left. There was silence in the restaurant until Caine walked in.
“They are five blocks away, no stragglers or suspicious behaviour,” he reported. Charlie could feel how everyone relaxed.
“This has been an interesting and enlightening evening in deed,” Adisa said as they all stood
up.
1
“I’ll talk with Caine for just a moment, stay with the others,” Vidar said and k*ssed Charlie on the cheek. She nodded and as he turned to walk to Caine, she turned to walk to the others. There was the sound of glass breaking and something heavy collided with Charlie’s back. It took her a moment to realise it was Vidar who wrapped his arms around her as he let out a grunt.
“Shooter!” Cain shouted as the room exploded in activity and Charlie was pulled to the floor under Vidar’s heavy b*dy.