Chapter 5 - The smell of a virgin (To be continued)
Daniel
I dropped my arms to my sides, surrendering to his logic. Spending a lot of time among humans calmed him, it was clear. He sympathized with that race, supported their destiny, going so far as to defend them, and, consequently, frustrate one of my desires.
As Alpha, I knew that all I needed to do was order him to take that man's head off and Dimitri would obey instantly. Despite this, I let myself be influenced by her common sense, trying to discern among her ideals a path that would lead me to the peace of mind that little girl told me to fuck off without even having to look me in the eye. God, I hated this!
I looked at my hands: they were still shaking, but the killer instinct was slowly receding. Hunger returned.
“What else?” I resumed the conversation. “What else do you know about her?”
He peeked into his hot dog to see if the cheese was herbed. “He has been working in the advertising department for six months. Previously, she worked as a waitress in a fast food restaurant, as a dental office assistant, and as a door-to-door saleswoman of cosmetic products. He didn't finish his studies due to lack of money, he started university, but dropped out after a few months."
“Her family didn’t support her?”
"He did. His father and mother worked triple shifts to pay their college tuition. Even her brother worked for a while as a security guard at a high school to finance his studies, but it wasn't enough. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a budget like ours.”
I pursed my lips and stretched my legs under the table, crossing my ankles. "It's not about luck, it's about good business sense."
It was an indirect compliment to him because it was only thanks to him that my advertising agency became a partner of the most important brands. I was the arm, he was the mind. We were a perfect team. Furthermore, I lived off the income from the rights to my photographs. The photo I took of my father during his mutation became the agency's logo and before that had been used as the trademark of a film company in Singapore.
Other photos of me were spread around the world, but the one depicting my father in the form of a wolf managed to inflate my wallet and provide me with enough funds to open an agency from scratch that employed sixty people.
Two girls in school uniforms walked past us and an intoxicating scent of roses saturated the air so unexpectedly that I felt as if I had been catapulted into a spring meadow. I wrinkled my nose, rubbing my forehead. I could already feel my irises burning.
“Daniel”, Dimitri called me urgently. “Daniel looks at the table. Look down."
I obeyed instantly, aware that my irises had turned red. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the two girls walk away, unaware of the danger, and then I looked back at Dimitri. He sat serenely in his chair, drinking his beer. The throbbing vein in his neck was the only indication of his frustration.
“How can you resist?” I cursed through clenched teeth.
"That's a matter of habit. In the human world, it works like this: girls lose their virginity very late." He took a sip of beer and shook his head, thinking about something he didn't share with me. “The first few days were difficult. The sooner you get used to their smell, the better, or you risk going insane."
“How long do you last?” I asked.
He looked to the side, averting my gaze, even though I wasn't looking at him closely. I still had my eyelids half-closed, afraid that my irises would turn black again.
“I almost killed a girl.” He rubbed his chin, falling back in his chair. Their gaze was distant, lost behind unpleasant memories. "One night. One night was enough. I had been in the human world for a few days and naively decided to go for a run in the park. I had chosen to go at night when I knew there wouldn't be many people."
He shook his head again and adjusted his tie, loosening it. The vein in his neck stopped throbbing.
"A little girl," he whispered, lowering his eyelids. When he reopened them, the irises glowed yellow, but it was only for a moment. “He wasn’t even fourteen. She was sitting alone on a bench, with a football cap pulled over her head and a cup of Pepsi balanced on her bare knees. I got too close and the smell of her virginity caught me off guard. In an instant, I attacked her and...".
He froze, studying me intently. From his dark look, I understood that that memory must still be making him feel bad. However, she was a mere human. How could he harbor this enormous feeling of guilt?
“Were you the owner?” I asked.
He picked up the mug of beer and swirled it, looking at the foam that clings to the edges before being absorbed. life slowly. "I managed to stop in time. I dragged her behind a group of trees and when I hit her against the trunk she hit her head and passed out. It was at that moment that I tore her clothes off with my teeth." He closed his eyes again and the glass almost spilled. "Holy Christ! She smelled like roses like a flower meadow. My cells desperately needed a sexual boost and her virgin scent was hypnotic."
"How did you hold back? It goes against our nature."
"I couldn't help myself. The transformation was already underway. All ten of my claws came out at once and I began to caress her, inevitably tearing into her fresh flesh. There was blood everywhere. Then, thank God, the night watchman intervened. He shined the flashlight on us, but I managed to escape in time before he realized what I was. Sergeant Malloy gave me a good scolding the next day."
I thought about my grandfather's old companion and thanked the heavens that he was on our side. His help was invaluable, an invisible wall that kept werewolves and humans apart. Having known my grandfather forever, Malloy knew exactly what we were capable of and how little self-control we had in the sexual sphere, especially during the heat period.
It was almost impossible for us to keep the wolf away during this time and only a female werewolf could tolerate our bestial instincts.
“The newspapers have been talking about this for weeks. Police were looking for an attacker armed with knives and there was a curfew in effect at all times. It was always thanks to Sergeant Malloy's intervention that the case was closed."
“Christ, Dimitri! Do you think the police are going to ignore a little girl left bleeding to death in a park?
“Sergeant Malloy assured me that this case has been transferred to the state unsolved.”
I tilted my head to the side, tearing the tendons in my neck. “I want you to calm down with the prostitutes, or at least make sure you don’t leave any traces around after you’re done.”
Dimitri leaned forward, resting his forearms on the coffee table. "I've never been with a virgin again. I've never come close to that again. Smell me. I'm telling the truth."
I inhaled deeply. I smelled the shame and guilt. A hint of acrid perfume invaded my nostrils as if someone had sprayed me with deodorant. There was no trace of lies or any subterfuge.
“Did you see the little girl again?”
He shook his head. “No, fortunately. I only read in the newspapers that she was hospitalized for ten days. So when I was sure she was out of danger, I tried to put her out of my mind. I owe her anyway."
“For what reason?”
"That" It was thanks to her that I managed to get used to the rose perfume of virgins. Every time I hear that, I remember what I did."
"That's a good palliative to resist," I agreed.
“At the very least, the fear of having seriously compromised the secrecy of the entire flock was and continues to be a good excuse to keep the bird under control.”
"Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"
Again he looked away. “I didn’t want you to know my weaknesses.”
“You know you can talk to me about anything.”
He nodded, suddenly distracted by something over my shoulder. "Be careful. Another little girl is approaching."
I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth twice. “I also have a palliative.”
"He would be?".
The little girl passed so close to us that her shoulder strap brushed my elbow. I pulled it back and let my eyes wander over her little ass encased in shorts. He swayed his hips in a natural undulating motion, showing no malice.
"Well," I sighed, rolling my eyes in annoyance. "Let's say it's a mini version of a palliative that I inexplicably imprint on."
“How do you explain that?”
"I do not know how to explain".
“You should inform your father. Perhaps something similar has happened in the past."
Anger took hold of me again, swelling the muscles in my chest. “He’s not going to take this well.”
“He might care more about you not dying in a few months. You have been so focused and busy training recruits that you have completely forgotten about your duties as an Alpha."
I looked up sharply. “Watch how you talk.”
“Daniel!”, he calmed his tone, placing his hand on top of mine. "You know better than I that a mateless Alpha is destined to die by the age of thirty. Why did you wait so long to look for one?
“I was busy with the recruits.”
"We already said that."
I wrinkled my nose, succumbing to his logic. "I was afraid of it. I was afraid it would distract me at this delicate time."
"Ah, he will! He will certainly do so. But I remember that a pack without an Alpha is destined to fall. Becky is yours and our salvation and I pray to the Lord that she is strong enough to endure it all."
“A human with a werewolf?”
, I started to laugh, bitterly. Desperate. “Our meeting was his death sentence. Furthermore, time is our enemy. Damn!” I slammed my fist on the table and the plates vibrated. “If only I hadn’t met her during her heat period.”
Dimitri smelled me. “You’re up to your neck in it. Your heat... and your virgin smell...".
“I should stay away from her,” I said nonsensically. Firstly because a werewolf couldn't give up his mate, and secondly because giving up on her meant the defeat of the entire pack.
“You should, yes,” he agreed. His right eyebrow rose as if to underline the ridiculousness of these words. “But since we know very well that you won’t be able to do that, how do you think you can make it yours without her objecting?”
I clasped my hands together in prayer and placed them on my forehead, trying to resist the feeling of despair that held my clarity hostage. I had to come up with a plan, and quickly.
“For now I will try to use humane tactics, just to get her used to my presence,” I said. “Then try to tell me how much more you know about her. Musical tastes, hobbies, preferences...".
"He loves orchids."
"Where can I find a good florist?".
“Two blocks from here. All you need to do is make a call. Mmm... what else? He tapped his finger on his chin, thinking about it. “She likes fantasy movies.”
“But please!” I groaned. "Those damn movies must have brainwashed her. It will take me ages to make her understand that werewolves, in reality, are completely different from what you read in books or see on television."
“You will also spend part of these centuries making them believe that they exist in reality.”
I snorted and with a wave of my hand invited him to continue.
“He dresses in cheap clothes.”
“I can fix this.”
“At night he almost always stays at home and the few times he goes out he meets Jenny. She likes walking in the mountains and can't stand the city and the traffic."
“More?” I warmed up. Why did he have to talk about installments?
"I'd say it's a lot. I remember I was her boss and not her brother. It's not like she woke up in the morning and came straight to me and told me what was going on."
I took a bill out of my wallet and threw it on the empty plate. So I took another one and handed it to Dimitri. "Give it to the waitress after you fuck her from behind. With my regards."
“How infamous,” he began to laugh, standing up from his chair and gesturing for the girl in question to wait for him.
"I like this restaurant and I want to go back. So make sure you leave her with a good memory if you know what I mean."
I grabbed my jacket by the back and pulled up one sleeve.
“Oh! You have to know that," he started laughing.
I turned to him, finding him beside m
e. His hand shot to my shoulder, patting it a few times reassuringly.
“He’s afraid of dogs.”
“Holy shit!” I blurted out, playfully punching him in the stomach.