Chapter 7
Andi
His lion was restless as it paced in his head. He’d not wanted to leave her after they’d made love. Under different, better circumstances, he’d have stayed to make love again over and over. That was a new way of looking at things for him. Usually he was one and done, though mentally he was gone almost before he’d began. Yeah, that was as bad as it sounded. His emotions just weren’t invested in the females he slept with until now. He was that guy, the love ‘em and leave ’em one.
Seb tossed and turned. Nothing was working out the way he planned. The date was just supposed to be an opportunity to wet his cock. It sounded crude, maybe because it was. Males, especially shifters, had needs. There was only one fated mate, but it could take a lifetime to find her. Some never did. He’d always figured his would be a lioness. She’d be sweet and supportive. The type to stay home raising the cubs while he did the work an alpha was meant to.
That’s what he needed in his position, a female like his mother. She would run the household, hosting events that would garner whatever support he needed. If she felt the need to keep busy, she could do charity work. What he needed was the perfect high society wife. One who understood the stress of his position so she could give him peace when he needed it or sex to ease his stress when he needed that.
Andi wasn’t what he had in mind. She was a human for one thing, ambitious in her own right, for another. That made her totally wrong for him but being with her had felt so right. Seb felt confused because all he wanted right now was to see her again. The thought of another female turned his stomach. The only thing he could think to do was throw himself in his work. There was certainly plenty of that to keep him busy.
He managed to get through Sunday working his emails, sending out information, and receiving some. Maybe he was overly careful, but he’d had an investigator check out Andi. Seb had wondered about her, especially since Ariel seemed to know her so well. It was a known fact she was a white wolf. That meant her sisters were, too. It seemed everyone he met around here was in that white wolf clan. The investigator also confirmed Andi had been attacked. How he knew this, the male didn’t say, but Seb had just known it already. The sinking suspicion had hit him the first time Ariel had sent out the emails warning of attacks.
Roger, the real estate agent, called midmorning Monday. He’d faxed him a list of places. “Just take a look at them, then let me know which ones you’d like to look at. It’s a buyer’s market if you’re flexible.”
Sindy was flexible. She had a broad range on the price, size, and location. Roger had also gone with a wide variety on all of those. There were houses on both ends of the price range. The one at the bottom of the range looked like it would have to be leveled. The one at the top end looked like a mansion that would suit all of her needs.
Looking for a house for his sister was the distraction he needed right now. He texted Roger with the places he was interested in. Most of them were move in ready. If he found one suitable, his sister might be moving sooner than expected. She would be pleased with that.
He met Roger a half an hour later at the first house. It was modest with a price set to sell. Seb took pictures to send his sister, but considered buying the house himself. He could live there until the compound was completed, then rent it to one of his pride. Prices down here were much less than New York, but in his old neighborhood, land was at a premium with a high demand.
Everything was higher there including income. It was a completely different situation. Once the cats were all relocated, real estate prices would begin to rise. Demand set prices. Seb might just speculate in some real estate before prices rose. He had rentals in many locations where he had rental management companies. This could be another place he started such a company. From what he could tell, there was no company that specialized in managing rentals, real estate companies managed them in addition to their other duties.
Seb liked companies that did one thing because they often did that one thing better than anyone else. That was something many of his companies specialized in, being the best at what they did. It was why he separated the leadership of his different divisions based on what the different kinds were good at. It had made his company amazingly successful.
Just before he left to meet Roger, his fax started printing something out. Seb read the document. What the hell? Fae had been seen in the area attacking females. His first thought was Andi but he pushed it out of his mind. She wasn’t for him, not as a mate or even a long-term relationship. As the alpha of his pride, he needed the right kind of female to stand with him. Andi had her own future planned out which didn’t include him either. They’d had their fun, she’d figured things out or she would have called like most of his other sexual partners did wanting to know when he was coming back. The truth was, he wasn’t. He never went back but until now, he’d never been tempted to.
Roger was waiting patiently when he arrived at the first house. Seb liked it, it had a quiet country charm. It was just within sight of its neighbors, but far enough away for privacy. They greeted each other before Roger began discussing the property. “It’s a motivated seller. They had to move because of their job, so they really need to sell. It’s been on the market for three months with no offers.” They toured the home while Roger gushed about its selling points.
“Are there any negative points you should disclose?”
“Not that I know if, but I always recommend you get a home inspection including a separate termite inspection. If you want to make an offer, it can be subject to no problems being found. I have a list of inspectors you can choose from. Rob Humphrey is a retired building inspector from Chicago. In my opinion, he’s the best. He doesn’t waste any time, either. I can also give you a list of places that do a termite inspection.”
“Once we finish touring the house, we’ll talk about that.” Seb liked the look of the place.
“That’s everything inside. There are outbuildings if you want to see them.”
“I want to see it all.” They walked out in the yard which was nicely landscaped. The outbuilding turned out to be a small guest cottage.
“They used this for his wife’s mother. She lives with them.”
“I see it’s handicap accessible,” Seb observed. He had a lion that had lost a paw. It was unusual but happened. The male lived with his daughter’s family so this would be good for them. “I’m ready to make an offer.”
“I like a guy who can make up his mind,” Roger said.
“I still want to look at the other places. Originally, all I was interested in was finding a place my sister liked, but I’ve revised my opinion. A large part of my pride will be moving down here soon. I have the financial means, so it would be good to buy some houses for their use until our compound is built.”
“We can look at all the places, take notes, then write up all the offers at once,” Roger suggested.
The male was a born salesman, seeing his opportunity and running with it. They visited four more houses, only one was just not what he was looking for. The two of them also looked at two tracts of land. He would make an offer on one of them.
They headed to Roger’s office where he had a secretary immediately start the paperwork. “Would you like something to drink?” Roger asked opening a fridge stocked with pop, tea, and juice.
“A bottle of juice would be nice,” Seb declared so Roger handed him OJ.
Paperwork was the worst part of buying property. The hunt was exciting because you could look at places seeing the potential. Negotiating was thrilling as you tried to get the best possible price whether you were buying or selling. Filling in forms and signing your name a dozen times just made your hands tired.
“I think two of these offers might be accepted. The other three, I believe you’ll get a counter offer.”
Seb nodded. That was exactly what he was thinking, too. He sent Sindy a text. Get packed for your move. I’m buying several houses, you can have your pick.
Seb, thank you. I’ll be arriving tomorrow. Sindy’s reply came back moments later. Everyone in his family was decisive. He found he actually missed his brothers and sisters now that he didn’t see them every day. It would be nice to have Sindy here, or at least he hoped it would. She could take on the mall project, it was right down her alley.
Now that his work was done on the purchases, his mind returned to Andi. “Your mate is a white wolf, isn’t she?”
“She is. Her name is Suki, but I doubt that you’ve met her,” Roger observed.
“I was just curious about the information Ariel sent out this morning. Having a fae mercenary in town is a terrible thing.”
“I agree with you. He is target specific so your pride should be safe.”
“My concern was for some of the white wolves I met, Andi, Candi, and Sandi.”
Roger grinned. “Those three are characters. When did you meet them?”
“I went in the flower shop to look around when I met Andi. Later, I ran into her with her sisters at Sara’s.”
“You’ve already discovered the best place in town to eat. Makes me hungry just to talk about it. Looks like it’s lunch time. Would you like to go by there to grab a bite to eat?”
They had left Seb’s SUV at the first house so he’d rode with Roger. It made it easier for them to talk. “Sure. I wanted to ask you if there were any rental management places in town.”
They walked out to Roger’s SUV while they spoke. “Honestly? Most real estate places offer the service, but they don’t really like doing it. They just do it so they’re the first to know if the owner gets tired of the hassle of renting the place out and decides to sell.”
“I have rental management companies in several states. My company might be interested in spreading out a little.”
Interest showed in Roger’s eyes. “So, would they make an agreement with someone who referred a customer to let them know first if they wanted to sell.”
“That’s standard in the offices we have set up now. We make a note on their application for referrals. We also have a default company we send customers to if they want to sell, at least we do if we don’t decide to buy ourselves.”
“That sounds fair enough. Does your company buy many of them?’
“Only if they’re a good deal.”
They pulled into Sara’s which was packed. When they walked in, no tables were available but the waitress cleared off a table she’d had stacked with utensils that were being wrapped in paper towels. “That’s how they keep a table open for special customers,” Roger admitted.
“You come here a lot?”
“I do, but Suki and Sara are close.”
“Because they’re cousins?”
“In part, but they are also friends.”
The waitress bustled over taking their order before hurrying away. “Can you tell me what kind of places you’re looking for? I can call you first when something comes up,” Roger offered.
They continued to talk business for a little while until Seb scented a familiar smell. It was Andi, but she wasn’t alone. She and a wolf entered to pick up a to go order. The male stayed close to her side watchful of everything.
“He works for Tyne. He’s a security guard in charge of watching her,” Roger explained. That calmed his lion, but only a little. It didn’t like a male basically living with his female. What? No, she wasn’t his. His lion must be crazy. That was the only explanation. He’d been deprived of sex so long, he had latched onto the first female they slept with.
They picked up their order, then turned around to leave. Andi’s eyes met his, making her nod in acknowledgement before hurrying out the door. He didn’t like the cool greeting he’d gotten. Shit! What the hell did he expect? Andi wasn’t like the other females he’d been with. Even if she wanted more from him, he sensed she’d never let him know. The woman had pride, besides, she had her own plans for the future which didn’t include him.
She had looked just fine. No signs of tears or regrets. Andi had moved on to whatever lease life had in store for her. That was good, right? No accusations of abandonment, no unmet expectations, not even a hint of disappointment. His lion growled inside him. Dumb cat, didn’t he realize this was all for the best?
Their food came so they began to eat, talking business of and on. His interest in anything besides Andi had got up and run away. Seb didn’t know his lion anymore. The beast wasn’t a lovesick kitty. This was an alpha male that chased no tail. At least that’s what he had been. He was ready to get out of here and away from the place he’d seen that woman.
He tried not to think about what it meant that she had a guard assigned to her. His lion roared in protest. They should be protecting her, not some measly little wolf. A majestic lion trumped some overblown fae criminal. His lion would take a bite of that miscreant if he showed up again.
Roger led the way out of the diner to his SUV. They drove in silence until they got to his car. “I’ll keep you updated on the offers as soon as I hear back on them.”
Seb nodded absentmindedly. Roger was already out of his mind as he worried over the situation with Andi. He drove home on autopilot, surprised when he realized he was there. Several cars were parked there making him wonder, what was going on?
Steve greeted him from a chair across from Seb’s desk chair. He dropped into it before addressing his construction manager. “I don’t need any bad news.”
“I didn’t either, but that didn’t stop some petty bureaucrat from holding us up. I think you need to see if Ariel can advise us on how to handle it,” Steve suggested.
“Why didn’t you call her?”
“I’ve never met her.”
“Your mate has.”
“I would have had Truly help me if she wasn’t tied up herself. I’ve not been here long.”
“Okay.” He dialed Ariel’s number.
“Author inspired. Wait a second.” A few moments passed. “Okay, I got that down. How can I help you Seb?” Ariel asked.
“This is my construction manager, Steve. He’s Truly’s human mate. He wanted to meet you.”
“Hello, Steve,” Ariel said with humor evident in her voice. Steve choked out a greeting.
“You know I appreciate how helpful you’ve been and I hope someday to repay your kindness.”
“I consider us allies. Hopefully we can formalize that alliance, but kindness never has to be repaid.”
“Thank you anyway. It seems Steve has run into a problem he hopes you can advise him on. Steve?”
Steve began to explain the problem to Ariel. It had something to do with the nearby arm of the lake causing certain requirements. A new employee was interpreting those requirements in a way Steve had no idea how to deal with. Ariel gave him the number of a higher level and more reasonable official.
Once they finished their talk, Seb stares at Steve, “Was that all?”
“Yes.”
“Why are all these other cars parked here?”
“Several of the guys went with Truly to look at one of her projects. They drove together.”
“Good,” he said dismissively. Steve took the hint. He nodded before leaving. Seb needed some private time with his lion. They needed to have a heart to heart so he could get him under control.
She’s not for us. The woman is human. Seb told his lion.
Doesn’t matter. She’s ours. His lion responded stubbornly.
One of the wonderful things about being dual natured was you were never alone. Your best friend and confidant were always with you. It could also be one of the worst things when your two halves disagreed.
I like her too. But we need to think about the pride first, Seb explained.
Unhappy alpha bad for pride. Lion persisted.
Seb found he couldn’t disagree with that. Being with Andi had made him happy, but their plans were at odds.
Convince her. His lion insisted.
He said it as if that would be so easy. Maybe it would be as easy as he made it. Seb was an alpha, he was king of the jungle. Surely a little human wouldn’t stand a chance against him if he set his mind to winning her. The more certain his lion had become, the more convinced he became that she was his mate. How had he missed it for so long?
Seb was certain he’d lost all the progress he’d made with her on their date. She would be resistant, but she could overcome. The first thing he needed to do was send her a message. Normally, he’d use flowers. That wouldn’t work with her.
Looking up a number on his phone, he was happy when he found the listing for Sandra Smith. He pushed the number waiting for her to pick up. “Hello?”
“Sandi?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“This is Sebastian Hunter. I needed some advice. You know Andi and I went out the other day. I left and haven’t checked on her. I just wanted time to think things through to be sure of what I felt. Now I’m sure, but she’s being cool and distant. Not that I blame her. What should I do to get her to talk to me?”
“Okay, well that was a mouthful. Let’s see if I understand things. You went out on a date which resulted in sex, which Andi never does. You snuck out without waking her, then didn’t call or contact her in any way. Now you’ve decided she’s important to you so you want her to forgive your bad after date manners. Do I understand it right?”
“Yes, but the way you say it makes it sound so much worse than the way I meant it.”
“Sounds to me like you only planned a one and done but now you’ve changed your mind.”
“I think she’s my mate. Will you help me?”
“I’d hate to see her deprived of her mate just because he’s arrogant. Yes, I’ll help you. What is your plan?”
“Plan? I don’t have one. Normally, I’d send flowers to get someone’s attention. That won’t work with her.”
“If you ordered it from her shop, she’d cancel the order. I’m sure you hurt her feelings. She’s on friendly terms with her ex-boyfriends. She didn’t expect anything from you, except I’m sure she thought you could be friends.”
“Are you telling me she tossed me into the friend category?”
“I’m saying that was her expectation, yes,” Sandi said. He could almost visualize her eyes rolling.
“Okay. Any suggestions?”
“Andi loves chocolate. Send her some.”
“How do I get chocolate delivered?”
“You know any cute kids?”
“I actually do. How does that help?”
“Buy some chocolate, then bribe them to go to the shop, ask for Andi, and then give it to her with your heartfelt apology for blowing her off after sex.”
“Will that do it?”
“I doubt it, but it will get the process started. After the kid does that, you arrive with a meal for two. Maybe if she’s hungry, she’ll let you stay. Get the steak dinners from Sara’s. No one can resist that meal. Once you’ve eaten, if she’s speaking to you, asked her out on a date for Sunday. Can you handle it?”
“I run a highly successful company, of course I can handle it,” he said, but inside he was afraid he’d botch it.
“What are you waiting for? Get to it.” Sandi hung up.
It seemed none of the women in that family lacked confidence. He didn’t usually lack it, either. He called Riley. “Hello, Boss. What ya need?”
“Chocolate. I need some gourmet chocolate. It needs to be special.”
“Where would I get that at, Boss?”
“I don’t know. Eureka Springs should have a place you can buy it. Do a search, but I need it as soon as you can get back here with it.” He hung up. Once he got the chocolate, he needed a kid or maybe three.
He looked at his phone then pushed Truly’s number. “Hello?”
“Truly? Where are you?”
“I’ve got my kids. We’re at Sara’s eating with Steve.”
“I need your kids.”
“Wait, what?”
“I have a little job for them.”
“They’re kids.”
“I know that. I need them to give something to a lady for me.”
“Finally figured out Andi is the one for you?”
“What makes you think that?”
“I’m a lioness. I have as good a sense of smell as you do. Early morning smells seem particularly strong.”
“Okay, enough of that. I have Riley buying chocolate. It should be here by the time you are,” Seb said. Goddess, he hoped this would work. His lion roared in approval. Finally, something was being done.
Riley made it back first. He’d found a store that carried gourmet chocolates. From the look of things, they carried a wide variety. Since he’d not been sure what to get, he’d bought one of each. He carried them in in three large armloads. That was alright. Truly could help him determine what to send to Andi.
When Truly came through the door with her family, she just stared at the stacks of chocolate for a moment. “If you want my help, I’m getting some of that.”
He’d forgotten about her chocolate obsession. She hid it well, being a closet chocoholic. Steve fed her obsession on holidays or when he messed up to get back in her good graces. “Agreed. Now let’s get things worked out. Each kid can present her with a box of chocolate. There’ll be a message for each one to give her. I need some help with that.”
“Okay, let’s get to work,” Truly suggested. She sent the kids to clean up. She said would dress them in something cute so they would make a good impression.
“Don’t all kids make a good impression on females?” He asked confused.
“There’s a cuteness factor we want to use to our advantage,” she admitted. Seb would wait to see what this factor turned out to be. He didn’t care what Truly had to do. Now that his lion had decided Andi was his mate, he wanted her now. The lion’s pacing inside his head was driving him crazy.
Truly picked out a huge box of assorted European chocolates for the youngest one to give Andi. It seemed the youngest would be better off with the smallest box, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. The oldest would give her a box of French chocolate. They were filled with crème or fruit filling. It was a small box but it was fancy looking. The last selection was some round chocolates filled with hazelnut crème. They were a popular brand he liked personally.
Andi was bound to like one of the offerings. Truly left to get her boys dressed. When they trooped back in, they were wearing dress slacks with formal shirts. The youngest had on a tie. They did look cute, he had to admit it.
“Did you get any messages worked out?” Truly asked.
“Um, I’m sorry?” Seb asked.
“Okay. Davie.” That was her youngest son. “You hand her this big box and tell her, he’s really sorry. Can you do that?” The little boy nodded enthusiastically.
“Rob, you hand her this box and tell her Sebastian misses her. Okay?” He shrugged but nodded. “Junior. You hand her this and tell her Sebastian cares about her a lot.” The boy also nodded.
“You!” She pointed at him. “Order your supper so you can bring it before the kids leave. I don’t think she’ll refuse you while they are there. Do it now,” Truly directed.
Sebastian called in the steak special for two which included drinks. They waited a few minutes so the boys wouldn’t have to stall while waiting for him to arrive. “I’ll take the boys there now. Call when you have the food so I can take them inside. By the way, you are taking the boys someplace cool for a day to pay them for this.” The two oldest high fived each other then their little brother. They started calling out theme parks and other places they thought of as cool.
Truly was going to really make him pay for this. He didn’t know how he felt about being stuck with three energetic boys for a day, but he knew he owed her, regardless of how it turned out. Running by Sara’s, he picked up his order nodding at people he knew but wasting no time. Seb knew what he needed to do. Getting there was a part of the battle and battle, it was.
He was gathering his allies to breach the heart of his fair lady. Hitting Truly’s number, the phone rang. “I’m on my way,” he explained when he heard her pick up the phone.
“Wish us luck, we’re headed in.” He caught the glimpse of Truly bringing up the rear as they marched into the flower shop. Sebastian parked before he grabbed his bag to run it.
Stopping near the door, he could look through the window as the whole scene played out. The little one walked up to Andi with a box he could barely manage. Sebastian now understood the cuteness factor. Andi melted as she took the box the little guy handed her.
“He’s really sorry,” the small fry said, his voice dripping with sadness. That one could be an actor someday.
Next was Rob, the middle boy. The little Romeo smiled at Andi, making her smile back. Handing her the box of chocolates, he leaned in close. “Sebastian misses you,” he whispered softly as if sharing a secret. That was one hell of a negotiator.
Last came Steve Jr. He shot her a jaunty grin. The boy was on the cusp of adulthood. His mix of confidence and shyness was appealing to the older ladies. Andi was no exception. Junior handed her his box as he stared deeply into her eyes. “Sebastian really cares about you a lot. You’ll give him another chance, won’t you? He’s a great guy. I know he won’t mess up again.”
Wow. Junior was really helping. Seb opened the door stepping inside. “Hello, Andi. Would you please have supper with me?” All three boys looked at her with puppy dog eyes. Who would have thought lion cubs could pull it off? They were going all out for him, he realized they deserved a big reward.
“I guess I need to eat,” she replied.
The boys rushed her, hugging her before Truly called them away. “We need to go now, boys.” She winked at him as she herded her boys out the door. He and Andi watched as she loaded boys before they took off down the road.
His attention turned back to Andi who now stared at the floor her cheeks tinged pink. “Why don’t you show me where to set up our meal?”
“We can eat right here. I don’t close for another hour, but sometimes no one comes in this late,” Andi admitted.
She went back to working on arrangements while he set their food out in the to go containers. It didn’t bother him, but he was surprised she didn’t prefer plates like she had last time. It occurred to him she didn’t want him upstairs in her living space. He would reignite her interest in him. Seb couldn’t blame her for feeling burned when his attitude had turned cold.
“I have it all set out. It’s ready whenever you are.”
“Okay, but if someone comes in, I’ll have to take care of business,” she explained.
“I understand. I have a business myself.”
What do you do? Or are you talking about running the pride?” She asked. He was happy she was curious about him. At least she was still interested. “No, I have a business as well. You may have heard of it. Lion Guards?” She shook her head. “No? It’s a good-sized security company. Like what Tyne does. Speaking of guards, where is yours?”
“He’s prowling around the perimeter. The pacing was driving me crazy.”
“I suppose that’s one way to guard you, but I think he’d be better off staying with you.”
“We’ll agree to disagree. Isn’t the customer always right?” Andi asked.
“Not if it will get them killed or kidnapped.”
“We don’t know if they’ll be back.”
“They’ve tried twice with two different mercenaries. There’s probably a price on you. Odds are good they’ll be back until something definite happens to change their mind.”
“Like what?”
“One thing might be a show of force that discourages even the strongest mercenaries.”
“You mean like killing them?”
“That would be one way.”
“I’m not prepared to kill someone, except as a last resort.”
“You shouldn’t have to. That’s for the professionals to see to.”
“I don’t want them to do it, either.”
“What I don’t think you realize, is your family and friends are at risk as long as you’re a target.”
They stopped talking to concentrate on food. He was worried about her, but he didn’t want to argue. Seb was here to pursue happier activities.