Chapter Six – Hank

His lights picked out the shape of Elise on the trail. She was about two hundred feet ahead, waiting for him. Hank could feel her presence. As the distance between them closed, his soul reached out to her, and the connection was made.

Slowing down, he rolled down the window and rested his arm on the door of his truck. “What’s a beautiful woman like you doing on a trail like this?”

She laughed and stepped closer. “Waiting for a man like you.”

“Do you need a ride?” Hank asked, jumping out and gathering Elise up in his arms.

“Is there a price?” she asked.

“One kiss from your cherry red lips.” He smiled down at her, then lifted his head and threw it back as he inhaled the night air. “Damn, I’ve never felt so alive!”

“Well, if I want my flowers to stay alive, you need to stop crushing them, and I need to get home and put them in water.” Elise’s eyes flashed in the darkness, and he bent his head and kissed her lips. “Is that payment enough?”

“More than enough.” He took her hand and walked around to the passenger side. “Should I be jealous?”

“Because someone bought me flowers?” Elise asked as she placed them on the seat, and then allowed Hank to help her inside. She turned around as she perched on the edge of the seat, and he nestled his body against her. Elise opened her thighs wider, and he pushed her skirt up higher, his palms trailing over her thighs. Tangling her hair in his hands, he pulled her head closer to his and kissed her fiercely.

Their lips mashed together, and she wrapped her thighs around him, crossing her ankles behind his back and pulling him closer. He was hard, really hard. Inching his body up and down, her rubbed against her mound, and she gasped against his mouth. Elise felt so good in his arms. He wanted her more than anything. Certainly, more than he’d ever wanted fame and fortune.

Hank slipped his hand between their bodies and touched her mound. His thumb brushed against her clit and she gasped against his mouth. Elise slid her hand down his back and curled her fingers to grasp his butt, urging him forward. His cock hardened, needing release. But when he took Elise for the first time, it wasn’t going to be here with her perched on the seat of his truck. He wanted romance, and music, maybe a candle or two.

“We should go.” He nipped the sensitive skin of her neck, while his hand cupped her breast. Rolling his thumb across her taut nipple, he fought with himself. All he had to do was yank her panties down, and undo his zipper, then he could take her, fast and hard underneath the ever-watching trees.

“Do you want to go?” Elise asked, her breath caressing his neck, and her mouth closing around his earlobe and sucking on it. Hank’s knees went weak, and he almost gave in.

“I want to take you home, Elise.” He staggered backward. “Not that I don’t want to stay.”

“You’re right.” Elise adjusted her clothing and swung her legs into the truck. “I got carried away.” She straightened her hair.

Hank reached for her hand. “You are intoxicating.” He kissed the back of her hand and then let it go, shutting the door and going around to the driver’s side. Yanking the door open, he got in, started the engine, and backed into a shallow clearing in the trees, before driving back toward the main road. He kept both hands on the steering wheel, concentrating on the road.

“Take a right,” Elise told him when they reached the road. “My house is on the outskirts of town. Although you’ll have to ignore the packing boxes, I haven’t finished unpacking yet.”

Hank swung his head around to look at his mate. “You’ve only just moved to Bear Creek?”

“Yes. I got the keys to my place a few days ago. I’ll admit, packing up my old house was difficult. I got rid of a lot of stuff, but I still have too much. I find it difficult to part with things.” She looked out of the window. “Memories are stored in so many trinkets and worthless objects.”

He took a right at a crossroads, and then a left. “There’s nothing wrong with hanging on to stuff. You should only throw out what you don’t want.” He pulled into a quiet street and drove to the end. “This one?”

“Yes.” She opened the truck door and slid out. Hank came around to meet her.

“Or do you want me to leave?” he asked.

“No, come in for coffee. I’d like to talk.” She threaded her fingers through his and led him to the front door. “But, like I said, excuse the boxes.”

Hank waited while she took her keys from her purse and unlocked the door. Elise went inside first and switched the light on. “It’s not just the boxes.” He looked around the hallway, which was littered with half-opened crates.

“No, I have all these pictures to hang and bags to empty.” She walked into the living room. “I can’t decide where to put anything. I’m not usually this disorganized.”

“Did you live in your old house for a long time?” Hank asked, going to the nearest box and picking up a picture frame. The photograph showed two women and a man. He looked closely. “You had a twin?”

“Yes.” Elise came to him and took the photograph from his hands. “This is me and my sister, Delia, and her mate, Terence.”

“She died?” Hank swallowed, he could have gotten it wrong, but Jenny had said something about Delia’s heart being part of Frankie.

“Yes. Delia and Terence died in a car accident a few years ago.” She stroked her fingers across the glass. “I came to Bear Creek because of Frankie. She was the recipient of Delia’s heart. She named the twins after me and Delia. It was such a thoughtful gesture.” She sniffed loudly and wiped away a tear. “I’m so blessed to have them in my life.”

“And they are blessed to have you. And a part of Delia.” He enveloped her in his arms. “I’m so very sorry, Elise.”

“It’s not your fault.” She rested her head on his chest. “It’s the reason I’ve ended up keeping everything, even though this house is smaller than my old house, which we shared together for years.”

“No wonder you have so many memories.” He kissed the top of her head. “Why don’t we put some of these things away? I’ll help. Maybe you can share your memories with me, too.”

“Do you mind?” Elise looked down at her belongings. “Honestly, it’s hard to face all the ghosts alone. Packing was easy, a couple of girlfriends came over with a bottle of wine and we packed everything up. Taking it all out and deciding what to do with it is a totally different thing.”

“I’m at your service.” He turned her around. “Where shall we start?”

“I think a nice bottle of wine will help.” She went to the kitchen and he followed.

“Just a small glass for me, since I’m driving.” Hank leaned on the wall, watching Elise as she took a bottle of wine from the fridge.

“Aren’t you going to stay the night?” she asked.

Hank jerked his head back. “I... Do you want me to?”

“No strings. We can share the bed. Whatever else happens, happens. I used to be an old-fashioned girl. But with you, I’ll make an exception.”

“Sex on the first date.” He laughed as she blushed. “Whatever happens or doesn’t happen is okay with me.”

She frowned. “I have no idea where the wine glasses are.” Elise took out two coffee mugs and poured wine into them. “Here.”

“Cheers.” They touched coffee mugs. “Okay, where do we start?” He took a sip of wine, not his usual choice of alcoholic beverage, but it was good wine, refreshing.

“I thought if I moved all the boxes into the dining room, I could start unpacking them. Most of the pictures will go in there on the dresser.” She placed her mug down and bent to pick up a box. Hank did the same. “Let’s do it.”

They worked together for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, they didn’t unpack too many items, but Elise didn’t mind. She was happy to recount stories and memories, which Hank enjoyed listening to. As she talked, Hank got to know his mate. And Delia. He began to understand that Elise’s dead twin would always be a part of their lives. She might be gone, but she wasn’t forgotten or loved any less for being absent from Elise’s life.

Not that Elise saw only the good in Delia. A few of the tales revolved around tricks Delia played on Elise. “She was the mischievous side of the two of us. We might have been two peas in a pod, but we were as different as we were the same.”

“You loved her a lot.” Hank put his arm around her shoulders.

“I did. Losing Delia rent a hole in my heart I thought would always weep like a gaping wound. But I’ve been slowly stitching myself back together.” She took her wine and sat down on the sofa they’d cleared of boxes. Hank sat by her side, and Elise tucked her legs underneath her and leaned on his arm.

“It was brave of you to move here and leave your home behind. Was it just because of Frankie?”

“Yes. And no. Ruth mentioned my work to one of the doctors in Bear Bluff. He was interested in setting up an organ donation register specifically for shifters there. We talked, and I decided it was time to move on. Although I don’t think I really grasped the idea of moving on. I just brought everything with me instead.” She waved her hand at the boxes.

“Is that what you do, match those in need of organs to...” He rubbed his hand over his chin. “It must be incredibly rewarding, but incredibly difficult.”

“It is. For me...I know what they’re going through, the family who has just lost a loved one. Delia gave me a unique insight into that side of things. I like to believe it’s made me more compassionate.” Elise shrugged. “Anyway, I’m excited to be part of something so special.”

“So am I.” Hank drank his wine. “We’re special, too, you know?”

“I know. Each of us is special in our own way.” She snuggled closer. “Why the hotel?”

Hank chuckled. “I kind of fell into it. There was an ad, I was between jobs and so I went for an interview. I had no training as such, but Julius liked me.”

“I can see why.” Elise leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “One day this will feel like home.”

“Or not.” Hank sat up and leaned toward her. “Why don’t we repack all these boxes and you can move in with me?”

Elise’s eyes opened wide. “Move in with you,” she repeated.

“Sure, what’s the point in unpacking all your things? It’s inevitable.” His passion was aroused, so was his body. “I mean it. It doesn’t have to be my place. We can find somewhere together. Up in the mountains.”

Elise paled. “I...I need time to think about it.”

“Of course, you do.” Hank gave her a lopsided smile. “We could always have one of those whirlwind romances. I’d marry you tomorrow. If you’d have me.”

Elise cupped his face in her hands and kissed his lips. “I need a little time. Deciding my future on the same day I met you is more like a hurricane than a tornado, it’s swept me a thousand miles from where I thought I would be.”

Hank tried to hide his disappointment. Elise was right. This was too fast. But meeting Elise made him look at his life in a different way. It was as if he’d been in limbo, waiting for his mate so he could move on. Yes, he’d seen incredible places and done amazing things. However, this new life with Elise was about being real, being true to who he was.

As the strains of a new tune played in his head, he gathered Elise in his arms. “Take all the time you need.” He wouldn’t push her into anything. He could wait. Elise had experienced upheaval and loss, she needed time to let things settle down and then she’d be ready.