Alcide
He didn't know what had compelled him to go back there. The meeting had been a bust as Lawrence Malcom had called at the last minute to cancel and an hour after leaving he'd found himself back at his apartment. He thought he'd be tired enough to crash until it was time to go back to Belle Vita the next morning but the animal inside him was restless and after a couple of hours of staring at the ceiling thinking of her he gave up on the idea of sleep.
Instead he decided to run. Everything was so much simpler when he was a wolf and he figured a good long run in the woods would set him right. He had planned on driving to a fellow Were's land nearby where he could leave his van without anyone taking issue but when he got to the turn off for his friends property he kept driving.
Before he knew it he was in Bon Temps and driving down the road that lead to Rebecca. He had no idea what he was going to do, if anything but he was hoping he would come up with some excuse. He supposed at the very least he could go up to the house and check in with Mason. Maybe one thing would lead to another and he would get to see her. He really wanted to see her. He'd pulled to a stop just before the trailer.
Rebecca's car was not alone on the side of the house. There was a black truck parked next to it. He knew who it belonged to. He'd seen it once when he was visiting the owners sister. What the hell was Jason doing at her place? At this time of night and with Jason's reputation he had an idea.
He resisted the urge to bang on the door and instead put his van in reverse and peeled back down the drive. He pulled into the small lane that lead to the clearing full of conex boxes. He stood outside the cab of his truck taking in the woods around him. His eyes scanned the tree line and he sniffed the night air checking for anyone who might see him. There was a house full of vampires nearby but none of them where anywhere near here. He stripped off his clothes throwing them in the cab and then took off. Within seconds he had turned and was charging through the underbrush. He was whacked by bush and branch but he paid the sting little mind and keep running, expertly working his way across the land. Small animals scurried all around him but they were not what he was hunting. His only mission at the moment was finding out what he knew he shouldn't want to know. What he had no right to look for. He should have turned back but the masochist in him kept him running. Faster and faster until he got there.
Alcide stopped short, just before the woods turned to grass a few hundred feet away from the back of the trailer. He could see two people on the deck and from the scent of citrus and honey in the air he knew one of them was Rebecca. He started to creep forward a few feet at a time keeping low to the ground. They did not see him as they were to preoccupied in each other and it wasn't until he was directly under the deck that he understood why. From where he sat he could hear the heavy breathing of Jason and low moans coming from Rebecca. From the cracks in the deck he could make out bare skin and teal fabric hanging loosely on the bench. Every few seconds the tables legs would bounce against the floorboards.
Rebecca started to speak in a desperate whisper and then let out a cry that echoed through the woods surrounding them and went straight into his heart like an arrow. He heard them both sigh and he watched one of Rebecca's small hands slowly release it's grip from the side of the table. He shifted and stayed crouched, leaning against one of the deck supports. He knew he had no right to be angry. They barely knew one another but the idea that she was up there being defiled by Jason Stackhouse cut him to the quick. He would never have thought she would succumb to his charms, to end up having sex with the town man whore. But there was a loneliness in Rebecca and sometimes people did stupid shit when they were lonely. The caught a whiff of booze and figured that was a contributing factor to what had just happened.
He shifted his weight from one leg to another and thought or maybe she was just a slut. A flirt and a tease who bedded every guy who paid her any attention. A redheaded temptress who's clutches he had managed to escape from. Maybe this had been her plan for him earlier when she had asked him to go with her. What if all Alcide was to her was a potential lay. He heard Rebecca's voice dismissing Jason and the sound of the door slamming behind him as he went inside.
He saw flashes of her moonlit skin perfectly pale and covered with a thin layer of sweat. Suddenly he felt that he was nothing but a big pervert. He had no business being there. Shifting again he made his way back to the woods. Once there he turned around and saw her holding her dress to her chest looking out into the distance.
He heard himself let out a howl, the need for her to see him to strong to push back. Her head jerked in his direction and landed squarely on his face. She took a few steps forward and the hand at her side was cupped in his direction. She was looking at him as though she knew this form of him. He thought he heard her call him, pleading for him not to bolt. For him to come to her. For him to understand. But he didn't and he couldn't and he rushed past her in a blur not seeing her clutch the side of the deck or hear her murmur his name.
He ran until he came to a clearing. The scent of something powerful emanated from the ground. It was unlike any scent he had ever come across in these woods. He looked up at a canopy of oaks that formed a natural circle. The earth was flat and free of debris. In front of him he could hear the sound of water lapping against the bank.
He put his muzzle to the ground until he found the source of the smell and had just started to dig when he heard a growl from behind him. A single black wolf with a grey outline surrounding his face stood half hidden behind a tree. Alcide stopped digging and took an aggressive stance. This was not a member of his pack and with recent events it was quite possible this wolf meant him harm. He scanned the area around him but sensed no other wolves in the area.
The black wolf moved forward, Alcide following his movements cautiously. When the other wolf entered the clearing Alcide narrowed his eyes and pulled back his ears. His stance was ridged and his tail stood straight out. The other wolf took a dominant stance. Stiff legged and standing tall his ears erect and forward. His stare tried to penetrate but Alcide had no intention of giving way to this unknown wolf. Dominance was not given it was earned and from the look of his opponent he knew he would not loose in a fight.
Alcide was already angry and the thought of this ballsy interloper before sent him closer to the edge. His lips curled up and with fangs bared he started to snarl.
He was just about to pounce when a shot rang through the night sky.
Standing on the end of a small path leading to the clearing was Rebecca and Mason. Both wolves had turned to the sound of the shot and froze looking for it's source but now the black wolf was taking steps forward to where Rebecca was standing. His eyes were blazing with aggression and he was practically foaming at the mouth. Mason had positioned himself in front of Rebecca his fangs extended, his own eyes speaking volumes. He would die to protect her.
Another shot rang out this time dirt kicked up just inches from where the black wolf stood. He let out a small yelp in pain and then turned tail and ran.
Alcide should have run as well but stood transfixed in the clearing. Rebecca had moved forward and now stood in front of Mason. Her feet were bare, the hem of her dress blackened with dirt. Her red hair hung wild around her face and seemed to be moving despite the fact there was no breeze to speak of. He cocked his head to the side and watched as she bent down and reached out to him. Her green eyes threw sparks in his direction and she nodded her head. He felt like something was pulling at him. It held him in a death grip, like someone had put a leash around his neck as was pulling him forward despite his attempts at protest. He kept moving closer and closer until he was mere inches away from her. She was just about to touch him when Rebecca's head snapped sideways and the spell was broken.
The black wolf was back and was watching. This time Alcide did not hesitate, he leapt back and went after him. He did not look behind him because he did not want to think about what had just happened. He still felt the residue of the pull as he chased after the black wolf but he couldn't help but wonder one thing.
Where the hell was the gun?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rebecca
" Shit" Rebecca stomped around her circle her arms franticly moving around her cursing over and over.
" Rebecca I do not think this is the best place for you to be using your colorful vocabulary" Mason stood still, at alert trying to calm his friend while continuing to watch for any impending trouble. Both wolves were now out of range but that did not mean they would not come back. Alcide certainly would as his truck was parked near the house.
He had gone down to the trailer when he has sensed the other wolf come onto the property. Alcide he knew was no threat so his visit had not set off any alarms. He was unfortunately on this night to curious for his own good and from what Rebecca had told him on the way down here had gotten more than he bargained for. Rebecca was torn up about Alcide seeing her with Jason. She would not listen to Mason's attempt at reasoning with her. She only took notice to what he was saying when he told her about the other wolf. She was frightened that Alcide would go looking for trouble and from the scene they had walked into she had been right.
The black wolf was definitely Were and what he was doing on the property was much more of a concern to Mason. Perhaps he was just hunting but the way the animal had looked at Rebecca made him weary. No one knew them here and the wolf did think they had a gun so maybe his cautious nature was going overboard.
Rebecca's interaction with Were's had been nonexistent for years, until she arrived in Louisiana. Keeping her distance had been the best course and he couldn't help but think that her hiring Alcide was opening up doors best left shut.
Rebecca was still pacing and mumbling to herself. He tried to reach her with his mind but she tossed him out.
" Rebecca you will talk to me" He grabbed her by the shoulders. She could not be glamoured but looking her straight in the eye and holding her still did the trick. She melted into his arms. Letting him hold her until she was calm enough to speak.
" Mason, it's Alcide."
He saw the white wolves image in his head again, this time in various situations over periods of years. He knew precisely what Rebecca was showing him. " Rebecca are you sure?" She pulled back and turned in his arms looking in the direction Alcide had left.
" Not one hundred percent but when I saw him at the trailer my gut just about came through my throat. I wanted to scream out to him." She sighed.
"But I couldn't" She put her hands over her face " Fuck I am so stupid" and then she whispered " After all these years..... I knew I was right....."
" Rebecca you will not beat yourself up over what happened tonight. You are free to be with whomever you choose. Alcide is smart enough to realize that. It's not as if he can come and tell you what he saw and you can not go to him now and tell him anything either." Mason was always amazed by humanities ideas on relationships and fidelity. Rebecca remained silent but he knew the wheels inside her were turning a mile a minute. He needed to snap her out of this frame of mind and quickly.
" Rebecca do you hear me? You are not to go to him. He is not ready for you to know his secret and you are not in the position of telling him yours. You have been careless enough already. Telling Bill and Sookie Stackhouse outright."
"They know nothing Mason" she said indignantly "and besides I am tired of running." Coming here after all the protests of her Mother had already told him that.
" I understand but if you were in his position how would you feel?" He turned her to look at him "Having a woman you just meet tell you that she knows your darkest secret. That she knows this because she is witch and can sense those who are different and even more knows what they are thinking and feeling. Who has been having visions of him in wolf form since she was a child." He saw understanding cross her face. " That would not be the most promising way to start a relationship now would it?"
Rebecca might be prone to flights of fancy and drama was her middle name but calm she was the most sensible person he had ever known. It was the bouts of crazy that he was always on the look out for.
Mason knew that this situation was of great importance to Rebecca and she would not do anything to jeopardize things. She would now be unstoppable in her pursuit of the the truth but every move she made would be calculated to insure the best result. She had lost to much already. If Alcide was indeed the wolf from her visions she would no risk scaring him away over a indiscretion with a lothario. What she needed now was time to be sure and to get to know the man before laying herself bare before him.
Rebecca setting her shoulders agreed to his train of thought.
" You are as always right" She patted him on the arm and took his hand. The frantic state was over as quickly as it had begun and there was nothing left to be said. For the moment anyway.
As they walked back towards the main house she asked " What do you think the other wolf was doing here?" She had a few theories which she shared with him silently.
" More than likely he was just hunting. He was circling the property slowly like he was looking for something. It is odd for him to do it alone but if he is just passing through and not a member of a local pack he wouldn't want anyone to know he was around"
Rebecca responded " I did not sense that Alcide knew him. The aggression was mutual but not because of any previous confrontations. I think Alcide didn't like finding him here and the other wolf wasn't happy to have been found." Another thought ran through her head. " Did the black wolf ever come near the house?"
" The edge of the wood in several spots but never out into the open." it was a possibility the wolf was casing the place " Who do you think would have sent him?"
" Eric Northman" she said with a tinge of spite. " After the other night I could totally see him sending someone here to check out things. He likes to send Were's to do his dirty work." Rebecca had not left her meeting with the sheriff an fan. " He has to know that Alcide is working here so he'd have to send someone else"
"Why not Bill or even Pam?" Mason asked just as much for his own train of thought as hers
" He doesn't trust William at all. I believe there is a rather nasty history between those two. Their mutual obsessions with Sookie being the catalyst for most of the animosity. She stepped on something hard piercing bottom of her foot " Shit, shit ,shit" she hopped around on one foot pulling her hand away to reveal it bloody.
The smell of fresh blood barely fazed Mason at his age not even blood as sweet as Rebecca's. He pulled out a handkerchief from his back pocket and while Rebecca leaned against him he tied it tightly onto her foot. " Not the smartest thing coming out here without shoes on love."
With a single movement she was in his arms and she continued as he carried her back to the trailer.
" He wouldn't have sent Pam as he was less than thrilled about our connection. He felt like he didn't have complete control over his progeny when I was there the other night." Rebecca enjoyed getting his goat " I don't think he wants her around me. He doesn't like to think of Pam's life when she was not with him."
Mason didn't understand why Eric would be threatened by Pam's minor connection to Rebecca. Unless released, his control over her would be absolute. " He can not believe that she would betray him in any way for you?
"She would never be able to ignore a direct order from him but I think he would rather not put her in the position of questioning him. He saw something in her the other night that he did not like"
" And what was that?" Mason shifted Rebecca in his arm. They were getting closer to the house and the smell of the blood from her foot was sure make it's way into the house. He was hoping that none of his men would get any ideas.
Rebecca reply is tinged with glee " Devotion to someone other than himself."
Mason's tone was scolding " I am sure that is something you do not intend to capitalize on" Rebecca's face registered innocence.
" Of course not Mason. I'd never do anything to put Pam's back against a wall."
Mason's reply came out in I am sure you wouldn't grunt. " Behave, Rebecca"
They reached the trailer and Rebecca turned a grateful stare at the empty spot next to her car " I was afraid he'd be passed out on the couch when I came back"
Mason chuckled " I do not think Jason Stackhouse is used to being the one abandoned after sex." She opened the trailer door and he sat her gently on the couch.
Rebecca smiled and thanked him for the ride and then with a heavy sigh replied " Yes I think he is used being the one to love um and leave um." She thought for a moment of their time on the deck. " He is incredibly cute and exudes sex appeal." When he smiled at her tonight he could have gotten her to do anything. "At that moment I found him to be irresistible."
Mason having gone down the hall to get something to clean her cut reappeared " So the sex was good?" He had no qualms about asking Rebecca direct questions such as these.
Rebecca had no problem answering them " Yes it was fan-fucking-tastic. It's been a very long time so it was nice to get back up on the horse" She smiled evilly but it was tinged with sadness.
" Still you wished it had not have been Jason?" Mason had no doubts about this.
She nodded " Yes but I am not going to spend to much time with that regret" she flinched as he poured the peroxide on her wound " It was a fabulous moment in time but it is done and..."
" Won't happen again" he finished the sentence for her.
" No not again" She looked down at her foot the cut was not that deep and with a single touch of her finger it began to close.
Mason looked up at her in shock. Magic such as this had laid dormant in Rebecca for almost five years and this was the second instance of it's resurgence he had seen tonight. His mind went back to the clearing and the sound of gunshots that had echoed through the forest. Frightening the wolves and startling Mason. Rebecca had produced those sounds with the point of a finger. In the confusion he had not asked her then and now he could not help but not " When?"
" I started to feel it the day I arrived in Bon Temps. Tonight was the first time I attempted to test that feeling" It wasn't the complete truth but she did not let Mason know that. " I performed a balancing spell yesterday. It was a small thing but it seems to be making a difference already" She shrugged.
Mason was pleased " Balance is good, love." He took her hand. " I have faith in your abilities. You can bring that part of your being back into your life"
For years Rebecca had only performed the smallest of spells the most basic of rituals and rites. She knew it was a disservice to who she was not to practice and creating the circle, the balancing spell and now the healing were baby steps in taking back a large part of who she was. She just did not trust herself with what she knew she was capable of doing. The last time things had gotten completely out of control and the results had been costly. She could only hope that this time things would be different.
" I will do my best" She was grateful for Mason's faith and knew he would be there to guild her when she needed it. " You are the worlds greatest friend you know that?" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and patted him on his strong capable shoulder.
Mason gave Rebecca's hand a squeeze " Yes love I have to be the worlds greatest to put up with all of your eccentricities." He stood preparing to bid her a good night. She was in need of sleep and he had work to do. This night had been filled with much excitement and questions that still needed to be answered but they would have to wait until at least the next moon rose.
Bending down he let his lips brush the top of her head " But in case you wonder I would not exchange this lifetime with you for anything" She looked up into his face and again they shared a memory. This one of the loss of mutual loved ones. The memories that would tie them together until they both ceased to be.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Alcide
Alcide ran after the black wolf to the end of Rebecca's property and beyond. The other wolf was fast but he knew he could catch up to him if he'd been given the chance. The slight head start gave the Were just enough time to emerge from the wood, shift back to human form and speed away in a waiting car. Alcide stood looking at retreating taillights contemplating if it was worth following when a pair of headlights caught is attention blinding him in the process. He ducked down low and as the truck passed he caught wind of a newly acquired scent profile. Jason's truck speed past him going at least ninety and Alcide decided he wasn't quite done chasing things for the night. He took off after another set of taillights weaving in and out of the tree line, jumping over ditches and crossing lines of traffic in order to keep up with his prey. He was fueled by anger and resentment and that alone kept him running at top speed. The thought of pinning Jason down and ripping his throat out also helped him keep the course. When Jason finally pulled off the road and onto a drive, Alcide followed and waited. And Waited. Jason made no attempt to get out of his truck and Alcide started to believe that Jason had passed out at the wheel. Finally the door opened and Jason stumbled out of the cab dropping his keys and cursing loudly into the early morning quiet. When he bent down to pick them up his equilibrium betrayed him and he fell flat on his ass. More cursing and then surrender as Jason stayed where he lay and passed out for good. Alcide knew that most woman would find a man like Jason attractive but if they could see him in this moment he wondered if they would find him anything more than a boob. He made his way over to where Jason lay. He was curled up in a fetal position and a pool of drool had started to develop on the dirt. Alcide no longer felt the need to kill Jason, he was nothing but a horny drunk who'd gotten lucky. He'd probably have done the exact same thing if he'd been given the chance. Jason stirred and Alcide jerked backward. It was time to get out of there. It would be light soon and he needed to get at least a few hours of sleep. He gave Jason one last look and the idea of taking him inside a moments thought but instead of doing the right thing he kicked a bit of dirt in his face and took off. He may no longer want to do Jason in but that didn't mean he had to help the guy out either.
When he got back to his van there was no point in heading all the way back home so he climbed into the back and fell out. When he awoke he was stiff and sore and according to the clock on his dash, late. From the reflection in the rearview mirror he knew he looked like shit and wished he had a place to clean up. From the looks of the lawn of Belle Vita everyone had arrived for work already but when he stepped out of the van he did not hear the usual sounds of construction. Instead he heard laughter coming from one side of the lawn. He weaved his way through his crews vehicles and found that everyone was sitting at the picnic tables chatting and eating with Rebecca in the middle of the fray serving as waitress. He caught the eye of Max and motioned for him to come over. When Max stood Rebecca took notice and turned to see Alcide standing against one of the trucks. She smiled and waved at him but he made no motion to return either gesture. It was to soon to have to look at her after last night. If she registered the slight she hid it well continuing to move her way around his crew. Max had made his way to him " Good morning boss"
Alcide nodded his head " What's going on here? Why are we not up and running with today's schedule? I doubt we have the time to be fucking around sitting at picnic tables and shooting the shit with the client. I shouldn't have to be here every second to keep you all in line." The harshness in his voice was not meant for his foremen but he was the closest one to him and therefore got the brunt of it "You know what the hell you should be doing and this" He waved his hands around " is not it". Alcide's voice had grown with every word and when he finished he was screaming and in the face of his crew chief. Everyone had stopped to stare in his direction and Alcide turned his body away from them.
To Max's credit he took his bosses outburst in stride calmly explaining " Sorry boss, Miss. Rebecca made us breakfast we didn't think it would be a problem if we took a few minutes to stop and enjoy her hospitality. I'll get everyone back to work asap." He yelled out to the crew to get back to work and with last bites and thanks to Rebecca they all dispersed. He stood between two cars pacing back and forth trying to calm down. He was ashamed of his behavior. He had never yelled at anyone who worked for him like that much less in front of the entire crew. He owed Max a huge apology. None of this was his fault. He turned around to see Rebecca standing alone with the remnants of her breakfast. She was putting paper plates into a huge black trash bag. "Miss. Keane may I have a word with you?" He had to work to keep his voice even.
" Yes Mr. Herveaux what is on your mind?" Even as he moved closer to her she didn't look at him just kept putting trash in the bag. She looked lovely and when he saw that her hand was shaking just slightly he started to melt. He knew he had to get out what he wanted to say quickly because if she looked at him now he never would. " I would appreciate if in the future you would not serve as a distraction to my men. I don't want any of them to feel like they have to choose who to listen to. They are working on your house Miss. Keane but they work for me and will continue to do so long after we have finished this job."
Rebecca now finished with the trash tied the bag closed in a knot replied in a soft but steely voice" I understand you perfectly Mr. Herveaux."
She walked slowly past him looking him squarely in the face as she went but said nothing else as she disappeared from his view. He was left standing there alone. The anger had once again left him and now all he was was tired. He walked back to his van and drove away.
He stayed away from Belle Vita the remainder of Tuesday and Wednesday the only human contact he had was a brief visit to the his crews regular after work watering hole to extend an apology and that nights drinks on him. Everyone knew he was under an immense amount of stress at the moment so everything was forgotten by the time he had left the bar. The rest of the time he spent alone in his apartment. He didn't take anyones calls and spent most of the time in bed slipping in and out of conciseness. He didn't realize show tired he was and his sleep was deep and undisturbed until early Thursday morning. He had gotten up to hit the head and thought he'd crawl back into bed and pick up where he left off. But this time he didn't fade into blackness instead he started to dream. He was a wolf and roaming in woods that he did not recognize. The terrain was hilly and the forrest was much more lush and green. He looked up to see a fine mist covered the treetop canopy. It was beautiful here and there was an abundance of new scents and sounds and he wanted to explore more. He wondered aimlessly until he came across a field of tall grass. The wind was whipping through it and the reeds of grass bent back and forth at it's mercy. Somewhere in the thicket he thought he heard what sounded like a girl laughing. He stepped into the grass and was quickly incased, the opening he walked through now closed in around him. He kept moving forward but stopped when he heard the voice again. This time it sounded like she was singing. The wind brought him her scent and he followed it finally coming to a break in the grass. Sitting in opening on a large quilted blanket was a girl about twelve years of age. Her dark red hair hung down her back each strand ending in a hook shaped curl. She was lying on her stomach a pen in her hand a notebook underneath her the pages being batted back and forth by the breeze. The song she was singing had no reason but the wind seemed to respond to every line. It ran through the reeds in varying speeds and the grass danced and swayed to her voice as if she were controlling it's movements. He settled onto the ground and watched the scene before him in amazement. A reed of grass bent down to poke him in the shoulder. He jumped at it's touch and again when it seemed to be pointing him back to the clearing. The girl was now sitting up Indian style and looking directly at him. Her eyes were green like the wood with flecks of gold sprinkled through them and the bridge of her nose was covered with freckles. She was looking directly at him and smiling. One of her hands was cupped in his direction. His heart jumped. The feeling of De Ja Vu ran through him, he had been here before. The girl before him became more and more familiar. He had no hesitation as he went to her. She did not move as he came closer just kept her hand cupped out to him her gaze firm. He put his muzzle to her palm breathing her in. The undertones were different than they were now. Here her natural scent was tinged with lavender and the earth she was surrounded by but he knew it was her. He gave her hand a nudge with his head and she responded by running that hand through the fur of his face. The touch of her hand confirmed what he already knew. The girl before him was Rebecca. With his head in her hand their eyes meet again and she spoke to him.
" Hello Alcide. I was hoping to see you today"
Alcide sat up in his bed. His heart racing a thin layer of sweat covering his body. The alarm next to him was going off full blast. He had tried to fight the awakening to stay there in the clearing with the young Rebecca but it was of no use. He watched helplessly as the field faded to black and he came back to the now with a start. The dream had seemed so real and somewhere deeper inside him familiar. He sat there for quite a while going over everything he could remember about the dream but in the fog of sleep most of it faded away. The one thing he did remember though was the feelings of being safe and accepted. It was exactly how he had felt every moment he'd been in her presence and sitting there now on the edge of his bed he realized that what he witnessed earlier in the week had not changed that. Alcide got cleaned up and dressed. It was time to get back to work.
Belle Vita was buzzing with activity when he arrived just after noon. He could hear the sounds of electric saws coming from the back yard and hammers hitting nails from inside the house. He was pleased but a bit saddened to see that everything kept right on moving whether he was there or not. Max was standing near the front door with one of other men and they both looked up when the sound of Alcide's boot hit the first step. Max filled him in on the last two days and explained that Mason had made a few minor changes to the weeks plan to assure that no one would kill themselves on the property now that Rebecca had decided to invite the whole town into the middle of a construction site. Mason feared someone getting hurt and suing her but Rebecca believed she could keep everyone outside on the lawn and by the pool. Rebecca wanted the front and back porches to be fixed now just in case people got curious and wanted to take a peak inside. So the back porch was now completely dismantled and being replaced. The kitchen wall had been extended and the door was waiting to be filed down and refit. Max also told him that Rebecca has been embedded in the kitchen since he had left working with Crawfish on the backsplash mosaic. Apparently she had been working non-stop. All day with Crawfish and all night with Mason. Max said she never seemed to run out of energy. He was amazed at how fast she was doing the work and that it looked better than any he had seen done before. Alcide thanked his foreman for taking care of things while he was away and excused himself to go and find Rebecca. He wasn't sure the kind of reception he was going to get after the other day and he found that he was nervous that she would not respond positively to seeing him again. Music drifted into the hall from the kitchen but it was nothing like the stuff Crawfish would normally listen to. A woman's voice full of melancholy and longing came crooning from the speakers. If Rebecca had been playing this the entire time he thought smiling to himself Crawfish must be going nuts by now. The smile faded from his face when he passed through the kitchen door and found Crawfish sitting on a step stool in the corner his head in his hands. The smell of copper hit his nose (way to late) and his head spun to the middle of the room where there was a tall ladder and underneath that were splatters and a small pool of blood.
" Crawfish?" He looked up at Alcide his eyes filled with worry and disappointment. There was blood on his hands but from what Alcide could tell he had none coming from anywhere else.
" I am sorry Alcide it was an accident. I almost fell from the ladder Miss. Rebecca went to steady it and I couldn't get a grip on the ladder and I dropped the fixture" On the floor near the puddle was one of the light fixtures sitting unbroken on its side. " It hit her in the face." Crawfish said dazed " So much blood.... I almost passed out." He didn't say anything else just looked down at his bloody hands.
Alcide walked over to his man putting a hand on his shoulder. " Are you alright" Crawfish nodded any but choked on any response he may have had.
" Where is she?" Alcide gave Crawfish's shoulder a slap to get his attention.
" She went to the trailer to clean up" Crawfish whispered. " Man I am so sorry" Crawfish was truly broken up about what had happened. He needed someone to get him up and moving.
" Crawfish I need you to stand clean this mess up and get back to work. Rebecca will be fine. I'm going to go see to her now. You are going to get moving so her project doesn't get behind. I know she would hate that and I am sure she will appreciate you working to keep that from happening." Alcide patted him on the shoulder then pulled him to his feet.
Crawfish looked up from his hands " I'll get this cleaned up right away boss. Tell Miss. Rebecca I'm sorry and I'll keep working on the backsplash." His steps quickened as he made his way through the kitchen. Alcide wasn't sure how much work Crawfish would be able to accomplish in his current state but he had to get up and get moving. Staring at his hands wasn't going to change what had happened and Alcide was sure that Rebecca didn't blame him for the accident at all. He took a quick look at the work that had been done so far. The mosaic was coming together just as Max had said. When it was finished it would be quite a conversation starter. When his eyes were once again drawn to the blood on the floor he felt a rush of fear go through him. He was desensitized by the sight of blood having seen so much of it in his life time but it hit him now that this wasn't a situation he was used to at all. Rebecca had managed to leave the house and make it back to the trailer without anyone being any the wiser but she could still be seriously injured and right now she was all alone. He made his way quickly through the house and was almost at a full run buy the time he hit the lawn. He heard someone calling to him but he did not stop. He took the steps of Rebecca's tailer in a single leap and rushed in the door without even knocking. Her two cats stared up at him startled at his entrance but she was not in the living room. He marched through the trailer heading down the hall calling her name " Rebecca?"
There was no answer but from the door of her bedroom he could hear running water." Rebecca!" he called again this time with a little more force. He walked into the room and knocked on the half closed bathroom door.
" Alcide?" Came a muffled reply. " Give me a minute will you? I'll be right out" He heard a thud and a curse, then silence.
" Rebecca can you come out here please?" Alcide waited but this time no reply came from the other room. He thought about her lying bloody and unconscious on the bathroom floor. " Rebecca get out her now or I'm coming in there!" he was now screaming. The door flew open and Rebecca walked out her arms wet and dripping with bubbles. She was wearing nothing but her underwear and a sour expression.
" Jesus Alcide I asked you for a fucking minute there is no reason to scream at me like that." She put one of her hands on her hip " I was trying to get the blood out of my clothes before they were ruined and as you can see I am not exactly dressed for company" He watched as water trailed down her bare leg and off her ankle to the floor.
He had seen glimpses of her a few nights ago but now she was standing right in front of him and he couldn't help but look. He let his eyes trace every square inch of her. Her body was all curves, they started with her neck the angle of which lead him down to her cleavage which he starred longingly at. Her breasts were hidden behind a red bra. Darker red spots were sprinkled over the fabric and he could just make out the shadow of her nipples. His gaze traveled down her stomach and lingered on the dark freckle just above her belly button. Her hand was still placed within the indention of her hip and he imagined replacing her hand with his grabbing on to her tightly and pulling her into him. He wanted to spread her thighs and wrap her legs around him and have her hold on to him for dear life. She wasn't embarrassed at all by her nakedness or the fact that she was standing in front of him in that state. She just stood there letting him take her in, watching him look at her. It wasn't until he got back to her face that he realized what he was doing and it was he who turned away from her gaze.
" You didn't answer." He stammered "I'm sorry I was worried I saw all the blood in the kitchen and I....... " his voice faded away. He turned back to her this time looking only at her face and saw the faded stain of red around her nose. Bruises had already formed around on the bridge of her nose and were spreading underneath her eyes. There was a patch of drying blood in her hair at her right temple. He stepped to her and when he was just inches away he reached up and touched her. She winced at the slight pressure he put on her nose, her hand flying up to cover his.
" Shit" she exhaled but she did not pull his hand back.
" Hold still Becca,I want to check you out" She gave him a sly look that said he'd already done that but she let him continue to work his way around her face. Her eyes closed when he touched the socket under her right eye. . " You wanna tell me what happened back there?"
She ceased up slightly when he touched a particularly sore spot on her nose." The footing of the ladder slipped as Crawfish was going up it and I went to steady it so he wouldn't fall." She sucked in her breath as he started to push back the matted hair above her temple. " He was startled when the ladder jumped and went to grab the ladder railing and when he did the fixture dropped and my face broke it's fall." The cut didn't look deep. He didn't think she would need stitches. " My nose started gushing blood and the edge of the fixture cut through my scalp." Something about the situation amused her and she chuckled. " Crawfish started to freak out at all the blood and all I could think of was Thank GOD the fixture didn't break. They are antiques and not replaceable. I figured my face could be repaired and replaced much easier than they could" When he finished examining her he let his hands fall to her shoulders and when he felt no resistance he began to kneed them gently.
" I don't think anything is broken your just going to be black and blue for a bit" He gave her a slight smile. They were even closer together now than when he started. He could feel the heat coming off of her body and mixing with his. He wanted to put his arms around her and at that moment she leaned the rest of the way into him bending her head and resting it on his chest.
"I'm sorry I scared you but I'm okay. She sensed that he wasn't quite sure. "You know who you should be more worried about, Crawfish he is a freaking mess" She took a few steps back from him and giving him a nod meant to comfort and smiled. " Thanks for checking on me"
The phone in his pocket started to vibrate and he reached for it watching as she walked around him and picked up a robe from a chair. She was turned away from him and for a split second he thought he saw what looked like a tattoo of the full moon spread across the palm of her back. He blinked as he put the phone to his ear and when he went to take a second look she had pulled the robe on. She mouthed that she would give him some privacy and went back into the bathroom. He continued to watch the door even after she disappeared through it.
The call was from the vendor who was delivering the kitchen appliances. He was supposed to arrive tonight and Mason and his men would unload but now that was not going to happen and Alcide would need to make arrangements for someone to be here just after dawn for his new estimated arrival time. He snapped his phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket. Rebecca emerged from the bathroom examining the the blue tee in her hand.
" I think I got it all off" She mumbled to herself and went over to a drying rack she had placed in the corner of the room laying the shirt out flat. " Everything alright Alcide?" she asked once the shirt was situated to her liking.
" Delivery is going to be late. Driver had a blowout and is now behind schedule." Rebecca looked alarmed " The delivery is fine and so is he but he won't be here before Mason and his crew have to leave." His mind ran through the different options he had. He supposed he could get a room in town for the night. Or stay see if Sookie would let him take the couch.
" Well if you want you are welcome to stay here tonight" She said it so casually from her perch at the end of her bed but he still looked at her in disbelief. " I'm assuming of course you will be the one who would be here right? Can't see you asking any of the others to come around that early so if you need a place to crash for the night you are welcomed to my couch." She was staring at her nails picking at the tile glue that was stuck to them which gave Alcide free reign to focus his gaze on her. He didn't know if was just her desire to have her appliances or something more that caused her to extend him the invitation but he figured it was probably best he did not stay the night in this trailer with her. " Thank you for the invite but I'd hate to inconvenience you like that. I'll work something out." She looked up and smiled.
" It would be no inconvenience and the offer stands if you find you need it" Her gaze stayed with his and he nodded his thanks and smiled back. The mood in the room was calm with no strain but Alcide still felt the need to bring up what had happened the other morning in the front yard. " Becca"
She had walked over to her dresser and was pulling pieces out for her to change into. " Ummm Hummm" she replied
He took a deep breath and pushing it out said without stopping" About the other day, I wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you. I already said my peace to my men but I owe you one as well. I shouldn't have handled myself like that and I am sorry." he let what air remained in his lungs out with a huff.
Arms now loaded down with clothes Rebecca turned " I appreciate the apology Alcide. I did not like the tone but I understand the reasons. I did a lot of thinking the last few days and the bottom line is that this is your company. Anything I want to do for the crew in the future I will run by you first." The was no anger or hurt in her eyes and he supposed as a woman who ran a business herself she truly did understand his point of view. The conversation must have been over as she walked into the bathroom with her clothes leaving him standing there to let his gaze wonder around the room. For the first time he started to feel uncomfortable standing in her private space looking at her personal things and when his mind started to wonder about the personal private things she did in this room he took quick steps out the door and back into the living room.
She joined him a few minutes later dressed in a black tee and a pair of jeans her hair pulled back in a bandana that hid the cut on her head. Her cats ran past him and to her when they heard her footsteps and followed on her heels into the kitchen. The black one with the blue eyes stood half hidden behind the kitchen counter watching him eyes squinted and suspicious. " Now now Saffy your making our visitor nervous" She bent down and grabbed up the cat putting her on the counter and giving her a big kiss. " You'll have to forgive them Alcide. They are rather protective of their human" Saffy rubbed her face against Rebecca's and gave her cheek a lick.
" I don't take it personal. Haven't had the best of luck with cats. They don't seem to like me much" Just then the multi colored cat who had climbed onto the table beside him put her paw on his hand to get his attention. Her little green eyes stared up at him questioningly. She gave him another swat with her paw and this time Alcide chuckled and ran his hand through the fur on the top of her head.
" Well it seems the Emmy likes you" Rebecca laughed "But that's not saying a lot as Emmy likes everybody." The cat seemed to shoot Rebecca a dirty look and then with her tail held high jumped off the table and headed out of the room. Again the sound of Rebecca's laughter lit up the room. " I think I might have offended her"
He had a feeling she was right and wondered what kind of retaliation Rebecca may have in store. " You gonna regret that later?"
" Possibly" she grinned " But Emmy knows she's nothing but a little flirt. Men come around and she is all over them. Although... She stopped a glint in her eye '" You definately have to take some of the blame."
He put his hand to his chest in and gave her an exhaggerated, What did I do look.
She shrugged her shoulders and said teasingly " You tempted her with your burly good looks and heroism. Like all women Emmy is a sucker for a white knight" Rebecca gave Saffy who had been busily looking back and forth between the two of them one last caress and then headed to the door. " Guess we'd better get back to it."
He nodded but asked " Are you sure your up for it?"
"Honestly" she sighed " I'd rather stay in bed and pout about my face but I figure it's best to get back up to the house if for no other reason than to assure Crawfish that he didn't kill me" She walked out the door and he followed.
They walked side by side towards the house taking the time to talk about what was going on around them. He complimented her on how well the kitchen seemed to be going and told her what Max had said about her work. This pleased her greatly the complement sending a pink glow of pride across her beat but not broken face. She told him about the preporations for the party the entire time fiddling with her nose. He wanted to tell her that no one even notice but kept his thoughts to himself. He didn't want her to be any more self concious about it than she already was. He walked with her to the library and as he ducked inside she called.
" Hey Alcide"
He bent back and peaked his head through the door " Yes Becca"
She grinned and bit her bottom lip.
" Nothing I just wanted to hear you call me Becca one more time" She skipped down the hall and through the kitchen door.
She did not see the realization of his newly anointed nickname hit him or the blush that painted his face cause he was happy she liked it.
No comments:
Post a Comment