When Emily entered Harper’s limo and sat next to him he placed his hand over hers and she felt the tingle of warmth and arousal and she knew she had made the right decision. When Harper touched her hand, he knew he wanted and needed this woman and she would bear him children.
He called Michael from his limo. “Michael, meet me at Judge Aaron’s home in fifteen minutes.
“For heaven sake it’s eleven thirty. By the time I get there, it’ll be midnight. My wife will think I have a mistress.”
“Tell her I’ll fire you if you aren’t there. That should get her attention. You will lose everything if you don’t come.”
“You don’t sound like yourself, Harper,” Michael said.
“I’m not. I’m in love and I’m getting married.” He looked to Emily. Emily smiled back but in the back of her mind was the question about her being a virgin. Did he forget about that? Did he even know? He had explicitly said to Michael that he didn’t want a virgin.
When Harper and Emily were leaving the judge’s library and they were officially Mr. and Mrs. Harper Samsa, Michael rang the bell, and the judge’s wife opened the door with a confused look and a sour face. Michael apologized for the time and entered the judge’s home.
“I got here as soon as I could,” Michael said breathless his shirt untucked on one side. He put the papers he held in one hand under his arms and tucked his shirt into his pants, before he raced to Harper standing holding Emily’s hand. Harper couldn’t tear his eyes away from Emily.
Handing Harper the documents and looking at Emily, Michael reached inside his coat pocket, and put on his reading glasses. He watched at Emily.
“Emily, how are you doing? You made a good choice with Harper,” he said turning to offer his hand to both of them. “I knew once you two got together, you wouldn’t let a little thing like her being a virgin keep the two of you apart.”
“She’s what? You’re what?” His eyes shot to Emily. His mouth opened and he huffed through his teeth. She shook her head yes. “Keep those papers. I won’t need them,” he said to Michael. His warm smile vanished and to take its place a glum cold look.
“What’s wrong, Harper?” Michael called out as Harper took Emily’s hand and rushed out the door and into his limo.
“Take me home,” he said to his driver.
“What’s wrong?” Emily questioned. She watched as his expression of warmth turned to remoteness. He dropped her hand and moved away leaving a gap between them.
“Nothing,” Harper said and turned away from her.
“Is it because I’m a virgin? I thought you knew this and it didn’t matter to you,” her voice pleading for him to reconsider.
“I didn’t know,” Harper said his voice low. “I’ll make arrangements to have the wedding annulled.” Emily watched as his expression of love passed from his handsome face, to an expression of disgust.
“But what about the promises you made to me?”
“They will all be honored.”
“All except honoring your marriage to me. I didn’t want this, you wanted it remember.”
“I remember, and now I don’t want it, and I can’t discuss why I want an annulment.”
“The minute you discovered that I was a virgin you became cold. What do you want me to do, find someone to take my virginity?” He turned with a raised eyebrow.
“That may help.”
“What about you? Why can’t you do it?”
“I just can’t.”
“Then why did you want to marry me? What about Elisabeth, she wasn’t a virgin yet you called off your engagement to her. Do you like to break women’s hearts? Is that what’s wrong with you. You just wanted to break my heart. Well my heart has been broken too many times to care about another broken heart. You can have your revenge on all woman. I agree. I want the annulment as soon as possible.”
And Emily turned away from Harper. Their backs to each other. When the car stopped, Emily bolted from the car. Harper realized how much he had changed. He would have given anything to have a woman like Emily, but now that he had become a werewolf, it wouldn’t be possible.
How could he expect her to understand? He was afraid he would hurt her just by placing his large sheath into her small opening. He didn’t know if he could get the tip in without tearing her apart.
What a fucked up life he had been thrust into. He wasn’t a man and he wasn’t a werewolf, but he was something in between.
That wolf part of him didn’t care. It had to have her tonight. When he stepped out of the limo he looked up, raised his head, and he needed to howl. But he couldn’t because this was the middle of San Francisco and there were no wolves and he had to hide his secret from people and the world.
Everyone was sleeping. Emily’s room was nearby. He wanted to explain to her but he couldn’t. He needed to mate but he resisted the urge, and then the urge grew greater and instead of climbing the stairs up to his bedroom, he walked passed the kitchen, down the hall, and to the right. He opened the door to Emily’s room but she wasn’t there.
Harper stood wondering where she had gone. He turned to walk to his room and he heard her. She was taking a bath. He heard her footsteps when she stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel, and then he heard each footstep when she opened the door and faced him.
“What do you want now? I have nothing you would want.” Emily watched at his face change. She watched as his eyes turned from blue to gold. He stepped close to her without a word and reached and snatched her towel off her body.
“Is that what’s wrong with you? You just want to look at me but never touch me?”
“I want to do more than look at you.” His tongue swiped across his dry lips. His breathing became loud and he heard his own heart beat. He wanted Emily. He needed her tonight and he would give her what she wanted. She wanted to be his wife. She no longer wanted to be a virgin. Well he would indulge her.
She wanted him to take her virginity and he would. Now.
Harper would present her with the harsh reality of being a werewolf’s mate. The harsh reality of having a manhood which couldn’t fit into a virgin’s opening.
All this was new to him. Where would he start? Could he start by claiming her? Bend her over the bed and show her what kind of animal she had married.
As his mind went through different scenarios of how to make love to her. He wasn’t expecting what she said.
“I don’t want you anymore. You are cruel and I don’t want to be with a cruel man who carries secrets. I know you have secrets. I thought you could over look me being a virgin, and I would overlook your secrets, and we could find respect and love for each other.”
Emily had expressed that so eloquent. Harper couldn’t have said it better, but now it’s over and he didn’t want it to be over. He had to have her tonight.
Striding over to her, he leaned his head to the side and smiled. “Can we start again? Can this be our honeymoon? Let me show you how much I want you.”
It was the wolf in him that showed in the slyness of his words. The man in him would never behave so cunning.
“I know how much you want me. You want someone who can satisfy your sick fantasies and a virgin can’t do that for you. What do you want to do? Tie me up.” She was just repeating what Stanley had said. These weren’t her feelings, but she didn’t understand and Harper didn’t make it better for her by rejecting her and embarrassing her in front of her friends.
She thought she had married a gentle man. She wanted her first man to be understanding and gentle, but that is the stuff of fairy tales and this was a horror story in the making for both of them.
He laughed quietly. Where did she get the notion that he wanted to tie her up?
She had been so quiet and unassuming when he first met her. She hadn’t changed except to try to be the person she thought Harper wanted. He laughed at her.
“Why are you laughing?” Emily said.
“Because this isn’t you.”
“How do you know who I am? You didn’t spend one minute with me before you asked to marry me and a minute before you dumped me. Well, I don’t know who you are.”
“Quiet.” Harper reached for Emily and brought her to him. His manhood pulsed at the feeling of her naked body. He held her warm face with his fiery large hands, and she shuddered with passion at the feel of him even as he stood there fully clothes. Never had she felt like this before.
Harper’s tongue coursed through her open mouth and she closed her mouth taking it in her warm lips, and he kissed her, and the scent she gave off he knew she wanted him and he wanted her. He touched her hard breasts as her nipples became stiff through his fingers. He picked her up and placed her in the bed.
She glanced up at him. “You can’t have me. Not until I’m no longer a virgin. I will give you what you want. Go. Leave me. If you want to get a divorce then I will agree. If you don’t then I will agree to that.”
“But I want you now,” Harper said. His voice moaning in desperation.
“I’m a virgin and you made me feel as if there was something wrong with me.”
“There is something wrong with me, Emily. You don’t understand.”
“Tell me what it is.” She watched at his eyes glow with a golden sheen.
“I can’t,” he said leaning over her with desire dripping.
“When I’ve lost my virginity, I’ll call you. You can make up your mind if you want to stay married to me. But tonight I don’t want you.”
Harper locked gazes with Emily. He stood and with a quick turn he left the room, and left her in bed wondering why she would say something like that to a man she has wanted and desired her entire life. She had wanted a man like him and now she has turned him away. What the fuck is wrong with me, she thought.
When Harper rushed from her room he ran outside, raised his face and gave a somber howl. He let out a mating howl. Not from a wolf who had found a mate, but one who needed a mate.
“I should tell her that I’m a werewolf,” he murmured. But he didn’t and he climbed into his truck and took off east to go to the only place he felt comfortable.