‘For Caitlin Jones.’ The delivery man briskly offered the parcel to Caitlin and held out an electronic device for her to scrawl her signature on.
‘Um, thanks, that’s lovely, have a nice day.’
Caitlin smiled at the young man, he returned her smile, gave a polite nod, and strolled back to his van. Caitlin looked down at the intriguing parcel in her arms, it was light but cumbersome due to its size. She went back inside and placed the long box on her kitchen table, moving aside her dishes to accommodate the mystery item.
A small card was taped to the front of the box with her name and address; beneath it was an envelope taped to the long cardboard box. Caitlin unstuck this and turned it over, felling the heave cream paper beneath her fingers, absorbent and think, she grabbed a knife from the kitchen bench and slit the top of the envelope, revealing a single handwritten sheet of paper inside.
My dear Princess, Caitlin, please forgive me, my wolf-side is very sorry, I miss you so. Give me but one night to explain myself? I am staying at the Hilton tonight, meet me in the dining rooms at 8pm, it is safe, the moon is void this night. I need to know, though, if there is a chance, one day in the future, could you, would you, offer your throat to the Wolf with the red, red roses? Will you heed the call of the wild?
Caitlin lifted the lid on the box and lined up neatly inside were twelve long-stemmed ruby red roses, in black tissue paper.
Caitlin’s nerve endings feel stripped raw. A deep yearning rising within Caitlin's heart, a warmth spreading its tentacles down long limbs, Caitlin's eyes closed at the thought of seeing Lycan again, images of that night came rushing back in. Caitlin leans against the heavy wooden table, an attempt to steady herself against the growing tide of dizziness with threatens to envelop her in waves of regret, the enormity of this invitation is overwhelming.
Caitlin felt a tide of uncertainty cresting her chest, her sense of denial was loud and sharp, a blade in her heart, Caitlin made the snap decision to attend the dinner, but just to let him know she doesn’t want any further gifts, communication or contact on his part. The flowers were too much, she needed to stop this now!
This was the story she told herself, the tale which enabled her to plan to see Lycan that night. An excuse which gave her conscious mind permission to decide to see the Wolf-man again, it hid a more profound subconscious urge, one that she had pushed to the corner of her mind, sealed and unopened, the desire which bloomed within was unseen by her logical thoughts.
Chapter Nine
Caitlin took the bus to the shopping district, after perusing the fashion avenues, she found a boutique which offered her the styles she was searching for. A red dress with lacy features built into its fine cloth and a long dark red cloak. In addition to the outfit, Caitlin picked out some new underwear, she hadn’t thought to replace her shredded nighty before. For whatever reason, she found the memory evoked goosebumps on her arms. It spoke of a time when she had felt vibrant, alive, and electric. Caitlin shivered involuntarily despite the warm afternoon, she gathered up her parcels and returned back to her dwelling to unpack and prepare for the evening ahead.
Entering the dining hall of the hotel at 8pm sharp, Caitlin paused as her eyes adjusted to the subdued light, a concierge approached. Caitlin spotted Lycan at a table beside a full-length window, he was gazing out at the city lights. A leather folder lay on the table beside him. Caitlin motioned to the staff member that she knew where she was going, and she walked over to the table, her cloak billowing out behind her. Lycan stood up when Caitlin reached his table before she could speak, Lycan leaned in close and grazed her lips with a kiss, he tasted of wine and berries.
‘Here, let me get your coat.’ Lycan offered and helped remove her outer layer, revealing the stunning red dress she wore for the occasion. Lycan let out a low wolf whistle.
‘You look stunning.’ His eyes lowered briefly in deference to her beauty. Lycan pulled out a chair and gently seated Caitlin at the table. He gazed earnestly at her for a few moments before launching into speech.
‘Look, Caitlin, I've missed you so much. Don’t shoot me for what my other side, the werewolf does. I wrestle with this dark side of myself always. I will have you know that I won’t have children, as I won’t carry on his lineage any further, the buck/werewolf stops with me. He, the Werewolf is immortal, yet I am not, the wolf carries on his werewolf abilities through the generations, shifting from one person in my family to the next. But now it stops with me, it finishes with my generation, I refuse to bear a child who will be cursed with his possession.
I do want you to know that you are so special to me. I would love to cuddle you all night close and tight and wake up the same way in the morning. I will keep you so warm and safe. I was so depressed at not being able to contact you, I didn't know what to do with myself.
The thought of one day being able to snuggle with you and keep you warm kept me going. It's all good now. I feel so much better now that I can talk to you again. I have been thinking of you for days and worried that you might have thought I didn't want you anymore. I need you more than ever now as I
