A Kiss For Your Freedom

As he speaks these words, my eyes slide to those lips. This guy is the devil himself but a really sexy devil. He leans towarc me slightly and that's the moment my body finally reacts. I place my hands on his chest to push him as far away from me possible.

~ I would never kiss you. You're so selfish you don't even realize I love him.

- And yet, you continue to desire me. You can scream to convince yourself otherwise, but I know your every reaction, I kn you struggle not to let go. This brand will not change anything. You're mine.

~ That's where you're wrong. I am his.

I regain my composure as the image of Dorian imposes itself on me. I love him and I would never hurt him, ever. I head back to the private room and sit down, refusing my drink. I would not flinch, I would never give him the chance to hurt m: again.

I do everything to remain as neutral as possible and when he realizes that I am ignoring him as much as I can, he sighs before declaring.

- Show me what you did Emma, please.

My sister encourages me by smiling at me. She has no idea what's going on, she doesn't know what happened between u ~ I took the liberty of delving into your product range. By delving into your file, I quickly understood that your products h potential. You play on the organic and handmade side. And that's very good but I think we can do better. This is what I propose to you.

I've spent too many hours working on this to screw it up. I act as if I am only speaking to his colleague and explain my various ideas. I spend more than an hour defending my project. To take the time to explain everything point by point before concluding,

~ If you work with us, I guarantee that we will increase your sales as well as your visibility in the space of a few weeks. Silence falls in the room. I turn to my sister to see her smiling as she winks at me.

- It's very good work, says Jason. This obviously requires a little review of the organization of our production but it would very quickly pay off. We'll have to talk to our boss about it, but I think I can say that he will be delighted with your proposals Emma. I can't make such a decision without talking to him which will give you time to see if you are ready to work with me.

~ I'am ready to work, yes, and as far as your presence is concerned, don't act like you're not imposing it on me. But I am 2 professional and 1 will keep my commitments. I can do it, but I'll warn you right away, no meetings will take place outside my office. Take it or leave it.

- Ill take it, he said a little too quickly for my taste.

- Alright. So I'll let you handle the rest with my sister. I'm going to leave you, I think you got what you wanted, I said, getti up and handing them each a complete file of my presentation.

- Not quite, but it will come.

- Don't count on it too much. Delighted with our future collaboration, I said towards his colleague. I'l call you tomorrow, tell my sister. We'll talk about all this, I promise, but for now I really have to leave.

- We'll talk tomorrow then.

I start to walk towards the door when he says to me,

- see you soon Emma.

I don't even bother to answer and sigh as I walk out of the room. As I arrive outside and finally feel like I can breathe for the first time since I arrived. The distinctive sound of a motorcycle catches my attention. I see him coming at full speed before suddenly braking in front of me. He quickly removes his helmet and what I see makes me shiver. These eyes are those of my Wolf, this unique color that only shines for me. 1 approach him, placing my hand on his cheek.

“He touched you,” he growls, putting his arm around my waist.

~ And I pushed him away my heart. I only love you, only you.

A smile appears on his lips as he relaxes almost immediately.

~ Let's go, my dear.

- In this outfit, sorry but no motorbike for me. Besides, I came by car.

~ OK, let's take your car, I'll come pick up my motorcycle later. I'm not leaving you.

- possessive, I said, smiling, 1 love my Wolf.

I put my arms around his neck and kiss him tenderly before saying,

- How about we go have this drink?

- I would follow you to the ends of the earth, my dear.

~ I think we'll be able to find it closer, I said, laughing.

He follows me to the parking lot where I pick up my car. As he gets in, I see him turn his head abruptly as a deep growl escapes his throat.

You definitely won't leave her side anymore, declares Jason, coming out of the shadows. Do you think that's what will st me from approaching him?

~ You know we call it harassment at this stage, I said, blowing. You can't leave me alone once and for all.

- Impossible Emma and he knows why I can't leave you, he knows why I can't give up, not this time.

- OK, I understood that you were a Wolf too but that doesn’t change anything.

That changes everything, there are rules in our species that are specific to us, gifts that only we have, like that of marki a person. So you didn't tell him anything Dorian. Were you afraid that she would run away from you after that, isn't she ju sweet revenge in your eyes that you enjoy showing off in front of me?

~ Emma has never been about revenge. The fact that it is you who suffers from it only adds to my happiness nothing mor What's happening to you is entirely your fault. It was you who rejected her, who broke her so as not to lose your precious place within your miserable pack. You created this situation. I didn't even know your past when I had the chance to meet her. 1am not like you,

- Because you think I had a choice? he said with an angry voice. Do you think I did it for fun? I had only been there for a month when I met him. There was so much to do, to rebuild, she is human, she knows nothing about us, I couldn't do otherwise. The pack had to come first.

I watch this conversation in disbelief. It seems like they know each other and what's this pack thing.

- Do you both know each other?

- Not directly my dear, but among Wolves we recognize each other's rank and especially their pack, the group of Wolves with whom they live. It is his pack that is responsible for the death of my companion and he is second on the scale of power.

~The third, my Alpha found our Luna.

~ It's true ? Are you responsible for the death of his partner?

~ No, I didn't kill her but its true that she died during a clash between our respective packs. That's why he managed to mark you, because his official partner is dead

~ Do you know why he was able to mark me like you say? Because I begged him to do it. I begged him to bite me and as soon as he did, I knew I was his. You seem to want to claim some right over me but I am not a toy, nor even a piece of me to be fought over. You hurt me, really hurt. I don't care about your reasons, we always have the choice, the proof. Dorian introduced me to my Wolf. He trusted me, as I trust him, something that will never happen again with you.

~ You say that, but you won't be able to resist. We're made for each other. You are my companion, mine. We will work together and every day I will gain a little more ground. You will eventually succumb.

- You're talking about a reaction that seems beyond our control but that doesn't change the fact that my heart is his and not yours. I will never let you hurt me again. You can never believe me again. Now we're going to leave and we'll only see each other again at work, in my office and nowhere else. If you're really meant to be who you say you are, you should war me to be happy and it's Dorian who makes me happy.

I feel that my words hurt him, much more than he wants to show, while Dorian is touched by the way I react. I get in the c and turn the ignition on as they stare at each other for another second before Dorian takes a seat next to me. I quickly leave the parking lot before driving us to a bar a few blocks away. He seems slightly surprised, but before he can say anything, 1 tell him,

This is exactly what we need. We're going to talk a little over a drink and itll do us both some good. Then we'll do as we planned. We'll go to my house to get my things and we'll £0 to your place to spend the weekend.

~ You should leave some things at my place, my dear, that would be simpler.

- Do you have space in your cupboards for that?

~ I will make all the room you need Emma, all the room you want.

I smile as I understand the meaning of these words, words that mean much more than what they let on.

- So I'm going to leave some things at your place, but don’t come complaining when you run out of room.

- 1 would never, ever complain, I just want to know you are as happy as I am.

He follows me without discussion and we pass through the doors of a bar that I frequented at one time in my life. I know the place and their configuration before showing him a somewhat isolated table at the back of the room. The waiter follows us with his gaze and we are barely seated when he comes to take our order.

~ Pure arranged rum, double dose, I say, surprising the waiter who can't imagine the day I've just had.

~The same thing for me.