The Contrary Mate

I stood in my aunt's office gingerly holding the phone as it rang. Days of indecision had passed and I still felt no more sure of anything than when I had left Jack in his car.

Only two rings, and I heard his voice. Even through the empty receiver, the sound of it sent a shiver through me.

"Hello, Jack?" I asked, even though I knew it was him as deep as my bones. I was pretty sure I'd still remember that voice on my deathbed even if I never spoke to him again. "It's Aura."

"Hello, Aura."

"I heard you called."

"I did."

He wasn't giving me much to work with, so I started babbling. "Sorry I didn't call you sooner. Things have been really busy...well, not so busy I couldn't have called you, I guess, but I just didn't know what to say. I'm sorry." I knew he had probably been waiting, if this mate thing meant as much to werewolves as everyone said it did. I had been so cruel.

But I still didn't have an answer for him.

"I understand."

I wasn't sure he did. Then words came out of my mouth like they had a mind of their own. "Do you want to, I don't know, see me again?"

"Of course I do." He paused. "Do you mean to talk, or do you mean something more like a date?"

I knew which one I wanted. It was like his voice exerted control over me and I squeaked out, "A date."

"When?"

"When's good for you?"

"I want to say anytime, but I've got meetings until five tonight."

"Seven, then?" What was I thinking? Tonight? Was I insane?

"I'll come pick you up."

"I think it's better if I go and meet you."

A pause. "If that's what you prefer."

"I'll meet you at your place again."

"Sounds great. See you then."

"See you then," I repeated his words. I could barely wait for seven to arrive even though I had no idea what I was doing. I finished up quickly, told my aunt that I wouldn't be back until morning, and hurried home to get ready.

I didn't actually know what he had planned, so I just chose a casual dress and threw it on. I left my hair loose, thinking about how I really needed to dye it again, curse my inhuman colour. Rex had always complained when I did. He thought I should leave it natural, and stop with the human hair dye, but I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself on the occasional time I went out among the humans.

Once the hour arrived, I left my parents a note that I would be home late on the chalkboard by the door and flew towards the border, this time uninterrupted by anyone. The wards prickled as I passed, I was careful to keep to deserted places as I flew until I got close to Jack's home where there were more dwellings and had to abandon my wings. I walked the rest of the way on foot.

My heart pounded as I made my way to the gates. This time the guards at the gate were werewolves judging from their bulk and I thought I recognized one from the party I'd attended. They both nodded to me in a friendly way and allowed me in without question. It was surely Jack's doing, and I was especially convinced when he came outside before I even got to the main doors. He was wearing a shirt and dress pants, and I drank in the sight of him. Had I missed him that much when I hadn't seen him?

He stepped closer, his eyes fixed on mine and took my hand and brought it up to his lips. My skin felt the contact between us like lightning. "Sorry I stayed away," I found myself saying, not even sure why I said it. Maybe because it was true. I was sorry.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

I doubted that was true. He looked tired, and the way he looked at me was like a starving man at his first sight of food.

It wasn't fair for me not to make a decision. I had to do it soon. I could fight this thing that sparked in the air between us, or I could give into it. Maybe it wasn't even possible for me to fight it, since it was so real and alive, maybe even enough to make up for the barren wasteland of his domain.

"I am sorry, though."

He shook his head. "Let's not argue about that. I don't want to waste my time with you."

I smiled a bit at his sweet words because I felt the same. "I don't want to waste time with you either. But we do need to talk."

He tensed at my words. "No, not like that. I just...I just think I should tell you where I stand, why I didn't contact you when I should have."

My words relaxed him. "I want to understand you."

I didn't know how to explain it just yet. "But first, what are we going to do?"

"Go on our date." With a smile he took my hand, and led me towards his garage.

I wasn't overly thrilled to find myself in his car again, but I didn't complain, not even when he turned it and drove me further into the city. He stopped the car at a restaurant and I glanced at him, feeling unsure. "I'm not sure I'm dressed up enough for this," I said, glancing at the plain sundress I wore.

"You look beautiful and it's got nothing to do with what you wear. No one will question you."

His words lulled me as he led me inside.

Like his home, it was very pretty visually. The restaurant's lighting was reminiscent of little stars dotting the sky, and I liked it even more when we were led to a rooftop terrace. We were seated by a large fern in a pot, and it did comfort me, although I could feel the plant's stress at being confined in a small container when it only wanted to expand and grow. Still, it was well tended, so it wasn't suffering too much. In the wild, the plant would be competing with all the surrounding vegetation and pests, so it wasn't doing too badly here, even if it didn't know that.

I relaxed, and smiled at Jack. There wasn't too much on the menu that I wanted to eat, so I ordered the chef salad and had them hold the meat. Jack ended up eating steak, stereotypical werewolf that he was. He ordered a bottle of wine, and once it arrived he poured us each a glass. I sipped at mine.

While we waited for our food to arrive, my attention was drawn back to him like a sunflower following the sun. "So, I don't know much about your family yet."

"Well, my father works out of town as a geologist for a mining company."

Jack nodded as if what I had said were the most normal thing in the world. He clearly had no idea how strange my father's behaviour was amongst the fae. When I was younger I had been embarrassed by my father's job, although as I grew older I'd come to understand that his unique affinity affected him in a way that others couldn't understand. He was, of course, drawn to nature like the rest of us, but he loved caves and barren places as much as he loved the forest.

"And my mother's always worked odd jobs in our town. Sometimes helping my aunt's business when she needs extra help, sometimes as a seamstress. She stayed home to raise my brother and I, and she's spent a lot of time helping with Lark as well. Oh, and my brother works for our town council, as an under assistant to Senator Salix. He's been trying to climb the ranks since he got out of school."

"I believe I may have spoken to Lark on the phone when I called looking for you."

I smiled. "You did. She passed along your message with quite a bit of curiosity, Jack Wry."

He shrugged at the name with a self-effacing smile. "She seemed pretty bored on the phone."

I smiled. "She doesn't like to show how she feels. Her father...he took off and it affects her deeply."

"Poor kid."

"She also doesn't quite fit in, like my aunt and I do. It's a hard place to live when you're different."

His brows drew together in sympathy and he smiled at me. "Are you different?"

I chuckled. "No, I'm as normal as they come." Then I met his eyes, and I wondered if that was even true. I was in the city, on a date with an infamous werewolf. Maybe I wasn't as normal as I thought after all.