The Contrary Mate

"Well, maybe you're enough to change my mind," he had said. The sneaky werewolf was good, I'd give him that. He had this way of saying things that made me want to get closer to him and give in to whatever he wanted.

And if I were completely honest, I really was coming to like that about him. I liked looking at him, far more than I should have if I were trying to stay away, and since I had gotten that look at him before he shifted the vision of his ripped upper body was stuck in my mind. It had come back to haunt me repeatedly, especially while I had tried to fall asleep later that night. I wondered if he had known what seeing him like that would do to me.

He picked me up and drove down the highway in his speeding death cage and I was only slightly relieved to get out of it because it mean we were going into his eerie mansion. I was getting used to enduring it, but I still hated it, that dissonance between beauty and how it felt so wrong.

"So we're staying here?" I asked him. I didn't mind. It wasn't like the city felt any better.

"I thought it was a good choice because we can talk freely here," he explained.

"That's true." It would be nice to not have to choose my words carefully. I usually didn't have to worry about that, because the majority of my aunt's customers were werewolves. We did brew a few things that were fit for human consumption, like my rose petal wine, but even then I really didn't have a lot of contact with our non-fae consumers.

Jack smiled at me. "I got my staff to set up a meal for us in the garden, since you seem happier out there."

I smiled at his thoughtfulness, as we walked inside, and then out through the doors to the back garden. Like the other day, there was a table set up for us, but this time there were attractive light fixtures set around strategically for additional lighting. Music played from somewhere, I could only assume thanks to some sort of radio-like human tech similar to what we had in the delivery van.

I breathed a sigh of relief that I wasn't going to end up confined inside his cold dead mansion for the evening.

"I do like it out here. It has so much potential." The shrubs could recover from their cruel geometric hacking, and so much more could grow with just a little nurturing and magic.

"You think so? I just told them to keep it simple so it doesn't give the staff more work. They're werewolves, they need time for their wolves, and for their mates and children, if they have them."

"Sounds like you treat your staff well," I commented and I like that he was kind to those under his control, although I couldn't quite fathom how tending to the garden could in any way be considered work. If he were employing fae in this empty place they'd be competing for the chance to be the gardener.

"Of course, they're my pack. Although I want my human employees to thrive as well."

"Human employees?"

"Yes, something like seventy or eighty percent at Meteor are human. It's hard to find supernaturals with the skills I need. Most packs don't want to leave pack and territory to get a degree in the human world, and most vampires are stuck in their ways from the time before computers. We've got a couple of younger vampires though, and some of our security is, too. And I'm sure you can imagine that we don't get many fae applicants."

"I'm not surprised about there not being a lot of fae. And I noticed that you've got vampires that work for you here, too."

"Yes, I've got a few vampire guards. They cover for werewolf vulnerabilities and vice versa. Working together, our kinds are nearly unstoppable. Imagine if the fae joined us?"

"Not likely since at least half of that group wants to eat us."

"I hope you don't mean werewolves, and most vampires are actually pretty civilized."

"Most maybe, not all. Hundreds of years ago, vampires were hunting fairies. And a few werewolves, too."

"And werewolves and vampires were at war back then. Times change. We've got the accords."

I shook my head. "While that might be true, the fae have long memories and I don't think they're going to be welcoming a bunch of predators with open arms." My people would be horrified to know just how open I had been with this particular werewolf. That barely there kiss had lingered in my mind along with the image of his body.

I had been attracted to Rex while we had been together, but it had been nothing like the wildness I could feel growing in me now. I'd tried so hard to be a good respectable fae my whole life, but I was increasingly certain that I wasn't going to manage to be a good fae for the rest of it, and I was afraid of everyone's reactions. But, I could keep that a secret, just a bit longer. It would be impossible to hide at some point, probably when he marked me, but until then I could put off the inevitable just a little while longer.

A couple of werewolves brought us out plates of food. I tried not to grimace at what they set before me. Some poor animal had lost its life to feed us tonight. I felt gratitude for its sacrifice, but also disgusted at the sight. I glanced at Jack, who was looking at his meal with satisfaction, like a true carnivore.

I glanced back down. There were also a bunch of vegetables and mashed potatoes, and between them and the wine I could probably wash down the vile flavour of the meat. I'd force it down because I didn't want the poor creature's suffering to go to waste. It was my own fault for not thinking to tell him how I felt. Killing plants was bad enough. I speared a veggie on my fork, and brought it to my mouth, chewing very slowly to put off the moment of meat eating one minute longer.

Then, using the knife, I cut the meat, and stabbed the severed piece with a fork. I lifted it slowly, my stomach roiling with disgust, and lifted it towards my mouth—

"What's wrong?" Jack asked me suddenly.

I paused. "Um, well..."

"I want to know whatever it is that's bothering you."

I nodded and exhaled. "I prefer not to eat meat. But I don't want it to go to waste so—"

He plucked my upraised fork from my hand so fast it surprised me and popped it into his own mouth. He chewed, and said, "I should have noticed. In retrospect it's obvious. Sorry Aura."

"No, I should have said something. It's not your fault. Not even all fae are as sensitive to this as I am." I just couldn't help it. I tolerated death because it was an inevitable fact of the world, but I didn't like it.

"You're my mate, and I want to take care of you. It won't happen again. I promise."

My heart skipped at his certainty and his desire to care for me. I didn't need it, but I did like it.

And the more I liked him, the more my ability to resist him seemed to escape my grasp.

And I didn't even want to any more. I'd just have to deal with the problems that would come.