Rich Blood

Chapter 7: Dinner for Two

I make my way down to the dining room and go to open the door, I'm hoping I can beat him inside, I will feel as thought I'll have the advantage and that's when I catch the scent of my new boss. It makes my insides melt. I have never had anyone affect me like this, pure scent alone is enough to drive me wild.

Get your s**t together.

Shaking myself out of it and focus. I open the door and see the dining room table made from red cedar, I can tell from the scent. I love it. Richard Blooding is sitting at the head of the table on the far end of the room. Now I have to reverse walk of shame while I feel his eyes all over my body. I want to run the other way. I want the lake.

"Mr. Blooding." I say respectfully. Should I bow? f**k I should have bowed.

"Please sit."

I do as I am told. Why does this have to be so intimate?

"Thank you for agreeing to join me for dinner, Ms. Fengari."

"Selene, please sir."

"Very well, Selene."

I love the way he says my name. Also did I have a choice to come to dinner?

"I have a few ground rules, and requirements I am going to ask of you. And we will discuss pay, time off and so on while you're under my employ."

"Pay?" I finally meet his eyes. This is the closest I've been to him. A surge of heat flushes through my body, making my core wince. I really look at him now, not by choice, but almost like his wolf is commanding it. I noticed his eyes, while a pale and intense grey also have flickers of gold in them.

My gaze moves across the whole.of his face. I feel myself blush from just the sight. A strong jawline accompanied with some intentional stuble. Dark black hair, tanned skin, his lips. Oh my god. His lips.

"Yes, I like to pay my staff, of course," he says boldly, almost offended. This brings me back to this moment, why I am here, who he is. And who I am.

"I'm sorry, sir but-"

"You are not my slave, Selene. You will be paid. Luna knows I cannot have the headline of "Southern Pack Leader's Daughter in Captivity." plastered on the papers and in the news. Bad for business, especially with these uprisings. It would be fuel for their fire."

"Oh. Of course." This made me repulse. He sounded like my father. But what did I expect? Compassion? I have rarely known that from anyone. Why should the Lycans King, Richard Blooding be any different?

"Now, as I was saying, your pay is salary. Which is reasonable and enough for you to enjoy your time off when you get it and will be handled with Hester. However, your responsibilities are listed here-"

A cook suddenly brings out two plates. Steaks, his rare, mine medium rare, vegetables and roasted potatoes. As the plates are placed in front of us, my host requests a glass of some sort of red wine then gestures to me.

"Oh, um, no thank you. I don't drink really. My wolf doesn't agree with it."

He made a face. What the f**k does he care? Or was it him being impressed? It was only for a second but he made a face. My attention to detail and ability to pick up on subtle nuances has always gotten me in big trouble. I put it to the back of my mind, I'll worry about that later.

"We can discuss you list of duties after dinner. For now, as we dine, I would like to get to know you and give you the opportunity to ask me questions, should you have any at the moment." He began to eat, it wasn't until now that I noticed how huge his arms are. He was in a dark grey suit with a white button up shirt underneath and the way his arms were bent seemed tantalizing. His hands were huge as well, the thoughts of what those hands could do made me squeeze my legs together for a moment.

My wolf must be about to go into heat. I need her to calm her ass down. I reign her back in, compose myself and take very small bites of my steak, which is delicious.

Once, his wine was poured, he instructed me the chef to leave the room and he would gather him once we were finished. After a moment of silence, I ask him "What would you like to know Mr. Blooding?"

"Well, let me see what I already know." He cleared his throat, "I know your name is Selene Fengari of the Harvest Moon Pack. Your father is Jasper, who comes from a line of strong Alphas, but somehow he just fell short, but the position of Alpha of your pack must go to the male heir as written in the southern borders, highly outdated Lunar Concordat. When let's be honest here, it should have gone to your aunt, Citrine, who I hear was fierce leader who loved her pack."

He wasn't wrong. My father's sister was amazing from what I've heard. He died before I was born. Her death, like my mother's is shrouded in mystery.

"Your brother is Kenneth, and from what I hear, is set to be a carbon copy of your father."

Again, correct.

He paused, taking a casual sip of wine.

"I know your pack is struggling since the rebels have started putting pressure on the borders."

"Yes, sir. That's why I was sent here by my-"

"I am not done yet." His voice was a low growl where before it had been more conversational.I looked at him, but this time, it wasn't a heat flush I felt, it was unnerving. We locked eyes.

"I know that the southern pack leaders have been meeting in the Harvest Moon's Pack House. And I know that my previous "charwoman" disappeared when she went to visit family in the southern territories-"

Oh s**t.

"And I know that within hours of that information getting out, your father was reaching out to me and offering me you."

Fuck. f**k. f**k. I am in deep s**t.