FREYA 12
Now that Tanya has been locked up, and Tom has conceded to my wishes, I’m happy. I’ve now met everyone in the club and even though I’m still weary of some of them, I’m starting to relax more and take it one day at a time. Dane is amazing. He has managed to sweep me off my feet every chance he gets. It has been two weeks since the day Dane conceded to let me fight my own battle with Tom, and since then, he has tried to be more understanding of my needs.
Dane is an alpha male through and through, I doubt anything will change that, but the fact that he goes against his basic instincts to please me, tells me more than most things. He also has a romantic side to him that surprised me. Two days ago, I entered the room to find candles littered all around the room, petals on the ground, and a blanket with a picnic basket on the ground near one of the windows.
Then this morning, he came to our room, grabbed my hand, and started guiding me outside without saying anything, no matter how much I asked. He wanted to show me a patch of land behind the garden that he cordoned off for me to plant my herbs and flowers. In these last two weeks, we have both gotten to know each other quite well. We stay up sometimes until the early hours of the morning, talking about our likes, dislikes, and things that have happened in our lives.
I know Dane will frustrate me sometimes with his quick temper and protective streak, but I also know that he will make me happy, because Dane is everything I could ever want in a man. From the minute I met him, I knew that what we have together was special and I could trust him, but I didn’t know that we would fit so well together.
“Are you ready?” I turn to see him standing in the bedroom doorway. He asked if I would like to go for a ride today, and because I’ve secretly been hoping for another chance on the back of his bike, I immediately said yes.
“Yes.” I make my way to him as he holds up a kutte.
“This is for you.” He turns the kutte around and I see that it has the Elemental’s logo in the middle of the back with “Property of Dane” below it. Anastasia told me that when there is a party in the club that it is important to always wear our kutte because that will tell everyone that we are taken.
“Does this make it official? Am I your old lady now?” I ask with a smile as he helps me put on the kutte.
“You have been my old lady from the minute I saw you in that garden, so it’s not a kutte that’s going to do that.” He lowers his head, kissing my neck, which has me leaning my head back against his shoulder. Dane’s kisses are like ambrosia, I’ve never tasted anything better in my life. Every time he touches me it’s like the first time, there is an excitement there that leaves me wanting more.
I’m like a teenager with her first crush, I think about Dane all the time and when he’s close, I don’t want to let him out of my sight. “We better go, Ulrich and Anastasia are coming with us.”
I smile. Anastasia hasn’t let me down yet. I know that I’ve been weary and always hold people at arm’s length, but she seems to be genuine, and I’m starting to realize that everyone here is exactly as they seem, and it’s all starting to feel very real.
“Where are we going?”
“The mountain passes in Cape Town are great to ride, so I thought we would take that route, stopping for lunch near the ocean, so you can wet your feet if you like.”
I laugh. That is the only thing I would ever dip into the ocean. The waters around here are freezing cold.
“Do you think we might see some whales?” He takes my hand, guiding me down the corridor to the bar area.
“At this time of year, you might.” I’ve always wanted to see the whales, and now I might get the chance. I’m so excited that when I walk into the bar area, I don’t realize the deathly quiet until Dane stops and I feel him stilling next to me.
“What’s wr. . .”
“Freya…”
Hearing my mom’s voice makes me pause. My head snaps around to see her standing next to Tom. What the hell game is he playing by bringing my mom here?
“Mom, what are you doing here?” My mother has never left Missouri, so for her to be here in South Africa, Tom must have gone to fetch her and promised her something substantial.
“Mom?” Dane asks, looking down at me. I squeeze his hand gently because I’ve told him about my strained relationship with my mother.
“Can’t I come and see my own daughter?”
I nod, letting go of Dane’s hand so I can walk towards her. We haven’t been around each other in such a long time that this feels awkward. I hug her and feel her stiffen in response. Well, I guess that hasn’t changed.
“Where are you staying?” I ask.
“Tom has kindly booked a room for me at the Quartz Hotel.” Something is up. Tom doesn’t do anything without a motive, and he doesn’t spend his money unless he’s getting something out of it.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” I see my mom glance behind me and know that she’s looking at Dane. “Mom, I would like you to meet Dane.” Glancing over my shoulder, I see him standing with his arms crossed looking at us.
At my introduction, he nods his head but doesn’t say anything, which works because my mom completely ignores his greeting.
“Can we talk somewhere in private?”
And here it comes. I nod, then make my way towards the corner table. I see that Tom accompanies us, which tells me that this is definitely his doing. I know that wherever Dane is in the room, he will hear our conversation clearly, so no matter where we sit, he will still hear what they have to say.