Tall Dark Handsome Lycan (15 page)

“We just arrived
, Leo,” the woman said.  “My family is in the drawing room with your parents.” She gave Sam a raised brow.  “I see you have a guest,
agapimou
. Care to introduce us?”

Leo shot the woman a cold, annoyed
look. “Sam, this is Katina Spanakis.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Sam said in a small voice
, unable to forget the growling she heard.  Images of the She-Beast she’d seen in her reading with Leo flickered in her mind. 

Katina walked into the room.
“The pleasure is all mine, Sam,” she replied coldly.

Sam
sensed the hatred pouring out of the woman.  Stifling a choke, Sam gave Leo a quick look. “I…I’m going. I have to…” she said brokenly, making her way to the door.

Leo’s lips thinned.
“I do not want you to go.  We need to talk,” he said hoarsely, throwing Katina another irritated glance.

Sam shook her head.
  She had to get out of here. Katina’s dark energy was suffocating her. “We can talk later.” She glanced at the woman who was watching them in a smouldering, simmering silence.

Without another word, s
he made her way to the door.  Behind her, she heard Leo say abruptly, “Actually, you and I need to talk, Katina. Now.”

Sam trembled as she made her way to the kitchen, unable to focus on anything other than Leo’s kiss. His passionate embrace had effectively shattered any lingering resolve she may have had. Her inhibitions had fled, her doubts had disappeared, her connection to him had left her reeling.

S
he recalled how perfectly his mouth fit with hers, and a sharp jolt stabbed at her stomach. She released a pathetic sounding whimper.  God, what he must think of her, she thought. He must have thought she was a lovesick schoolgirl the way she had clung onto him. 

Sam took a deep breath as she opened the two
-door, stainless steel fridge for bottled water. 

“I’m such an idiot,” she muttered and took three gulps when she
realized she wasn’t alone.

“
Are you all right?” A young, feminine voice asked from behind her.

“What?” 
Sam turned around, startled at the unconventional sight before her. She stifled a gasp.

“I said, are you
all right?”

The young girl must not have been more than fifteen, with jet black, short, spiky hair,
thick black kohl eyeliner, and black lipstick. Sam cast a surreptitious glance at her attire and noticed the ripped jeans attached with huge safety pins, black tank top, and thigh high, grey army boots. This girl was making a serious fashion statement, only Sam didn’t know what it was.

One thing was certain, though, Sam instantly picked up
on her insecurities, fears, and loneliness.  This girl was deeply troubled and…sad.    

“
I’m fine,” Sam said after collecting herself from her initial shock.

“Why are you an idiot?”
The young girl asked.

“Excuse me?”

“I heard what you said to yourself. Why did you call yourself an idiot?”

“Oh.”
Sam pursed her lips. “I just did something really stupid and I…I always talk to myself when I do stupid things.” And this was a big one, she thought. According to her cards, heartbreak was just around the corner now. She was going to collapse in grief on the stairs.

She stifled a sigh.
“I’m Sam.”

“Elena.
I’m here with my family.”

“Y
ou must be Katina’s sister.” Beneath all that make up and rough attire, Sam sensed the young girl’s sweet disposition.  “It’s nice to meet you, Elena.”

The young girl
gave Sam a long, speculative look. “Has my sister met you yet?”

Sam nodded.
“I met her in the library just now.” Sam tried to block the memory from her mind and failed.

“I gather she wasn’t too pleased
seeing a gorgeous woman in Leo’s house.” Elena seemed smug. “Dinner should be interesting,” she murmured.

Sam could tell there was no love lost between the sisters and nearly hugged Maria for choosing that moment to make her bustling entrance.

“Ah, there you are,
koritsimou
,” she said, beaming at Sam. “I am going to the hospital to see Nitsa and the baby. She gave birth to a healthy seven pound girl. Would you like to come with me?”

Sam’s spirits lifted at the prospect.
She had to get out of this house. “I’d love to.” She turned to Elena. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Can’t wait,” the young girl replied with a small twitch on her mouth that resembled a smile.

“Maria,” Sam said, “before we go, I need to make a call. Do you have a telephone book? I need to look up a number.”

“Of course
. I have one here in this drawer.”

Sam
looked up orphanages and jotted the only number she found with the pen and paper Maria had handed to her.

The older woman smiled.
“You can use the phone in the hall.”

Sam smiled.
“Thanks. I’ll only be a minute.”

Her call to Alek ended up being fifteen minutes.
First she had to locate him, and then she spent ten minutes talking to him. He was such a sweet boy, Sam thought. It warmed her heart how happy he sounded to hear from her.

Everything was settled.
After the hospital, she would take the Volvo and pick him up. Alek mentioned it would be easier if she picked him up at the main intersection near the orphanage and she took his suggestion because she didn’t know her way around. She described the grounds of the villa to him and mentioned they could capture the scenic splendour on canvas before dinner.

Alek couldn’t contain his excitement, especially when she mentioned there were horses they could sketch.

Sam put the phone down and went out to meet Maria. Spending time with Alek would take Leo off her mind—and after that soul-shattering kiss, her mind, body and spirit needed the break. She’d never felt like this for a man before and she wondered if it was pure lust or if she was in danger of falling in love with him. Her face flamed as she stepped out into the warmth of the mid day sun.

                                          
* * * *

The
visit to the hospital was wonderful. The baby was adorable and Nitsa was so pleased to see Sam.  She stayed with Nitsa for a couple of hours before she picked up Alek and returned to Leo’s house.

Sam smiled as she watched Alek’s expression after he opened his gifts from her and Leo.  H
is eyes were curiously shiny as he thanked her in a gruff voice. The paint set was on his lap and he ran his hands reverently over it like it was a priceless artefact. She silently praised Leo again for his thoughtful gift. 

She inhaled slowly, drawing an appreciative gaze around her.  What a lovely spot, she thought.  They were seated in the gazebo in the back of the house.  She drew a warm gaze back at Alek and smiled.

“I’m so happy you like everything. I have a feeling that paint set is going to be put to good use.”

Alek
looked down at his lap, his expression awed. “It’s amazing. I’ve…I’ve never had anything so perfect.”

Sam patted his hand gently.
“You deserve it. To become the artist I know you’ll be, you need the right tools. Leo will be very pleased you approve of his gift.”

“I have to thank him,” he said shyly.

Sam smiled. “You’ll get the chance to over dinner.”

His
eyes grew shinier, and he blinked. “Thanks for inviting me, Sam. I’m glad I met you.”

“Me, too.”

He lowered his head and Sam knew it was time to change the subject. The moment they shared was getting highly emotional and she didn’t know who was going to burst into tears first, her or him.

“So, how about we start on our drawings,” she said briskly, opening her sketch pad to a fresh sheet.

“Sure,” he said. “Oh, I almost forgot. I practiced the horizon the way you showed me.” Alek opened his dog-eared sketch pad. “I tried the same techniques you used for the light on the water. Here,” he added, handing her his pad. “Tell me…tell me if it’s any good. It was my fourth try.”

Sam gave his drawing an objective eye and sighed her appreciation.
“Alek, it’s really good.” She smiled at him. “I can’t believe how talented you are and you’re only, what, sixteen years old?”

“I’m fifteen
.”

“W
hen I was fifteen, I couldn’t draw a box if my life depended on it.  You have natural talent.  I had to work really hard to hone my craft.”

“D
o you just draw scenery, or can you do other stuff?”

“I can do portraits, too.
I drew your portrait the other evening. Would you like to see it?”

His eyes widened. 
“Sure.”

She flipped her pad to the end where she had placed his picture carefully and showed it to him.
“Here. Do you like it?”

Alek remained silent for a few moments as he
stared at it. “Hey, that’s me. Wow, I can’t believe all the people on the beach that day and I asked you for a pen. An artist.”

Sam laughed softly.
“There’s are no such things as coincidences, Alek. We met for a reason.”

“I wonder what that reason is,” he murmured, staring at the picture.

“We’ll find out,” she said gently, “and I’m sure it’s a good one.”

He
looked at her and smiled, his dark eyes dimming with sadness. “You’re leaving soon, aren’t you?”

She ruffled his hair.
“And you are one young man I’m going to keep in touch with.  Don’t you forget it.”

“Hey, you two.”

Sam and Alek both turned at the sound of the voice and saw Elena, decked in safety pins, army boots, black lipstick, and thick eyeliner standing near the entrance of the gazebo. Sam could have sworn the young girl had thickened her eyeliner since the last time she saw her and she heard Alek stifle a giggle beside her. She shot him an admonishing look.

“Alek, this is Elena,” she
began, giving the young boy a look the gothic teen couldn’t see that said ‘behave’. “Elena, this is my friend, Alek.”

“Hey,” Elena said,
her energy belligerent.

“H
ey,” he replied.

“What’s that?”
Elena asked, pointing to the sketch pad.

“A sketch pad,” Alek offered cheekily.

“Obviously. Are you two drawing?”

“Yeah.”

“Mind if I hang out and see?”

“Of course,” Sam said quickly, patting the seat beside her.
The raw chemistry between the two teens was bouncing off her. “Come sit next to me. Alek, show Elena the beautiful pictures you drew.”

He passed Elena his sketch pad and she flipped through the pages, pausing every once in a while.
When she got to the picture of the beach, she shot him a surprised look. “Hey, isn’t this the beach down by the port?”

Alek shrugged self consciously.
“Yeah. Do…do you like it?’

Sam prayed the young girl would be nice.

Thankfully, Elena smiled, her teeth as white as snow against the black lipstick. “It’s awesome. Hey, you’re really good.”

Alek blushed.
“Thanks.”

“I draw, too, but mostly superheroes.
Wolverine, Cat Woman, Hellboy—things like that.”

“Cool,” Alek said, relaxing a little.
“Sam draws people, too. Real people. Look at the picture she drew of me,” he said, handing it to her.

“
Hey, that looks exactly like you.” Elena stared at the picture and then turned to Sam.  “Can you draw me?”

Before Sam could say a word, Alek chuckled.
“Yeah. Draw her.”

Sam didn’t trust that chuckle and gave Alek another admonishing
look, but he wasn’t paying attention to her. He was staring at Elena’s black make up and spiky hair. So much for the brief moment where she thought they were being friendly, Sam thought.

She flipped her pad to a blank page and pursed her lips.
She needed to do something fast if she wanted to avoid spending dinner with these two kids sparring with each other. She turned to the young girl.

“I’d love to draw you, Elena.
Don’t move. It’ll only take me a few minutes.” She swirled her charcoal pencil across the white page, hiding what she was drew from Alek. Ten minutes later, she put her pencil down and announced, “Done.” She handed the pad to Elena.

The young girl
’s expression was stunned as she stared at the picture.

“Let me see,” Alek said.