Forgotten Ch 07

Finally finished this one. I began this before the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear crisis of Japan and agonised whether to change it once the disasters occurred but decided against it. I love the country and culture and their language is beautiful to listen to.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. :Þ

@}-,-'-

Chapter 7: Life goes on.

Michael was the first to wake after their night of passion, Michelle slept soundly on his chest with her fingers entwined in his chest hair. He stroked her hair softly as her gentle breath caressed his exposed flesh. For the first time in many days he felt content, his mate was in his arms and at that moment he did not have a care in the world. Fate it would seem had other ideas.

His mobile phone began to ring in pocket of his jeans and as always it was just out of arms reach. Carefully, he tried to wriggle closer to the offending noise without disturbing Michelle. After a moment of difficulty he managed to retrieve the phone as it stopped ringing. He waited for the voicemail notification and then listened for who called, it was his father. News that his sister Janis and her mate had returned from the Iberian Kingdom but had yet to return to the compound as they decided to have a short vacation in Cairns first.

Michael hung up the phone and tossed it aside. "Who was that?" Michelle yawned as she slowly woke up.

"My father," Mike clarified, "My sister and her mate have returned to Australia from Iberia."

"As in Spain and Portugal?" Shell asked stretching out her naked body in a feline manner.

"Yes, they were there on a personal mission to become officially bonded in the vampire community. As my sister's mate is a vampire from Madrid it is customary that the Iberian King and Queen recognise them as a couple. The vampires have called the Iberian peninsula as Iberia so when dealing with them we refer to it as Iberia also," he explained.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about the vampires huh?" Shell giggled, "What are they like? Do they burn up in sunlight and shriek at the crucifix?"

Michael laughed, "No, for the most part they are much like humans only they need more iron in their diet and drinking blood is the easiest way to do that."

"So they can just eat more red meat and whole grains and not have to worry about drinking blood?" Michelle had lost all fear of the supernatural and now curiosity clearly had taken over.

"I guess so," Mike replied with a shrug, "But I heard that drinking blood is one of the most erotic experiences for both the donor and the recipient."

"So your sister has a vampire for a mate," She stated, "Guess that caused a ruckus."

"Yes," Michael chuckled at the memory, "My father was furious at first but now is happy that he will be a grandfather."

Michelle sat up, "Children mean a lot to werewolves, don't they." She swallowed hard with her fear of not actually being able to conceive, or if she did but lost the baby.

"We love our families more than anything else in the world," he smiled and pulled her into a warm embrace, "Do not fret, either way I will be with you and love you until you decide we are ready to move on." Shell remained silent as Michael held her, she nodded to his statement and sighed. "Come, lets get dressed and go into the uni to check on those devil embryos of yours."

Shell pulled out of his arms and wiped at her eyes which had reddened in the last few minutes, "That sounds good."

@}-,-'-

Mollie was excited, Janis would be home soon and Michael had not returned defeated so everything was looking up. She dropped her youngest litter off at the communal sitting room in the care of the omegas and quickly made her way towards the medical wing, in particular the birthing suites.

"Madam Alpha," one of the nurses bowed, "Can I help you?"

"Yes," Mollie smiled, "Janis is returning soon."

The nurse nodded with a grin, "The first of the grandchildren due?"

Mollie laughed with joy, "Yes, I am sure it will be within the month."

"And you want to prepare her suite for her arrival?"

"How did you guess," Mollie could not hold back her excitement, "I think Janis would like something overlooking the gardens."

"I know just the one," The nurse guided Mollie to the third floor where some of the more luxurious rooms were. The room was decorated in pastel blues, pinks and yellows with a shallow bath in one corner and a large low lying bed in another. The large bay window dominated an entire wall and it opened up onto a balcony that had a perfect view of the knot garden.

"This is wonderful," Mollie quickly began to make plans as to personalising it for her daughter.

"How many are we expecting?" The nurse asked.

"I don't know, I have never had experience with a mixed mating before," the proud grandmother to be confessed, "I am not sure what to expect." Mollie returned to her work whistling cheerfully.

@}-,-'-

After a banquet of a breakfast, Michelle and Michael walked through the doors of their research laboratory. Being a weekend there were not too many assistants working on their projects but it was clear that they curious to see who had arrived. The fact that Mike held Shell's hand tightly and in clear view of the students had their tongues wagging.

Shell swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, "Maybe we should reconsider this," she rapidly spat out.

Her mate foiled her feeble escape attempt and guided her to the locker room. "It is not a surprise to them that we are together," Michael informed her, "Only that you finally with me is the news."

Shell shook her head, "Is there anyone around here that didn't know about your feelings for me?"

"Not that I know of," Mike smirked and helped her with her lab coat, "It seems you were the only one."

"Bite me," she grumbled, not liking that she still felt ridiculous for not noticing Michel's love for her until it was shoved in her face.

"Gladly," he pulled Shell into his arms and nuzzled at the mating mark he gave her, "But we won't get any work done today if you tease me like that." He wasted no time in nibbling the scar on the crook of her neck causing her to moan and melt into his arms.

Shell mumbled incoherently as she let her mate distract her with his intimate intentions. All thoughts had left her mind unless they were of what she wanted Mike to be doing to her at that moment.

"If the two of you can not behave you should go home," a familiar deep voice chuckled from the doorway.

"Rick, do you mind?" Michael looked up in annoyance, "We're having a moment."

The were-bear laughed at the embarrassed look on Michelle's face, "If you insist on behaving like a couple of teens then I suggest you go to your office like the rest of us."

"Sorry Dr. Monahan," Shell mumbled and tried to escape Michael's grasp to continue with her preparation for the day.

"No need Mrs Patterson," Monahan smirked, "I was only teasing." Mike cringed at the name Rick decided to use.

Michelle's discomfiture disappeared at the address, "Dr. Monahan, how long have you known me?" She asked coolly.

The were-bear paused his amused chuckle and answered, "Since you first arrived at the university twelve years ago."

"Then please address me by my name and not by Dr Patterson's mother's name," she continued curtly. "If you excuse me, I have a species to save from extinction." She left after changing as quickly as she could.

"Did I say something wrong?" Rick asked his friend, baffled at her behaviour.

"She is finding it hard adapting to mated life," Mike explained, "She refuses to take my name or live at the compound."

The bear swallowed hard, "Ah."

"Ah?" Mike gave his friend a questioning look, "What do you mean 'ah'?"

With a strained sigh he replied, "Michelle's grad students have a special surprise for her in honour of her 'marriage' to you."

"Ah."

@}-,-'-

Amandus and Bedella had arrived from Dawnlight out the front of the large London apartment building that Peredur, or Peter as he was known to his friends, lived with his two 'dogs'. "So this is where you live with Bleddyn's darling little misfit?" Bedella mused, "How much of his previous life bled through into this one?"

"Too much," Amandus grumbled, "Drugs, women, late nights of debauchery, it is almost like he never change." The two made their way into the building and up to the seventh floor where the more valuable apartments began. The front door was locked, as it should be, when they arrived. The flat was silent which Amandus concluded that 'Peter' was asleep after another night of sin and seduction.

Upon opening the door two large wolf-like dogs galloped up to the intruders and shifted into two burly men, "Sir Amandus," one said, "Welcome home."

"Thank you Gideon," the man felt deflated at the sight of clothing strewn everywhere, including a black g-string hanging from the light shade, "It's good to be home."

"Wish we got here sooner," Bedella pouted, "Would have been a fun night."

"Lord Einar was not enough man for you?" Amandus mocked, "I heard his stamina would rival yours."

Bedella laughed, "We both had much fun and will do so again in the near future but we agreed to each bring a friend to join in."

Amandus chuckled and moved past Gideon and Tane, the other wolf, to reach his ward in the master bedroom. The pile of limbs greeted the protector in the middle of what was left of the large Californian king size bed, underneath the pile of bodies was a very content Peter Baxtar AKA Peredur Dawnlight.

"Get up Peter," Amandus wasted no time in worrying about modesty of the 'guests' as they did not seem to care, "Peter there is something important you need to do."

"Impossible," Peter yawned, "I have another week until the photo shoot with Bonsai Warriors."

"Bonsai Warriors?" Amandus had no idea what Peter was talking about.

"The Tokyo Metal Band?" Peter answered exasperatedly, "The fine art of blending classical Japanese folk music with the classic heavy rock of the 1970's and a twist of 80's electrica?"

"Sounds complicated," the knight huffed.

"It is," Peter climbed out from under the mountain of women, "But they wish for me to photograph them for the launch of their third album which is to be held at some castle in their country, I forget which one."

"I suggest you wake these women and give them something to eat," he looked at their emaciated bodies with disgust, "They could use it."

Peter waved him out of the room in frustration, "They're models, they don't eat."

Amandus wanted to just grab the man and drag him back home but they needed to get things settled here first, much to his displeasure.

@}-,-'-

Michelle had had a bad day, first her graduates wanted to know why they were not invited to her and Michael's wedding which she explained had not happened and covered with the explanation of a joke between Dr Monahan and Dr Patterson. Next came the overwhelming arousal she had been warned about. The constant throbbing in her lower belly drove her mad and nearly dragged Michael off to a dark closet for some relief. She managed to get most of her planned work finished by taking frequent toilet breaks to mask the fact she needed sexual reprieve. The constant state of hunger tormented her also, when one of her assistants overheard her stomach growling she had to lie about missing breakfast. She never liked lying to anyone, now she found herself lying with such ease that it frightened her. She had to keep her nature secret, her condition had to be kept secret and the fact that Michael had won her heart so easily, she had to keep that secret. There was no way she would let onto him that regardless of what had happened between them that she found him irresistible. When he met with her at lunch she had to put on a show that she was upset with him announcing their marriage before it happened, she had to settle the records in the main office as they had already altered them to Mrs Patterson.

Now that the day had come to an end and most of the others had gone home she settled in her office and ate a pizza she ordered once the coast was clear. She was expecting Michael to enter but he took longer than she expected. The pizza she ordered for him began to look appetising, even with the olives on it, and if he took any longer he would not have a pizza to enjoy.

The familiar throb decided to let itself be known again, she wanted to relieve it but she wanted Michael's help. "What's taking you so long?" She asked her absent mate, "I need you now and you are taking your time." After several more minutes and half of Mike's pizza later he arrived with a frown. Something had upset him. "Are you alright?" Shell asked.

His face brightened at her concern, "Just an unwanted return of someone."

"Who?"

He sat down across from her and took a piece of his Pizza, "Do you remember Carol Evens?"

Michelle snorted, "Unfortunately." Her past concerning that woman were not pleasant but did not reveal it to her distressed love.

"Well she is back from Vancouver," he said after enjoying the morsel.

"The Canadians probably kicked her out for her attitude," Michelle bitterly replied. "They do not like rude people."

"She wants her old job back ..." Mike began to explain.

"She can't," Michelle cut him off, "I have that job now."

"She has always been able to persuade Rick to do what ever she wanted," he added.

"I do not care," Shell grumbled, "The bitch can suffer, she quite if you remember."

Michael was silent for some time before he told her the one thing he had wanted to avoid, "She quite after I broke off our relationship."

Michelle stared at him, "Your relationship," she echoed with a hint of impending doom.

Her lack of response had him worried, Michael had only just managed to get through to her after their disastrous beginning and now a troublesome ex-girlfriend had come back to haunt them. "Shell?"

"Is she here?"

"No, not yet," this was far too calm for his liking, "She called Rick a few hours ago."

"Tell Rick to reject her demand but offer a good reference for somewhere else," she told him with a look that broached no argument.

"He has agreed to see her tomorrow," he did not like the way her expression darkened, "But you would have a say as you are a senior member of staff."

Michelle smiled maliciously, "You tell Rick that I will be at that meeting tomorrow."

"But she ..."

"Don't you dare tell me you are concerned for her feelings after all these years of not seeing her?" Shell sighed, the woman had done it again and she was not even in the room. Michelle's early years at the University under her watchful eye had been hell and if it were not for Michael she would have left. The memories of the put downs and open aggression now filled Michelle's mind in such clarity it was like yesterday.

"Shell?" Her clouded eyes worried Michael, "What is it?"

"She is not coming back here," she declared, "Ever."

@}-,-'-

Carol Evens was a middle aged woman with a narcissistic strike a mile wide, she had a way of getting everything she wanted with the exception of Michael Patterson. Her history with the wolf dated back fifteen years when the two met in the staff room his first day. She was a graduate geneticist with aspirations of finding the cure for cancer and the glory that would follow with it. When Michael had transferred from another research lab she set her sights on him and he did nothing to dissuade it. Their love affair had began hard and fast, purely animalistic. But it all screeched to a halt when the golden child of the education system decided to go to their university and Michael's affections dried up like the drought that had gripped the eastern seaboard. They became argumentative and bitter but underneath it all Carol felt that Michael still loved her, she loved him like no one else so it was only right that he loved her.

She stood out the front of the building that had been her work place for over ten years, it was a crisp morning with the dew still on the grass. She flicked her red hair back over her shoulder, she knew that Dr Richard Monahan was attracted to her and who wouldn't be? She was slim, lush natural red hair and blue eyes. She always believed her legs were her best features so she would show them off at every opportunity, like now she wore tight stretched denim jeans, stiletto heals and a low cut blouse. If this does not persuade Rick to employ her again she did not know what will.

She walked confidently into the building.

@}-,-'-

Michelle was preparing for war, she dressed in her most flattering and unconventional clothing she could find. The black leather pants and bodice, it was something Michael preferred to keep in the bedroom and he told her so. "Don't you think you should pick something a little more conservative?" He asked her from their bed. Michelle refused to look around, this was hard enough without being tempted not to go in so early in preference for exploring their fledgling relationship in imaginative ways. Michael wanted nothing more than to coax her back to bed, he refuse to dress at all and let the sheet just cover his genitalia leaving his leg and torso exposed to tease her back to his arms.

"I want to intimidate her," she confessed, "I suffered under her for too long and rejoiced when she left." She then turned to ask Mike the one question she had been wanting to ask since she found out why Carol left in the first place, "Why didn't you tell me you were involved with her?"

"I thought you knew," he replied, "Everyone else did."

"That excuse again?" Shell paused as she surveyed the tantalising scene before her, her resolve faltered.

"Perhaps it is because I lost interest in her when you arrived," he crawled across the bed letting the sheet fall away to reveal his desire for her, "You are all I could think about, all I still think about."

"With the exception of your cloning project," she corrected him.

"That is fulfilling a promise to a friend," he hooked his finger in the waistband of the tight leather wrapping and pulled her towards him, "It did give me an in with you."

Shell collapsed on the bed and Michael quickly covered her with his hardened body, "So all the help I thought I was giving you was just a ploy to snag me?" The reply to her question was a needy kiss with a quick bite to her lower lip.

She melted into the bed as Michael undid all her hard work in preparation for the day, with the clothing tossed to somewhere else Mike began to tease each and every sensitive peaks that lined her torso with light nips and nibbles. Shell cried out both in frustration and in pleasure, she still was annoyed that Michael could do this to her when she knew that he had kept another secret from her but his mouth was unrelenting in its sensual torture. It was pointless to fight against him when he started, at least that is what Shell said to herself to excuse her own desire to let him continue.

Michael knew this but said nothing, Shell needed to let go of whatever her problem was and he knew the exact thing to do that. "Close your eyes," he whispered huskily. When she complied he dove between her thighs and began to feast on her molten core. He like every other wolf in the world enjoyed this part of love making more than any other part, to pleasure one lover until they scream for peace. He loved her flavour, the heat she emitted and the sound of her pulse race with each of his fervid laps of his tongue.

Shell's mind went on a holiday, she did not remember her need to get to work quickly nor the aggravation she felt at another secret kept by Michael but the sensation consumed her. How could he be so good at this? Why was he so quick to jump down there and slip his tongue between those lips and tease her sensitive nerve cluster relentlessly? Worst of all why was she so willing to let him?

For how long he worked his magic on her was not known, all Shell knew was that she was covered in sweat and panting like she had just run a marathon, the endorphins raged through her veins at a great rate of knots and nothing else in the world mattered.