Finding His Mate Ch. 04

Madison looks up from her phone as Azeil returns. She was texting Tiffany, who seems to not be worried she's with him out in the middle of nowhere. There's definitely something Tiffany isn't telling her. If there's one thing about Tiffany, she's arguably way more suspicious of things than Madison is, at times.

"Ready to go?"

Madison nods her head. Truthfully, this place creeps her out a bit, especially with all of the stares and whispers. She waves goodbye to her waitress, whose name turns out to be Cecil, and walks to his car. Once inside, he pauses for a moment before starting the engine. It seems there is something on his mind.

"Is everything okay?"

Azeil looks over at her and only nods his head. While he would like to share with her, now isn't the time. Truthfully, Rathu's return is unnerving. Why is he back? What is it he's seeking or already has? He's so lost in his thoughts, he doesn't hear Madison speaking to him.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

Madison had a feeling he wasn't listening to her but still continued to talk. If there's one thing she's starting to learn about him, it's that when she's in his presence, she'll probably be doing most of the talking.

"Alessia. Who is she?" She notices his fingers clench the steering wheel and suspects he isn't exactly fond of this Alessia woman.

"She's one of the leaders in the community."

For some reason, Madison can sense he's lying to her. She wonders why he doesn't tell her the truth. If something is going on between the two, Madison would rather know now than later. The last thing she needs is to be in a love triangle.

"I know you're lying, but I'll let it slide... again." She hears him chuckle and folds her arms across her chest. Madison's not sure what's so funny because nothing she just said was comedic. She leans onto the door, placing her head on the window. Something about the way Azeil continues to ignore her questions is bugging her.

"What's wrong?" Azeil glances at her before returning his eyes to the road. He already knows what's wrong with her. He can feel she's upset with him, and rightfully so. However, this isn't going to change the fact that he's not going to tell her the truth about the exchange she had with Alessia back in the diner. That's just the way the chips fall right now in their relationship.

"Nothing."

He smiles at her curt response. "Just nothing, huh?"

Madison throws him a sharp look and rolls her eyes. "Yes. Nothing. It's not like you're concerned anyway." She expects a retort from him, but instead, he continues looking ahead. Of course, he doesn't fall for the bait.

The sun has set, a full moon replacing it in the sky. Madison admires it from out the car window, taking in the glow it's casting upon the forest. There's always been something about the moon that's captivated her. She remembers a story her mother used to tell her about how the moon birthed wolves. It was one of her favorite stories, one she would beg her mom to tell her almost every night.

"My mom used to tell me this story about the moon and how she created wolves to keep her company at night. She said the moon is a symbol of peace, family, and protection. I forget what the title of the story is called. It's something so simple-"

"The Tale of the Five Moons."

Madison looks over at Azeil. "Yes. That. You know it?"

Azeil nods his head. "Seems to be a tale every parent likes to tell their kids."

"Do you believe in it? That kind of stuff?"

Azeil tries not to noticeably tense up. "When you say 'that kind of stuff,' what exactly do you mean?"

Madison cocks her head to the side. "You know, the supernatural. Werewolves, Vampires, Witches... all of that. Do you believe it?"

She knows this topic is very far left, but that little town they were just in reminds her so much of the stories her mother would tell her, even down to the school. Everything, and everyone, seemed so... communal. Not in a weird cult way, though. It actually felt like a small community that many aren't aware exists. She watches his face, trying to gauge how he's feeling, but he has a good poker face.

"I would be ignorant to think there aren't different kinds of species walking this earth."

"So, you do believe?"

He glances at her again before returning his attention back to the road.

Madison can see the city lights in the far distance and didn't realize they've been in the car for an hour. He didn't answer her question, which she expected when she asked it. Honestly, she's not sure what it is about her questions that he deems insubstantial. She's determined to find out the answers to them sooner than later. There's no way she plans on being an employee of a person she doesn't know and who isn't willing to divulge. She settles back into the seat, once again welcoming the silence between them.

Azeil hears small snores coming from Madison and peaks over at her. He's happy she's succumbed to sleep. While her inquisitive mind is attractive, she was asking questions that, if he answered, would lead down a road she isn't ready for. It's interesting, however, that she knows 'The Tale of the Five Moons.' The story isn't one that humans generally know of, at least the real version of it, which leads him to question her mother's background. He's been so wrapped up in her, the thought that she may be something more than human hasn't crossed his mind. He makes a mental note to ask his historian to look up more information.

As they cross the bridge that leads to the city, he feels a small inkling of sadness. While their day spent together was primarily filled with him trying to convince her to work for him and riddled with random interjections, he enjoyed being around her. She has a spunk level he hasn't found in a woman for decades, if at all. It's refreshing. A part of him wants to take the long way to her house. However, what good would this do?

Quickly after the thought of prolonging his time with her crosses his mind, he realizes he isn't supposed to know where she lives. While he can act like he discovered her address from her employment papers, something about this explanation feels like it would spook her. That, plus, she can already sense when he lies or doesn't tell the full truth. He's already dug himself in a hole big enough to fit an army and would rather avoid digging it deeper.

Reaching over, he taps her shoulder lightly. "Hey. What's your address?"

Madison wakes from her slumber and looks around. She didn't realize she fell asleep. She looks at him wide-eyed, which causes a boisterous laugh to escape him.

"What's your address?"

She tells him her address and settles upright into her seat. "How long was I asleep for?"

"Not too long."

They turn down her street, which is surprising to Madison. Either she's super disoriented, or he just so happened to be by her apartment. "That was quick."

Azeil shrugs and awkwardly looks away from her. He parks the car in front of her apartment building and shuts off the engine.

As Madison reaches for her door, she notices Azeil reaches for his as well. "What are you doing?"

"Walking you to your door." He ignores the surprised look on her face and exits the car. Meeting her on the other side, he points his hand to the apartment entrance. "Lead the way."

Madison nervously walks in front of him, making her way inside the apartment building. While it's incredibly chivalrous of him, she's never been treated like this by any man besides Ryan. He's only a few steps behind her, and she once again feels the heat from his body. While off-putting at times, she's starting to welcome the comfort it brings her.

"The elevator's broken, so we'll have to take the stairs."

Azeil nods his head and follows closely behind her. As they pass the first floor, his nose catches a smell, and the hairs on his arms start to rise. He sniffs the air again, and his wolf growls: Rathu. Why is he here? Azeil is still waiting for Gino's report on him. However, he guesses that won't be necessary. By the time they make their way to her apartment floor, Rathu's scent is poignant.

"You have neighbors?"

Madison looks back at Azeil with an odd expression. What kind of question is that? Of course she has neighbors, as there are four apartments on her floor. She's about to slyly respond to him when Ryan's door opens, surprising her. She watches as his eyes cut to Azeil and change. A bit taken back by the look in them, she stops in her tracks.

"Is everything okay?"

Ryan looks at Madison and back to Azeil. What is he doing here? He notices Madison's body stiffen and tries to relax. However, nothing is relaxing about having a Were in his presence. Plus, Azeil isn't just any Were. He is Alpha of the second-longest Were lineage walking on Earth.

Clearing his throat, he forces a smile on his face and returns his attention to Madison. "Y-yes."

Madison warily returns the smile and continues walking toward her apartment door. She's not sure what's up with Ryan, and she isn't exactly fond of the way he was just staring at Azeil. While Madison has no claim over Azeil, she isn't about to let Ryan be rude to a man he doesn't even know. She opens her apartment door and moves to the side to let Azeil enter. Letting him inside definitely wasn't apart of her initial plan. However, she didn't want them to leave on an awkward note due to Ryan.

"Welcome to my humble abode."

Azeil looks around and exams her apartment. It fits her: a chaotic, contained mess. He watches as she nervously shuffles around, touching things, and smiles. She's cute when she's nervous. It's a welcoming distraction from what's happening outside of her door. He can feel Rathu's presence outside of the walls of her apartment, just standing and listening. He's alarmed a monster like Rathu is living close to his mate. While he wants to question her about Rathu, otherwise known as Ryan, he knows it's not his place... yet.

"If I'm making you nervous, I can leave."

Madison awkwardly looks at Azeil and smiles. She wasn't aware her nervousness was that palpable.

"No. It's okay. I just... I don't know. I guess I just wasn't exactly planning on inviting you in. My house is sort of a mess. You can have a seat, though, if you would like." She watches as his massive frame sits on her couch, it's cushioning squeaking from his weight. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Water is fine."

As she walks to the kitchen area, Madison tries to think of things to talk about. A part of her wants to ask him more questions about the town they just came from. However, an even bigger part of her wants to ask him about the silent exchange that just occurred between him and Ryan. Obviously, they know each other, but it seems Azeil was more surprised to see Ryan than Ryan was to see Azeil. This would explain why Ryan's disposition changed a few weeks back when she brought up Azeil's name. Madison is once again the only person in the room who doesn't know what's going on. She walks back and hands Azeil the glass of water before sitting beside him on the couch.

"So... are you going to tell me what just happened back there, or should I guess?"

Azeil almost chokes on the water from her question. He gathers himself together and places the glass on the coffee table in from of him. If he's honest with himself, he's not sure what to say. He can't disclose to her Rathu's true nature or the fact that he suspects Rathu has Moe locked in a warehouse. Or that Rathu's close proximity to her makes his wolf want to rip his throat out. Or the fact that he can feel Rathu lurking on the other side of her door. All of this is too much information for a human who hasn't been around other species besides humans. He's once again in a position of having to come up with some answer that's not a lie, but also not the full truth.

"We've met before."

Madison waits for him to explain further, but in pure Azeil fashion, he keeps it short and sweet.

"So, you're really just not going to be truthful with me?"

Azeil furrows his eyebrows together. "What's not truthful about what I said?"

Madison opens her mouth to answer but quickly closes it. He's right. Though she can sense his answer wasn't complete, she can also feel it wasn't a lie either.

"Fine. So how do you know Tiffany?"

"My sister." Madison waits for further explanation. Yet again, she's met with nothing.

"You... really don't like giving up too much info, do you?" She can see that he wants to tell her more and wonders what's holding him back. She can't imagine that any of his answers would surprise her.

"What's that?" He points to her necklace. She instinctively grabs it, fingering the intricate detailing.

"Oh. My mother gave this to me when I was a kid." She turns her body so that he can get a closer look and folds her feet under her. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Azeil nods his head and takes the emblem in his hand. This solidifies his thoughts about her mother. Wrapped around her neck is a sacred emblem from the Moor Tribe, the first lineage of Witches. It's circular, with a woman holding a staff, surrounded by five moons. He flips it around and sees the ancient scripture engraved in the metal. 'The Moor lives.' It's clear Madison isn't aware of her mother's true nature. But something isn't right. If her mother was a witch from the Moor lineage, he would've been able to sense that Madison is one as well. He flips the emblem around, re-examining the front, and transcribes the image in his head. He'll have to make a sketch and have one of his historians figure out what it means.

"It's beautiful."

Madison nods her head, taking another look at it. Truthfully, sometimes she forgets she even has it on. She remembers the day her mother gave it to her, telling her to always wear it to 'keep evil away.' Ever since that day, she's never taken it off. A part of her wants to attribute this to solely keeping her mother's promise. However, there's something about her mother's tone that day that makes her not want to play around with the idea of taking it off.

"Yes, it is. My mother was a beautiful woman..." She trails off a bit, thinking about her.

"What happened?"

Madison hesitates, which Azeil takes as a sign that this isn't a topic she's particularly fond of speaking about. He understands this feeling, as talking about his older brother is also a topic he avoids if he can.

He quickly adds, "Please don't feel pressured to tell me. You have no obligation to disclose."

Her body relaxes at this. Azeil only asked to see if her story aligns with the events that actually occurred. He remembers the day when the First Witch of the Moor died. His father called him into his office, his disposition grim. Azeil could tell that whatever he was about to hear wasn't going to be good news. His father didn't say much, just 'She's gone.' It didn't take Azeil longer than a few seconds to know who his father was referring to and what this meant for Weres. She was the last force keeping 'supernaturals' from eradicating each other. Losing her meant the treaty between day and night-walkers was no longer in effect. At that time, Weres had just recovered from civil war and were barely fully recovered. The vulnerability forced clans to come together for the greater good of the species.

"No, no. It's not that I'm uncomfortable talking about it. It's that I honestly don't remember. It's odd. I've always attributed it to the amount of stress I was under when I found out the news. But, I never even got one memory back. I just know the day of her death, and that's it."

Madison puts her head on her propped arm. "I guess whenever someone asks me, it just reminds me that I'll never get that memory back."

Azeil's eyes soften, which warms her. This is the first time since she's met him he doesn't look like he's going to shred someone to pieces. She takes this time to thoroughly examine his face. She knows she's said this to herself before, but he's genuinely handsome. His diamond-shaped face and high, sculpted cheekbones run down into his wide-set nose. Her eyes look at his full lips, which are surrounded by his neatly trimmed beard. What she would do to feel those lips against hers.

Azeil locks eyes with Madison and can feel himself gravitating toward her. He quickly averts his gaze to her lips, which are slightly parted. While not noticeable to the human eye, he can see the rise and fall of her chest deepen. He smiles at this. She can feel the magnetic pull between them as well. Though he would do anything to explore her on a more intimate level, there's still much that needs to be discussed, and most importantly, discovered. Her being a descendant of the Moors changes the playing field to levels he needs to prepare for.

Taking in a deep breath, he looks at his watch, pretending to be concerned with the time. "I believe I should be on my way."

Madison snaps out of her trance and sits back on the heels of her feet. She didn't even notice she was leaning towards him this whole time. She clears her throat and nervously pushes her hair from her face.

"Y-yes. It's getting a bit late."

They stare at each other for a moment longer until Azeil breaks his gaze. He needs to get out of her now until he does something he'll regret.

"Is next week, fine?" Madison looks at him in confusion. "For your start date. Next week?"

Her face softens once she registers what he is asking. She forgot that she's technically one of his employees. Here she is about to pounce on her boss. She scoots back on the couch a bit more, widening the distance between them.

"Yes. Next week is fine. Do you need anything from me... besides me?" Madison doesn't know what she's saying. She's never been one to blabber, at least not in her opinion, and here she is vomiting words out that barely make sense. She relaxes as he laughs.

"No. Just you. I'll have the car delivered in a couple days. I'll confirm with you it's delivery and send you all the details and paperwork."

Madison nods her head and watches as he stands. She stands up with him and awkwardly looks around as he straightens himself.

"Well, it was nice spending time with you. Today. And the job. It's nice too. Well, not just nice..." Madison stops herself from speaking further. Here she is with word vomit again. All she has to do is thank him for his time and the job, and yet, she can't even do this without tripping over her words.

Azeil feels her body heat up and smiles. She's nervous. He takes a step towards her, closing the gap between them. Her lavender scent fills his nostrils, which makes his wolf impatient. She's interesting. At one minute, she has a level of confidence that can match the cockiest person, and the next, she's fumbling over her words.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he nods his head in agreement. "Yes. It was nice. Please, let me know if you need anything between now and next week, yes?"

He waits until he receives an affirmation, then walks around her toward the door. As he's opening it, he hears a quiet click come from Rathu's door. He's been listening to them this entire time. It pains him to leave her, especially knowing what he knows now about her. If anyone discovered who she truly is, she'd immediately become a target. The fact that Rathu is interested in her leads Azeil to assume that he knows something. What exactly Rathu knows is what Azeil will have to find out.

He turns and looks down at her. "See you soon."

"Bye."

Her voice comes out breathy, causing his dick to jump. Goodness. If that's how she sounds with a little stimulation, he can only imagine the sounds that will escape her once they finally connect.

"Don't even try it."

The sound of Rathu's voice knocks Azeil out of his daydream. Rathu is leaning against the doorframe of his apartment, smiling at him scummily. Azeil sees Rathu's fangs appear and elongates his claws. If it's a fight Rathu is seeking, he's more than happy to deliver.