Finding His Mate Ch. 05

Loud rock music fills Rathu's ears as he enters the bar. It's Thursday night. The only plans he has are finding this Alessia character and squeezing whatever information he can get out of her. He looks around the dark interior and narrows his eyes on the bartender. Per Moe, all he has to do is ask for 'A,' and he'll find her. Walking to the bar, he taps on the countertop, signaling for the bartender's attention.

"What can I get for you, hun?"

"A. I need to speak with A."

The bartender hesitates for a moment, then nods her head. Rathu watches as she walks toward the bar's far corner to a woman wearing a black, large brimmed hat. The woman looks up at him briefly before looking back at the bartender and nodding her head. The bartender returns to where he's standing at the bar and slides him a shot of whiskey.

"It's on the house. She'll see you now."

Rathu takes the shot glass, nods his head in 'thanks,' then makes his way over. As he's walking, he locks eyes with a few women and licks his lips. It's been a while since he's feasted on human blood, and he wouldn't mind the treat tonight, especially if his plan succeeds. He reaches 'A' and sits down on the barstool beside her.

"So. What do you want with me, Dracula?"

Rathu chuckles and takes a sip of his whiskey. She has spunk. "Well... this depends on what you're willing to give up?"

She looks over at him and flashes her fangs, to which Rathu brushes off. He's not sure what's up with Weres thinking that somehow flashing their little teeth is scary.

"You have five seconds to speak, or I'll rip your throat out."

He throws his hands up in fake defense. "My, my. You're just as short-tempered as Azeil." He smiles as her body tenses up at Azeil's name. "Ah, so you know him?"

"Know him? He was practically my mate at one point."

She trails off and stares into her glass. This isn't the information Rathu was expecting to hear from Alessia. However, he's certainly going to use this to his advantage. To think that Azeil should've mated with her, and yet, he's running around trying to claim Madison. He'll have to find a way to use this to drive a wedge between the two of them.

"So I can assume you're not fond of Madison, hm?" She looks over at him in shock. "You didn't think I came to this dump just to 'talk,' did you? You know information that can help me, and I have something that could help you get that dog back so that you both can do whatever dogs do."

Alessia's look changes to curiosity, which slightly amazes Rathu. Here he thought he'd have to do more convincing and all he had to do was offer her empty promises? Even more reason why Weres are a weak species. So gullible.

He reaches into his pocket and places a brown vial in front of her. "This here is called 'Succumbus Love.' You drink it, turn into anyone you would like for thirty minutes, and return to yourself. Kind of like Cinderella. In your case, I suspect you would use this to... seduce."

He watches her as she picks up the bottle, shaking the thick liquid inside. "And what do you want from me?"

"The Tazot staff."

Her eyebrows bunch together in confusion. "The Tazot staff? Why would you need that?"

Rathu looks ahead and takes a sip of his drink. "I have my reasons."

"So I get you the staff, and that's it?"

He nods his head and waits. It seems she's contemplating something else. "You're pondering."

She hesitates briefly before speaking. "I want her gone. This Madison girl. For as long as she's around, he'll never truly be mine."

Rathu clenches his jaw. Interesting that a mere wolf like her would think she's entitled to a request such as the one she just asked him. Kill Madison? He'd never do that. Hell could freeze over a million times, and yet, he'd ensure she's protected.

"I'd caution how you speak of her, Alessia. You wouldn't want to anger the wrong person, now would you, hm?" He taps his claw on the bar top and flashes his fangs. She shifts her body to the edge of the barstool, noticeable uncomfortable.

Taking the vial and stuffing it into her pocket, she stands and tips her hat at him. "I'll have it to you soon. Where should we meet up?"

Rathu shakes his head. "No need for that. I'll know where to find you."

As she begins to walk away, he grabs her wrist. Digging his claws into her skin, he looks into her eyes. "Don't try to double-cross me. I've been itching to kill a Were with my bare hands since the treaty was broken, and I wouldn't want someone as beautiful as yourself being my first victim."

He waits until she nods her head, then releases her. As he watches her frame leave the bar, he has this feeling his 'deal' with her isn't going to be as straightforward as she makes it seem. Obviously, she has feelings for Azeil, and with those feelings comes a natural duty to protect him. While she may indeed get him the staff, he'll have to prepare for the repercussions that come with it, namely Azeil and the Tazot clan.

Finishing his drink, he looks at the time on his phone. Since Madison's started her new job, he hasn't gotten a chance to relax with her. He sends her a quick message, seeing if she's up, and smiles when she immediately responds. Taking one last look around, Rathu smiles at the ladies who have been staring at him since he'd walked in and walks past them. While he could use a good feast, he needs to take things a bit further with Madison, especially now since Alessia is slightly on board. He exits the bar and makes his way over to her art studio.

************

Madison tilts her head to the side and narrows her eyes. She's been working her ass off creating new pieces for the art exhibit, and yet, she's still stuck on her one piece of the wolf. While she attributes some of this to 'artist block,' the other half has to do with her inability to take her mind off Azeil, and she hates this. It's starting to feel like he's all she thinks about every day. She especially hates when her mind drifts to the sex they had. There was something about it that overtook her. Mid-way through, it started to become more than just sex between them. It was like she could feel him, all of him, and all she wanted was for him to take her. Madison's honestly surprised she even followed through with it, but all she could think about the entire time she was in his office were Tiffany's words.

"You don't have to know someone, to know them. Gotta love Tiff."

She leans back and sighs. She's never going to get these eyes right. At first, she thought they should resemble Azeil's. However, upon painting Azeil's, they weren't the perfect fit. His are too direct and commanding. The eyes she envisions this wolf having are aged and softer. They're of someone who has endured much pain.

The bell on top of her door rings. "That was quick, Ry-Ry."

"Oh... I'm sorry. I'm looking for Madison."

Madison peeks over the canvas and squints her eyes. What's 'Dan the Pizza Man' doing in her art studio. She places her paintbrush and pan down the stands up from her chair.

"Dan? The pizza guy, right? What are you doing here? Not to be rude! It's just- I didn't expect you."

His baritone laugh fills the space between them. "I was just walking past from work and saw you working inside. My apologies if I'm interrupting, I can leave."

She waves him off and shakes her head. "No, no. You're fine. I sense there's also another reason you're here, though."

He smiles brightly and nods his head. "Indeed, I am. Daniel. Daniel Rue."

Madison nervously looks down at his outstretched hand. Holy shit, this is Daniel Rue! How did he find her? Why is he here? Why is he also 'Dan the Pizza Man'?" A million questions are swimming in her head as she tries to process his presence.

"I-I don't know what to say. It's a pleasure to meet you." She shakes his hand, and nervously looks around. "Please have a look around, if you would like."

Madison watches as he walks around, taking in her pieces. His back is to her, so she cannot gauge how he feels about them, but based upon the occasional noises he's making, she figures they aren't terrible.

"These are good. You have talent."

Madison nervously smiles. "Thanks. I appreciate it. And thank you for the spot in the exhibit as well. I know it must've taken much trust in Tiffany for you to go by her word alone."

Daniel shakes his head. "Trust me. She was very convincing. She's a good friend."

He stares into her eyes as if he's searching for something. What's he looking for? Madison uses this awkward moment between them to take in his face. Tiffany was right with her description of him. He also favors Azeil in a familial way. They both have the same lips, nose, and bone structure. She wonders if Azeil knows he has a doppelganger walking around who resembles him and has a name close to his brother's.

"Are you ready for the show?"

Madison shakes herself out of her daydream and nods her head. "As ready as I'm ever going to be. I'm excited people will get the chance to see my work finally, but nervous of their critiques, you know?"

He blows out a breath and shakes his head. "You'll be fine. Tru-"

He stops mid-sentence as if he senses something or someone. Madison may be seeing things, but she's sure he smelled the air around them. She looks around, thinking there's someone in the studio with them, and wonders what's up?

"I should get going. See you around."

He rushes out the door before Madison can say goodbye, leaving her a bit confused. What was that all about? The bell above her door rings again.

"Did you leav-. Oh, hey, Ry!"

Rathu smiles and looks around. "I'm sorry. Were you expecting someone else?"

He walks further inside and places down the bottles of wine and food he picked up along the way on a nearby table. Rathu knows how much Madison prefers creating while a bit drunk and figured she would appreciate his thoughtfulness.

"No. No. The pizza guy, who happens to be the man who operates the 'Uptown Arts' annual exhibit, was just in here. He left on an odd note. You may have seen him. He rushed out right before you walked in."

Rathu smells the air and furrows his brows. He doesn't smell him in the air and definitely would have seen him on his way out. This is a new development. Rathu knows he's half-Were and something else. Initially, he was thinking Angel. However, with this combined ability to mask his scent, him being an Angel is out of the question.

"Ooo, Red. You know me too well."

Rathu nods his head and hands her the wine opener. "You need this. You've been tense for weeks."

Madison groans and pulls the cork of the wine bottle out. Taking a mouthful of the wine, she swallows and nods her head. "Don't remind me. Things have been agitating these last couple of weeks. So much has happened."

Her mind immediately thinks of Azeil, flashing a snapshot of him between her legs. She feels herself starting to get turned on and drinks more wine. She needs to find something to keep her mind off him. "How have you been?"

Rathu catches her arousal and grinds his teeth. He isn't the subject matter causing her body to react this way, which means there's only one other person of interest. What has the dog done to her? He sniffs her body and doesn't smell wolf on her, ruling out the possibility that they've mated. Unfortunately, he would have to be directly between their legs to find the only other probability. This isn't good. He hopes Alessia follows through with whatever it is she needs to do with Azeil so that he can finally be with Madison.

"I've been good. A little bit of this. A little bit of that."

"And a whole 'lotta smoke. You smell like a dive bar. What were you doing? Scoping out for your next victim?"

Rathu chuckles and drinks some of the wine. If only she knew the truth in what she just said.

"I'm hurt. Victim? Ladies love me, Maddy." He pauses for a moment and looks at the ground. "I did, however, meet someone I was thinking about taking home. Her name's Alessia."

She stops what she's doing and looks down at the ground, filling Rathu with a bit of accomplishment. He's got her. He knows it's risky to bring up Alessia, a woman she knows is interested in Azeil; however, he needs to up his game to get her. Her feelings may be hurt in the process, but that's the name of the game right now. He needs to rip the bandaid off.

He continues, "She was telling me all about this guy she's fucking and in love with. We talked about how they were supposed to get married. They got in a fight, and he's trying to find her to apologize, blah, blah. Way too much. Pretty girl, but I wasn't about to be somebody's shoulder to cry on, you know?"

A pain shoots through Madison as what Ryan just told her registers. How could she be so stupid? Although there is a chance the Alessia he's speaking on isn't the Alessia she knows of, what are the real possibilities of this? She closes her eyes and tries to calm herself. Ryan can be wrong. She doesn't believe Azeil would ever do something like that to any woman. There's more to this.

"Yea? Well, I hope she figures her situation out." Madison flashes him a quick smile before moving behind the canvas to continue working.

That isn't the reaction he was expecting. He was hoping Madison would show a bit more signs of disbelief, and her not doing so means there's a fair bit of trust between them. He'll have to rework his strategy since this is not the angle he should take.

Clearing his throat, he nods in agreement. "You and me both. She talked my ear off. Kind of reminded me of you."

He laughs as Madison frowns up her face and shoots him a look over the canvas. There she goes. He needed to find a way to recover from his failure, and the best way to do that is to get under her skin about something that irritates her, and being compared to someone else is something Madison hates with a passion.

"Don't do that. I can put money down that I don't look or act like her." Madison flings the paint on her paintbrush at him and laughs.

"I mean,... you look better than her. That's for sure." He takes another swig of the wine and stares at her. She doesn't acknowledge what he said but instead continues painting. He takes this silence between them to look around. Madison is talented beyond measure. He's never understood her hesitancy regarding her work but figures her reasoning behind it runs deeper than what she says.

He stops in front of one of her pieces and smiles. "When did you paint this?"

Madison smirks, then shrugs her shoulders. "A couple of days ago. I assume you like it?"

Rathu nods his head and looks back at the painting. On the canvas is a picture of him. He doesn't remember where this snapshot is from, but it speaks volumes for her to recall it in such detail. It's an intimate gesture that doesn't go unnoticed for him.

"Will this be in your collection? For the art show?"

Madison stops what she's doing and shrugs her shoulders. "I was thinking about it. I'm not sure what the theme of my paintings is going to be just yet."

"Well... what were you thinking?" He grabs one of the stools and pulls it beside her. She's painting a wolf, which is odd to him. At first glance, he assumed it was of Azeil. However, she doesn't know what his wolf looks like. At least, he doesn't think she knows. He stares at the painting a bit longer. He's seen this wolf centuries ago but can't pinpoint who it is.

"Um... At first, I was thinking of something abstract and out there. However, I think it's going to be simple and just be of the things I care about."

"Will you draw your mother?"

A gleam of sadness crosses her eyes for a moment before her expression turns stoic. Rathu knows this is a sensitive topic. However, he's never actually seen a picture of her mother. Ever. Even in her apartment, there are no personal pictures. He, of course, has seen Zimara. However, it wouldn't hurt to have further confirmation.

"I-I don't know. Each time I think about her, I'm overwhelmed with emotions. I'm not sure what sharing her with everyone will unlock."

Madison looks over at Ryan, who is staring at her intently. It's odd. He's never asked about her mother before. He always avoids the topic in general or quickly changes the subject. For him to dig deeper must mean he's at least a bit curious now.

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. When you stated the things you care about, your mother popped into my head. By your looks alone, I'm sure she was stunning."

He continues gazing at her, entranced by her eyes. Glancing down at her lips, he licks his. He needs to know what they feel like. The thought that Azeil accomplished such a feat fills him with a level of jealously he didn't think he could attain. Rathu feels himself leaning toward her but is suddenly unable to go any further. He tries to lean forward again but is stopped by some kind of force.

What's happening? Madison has resumed painting at this point, completely unaware. He moves to place his hand on her thigh but is again met by an invisible force. Incredible! Whether she knows it or not, she's putting up some kind of force field around herself. She's right when she says speaking of her mother will unlock emotions. He wonders what other powers she has.

Clearing his throat, he grabs the bottle of wine and takes a sip before offering it to Madison, who also takes a drink.

"I think you should do it. Maybe it'll bring some kind of healing for you. You don't talk about your mother often."

Madison hands the bottle of wine back to Ryan and sighs. Hunching her back, she bites her lower lip. "I guess you're right. I don't talk about her enough. Well, I talk about her to Tiffany, but she's honestly the only person I'm able to have that conversation with."

She looks up as the bell above her door once again signals someone entering and smiles.

"Hey, hey, hey. I knew I would find you here." Looking over at Ryan, Tiffany scowls. "What are you doing here?"

Madison rolls her eyes and continues painting. Here these two go about to start throwing insults at each other.

"I don't understand why you two can't just get along for once." Madison starts to feel the wine kicking in and puts down the paintbrush. She's not getting anywhere with this piece and isn't about to keep forcing it.

"Yes, Tiffany. Why is it that you don't like me?" Ryan smirks at Tiffany, who flashes him her middle finger.

"Do I really need a reason? Just look at you."

"Hey, hey. Be nice, Tiff."

Rathu shakes his head and stands up. He's not about to go back and forth with her, and quite frankly, is irritated that she's even here. He has a feeling he was reaching some kind of breakthrough with Madison, and here Tiffany had to go intruding on their time.

"I think I'm going to head out." Grabbing his coat, he turns toward Madison. "I'll see you later."

Madison watches as Ryan leaves and sighs. She admits she was a bit rude to him, but his question was just off-putting. This, coupled with the fact that he dropped Alessia's name, isn't 'typical' Ryan. There's something else going on, but she doesn't understand what.

"I really can't stand him."

Madison smiles, then shakes her head. "Tiff, you are so mean to him."

"Yeah, well, maybe if he just stopped existing, I wouldn't be. Anyway. That's not why I'm here. How did your first day go?"

Madison nervously looks away, trying to hold back her smile. "It was cool. The kids are amazing. I met Mira, and she's really cool. Everything was cool."

"Mm-hm. How many times are you going to say cool? Spill it." Madison looks at her with wide-eyes. How does Tiffany always know when she's lying? "Yes. Spill it. I know you too well, Madison."

Picking up the wine bottle, she finishes it and closes her eyes. "I fucked him."

"No!"

"Yes." Covering her face, she groans into her hands.