Carpathian Wolf: A BBW Wolf-Shifter Romance (Shift Your Fate Book 0.5) Read online

  “They’re very old and too degraded to be displayed in the church or the History Museum. See those carvings and how they appear on various stones? They are the emblems of the guilds.”

  “Fascinating!” She took a couple of close shots.

  “This one here shows that the person who died belonged to the Tailors’ Guild.” He pointed to a round, complex carving which had a pair of scissors as the central piece. “And this is the sign of the Goldsmiths’ Guild. Each guild had its own value case. They were these big wooden boxes decorated with the guild’s signs and emblems, where they kept their most prized possessions. Many of them are displayed inside the church, so we’ll go there after we see the cemetery.”

  “I never understood how the guilds worked in the Middle Ages.” Rebecca straightened her back and resumed walking down the alley.

  Emil fell in step with her. “Well, they were very important to the economy. The guilds of Segesvar, for instance, played an important commercial role in Central Europe. Of course, they can’t be compared to the guilds of… say… Florence, which ended up having a strong influence on the ruling class. Those really worked as secret societies.”

  “Oh, I love everything that has to do with secret societies! Tell me more!”

  For a second, Emil was mesmerized by Rebecca’s beautiful smile and wide, curious eyes. He blinked a couple of times to chase away the image of her naked body pinned underneath his, those pretty lips parted to welcome his kisses.

  “Well, if you truly want to know, there’s this one guild which eventually turned into a sort of assassin’s guild that hunted supernatural people.”

  Becca almost choked on sheer air. “You’re kiddin’ me!”

  Emil smiled, but there was something tense in his expression. “I’m just telling you the legends which have been circulating for centuries…”

  Rebecca thought back to Shift Your Fate for a moment, to Kassandra and her weird powers. The powers she claimed she had. Eventually, she encouraged Emil to continue. No, she didn’t believe in the supernatural, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy a good story.

  “There were seven major guilds in Florence, and they controlled the arts and trades from the 12th into the 16th century. Only one of them is still active, or so they say. In the Late Middle Ages, the Arte di Calimala, as they were called, took care of the woolen cloth trade, which was the engine that drove the city’s economy. That was why the guild members became rich and influential very quickly, to the point when they were the elite of Florence and some of their members turned to banking to better control and protect their activities as merchants. Legend has it that sometime in the 14th century, when witch hunts were at their peak all over Europe, the Calimala became much more than just a guild of merchants and bankers. They took it upon themselves to create a secret society that would hunt down supernatural people, such as witches, vampires and shape-shifters, to protect the human race.”

  Becca chuckled, but stopped herself before her chuckle became full blown laughter. “I’m sorry, I just feel like I’ve heard this story before. More like… read it in pretty much every modern fantasy novel.”

  Emil bit the inside of his cheek. What was he doing? What had he been thinking? Of course Rebecca Gilbert wouldn’t believe in shape-shifters. She was a modern woman, a successful chartered accountant who lived and ran her business in the heart of New York. What he was doing was silly, but deep down he knew he had to try. The last thing he needed right now was to complicate his life with a beautiful woman, but the wolf hiding underneath his skin kept howling and growling, urging him to tell her the truth. Why was the beast acting as if Rebecca was his fated mate? Shape-shifters didn’t believe in fated mates anymore. It was true he hadn’t met other shape-shifters since his real parents were killed, but it was something etched into his brain, like a universal memory passed on from the old shifters to their young pups. There were no wolf-shifters left in the Carpathian Mountains, so he had no one to ask. He could only rely on his natural instinct.

  “It is an interesting story, though,” Becca continued when she noticed Emil had fallen silent. “I’m sorry. I won’t interrupt you again.”

  “It’s okay. You’re right it’s a story that has been told one too many times.”

  “More the reason to believe there might be some truth in it…”

  Emil threw her a curious glance. Did she really mean that?

  “I mean… there’s no smoke without fire, right?” She offered him her cutest smile, feeling guilty for having been sarcastic earlier.

  “I guess there isn’t…”

  They walked in silence for a couple of minutes. While Rebecca was making good use of her expensive camera, Emil was thinking about the Calimala.

  “Wanna hear the rest of it?” He asked tentatively.

  “Sure! I was hoping the legend didn’t end so abruptly. You were saying these Calimala guys are still active today?”

  “Yes. But not as a merchants’ guild, of course. In the Late Middle Ages and during the Renascence they were pretty effective at cleaning Europe of supernatural people. Most of their victims were shape-shifters.”

  “Why shifters?”

  “They…” Emil swallowed hard and cursed himself for having almost said “we” instead of “they”. “They were never as good as vampires when it came to living in the shadows. Many shifters lived in packs, such as the wolves, or prides, such as the lions, so it was easy for the assassins of the Calimala to track them down. Many shifters fled Europe and settled in America when the continent was discovered. For a time, they were safe, but then the Calimala figured out their strategy and went after them. Today, it is said there aren’t many shifters left in Europe, but there are hundreds in America, still hiding from the Calimala.”

  Rebecca smiled at the crazy thought of shape-shifters in New York. What if the hot attorney who was her new client was actually a werewolf? Or a werebear? Maybe he was a member of the Calimala, why not? A cold-blooded assassin who dealt with divorce trials during the day, and hunted vampires and shifters at night.

  “Fascinating,” she said instead. “You know… someone should write a book about the Calimala Guild. I know there is enough literature about shifters.”

  “Oh, I bet someone has. After all, this is how secret societies stay secret while doing their thing in broad daylight: stories that give them an air of magic and legend which makes it difficult for people to believe them.”

  By the time Emil had finished telling her about shape-shifters and their worst enemies, the Calimala, they had already seen the entire cemetery.

  “Should we head back?” asked Rebecca.

  “Of course. Do you want to visit the church before lunch?”

  She checked her phone and smiled up at him. “Definitely! We can squeeze in at least one more hour of history and mythology!”

  ***

  Rebecca was a bit disappointed when Emil told her he couldn’t have lunch with her. She had really hoped they would spend the whole day together, so when he showed her one of the best restaurants in the central square and told her they would meet later by the Clock Tower, her appetite disappeared. It came back the moment the waitress brought her the pasta. She ate while checking her e-mails and social media accounts on her smartphone. She posted a couple of pictures, took some more from where she sat at the table, and tried not to think of Emil and his reasons for leaving her so unexpectedly.

  “After all, he is my guide. Nothing else,” she whispered to herself.

  But why would Emil Severin, the owner of the Weavers ’Inn and the Weavers’ Tour Company, waste his precious time showing her around the citadel? Surely, he had a bunch of people working for him. She could understand that he had worked as a tour guide when he was younger to help his parents with their business, but now she didn’t see any point in doing the job himself. Maybe he simply liked it. Or… liked her. She smiled at the thought, a warm feeling starting in her chest and spreading all over her body. She closed her eyes and pict
ured his gorgeous green eyes, his sensual lips, and those firm taut muscles… She shivered and reached for the glass of cold water.

  Some hours later, they met by the Clock Tower, the most notable landmark of Segesvar, and Emil took her up to visit the museum and see the medieval fortress from the highest level. By the time they were done, the sun was setting and Becca had taken more pictures than her friends in New York would ever have the patience to go through. Side by side, they walked back to the central square, neither of them in a hurry nor very willing to break the comfortable silence that had settled between them. They had known each other for only a couple of hours, but they already felt like they could spend an eternity in each other’s presence without getting bored.

  When she saw the familiar sign of the Weavers’ Inn, Rebecca’s stomach sank. And it wasn’t because it was way past dinner time and she was starving. She stopped before they entered the square and cleared her throat. It was now or never. She had no intention of having dinner alone, much less go back to her room alone.

  “So… I was thinking…” Emil fixed her with his bright green eyes and, for a second, she forgot what she wanted to say. “How about dinner? My treat. I mean… if you have time, of course. I just want to thank you for the tour. It was lovely.”

  Emil’s eyes softened. How could he refuse such an offer? Especially when it was coming from the sexiest woman he had ever met. He had wanted to join her for lunch too, but his wolf had howled so loudly at the perspective that he had suddenly decided it would be better to put some distance between the beast and the woman he craved. So, he had left Rebecca at the restaurant and gone for a quick hunt, far away from the citadel, deep into the forest, where people rarely ventured. The speed and the rush of adrenaline had calmed his wolf down, but now there was no way the beast would agree to be tamed in the same manner. It was time for Emil to give in to what his wolf wanted. And his wolf wanted Rebecca. Besides, he really did appreciate a woman who wasn’t afraid to break the ice.

  “How could I ever say ‘no’ to you?”

  Becca’s face lit up and she jumped in excitement, then giggled and blushed to the tips of her ears. She was acting and feeling like a teenager again, not like a 35-year-old experienced woman who had been burned one too many times. This man was so different from all the men she had dated before.

  “On one condition, though,” he added.

  “Oh… what condition?”

  “I did enough talking for today, so it’s your turn. I want to know everything about you.”

  “Huh. Even the dirtiest little secrets?” Her lips curved up in a wicked smile.

  “I expect you to start with those.”

  He winked at her and offered her his hand. Rebecca stared at it for a long moment, her mind barely processing the idea that Emil would take her hand for the first time and, hopefully, hold it in his the whole way to the restaurant. She took it and sighed softly when his big, calloused fingers closed around hers.

  “I’ll take you to my favorite restaurant.”

  For the thousandth time that day, Rebecca noticed how inconvenient it was that Segesvar was so small. It literally took them less than ten minutes to reach any place they wanted, and the same thing happened now, when her whole body was enjoying the warmth radiating from their joined hands. The restaurant was small, intimate, and there weren’t a lot of people on the terrace. In the middle of each table, there was an antique lamp with a single candle in it, and a small vase with a white dahlia. Becca had never been a romantic, but she had a feeling that seven days between the walls of this medieval fortress would change that forever. It was only her first day, and she was already so happy and relaxed to the point when she felt a bit lightheaded. They ordered the first two courses and Becca told the waitress she’ll think about the dessert. Waiting for the first course, Emil drank his beer and Becca took long sips from her apple cider.

  “So, what do you want to know?” she asked. She rather liked this little game they were playing. It told her Emil was truly interested, and that was crucial if she wanted to end up in his bed. Or Emil in hers.

  “Anything you are willing to share. I’m not picky.” He looked at her through his half empty glass. The small flame of the candle danced in her chocolate eyes as if her irises were its notion of home.

  “Well… Let’s see.” She pretended to be in deep thought. “I’m 35, I work as an account in New York, I used to travel a lot before the two companies I’m currently running took over my entire life, and… oh yeah! I’m single.” She offered him a large smile, hoping he would catch her not-so-subtle proposal.

  Emil smiled back, but didn’t make any obvious move. This woman intrigued him to no end.

  “About that… How come a beautiful and successful woman such as yourself be single?”

  Rebecca blushed at the simple, natural compliment. Yes, this kind of compliments she liked and could believe.

  “I could ask the same thing about you,” she said.

  Emil cocked and eyebrow. “Geez… I don’t know. I’ve been asking myself that for years. I am absolutely sure there’s a beautiful and successful woman hiding inside me. It blows my mind how people don’t see her.”

  Rebecca laughed and drank the rest of her cider. “Stop that. You know what I mean.”

  “I asked you first.”

  She bit the inside of her bottom lip while circling the edge of her empty glass with the tips of her fingers. It was a tough question. Did they really need to go into this topic?

  “I guess I just didn’t find the right guy.”

  “Nah. There must be more than that.”

  “All right.” She thought for a moment. “I am very busy. Sometimes, my day starts at 8 AM and ends at 9 PM, so I barely have time to throw my dinner in the microwave and take a shower before I crash. It’s one reason for which I’ve been unable to hold a serious relationship in the past five years.”

  “I honestly doubt it’s your fault.”

  “I didn’t say it was. I love my job and I’d never let anyone else run my accounting companies. I would, of course, find the time for a relationship if I found the right man. I am busy, but I’m not a workaholic. I know it takes two to make a relationship work and, eventually, build a family.”

  “So, you want a family…”

  “And children. At least one.”

  Emil smiled. She was perfect. Perfect for him and his wolf. Strong, confident, independent… He could trust this woman with his heart and soul. He could trust her with his pups, because he knew she would be a fantastic mother and wife. Sadly, his plans didn’t include a mate. Not yet.

  “What about you? Do you want to have children one day?”

  “More than anything in the world.” His voice, however, cracked imperceptibly. Why was he lying to her? There was something else he wanted more than anything in the world: revenge.

  Rebecca smiled. She would have loved to ask him more about his plans for the future, but she knew it was bad practice to talk about family and children on a first date. She had been on the dating scene for five years. She knew the unwritten rules.

  “Oh! And if you really want to know one of my biggest secrets… here it is…” She drummed her fingers on the table. “Ready for it?”

  He chuckled. “I don’t know… It sounds dangerous.”

  “And it is. You should be afraid. I can shut my mouth right this instant if you’re not ready.”

  He adjusted his position on the chair, leaning forward to look straight into her eyes. “I’ll take my chances.”

  “Okay. You asked for it.” She drummed her fingers on the table again. “I design my own dresses.”

  Emil’s hand flew to cover his mouth and his eyes grew wide with mock astonishment. “I don’t believe you!”

  “You’d better. Because I intend to wear one of them tomorrow night.” She threw a glance around her. “This place is nice.” She nodded in approval. “If you hold my hand tightly, I might actually be able to walk on high heels from the inn.�
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  Emil placed both his hands around his glass of cold beer. His shoulders slumped. He lowered his gaze and sighed.

  “What’s wrong?” Becca chewed on her lip. She saw the waitress coming with the first course, so she hurried to ask her question. “Did I say something inappropriate?” She knew she shouldn’t have been so bold. What kind of woman threw herself at a man like that? A confident, successful woman who had no patience for stupid rules. Oh yeah! Now she remembered: that was why she was single.

  The waitress placed the plates before them and Emil asked for another beer. Becca ordered water.

  “No, not at all,” he finally answered her question.

  “Then what is it? Look, I’m sorry… I just…” She took a deep breath. There was no point in hiding her intentions. After all, they weren’t children. “We’re both grown-ups, aren’t we?” She gave him a tentative smile. “I only met you yesterday, you gave me the most wonderful tour of the citadel, I realized I love spending time with you… so, I mean… why not? I’m single, you’re single. I like you, and I’m pretty sure you like me. I’m here on vacation. No strings attached.”

  Emil smiled bitterly. Normally, he wouldn’t have minded that. He had done it countless times. But there was something different about Rebecca. He could feel it; his wolf could smell it on her creamy white skin. He wanted to have her. He craved her body. His cock had been hard for the past few hours, and he knew she must have noticed the rather generous bulge in his jeans. But he couldn’t take her. Not now, not like this. Not yet. But if he didn’t do it now… If he didn’t do it tonight… then when?

  “Please say something,” she sighed. “I feel like a fool.”

  He reached to squeeze her hand on the table. “Rebecca… I’m leaving tomorrow.”

  “Leaving?” She felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water right on her head. “Leaving where? I thought the inn was yours… And the tour company.”