Marisa Chenery: Love Everlasting

With that one chance meeting, Brand had known she was the one meant for him—his mate. Back then, his wolf had thrown its head back inside him and had howled with longing. As it was doing right at this moment. Even though none of his other fellow warriors had yet to find their mates at that time, Brand had known what Elsa was to him. Only her age had stopped him from claiming her. Walking away from her that day had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, but that hadn’t stopped him from watching over her all these years to make sure she was protected and happy. He’d even gone so far to ensure her happiness by not interfering when he’d found out she’d become engaged. He would have let her marry another man if that had been what she truly wanted. He’d found out about her engagement six months before when he’d followed her to a local pub where she’d met up with a bunch of her friends to celebrate. It’d just about torn Brand’s heart out.

“Ah, thanks,” Elsa said. “Teddy was being a bit of a wanker.”

“No problem.”

They stood staring at each other for a couple of seconds before Elsa broke the silence. “Do I know you? You look awfully familiar.”

“No, you don’t.”

She smiled. “You don’t say much, do you?”

Brand shrugged. “Not really.”

“So you’re the strong, dark, and silent type. Nothing wrong with that. Must mean you’re more of a thinker.” She held out her hand. “I’m Elsa.”

He wrapped his much bigger one around hers, glorying in the feel of the skin-to-skin contact. His cock twitched, and he became semi-aroused. “Brand.”

“Well, Brand, it was nice to meet you.”

Elsa made to let go, but he didn’t release her. “Have a drink with me at the pub this afternoon.”

She hesitated for a few seconds before she nodded. “Sure. Why the hell not? I can drink to seeing the last of my asshole ex-fiancé while I’m at it. Tell me the time and the pub and I’ll be there.”

“How about the White Stallion? It’s just down the street from here. Around three?”

Elsa tugged her hand free once he loosened his grip. “Sure. Sounds good. See you then.”

Brand watched her walk back into her building before he went down the street. He didn’t go very far. He still had to watch over Elsa and, especially, make sure Teddy didn’t come back to bother her again.

Elsa closed her flat’s door behind her and locked it. She leaned against it with a big smile tugging at her lips. With a silly giggle, she ran to the window and looked down, hoping to catch another glimpse of Brand before he left, but he ended up being nowhere in sight.

She went to her bedroom and surveyed the mess she’d made while collecting Teddy’s clothes to throw out the window. She had to admit it had felt good watching them rain down on him. After a year and a half of being together, it just went to show Elsa really hadn’t known her ex-fiancé, after all. Never had she thought he would have broken their engagement to jump at the chance of getting back with his former girlfriend. She’d known Teddy and the girl had been in love—he’d told her that much—but she’d thought for sure he’d gotten over the woman and that he’d loved Elsa more. Boy had she been wrong. He’d dumped her and became engaged to his first love on the same day. That’d been a nice slap to Elsa’s face.

But things were looking up for her. Meeting Brand was exactly what she needed. In looks, Brand was all man with his big muscles and gruff, quiet exterior. Teddy had none of those things. Compared to Brand, Teddy came across as a wimp. He really hadn’t been the type of guy Elsa was attracted to. Now reflecting back, Teddy had just been comfortable to be with.

Brand, on the other hand, made her panties wet just from looking at him. He had past-the-shoulders black hair and dark blue eyes. She wanted to eat him up. Or at the very least lick every inch of his well-muscled, hard body. She also liked the fact he was really tall at six feet five. Teddy was only an inch and a half taller than her five foot five. It’d been pretty funny to watch her ex bounce off Brand’s chest.

Elsa set to work cleaning her bedroom. She’d also give her flat a bit of a cleaning, just in case she ended up inviting Brand over after their drink at the pub. Actually, if she had her way, he would be coming here. Even though it’d only been a couple of weeks since Teddy had broken things off with her, Elsa was more than ready to move on. And Brand looked as if he’d be the man to help her do that.

Her phone rang, and Elsa walked over to the nightstand to pick up the cordless. “Hello?”

“Hey, Elsa. How’s my little sis doing today?”

Elsa smiled at the sound of her sister’s voice. Renea was two years her senior. “Much better. Actually, a lot better.”

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve heard you sound this chipper since that fuckwad Teddy walked out on you. Something must have happened.”

That was her sister—she could swear with the best of them. She’d actually rubbed off a bit on Elsa, much to their mother’s disappointment. “More like a someone.”

“You met a new guy?”

“Yeah.”

“When did this happen? When we spoke yesterday, you were still cursing Teddy.”

“Oh, I did a little of that to his face when he came demanding his stuff back.” Elsa went on to explain what had happened with Teddy and how Brand had stepped in.

“He sounds delicious,” Renea said with a sigh. “If Brand happens to have any single friends, you can always send them my way.”

“I thought you and Jacob were still going strong.”

“That was last week. You know me. It doesn’t take much for me to get bored with a man and then move on to the next one.”

“I don’t think you’re ever going to settle down,” Elsa said with a laugh. “Mum bemoans that she’ll never have grandchildren since the two of us aren’t settling down.”

Renea chuckled. “And she’d had such high hopes for you once you became engaged to Teddy.”

“Well, I still have plenty of time. I’m only twenty-three. We both do. On that note, I’m going to let you go. I have to do a little cleaning up around here. I trashed my bedroom getting Teddy’s clothes out of it.”

Renea chuckled again. “I wish I could have been there to see his face when you shoved his things out the flat’s window at him. I’ll let you go, but I want details tomorrow on how your date went with Brand.”

“Will do. Talk to you tomorrow.”

Elsa ended the call, and then placed the cordless back on its base. Time was slipping away, and she had to get to work on the flat. Her thoughts on Brand, she straightened her room before attacking the living room.

At five to three that afternoon, Brand sat in his car parked at the side of the road just down from Elsa’s flat. He waited for her to come out of her building. Since the pub wasn’t that far from where she lived, he figured she might walk to the White Stallion. He’d already decided he’d let her get halfway there before he drove to the pub. That way he could watch her for a bit and then drive ahead to meet her when she arrived.

A minute later, Elsa stepped out onto the pavement. Brand sucked in a sharp breath at what she wore. She had on a pair of skinny blue jeans that were molded to her shapely, long legs. They also showed off her bottom in a way that had his cock going instantly hard. A lavender short-sleeved blouse and black high-heeled ankle boots completed the outfit. She was gorgeous. Brand let out a low growl as a man walked by her and then turned his head to take a second look as she went in the other direction.

After starting the car, Brand waited for an opening and then merged with the flow of traffic. He slowed a bit as he drove past Elsa. She didn’t look in his direction and kept walking. He arrived at the pub and parked in the lot next to the building. He got out of the car and headed toward the front entrance, pushing the remote on his keychain to lock the vehicle’s doors.