Be My Valentine

Dearest, You Promised - K. L. Kramarich

It wasn't supposed to have happened this way. It was supposed to have been a nice little Valentine's Day getaway with the love of my life. But, nope. Here we sit inside the ambulance covered in bandages and emergency blankets. Red lights and flares flashed off of the snowy trees and reflected in the pools of water left from the fire hoses. The fire personnel battled the blazing inferno consuming the old, run-down cabin to no avail. The flames would win this one. The cabin and every romantic idea that would have transpired in it...gone.

I might as well get ready to give the Blackwater Canyon Police my statement. I've been on this side of things one too many times. I prefer to be in charge...but, being in charge is what got me and my beautiful mate in this fiasco.

Six hours earlier...

Light snow fell on our peaceful drive to the Blackwater Canyon Spa Retreat. I received a voucher for my birthday from a colleague who is no longer with us. It was a nice gesture from him. The pain in the ass is missed at the police department. My gray Nissan Rogue crept slowly through the narrow slush covered roads. Our bags were packed in stuffed into the hatch. A four-day and three-night getaway was just what we needed after the craziness from the past weeks' events.

My beautiful mate Tiffeny sat in the passenger seat content watching the snow gently fall. Holding her hand with one of mine and gripping the steering wheel with the other, my thoughts drifted back to when we first met. I could barely feel anything—mate-wise. But now, the tingles and her sensual scent have been getting stronger each day. I plan to fully make her mine. Sometimes you just have to take charge and go after the things you want. Or so says, Mr. Dylan Blackwater. He seems like a knowledgeable guy. Although, his brashness has gotten him into a heap of trouble. But, I'm not him--I'm me!

Thankfully, I was able to keep my mind and the Rogue from wandering off the road before getting to our destination. A little background on the area. It's technically more of a gorge than an actual canyon. Blackwater Canyon sounds better than Blackwater Gorge. The large modern-style lodge stood in stark contrast with its surroundings. The lights illuminated the large sign--BLACKWATER CANYON SPA RETREAT—in large brass letters. Cutesy Valentine's Day hearts and streamers decorated the sign. All weather-proof, of course.

Turning the Rogue slowly into the long driveway, my hands become sweaty. A goofy grin plastered on my face gave away my dirty thoughts to my beautiful mate. Her infectious laugh filled the entire interior of my Rogue. She was already thinking the same. We both can't wait until we get to our room. Wiggle the eyebrows. A valet was waiting by the large regal glass doors when we pulled up to the curb.

“Good afternoon. Welcome to Blackwater Canyon Spa Retreat,” the valet stated in a chipper voice. “May I assist you with your luggage and park your vehicle?”

"Sure, why the hell not," I answered a bit more smugly than I intended. Handing him the key fob and a fifty-dollar bill for his trouble, I accidentally shoved him. He fell backward, splashing into a pool of freshly melted snow. The key fob went flying out of his hand and landed in a small snow pile. The money he held tightly in his grip. Tiffeny moved out of my Rogue and rushed over to help the valet up while I search the snow pile for the key fob. I hope this isn't a sign of how the weekend will go. Ever since my wolf reawakened, It has been a struggle to keep him under control. It's like I'm a lanky teenager who recently got their wolf...all over again. Yay, me.

“We are so sorry. Here let me help you up,” my beautiful mate apologized extending her hand to him. He gladly accepted the help and took my mate's hand. When he was back on his feet, he brushed the dirt off of himself. After finding the key fob, I gently placed it into his hand.

“No problem. It happens all the time,” he said still in his usual chipper voice. His genuine smile never left his face as he directed us to the doorman. Stepping through the glass door held open for us, the opulence of the retreat smacked us hard in the face.

"Woo," we whistled in unison.

Gold accents, as far as the eyes could see, dotted every nook and cranny. Polished marble floors reflected the lights from the large chandeliers hanging overhead. Tiffeny and I made our way to the grand solid oak front desk to check-in. Being out of town and not running in the same social circles has disadvantages. My beautiful mate and I stood there waiting at least thirty minutes, making me irritated. My wolf started to surface—not the best time. My hands turned into elongated paws as my claws dug into the front desk.

“CAN WE GET SOME SERVICE HERE?!” my wolf growled out. The Alpha aura oozed off of me. The receptionist immediately dropped her cell phone and took notice of us. I hate acting like one of those Alphas! Thank the Moon, my beautiful mate's soft touch helped to calm me down.

"Uh...uh...I-I'm so...sorry...sir," the receptionist stuttered an apology. After getting a glance at our appearance, she quickly recovered. "How can I help you? Are you two lost? Do you need directions back to the interstate?" She rattled off haughtily. My claws were still gripping the top of the counter. It didn't take much to rip pieces off of it.

"Uh, sorry," I mumbled, stepping backward. I'm appalled by my behavior. I didn't look to see if anyone was behind me—there was. I bumped roughly into a well-dressed lady sending her into an employee serving expensive champagne. The tray with the fancy beverage flew and crashed onto the marble floor making it slick. A businessman talking on his cell phone and not giving attention to his surroundings slipped on the spilled liquid. On his way down, he carelessly grabbed hold of a loosely fitted bathrobe on another patron—a female, ripping it off of her. She ran screaming into the nearest nook to hide but bumped into another employee, sending her to the floor instead. The female patron turned red—all over. Oops. Tiffeny, my beautiful mate, watched the whole fiasco unfold. She buried her head into my bicep, trying to contain her laughter. It sounded like a muffled snort.

During all the commotion, the retreat's manager stomped out of her office. Her face was reddened by anger. Dear, g-ddess, it was my ex-girlfriend—as if, everything wasn't awkward already.

"Who or what is the cause for all of this racket?" she bellowed out. I sheepishly placed the broken countertop pieces on top of the front desk.

"Sorry, my fault," I mumbled through my half-smile. Tiffeny gave me her "Hanna look".

"What seems to be the problem?" the manager inquired looking down her turned-up nose at us. Tiffeny went into her manager mode to address our "problem" with the retreat.

"We have reservations for here. Sadly, and unfortunately for your customer service, we waited a half hour before we were acknowledged," she sharply explained the situation while she handed over the voucher. My ex-girlfriend, the manager, took the voucher from Tiffeny's hand. She gave it a good look over verifying its authenticity.

“Hmm,” she grunted. “Let me check the system to make sure your reservations are set.”

After many, hmm's and grunts, my ex-girlfriend (sorry, I forgot her name) said, "Ah, yes, here we are. A reservation for two under the name Micah Black made by Roger Oren."

"Yes, that is correct. Thank you," my beautiful mate politely replied.

"Ah, I see," the manager began, "There seems to be a problem with this reservation. I don't know how it happened, but we are overbooked. You, unfortunately, will have to come back at another date.”

"Excuse me? When do you suggest we come back? When the voucher is expired?" Tiffeny firmly questioned my ex. "That's not gonna work, Ma'am. The voucher was fully paid for, was it not?"

“Yes, it was,” the manager answered.

"So, what can you do to correct your mistake?" my beautiful mate inquired.

She wasn't taking no for an answer. She still owes me her birthday gift to me.

"Right...let me see," the manager replied, typing into the computer console, "Ah, I think I found a substitute...if it would be fine with you."

We nodded yes.

"It's a secluded cabin not too far from here. It's on the property, so we will attend to your needs as needed. It's on the rustic side if you like that style?"

"That sounds wonderful," my mate gushed, "Thank you."

“We can have you shuttled out to it in the next hour?”

Two hours later...

The shuttle service dropped my mate and me off in front of an extremely "rustic" cabin. Looking at it, it would collapse if you blew on it the right way. Can't get more rustic than that, right?

"We'll bring your luggage out...as soon as we find it," the driver mumbled quietly.

Great.

Tiffeny, my beautiful mate, not missing a beat, snuggled into my arms and pressed herself against my fit torso.

"It'll be fine, Mike," my mate reassured me.

Reaching up to pull me closer for a passionate kiss, her soft lips kept in sync with mine. Each kiss became deepened and more meaningful than the one before it.

Sometime later...

I wasn't sure how long we were making out with each other before other vehicles pulled up. We were so engrossed with one another; we completely ignored the banging of the vans' doors. We could hear someone giving orders to other employees.

“Robin, place their luggage on the porch. Watch out for the holes,” the one in charge barked out. “Jonah, take the cooler and stick it in the cabin. Lily and Maggie, please, get the bedding and other amenities in place. Please check and make sure all of the appliances are in working order. I think the knobs on the gas stove stick.”

“We're on it, boss!” the employees shouted in unison. Someone muttered, “Is it safe for them to be here? I thought this cabin was marked condemned.”

Tiffeny and I found a bench. We brushed off the snow and then sat. While we waited for the cabin to be ready, we snuggled and watched the snow gently fall to the ground. Some of the snow clouds cleared, revealing the starry night sky above.

When the employees were finished with tasks, the boss man hollered over to us, "Everything is set up and ready for you. We'll be back in the morning to clean up. Enjoy your evening!" He and the retreat's employees got into the vans and drove away. My beautiful mate and I were finally alone—at last. We strolled to the cabin. It looked worse up close. The abode was neither qualified for shabby-chic nor cute and quaint. Everything about it screamed outdated and a disaster waiting to happen. It's a good thing "proceed with caution" is ingrained in me—all thanks to the training I received from the police academy.

I carefully placed my size seventeen feet on the porch. It creaked and groaned under my weight. We managed to avoid the holes. Peeking through one of them, shadows from small furry rodents moved underneath the foundation. I'm not going to let them ruin my weekend. With one quick swoop, I picked up my mate and carried her bridal style carefully across the threshold. I maneuvered carefully through the maze of old furniture and lit candles and placed my beautiful mate on the large quilt-covered bed. We removed our outer jackets and tossed them onto the floor. Our lips immediately found each other. After some time, we caught our breaths. I looked into my mate's beautiful honey-brown eyes and said, "I'm going to give you a Valentine's Day to remember."

"I'm all ready, Mike," she seductively whispered as she placed kisses along my jawline while unbuttoning my dress shirt. A low satisfying growl rumbled from my chest. Taking the hint, I helped her out of her clothing and gently laid her down between the sheets. Now, please forgive me, if I leave out some intimate details. I'm only protecting my mate's dignity. She loves me for it. Our bodies moved in rhythmic harmony. At the right moment, my canines extended and sunk intimately into Tiffeny's crook leaving my mark. She is officially mine!

A tiny squeak and shuffle interrupted our moment. We looked toward the sound and saw a raccoon on the candle-lit table. Getting startled by our sudden movement, its impromptu meal came to an abrupt end. The trash bandit jumped from the table knocking over some candles. Some blew out falling completely over. The other ones stayed lit and landed near a fancy folded napkin—setting it on fire. The weight of the flame sent the napkin onto the tablecloth igniting it. We quickly deduced our predicament.

"Mike," Tiffeny warbled in panic tones. With no time to spare, I threw the sheet around my mate and tossed her over my shoulder. I carefully and quickly moved toward the door—just in time. By the time we stepped off of the porch, the fire spread throughout the old cabin. Hissing from the gas line told us that it was going to blow. Seconds later it did just that. The force from the blast sent us forward into the snow-covered ground. We rolled a few feet before coming to a stop.

Present time...

So, here we sit inside the ambulance, covered with bandages and blankets. My beautiful mate placed her head on my shoulder...carefully. I carefully wrapped one arm around her.

“Well, dearest, you said this would be a Valentine's Day to remember,” she stated, looking into my eyes.

“Have I done well?” I asked, placing soft kisses on her forehead.

"Yes—it has been quite rememberable," my beautiful mate declared. We looked out toward the starry sky enjoying the view. Tiffeny is officially mine! My mark looks like it has always belonged to her.

“I love you, my Luna,” I whispered into her hair.

“I love you, my Alpha,” Tiffeny whispered back, nestling into my arm.

The End

FB account: Kelsey Lynn Kramarich

Pen names: (Dreame) kramarich93.stary (Inkitt) KramarichKL_93

Work:

Alpha Micah Black: Werewolf Detective