Cupcakes Ch. 08

When Georgia left the clinic she was weak and sore, clutching an inflatable donut shaped pillow and a bottle of pain medicine to keep her comfortable. Rig had gotten her out to the truck and on the road as quickly as possible, pausing just long enough for his mom and sisters to hug her gently and wish her well.

The ride back into the city was quiet. George kept her head turned for most of the trip watching the scenery go by, lost in thought. Rig watched her from the corner of his eye. She was sending out clear "give me space" signals, and he was trying to respect that.

In the space of just a few days her whole world had been turned upside down. One day she was a lonely graphic designer, getting by as best she could but always feeling an emptiness inside. She thought about what Karen had told her about fated mates. Rig filled that emptiness, he had from the very moment they'd met.

Werewolves were real. That was pretty big. She sat with that thought for awhile as the forest gave way to the suburbs surrounding Denver. Werewolves were real and she was in love with one.

She sat up, looking over at Rig.

"What?" He asked, alarmed by the look on her face. "Are you ok? Do I need to pull over?"

"No, No," She slumped back against the door, "I was just thinking."

"That must be some pretty serious thinking." He prompted gently but she just nodded and watched the traffic as they came in to the city.

"Are you going to stay with me?"

His heart sped up, he had prepared himself for her dismissing him at the door, it was too much to hope for that she still wanted him to stay.

"If you'd like me to. No pressure, but I'd love to be with you to help any way I can."

She didn't say anything for awhile. Yes she wanted him to stay. Her feelings on the matter were quite clear and it was confusing as hell. There was an intense battle raging between her heart and her head. She didn't want him to leave, but to be so attached to someone she barely knew seemed completely wrong and illogical.

Then there was the mate problem. Rig apparently believed she was fated to be his mate. Was he actually interested in her or was he just deluded by his belief in the romantic notion of fate? If you removed the supernatural element would he have ever given a girl like her a second look?

Georgia couldn't help worrying over the idea because she had to admit that in the brief time she'd know him she'd fallen for him hard. He was everything she'd always wanted. Well, aside from being a mythical monster that is.

So what happened when he realized he'd made a mistake? She'd be left heartbroken and lonelier than she'd ever been.

Rig tried to concentrate of traffic but kept stealing glances at Georgia. She was obviously working through something, the emotions playing across her face as she worked through whatever was on her mind.

He changed lanes and signaled to take her exit.

"We should stop by the grocery store, there's not much food in my apartment." She said it so casually but the implication made him giddy.

"No ma'am, doctor's orders are for you to get home, dose up on the pain meds and rest. Once you're settled I can run to the store."

She sighed but smiled at him, "I'll admit I don't relish the idea of walking around much right now. Home and couch and something on Netflix sounds wonderful."

"Good, then it's settled. You'll behave and let me take care of you."

She snorted and shook her head. He looked way to pleased with himself. All her worries and insecurities kept crashing up against the sincerity of his affection. He didn't seem to be forcing it or playing at wanting her.

The tension between them somewhat relieved, the rest of the drive was a comfortable silence. Rig parked then ran to her side to help her down. She winced and moved gingerly but was being surprisingly stoic, especially for a human he thought.

Georgia leaned heavily on Rig as they walked slowly up the sidewalk to her apartment. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Not only did she want him to stay, she had to admit she needed him right now.

Feeling a bit of deja vu she paused at her door, "Just to be clear, I do want you to stay."

She looked up at him with a vulnerability that rocked him to his core. He had been so focused on how devastated he would be to lose her, he'd forgotten the fact that the connection went both ways. She needed reassurance, he reminded himself, she needed to believe he wanted to be with her.

"Nothing in this world would make me happier. Thank you for letting me stay."

It felt like one of those moments when a kiss was in the script, a director somewhere queuing the swelling music as their lips came together.

"Let's take this inside before my neighbors really get a show." Georgia looked around, her cheeks pink, while she unlocked the door.

Rig started to steer her toward the couch but she pulled back, "I want to get out of these clothes."

"Now we're talking." He wagged his eyebrows and growled.

"Oh Lord." She giggled at him, "Just help me get some pajamas on please?"

"Of course. I promise to try to behave."

They got her changed with a minimum of groping. Rig settled her on the couch with a blanket, noticing the strain in her face that told him she was in pain again.

"Time for more pain meds?"

"Yeah I think so. And I need to call my sister."

Rig found her phone for her and stepped into the kitchen for a glass of water while she called Samantha.

It was an unusually short call, Sam more excited to come over than grill Georgia for once.

"You ready for this?" She asked, taking the glass and pills he held it to her.

"You met some of my crazy family, I'm sure I'll be fine with yours."

Georgia loved her sister but was anxious about her meeting Rig. Sam was hyper and loved drama, but had a sweetness that made it hard to stay mad at her. She was also adorable, having taken after the opposite side of the family from Georgia, she was blonde, tall and athletic. She bemoaned the fact that she barely filled out an A cup but George envied the way she never had to worry about her weight.

Rig took the empty glass from her, wondering what she was pondering that had made her start to worry. He set the glass on the bar and joined her on the couch, carefully arranging them so she was comfortable.

"I can tell you are going round and round in your head about something." He kissed her forehead, "Share with me Georgia. Let me help?"

She let herself melt against him. "I'm just worrying over what ifs. I do that, as you may have noticed."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I've noticed. How can I help?"

"I don't know that there's anything to do."

"Nothing at all?" He asked, his hand cupping her breast and squeezing, "Like maybe distracting you?"

Georgia laughed and snuggled more closely against him. He may not know exactly the right things to say but his efforts to draw her out and help alleviate her anxiety were endearing.

"Those pain pills are kicking in I'm getting woozy."

"Let's find something on Netflix then, we'll snuggle here and let you relax." He turned on the tv and started browsing through movies.

20 minutes later Samantha walked in to find Georgia asleep and Rig watching a home renovation show. He looked up when she came in and held a finger to his lips while looking at her sleeping sister. Samantha smiled and did an exaggerated tip toe through the living room, plopping down in the comfy chair beside the couch.

"Soooooo," She started, eyeing him speculatively, "You must be Rig."

"Yep, the one and only." He hadn't had any particular notion of what Georgia's sister would look like but she surprised him. Where Georgia was decadent and soft her sister was spare and sinewy. She had a frenetic energy about her that set his teeth on edge. He understood the slightly pained expression Georgia had when she talked to her, she was the opposite of the aura of calm that surrounded his mate.

"Where did your parents get the name Rig?" Sam leaned forward, nearly bouncing in her seat.

"Uh, well, it's short for Rigoberto. My family heritage is Spanish, and my parents thought a traditional spanish name would be a good idea." He hated explaining his name, even as an adult he felt slightly embarrassed by the pretentiousness of it.

"Oh! Coooool." Samantha sat back and crossed her legs. "Tell me about what's happening with my sister. She missed work two days in a row now, totally not something she normally does, and she's got a concussion and a cracked tailbone. She's the most careful person I've ever met, she's never broken anything before now. So what is it about you that has her acting so weird?"

Rig blinked, stunned for a moment, then a grin spread across his face. "I guess I'm just that charming and irresistible."

Sam laughed loudly, startling Georgia awake. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"Hey sleepy head, how's your pain?" Rig asked, brushing her hair off her face.

"Hey Sam." Georgia acknowledged her sister groggily, "Pain is ok for the moment, but I think I'm actually hungry."

"We never did get groceries, want me to go forage in your kitchen or should I run and pick us something up?"

Sam watched them in stunned silence. She'd seen her sister with men before, but had never been particularly impressed. Georgia had such poor self esteem and was an easy mark for jerks who treated her badly. Rig was something else all together, the way her looked at her sister left her speechless. It was like Georgia was the most precious thing in the world and he couldn't get enough of her.

"What time is it?" She asked, glancing around for a clue.

"It's 1 in the afternoon." Sam offered.

"Oh geez. We skipped right over lunch. You're probably starving." She looked up at Rig and Sam found herself grinning. Georgia was just as crazy about him.

"I'll live. I'll tell you what, let's put together a list, I'll run to the grocery store and let you and your sister visit."

Georgia let him arrange her on the couch and he fetched a pad of paper and pen at her direction. They decided on what they needed on hand, then argued over who was buying the groceries. Georgia insisted he take her debit card, only to discover he'd left it about 5 minutes after he left.

Sam was bouncing out of her chair as soon as the door closed behind Rig. "OH MY GOD GEORGIA!" she waved her arms, "Seriously, like, wow, this is incredible!"

Georgia smiled, "He's pretty great isn't he?"

"He's great? Well yeah, duh, but the way he looks at you?" Sam shook her head, "Georgia this guy is head over heels for you, I'm so jealous right now I can't even stand it."

"He does seem to be interested." George looked toward the door, feeling a pang of unease, it was like she could feel Rig getting further away.

Samantha made an irritated noise, "Seriously George you are the worst. Seems to be interested? That's the understatement of the century." She sat down gently on the couch next to her sister, "I know you, you are way overthinking this I guarantee. Tell me what's going on in that brain of yours."

Georgia groaned, "Sam don't grill me right now please. I'm groggy and I hurt."

Sam patted her, "Ok, ok, look, I can behave, but I'm not giving this up, we are just putting this conversation off till you feel a little better. Just promise me you won't let your anxiety and overthinking ruin a good thing?"

"I am trying Sam, I really am."

"Ok then I will give you a break for now." They grinned at each other and settled in to sisterly gossip until Rig got back with food.

Rig had paused halfway down the sidewalk and looked back at the door. There was an uncomfortable physical sensation as he moved away from Georgia, a pulling that made him want to rush back to her. With an effort he continued toward his truck but felt unsettled the whole time he was away.

George felt him coming back. As much as she'd like to dismiss all the supernatural stuff she couldn't deny the way his coming and going affected her. When Rig walked through the door she felt a tremendous sense of relief.

Rig hurried toward the door, eager to be near his mate again. When he opened the door to her apartment she was already watching the door and he saw the relief he felt mirrored on her face. They smiled at each other, prompting a gagging noise from Sam.

"Ugh, you two, fucking hell, it's too gross." She grabbed grocery bags from Rig, "Here, I'll cook while you make goo goo eyes."

Rig laughed but gladly relinquished the grocery bags and joined Georgia on the couch. "Your sister seems to be a handful." He snuggled her against him again, welcoming the familiar tingle when their skin met.

She burrowed against him, inhaling his scent without realizing what she was doing, "Yeah, she's a bit of a brat."

"Right here you know, this apartment isn't that big." Sam called from the kitchen.

Rig and Georgia giggled together while Samantha grumbled at them good naturedly from the kitchen.

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Rig pulled out of the parking lot, heading to an appointment with his Alpha's. He grimaced at the tug in his stomach as he got further away from his mate. They'd spent the last week together playing house. Georgia had arranged to work remotely while she healed up a bit and Rig was reveling in the chance to take care of her. But they couldn't stay in their little cocoon forever, and today he needed to go meet with Will and Karen.

Georgia was napping, snuggled up in a nest he'd tucked her into with everything she might need at hand so she shouldn't have to do much until he got back. Despite the forced down time she was as content and happy as she'd ever been. The one on one time with Rig had been wonderful. Aside from a couple visits from her sister and his mom they'd been in their own little world. She had been able to set everything else aside and simply enjoy being with him.

She nestled in the blankets, still smelling him all around her. The whole werewolf thing must be rubbing off on her, she was becoming more aware of scent, especially his.

Left alone with her thoughts she started wandering toward the subject they'd been avoiding during their idyllic time together. Spending this week with Rig, getting to know him, had made it clear that he was perfect for her. She'd also couldn't deny that he was genuinely crazy about her. Aside from any mystical connection he appreciated her wit and creativity. They had long, rambling conversations about anything and everything. They were, in a word, compatible.

Georgia still struggled with the fact that he was, in her opinion, way out of her league. She kept wondering what was wrong with him that he'd fallen for her. And worrying what happened when he came to his senses and found a girl as hot as he was.

Having wandered along the path, and stepped over a few stumbling blocks, she was now face to face with an unavoidable roadblock. She was dating a werewolf.

She sighed, burying her face in the pillows and inhaling. Could she do it? Relationships were hard, getting to know each other, meeting friends and family, plenty of complicated stuff. Add mythical creature on top of that and what happens?

It wasn't just Rig, it was his whole family and community. And eventually they would expect her to make THE CHOICE. To join them, to become something no longer human.

It was so huge she couldn't stay focused on it. It was like it kept squirming away when she tried to think about it. She shook her head and let her mind drift again. The way it felt to wake up in his arms, the way he listened so intently to her thoughts and dreams, the way his cock tasted as it slid over her tongue. Georgia wiggled under the covers, smiling as her body instantly heated up. Her mind might be having trouble, but her body had no doubts.

She yawned and let her eyes close, dozing off wondering what exactly a mating ceremony consisted of.

Rig greeted his Alpha's and sat facing them in front of the fireplace, a familiar and comfortable scene.

"So, right to the point, how are things going with Georgia?" Will asked after they'd greeted one another and settled.

"Really well. I've stayed with her this week while she's been recovering, it's been just the two of us for the most part. We've gotten a chance to get to know one another."

"How is she handling the revelation that you, that all of us," Karen gestured expansively, "are werewolves?"

"Honestly we haven't really talked about it directly, though she's made a couple jokes. She's comfortable with me and was comfortable when my mom visited."

Will frowned, "You know you need to address that directly Rig. It's not something you can just let fade away. She needs to be fully informed so a mating ceremony can take place and she can be turned."

Rig rested his elbows on his knees and looked at the floor, he sighed. "Yeah I know. I'm just enjoying being with her, being relaxed and happy, getting to know all about her. I hesitate to bring up something that's going to ruin the atmosphere."

"It's understandable, trust us, we understand completely. But the longer you put it off, especially with you spending so much time together, the greater the risk of you losing control of your instinctual need to claim her."

Rig sat back in his chair and nodded, "I'm having a harder and harder time controlling my wolf, he's ready to put our mark on her."

"He's not wrong, it's time. Let's talk about the mating ceremony and what it will mean to mark your mate. It's a bit different when she's human than the ceremonies you've witnessed before."

"Of course, everything is a little different when she's human." Rig sounded tired and resigned.

"Just be glad it's 2017 and not 1917. Human women are a lot more sophisticated these days and not terrified of sex."

Rig's stomach flipped.

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He sat in the parking space in front of her apartment staring at the front door. He'd known, honestly he had known, but he hadn't really KNOWN. Georgia had been sexually active before him. She'd had sex with other men.

Of course she had, she was human, they thought about sex in a completely different way. He knew she was more experienced than he was, obviously. He'd benefitted from her experience hadn't he? Letting her teach him, show him.

So why was he feeling so betrayed now? He felt a dull ache in his chest. She had been attracted to other men, had done all the things they'd been doing and more.

Movement caught his eye, Georgia was standing in the open doorway, her hand on her chest, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

He took a deep breath and got out of the truck. Now was the time to have a big, serious and life altering conversation.

"Rig? What's wrong." She stepped back as he walked up to the door. Rig hesitated before entering the apartment. Everything felt stiff and awkward about their interaction.

"We need to talk." He flopped down in the upholstered chair and Georgia curled up in the corner of the couch nearest him, looking worried.

"OK, that's never a good way to start a conversation. Is everything ok with Will and Karen?"

"Yeah, they are fine, everybody is fine, but they reminded me that we need to discuss the future."

"Oh." She picked at a string sticking out of a seam on the couch, "I guess we have been kind of ignoring all this stuff."

Rig rubbed his chest again as it ached, noting Georgia pressing her palm against the same spot on her chest.

"I don't think that's all though." She frowned at him, "Something else is wrong, you are upset with me, I can feel it. Anybody else might think that sounds crazy but it hurts like when we were at the clinic, and I think that means something is wrong between us."