~~

Dietrich

~~

  I was loving Shawn's reactions. The innocent look in his eyes was obviously not just for show.  I would have to find out just how much experience he had, how truly innocent he was. That would change the way I approached our relationship. Oh, but I was so happy to have found my mate, I've waited several lifetimes for him after all. And to think that he was here in the pack that I have had ties with for so long. This was truly a wonderful blessing for me, for the both of us really.

I had led the way to the dining room, able to guide myself on the smell of the food alone. I may be a vampire but we quite enjoy food. It can even act as a way to give us energy like it does to humans and other shadow worlders, but not to the extent that it does for them. I was quite looking forward to the meal. My first date, sort of, with Shawn.

The dining room was elegant and refined, something that had clearly been decorated long ago. Chances were the antiques in this room were purchased when they were new or semi new. I saw that there were only four place settings and I knew that they hadn't included a place for Shawn or any of the other guards.

Taking the initiative I dragged Shawn with my arm still wrapped around his shoulders. I pulled him along to the side of the table with one place setting, aside for the head of the table that was meant for Reece. I knew how the standard order went. Alpha at the head of the table, the honored guest to his right and his mate to his left. They would just have to make another place setting for my new mate.

Shawn's face had been red from the moment I had wrapped my arm around him, and he hadn't said a word. I hoped he wasn't taking all this too hard. I would have to have a serious talk with him later.

After the new setting had been placed and the food was brought out, Reece stood at the head of the table. Trinity was across from me and Rawlynne Otsana, an FBI agent and new mate to one of the other guards, was sitting next to her. I had learned the names to all the men as well. Shawn's brother was named Shane, the man who had spoken when we were outside was Vincent and the silent one was David, Rawlynne's mate. Then there was Trinity's cousin and Reece's Beta, Noah. They were all people close to the top of the pack and therefore I needed to remember their names for the future.

After doing a sweep of the room with his eyes Reece began to speak.

"There are a few people at this table that still do not know about the news from the Luna and I. Dietrich was able to discern immediately that the Luna and I are expecting a child together. She has yet to visit with a pack doctor, but I would like to spread the news the rest of the way. Shane, Shawn, Agent Otsana, you were not outside when the others found out." His words were filled with pride and the ring of an Alpha.

"That is excellent news." Shane immediately declared.

"I am happy for you and your Alpha." Rawlynne congratulated Trinity. The guards were looking truly happy, and even Shawn was looking a little less nervous when he had heard his Alpha's words.

"Congratulations, Luna, that is wonderful news for you and the entire pack." Shawn was smiling at her as he spoke.

"Thank you everyone." Trinity looked nervous as she blushed but there was no hiding the beaming smile on her face.

"Now, let us eat. We may talk business now or after, that is up to you Dietrich." Reece smiled at me.

"I wouldn't mind a friendly chat while we eat. But we can hold off on the major issues until after the meal." I gave him my preference for the conversation during the meal.

"That sounds perfect. Please, enjoy your meal everyone." Reese sat down then and started the meal by taking the first bite.

While we started eating the talk initially gravitated toward Reece, Trinity, and their upcoming wedding. I was glad I could use that as an excuse to stick around. Hopefully I could get Shawn warmed up to me by then. But, I also wanted to know about Shawn and I was planning to ask a lot of questions about him. His brother Shane, was all too happy to fill me in.

"How old are you, Shawn?" My question didn't seem to be too intrusive to me but the embarrassed look on Shawn's face proved me wrong.

"I...I...I'm-." He was stuttering so bad that his brother interrupted him.

"We're twenty-six." Shane answered the question.

"Such a tender age. I remember those times for me. I was twenty-seven when I became an immortal." This seemed to shock them all, did I not look young still. "Did you go to college Shawn?" I asked him, a smile on my face. "I personally have gone many times." My smile became a grin.

"N-n-n-no." He managed to finish the word but nothing else.

"We joined the warriors straight out of high school." Shane was being very forthcoming for me.

I continued in this fashion for a few moments until there was a lull in the conversation. That was when Trinity took advantage to ask me something that had clearly been on her mind.

"Dietrich, how did you know that I am pregnant?"

"I may not have the same senses as a wolf, and I have never smelled you before so I would not have been able to detect it from that alone. However, as a vampire, I have the ability to sense life. And when I looked at you I saw not just one life essence, but two."

"Does that mean you would know if someone were having multiples." Rawlynne asked in a joking tone of voice.

"I admit, I do not know. It has not happened yet as far as I know. I am not often around pregnant women. If the few that I have encountered personally in the last five hundred years did indeed have multiples I have no way of knowing."

"Hmm. Sounds like it would be interesting to find out, you know." Rawlynne added with a curious smile.

"Are you planning on multiples?" David asked with a hint of shock and fear from across the room.

"Goddess no!" Rawlynne exclaimed. "I'm still coming to terms with having mated with you, don't go and bring kids into this too soon." David visibly relaxed at those words at which point we all started laughing at the relatively new couple.

"That's one thing you won't have to worry about." I joked with Shawn as I gave him a heated look. "We've got built-in birth control." Shawn blushed crimson at those words, his mouth hanging open in utter shock with Shane nearly collapsed to the floor laughing.

"So, Shawn, your brother said that you have not had many relationships and that they didn't last long, does that mean that you're innocent?" I hadn't thought that it was possible for Shawn's blush to deepen, but he defied the odds and darkened to a deep maroon color. I thought he might pass out from the shock of my words. I had to try really hard not to laugh at that reaction of his.

"I-I-I-I-I-." Shawn spluttered uncontrollably, not able to answer.

"Shawn are you?" Shane shouted.

"Shut up!" Shawn yelled at his brother. "My personal life is none of your business."

"I'm sorry." My face fell and my expression softened considerably. I hadn't meant to cause him distress. "I should not have asked that. It was too personal. Forgive me."

"No, it wasn't you." Shawn backpedaled. "I was yelling at my brother. He's just an asshole."

"So, you're not angry with me?" I leaned into him again, a sly smile on my face.

"Uh, well, I, it's not, you're my, we're, no I'm not." Shawn finally got to his answer. "I'm not mad." He confirmed with a firm set to his shoulders and an embarrassed set to his eyes.

"Good, I'm glad. We can save the personal talk until we're alone."

"Alone!?" Shawn practically yelled in a squeaky voice.

"Yes, I am so looking forward to getting to know you, all about you and the life you've lived.

After the color had faded from Shawn's face we moved the meeting once again. This time we were heading from the dining room to Reece's office. It was time to get down to business and actually talk about the reason why I had come here.

~~

Shawn

~~

  After Dietrich had leaned into me and put his hand on my cheek he had wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pressing me against his side. I couldn't take a step without our bodies brushing against each other. I know that's what he had in mind too. He was trying to acclimate me to him and his touch. The bad thing was, I didn't want to recoil at his touch or his nearness and I knew I should have.

I had never been affected this way by anyone. Not a single person that I had ever seen before had affected me in the way that this vampire was affecting me. What was the matter with me? What the hell was going on here?

As Dietrich made his way up the hall his scent filled my head, further flustering me. Every woman I had ever gone on a date with had smelled of cheap flowery crap that just made my nose itch, but Dietrich's scent, as strong as it was for me it was subdued, and made my wolf dance with joy. Why would my wolf be so happy with a mating that ends with us?

When we got to the dining room and I noticed that there were only places for Reece, Trinity, Rawlynne, and Dietrich, my heart soared, I thought I might be able to get free.

Nope!

Dietrich just pulled me along, sitting me in the empty space next to him and forcing them all to set another table setting for me. I wasn't supposed to be sharing dinner with them. I was supposed to be guarding them. This just felt awkward.

I was so embarrassed by the fact that I was sitting at a meal I wasn't invited to. I was embarrassed by the hand Dietrich had let linger on me even after we sat down. For some reason I just didn't feel inclined to make him stop touching me. And I was embarrassed by everyone watching me, especially my brother.

Reece started the meal by standing up and addressing the whole room.

"There are a few people at this table that still do not know about the news from the Luna and I. Dietrich was able to discern immediately that the Luna and I are expecting a child together. She has yet to visit with a pack doctor, but I would like to spread the news the rest of the way. Shane, Shawn, Agent Otsana, you were not outside when the others found out."

"That is excellent news." Shane immediately declared.

"I am happy for you and your Alpha." Rawlynne was beaming.

"Congratulations, Luna, that is wonderful news for you and the entire pack." I smiled at Trinity, letting her know I was happy for her.

"Thank you everyone." Our blushing Luna grinned at us and looked happier than anything I had ever seen from her before.

"Now, let us eat. We may talk business now or after, that is up to you Dietrich." Reece announced.

"I wouldn't mind a friendly chat while we eat. But we can hold off on the major issues until after the meal." Dietrich indicated his preference.

"That sounds perfect. Please, enjoy your meal everyone."

We ate our food, talking about the upcoming wedding. There were discussions of the baby. And, not surprisingly, Dietrich wanted to know more about me, Shane was more than happy to answer when I was unable to.

"How old are you, Shawn?" It wasn't a hard question to answer, but the heated look in Dietrich's eyes, a look that was clearly filled with desire, that was what was hard to get past.

"I...I...I'm-." I just stuttered until Shane took pity on me.

"We're twenty-six." Shane answered the question.

"Such a tender age. I remember those times for me. I was twenty-seven when I became an immortal." I would be twenty-seven in just over six months, physically we were almost the same age, but he had been a vampire for five hundred and one years, how was I supposed to cope with that? "Did you go to college Shawn? I personally have gone many times." Dietrich was grinning at me. If I needed another reason to feel inadequate next to a five hundred year old man this would definitely do it.

"N-n-n-no."

"We joined the warriors straight out of high school." Shane told him what path our lives had taken. It was true, I had let Shane convince me to go straight for a pack career instead of wasting time on college. It seemed right at the time but now I just felt like an uneducated fool next to Dietrich. Why would he want a mate like me? I was nothing compared to him.

"Dietrich, how did you know that I am pregnant?" Trinity brought up something she had clearly been thinking about for the last several minutes.

"I may not have the same senses as a wolf, and I have never smelled you before so I would not have been able to detect it from that alone. However, as a vampire, I have the ability to sense life. And when I looked at you I saw not just one life essence, but two."

"Does that mean you would know if someone were having multiples." Rawlynne joked.

"I admit, I do not know. It has not happened yet as far as I know. I am not often around pregnant women. If the few that I have encountered personally in the last five hundred years did indeed have multiples I have no way of knowing."

"Hmm. Sounds like it would be interesting to find out, you know." Rawlynne looked contemplative.

"Are you planning on multiples?" David asked with a hint of shock and fear from across the room.

"Goddess no!" Rawlynne screamed at him. "I'm still coming to terms with having mated with you, don't go and bring kids into this too soon." David visibly relaxed at those words at which point we all started laughing at the relatively new couple.

"That's one thing you won't have to worry about." Dietrich turned to me with smoldering eyes and a primal grin on his face. "We've got built-in birth control." I felt my face burn, I knew it was redder than anything in the room, and while I was sitting there panicking and feeling like my heart was going to explode from the shock of that statement my brother was in the corner of the room laughing hysterically and nearly collapsing from the force of it all.

"So, Shawn, your brother said that you have not had many relationships and that they didn't last long, does that mean that you're innocent?" Those words from Dietrich darkened my blush so much that I actually thought I was going to pass out from all the blood rushing to my head..

"I-I-I-I-I-." I couldn't get my mouth to work so I just stuttered uncontrollably.

"Shawn are you?" Shane shouted.

"Shut up!" I yelled at my brother. "My personal life is none of your business."

"I'm sorry." Dietrich's face seemed to crumple and sadness replaced the burning heat that had been in his eyes. "I should not have asked that. It was too personal. Forgive me."

"No, it wasn't you." I was backpedaling and I knew it, but I didn't like that crushed and defeated look that had entered his eyes. He was too strong and powerful to have a look like that. "I was yelling at my brother. He's just an asshole."

"So, you're not angry with me?" Dietrich leaned into me again, a sly smile on his face.

"Uh, well, I, it's not, you're my, we're, no I'm not. I'm not mad." It took me a long time to settle on an answer that didn't make my heart flutter at the thought. What was happening to me?

"Good, I'm glad. We can save the personal talk until we're alone."

"Alone!?" I sounded like a mouse as I squeaked out my answer to him.

"Yes, I am so looking forward to getting to know you, all about you and the life you've lived.

When I had finally felt my face cool down and thought my blush was settling, Dietrich pulled me from the chair and wrapped his arm around me again. The blush returned with a vengeance.

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