Roses and Magnolias

Disclaimer: This world belongs to Patricia Briggs, I'm just borrowing it.

Anna

Anna Cornick sat in the kitchen of her mentor in all things Omega, Asil, and listened to him drone on about some point of werewolf lore, but today wasn't one of her scheduled teaching sessions. While she freely admitted that after three years as a werewolf, she still knew very little about what that entailed and even less about being and Omega wolf, her goal for this morning was to bait a trap for the old lobo.

The Moor had been alone for over two centuries because his mate, Sarai – an Omega like her, was murdered by the witch, Mariposa. The witch used Sarai's death to create an abomination and steal the female wolf's immortality. The witch then hunted Asil down so that she could do the same to him. He thought she would never find him hiding in Aspen Creek, Montana.

Anna and her mate, Charles – the son of the Marrok; the Alpha of all North American Alphas, had been sent up into the Cabinet Wilderness to deal with what was believed to be a rogue werewolf. What they found, instead, were Mariposa and her creature, along with their first innocent victim. Long story short, she killed the witch and saved them all.

"Asil? I was supposed to go with Sage to see Macbeth in Missoula tonight but Charles needs me at home. Would you mind taking her," she asked shyly.

Sage Carhardt was the first friend Anna had made when she arrived in Aspen Creek. The Southern werewolf went out of her way to make Anna feel welcome. It was hard to believe that that was little more than a month ago. Sage even came with her to some of her lessons with Asil. That was when she saw what they couldn't. The two damaged wolves were hopelessly in love with each other. What kind of Omega would she be if she didn't help them out?

The ancient wolf tilted his head and her direction and sniffed the air discretely. No doubt an attempt to use the werewolf ability to smell lies. Unable to scent a deception, Asil considered it for a few minutes before he agreed. Anna left soon after that. She didn't want her teacher to start asking more direct questions and discover she had lied, but with the truth. Her cell phone in hand, she called Sage once she was in the truck and informed her friend of the change in plans.

Later that night, Anna asked her husband to drive past Sage's place on their way home from dinner at his father's home. She giggled when she spotted both Asil's and Sage's cars parked in her driveway. They should've been at the play an hour and a half ago. Charles looked over at her and arched his eyebrow in question.

"To see the Moor, the ancient trickster, with his foot caught in the trap of amore; this will amuse me," she answered the look in a passable baritone but failed to capture Asil's Spanish accent. Then she explained what she had done earlier in the day. Charles chuckled and drove them home.

Sage

Sage and Asil had been cuddled up together on her couch kissing. They stopped when they both heard the familiar sound of Charles Cornick's truck creeping up the road in front of the house. When it paused, briefly, she could practically feel her friend's smug satisfaction.

"I suppose Anna thinks she is just too clever in getting you over here. She forgot that the play wasn't until next week," Sage commented. Her Southern drawl flowing over her companion like warm honey.

Asil captured her lips with his, silencing her for several minutes. When he finally pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers. "Too bad she was right. Even lost in grief, I was drawn to you. You made my life worth living. If she had not forced this, I doubt either of us would have admitted our true feelings. I suppose now I will need to make some space in my Hot House so you can grow magnolias among my roses," he said softly.

Sage laughed, then replied seductively, "Perhaps, but right now I think we should continue our evening in the bedroom." She got up off the couch and sauntered down the hallway to her bedroom.

The Moor followed closely on her heels. It had been two hundred years since he was last with a woman, but he could guarantee that Sage would remember this night for centuries to come. This was the start of something magical.