Chapter 31

A/N: Remember to vote and review if you want more chapters!

________________________________________________________________________________

"It's complicated." Celeste determined that this was the best route to explain the situation with Bane. Even if she had wanted to explain why she was hesitant or didn't feel the same way as he felt towards her, she doubted that Jen would believe what she told her. She still had a hard time believing that Bane and the strange creature that she had seen were one and the same.

"Every relationship has complications in it." Jen said as she rolled her eyes at her friend, hugging her tightly against her side.

"The question is whether or not these complications be overcome and the only way to find out is to try. I mean what's the worst that could happen?"

"That he could eat me if I'm not careful?" The words slipped out of Celeste's mouth before she could stop herself from saying them. It was one of her real concerns however. She still didn't quite understand the whole mate thing, but the none-human side of Bane was certainly large enough to eat eat her in two bites of or less if he so desired.

Jen however didn't pick up in the serious tone of the comment that she had made and instead started laughing.

"Lessie, there's no girl I know that wouldn't want a guy to eat them. Especially when he's as delicious looking and rich as the one who has eyes on you." Celeste felt her face heat up again in response to her friend's comment as she realized that Jen thought she was making a sexual reference.

She didn't dare to correct her however as she didn't want to have to answer any more questions or explain what she had really meant with the comment that she had made.

"I don't think that is a point that I'm at with him. I mean, we don't even know each other that well for him to be taking this much interest in me." Celeste replied biting her bottom lip as she leaned her head against her friend's shoulder thinking about how the alpha around her. It didn't feel normal to her.

"Rich are more eccentric than the rest us normal humans. It's impossible to understand what exactly is going through their heads. Rather than wasting time fretting about it, you should just go with the flow and enjoy it." Her friend replied as he tried to wave off her concerns.

"That's easy for you to say because you've always been on the search for a rich man who would be willing to become your sugar daddy so you can enjoy a lavish lifestyle." Celeste pointed as she looked up at her friend.

"That's because my dear naïve girl, the best way to enjoy life is to find a rich man that will be willing to take care of you for the rest of your life so that you don't have to spend your good years toiling away and living a miserly lifestyle just to get by." Jen replied. It was her one dream in life to find someone rich enough that she wouldn't have to work another day in her life. Even though there was a slim chance that such a thing would actually happen, it never hurt to dream about it.

"Why don't you take Bane then? I'm content with my current lifestyle." Celeste suggested causing her friend to give her a disapproving look.

"As if I would ever take a guy from my friend like that. I'm wounded you'd even suggest a thing. Besides, with him being all heart eyes for you, I doubt that he would even look twice at me." Jen huffed.

If it had been anyone else, she might've considered trying to attract Bane's attention on to her, but Jen wanted her younger friend to enjoy a better quality of life. She knew some of the things that she had been going through over the years and somehow had a feeling that the alpha was a key to helping her friend move a step towards happiness even if Celeste herself didn't realize it yet.

"You should really think about it at least. Rest today and considered what you want to do it about since you'll more than likely see him on Monday." Jen suggested as she stood up from the sofa after giving the other another tight hug.

"I should be getting back before either Tony or my father wonder what's taking me so long. I'll let Tony know that you're doing alright and there was nothing for him to worry about. Try to eat something and get some sleep later." Celeste just nodded her head as her friend blew her a kiss before leaving the apartment.

She knew that Jen really did try her best to be a good and supportive friend. There were just somethings though that no amount of thinking would be able to help solve. Her dilemma with Bane was one of those.

Getting up, she made sure to go over and lock the front door so that she didn't have to worry about any unexpected guests coming in. Going back to the living room, she picked up her mug to put into the kitchen sink.

Celeste knew that she probably should have eaten something, she just wasn't in much of a mood for food and was feeling rather under the weather still from all the alcohol she had.

Sleep sounded good though which lead her to her room where flopped onto her bed and under the covers without changing clothes. She didn't expect to sleep much and thus felt no reason for changing clothes since there were things that she would still need to take care of when she woke up next.

Celeste was awoken with a start by a thud and tap sound against her balcony window. Glancing in the direction of where the noise had come from she was surprised to see that it was dark outside. She didn't think that she had been sleeping for that long.

Cautiously getting up from the bed, she slipped on her slippers without turning her bedroom light on and made her way over to the window uncertain of what to expect.

She held her breath as she pulled back one corner of the black white curtain on the right side so that she could peek out onto her balcony to see if she could spot anything in the darkness.

She took a step back with a soft gasp as a pair of golden eyes stared back at her. They eye contact was made only for a brief second before whatever it was turned around and took off with a mighty leap off the balcony.

The creature's coat had been too dark for her to make out anything except for the golden eyes and it's silhouette as it jumped away. The only thing that Celeste could be sure of as she looked out window was that it couldn't have been a cat or at least that it appeared to be far too big to have been any cat that she had seen before.