by Jenny Tia
“So if these aren’t your fulltime thing…” Casius said, holding up a hedgehog mushroom stabbed with a fork. “Then what is?”
I set down my cutlery then wiped my mouth with my napkin. “I’m an accountant.”
Casius’s eyebrows shot up and he looked impressed.
“Don’t look so impressed. It’s just math.”
“Uh, excuse me but math is very hard!”
I waved him off and shook my head. “It’s just patterns and systems. And I just kind of inherited the job, my dad is an accountant too. I like the tiny amount of creative thinking and problem solving I get to do, but most of it is just about filling out spreadsheets and doing filing.”
“Hm…” Casius cocked his head to the side as he looked me over. “I have a feeling you undersell yourself a lot.”
I held back the urge to wave that off as well. Instead, I met his eyes and shrugged. “I guess I do.”
Casius put down his fork and touched my arm. Warmth ran through my limbs, and I quickly avoided his eyes.
“Do you work for a firm with an office in town?” he asked softly, gently changing the subject.
“I work from home. I mean, I work for myself, freelance, and work from a home office.”
“Huh. No wonder your apartment is so nice, considering you spend all day there.”
“Oh please. Well, actually, yeah. I do like my apartment…”
“So do you find your own clients?”
It had been a long time since someone had taken such an interest in me. In truth, I couldn’t remember when I’d been asked so many questions about myself. I felt defensive, but my wolf urged me to share more. “I have a few big accounts that keep me busy. Alpha Truitt has me doing the books for Goldleaf and his own businesses.”
“What?” Casius’s eyes widened and he gripped my arm firmly. “You do the books for the town?”
“Mm-hm.” I nodded as I chewed the stem of a shiitake mushroom, loving how the earthy flavor burst through my mouth.
“That’s incredible. You basically keep the pack running.”
I shook my head as I swallowed. “Not at all.”
“I’m serious, Julian. Your job is important. I hope that, well, if you choose to accept me as your mate, you’d do the same for Everglow.”
Shock trickled through me. He was giving me a choice?
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No. Not at all. I’m just surprised you didn’t simply assume I’d move to Everglow at your command, since we’re fated and all… You’ve been kind of acting like it’s a done deal.” My voice came out harsher than I’d intended, and I lowered my eyes in embarrassment.
Casius dabbed his lips with his napkin then took my hand, tugging it gently until I looked up and met his eyes. “I get the feeling you’re being cautious about our relationship. And I get that. I don’t want to rush it or make it go any faster than it already is. In fact, we can go slower. My feelings for you are genuine, and intense. I want to put in as much time as it takes—as much time as you need.”
My shoulders relaxed and I let out a long, relieved sigh. Those were the words I’d needed to hear. I was a little surprised he’d picked up on my reservations, but the fact he had an intuitive sense made me like him even more.
Still, I couldn’t help but notice a flicker in his eyes when he talked about time. It was only there for an instant, and now his eyes were confident and bright again, so I pushed it aside. I was always reading too deeply into things.
“Thank you,” I said simply.
He touched my hand once more, and then smiled. “You’re welcome.”
We ate through every course, laughing about how full we were getting but enticed to keep eating as each dish looked more incredible than the last. As we were diving into a shared dessert, I realized I didn’t have much time left to ask him anything before the date would be over.
“What’s your family like?” I asked as my fork clinked against his, cutting through the basbousa cake.
“Well, I’m an only child.”
I let out a whistle. “Lucky!”
Casius laughed and shook his head. “I have a big family though. I was never really lonely, I had a lot of cousins and the pack is really tight-knit.”
“In Everglow? Even in a city that big?”
“It’s not that big. Just over five-thousand wolves, but everyone seems to know everyone. And since I got selected at fourteen to join the Supreme Alpha’s Inner Guard, I’ve been training with the same team since then, so they’re like family too.”
I squinted at him and searched his face for a hint of fabrication. It all sounded way too good to be true.
“What about your parents?” He had to have some issues with them, surely. Didn’t every child?
But he smiled. “They’re pretty good, as far as parents go. They’re fated mates, which I think gave me a lot of stability as a kid. It also gave me high expectations for a mate.” His voice dropped as his eyes softened. “There was a lot of pressure on me to find a mate… But I actually held off choosing just anyone, with the hope of finding my true fated mate.”
My heart suddenly started racing, and I swallowed dryly. Our eyes met.
“It’s a good thing you did,” I said softly. “It would have been awkward if we’d met further down the line, and you already had a mate.”
He blinked slowly and nodded. “It would have been unfortunate, yes. Because then my chosen mate’s heart may well have been broken when I chose you.”
My toes curled again, and I felt a deep yearning inside my stomach.
“But to be honest, I don’t know how we would have met if it weren’t for that singles party your Alpha and mine put together. Maybe our paths never would have crossed.”
“Well, they almost didn’t. I really didn’t want to go to that event.” I laughed, and Casius joined me.
“Me neither! But damn… I’m glad I did.”
I squeezed his hand. “Me too.”
As we left the restaurant, the sun had disappeared and the air had cooled. Casius walked close to me, and I instinctively threaded my arm through his as we made our way down the narrow streets of Goldleaf. He smiled at me, and I felt a flush in my cheeks as I held back a smile and stared at the ground. When I looked up, I found people gawking at us as we passed, and my wolf picked up whispers of my name. My smile dropped and I let out a frustrated sigh.
Casius must have seen and heard them too because pulled away from me. My heart dropped, but then he pulled me close and tucked me under his shoulder.
Breathing deeply, I felt a little dizzy. Just when I thought I was getting used to his scent, it almost knocked me on my ass. I glanced up at him and found him grinning at passers-by as if to say he was proud to be seen with me.
Our pace slowed as we turned onto my street. I wanted the night to go on forever. I wanted to see what would happen if he came up to my apartment. I wanted to know how he smelled when he was naked. At the same time, I was terrified. My chest tightened as we approached my building, and my mind raced to find an excuse not to ask him up. I really wasn’t ready for intimacy. Still, as we came to a stop by the huge blue door at the front of my building, I couldn’t help but feel obligated to ask him up. I also wanted to. I’ve never been full of such contradictions.
I faced Casius and was about to ask him up for a drink—just a drink—when he cupped my cheek and kissed me. His full lips pressed against mine, and a jolt of pleasure zapped along my nerves. My knees shook and I held the tops of his shoulders to keep myself from falling over as I returned his kiss. It was soft, gentle, and sweet, and all too short.
“Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked as he caressed my cheek with his thumb.
“Yes.” My voice came out whisper quiet. Casius smiled, and it struck me as the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I leaned forward and kissed him again, this time closing my eyes and savoring the warmth and utter wonder of this man.
As we came apart, Casius smiled again. “T
omorrow.”
He watched as I unlocked the door, and then he made sure I was safely inside. As I closed the wooden door behind me, I leaned back against it and let out a happy, heavy sigh. His footsteps echoed through the street as he walked away, and I listened to them as they faded before I completely and utterly melted against the door.
7
Casius
My date with Julian had filled me with so much energy, I was trembling when I picked up the phone in my hotel room and dialed. I bit my lower lip as the phone rang.
“Hello?” The warm, familiar voice on the other end relaxed me.
“Hi, Mom,” I said, my smile making my voice sound a little louder than usual.
“Honey! Hi. You sound a little too happy. What’s going on?”
“Well, I met someone. Wait. Are you sitting down?”
“Yes, I’m at the kitchen table. Why, what is it? Who did you meet? Is everything alright? Are you in town? I came over to bring you some food last night and you weren’t home—”
I laughed. “I’m fine. Listen, last night I went to a party in Goldleaf. And I met someone there. He’s my fated mate, Mom.” My voice broke and I felt tears prick my eyes. “It was just like you said it would be.”
Silence. And then, she screamed. I pulled the phone away from my ear to protect my hearing from the high-pitched sound. “That’s incredible!”
“I know.”
“He found his fated mate. Goldleaf,” she yelled, no doubt to my dad. Then she spoke to me again. “Hold on, your father wants to talk to you.”
“Casius! We’re so happy for you. Who is it?”
“Thanks, Dad,” I said, my grin hurting my cheeks. My heart swelled with pride knowing I was following in my parents’ footsteps.
“Wait, Paul!” I heard my mother say. “I didn’t get to hear the details yet. Put him on speaker.”
“Yeah, put me on speaker, Dad.”
“Okay, okay, hold on.”
After a series of beeps, I still wasn’t on speaker. I held back a laugh. “Press the button with the speaker on it.” But they couldn’t hear me. I sighed as I waited patiently to tell them the story.
“So, how’d you meet?” Dad asked excitedly once he’d sorted out the phone.
“I went to a party in Goldleaf. Organized by Alpha Hughes and the Alpha here.”
“Where? What Alpha?”
“In Goldleaf.”
“Goldleaf? What are you doing there?”
“I was going to the party—just listen! I was at a party. I noticed his scent first, but followed it to a guy in a pink suit, but that turned out to be his best friend, but he still had the scent, you know? And then my mate walked up, and it felt like someone had reached into my chest and grabbed my heart in their fist. And I felt the invisible rope between us, tugging us closer together.”
“Oh my gosh,” my mother said. I heard her sniff back tears and the thought of her crying in happiness made me tear up a little.
“He’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen,” I said, my voice quaking slightly with emotion. “He’s got dark curly hair and blue eyes, and he’s so sweet and damn smart, and just…perfect. I can’t believe how drawn to him I am. My heart aches just thinking about him.”
Mom squealed. “That is so romantic! What’s his name?”
“His name is Julian,” I replied, getting the same rush I got every time I felt his name slide over my tongue.
“Well, we just can’t wait to meet him,” Mom said.
“He sounds great, Casius. We’re over the moon for you. When are you bringing him home to the city?” Dad asked.
“I don’t know yet. We need time to get to know each other.”
“Of course, of course,” they both said in unison, but I could hear the worry in their voice. It was the same worry I carried in my chest.
I took a steadying breath. “But, soon. Yeah. Hopefully soon.”
After I hung up with my parents, I called Alpha Hughes. He needed to know I was one step closer to being ready to succeed him. I hoped to put his mind at ease so he could go ahead with his plan to prepare for retirement in the next few years.
But he sounded off… Short and curt in a way he only spoke when he was stressed. “Alpha Truitt speaks very highly of Julian Reign. It seems like an excellent match. Congratulations, Casius.”
“Yeah, Alpha Truitt was really happy for us at the party. He announced it to the whole room.”
“That must have been something,” Alpha Hughes said with a short laugh. Then he sighed.
I bit the inside of my cheek and considered how to approach him. I needed to proceed cautiously. “Sir, is anything wrong? You sound like you’ve got something on your mind.”
To my surprise, he was more forthcoming than usual. “Truthfully, yes, Casius. And it’s something that needs to be discussed in person. But it can wait until you are back home.”
A shot of panic crossed my heart. “Are you sure? I can come back—”
“No. It can wait. Alpha Truitt is aware of the situation. He’ll be heading for Everglow soon, along with Alphas from the other neighboring towns.”
“This sounds serious.”
“It is. But the beginning of your relationship with Julian is also serious. I want you to enjoy spending time with him. It’s very important you two strengthen your bond.”
He was right. But damn, I wanted to make sure everything was okay at home. “I understand. Thank you, Alpha Hughes.”
“You’re welcome, Cas. Get home safely.”
“What time should I meet you tomorrow night?”
“Whenever you get in is fine. I’ll wait up.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll come straight to the Mansion.”
After we ended the call, I tried to shake the conversation from my mind, but found it difficult—or rather, damn near impossible.
What is going on in Everglow?
But I didn’t want the agitation to affect my time with Julian, so I took a long, hot shower and it helped clear my head. Still, I was full of anticipation knowing I would see Julian in the morning. I wanted to be well-rested so I could give him my full attention, but it didn’t seem to be in the cards. I struggled to fall asleep, tossing and turning as I thought about Julian and the call with Alpha Hughes. Eventually, I passed out, but my sleep was fitful and full of half-dreams about weird imagery like mushrooms, hawks, and convoy trucks.
The next morning, I noticed the pleasant smell of Julian’s scent as I approached his apartment building. It was mixed with a fainter hint of my own scent I left there the day before, and as I walked down the hallway toward his door, I also noticed the smell of the incense Julian liked to burn. The combination of the smells warmed my heart. I bounded up to his front door and knocked.
I barely heard Julian’s greeting as he swung open the door. All I could hear was a buzzing in my mind and the insistent urge to kiss him, which I did. His soft lips parted beneath mine, and I felt like I was falling into them. Julian pulled back with a shocked grin.
“Well, hello,” he said, laughing. He reached for the collar of my coat and pulled me inside, kissed me again, and then shut the door behind me.
“How are you?” I asked before kissing him a third time.
“I’m fine. How about you? Did you sleep well? Was your hotel bed comfortable?”
“Yeah, it’s nice,” I said, and grinned. I didn’t really care about the hotel room. I was just elated to be having a conversation with my fated mate, in his home, smelling his sweet scent mixed with mine.
“Hungry for breakfast?” he asked. I nodded, still grinning.
Last night, I’d thought about asking Julian about him never having a heat, but I hadn’t wanted to spoil our date. Now, I wondered if I should bring it up, let him know his parents had told me, but how would I even introduce the topic? After a while, I decided the only polite thing to do was to wait for him to tell me. It didn’t matter anyway. I knew I want to be with him, that was the only thing that matter.
/> Julian took me to his favorite café for breakfast. I loved sitting at a table outside on the sidewalk with him, near a market full of spices, music, and homewares. We watched people pass by, but I mostly kept my attention on him. I loved the flavors in the food, and the way he teased me about my uncultured Everglowian palate. We took our time with our food, with our hibiscus tea, and with each other.
After breakfast, we went for a walk through a park, where a few different varieties of flowers were in bloom. We strolled hand in hand down the paths and sat on a bench, talking until his best friend, Stefan, met us for lunch.
“Where should we go?” Julian asked as we gazed back toward town.
“The café of course,” Stef said, like Julian had asked the world’s most obvious question.
Julian scrunched up his nose. “We just ate there.”
“So?” Stef put a hand on his hip, then turned his attention to me. “Did you like the food?”
“Loved it,” I said honestly.
“Then what’s the problem? They have a lunch menu.”
I looked at Julian who just shrugged at me. “If you don’t mind…”
“Are you kidding? I loved that place. Let’s go.”
So we sat at the same table, but it felt like a whole new location. The midday sun was lusciously hot, and I loved how it soaked into my skin. The market was starting to pack up after the morning rush, and the street was clearing out. The lunch menu had even more spices I’d never tried, and Stef and Julian were more than happy to help me navigate my way to an incredible dish of spiced eggs and flatbreads.
I liked Stef a lot, and I loved the way the two of them bantered and bounced the conversation back to me. I felt included and appreciated in a way I hadn’t expected. I noticed Stefan had a protectiveness toward Julian, which meant he was a little wary of me, but I appreciated it. I liked knowing someone else had my mate’s best interests at heart.
And Julian lit up with a touch more confidence when he was with Stef. He came out of his shell a little, cussed and told some borderline dirty jokes, which in turn, helped me to relax.