7. Miller charm
1893 Words
Blade’s P.O.V.
I watched as Meghan slipped back through the door of her aunt’s bakery, her movements quick, as if she couldn’t put enough space between us fast enough. I blinked, stunned, still rooted in place, my hands curling into fists at my sides until I felt that I was squeezing my coffee cup to a mush and coffee had been spilling all over the road where I had been standing.
She was back.
Meghan is back.
After all these years.
And it wasn’t just that. She was different—older, more… striking. Sexy as hell. The memory of her all those years ago was a faint, familiar warmth, but the woman she had grown into was a f*****g wildfire, her presence magnetic and fierce, and s**t but those words didn't even come close to describing her.
But she had just looked at me with a blankness that dug straight into my gut. She hadn’t even tried to hide her irritation for me, or her desire to get away from me as soon as she possibly could. Her dismissal stung like a slap to my pride, and the sting was so sharp it boiled over into anger. I could feel my inner wolf, coiled tight inside me, bristling with equal parts disbelief and frustration. I clenched my jaw as the truth settled in with an unsettling finality:
Meghan is my mate.
My one true mate…
My mate
Mine…
Once I had seen her, before my brain had even told my eyes that she was in fact my one true mate, my wolf had f*****g howled to the moon... ecstatic over knowing we had FINALLY found the one...
And she seemed to hate me like the plague...
I had spent years deflecting questions about why I wasn’t interested in anything serious with basically anyone. People just assumed it was because I liked my freedom, that I was that Miller boy with the wild streak. But deep down, I knew the real reason I kept everyone at a distance. I had always thought it was just my preference. But now, watching Meghan walk away from me, it all made a twisted kind of sense.
Of course, it was her. It had always been her, even back when we were too young for such things to matter. Meghan was the only one who had ever reached past all my defenses, who had left me feeling unsteady and raw. My wolf had sensed it all along, and now, standing here watching her disappear into the bakery, the realization was unmistakable.
And she had just turned her back on me.
“Why the hell would she look at me like that?” I muttered, my hands flexing. I couldn’t shake the way her eyes had barely touched mine or the way her expression had been so carefully guarded like she didn’t want to let me in.
What’s wrong?
What had happened?
We used to be so close!
The wolf in me snarled at the memory, protective and possessive, feeling the pang of rejection just as deeply. How could she walk away from me like that, as if I was some kind of stranger, as if I hadn’t meant anything to her at all? My wolf howled in frustration, and I had to take a deep breath to keep myself in check. My inner wolf wasn’t usually this intense, but now, feeling Meghan’s presence again, his instincts were fierce. The sensation was overwhelming, a surge of longing and anger that felt almost out of my control.
“Damn it, Meghan,” I whispered to myself, glancing at the bakery door again. I could feel the wolf within him, growling in challenge, pushing me not to just let her walk away. My wolf wanted answers, demanded them even. Hell, if it was up to him, we were barging into that bakery again to sink our teeth into her neck.
Had I done something all those years ago that had stuck with her this long? Or had she just come to resent me as some part of her past she wanted to forget? Whatever it was, I was done standing around in confusion. I had never been the type to give up without a fight, and I wasn’t about to start now. A flicker of determination sparked inside me, and I made a quiet vow to myself: I wasn’t letting her slip away this time, no matter what. If there was one thing I was certain of, it was that I would get to the bottom of this. I would figure out what had happened between us, why she was so dead set on pushing me away, and—more importantly—I would figure out how to stop her from doing it. With one last look at the bakery, I turned on my heel and strode off down the street. A plan already forming in my head. I tapped the screen on my phone, dialing Skye, and as it rang, I couldn’t help but grit my teeth in impatience. The minute Skye picked up, I got right to the point.
“Hey, I need a drink,” I said, not bothering with a hello.
“Blade, it’s ten-thirty in the morning,” Skye replied, his voice laced with confusion and a hint of disapproval.
“Bit early for a Miller-sized crisis, isn’t it?”
“C’mon, I’m serious. This is life or death,” I replied, my voice tight, and before Skye could get a word in, I added,
“I’ll explain when we’re there. Meet me at Mulligan’s in thirty.”
There was a pause on the other end before Skye sighed.
“Fine. You’d better have a good story though, because I’m missing breakfast for this.”
And so, thirty minutes later, we sat at our usual spot in the near-empty bar, two frosty beers on the table in front of us. I wasted no time, diving right into it as I took a long swig.
“It’s Meghan,” I finally muttered, staring at the foam on my beer as if it held answers.
“She’s back in Fairview.”
Skye’s eyebrows shot up, and he leaned back in his chair with a grin.
“Oh, so this is what constitutes a crisis now, huh? Meghan’s back and you’re suddenly calling it life and death? I know she’s back, I saw her last night at the art exhibition.”
“You did what? Shithead why didn’t you tell me?” I growled at him, wanting to rip his head off.
“Because I had other things to do, other than to come running to you for some town gossip.” Skye shot back at me, his forehead frowning.
“What the hell’s got your panties all twisted today, you never act like this,” Skye told me, to which I let my head fall back.
“She’s… she’s my mate.”
Skye choked on his sip of beer, nearly sputtering as he laughed.
“You’re kidding me. Meghan? Our childhood Meghan? The same Meghan who used to beat you at tag and told you that you ran like a baby deer?”
“Yeah, that Meghan,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.
“And I’m serious. My wolf recognized her the second he saw her… it’s her. She’s it. She's the one.”
“Well, hell,” Skye said, a grin spreading across his face.
“That’s… I mean, that’s actually kind of awesome. Childhood friends, grown-up mates—it’s a fairytale, Blade.”
“Except she’s acting like she doesn’t even want to be in the same town as me, let alone the same room.” I took another swig, my brow furrowing.
“She looked at me like I was a stranger, or worse, someone she couldn’t wait to get away from. What the hell is that about?”
“Maybe you’re just imagining it,” Skye suggested, his expression only mildly sympathetic.
“Or maybe you’re just not as smooth as you think you are.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“I’m plenty smooth, and you know it.”
“Oh, sure, because telling her she’s too busy to eat dinner with you is totally a sign that she’s head over heels in love with you,” Skye said, chuckling.
“Did you even ask her properly? Or did you do that ‘sexy Blade’ thing where you just say, ‘Let’s go’ and expect her to jump on your d**k?”
I groaned.
“You’re missing the point, Skye. I can tell she’s keeping her distance from me, and it’s not because of my technique.”
Skye tilted his head thoughtfully, leaning forward.
“Maybe she’s got her reasons. You know, maybe Meghan’s just… different now. We haven’t seen her in what, ten years? Things change. People change.”
I exhaled, tapping my fingers on the table.
“I get that. People change, but this… it felt personal. Like, she was deliberately pushing me away. And it doesn’t make any sense. I just don’t get it.”
Skye shrugged, taking another sip.
“Look, Blade, maybe you’ve just gotta take it slow. Meghan’s been gone a long time, and you might have a big ‘Miller pride’ streak, but that doesn’t mean you can expect her to just… I don’t know, swoon the moment she sees you.”
I smirked.
“You make it sound like I’m some kind of…”
“Oh, you’re definitely that kind of guy,” Skye interrupted, grinning.
“Big ego, thinks he’s got it all worked out… Honestly, it’s a miracle you haven’t scared her off completely.”
I snorted, though I couldn’t help but laugh.
“If anyone’s got an ego, it’s you, smart guy. But fine, I get it. I’ll go slower. I’ll… ease her into things.”
“Ease her in?” Skye echoed, laughing.
“Just don’t overthink it. Look, all joking aside, it’s Meghan. She’s always been the one to see right through you. You never could hide much from her, even as a kid.”
I nodded, feeling a flicker of hope. Skye was right. Meghan was Meghan, after all. And maybe, just maybe, I would figure out what had her so skittish around me. I could be patient; I could play it cool. But as I looked over at Skye, who was still grinning like an i***t, I couldn’t resist.
“You’d be pretty useless in my shoes, you know. I’m the only one with the charm to pull this one off.”
Skye rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Blade. Just remember—Miller charm only goes so far. Try actually talking to her, without all that smoothness of yours getting in the way.”
I raised my beer.
“I’ll keep that in mind. And hey, if I manage to pull this off, I’ll let you buy me dinner to celebrate.”
Skye laughed, clinking his bottle against mine.
“Deal. But when she sees through that charm, don’t come crying to me.”
I grinned, finishing off my drink. I felt lighter now, ready to face whatever was coming next, with Skye’s teasing fresh in my mind. And maybe, just maybe, I would prove my brother wrong in the best way possible.
- Writer
