13b
1890 Words
After twenty more minutes of winding through the picturesque hills, we arrived at a beautiful brew pub restaurant situated on the bank of a small river. An old mill converted with a very modern looking restaurant attached. It felt welcoming, homey, and fancy all at the same time.
On the way in, we walked past a group of older ladies who were exiting the establishment. Thanks to my superior werewolf hearing, I heard one say, “Oh, it’s sweet that they are having a daddy daughter date. Family is so important.”
Her friend, I assumed, replied, “I think he’s her sugar daddy, not her father, Maria. Judging by the way he’s staring at her body.”
After the resulting gasps, I tuned them out.
That’s what everyone would think, wouldn’t they? Shockingly, that old lady hadn’t sounded nearly as judgmental as I’d expected. Perhaps everyone wouldn’t be so open-minded about our age gap.
Who cares what everyone else thinks, Maya huffed.
She was right. We were both legal adults and chose each other of our own free will. No one else’s opinion mattered.
We were led to a table facing a huge wall of glass overlooking the river. My jaw dropped. Large moss-covered boulders edged the bank across from us. A small trickling waterfall ran down the hill across from us, emptying into a small splash area among the boulders where a few kids were wading, enjoying the last of the warm night's sunlight. Simply stunning.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” He spoke.
“It is.”
Surprisingly, small talk came easy for us after that. I thought the age difference would be a problem. I imagined we’d have little in common, perhaps we do, but we still found mutually interesting things to talk about.
So far, he just seemed so completely perfect.
In the back of my mind, I kept expecting the ball to drop. Nothing goes this well for me. Perhaps he’s secretly keeping a wife back home in his pack.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
I sighed and chewed my lip. For the first time since we arrived and sat down together, I felt uncomfortable.
“It’s just… Well, I was wondering how everyone would take this.” I waved my hand indicating him and me.
He smiled, “Love, if I’m not mistaken, you couldn’t really care less what your family thinks. By everyone, you mean my family? My pack?”
I nodded. Was that confirmation? He has a family. Well, I knew he had kids. Growing up the Alpha’s daughter, you learn the basic facts about the other packs and their leaders. I knew he had kids. I knew their mother was long dead. But what if he had someone else? A hot man specimen like this, an alpha no less, wouldn’t stay single for long.
“I firmly believe that the goddess chooses her matches for a reason. My pack believes in the mate bond. I’d never disrespect the goddess by rejecting you without even trying to get to know you. Neither would my pack. But you don't have to worry about that for a while yet.”
“Yet you still seem hesitant?” I asked. I don’t know why, but I sensed a little something that I couldn’t put my finger on.
“I’m obviously older than you. I’ve lived a whole life already; you’re barely beginning yours. When I took this job, I just needed a break from pack life. Needed to wind down for my retirement years. I feel like… like you were meant to be a Luna and I already took that from you. You’re shackled to an old man.”
He can shackle me to whatever he likes, Maya perked up.
I clear my throat awkwardly.
“I don’t need to be a Luna. That was never a dream of mine. Far from it in fact. You were, are, an Alpha. You retired?” I asked. That was obvious and I internally facepalmed.
“I recently turned my pack over to my son.”
“How recently?” Last I heard he was the reigning Alpha. Their pack wasn't far from ours. My family would have been invited to the Alpha ceremony. So I would have heard. Had to be weeks at most.
“My darling, are you trying to figure out how old I am? You could just ask.” He teased, his husky tones and the twinkle in his eye made my stomach dip.
I ignored that and continued my original line of questioning.
“So, why did you leave your pack? Why not retire nearby in case your son needs your help.”
“My son is hardheaded,” he smiled.
I laughed; he raised one perfect eyebrow in question.
“Sorry. It’s just... well, you don’t seem the type to let things go, Mr-break-into- a-sleeping-girls-bedroom.”
“Yes, I suppose it is possible he gets his stubbornness and determination from me. He’s actually a lot like me in my youth, before I had him and Kilani.”
“You have two children.”
“Twins, yes.” I hadn’t realized they were twins. Then I realized he was still speaking, and I’d missed a little bit.
“In my youth I was impulsive, quick to anger. When I lost Darla and my parents, I threw myself into my pack. Mostly into building my pack's strength and resources and defenses. Anything to keep myself productive in a positive manner.
“And revenge from the stories I’ve heard,” I added. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them.
“Yes, and revenge.” Thank Goddess he didn’t seem offended. I felt awful. “So. I just turned over my pack to my son, but I wanted him to do better than me…. His goal was to separate himself from me as fast as possible. He wanted to ‘establish his own reign’, he said. So, I gave him space. The sad thing is I never wanted him to be like me. I want him to be himself. I’d rather he be better than me. For me, that loss I experienced, and the resulting responsibilities, forced me to grow up. My son hasn’t had anything like that - not that I would ever wish that on anyone. He just… he doesn’t feel the importance of his role yet. He’s enamored with the celebrity of it.”
He sounds like a d**k.
Maya, please go nap.
“And your daughter?” I asked.
“My daughter begged me to stay but, as I said, I think this is a lesson he needs to learn without me trying to help him.”
“How old is your daughter? Or they, I should say.”
“She is twenty. You’d like her, and I’m sure she’d love you.”
“Even though she’s older than me, and I’m seeing her dad? Wouldn’t that make things rather awkward.” I shifted uncomfortably. I could see how much he loved his children, both of them. What if they hated me? What if they thought I was a gold-digging s**t?
“Not a bit. I already told you my pack believes strongly in the mate bond. And I already told her I met you.”
“You did?” I practically choked on the water I was sipping.
“Yes, and she was thrilled. She wanted to fly out immediately and meet you. But I wouldn’t let her. She is a force to be reckoned with, that girl of mine. I wanted you to feel comfortable with me before you had to deal with that tornado of affection. That said, she’ll probably be here by the weekend.” He shot me a wry smile and I laughed.
“She gets her stubbornness and determination from you as well then?” I teased.
He laughed “She’s happy for me, for us. Honestly. You have nothing to worry about.”
“What about your son?”
“I haven’t told him yet. He doesn’t really want a mate. At least not yet. He is determined to rule alone unless he can find someone ‘capable of defending themselves’, he said. I think… I think he fears that what happened to his mother could happen to his mate. I think he’ll change his attitude when he actually meets his mate though. Mates have a way of shaking you up.”
Yes, they do... but I choose to ignore that for now.
“Do you speak with them much?”
“My daughter, yes. She calls every day. Demands to know if I’m looking after myself and insists I tell her exactly what I’ve been eating and doing. I don’t speak with my son much. He’s too busy and, like I said, I think he needs to find his footing without me hovering over him. I try not to pry.”
“It sounds like he might not have been ready to take over.”
“I thought he was but the minute I gave him the title. He became…. I don’t know what the right word is. Moira, the vampire you saw after class the other day, is… an old friend of mine. She helped me line up this job and I left not long after his ceremony.”
“Moira is... a lover?” It wasn't my business who he’d been with before me. Locally, I knew that. He was much older than me, and gorgeous, of course, he’d had lovers, have lovers. Yet jealousy still sprouted when he mentioned her.
He chuckled like my comment was hilarious. “No. Nothing like that. I actually haven’t been with anyone since my children's mother.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Did he love her that much that he never wanted another woman again? Or was he trying to make me feel better?
“You're looking at me like you don’t believe me. Or is it that you think I abandoned my son and my pack. I wanted to give him a chance. I recognized that he needed space to learn for himself. He’s always had a problem with accepting advice or criticism, that’s his biggest flaw.” He sounded a little worried now. His words were coming a little more rushed. He was worried about what I thought of him.
He's perfect.
“I’m not judging you in any way. I was just surprised. You are insanely attractive…” My sentence kind of fizzled out when he shot me a wicked grin that made the butterflies in my stomach swarm.
“Why did you leave your pack?” He asked, immediately settling those butterflies. Nothing could kill a good mood like my family. That said, everything about talking to this man felt right.
“I’m sure my father told you.”
“He told me some things. I’d like to hear it from you.”
“Well, I’d like to save that half of this conversation for the next date.”
I thought he’d push me, but instead he respected my boundaries. That made my walls crumble a little more.
“As you wish, darling.” He winked at me. I just about creamed my panties. Damn, definitely a goner.
- Writer
