Broken Mate, Fixed By Fate

06 ~ Angel eyes

“I hope you’re hungry.” Maria tells me as she closes the door to the passenger seat. “I prepared several local dishes so that I might have a clue what food you like. Lila told me you don’t eat much but I figured it’s just because you haven’t tasted my cooking yet, am I right, Elijah?”

Elijah chuckles, the sound low and pleasant to the ears. “Yes, Mum. But you might want to go easy on the goat cheese this time. It’s been two days and I still haven’t digested those blueberry goat cheese scones…”

Maria scoffs, but I can see her looking fondly at her son. “Nobody told you to eat all twelve of them, you rascal! They were supposed to last us for the whole week! You ate them in one sitting, for crying out loud!” She turns to me, always including me in the conversation even when she gets no response. “I'm surprised he didn’t end up in the emergency room!”

“You told me to enjoy. I did.”

“A little too much, you did! Look at him, Maeve. When he came home he was gaunt. Gaunt, I tell you! It’s like the king and queen kept you in the dungeons!” Maria turns to look at me. “My Elijah works as the personal secretary of King Lakàn and Queen Hiraya. He’s really hard-working, they had to send him on forced vacation…paid, of course, because he has accumulated so much, he would beggar the royal treasury if he still didn’t go this year. He never took a day off since he started working, not even a sick leave,” She says proudly.

Elijah groans. “Aww, Mum… when you say it like that, it makes you sound like the King and Queen are slave-drivers!” He catches my eyes in the mirror and with laughing eyes he addresses me. “They’re not, I swear. I just really love my job. They don’t make it feel like work, in fact. It’s more like being around… family.”

Maria beams. “There’s my boy, loyal to the bone…and they know they’re bloody lucky to have you!”

I look away.

Loyalty… That word means nothing to me right now. If a fated mate, the one the Moon Goddess chose for you, can’t be trusted to keep his faith…

“So, Maeve…Mum told me you’re a dressmaker. Do you have your own shop or are you working for someone else at the moment?”

I meet his eyes in the rearview mirror again, wondering what he’s up to. Maria must have already told him that I don’t speak, so why is he talking to me now?

There’s a few seconds of awkward silence before Maria sweeps in and saves the conversation.

“Maeve works in her sister’s shop, don’t you, sweetheart? And I heard from Lila that she’s the best one they have. Apparently, the luna of their pack recommended Maeve’s work to everyone at that event in Michigan and the orders started pouring in. Such talent for one so young.”

I look out of the window again, thinking they will continue the conversation on their own now, but apparently Elijah isn’t done yet.

“How old are you, Maeve? If you don’t mind me asking, of course…”

I meet his eyes again, this time with an annoyed look on mine to let him know I am not comfortable with his questions.

Maria taps him on the arm reproachfully. “Oh, good heavens, child, where are your manners!? You don’t ask a lady about her age, not ever! Honestly, boy, what were you thinking? I just about convinced dear Maeve what a catch you are and you messed it up!” she glares at him.

I almost smirk. Serves him right for being so nosy and rude. But his eyes merely smile charmingly back, unbothered. I’m not even sure how he’s doing that, smiling with his eyes. I look away again, frowning because he continues to bother me in more ways than one.

“Sorry, Mum…didn’t mean to be rude. I’m just curious because it so happens that I did see Luna Marie at the Michigan Convention and her dress that day…oh, man, she really stood out. It was gorgeous. She was the best dressed lady there…even the queen had inquired about the dress when she saw the photos. Queen Raya wasn’t present at the event, she’s experiencing really horrible morning sickness…but she told me to send Luna Marie her compliments.”

“Oh, they must be so excited about their second child… it’s about time they give the little prince a playmate.” Maria claps her hands together, already forgetting she is annoyed with her son. “I hope they come to visit again soon, I do love spoiling Master Alaric with my cakes, he’s such a sweet boy.”

Elijah laughs. “Oh, he’s going to be a chick magnet in the future, that’s for sure. Queen Raya is already telling the king the Moon Goddess better give the charming imp a tough mate who will not melt like a puddle of goo when the golden heir gives her a toothy smile.”

I didn’t realize I’m looking in the mirror again until he met my eyes once more and he wiggled his eyebrows, making me gasp in surprise. Embarrassed at being caught interested, I turn to look outside the window again, my cheeks burning red.

I’m not interested. I shouldn’t be. That world is not my world and it will never be.

Oh, but he’s so good at making them sound so…relatable. So likable that I want to meet them in person…

I shake my head. This is not good. Not even halfway through day one and I’m already being affected by this attractive stranger with smiling eyes and a soothing gentle voice.

I frown. Wait, what? Attractive? Now, where did that come from?

Granted, he is good-looking—if one likes the gentleman type, which I don’t—but…I shouldn’t even be noticing those things. I’m still nursing a broken heart, for heaven’s sake! I have no business noticing such things at the moment.

Why am I even reacting like this? I shouldn’t be feeling anything at all.

Numb is good. Numb is preferable.

Detached and indifferent? Even better. Walls up, lights off…and under the cover, where no one can hurt me anymore.

My eyes turn cold once again and I feel myself slipping back to the safety of my very own misery cocoon.

Maria is still busy swooning over the little prince and how she’s going to fatten him up like the witch in Hansel and Gretel, but not cook him, of course. Only spoil him so much he will always come running back to Granny Maria.

It seems safe enough now, I got my armor back on…so I glance back at the mirror. Elijah looks back at me with amusement—he really has such expressive eyes—and then he winks and my walls suddenly go crumbling down!

Damn it, Maeve!

What is the matter with me!? And what the hell is wrong with him, teasing me like this, despite knowing what I went through!? Is he thinking I’m an easy conquest?

Well, he can go to hell. I’m not interested in rebound s*x. Or any kind of intimacy, at all.

With renewed resolve, I grit my teeth and clench my fists, determined not to look at the mirror again, not even if I developed a stiff neck.

If only my eyes would stop wandering in his direction. To distract myself, I took out my phone to see if someone called or sent a message while I was on the train.

My heart starts pounding when I see a missed call and then a message from Jack.

“Can we talk? I’ll wait for you tonight, outside the shop.”