Page 17 of Protected By the Wolf

It didn’t take us long to get there. I held her hand and led us to a speakeasy I had found when visiting Brandon a few years ago. On one side was a bar with lounge tables and a big open space for dancing, but through another door was a serene dining area and a bar. The bar was distinguished with gold taps. Sleek old wood lined the countertop, and the mirror shelves were layered with rows of bottled spirits that shone under the bright lights.

“It’s so elegant,” she said.

“I agree.” On getting the bartender’s attention, he waved us to a spot near the door that led out into the street. Normally, I would have insisted on sitting in the back where we would have some privacy, but tonight they had a live band, and the only place to see them perform was here at the entrance. Sure enough, as soon as we were seated, soulful music drifted on the air, and I saw Millie’s eyes widen as she tried to work out where it was coming from.

It took her a moment to see the singer standing on the second floor balcony, looking down on all of us.

“This place is magical,” she gushed.

“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites.”

“And their spaghetti and meatballs are the best?”

I smiled. “They sure are. What would you like to drink?”

“Oh, um, I’ll take a mocktail with ginger.”

“I’ll put the order in. Be right back.”

After placing our orders, I turned to head back to our table and saw she was mesmerized by the singer. I decided to wait at the bar and bathe in the feeling of serenity that washed over me at knowing my mate was only a few feet away. She noticed me watching her and flashed me one of her smiles. The bartender tapped me on the shoulder, interrupting the moment, and I turned and picked up our drinks.

As I sat back down at our table and placed her drink in front of her, I realized I had the perfect view of Millie. The setting sun shone through the window behind her, giving her a captivating glow that I couldn’t look away from. She was here, right in front of me, and if not for Jacob, I would be well on my way to having my mate for life. Tonight had to be perfect.

“Do we need menus to order?” Millie asked, accepting her drink with another smile.

I shook my head. “They only have spaghetti and meatballs or a turkey sandwich, which isn’t bad either.”

“Well, spaghetti and meatballs it is,” she laughed, and I thought my heart would sing.

“So, Millie, what do you do when you’re not selling paintings?”

“I travel.”

“Where to?” I clenched my other hand under the table. Jacob would be a good fit for her. She would be able to help him scratch that itch and show him places none of us knew anything about.

“Anywhere, really. My parents have a private jet, so I can go wherever I fancy. Usually, I use it to meet up with a friend, see my parents, or just to get away.” She sat up straighter and stared at me as if she just realized something. “I’m sorry, that sounded very crass of me. I know not everyone gets a chance to travel like I do.”

“There’s nothing wrong with saying what you love to do and what you’re capable of doing. One of my brothers would travel like you if he could. And he would never apologize for any of it. You shouldn’t either.”

“Thanks.” A soft rosy flush appeared on her cheeks, and I squeezed her hand, which made her flush only grow. A little sigh came out of her mouth, and I smiled. Maybe we could take her parents’ jet and leave everyone behind. Just the two of us.

As soon as that thought took shape, I knew we couldn’t do that. Especially when my wolf growled at me. He was unhappy that I would contemplate running away and leaving my family behind.

“What do you like to do in your downtime?” she asked, breaking into my thoughts.

“I like hanging out with my brother and enjoying nature.” We could not be more different.

“That sounds . . . fantastic . . .” A smile that looked forced came across her face. “I love nature.”

This was going to be harder than I thought. How could she be my mate when we didn’t have the same things in common?

“You mentioned a brother,” she said. “Do you just have the one?”

“I have four brothers and one sister. I’m the youngest.”

“Wow! I just have one younger sister, but we’re very close. I can’t imagine what it’d be like living with a large family.”

“Loud and rowdy, that’s what we are, but also tons of fun. You always had someone to play with, someone to roughhouse with, someone to help you when you were in need?—”

---