Page 56 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

I gaped at her. At worst, she could have passed as thirty-five, but in actuality, she looked closer to twenty-eight.

She laughed at the look on my face. “Shifters grow up normally, then at some point, we sort of stop aging. Physically aging, that is. It’s different for everyone. For some, it’s their twenties; others, it’s their thirties. Then after a while, the aging process starts again. We aren’t immortal.”

“That’s still… wow. I mean, you look great. But wait…” I frowned, getting a weird feeling in my stomach as I thought of something. “How old is Jace? The alpha. He doesn’t look a day over forty.” If he’d been around when my great-grandmother was around, how old was he?

“Jace?” Lory said. “He’s about a hundred-twenty-five.”

I choked on my spit.

Once my pamper session was done, I went to the grocery store to grab a few things. My mind was filled with wonder and confusion as I strolled through the store. I still had a hard time believing Jace was a hundred-and-twenty-five years old. It seemed impossible. In my daze, I never noticed the man walking up to me as I stared at a thousand cans of vegetables.

“Hello again.”

Yelping in surprise, I spun around to find Waylan standing beside me.

“Oh, shit, sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Sighing, I smiled, putting a hand out my chest. “No, it’s fine. I was lost in my thoughts. Didn’t hear you coming. How are you?”

“I’m good. Are you enjoying being able to shop for yourself?” he asked, a knowing smile on his lips.

“You have no idea. I was starting to get cabin fever—literally. I’m happy to be allowed in town.”

“I can imagine, and it’s no big deal. The meeting went basically how you’d think it would.” He shrugged. “A few folks were worried, but it was a small group. Everyone else is happy and a little excited to have a witch around.”

“So not everyone is okay with me being here?” That was worrying.

Waylan waved it off. “It’s fine. As soon as anyone voiced a concern, Jace jumped on it. He defended you big-time.”

I tried to remember the last time someone had fought for me. Nana, obviously. Dad? Never. Boyfriends? Not that I could remember. It was a new feeling, knowing that someone—especially a man—had put himself on the line for me.

“I really want to thank Jace,” I said. “Quick question. Do you happen to know his favorite thing to eat? I thought I’d make him dinner.”

Waylan smiled. “Follow me. I’ve got a few ideas.”

An hour later, I pulled up in front of the cabin, a load of groceries in my backseat. Filling my arms with bags, I headed for the house but stopped short, a box on the porch catching my eye. It looked like a mail package—a generic cardboard box with a post office sticker on the top. Weird. My name was on the sticker, so it was definitely mine. The only people who would send me something and knew where I was were Harley and Dad. My father didn’t even send Christmas gifts, though he did at least manage birthday cards every other year, so that was something. If Harley had sent something, she would have messaged or called me to let me know it was on the way.

“Weird,” I said, stepping over it.

I put all the food away and then stepped outside to grab the package. I tucked it under my arm and texted Jace about dinner.

Kirsten: Hey! I wanted to thank you for that meeting. Would you be free for dinner tonight?

Before I’d even put the box on the counter, my phone pinged.

Jace: I’d love to. What time?

Kirsten: Six?

Jace: I’ll be there. Can’t wait.

I was smiling like a goof by the time our little exchange ended. Part of me thought this was what it was like when a teenager invited a boy over when their parents were out of town—excited, naughty, and worried all at the same time. It had been a long time since I’d been giddy over a man. Had I ever felt this way? Maybe not. I’d always had butterflies in a new relationship, but those had faded fast.

While thinking about my feelings and past, I cut through the tape on the box with some scissors and opened it. I gasped. Nestled inside tissue paper was a gorgeous dress. I pulled it out and shook it out. The navy blue cocktail dress was tight, slinky, and low-cut. It was beautiful, but not something I’d normally buy for myself. I could imagine how sexy it would look on me, but who the hell had sent this? Surely not Jace. He didn’t seem like the type to do something like this.

Setting the dress aside, I dug through the tissue paper until I found a small card.

I hope you like it. You should wear this on our date. You’d look so hot in this. –Eren

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