Page 18 of Unlearning

Thinking of you.

Went elk hunting with Carter tonight and my wolf wanted to give you the first bite,stuck to a Tupperware container full of raw venison.

This reminded me of your eyes,accompanied by a tiny forget-me-not flower.

We sat together at most meals, and James would fill my plate, fill my glass, gently touch my knee when asking me questions, it was almost as if he couldn’t help himself when it came to touching me. Meanwhile, I probably looked like a sunflower, with the way my head just followed his movement wherever we were. I was being drawn deep into his web, this male captivated my attention in the best of ways. I spent almost all my time at my desk daydreaming about all the things he might say or whisperor write or moan to me in the future, and it was the perfect mix of excitement and fear, like right before jumping into cold water on a hot summer day. I craved it, I craved him.

The female in the mirror was someone I hadn't seen before. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes wild, and her lips painted red. I'd chosen a black dress that was fancy enough for a first date but would not betray the effort put into deciding what to wear. He knocked and I stepped out of my room to meet him. He looked me up and down, pupils wide, then took several steps towards me until my back hit the door. He kissed my shoulder and proceeded to trace my neck with his nose before inhaling deeply – we both shivered. Our bodies were pressed against each other and when he wedged one of his legs between mine, my thighs gripped it immediately. Shamelessly. He squeezed my waist. “Samantha,” he said hoarsely, still just nuzzling my neck, not taking it any further. I could hardly breathe, and my nipples were trying to rip through my dress. His scent was intoxicating.

He stepped away, with his hands fisted at his sides, and looked deep into my eyes.

“Fuck, you're beautiful.”

“Thank you,” I responded, still slightly dazed.

“Shall we?” He grabbed my hand and we stepped into the night.

The restaurant he chose was cozy and romantic. Our table was separated from others with the help of a beautiful olive tree which I couldn’t help but admire while James was fidgeting with some papers he was trying to discreetly stuff back into hispocket. I quickly grabbed them and sneaked a peek before he managed to get them back from me.

“36 questions to fall in love? What is that?” Right there before my eyes, my Alpha and boss, James Woodward, blushed, and I mean really b l u s h e d.

“I was looking at some stuff online in preparation for our date, and these seemed like interesting talking points,” he cleared his throat before taking a sip of his orange juice.

“So you really prepared for this date?” I eyed him incredulously.

He straightened in his chair and met my gaze proudly.

“You're damn right I did. I want this to go well.”

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms.

“Fine, we'll answer your questions. But first I have to let you know that I am truly upset about how you manipulated my patrol schedule.”

He had the good sense to look sheepish.

“It started out as simply protecting you from persistent guys. Ashley came to me and told me that some of them had a hard time understanding the wordno,” he said darkly. “And since I couldn't fit all the changes into the schedule nicely, I went on a few patrols with you just until I could iron out the new roster. I never expected to enjoy your company so much that I couldn't bear to deprive myself of it,” he said, not a hint ofembarrassment on his face now. I, on the other hand, felt a blush creeping up my neck.

“How come I've never met you back in Lupinus Argenteus? I used to visit for a month every summer, from ages 7 to 20.”

“Well, when you were 7 I was 15, so I would have been visitingmyaunt's pack until I'd shifted. Then I was being sent to do these alpha-born training camps every summer. And after starting university, I rarely went back to my birth pack, with, you know, all the memories,” he swallowed.

“How did you decide to major in environmental science?”

“My dad gave me these aptitude tests to fill out - ”

“No way! Alpha Frank gave those to me as well,” I interjected excitedly and he laughed.

“Sorry to burst your bubble but I am starting to think those are a lie. I can almost bet you that they pull those career paths out of their ass. Like, the pack will need a doctor and they'll send the valedictorian off to med school,” he chuckled and then frowned. “I actually wouldn't be surprised if my brother had intentionally steered you my way. With the choice of major, and later the job recommendation.”

“I wouldn't mind if he’d done that,” I shrugged. “This jobisa dream come true for me, and you're not too bad to look at,” I winked.

Over entrees, I asked him whether he manipulated any other aspect of my work day to fit his stalker agenda.

"Am I a stalker if you've always seen me watch you?" he mused jokingly. "I moved your office ‘cause I wanted to be closer to you. Got them to put your favorite coffee in the vending machine so you’d have nicer breaks. I attended the educational tours because I wanted to watch you play with the children. Nothing too crazy."

I just narrowed my eyes at that.

"Let's see those questions of yours," I motioned for him to give me the paper. For the next hour, we went through them one by one, and I had to admit, theyweregreat talking points.

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