Page 10 of His Sunshine Baby

I nod without thinking too much about it. I have no intention to keep chatting about our agreement when we are not alone. I already feel Daniel’s stare on me.

“Okay, let’s go. Come on, get moving,” I sigh while dragging the kids along.

This time, the group doesn’t resist and starts walking northward, Daniel leading them. As we walk away, I suddenly hear one of the bouncer’s voices.

“Sorry about that, Mr. Black.”

Wait a second. What the hell did he call him? I immediately stop, and Daniel does the same, turning to me with big eyes. Holy crap. I turn around to look at Nate once again, completely shocked.

“What did you say that guy was called?”

“He just said to call him Nate…”

“You mean Nate, as in Nathaniel freaking Black?!”

Chapter 3

“Nathaniel Black? Really?”

Daniel keeps repeating this, and it’s annoying. It’s 2:00 a.m., we just got home, and I’m too exhausted to put up with his nagging now. I take off my heels and throw them across the room, hoping they would land close to the wardrobe.

“Don’t throw stuff!”

“Who cares? I’m tired. I will put them back properly tomorrow.”

“Anyway, girl, Nathaniel Black is a big no, you know that right? Any member of that family is a no. Actually, anyone from the Blood or Velvet Moon clans is a no!”

I know, I know. I still remember that chill I got when I heard his name. Nathaniel Black. What were the odds? Now that I think about it, there were signs. His acting like he owned the place, how everyone acted around him, his Alpha Aura. I’m so stupid! We get out of our territory once and I meet one of the most dangerous guys out there! I take off my jewelry and dress, then head to the bathroom to remove my makeup. Danny’s voice follows me.

“Seriously, how do you always end up attracting those kinds of troublemakers? I know, it’s my fault for taking you there, but still, babe! You have rotten luck! Nathaniel Black of all people.This is the last time you see him, you hear me? I’m putting in my best friend veto right here and now, Elena!”

I roll my eyes. Whatever with his veto, I’m probably never going there again anyway. I still feel a bit bitter about it. I was replaying the night again and again while we took the young ones home. Moon Goddess, that kiss. No doubt I would have gone with him if that stupid incident in the parking lot hadn’t happened. And then what? He would have taken me to a fancy hotel, and we would have had sex. Then goodbye? He was very blunt and clear about it, yet I keep thinking about his words. And his eyes. He did seem very interested. Was it just physical attraction?

Danny joins me in the bathroom, but I act normal. I wash my face and brush my teeth.

“Let’s just go to Pepe’s next time. No strangers, no surprises. We should play it safe. I don’t want you in any more trouble.”

“I’m not in trouble,” I sigh.

“You are so in trouble. Your uncle is looking for any reason to scold you every chance he gets. You know that. So let’s not give him any for a while. Okay, babe?”

I nod, but Danny is way too optimistic. My uncle probably already knows we went out, and I’ll get a scolding tomorrow for sure. It’s not that bad though, I’m used to it. I jump into my pajamas and get into bed after saying good night to Danny. Though once I’m there, I can’t fall asleep. I’m still thinking about what happened on that balcony and what I felt. He was attractive, for sure, but I’ve met handsome men before and never felt like that. I thought I had closed my heart, that I would never let my feelings decide for me again. But this guy, Nathaniel. Nate.

I turn around and grab my phone. After hesitating a couple of seconds, I type his name in the search bar. A few local newsarticles pop up. As usual, his brothers’ pictures are unavailable, but Nathaniel seems to be the face of the Black Corporation. No wonder they picked him. He looks good from any angle. Always well dressed in brand-name clothes. Very clean and classy. The pictures show him shaking hands with CEOs, big names of every industry, and even a couple of other packs’ Alphas. I find an article with his short biography and scroll down. High-school dropout turned multimillionaire, owns several estates in the leisure industry, as well as a few renowned restaurants and clubs. The guy just turned 22 years old. He’s about a year older than me. I keep reading, but we don’t have much in common. I’m still a university student, with a big loan, and too many family and pack issues to handle.

I put down my phone. I just dipped a finger in a different world than mine, and that’s already way too much for me to handle. Danny is probably right. I should avoid him, avoid trouble, and be grateful I did not cross that line. As I said, it’s very unlikely we’ll meet again anyway…

My two Mojitos help me find some sleep, but the night is short. My alarm rings at 8 o’clock sharp until I turn it off with a groan. Saturday, here we come.

The apartment is empty. Daniel already left for the university to check his experiments, according to the sticky note on the fridge. Thank Moon Goddess he made coffee before that because I’m going to need it. A shower and two cups of coffee later, I head off to the dojo. I’m training the young ones and after the mess they got us into last night, I have no intention of going easy on them. I’m already in my workout outfit. A simple sports bra and shorts; it is June after all. I just head straight to the tatami mats.

The first one ready, as usual, is my cousin Iris, Chris’ big sister. She is my age, smart, and pretty, yet she barely has any Alpha Aura. I don’t know if she conceals it or not, but she lookstotally harmless and nice. Which explains why she is so popular among the male wolves of our pack. When I approach, she nods very politely.

“Hello, Elena. You look tired! Rough night?”

“Hi, Iris. Yeah, you could say that. How was your week?”

“Just fine, the usual,” she replies with a smile.