Page 42 of Alpha's Choice
Helen closed the door, leaving Elliot and me standing on the front step. “Please tell me I’m not alone in thinking that was strange.”
Elliot led me away from the house. “I’ve only seen you interact with her at the pack meeting the other night, but yeah, I’d say it was strange.”
I couldn’t help but worry about Jenny. The change from yesterday was abrupt, and I was confused about what to do next. “Did you sense her wolf at all? Usually, her wolf comes forward when she sees me. Enough that even I can tell.”
Elliot shook his head. “I couldn’t sense anything, but her wolf could be resting. Sometimes, in times of stress, our wolves need time to recover.”
Maybe that was all it was. It was still early days after Jenny lost Neil. I couldn’t expect her to rebound as if nothing had happened. I just needed to keep checking in on her.
* * *
Tobias and I were finally getting a chance to have dinner on our own. Between family dinners and pack meetings, our days were busy, but I was determined to have a great night, so I shoved my worries about Jenny in the back of my mind.
I set the table in our apartment for two, adding candles and lowering the lights to make it romantic. A lousy cook, I had food delivered, and the containers were already on the counter smelling delicious.
Tobias came into the apartment, loosening his tie as he crossed the room toward me. He leaned down and gave me a lingering kiss. “Please tell me we get the night to ourselves.”
I leaned in, gravitating to his warmth. He had this pull over me I could only imagine was the mate bond. More and more, I understood the persuasiveness of the bond, and part of me feared it, the strength of the feelings I already had for him.
I rested my head on his chest and let the feel of his arms around me soothe my concerns. I wanted nothing to intrude on our night together. “Just us tonight.”
Keeping one arm around my waist, he took my hand and swayed, humming a tune I didn’t recognize. He led me in a waltz-like movement around the room. His dance steps and humming became exaggerated as he twirled me and lifted me in the air, ending when he dipped me almost to the floor.
I laughed as he pulled me back up to him. “What was that about?”
He grinned at me. “I thought we could use some fun to start the evening. So many serious things have been happening that we haven’t been able to just laugh and enjoy ourselves.”
“Well, I approve.” I grinned back at him. It was nice to see the light-hearted Tobias from our first date. Dinner with Matthew and Brenda was fun but talk of patrols and investigations overshadowed even that.
“Dinner smells amazing.”
“I didn’t make it.” I pointed to the containers on the counter. “It’s from the dining hall.”
Tobias shrugged. “It still smells amazing. We can eat from the dining hall every night if you want.”
“We might need to, unless you cook. I’m a bit of a disaster in the kitchen.”
“I grew up in the packhouse. We used the dining hall all the time. There’s a reason my mom hired Joan when they moved out.” He lifted the lid from a container, eyes widening when he saw the lasagna. “One of my favorites.”
“So this kitchen is just for show?” I took in the sleek countertops and appliances.
“The toaster gets used a lot. And the coffee pot.” He was matter of fact as he plated the lasagna, salad, and garlic bread. “I work long days sometimes, so it’s easier to have it delivered or eat in the dining hall.”
We sat at the table, the flickering candlelight between us shifting the atmosphere to romantic. He reached over and took my hand in his, smiling as he watched our fingers lace together. “I can’t get enough of this. Touching you, feeling the sparks. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d ever meet my mate.”
“I never expected to have one. I never really thought about relationships,” I admitted, the intimacy swirling around us inspiring me to open up. “Then you came along and now it’s hard to think about anything without also thinking about you.”
“Same here. I was working on a report today and kept getting distracted, wondering what you would think about it.” He lifted our joined hands and pressed a kiss to the inside of my wrist, my pulse fluttering. “A Luna’s importance is clearer to me now.”
“You’ve had your mother doing the job.”
“It’s not the same. Mom’s done a great job, but with you, I want to rush home and talk to you, and get your opinion on things. I want us to be a team, not just two people doing their jobs.”
I felt the pressure of his hopes for our relationship. He wanted something all-encompassing. He wouldn’t be content to just be one part of my life. Being with Tobias would demand everything I used to believe a relationship needed and still ask for more.
I had never been in love. I wasn’t ready to say the words, but I knew that’s the direction I was headed. My earlier fears about the strength of my feelings came back, but I pushed them away to refocus on Tobias. Just because it was more than I expected didn’t mean I couldn’t handle it.
We talked for hours, the candles almost gone by the time we blew them out and headed for the bedroom. This time when he danced me around the room, it was slow and sensual, our bodies close, our hearts beating almost in unison. We made our way to the bed, exchanging slow kisses as we stripped, letting our clothes fall to the floor.
