Chapter 20: Chapter 20

EVIE

A sigh escaped me. The euphoria from my date with Noah two days ago still lingered. It was nothing short of perfect.

As the evening progressed, I found myself growing increasingly at ease with Noah. By the time the night was over, I had completely surrendered to the mate bond—or at least, that’s what I attributed it to. There was no other plausible reason for my newfound boldness and exhilaration.

I had never been the one to initiate a first kiss in my entire life. I found myself in agreement with Noah’s sentiment of never wanting to part ways. Truth be told, I felt the same way, but I had to maintain some semblance of rationality.

Barely making it through Thursday without seeing him, despite our constant texting, I was eager to return home on Friday and prepare for another date with Noah. I was taken aback, though I shouldn’t have been, to find his car already parked outside my house when I arrived.

“You were serious about right after school, huh?” I teased Noah, laughing.

He was casually leaning against the driver’s side door of his car, a mischievous grin on his face. Pushing off from the door, he swept me up into his arms and buried his face in my hair. I melted into his embrace, inhaling his intoxicating scent.

“I missed you,” he mumbled into my hair.

A smile spread across my face as he pulled back and kissed me.

“Come on.” I chuckled, leading him toward the front door and inviting him into my home for the first time.

He followed me inside and shut the door behind him. I hung up my backpack and placed my keys and phone in their usual spots.

“You’re quite organized,” Noah observed, chuckling as he looked around.

I shrugged in response, not saying anything.

“Have a seat. I just need a few minutes to get ready,” I told him.

“But you look beautiful just the way you are,” Noah countered, grinning as he placed his hand on my hip.

I rolled my eyes at him.

“Down, boy,” I teased, swatting his hand away and stepping out of his grasp.

I could practically hear Noah’s pout as I retreated into my bedroom.

***

I swapped my T-shirt and joggers for a fitted blouse and dark jeans, trading my sneakers for a pair of brown ankle boots. After a quick brush of my teeth and hair, I let my hair down from its high ponytail and braided it over my shoulder, leaving a few loose curls to frame my face.

Satisfied with my appearance, I returned to the living room. Noah was standing in front of my bookshelf, his back to me, engrossed in something. I approached him to see what had caught his attention.

“Is this your family?” he asked, pointing to an 8x10 framed photo of my family vacation in Hawaii.

“Yes, that was taken shortly after my accident,” I replied, picking up the blue frame. “That’s my oldest brother Becks, then Isaac, and my twin, Elijah.”

I pointed out my brothers who were all huddled around me, with my parents standing on either side.

“You look happy,” he noted.

“I was, I am. I have a pretty amazing family,” I admitted.

“Why did you leave them?” he asked, catching me off guard.

“To see what else is out there,” I answered simply, setting the picture back down.

“Did I say something wrong?” Noah asked, concern etched on his face.

“No, I’m just defensive.” I shrugged, heading back toward the door.

“Why?” he inquired.

“When I decided to leave Hawaii and attend college on the mainland, my family and friends nearly had me committed,” I confessed, laughing nervously as I crossed my arms over my chest.

Noah moved around the couch to stand in front of me.

“They didn’t like that you were leaving?” he asked.

“That’s an understatement. They were completely against it. All of my brothers stayed in Hawaii. Becks became a pilot for tour guides and island hoppers, Isaac is a research scuba diver, and Elijah went into marine biology. Hawaii is more than just a place—it’s a culture. Most people don’t leave,” I explained.

“But you’re not most people,” Noah stated matter-of-factly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I looked into his eyes, and I’m sure he could see the surprise in mine.

“You’re the only one who’s ever understood that,” I admitted softly.

Noah smiled, taking my hands and uncrossing my arms.

“That’s because I’m yours, baby,” he declared.

“You know, my brothers aren’t exactly wolves, but they’ve spent their lives perfecting the art of scaring off my boyfriends,” I teased Noah.

He chuckled. “I’ll polish my armor then.”

“You’ll need it.”

“Considering I’ve already faced my own father for you, darling, I think I can handle your brothers,” he replied with a casual air. But I wasn’t about to let that slide.

“Excuse me?” I withdrew my hands from his and planted them firmly on my hips.

That’s when Noah realized he’d slipped up.

“Don’t sweat it, darling.” He tried to brush it off, but I just stared at him, not backing down.

Noah sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re stubborn?” He chuckled nervously.

“Every single day.” I shrugged nonchalantly.

“My father isn’t exactly a hopeless romantic. He rejected his own mate because she was a rankless wolf. The idea of mating a human doesn’t sit well with him.” Noah tried to give me the condensed version, but I wasn’t buying it.

“What’s the full story?” I raised an eyebrow at Noah, questioning him.

He shook his head at me and sighed again. “The full story is, I don’t care what my father thinks. You’re my mate and that’s final. His opinion doesn’t matter; he’s not the alpha anymore.”

“I don’t want to cause…”

Noah interrupted me. “Don’t even go there, Evie,” he warned me, and I closed my mouth.

I was still underestimating Noah’s feelings for me and the intensity of this mate bond for him. His emotions were far deeper and stronger than I could even fathom. I began pacing the living room. “Molly mentioned something about the alpha’s mate’s role,” I started, avoiding Noah’s gaze.

“Did she?” Noah mumbled. “What did she say?”

“I persuaded her to spill. You know how convincing I can be.” I smirked at Noah, who rolled his eyes in agreement. “She told me that I would be called the luna and that I would lead beside you.”

I remembered Molly and I’s conversation in the car before she transformed into Kira, and I had a major meltdown.

“That’s true, but you don’t need to worry about that right now,” Noah said.

“That’s exactly what Molly said,” I retorted, looking at him skeptically.

“Well, she was right,” he said, following me around the room with his eyes.

“I want to be ready for everything, Noah,” I grumbled.

“I know you do, but you don’t need the extra stress right now.” He was trying to control me, and I wasn’t having it.

“How can I lead a pack that doesn’t want me?” I yelled at him, throwing my hands in the air.

Noah quickly crossed the living room and blocked my path so I couldn’t escape.

“The pack does want you. My father and the elder members of the pack are the only ones who have an issue with it. They’re old-fashioned and still act like it’s 1957 and we’re at war,” Noah huffed, clearly irritated.

“The rest of the pack has literally been counting down the days until I would meet my mate and give them a luna. They’re already obsessed with you, and they don’t even know you exist yet,” Noah finished.

“Your dad hates me.” I dropped my head, sulking.

Noah chuckled at me, lifting my chin to meet his gaze.

“My dad hates everyone, Evie. My own mother left him six years ago when she found her destined mate. You don’t need to worry about him.”

I perked up a bit at Noah’s words, hopeful that I still had a chance with his mother.

Noah tugged at the end of my braid. “You’re going to make an amazing luna, Everleigh, and when you’re ready we can discuss all about what that entails. But for now, let’s just focus on us, okay?” Noah said softly.

“Okay,” I nodded, smiling as I took his hand.

“Ready to go?” he asked me.

“Won’t we be a bit early?” I asked as he led me toward the door.

“I know the owner.” He shrugged, a smug smile on his face.

I stopped dead in my tracks, and Noah skidded to a stop.

“You’re the owner, aren’t you?” I accused him.

This was the third time he’d mentioned something about the owner of this place. He burst out laughing.

“Nice use of your college degree,” he teased.

I swatted his arm, only to be rewarded with his louder laughter. He pulled me out the door, my grumbles echoing all the way to the car.

“Get in, Miss Grumpy,” he commanded, holding the car door open.

I flopped into the seat, sticking my tongue out at him and crossing my arms over my chest in defiance.

We pulled up to the Wolf’s Den while the sun was still up. Noah guided me inside, where the staff were tidying up—wiping down tables, sweeping the floors, and arranging the bar. Their surprise at seeing Noah—or perhaps at seeing him with a guest—was evident.

He led me upstairs to his office, which boasted a large glass window overlooking the bar.

“Wow, the view from here is amazing,” I commented, drawn toward the window.

“It was even better last weekend,” he replied with a wink.

“Were you watching me?” I gasped.

“More like appreciating.” Noah shrugged, rifling through some paperwork on his desk.

“That’s a bit creepy,” I muttered.

Noah came up behind me, his arm winding around my waist.

“I should warn you, sweetheart,” he started, his chin resting on my shoulder, “you might get a few stares tonight.”

“Why?” I asked, puzzled.

“Well, aside from my family, Sawyer, and Molly, no one knows I’ve found my mate. They’ll have questions when they see me being so affectionate with a woman,” he explained.

I turned to face him, my hands resting on his forearms.

“Why would it be strange for you to be with a woman?” I asked.

Noah gave me a knowing smirk, as if I was missing something obvious. I gasped in realization.

“Have you not been with other girls here?”

Noah shook his head. “Absolutely not. I’ve been waiting for my mate,” he stated simply.

I gaped at him, stunned.

“You’re going to catch flies, darling.” Noah chuckled.

“You’ve never been with anyone else?” I asked, quickly closing my mouth.

“Firstly, Evie, wolves don’t ~date~. We have fun with girls who aren’t our mates, then we mate. That’s it.” He shrugged.

“And what do you think we’re doing?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

“I think that ~you~ believe we’re dating, and I’m trying to respect that, but I’m already yours—no dating necessary,” he replied.

This man was impossible.

“So you’ve never ~‘dated’~ other girls, but have you ~‘fooled around’~ with them?” I echoed his words, my voice laced with a hint of sarcasm.

Noah sighed. “I haven’t been celibate for the past twenty-eight years, if that’s what you’re asking.”

A pang of jealousy hit me. It was irrational—I knew he’d been with other women, just as I’d been with other men—but I couldn’t ignore the bitter taste in my mouth or the sudden urge to scratch someone’s eyes out.

Noah wrapped his hands around mine, as if sensing my thoughts.

“Does that bother you, darling?” he asked gently.

“It shouldn’t,” I admitted.

“It’s okay.” He chuckled. “I feel like killing anyone who’s even glanced at you the wrong way. You’re allowed to feel upset. Just remember, none of them mean to me what you do.” Noah reassured me, cradling my face in his hands and planting a quick kiss on my lips.

“Are people going to start calling me…what was it Molly said? ~Luna~?” I asked, our faces just inches apart.

“Probably. Does that make you uncomfortable?” he asked.

“I’m not ready to lead anyone,” I confessed.

“It’s just a sign of respect,” Noah assured me.

“Can’t they respect me and still call me Evie?” I sighed.

Noah chuckled. “They’ll respect you regardless, trust me,” he said, his tone hinting at a veiled threat. “Even my brother Greyson and my best friend Sawyer call me ‘Alpha’ half the time. It doesn’t mean they expect you to lead them into battle anytime soon. They’re just showing you they’re willing to submit to you,” he explained.

I moved away from him, back toward the window, watching as the bar lights dimmed and the DJ set up his equipment.

“I don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of respect,” I confessed.

“I get it, sweetheart. I can’t make them call you Evie, but you can suggest it if it makes you feel more at ease,” Noah offered, coming to stand beside me.

“Do you think they’ll listen?” I questioned, glancing at him from the corner of my eye.

He simply shrugged.

“They might even feel privileged that you want them to call you by your first name. I can’t guarantee everyone will be comfortable with it, but most of the wolves who visit here probably will. It’s a more laid-back environment.”

Feeling a bit more confident, I said, “All right, let’s do this.”

I bounced toward the door of Noah’s office.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Noah shaking his head in amusement before trailing behind me.