Chapter 17

Seb's pov

This one looks plain boring, I glared at the piece of fabric as if it was at fault before discarding it in it's respective position. The clothes in the closet stared back at me wondering if I'm losing my mind and they are not incorrect because I am, at the moment.

My lack of experience in the whole 'going on a date' area is as noob as it gets,while I can't claim this is my first date,wo of the girls in my highschool had the absolute misfortune of asking me out and me being my ' people pleaser ' self ofcourse couldn't say no to it and went on with them. They were 'awkward' is possibly the apt adjective I'd use to describe them.

In my defence I was still contemplating my preferences back then until I came to the conclusion that I don't have one and also the fact that dating someone was the last thing I had to worry about.So I never really bothered putting any effort.

But this is not just any date, this is my mate. This night might be the beginning of many we might be having for the rest of our lives. As dramatic as it sounded, it is our reality, a reality now I wholeheartedly wished for.

I will pick you up at seven,Leo said as he placed a chaste kiss on my cheek before leaving for the pack meeting. And that's when my nerves started feeling jumpy but it's not the only one, I also have this weird jittery feeling in my stomach I am getting used to these days.

Especially when he's around.

Ah! This is embarrassing. I sighed into the pillow. Checking the clock which is already ticking the six, I once again reminded myself to chill and quickly decide on something to wear.

For one thing it would have helped if he told me where we were going, so I can dress accordingly and save us the time but again it would have made the opposite effect by agitating my nerves further, I guess this is for the best.

Maybe I just need to start with the shower to clear my head.

Hopping into the shower, I distracted myself with other important tasks, like scrubbing myself hard enough to let every other thought evaporate. It felt like almost an hour passed when I finally exited the bathroom.

Shit! It's almost seven.

Cursing to myself, I grabbed the best option among the laid out shirts and putting it together with a matching pants. Now that the outfit is done, I can take some time to style my hair or may be not, the watch on my wrist said. Spraying the cologne on my body for few times, I finally dared to look at the mirror. Thank Goddess, I looked....okay? Okay! I think I look pretty good infact better than my usual.

How humble, Venus mocks. So it might be true, I hoped.

When I finally made it out of the front door, Leo's black car is already waiting at the gate. He waves his hand as soon as he finds me. Stuffing my feet into the shoes,I make my way to him in quick steps as he stays plastered to his spot, just staring at me.

"Ready? " He asks, stretching out his hand for me to take and I give him my hand instantly, he kisses it before leading me to the car. It would have been silly to me if anyone else does this but he has a way of making it look as regal as it can be.

" You look really good." He utters, when we are finally inside the car.

"So do you." I say in return looking at his arms on the steering wheel. I'm not sure why I'm only noticing this now, but his arm veins are incredibly prominent and suddenly I am so aware of them especially when his hands flexed on the wheel and I spent the rest of journey trying to not stare creepily at his arms.

Our journey continues with him talking about the meeting. He tells me about the possible decisions of the council regarding some pack lands. Even though I don't fully get the essence of the things he is speaking about, I gave my few insights about some aspects and he happily agreed to them.

The car came to a stop in an unfamiliar street. Peeking outside the window, there are no other cars in vicinity but the surroundings still seemed busy. There are few shops on either sides twinkling with lighting and a few neon sign boards.

Leo opens his side of the door gaining my attention." We need to walk from here. " he says after unlocking the door on my side.

The vibrancy of the evening blankets the street as we move further, the buildings get taller and taller by each with the street lights illuminating some of the spots and rest in shadows as elegant as their counterparts. The scenery looks like something out of folklore, as if we are in a different realm.

This is weird, we haven't even travelled that far from the city.

As if you knew the whole city, other than the two streets - Venus mocks.

That's something I can't argue with. A hand on my arm halts my steps pulling me back from my thoughts. I look up to find Leo looking at me a amusing glint in his eyes. " That is the place. " he informs, pointing at a building on the sideways.

I turn my head to the building he's pointing to. It's similar to the previous ones we've passed not quite big but still very beautiful. While I am busy admiring he slips his hand into mine and starts guiding me towards it.

Preparing myself all but to enter the seemingly fancy place with much needed confidence, I was only left dumbfounded when we totally walk past the building. I was about to ask him about it but the words die in my mouth when a large no humongous building comes into view.

So tall to the point I almost broke my neck to get a complete view of it.wow and my legs give out when the shiny bold letters come into sight. ' Mehteyr's' the board read.

I blinked twice to make sure I was seeing right. Fuck, we are dining at meheyr's ! The mehteyr's?

Gotta be a joke, I looked at Leo to tell me otherwise but he is only smiling as he led me inside the place oblivious to my dilemma.

I read about this place all my childhood, the pack books described it as this historic monument in werewolf history which served millions of gods and their families during the war between us and other species making it the prestigious piece of the time. The children described it as this magical spot where they whipped dishes out of thin air and they are the potions of immortality. Despite the possibility of any of those rumors being true, everyone only wanted one thing, to dine there at least once in their lifetime. Even I was, once.

It only took me only a salt grain size of wisdom to realise it is next to impossible because mehteyr's is not for normal people like me. Only powerful people, extremely powerful people had access to this place. Not just from our species, some said even pixie lords, fairies, elves even vampires dined here. And from us, only alphas are the inclusion and the council members because they have superior blood, yeah that's what they said, places like these are not for the less pure ones like us and we ever entered it, the floor might set us on fire the moment we stepped into it, which I can definitely confirm to be not at all true because right now, I am walking on the said floor.

We are dining at Mehteyr's? The Mehteyr's?

He leads me into the hotel, still holding my hand and the warmth from palms makes it hard to concentrate on anything else, so I blindly follow him hoping I won't trip on anything and make a fool of myself. Thankfully I don't.

" Leonard agnes '' he offers, the reception nods with a polite smile before typing something in the monitor and very soon the waiter appears pointing us in a certain direction "this way sir" .

My nerves calmed down a little since we entered and looking at this man ooze with confidence in everything he does as he has done this thousands of times already or maybe he actually has considering his rank.

Our table is at the corner offering us the perfect view of the city and all the other buildings we just passed by, now that I am much more relaxed I take the opportunity to take the whole place in, the interiors are bit different from the external architecture, seemingly more poised and delicate with the muted colors on the walls to the vintage paintings hung on them however not any less breathtaking.

" seb? "His soft voice calls me to gain my attention.

The same guy from earlier is standing at our table ready to take our orders as he hands us a menu and gives us space by standing back politely.

I take the menu in my hand and started turning the pages. My eyes skimmed through all the items, trying to find the interesting ones but I understood none of the delicacies mentioned here, they all had very weird fancy names which kept my comprehension skills lacking or mayve the rumours are true that this place is not for mere mortals like me.

" Everything okay? " Leo asks with valid concern.

" Yeah! It's just I understand none of these. " I embarrassingly admit,showing him the menu.

" Oh! "His face falls and he cusses something under his breath about not thinking about it earlier. " Please allow me to help you. " He adds apologetically before dragging his chair forward so that he is closer to me now.

" The first one " he points to the first page at a specific dish and reads it's name like a pro before explaining what it is "It is softly cooked meat with various herbs and spices, light on the stomach and tastes pretty good."

" Got it. " I say excitedly, noting it down in my head, this makes him smile and he moves on to the next one. When he said he'd help me I totally expected him to pick a few dishes we'd be ordering and explain them briefly but it's not the case.

Leo reads the name of every dish aloud so that I could understand how to pronounce them but only enough for me to hear so that we don't grab the attention of others and patiently explains the nature of each and everything, as I listened with a keen ear even though it is hard to concentrate on anything when he's close.

We finally get to the last page with me pretending I understood the things he said and he pats on my head with a proud smile before calling the waiter to order.

" Is that my favourite nephew? " A tall man said walking in our direction, there are other employees accompanying him as he crossed the room. Leo looks shocked for a second before he gets up, smiling.

" More like only nephew. " He retorts as the man pulls him into a bear hug.

"Seb, this is Uncle Cole and Uncle this is Sebastian" He introduces us to each other.

" Great to finally meet you Seb, I have been hearing a lot about you." He greets me with a firm handshake, even in my nervousness.I didn't miss the teasing tone directed towards his nephew.

It takes him a moment to recover from his disbelief and then he coughs awkwardly, mouthing a silent 'cut it' to cole. I can only stand there watching the amusing exchange between them and act dumb as if the conversation was not about me.

" Are you having a good time? " Cole asks me diverting the topic.

" We're having a great time. " I answer taking his bait.

"Mom is back from her trip, you should visit her sometime. She's been asking about you and of course about your mate " He looks at me after finishing the sentence and nods at me with a smile. " Sebastian! Remind this kid about it. The twins miss him." He finishes.

" I will. "

" I will get going then. " He hugs Leo one more time before saying 'goodbye'

" He isn't dining here?" I ask him upon his uncle's dismissal.

" Not really, he's the head chef here. Looks like he's getting off his shift now. I didn't know he's working today. " He explains.

Wow! How influential is his family exactly?

The dishes arrive while he tells me more about his extended family. From what I gathered, Uncle Ricole is his mother's brother and the twins he mentioned are his kids and his aunt's name is Tara. His grandmother also lives with them in a town far from the main lands because they prefer a life away from the pack and from the meeting earlier, I get that he is very close to his maternal family.

Closing in on our conversation, we take our attention to the food which looked and smell heavenly and the first bite actually transcends me into one. Our conversation long forgotten we complete the food in comfortable silence.

I rub my belly through the shirt hoping it would relieve the fullness but it seemed quite satisfied being filled to its utmost, with all the deliciousness. Leo chuckles at my attempts and comforts me by saying it digests pretty easily.

" You don't understand how full I am. " I complain in exaggeration.

" I'm just glad you loved the food, I always wanted us to dine out together,here especially." He confesses.

" Oh! Is there something special?" I ask in curiosity.

" Dad and mom had their first date here as well. " He replies taking my hand.

" Really?That's very sweet." I admit, baffled by the fact.

" You know, Dad was so nervous that day mom got concerned and offered to go back in the middle, she said he made these weird jokes even though he's nervous as hell, to make her laugh. " He laughs describing his parents first date and I join him in on that.

" I hope I am doing a better job than him. " He says after our laughter died down a bit and places a kiss on the ring on my hand.

" You are. " I assure him earnestly, entwining our fingers.

We are still laughing as we exit the place holding hands. " Straight to home? " I ask him when we get inside the car. I was secretly hoping he'd say no because right now my body could use a stroll, somewhere out here or maybe I just want this night to never end.

He smirks and says " let's see." Pretending to check his watch.

"We're not heading home? "

"There's one more place I want to take you to."he says atlast.

The starlit sky the path bright and the car takes the familiar path to hill park. The usual Rocky path lulls into a pleasant rhythm making the journey as soothing as it is soothing. I close my eyes letting the chilly air of the night wash over me.

Not much later, the car is being parked in the steepy surface. " Up for a walk? " He asks, getting out of the car.

"Always."

We reach the hill top in slow strolls savoring every moment of the night. The muted gleam of the few night lamps planted in the park getting brighter by each step. When we reach the top, my close on their volition due to the sudden brightness. I blink them few more times adjusting to the light, once I can see clearly it is to the most serene view.

The garden is adorned with a tapestry of colors and lights, several blooms scattered over the landscape with hues ranging from pastels to bold tones. In the middle of the garden there is a rug neatly arranged with pillows and a duvet thrown on them.

" When did you make all of this? " I ask him, still dwelling in the awe of the place to which he just laughs in response. " Come sit. " He calls me, patting the spot beside him on the rug.

"Seriously, the view is amazing. "

" It is. " He agrees looking at me.

It takes me a moment to realise he's not talking about the view and I pick up a pillow to throw at him in response to the not so subtle flirting but he catches it. He gently places the pillow back into the same spot behind me by moving himself closer to me. I lift my head so now our faces are awfully closer and he smirks inching even closer. His piercing gaze stays on my eyes and slowly starts tracing down until it settles on my lips. His warm breath tickles my face and I shut my eyes in anticipation when he moves closer. Minutes pass by as I hold my breath with a raising heart beat, that's when a snort breaks the silence.

I open my eyes to find him doubling in laughter hiding behind a pillow.

This guy I swear-

I picked up every pillow in my reach and started to throw them on him, this time he doesn't dodge allowing them to hit him, still laughing. After my tantrums, he comes closer to console me containing his laugh. Not being able to mask my embarrassment I try to push him away with all my strength and he has the nerve to start laughing again. " Sorry, sorry." He pleads pulling me closer by waist, he succeeds this time and we both settle down after he covers us with the duvet and a comfortable silence falls between us again.

"I really like you Seb." He confesses suddenly taking me by surprise,I turn my head to look at him and that's when

"like a whole night" he adds and I am gone.Whirl wind emotional erupts in my heart at that moment making me speechless. I mean I had an inkling that he does like me but hearing it directly made the rhythm of my heart double.

My cheeks grow warmer and I turn my gaze away from those eyes that are intensely staring at me, to calm down my stupid heart. Venus howls in pleasure repeating the words he said.

" I- " my voice comes out all groggy when I try to speak. This is bad!

" I really like you too. "

Strong hands coil around my waist, lifting me up with ease making me lose my balance.Before I can panic and protest he settles me on his legs so that I am now straddling his legs like a child. " You do? " He asks excitedly, placing his both hands on either sides of my hips holding me in place.

" Yeah, just a little." I say to tease him. He looks offended for a serious minute and it is my turn to laugh. He looks at me unbelievably and then his amusing grin eventually develops into a shy smile. He tucks his face in the curve of my neck to hide his flushed face.

I'm in his lap at this point and it's not against my will. He places his other hand around me to join the one on my waist, holding me tighter, Warmer. With a defeated groan, I tucked my head under his chin wanting to feel him even close.

He lets out a surprised groan making the hug tighter to the point it's painful but it is somehow not enough.Ever cell in my body screamed one thing over and over again. I want him.

Right there I wanted him more than I needed the air. I want to feel him everywhere, as close as possible.

As if sensing my thoughts he starts kissing neck and I bared it even more for him, so he could take anything he wanted. His kisses turn greedy with his teeth grazing my jawline. It felt amazing on my cold skin, being soaked in the night. With each kiss,his lips inch closer to mine and my breath hitches in desperate attempts to be still.

" Can I? " he whispers and I attach my lips to his as an answer.

Finally

That moment, everything around us ceased to exist, and it was just him and me. With a gentle touch, I cupped his face, feeling the warmth of his skin against my fingertips. As our lips met, time seemed to stand still, and a rush of emotions overwhelmed me. It was a moment of pure magic, a silent conversation between our souls, as we lost ourselves in the sweet surrender of a kiss.

It's like all the tension that has been building up in us, all these months finally found a way out and we poured it into eachother through the kiss. Minutes passed like waves and I was the one to break the kiss to get some much needed air,Leo groans chasing my lips blindly at the loss of contract with a similar frustration I shared.

I gave in silently reconnecting our lips and he hums in satisfaction, the action making the heat pooling in my stomach grow and I moan into the kiss. The sound only encourages and he starts devouring my lips at the devil's pace.

After our lips are thoroughly bruised and glistening, we break our kiss when I felt like hunger is finally sated only for him pepper kisses all over my face...Okay maybe the hunger will be never sated.

Finally it's here!!!!!!!!!

I took time with this one since it's a very crucial chapter. Also wrote most of this chapter during my finals with so I was running on four hours of sleep and caffeine so there might be some errors but I promise to edit asap and feel free to give me any sorts of feedback.

Love y'all<3