18.

Soft instrumental music played in the background, along with people talking and cutlery scraping on plates. All this was muffled by Ethan's voice, though. Not because he was speaking louder than the rest, but because it was the only sound Amelia cared about at the moment.

The omega was grateful for the low light in the restaurant, seeing that the reddish hue in her cheeks was constant during their dinner. She wanted to ask him about 'the pull'. She knew he was expecting her to bring the subject she wanted so bad to talk about, but every time she opened her mouth to drop the question, anxiety would overcome her courage and she would close it again, leaving for the alpha the task to maintain a conversation going.

Despite this, their night was amazing. She was sure Ethan could hear how fast her heart was beating because of the anxiety, and also how it increased every time their hands touched. The featherlight touches when one of them was feeling brave enough to try it, making the dinner more intimate than intended. But none of them would complain.

After the time Amelia and Ethan had spent together in the pack's house, she thought there was not much left to know about him, and she was positively surprised when his voice filled the cabin they were sitting at, telling her stories about his childhood with the other wolves. She heard carefully to all he had to tell her. Rejoicing his will to share even the simplest details about his life. She wanted to know it all and more.

Being the gentleman he was, of course, he would never ramble all night not letting her have the opportunity to say things of her own. So he listened too, with a dreamily smile and resting his chin on his left hand, to Amelia excitedly explaining the plot of her favorite book.

The girl didn't have a lot of good memories to share, so she would talk about the things she had read. About all the worlds she had visited through the pages of books. And Ethan loved it. Seeing the passion in her eyes while telling him about the plot twist she had anticipated or hearing her giggles when confessing him that her first crush was a redhead magic boy, who could not make a right spell for his life, made him understand more of her. And he wanted to know every little detail that was to learn about her.

Before they realized, their food was cold. They laughed when they noticed they talked too much to eat, and, after deciding that they didn't want the cold spaghetti, they left. But they didn't want to go back yet, so - without talking about it - they ignored the car and kept walking down the street. They had nowhere to go, they just wanted a little more time to enjoy the newfound intimacy.

"Here," Ethan took off his jacket and put it on her shoulders after seeing her shivering. "And before you say anything, I only brought this for you. So do me a favor and take it." He faked his alpha tone, and she smiled.

"Thank you." She pretended to fix the coat on her shoulders to discreetly bury her nose on it. His smell had to be her favorite fragrance, even before her super senses.

The pair walked for some minutes in silence, enjoying the company and lost in their own thoughts.

"Matthew told me something yesterday," Amelia blurted without thinking about it. It felt like the right moment.

"Oh, did he?" From the corner of her eye, Amelia could see Ethan's body tensing. She took a deep breath, it was now or never.

"Well, he let it slip, actually. He didn't want to say it. But that boy is too spontaneous to keep secrets for long." She tried to help the poor boy from being scolded.

"What did he say?" Ethan asked, but it didn't sound like he wanted to know what it was about. It sounded like he already knew, but was following Amelia's lead to help her say what she planned. She was grateful for it.

Still looking ahead, Amelia finally said what she was meant to say the whole night.

"He said something about 'The Pull'." With all the previous bravery vanished, her voice was low, almost a whisper. "But he didn't explain what it was. He just said that it was something between me and you only and that I should talk to you about it." She tightened her grip on the jacket, covering herself.

Ethan exhaled loudly. Amelia took a tentative glance at him. He looked relieved.

"He is right. It is something between us, only." His tone wasn't as serious as before, it was tranquilizing and quiet. Amelia ignored the shiver she felt when he said 'us'.

Ethan glanced at Amelia when she stopped walking, catching her already looking at him with expecting eyes. He sighed and started walking again at a slow pace.

"It is a werewolf thing." Amelia's attention was all in the tall man beside her. "You know how Taylor and Lilly, George and Vanessa are mates?" Amelia was sure she didn't need to answer that, but she nodded her head confirming. Ethan continued.

"I don't know if anyone told you more about mates. I've never had this talk with you because I knew we would get to this part. And it is a little more complicated." He scratched the back of his neck, a habit he did every time he didn't know what to do next. Amelia could not wait anymore, she needed to know.

"Are we mates?"

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A/n: ooooh the cliffhanger.... but Amelia's and Ethan's first not-a-date deserves your vote, doesn't it?

Come on, don't be a silent reader. Let me know if you want them to be mates or not.