Chapter 6: The Heart Emoji

"I guess it makes sense why he was so evasive now," I mumbled, thinking back to our conversation the night before.

Aunt Mara watched me, her expression a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Are you okay with this?" she asked gently.

"I mean... I don't know. I guess it doesn't really change the way I feel about him," I explained, trying to make sense of my feelings.

Aunt Mara nodded understandingly. "It's a big deal, being mated to the Alpha's son. It comes with a lot of expectations and responsibilities."

I groaned, feeling a weight settle over me. "I just wanted to get away from all the drama back home. Now it feels like I'm stepping into a whole new kind of drama here."

"I'm sorry, hun," Aunt Mara said softly, giving my shoulder a reassuring rub.

"Maybe you're wrong. Maybe it's a different Tyler," I reasoned hopefully. "I mean, there were like 4 packs here last night. He could have been from any of them."

"You're absolutely right," Aunt Mara agreed with a smile. "Now how about some breakfast?" she offered kindly before heading out to the kitchen.

I nodded, but my smile faltered. Any appetite I'd had was long gone now. I wanted to ask him about it, to put my mind at ease, but it didn't seem like the kind of thing you discussed over a text message. In the end, I decided to try not to get too worked up about it. But it was definitely going to be a topic of discussion when I saw him later.

I headed back to my room, both looking forward to and dreading his message. The light on my phone blinked impatiently.

2 messages....

Tyler:

Hearts already? I must have done something right last night 😁

Meet same place at 12 then? ❤️

My heart fucking soared and any apprehension I'd had only moments ago was long forgotten when I saw that stupid heart.

Me:

See you there 😁

I let out a deep sigh and smiled like an idiot to myself.

The rest of the morning was a blur. I got dressed, trying to keep it casual, but I'll admit, I changed like 8 times... I ended up in a pair of black skinny jeans, my favorite closet staple after leggings and hoodies, and a vintage Iron Maiden t-shirt I'd found at a thrift shop back in Colorado.

After dressing I joined Aunt Mara for breakfast, but I still wasn't particularly hungry after the revelation of Tyler's potential Alpha status. I ended up picking at my food until Aunt Mara urged me to go and do something more constructive with my time... Like clean my room.

She was totally right, I'd turned the place into a pigsty since I'd been here. It wasn't fair to take advantage of her kindness, so with headphones on and music blaring, I got to cleaning up my room.

It was a lot of work, but with the music going, I managed to get into a groove and get things neat and tidy so that the place was livable once more.

Aunt Mara appeared in the doorway with an approving smile, waiting for me to pull my headphones off. "Looking good, hun," she sang my praises, leaning against the doorframe as her eyes scanned the room.

"Yeah, at least you can get to your treadmill now," I beamed, a little out of breath

"We'll find somewhere else to put it. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I know it's small..." she apologized. I could see the guilt and discomfort clear on her face.

"It's fine Aunt Mara. Really. I'm just so grateful to be here. Thank you," I reassured her, shooting her a thankful smile.

She returned my smile, relief flooding her features.

"So, do you have any plans for today? I thought maybe we could grab a coffee or something if you aren't busy?" she suggested.

"Thanks, but I've actually got plans to meet up with Tyler at 12:00," I replied, feeling a little guilty at having to decline her sweet offer.

"At 12:00? Honey, you'd better get going. You're going to be late," she said, looking at her watch.

I checked my phone. It was 11:50.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed panic surging through me. It was a 15 minute walk and I was undoubtedly going to be late. This was not the impression I wanted to make.

With urgency, I ran a brush through my hair, then gave Aunt Mara a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you! Love you! See you later!" I yelled, running out the front door.

"Let me know your plans please!" she called out, obviously not wanting a repeat of the night before.