DAVID
I didn’t leave her out of my eyes, and when she reached her seabed, she wrapped herself up in a towel. I returned to my own and started drinking my beer, watching her.
My heart sank when a little girl climbed on her lap and hugged her tightly. She resembled her a lot, from what I could make out from the distance. After a while, two older boys sat on either side of her, and she started offering them fruit from a plastic container she held.
‘So, our mate is married with children.’ Zeus said, obviously disappointed.
‘And a human as well. She was oblivious to our bond.’ I continued.
‘Hmmm.’ He responded, still upset.
One of the girls who was checking me out before approached me, and I inwardly started swearing because I was not in the mood to deal with that kind of bullshit right now. She waved at me, saying something in her language.
“I’m not interested,” I answered, completely unaware of what she had previously said.
“Hello!” She smiled. I didn’t even bother looking her in the eyes. My gaze was still on the other side of the beach, to the one and only for which my heart was beating.
“You can join us if you like. We sit over there.” She told me, pointing to her friends.
“No, thanks, I’m ok,” I said coldly. I was starting to feel annoyed by her mere presence. Some females couldn’t take the hint when someone was uninterested. Couldn’t take no for an answer. She was persistent despite me telling her twice that I wanted to be alone. I just wanted to watch my mate, and her small body was disturbing my view.
“You are welcome to sit with us. You don’t have to be alone...” She trailed. She was as naïve as all the younglings near her age. Their group was smoking, drinking, and dancing like there was no tomorrow, and the last thing I wanted was to be a part of it.
“I’m not alone. I’m waiting for ... my wife.” I lied. She had already bugged me enough. So, a little lie like the one I said, did the trick, and she hurried away with her face red from the embarrassment.
I ordered another beer and continued observing Ariadne and her family. Their kids were playing around, and she was talking with a man. I believe it was her husband.
Lucky fucker!
Good thing they stayed only for half an hour, and my torture didn’t last longer. My heart was in pain at the abhorrent truth that she had a family, contrary to the fact that I was utterly elated that I had finally found her.
My search was over.
I discreetly followed their car. I wanted to know where their house was. We ended up in a small neighborhood with similarly built houses. It was close to the place I first scented her on Friday night. Their home was the middle one among a triplet. I was sitting in my vehicle, monitoring their car park, then unloading the kids and stuff. When they were all in the house, I left for the hotel.
~~~
I reached the hotel room exactly at two p.m. I ordered food and headed to the shower.
After an hour, I was lying down on my bed with my hands under my head, contemplating my next move.
“Ariadne...” I tested her name on my lips. I really liked it. Wonderful name. It suited her. Distinctive and lovely. Just like her. I was smiling to myself; thinking of her pretty face, her gorgeous body, and without even comprehending it I fell into a peaceful slumber.
Lost... I was lost...
Drowning...
Light hues of blue mix perfectly with green glittering beads, creating a special shade of blue-green.
Turquoise...
That was the color of her eyes.
Turquoise.
Unique and divine.
I found myself staring into her mesmerizing eyes again... Zooming out; I caught a glimpse of her face. And she smiled at me again. That perfect smile. Straight, bright white teeth sparkling, blinding me. “David,” she said giggling... her angelic voice tingled my ears. She was calling me. My heart constricted in my chest.
I was left breathless...
I abruptly sat up in bed, panting. That was a dream. A wonderful dream. She was a miracle and beyond. I looked at the time. It was seven in the afternoon. Strange! I fell asleep in the middle of the ... day. Who? Me? I never remember myself sleeping through the day. It must be the stress after so many years of tension and anxiety, looking for her.
I needed to see her again. I wore shorts and a T-shirt, fastened my sneakers, and ran down the stairs from my room. I intended to go for a long run to clear my head because I had plans to do tonight.
A little later, I was running without knowing where I was heading. I found myself near her neighborhood. I was running in circles, hoping that I could catch a glimpse of her. And it seemed like my luck was smiling at me.
I saw her from afar, walking rapidly, clutching a large plastic shopping bag in each hand. I neared her from behind. That sexy ass she had caught my eye... Her scent intoxicated me. Hell, I wanted her so badly.
When I was just a couple of meters away, I noticed that she was panting, and her knuckles were white from the pressure. Her bags must be heavy for her. I overpassed her jogging, pretending I didn’t see her at first, but after a few meters, I stopped and turned to her.
“Ariadne?” I smiled, showing that I was surprised to see her.
“Hi, Mr. David.” She said panting.
“Need some help?” I offered.
“No, thank you. I’m all right.” She spoke. She was red and sweaty from the struggle. She stopped and placed her bags down. Apparently, she needed a break.
“What a gentleman would I be if I wouldn’t offer my help to a damsel in distress?” I countered, smirking smugly.
“I’m neither a damsel, nor am I in distress. I’m a stupid, fully grown-up lady who carried away shopping, totally forgetting that I went on foot today and not by car.” She blamed herself.
“I’ll help you,” I demanded, bending down and taking her groceries. To me, it was like a feather, but for her, it might be really heavy.
“There’s no need. Really. I live nearby.” She tried, but I didn’t back down. I started walking, slowly. She followed.
“Thanks.” She said it shyly. I just nodded and smiled.
We were walking in a cozy silence, and I realized that it was a chance for me to find out more about her.
“So, how old are you, Ariadne?” I asked casually. I liked saying her name.
She stopped in her tracks, tilting her head towards me and glaring at me with doe eyes.
“That was rude!” She said, shocked.
“My bad... But why?” I asked, confused.
“Well, it’s not polite to ask a woman either her age or her weight.” She stated, shaking her head in disapproval.
“OK, sorry. I wasn’t aware of that.” From where I come from, we don’t have such inhibitions.
“Thirty.” She breathed.
Thirty? Were we only a couple of years apart? Where have you been all my life? That means twelve wasted years. Twelve fucking years that we could be together. From the moment she turned eighteen, I could recognize her as my mate. So much time was thrown away. We could be happy together. We could even have our own pups by now. A wave of sadness came over me. My facial features mirrored my sorrow.
“And you?... How old are you, Mr. David?” She inquired, seeing that I wasn’t in the mood for another question.
“Thirty-two... So, there’s no need for that Mr. in front of my name. Our age difference is only two years.” I pleaded.
“Hmmm really? You look younger!” She stated. Of course, I looked younger for my age. Wolf genes! We age slower than normal people.
“Am I supposed to say thanks to that?” I teased her, but the disappointment on my face was still obvious.
She shrugged her shoulders. We continued for a bit when she stopped me.
“We’re here...” She motioned me to her house on the opposite side of the street. I placed her bags down, and she immediately grabbed them.
“Thank you again, David.” She said gently.
Yes! She called me David at last.
“Maybe you can return the favor with a coffee or a drink.” I proposed. I was sure that she would deny it, but I decided to push my luck. She was surely taken aback by my proposal, and she took her time thinking about what to answer.
“I’ll ... think of that. Goodnight.” She just said and left.
“Goodnight.” Her indecision was better than a straight negative answer.
I watched her crossing the street, taking her keys out of her purse, and opening the door, she vanished inside the house. I heard a small girl’s voice shouting. “Mamá...”
Miserable, I couldn’t take my eyes off her door.
Desperation, sorrow, disappointment. All the emotions I was feeling right now were all negative. Twelve years. Was it a little too late for us?
Maybe I was too late. Could we ever be together? I had a dreading instinct that the answer would be a huge “NO.”
I started running. Sprinting always helps clear my mind. But endorphins couldn’t help my situation either. My mind was a mess of emotions and thoughts. I kept running at full pace, giving it my all. But I felt that no matter how hard I tried, literally and figuratively, in the race to her heart, I would always finish last, all sweaty and out of breath.
DAVIDI missed her on Sunday. When I arrived at her home in the morning, their car was already gone, so I returned to the hotel and decided to hit the gym. With the constant search the previous days, I hadn’t had a proper workout in days.Yesterday, after I returned to the hotel, I came up with two possible plans.Plan A was to persuade her to talk to me in private so that I could explain that I’m a shifter and that she was my mate. I couldn’t just talk to her about these things in open areas or a café where people around us could hear us. I needed her alone.I could see three outcome alternatives from Plan A.First, she could leave her family and choose me as her mate. She would come to my territory, and we could have our happily ever after. But because I knew that these things happen only in fairytales, I also knew that it was too ideal and could never happen.So that brings us to the second option, which is to take her children and come with me home to try our common life together.
ARIADNEIt’s Sunday evening, and like every night except Fridays and Saturdays, I have to prepare for the next day. First, the meals for the kids – the babysitter wasn’t paid to cook, of course – and then for Theo and me when we return from work.It was a long day today. We woke up early and left home before 8 a.m. so that we could find lounges at the most crowded beach on the island. By 9 o’clock, the coast was already packed with tourists, so it was a wise move.While I was there, Mrs. Pappa, the owner of the most expensive hotel on the island, called me. We had planned an anniversary party for her parents on Saturday, and she wanted to meet me to discuss the last details because she was so stressed about it. I booked an appointment with her first thing on Monday morning.We arrived home late in the afternoon and after bathing the kids and myself; I rushed to the kitchen to finish my chores. Afterward, Theo would take the kids out for a walk and something to eat.I was thankful that
DAVIDI couldn’t believe my luck on Monday morning. I was eating breakfast at the hotel’s dining hall, which was situated near its entrance. A wide smirk formed on my lips the moment my nostrils caught her scent. She was here, and I was delighted because it was the last place, I expected to bump into her.I left my food and followed her. She was entering the elevator, and I shouted at her to hold it and she did. She smiled when I got in.“Good morning.” She greeted me.“Hey,” I replied, beaming at her. I caught her sniffing me. Did she like my scent? I just hoped I didn’t smell horrible because I was a little sweaty from my morning run, and I decided to eat straight after my workout, so I haven’t showered yet. Eventually, her posture didn’t change. At least she didn’t seem disgusted, and I was more than relieved. She was watching me intently like she was waiting for something, but when she saw I wasn’t moving, she pressed the button number “3”. That’s my floor. And at that moment, wit
ARIADNEIt’s Saturday morning, and Theo took the kids to the sea, whereas I had to work. I needed to prepare the last details for today’s event. The platinum anniversary of Mrs. Aphrodite Pappa’s parents.Before I went to the office, I had gone to a photo studio. I had assigned a professional to make a video out of a series of photographs. I intended to show it right after the couple’s entrance to the venue. The video was fantastic, and the song I picked with Mrs. Pappa made it even better. Many pairs of eyes would cry tonight watching these sweethearts growing up together.I went to the office, communicated with all the suppliers and people who would be of service tonight, and after I had everything under control, I went to the hairdresser for my appointment.In special events like the one today that I had to be in attendance, I wanted to be presentable and fine-looking. I had my hair styled in an elegant chignon and then headed to my beautician for a natural makeup. I asked her to e
ARIADNEI returned to the bar and the bartender, Adam, was waiting for me with a fruit punch on the counter. David has returned to his seat and was watching me intently.“Hey, Ariadne, the drink is from the gentleman over there!” He said, pointing at David while the latter raised his glass, grinning at me. I looked at Adam, shaking my head. “Please, Ariadne, it’s alcohol-free. Take it, please. This dude is giving everyone in this hotel huge tips. He must be made of money.”“He told you that?” I asked.“What?” Adam asked back.“That he’s gonna leave you a large tip if you bring me around to accept the drink?”“No. of course not. He just ordered a drink for you, and when I told him you don’t drink during the events you organize, he said to prepare something without alcohol. So here I am with the fruit punch. So, take it.” He demanded.“Well, Adam, actually bring me an apple martini. I need it after that stunt the old man pulled on poor Milena.”“Right away.” He vanished, smirking.Momen
ARIADNEI returned home a little after midnight. I peeked in the kids’ rooms and saw Theo in our daughter’s room. She wakes up a lot through the night, and if any of us aren’t awake to return her to her bed, she ends up in ours.I filled the bathtub while undressing and removing my makeup, soaked in for a good ten minutes, washed myself, and put on my bathrobe.I got out of the bathroom at the same time as Theo was from Anne’s room.“Hey,” he said lowly.“Hi,” I smiled back, kissing him gently.“So, how did it go?” he asked.“I think I nailed it. Everyone seemed to be totally happy. The couple, the guests, Mrs. Pappa.” I blurted out.“Oh, my darling. I knew it. I’m so proud of you. And I can see that you are really happy…”“I am… Actually, I’m on top of the world right now.” I laughed low so as not to wake the kids.“Well, I’m not,” he said, his expression changing. “I am disappointed… very, very disappointed.” He said that, coming even closer to me.“Why?” I asked, confused. Wasn’t h
DAVID I was astonished by what she had accomplished tonight. The Lunas from different packs back home struggled to organize fine ceremonies, birthdays, and galas. They always tried so hard to impress their guests. But I was never so amazed on any occasion. And I was just a spectator, not even a guest. Watching from the sidelines. I was definite that my mate would make a marvelous Luna. She would fit in her rightful position without struggling. She was born to lead beside me. I knew it; not because the Goddess paired her with me, but because I saw it in the way she talked to her runners. She was speaking to them with respect, and they rushed to do what she was instructing. Furthermore, she didn’t miss any details. Everything was in order, and I understood that the demanding situation she faced in the kitchen was just an insignificant obstacle to her. She jumped over it so easily. She was perfect… I wasn’t tired of telling myself that she was perfect. My mate… My Luna… I was so hap
ARIADNEI woke up today with a bad feeling. My instinct was telling me that something unpleasant was going to happen today. I shoved my distressing mood away the moment the boys came rushing into my room and started bouncing on the bed.“Wake up, wake up. Time to go to the sea…”“Good morning, Mario, George. Where is daddy?” I said, yawning. Anna-Elisabeth started stirring next to me.“In the living room, drinking coffee. He sent us to wake you up, girls. If we want to find lounges, we need to go soon.” Mario was talking while George was kissing my daughter and gently shaking her to wake up.“What’s the time?” I asked, stretching my arms.“Nine.”“So, have you eaten breakfast?”“Yup!” They both nodded. “Daddy made toast. He will prepare for you and Anna too when you wake up.” George said.I smiled, thinking my lovely husband had already woken up to take care of the boys, who are early risers, and had also prepared breakfast for them without me even realizing anything. He was a blessin