Chapter 190

Cedric POV

When Constance, or Connie, as she asked me to call her, walked out of that clinic and looked at me, I nearly lost my breath. She was not the type I usually found myself attracted to, but perhaps that was the point the Goddess was making here. Connie was tall, willowy, and graceful. Her skin was pale from spending too much time indoors with her duties. Her hair was a deep auburn, and she had it put up into a bun that sat more on the top of her head than the back. She was a comforting presence, but also witty and intelligent. She snapped me out of whatever it was that had come over me when she sauntered off to find dinner, her quick retort tossed over her shoulder. When I caught up to her, it was instant, easy banter, like we had known each other our entire lives.

"Tell me about yourself Cedric," she had said as we followed the trail to the pack house.

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

"Why are you a guardian, for starters. That's a big commitment."

"And being a doctor isn't?" I asked in response.

She waved her hand in the air dismissively. "Not really in the same realm, I'd say. Being a doctor was a commitment to my education and to my pack. I initially had to travel a lot, to be good enough to basically be the only doctor here, but it didn't leave me far from home for most of my young life, not like being a guardian does."

"I suppose that's fair," I replied. "I wasn't always planning to be a guardian. I was a warrior for my pack previously. Then I met my mate and my whole life changed."

"Oh, you have a mate?" she sounded disappointed and when I looked over at her face, she looked perplexed and sad.

"Had," I replied. "She died."

"Oh gosh," her hand flew to her heart. "I'm so sorry. What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Uh," I wasn't sure how to answer. It was always hard for me to talk about my mate. Connie seemed different, though. She was so calm, warmth radiating off her. "She was killed," I paused. "By hunters. She was a human, so she couldn't fight them off when they captured her. They were using her to try and get to us, to werewolves, I mean. I'm proud of her, how strong she was. But it nearly broke me," the last sentence was a near whisper.

"That's tragic," Connie said and came to a stop. I stopped, and she turned to face me. She grabbed my hands and took them both into her hands, pulling them towards her chest. She looked me in the eyes, the deep brown of hers full of sadness and something else. "My heart feels your pain, my soul cries for you, the Goddess knows too." She released my hands and then started walking again. I stood motionless for a breath and then caught up to her again.

"What do you suppose they will serve for dinner?" she asked as we neared the pack house. It was as if the moment just before this never happened and I was grateful she didn't pry further. We had just made each others acquaintance. I didn't want things to be awkward.

"Not sure," I chuckled. "You live here, remember."

"Oh yes, well, I hope it's prime rib. The chef makes a wonderful prime rib, and I'm so hungry. It was a long day, and I skipped lunch. I ate one of those little granola bars that they put out for the children to eat as snacks," she laughed. "My mother thought she was cute, handing me a chewy granola bar when I asked her for a quick snack. It was not what I had in mind, but I suppose it's my own fault."

"How so?" I asked.

"Mabel is particular and always has been," she says. "That's my mother," she says, looking over at me so that I understand.

"The receptionist at the clinic?" I ask, connecting the dots.

"Yes," she nods. "Even growing up, she would say, Use your big girl words and tell me what you want. I don't read minds," she laughs, and I find I like her laugh. It's soft, like a gentle breeze. "I should have told her that I wanted her to go get me a sandwich or some fruit or something more substantial than the granola bar she handed me with a big smirk on her face." Connie shakes her head. "You will see soon enough just how she is," she says and then winks.

"I will?" I ask, one brow raised in question.

"You most definitely will," she replies with certainty. "Let's get our dinner," she says, bounding up the stairs to the pack house door. "Oh and don't mind the gaggle of hungry wolves that generally hang out here," she says with a smile. "Pun intended." I like her and her humor. Connie is going to make the next few weeks interesting, at least.

Connie leads the way into the dining hall. There are small crowds of people seated around tables, talking and laughing. Everyone seems relaxed and friendly. Several greet Connie as we walk by. "Hello, Doctor Constance." "How was your day, doctor?" One young man approaches us and smiles at Connie in a manner I don't think I like. I especially don't like how he approaches her and takes her elbow, then leans in and quietly says, "Connie, why have you been ignoring me?"

Connie pulls her elbow free. "I'm not ignoring you. I've been busy. Besides, I don't have anything more to discuss with you. Now if you will excuse me, Cedric and I are getting dinner." The man seems to now notice that I'm standing there next to her. I'm quite a bit taller than him, and probably weigh a hundred pounds more than he does. His adams apple bobs as he swallows, and then looks from me to her and back again.

"Cedric?" he says like a question. "You are the Cedric that helped the couple from Wyoming to get here, I heard about you. Aren't you a guardian?" he asks, head cocked to the side.

"I am." I answer. He stares at me as if he expects me to say more, but I don't. Connie clears her throat then steps towards me and grabs my hand.

"Goodbye, Walter," she says to the young man, then pulls me away to a table that is empty in the far corner. "Sorry about that," she whispers to me.

"No reason to be sorry," I reply. She continues to hold my hand until we get to the table. I pull out her chair for her and she looks up surprised. I shrug and say, "My mother raised a gentleman, if nothing else." She smiles and sits. As I take the seat across from her, I notice that some of the people have started looking at us and are whispering. I pay them no mind and neither does Connie. Instead, she presses her hands together excitedly and smiles at me when two Omegas come to our table with two heaping plates of food.

"I knew," she says happily. "It is prime rib night. Dig in." We do just that. The meal is delicious, but honestly, the best thing about the whole day is sitting here, talking to this fascinating and intelligent woman. By the end of dinner, I'm pretty sure she has a piece of me that I didn't even know I had left alive inside my heart.