Chapter 25: Sad sunday

**Nat**

Today would be our farewell. I was going to miss him, even though I knew it would be like this. I didn't want to be sad. I wanted to enjoy our last day. So, I woke up, determined to have a happy day.

"Come on, sleepyhead, wake up!"

" Five more minutes, please."

"No, no. It would be less than five minutes without you. I want to enjoy my full 24 hours."

"Oh, come here, honey."

He pulled me on top of him and started sniffing and messing up my hair.

" Come on, you're going to learn how to have breakfast with me."

We got up and went to the hotel restaurant.

**Mateo**

Nat was horrified by the variety of food there. I made her try a little bit of everything. Breakfast was my favorite meal.

She said she couldn't eat lunch after all that. Since I wasn't a big fan of Japanese food, I preferred to have my breakfast strong.

I asked her what she wanted to do that Sunday. She laughed and said that I wouldn't like what she did on Sundays very much.

I was extremely curious. She then told me that she was going to tell stories and help make lunch at the orphanage. Yoki and Haruto also went with her sometimes.

I wanted to see that. I told her I wanted to go. Her eyes lit up. She called the coordinator and told them she was going with an American volunteer who was visiting places for donations. We were very well received. She made me give the children the books I had bought the other day at the bookstore. I took pictures with all of them. Then we sat down to listen to her tell stories. There was a little girl who wouldn't leave her lap. And she was absolutely adorable with so many children around. I felt an aura of love emanating from her. She would make an excellent luna. Maybe one day. Maybe if she didn't see us as monsters. I buried those thoughts.

She finished and we all went to lunch. It was a wonderful morning. And my heart broke when the little girl who wouldn't leave her lap started crying. We had to calm her down so we could leave.

" You're amazing, you know that?" — I hugged her and kissed her head.

"They make me so happy. It's an exchange of energy."

We looked at each other, a mix of joy at being together and sadness at the upcoming separation. Nat looked away.

"How is your team doing?"

" Good. We'll have to improve to reach the finals in Russia. And knowing that I'll see you there will give me extra motivation."

"Can I ask you something?"

" Sure, honey, whatever you want."

"Can we not contact each other until the day before Russia, so you can let me know for sure whether you'll come or not?"

" Why?"

"Please, Mat. It's going to be hard to concentrate on my studies and work if I'm anxious for every call or message that comes in, thinking it's you. It won't be good. I need to get back to my real life. I can't get lost in this fantasy."

" Is that what I am to you? A fantasy."

" Mat. We're very far apart in everything. Don't get me wrong. It's going to be hard for me."

" I just want you to know that it's going to be hard for me too. You're not the only one who has feelings, I'm not the monster you think I am."

"Mat, I've never seen you as a monster. Don't act like that on the outside."

"Okay. I'll respect your wish."

We both sighed. It wasn't like a fight, but the mood was awkward. I couldn't tell her that she had compared me to a monster when she said werewolves were monsters because she didn't know I was one.

**Nat**

I didn't want to make him angry or sad, but it would be much harder for me to forget him if I kept talking to him all the time. What if tomorrow he met someone there and dumped me over the phone? I preferred to keep this magical fantasy of mine in my memory, like a fairy tale. Now he was staring coldly at the road and silence filled the space in the car. I tried to choose the words to speak to him better.

" Mat, I meant Fairy Tales, not that what we have was a lie."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. We had arrived at the hotel. When he opened his blue eyes, they were bright as a smile.

" You improved a lot on what you said, princess."

" But, I'm the half-ogre prince, so I'm going to get you now."

**Mat**

I laughed, ran out of the car and went up the stairs. She was lost. I loved hockey, but a chase? I almost flew after her. When I caught her, I threw her on my shoulders and continued up the stairs to our room.

We kissed, took off some of our clothes, continued to kiss, made love in every possible way. We were tired and fell asleep hugging each other. I tied her to me because I didn't want her to do like the last time. Leave without saying goodbye.

We woke up early, I helped her pack her bags, and took her to the university. When I pulled up to the door of her building, she was crying.

Goddess! I didn't know what to do. I wanted to take her away with me and that was it. But she didn't know who I really was. And, clearly, it wasn't time to find out yet.

I kissed her, wiped her face. And she left without being able to say anything, but I know she didn't mean any harm.

I went to Tokyo, I had a plane to catch and a powerful alpha to face. He was also my father, but I wasn't going to make it any easier because of that.