Chapter Nineteen - Dinner date

Shane’s POV.

“Let me treat you to dinner, please?”

Her words continuously rang in my head, making me smile even when she was gone.

My girl was so sweet that even in her distress and with all she’s gone through, she still had the heart to be so adorable and amazing. I was truly blessed by the moon goddess.

“When are we going to tell her?” Axel growled impatiently.

He’s been asking this question since he laid eyes on Anna this morning. While I wanted her to know she was mine and to also show her off to the world as my mate, I also understood that it was too soon to spring it on her. She’d just turned eighteen and may not be aware of our bond yet but I was ready to give her all of the time in the world. And after everything she’d passed through in the hands of her father, I knew she may still be scared of men but I was ready to show her that she could be loved and protected.

“Not yet,”

My response earned me a growl of annoyance but I pushed him out of my head as I decided to focus on the work at hand. I’d finally found a competent manager for my father’s company and I was vetting his files and letter of recommendations from his last bosses. From all I’ve seen, he seemed to be a very intelligent and hardworking man and I’d be glad to employ him.

I continued to scan through his documents until I got to the last page. Thereafter, I sent a quick call to my assistant, asking her to draft a letter of appointment to be sent to the man and to also pick up a dress and jewelry for Anna.

She was treating me to dinner. The least I could do was to buy her a dress.

After the call, I switched over to the pack’s businesses, going through all of the reports and findings as regards the issue of the missing pack members. There seemed to be nothing important that I could work with except that all of the missing persons seemed to have been abducted with the same means.

They suddenly went missing, without traces.

The only lead we had was the stranger in the dungeons who had refused to spill any information. Thinking about it had rage pumping through my bloodstream. I drew in a deep breath and relaxed into my plush leather seat, knowing I had to take my mind off this case until after my dinner with Anna. I would hate to be in a sour mood when I’m with my mate.

I closed the file and placed a call to Chase, inquiring about the progress of the school’s renovation and that had quickly taken my mind off the case of the missing pack members.

It was dark in the evening when I finally left my office to find Anna. As instructed, my assistant had delivered her dress and jewelry to the house and I wanted to give them to her myself.

I was about to head up the stairs to her bedroom when I saw her stepping out of the kitchen.

“Hey…” she smiled brightly, her green irises twinkling under the bright lights of the living room.

“Someone has been busy,” I returned her smile, closing the distance between us and leaning down to peck her cheeks.

She tensed like she’d done the first and second time I’d kissed her temple but it didn't stop me from pulling her into my arms and tucking a stray strand of her red hair behind her ear. I knew she was still mentally scarred by her father’s abuse and was still trying to gradually get used to my touch but at least, she wasn’t pushing me away anymore.

“Mmhmmm…” her smile widened, a deep blush staining her cheeks and spreading to her neck. The beautiful sight caught my attention and I had the urge to pull her closer and nuzzle her neck but I didn't want to scare her.

“Here, take this,” I placed the package containing the dress and jewelry in her hands. “A little surprise for you,” I winked at her but she stared at me with inquisitive eyes, swirling with curiosity. She licked her lips and my gaze was riveted on it, the urge to attack her neck and lips with kisses getting stronger.

I knew if she stood close to me for one more minute, I wouldn’t be able to control myself from taking what I wanted. Hence, I gently placed my hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face the stairs, while I stood behind her.

I leaned down to whisper in her ear but my lips grazed her neck and I felt her shiver against me, as a gasp escaped her lips.

“Meet me at the garden by ten, angel,” I kissed her ear lobe before giving her a little push.

At first, she stood rooted to the spot and I expected her to turn around but she dashed up the stairs like she was trying to get far away from me as fast as possible and it made me laugh, while Axel sighed dreamily, watching her slender figure run up the stairs with her wavy red hair bouncing.

“You can’t run away from me, Princess. You’re mine,” I growled in a low voice.

My heart hammered against my chest as though it was trying to stamp my words. I also felt Axel’s possessiveness as the words slipped from my lips.

As soon as she was out of sight, I strolled to my bedroom, in a bid to prepare for my first date night with my girl.

By 10 pm, I was already at the garden, dressed in a blue dress shirt and black slacks, with black shoes, waiting for Anna to arrive.

I had a maid set the table with all of the meals Anna had prepared. From their mouth-watering aromas wafting into my sensitive nostrils, I could tell my girl had done some magic. I couldn’t wait to taste them. But those thoughts changed the moment my eyes landed on her, elegantly strutting towards me, dressed in a black strapless bodycon dress that hugged her slender curves like a second skin, with her glossy red wavy hair flowing down her shoulders. The necklace she wore with a simple diamond pendant shone on her neck, as the light was cast on it.

I didn't want to taste the food anymore. All I wanted to taste was the angel coming my way.

“Hey…” she murmured shyly, a sweet smile spreading across her plump glossy lips.

“I think you’ve stolen my heart,” I confessed, feeling my heartbeat accelerate.

Her cheeks colored in that alluring color that made me just want to pull her into my arms and kiss her breathless. She looked away from me, her eyes focusing on the neatly cut grass beneath our feet and I closed the distance between us, gently tipping her chin until her eyes landed on mine.

“You’re beautiful, angel,”

I could feel her shyness as she struggled to maintain eye contact with me. She licked her glossy lips and my eyes followed the simple action. I imagined it was my tongue sliding against that tasty luscious flesh and tasting her instead but then she spoke, her serene voice drawing my attention back to her gleaming eyes.

“You don’t look that bad yourself,”

“Yeah?” I grinned and she nodded. “All for you, baby girl,” I winked at her and she blushed again. “Come on,” I tugged on her arm, leading her towards the pre-arranged table.

I pulled her chair for her and she took her seat before I rounded the table and sat down opposite hers. It was a candlelit dinner, with a hint of romantic decorations. It was my way of sending my love to her and I hoped she’d receive it with love.

As soon as we sat, the maid that had been standing off to the side at a distance quickly ran to us to dish the first course for the night before leaving us to our privacy as she returned to her hiding spot.

Just as I’d imagined, the meal beat my expectations. Anna wasn’t only beautiful and enchanting with a heart of gold, but she was also a very good cook and I told her that.

“If my heart wasn’t yours already, the taste of this meal would have given it to you,”

She laughed and the musical sound sailed into my ears, warming my heart. I could feel Axel projecting strong possessive emotions of love and ownership as though he was floating in cloud nine.

“Aren’t you charming with your looks and words?” she commented when her laughter finally died down.

“Only for you, angel,” I winked at her again and I noticed a spark in her eyes but she quickly returned her attention to the meal.

“I’m sure you say that to every girl,” her words were merely a whisper but I heard them.

Quickly, I reached across the table for her free hand and placed her palm on my chest just to feel my racing heart. Her bright green eyes met mine in question but I stared intently at her, intending to convey my message clearly.

“Do you feel it, Angel?”

She blinked as my heart continued to hammer against her palm.

“S-Shane?”

“It's all for you, baby girl. It’ll always be for you,”

Her lips popped open but no words came out. I took her hand from my chest and raised it to my lips, to place a soft kiss on her palm before returning it.

“Do you believe me now?”

She blinked again and gulped before nodding curtly. We returned to eating thereafter, while making light conversations to ease the tension and emotions hovering over us.

A while later, we were done with dinner and I pushed my chair back and approached her. I offered my palm and she took it without question. It gleaned my heart that she trusted me to that level.

“Dance with me,” We stepped away from the table and I pulled her into my arms, with one of my arms circling her waist and the other placed flatly on her back.

“But there’s no music,”

I rested my head on her temple, her sweet scent of jasmine sailing into my nostrils and intoxicating Axel and I.

“We don’t need music to dance, angel. Just the rhythm of our hearts as we move under the moonlight,”

I raised my forehead from hers to stare into her eyes and she blinked. I could see the uncertainty in her bright green orbs.

“Come on, angel,”

“Okay,”

Together, we moved in sync at a slow pace with me leading her as we swayed from side to side. At some point, she looped her arms around my neck, bringing us closer and I’d never been more satisfied like I was at that moment.

With her looking into my eyes and her body pressed flush against mine, her warm breath fanned my lips that were so close to hers that all I’d do was to rest my temple on hers and we’d be kissing.

I must have been so lost in the moment with the thoughts of devouring her sensual lips running through my head that I might have tried to act on my thoughts because one moment, my lips were brushing against hers and the next, she was sprinting away from me towards the house.

I opened my mouth to call her back but she was far gone and no words came out.

“You fucking scared her,” Axel growled, heavily projecting his annoyance but I ignored him as my eyes suddenly caught on to the folded piece of paper at my feet.

Slowly, I bent to pick it and I unfolded it to see the words nearly written on it.

“You’ve done so much for me and I think I owe you the truth,”