Chapter 14 Smile
Alec POV
I have Kyson waiting behind the boulder in the tree line. He’s waiting for me to give the signal that she is involved with Garrett’s death. I’ve thought over that smell in the past few days, and I’ve even visited her cabin in hopes of getting confirmation. It’s been painful waiting to find out the truth.
Visiting her cabin was useless, except for scaring her. I found out nothing except that the smell is also in the cabin along with her usual scent, making me even more confused.
I smell them as they enter the clearing. Cassie pours them drinks, looking at me. I give her a nod, confirming that I’m ready to do this. They come over, and I recognize her out of the two girls.
But she doesn’t smell. If anything, she smells delicious, addictive even. She checks me out, which I don’t complain about, considering I’m checking her out at the same time. She’s beautiful, so beautiful, I find the strong urge to say it. But my face is stuck in my hardened glare.
I need to ensure she doesn’t know anything.
And then we make eye contact.
All my thoughts of Garrett, of the plan, of aggression go out the door.
She’s my mate. My soulmate.
I feel my life click into place as I can feel all the years of love, desperation, and necessity I will continue to feel for her. I will never let her go from this moment onward. She is mine, and I am hers.
Cassie introduces us, and although I already know her name, I find myself asking.
“Is that short for something?” I’m so dazed at her beauty, at the intense love I feel for her at this moment, that it doesn’t register that it might be a weird question.
“Anneliese,” her soft angelic voice answers.
I let out a deep breath I didn’t know I had been holding. Anneliese, my mate, what a beautiful name.
“Anneliese, you look beautiful.” I can’t help the words leaving my mouth, savoring the way her name feels on my tongue.
I can see her react positively to her name, giving me hope that she won’t fight this. Cassie says something I barely register, finally leaving us alone. I can’t look away from her for a moment.
She looks at me again an innocent look crosses her face at my gaze. And then I ruin it by opening my mouth, “You smell good.”
She furrows her brows, obviously confused at my sudden confession.
“What?” She asks.
I can’t explain what I meant. She obviously isn’t involved in werewolves; she would understand our soulmate connection, leading me to ramble over my words.
"I’m sorry, I just meant that you smell good, I mean that’s a good thing, you’re beautiful too. I mean-” The most precious sound interrupts my stupidity.
“I’m glad I smell good, Alec.”
I want to hear these sounds forever, her laugh, her say my name, her. I nod sheepishly.
“I don’t even know what to say.” I say, trying to fill the silence with her again.
She walks closer to me, leaning her body against the boulder behind me. “How about why Cassie introduced us?”
I follow her action, doing the same. Our legs brush together, and even though it’s only for a split second, I feel a fire ignite inside of me. I almost tell her the truth about Cassie and my plan, but I try to come up with a half-decent excuse.
“Cassie. Yeah, uh, our families are friends. I was bugging her to meet her new friend.”
She nods along, taking a far too big drink of the alcohol in her hand. I fear I’ve made her nervous to be alone with me. I would never want her to be fearful of me.
“Do I make you nervous?”
I have to know at the very least to fix it early. She turns her full attention to me amking me feel like the luckiest man on earth.
“Not really, at least not in a bad way.”
I know what she means. I feel the nerves too, but they’re far from bad.
“That’s good.” I can’t resist the fidget of my hands as it’s silent again around us.
She asks me this time, “Do I make you nervous?”
I laugh softly at her. “Yeah, you do not in a bad way, of course, but more of a how can I ensure you’ll talk to me again way.” I try to be honest with her, not wanting to fuck this up already.
“You know where to find me. I don’t have a phone right now, though, so you’ll have to struggle the old-fashioned way.”
This makes me laugh, partly due to the statement and partly due to the relief that she still wants something to do with me.
“I’ll chase you down all day and night if that’s what you require.”
“Wow, Alec, be careful, I might think you fell in love with me at first sight.” She jokes, but I can hear the seriousness under her tone.
“Maybe I did.” My voice is quiet at the partial confession, but she likes it.
She doesn’t push me away, no; she likes me too. She hasn’t rejected me or the feelings I know she’s feeling. I’ve found my soulmate. Cassie comes back over to her, and I feel annoyance coursing through my veins.
“We have to head back like now, someone ratted, and the cops are coming to shut us down.” She grabs Anneliese’s hand.
A hard glare is on my face when she looks at me; she refuses to meet my gaze. I know she’s overheard our whole conversation, meaning she knows everything.
How dare she end what short time I have available with my soulmate?
Anneliese looks from Cassie to me, making the glare drop from my face in seconds.
“Sorry, Alec, you should go too; we don’t need to get in trouble. I’ll see you again, though?” She asks.
“Of course. I promised nothing could stop me.”
She smiles at that, and I make the pact today that I only want to see that smile looking back at me.