Chapter 16 First Real Date
“You can’t wear that.”
I looked down at my jeans and sweater. “What’s wrong with it?”
Lycian stood in the doorway holding a garment bag, looking nervous. “Nothing’s wrong with it. But we’re going somewhere nice tonight and I want you to feel comfortable.”
“I am comfortable.”
“Fine. I’m not comfortable anywhere nice because I’ve never been anywhere nice.”
He set the bag on the bed. “I’m not trying to change you. I just want tonight to be special.”
“I don’t know how to do this,” I said quietly. “The dating thing.”
“Neither have I. Not for real.”
He took a breath. “Just look at the dress. If you hate it, wear whatever you want.”
Inside was something simple. Navy blue. Soft fabric. Just pretty.
“Turn around,” I said.
The dress slid over my head perfectly. When I looked in the mirror, I just saw myself. Maybe a little less invisible.
“Okay.”
He turned and went still. “You look beautiful.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
The restaurant was small and tucked away on a country road. Inside smelled like garlic and fresh bread. Only six tables. Candles everywhere.
“Lycian!” An older woman rushed over and hugged him. “It’s been too long.”
“This is Elowen.”
“Beautiful name for a beautiful girl,” she said, taking my hands. “Come. Sit.”
We sat by a window overlooking a garden lit with string lights.
“My mom used to bring me here,” Lycian said softly. “Before she died. This was a place where she could just be herself.”
“I’m sorry. About your mom.”
“It was a long time ago. I was fifteen.” He poured water into my glass from the pitcher Rosa had left. His hand was steady but I saw something in his eyes. Old pain. The kind that never really goes away. “She would have liked you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. She didn’t care about bloodlines or pack politics. She just wanted me to be happy.” His eyes found mine. Silver in the candlelight. “You make me happy.”
My chest felt tight. “We barely know each other.”
“Then let’s fix that.” He leaned back in his chair. Relaxed in a way I’d never seen him. “Tell me something real. Something you’ve never told anyone.”
I picked at the napkin in my lap. Smoothed it out. Folded it. Unfolded it. “Like what?”
“Anything. Your favorite memory. Your biggest fear. What you wanted to be when you grew up.”
“An astronaut.”
He smiled. Really smiled. “Really?”
“Don’t laugh. I was seven. My dad took me to a planetarium before he died. They had this show where you could see the whole universe.”
“I thought space was the coolest thing ever. Thought if I could just get far enough away from Earth, everything would be better.”
“And now?”
“Now I know there’s no running from problems. They follow you everywhere.” I looked out the window at the garden and the string lights. “What about you?”
“A chef.”
I blinked. “Seriously?”
“I liked cooking with my mom. It made her happy. Felt normal in a world that was anything but.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because Valors don’t become chefs. We become Alphas. We lead packs and marry suitable mates.” He shrugged lightly. “What’s your biggest fear?”
The question caught me off guard. Made my breath hitch.
“Ending up alone.”
“You won’t.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“Watch me.” He reached across the table and took my hand. That spark raced up my arm. “What else? Favorite food. Favorite book. Favorite way to waste time.”
Rosa appeared with plates before I could answer. Pasta. Homemade. Smelled incredible. My mouth watered.
“Eat,” she said firmly. “You’re both too skinny.” She disappeared back into the kitchen.
I picked up my fork. Took the first bite. Oh my god. Rich, perfect, better than anything I’d ever tasted.
“Good?” he asked.
“Amazing.” I ate another bite and another. “Did your mom teach you to cook like this?”
“She tried. I was better at making a mess than making food,” he said, watching me, soft and content. “But she said the secret was cooking with love. Food tastes better when you make it for someone who matters.”
“That’s cheesy.”
“Doesn’t make it less true.”
We ate and talked. Real talking. Not about packs or politics or the vote on Saturday. Just normal stuff.
He told me about growing up with Damien, about nearly exposing the pack, about his mom’s garden his dad wouldn’t touch after she died.
I told him about Aunt Clara, learning to cook at twelve, getting lost on my first day at Mooncrest, and Tessa saving me from loneliness.
It felt easy. Natural. Like we’d been doing this for years instead of days. Maybe this could work.
“Tell me about your parents,” Lycian said gently.
“They died in a car accident when I was six,” I said.
“You don’t believe her?”
“Sometimes I have dreams. Flashes that don’t make sense. My mom hiding me, my dad shouting, then nothing until Aunt Clara’s house.”
Lycian’s expression went serious. “What if it’s not? You’re wolfless but I can feel a bond with you. Maybe there’s more to your story than you know.”
Ice ran through my chest. “I don’t want to think about that tonight. Tonight is just us. Normal people on a normal date.”
“Normal people don’t have pack votes hanging over their heads.”
“Then we pretend they don’t.” I reached for his hand. Warm, electric, right.
“Yeah. We can do that.”
Rosa brought dessert. Chocolate cake that melted on my tongue. We shared it because I was too full to eat a whole piece. Our spoons kept bumping. My knee pressed against his under the table. Small touches that felt bigger than they were.
When we finally left, the moon was high. Stars scattered across the sky like someone had spilled glitter. The air was cold but not uncomfortable. Just crisp. Clean.
“Thank you,” I said in the car. “For tonight. For this.”
“You don’t have to thank me for wanting to spend time with you.”
“Still. It was perfect.”
We drove back in comfortable silence. His hand found mine on the center console. Held it the whole way. His thumb traced circles on my palm. Absent. Like he didn’t even realize he was doing it.
The penthouse felt different when we walked in. Less like his space and more like ours. Shared. Real.
I didn’t want the night to end.
But my body was exhausted. The stress of the past few days is catching up.
“I should go to bed,” I said. “Early class tomorrow.”
Lie. I’d withdrawn from most of my classes. But I needed an excuse before I did something stupid. Like, ask him to stay with me.
“Elowen.”
I turned. He was right there. Closer than I’d expected. Close enough that I could count the flecks of gold in his silver eyes.
“Can I kiss you?” His voice was rough. Raw. Like the question cost him something. “For real this time. Not for show. Not to prove anything. Just because I want to.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. “Yeah. Okay.”
He cupped my face. Gentle. His hands were warm. Callused. Real. His thumb brushed my cheek. Soft. Reverent.
Then he leaned in slowly. Giving me time to pull away.
I didn’t.
His lips met mine. Soft at first. Testing. Like he was afraid I might break.
I leaned into him. Pressed closer.
The kiss deepened. His hand slid into my hair. Mine gripped his shirt. The spark exploded into something bigger. Something that made my knees weak and my chest tight and my whole body come alive.
He kissed me like I was the only thing that mattered. Like the world could burn down around us and he wouldn’t notice.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard.
“Wow,” I whispered.
“Yeah. Wow.” He rested his forehead against mine. Our breath mingled. Our hearts are racing in sync. “I should let you sleep.”
“Probably.”
Neither of us moved.
My phone buzzed in my purse. Loud in the quiet apartment.
I ignored it.
It buzzed again. And again. And again.
“You should check that,” Lycian said. His voice was reluctant. Like he didn’t want to break this moment any more than I did.
I pulled it out. Seven missed calls from Cade. Three texts.
Call me. Now.
Lycian check your phone.
LYCIAN. EMERGENCY.
My stomach dropped. “What’s wrong?”
Lycian was already looking at his phone. His face went pale. Actually pale. The color was draining so fast I thought he might be sick.
“What? What is it?”
He showed me his screen.
A photo. Dark and grainy. But clear enough.
Madison. Unconscious. Bloody. Dumped in an alley like garbage. Her blonde hair matted with blood. Her face was bruised and swollen.
And a message underneath.
Your human did this. The pack will know by morning.
The phone slipped from my fingers.
“I didn’t,” I said. My voice didn’t sound like mine. Too high. Too panicked. “Lycian, I didn’t do this. I was with you. All night. I didn’t do this.”
He caught me before my knees gave out. “I know. I know you didn’t.”
“Then who…”
“I don’t know. But we’re going to find out.”
My phone was still buzzing. More messages. More calls.
The perfect date shattered around us.
Saturday wasn’t coming.
It was already here.