Abbie's POV
I took a fork filled with grilled chicken to my mouth and moaned as the flavors exploded in my mouth, closing my eyes and sighing.
Hunter chuckled as he devoured his steak with rice and beans. Let me tell you something, werewolves are freaking carnivores! And I mean it. Especially the men, they freaking love meat. And- especially Hunter. He's a damn carnivore, but he also has a thing for Mexican food. Everything needed to be smothered with hot sauce.
I, on the other hand, love to try everything. I love Mexican food, but today, I was more in the mood for pasta, so I had chicken alfredo, and yes, with chili pepper flakes added to it because it did taste better with a bit of spice.
"Good, huh?" he muffled, making me chuckle, covering my mouth as I stuffed myself with pasta. "It's so good. Just as I remembered." I muffled, covering my mouth, and chuckled.
The night went by so perfectly for us. Analise occasionally returned to refill our drinks. We had gotten beer for Hunter and red wine for myself. Not once did she look at Hunter, always looking down and giving me polite smiles. I felt awkward, though. Plus, she smelled like a human. Was she one of the few humans that lived in Hunter's pack? Maybe that's why she wasn't aware of how the mating bond thing worked.
Regardless, I felt horrible knowing she had to be humiliated in front of everyone. On the one hand- I was thankful because it only meant he truly loved me and waited for me, but on the other hand- if he had taken her as his chosen, she would be sitting in my spot right now.
Then there's also Leah-Hunter's first mate. I still don't exactly know everything and why he decided to reject her. I'm glad because he is all mine, but if not, then... it meant I would have had to share him. He was destined for two mates, which is not rare in werewolves, but I've heard so many have fought between them, while others who have multiple mates live happily together.
Who knows what would have been if Hunter had kept Leah and me?
After dinner, I would not pass out on the acai bowls; I indulged in them and devoured two bowls, actually.
Hunter lifted his finger, signaling Analise to bring the check. She shyly approached us, head down and fingers crossed before her. "Alpha Black, our chef, says the meal is on the house. She hopes you have enjoyed your meals. Have a good evening, sir." she politely says, making my eyes widen in surprise. "Luna, it was a pleasure to meet you finally. Please, if there is anything I can do for you in the future, do not hesitate to reach out to me," she says, looking down at her shoes and vowing slightly.
"Uh... thank you, Analise," I reply politely, making Hunter grunt. He was still not fond of her, but I didn't see her as a threat. Merida had calmed down around her, too, which made me aware she would not be any problem. I trust Merida, and if Merida says she's ok, then I believe her.
"And I hope you can come to me as well. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need help." I say, smiling at her.
She looks up, surprised by my words. Her lips partially parted and eyes wide in shock. She smiles, drops her shoulders a little, and nods happily. "Thank you, Luna. Have a beautiful night," she says, turning on her heel and leaving.
Hunter gets up and extends his arm out for me, kissing my hand as I take him, and he helps me to stand. "I'll be right back; I need to use the ladies' room before we leave," I announce, making him smile.
"OK. I'll be out waiting for you in the car. Don't take long. I love you." he says, pressing a kiss on my lips. He then takes a large bill, placing it in the middle of the table as a tip. "I knew it. He's a softy." Merida says, making me chuck;e inwardly.
"Hey... leave my cinnamon roll alone. He only looks scary, but he's my teddy bear." I say, making her and Black burst out in laughter. Hunter hadn't heard me, but by the sudden stop, I'm guessing he heard Black chuckle, making him look back at me with a raised eyebrow.
I wink, smiling at him, and send him an air kiss. I can see his eyes darken with lust, making my smile widen. He nods and smiles mischievously, "You're asking for trouble, woman. Just remember who you go home to. I'm not letting you sleep tonight. Let that be a warning to you." he says, making bite my bottom lip fist my hands as my stomach flutters.
I cleared my throat and made a beeline to the restroom. I didn't need to pee, but I wanted to make sure I looked ok. I would be embarrassed if I had a dragon fruit seed stuck between my teeth or something.
Once I checked that I was ok, I sighed, washed my hands, and grabbed the towel to dry my hands. I made my way out, ready to leave, when I became startled as I opened the door and saw Analise standing against the wall by the restroom.
"Shit... you scared me," I say, making her jump as well. She looked as if she had been lost in thought.
"I'm... I'm sorry, Luna. I didn't mean to. I just... I wanted to come and apologize." she says, making me tilt my head slightly and look at her.
"And apologize for what exactly?"
"I..." she says, looking down at her shoes, almost as if ashamed to look at me.
"Luna, I'm sure you know what I did a year ago at the ball. I... I didn't know. I'm a human, all this... it's new to me." she says, correcting my suspicions.
"Analise... if you don't mind me asking, how long have you known about... us?"
"You and alpha?"
"No. About were's," I say, chuckling. "Oh... uh... since three years ago. As you can see... I'm new to everything. My parents died when I was three... Humans adopted me. But they were really cruel and abused me physically. It wasn't until I was seventeen that I met my grandma, Dorothy."
Dorothy is your grandma?" I asked, surprised to learn the chef and owner of this little restaurant is her grandma." she smiled and nodded proudly,
"She is. She was the one who found me. She brought me here and introduced me to the life of werewolves." she says, closing her eyes and smiling.
"I won't lie. I was initially scared, but most of them were nice. My grandma is nice to me, and she tries hard to motivate me." she says, looking down, interlacing her hands.
"It's just... I made a fool of myself; I misinterpreted Alpha's kindness at the ball. He always smelled so good that I thought,"
"He was your mate," I replied, making her look up at me in surprise.
"Yeah." she shrugs her shoulders.
"I've heard them say that; that's how you can tell who your mate is. They have a strong smell that is super attractive to you. Alpha always smells so good, and he's so..."
"Good looking," we say together, making her laugh.
"Sorry."
"Don't be. You're right. He is very handsome. And I have taken him for granted despite so many women drooling over him."
"There's still so much I need to learn. My grandma gets embarrassed talking to me about all these things. Plus, I have no friends. Everyone looks down on me for being human and making a fool of myself in front of our alpha." she says, looking away in shame.
"Oh, boo-hoo. It's her fault for assuming Hinter was hers." Merida says, making me block her out. She can be a little cold-hearted and territorial at times.
"I... I feel I owe you an apology for what I did. If I disappointed you with my actions, I am truly sorry. I promise I will be better. Anything you need, I-"
"Analise, it's okay. You don't need to continue apologizing. Look, I should get going; Hunter is waiting for me. But I appreciate you coming to me. I hope we can both look past this. But, I want you to do one thing." I say, smiling at her.
"Don't let people walk over you. Just because you're human, doesn't mean you have less value. If there's one thing I have always remembered, Alpha Black says is... a pack is only as strong as its weakest member. You are part of this pack, and thus, it's our responsibility to make sure you are well taken care of, too." I say, placing my hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, Luna. That..." she looks away, wiping away a stray tear.
"It means a lot. Thank you." she shyly replies. You can hear the sorrow behind her response, making me feel for her. It took me back to the days when I felt the same. The only time I felt safe was when I was with Hunter's family. I dreaded when I had to go back home to my pack.
I don't want to imagine what she was going through. But one thing was for sure: I needed to make sure that no one was hurting her. Hunter takes these kinds of misbehavior very seriously. He won't be happy to learn more members are being mistreated.