203
Lucy
Stacy hadn’t bought any of the shoes from that store either, but she promised that she was crafting the best outfit she could and then disappeared for the rest of the weekend. It was Monday now, and I still hadn’t seen her. I laughed, hoping she was enjoying whatever she was plotting. After my human classes ended for the day, I was about to head back to my apartment in Stacy’s building when I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Hey, Lucy."
I turned around, and there he was, David, flashing his charming smile. "Hey, David," I greeted, my heart doing a little dance.
He leaned casually against the wall, his hands in his pockets. "How about lunch? Are you done for the day?"
I couldn't hide my smile. "That sounds great, actually."
“Great, I’ll see where the rest of those troublemakers are,” David said, pulling out his phone.
I bit my lip as a twinge of disappointment went through me. He went still and looked at me with a curious expression.
“Everything okay?”
My face heated, and I nodded. Then, I noticed Duke, Sarah, and Amy coming our way. Duke had a small smile on his face, and I could tell that he and Sarah were deep in conversation.
He looked up and grinned as he saw them. “And there are the rest of the troublemakers.”
"Hey, David," Duke greeted, his tone friendly.
"Hey, guys," David replied. "Lucy and I were just about to grab some lunch. Want to join us?"
Duke exchanged a quick look with Sarah, and they both seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Actually, I made plans with a couple of classmates," Sarah explained, offering a smile.
I frowned a bit. Hadn’t Sarah said she didn’t get along with anyone in her classes?
"Yeah, me too,” Duke said.
Amy smiled brightly as she glanced at me. “I have a study session planned for a group project.”
Amy didn’t have a group project, and Duke might have made some friends in his classes, but not enough that he would feel comfortable alone with them, even with the Escort.
“That’s too bad,” David said, sounding a little disappointed.
"Maybe next time."
I caught their gazes. Amy beamed at me. Sarah wiggled her eyebrows, and Duke winked as they passed. My face heated as I realized that they had all lied so I could have lunch alone with David. I wanted to tell them they didn’t have to, but I was happy and grateful. I couldn’t ask for better friends.
David turned back to me. "Well, it looks like it's just you and me, then."
I ducked my head. "Yeah, it seems that way."
I shuffled my feet.
“If you’re uncomfortable---“
“No,” I said quickly. My stomach twisted into knots. I cleared my throat and gathered my courage. “J-Just the two of us…”
Our gazes met. His eyes brightened, and a little flicker of purple light appeared in his eyes.
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “I'd love that.”
I felt a rush of relief flood through me even as I looked away.
"I mean, if we're going to the Crescent Moon Festival together, we should probably be comfortable with each other, right?"
I glanced up at him, and he stepped closer. His smile widened, and a playful glint danced in his
eyes.
“You're absolutely right.”
His gaze seemed intense, and for a split second, I wondered if he would clarify whether it was a real date or not. But the moment passed.
“Shall we?”
I nodded and fell into step beside him. As we walked together toward the campus exit, he started filling me in on his day. Apparently, he had another combat class at four this morning.
“Why that early?”
“It was darkness training,” he said, chuckling. “Sneak attacks, melee, all that. You’ll end up taking the class either at Hecate or the Academy.”
I nodded, a little nervous. “What was it like?”
“Tiring. Dangerous, and we barely had enough time to eat before getting to class… Which we had to walk to.”
I blinked. “How far was it?”
“About five miles or so. With weights, and it was raining.”
My jaw dropped. “Where was this?”
“Oh, up north,” he chuckled.
“Why are you taking the class?” I tilted my head. “Do you… plan to be an Enforcer?”
He shook his head. “My father took them. He said there was little better an alpha could do than to be prepared.”
He smiled, his eyes turned misty. “Apparently, before he took over from his brother, he was an Enforcer.”
I smiled at him and caught his hand. His eyes widened as he looked at me.
“I’m glad you can find some peace with his memory. A connection to him…” I bit my lip. “Or… something like that.”
He smiled and twined our fingers together. “Thank you, Lucy.”
As we walked, I was both excited and nervous about it. He ushered me into his car like always, and he drove us away from campus.
“There’s a diner in my territory with even better chocolate cake.” He grinned. “I thought that you might be interested.”
“Are you teasing me?”
He grinned. “Do you not like it?”
I bit my lip and narrowed my eyes at him. “Do they also have tacos?”
He snickered. “No. If only then it’d be perfect!”
I laughed as he drove through a portal and into another city.
“How far is Blood Moon from Hecate City?”
“The capital or the outer edges?”
I blinked. “Uhm, the capital?”
“About a four-hour drive without portals.” He grinned. “Most people don’t have portal access, so they take flights.”
“Why do you commute so far?” I asked.
“It’s not far, and I do a lot of traveling to manage pack affairs,” he shrugged. “Sea Shell Cove is about the same distance, but there aren’t any portals leading there. Safety hazard.
“What do you mean?”
“You can put portals in a lot of places, but there are some places that mess with the magic of them. The area around Sea Shell Cove is one of those places.” He hummed. “I guess it’s better to say that the area is completely without ambient magic because of the ground soaking all up and the ocean washing it all away.”
He chuckled. “It’s a quirky place.”
I nodded. Soon, we reached the cozy, low-key diner. The sign had worn off. The seats were old, but when we walked in, I could smell how delicious the food was. My stomach grumbled. Soon, we were settled at a table by the window, chatting about everything and nothing. David had a way of making me feel so at ease even when I fumbled with the menu trying to decide what I would order. I ordered the special of the day, and David ordered the Wolf Special, whatever that was.
When the plates arrived, I stared at the size of it and shook my head.
“There’s no way I’m going to make it through all of this.”
He laughed. “Give yourself more credit.”
The food was great. He let me try some of his, and he tried some of mine as we talked about our classes, what he was up to recently with his pack, and everything in between.
As we chatted, I felt my nerves easing. I couldn’t explain how right it felt to be with him like this.
The lunch turned into an afternoon, and before we knew it, the sun was starting to set. I did manage to eat everything, but I wasn’t convinced that I would make it through anymore.
Still, David ordered a slice of chocolate cake and a slice of pie for himself as he finished his milkshake.
“How can you eat so much?”
He grinned. “I’ve… got a wolf of a metabolism.”
I laughed. “Well, I’m glad one of us does. I’m stuffed.”
He smiled. “Give it some time.”
He looked at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know, Lucy, I was thinking..."
I raised an eyebrow, curious about what he had in mind. "What were you thinking?"
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze unwavering. "How about we take dance classes together?"
"Dance classes?" I repeated.
He nodded, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, dance classes. You’ll need to know the Crescent Waltz and a few others. I can arrange some private dance lessons for us in the next few days.”
I bit my lip. “I’ve… never been to a dance like that.”
His eyes softened. “No time like the present.”
I wasn’t afraid, but I was nervous. A good kind of nervous. The idea of dancing with David was undeniably enticing.
"You really think I won't step on your feet?"
He chuckled softly, his gaze never leaving mine. "Even if you do, I promise I won't mind. Besides, I'll be too busy enjoying the moment to notice."
I felt a warm blush creep onto my cheeks, and I couldn't help but smile at his words. "Well, if you're sure."
"Great!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with genuine excitement.
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