24. A Step Forward

When Marley had first met Eden, she didn't picture him cooking dinner in her kitchen. And she obviously hadn't pictured him humming to Whitney Houston and chopping the vegetables, wearing a white apron. It was both surreal and fascinating to watch a muscular man handling vegetables with such delicacy.

Marley couldn't help but watch him chopping the onions from the other side of the counter. Her eyes were filled with tears but she didn't mind as the sight of focused Eden was worth it. He looked gorgeous.

"There you go." Marley handed her plate of poorly sliced capsicums to him. She felt a little embarrassed when her eyes fell on his perfectly chopped onions.

"Finally something that you cannot do." Eden smiled teasingly looking at the plate that his mate gave him. "Maybe, I should teach you how to cook. You obviously need to learn it more than I do since you are living alone."

"It's okay. I have plenty of cereals and packaged food."

"It's bad for your health." Eden shook his head before walking over to the stove and dumping the vegetables in a pan. "You really should learn to cook."

Marley just shrugged.

"Or you could come and live with me. I'll make meal for you every day." He faced her and grinned.

"I think you should check the noodles. They might get soggy." Marley instantly changed the subject knowing very well where their conversation was headed.

"I wish your parents allow you to move in with me." But her efforts were in vain as Eden completely ignored the hint. "It'll be a lot easier if they knew about us."

"Even then they won't allow it because it's silly to just move in with a guy or a wolf who you have only known for two months."

"Spoken like a true human." He turned back and opened the lid of container on stove and checked the noodles. They were still a little stiff. "But here the dynamic of our relationship is different. I am a werewolf and you are my mate. It's already known that you are mine and will be living with me." He placed the lid back on, and leaned on the counter facing her, crossing his arms.

"Aren't you eager?" She mumbled back.

"I am very eager, baby." Eden smiled seeing Marley blush at his small endearings. "I cannot wait for the day when I'll wake up every day to your face-"

"I have a bad morning breath." Marley interrupted.

"-Cuddle with you all night and make love-" He continued.

"Who calls it 'make love' these days?"

"I thought you will just explode in red if I say sex." He smirked as his mate's cheeks lit up red. "So where was I? Yeah, we'll have two-three kids, boys and girls, and a dog-"

"We'll already have you. There's no point in getting a dog."

Eden glared at Marley. "Take that back." He threatened but his voice sounded rather amused than hostile.

"No." Her lips tugged up into a smug smile.

A low playful growl rumbled from Eden's throat and a second later Marley found her vision turned upside down as she was thrown over his shoulder. "Eden put me down." She screamed between chuckles.

"You asked for it Marley." He answered in his playful tone.

He gently put her down on the couch and hovered above her, trapping her beneath his large body. "Take that back." He repeated.

Marley saw the different spark in his eyes and she knew his wolf's instincts were out and he wanted to play with his mate. He was a dog. She smiled and shook her head, driving another low growl from the boy.

He started tickling her waist, making her erupt in giggles. "Ed- stop.. please-" She panted between the laughs.

"That's what you get for calling me a dog." He continued his assault, laughing along with her.

After a minute of tackling her, he finally stopped and looked at his mate's flushed face. She looked beautiful when she was smiling.

"You should be in our school's wrestling team." Marley said with a goofy grin on her face.

"Nah. It wouldn't be fair to you humans," he said, his voice hoarse.

Eden couldn't restrain himself anymore when Marley was lying just under him. He leaned down to connect their lips. He bit them gently, making her gasp and providing the entrance for his tongue. He moaned as she kissed him back. She was getting good, he smiled at that thought. He was more than happy to teach her new things.

He pulled away and stared at the dark eyes that he had grown to love. They were staring back at him with the same intensity and he knew that now it was time.

"I love you," he whispered. "I love you, Marley." He repeated louder.

Marley just looked at him with a half-parted mouth. Her wolf just bared his heart in front of her. Her mind turned numb as she stared into his brown eyes with so many emotions swirling in them. She was supposed to reply something to that but how could she when her throat felt so constricted and no words could escape past her mouth.

"It's okay if you are not ready to say it. I know someday you'll love me too and that day is going to come very soon," He said breaking the long silence and smiled to reassure that he didn't expect anything back. All he wanted was her.

Marley vehemently shook her head. He was wrong. That day had come and gone long ago. She didn't know the exact day when her attraction toward him grew into something more powerful, grew into love. Maybe, she had always been in love with him since the first time her eyes met his but refused to acknowledge it because of the hilarity of their situation.

"I love you too," she whispered back. Her red face gave away her nervousness but the conviction in her voice indicated otherwise. She was the jumble of emotions at the moment.

Marley was ready to bare out her heart to Eden as well because it was Eden, the werewolf who just couldn't seem to leave her alone neither physically nor in her mind. "I love you," she chanted with a small smile.

Eden was bursting from happiness and relief from the inside. He didn't even try to suppress his enhanced emotions from surfacing to his face. He was elated, happy, and their every fucking synonym in dictionary.

"I guess I should kiss you now." Eden grinned, turning back to his previous playful mood. His grin turning into a smirk when he saw Marley purposefully avoiding his eyes. His beast swelled with love and possessiveness at the thought of having this shy human all to himself.

"No, you should check the noodles. I really don't want them to get soggy."

********

Eden chewed on his pen, staring intently at the notebook on his lap. Light creases appeared on his forehead as he focused more on the question that Marley had scribbled on the paper.

"Are you sure this is right? You didn't miss anything. Did you?" He asked, still finding the problem unsolvable.

"Yes, it is." Marley sighed. "Let me show you how to do this." She grabbed the book and started writing some numbers and signs.

"That was easy." Eden said as he went through the solution. "God! You make it look so easy. You're really good with maths."

"Well, you're really good at cooking." Marley replied. Her mouth watered as she remembered the taste of the meal that was cooked by him only a couple of hours ago. It was the best food that she had in a very long time. Maybe, she really should learn to cook from him.

"Yeah," he mumbled, focusing more on the notebook in his hands. After a minute of giving it his whole attention, he closed it, threw it on the couch and looked at Marley with a up-to-no-good smile. "I am done. Now, let's make out."

"W-what?!"

"Come on Marley, we just poured our hearts out to each other. It calls for a hot steamy make out session." He seductively moved closer to her.

"You are shameless." She stared at him in disbelief.

"I am but only when it comes to you."

"Okay, now it is getting too cheesy." She stood up and headed for the stairs, not giving him any chance to make another lewd remark. "I am going to bed."

Eden smirked and Marley blushed as she realized what she said.

"To sleep." She immediately added and stormed off.

The door of her bedroom opened and a silhouette of large man came into Marley's view. She flicked the switch of her lamp to get rid of the darkness.

"You actually are sleeping." Eden closed the door and with two steps he reached the edge of Marley's bed.

"I am tired. Tutoring you was actually tiring." She sat up and looked up at his frowning face. "I should get you a blanket."

"You really want me to sleep on the floor." He fake pouted, looking sinfully handsome.

"Uhm..." Marley didn't know how to reply because she didn't want him to sleep on the floor. She wanted him to sleep right next to her where she could feel his comforting warmth.

"I take that hesitation as a no." He grinned. "Scoot over."

"But the bed's too small for two people." She reasoned, not knowing why she was complaining.

"It is." Eden's smile widened at the thought. "I guess it's better that way."

Marley could only reply with a small glare, which she herself knew wasn't working. She sighed and scooted over to give him space. She herself wanted that so there was no point to deny him because of her timidness. Sometimes, she wished that she wasn't that shy but bold enough like the boy who was smirking at her right now.

Marley gasped when she saw Eden taking off his shirt. "Why are you taking it off?" She yelled but didn't cover her eyes. It was like her gaze couldn't move from his well-defined and sculpted torso.

"It's too hot," he replied nonchalantly but was well aware of his mate's ragged breath and speeded heartbeat. He held back a smile. "If you want I can wear a shirt."

Some otherworldly force took over Marley and before she could register, her head was already shaking to say no. Her eyes just kept raking shirtless Eden up and down.

Alpha was immensely enjoying showing off to his mate. He felt grateful to his abs because they surely helped him to impress Marley. He knew she wasn't shallow and mate bond was also playing a great role but who didn't like a good body.

With one swift movement, he plopped down on the bed beside her. And Like it was in his habit, his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer.

Marley didn't resist either. She just enjoyed the feel of his bare chest and snuggled closer.