Chapter Thirty-nine

“So, this little lady has been sneaking behind us and canoodling with…” Alexia trailed off. She was with her friends at a coffee shop in the mall.

Athena had an eager smile on her face and if looks could kill, Vanessa’s scowl would have sent her friends six feet under.

“Ooohh,” Athena whooped, “Who’s the guy receiving the canoodles? Is he in the clan? Is he supernatural? Is he a human? Or is it a she?”

“Well…it is a guy…and…” Alexia drew out her words, smiling suggestively at Vanessa who was glaring daggers into her iced coffee.

“And…he's supernatural. He’s also someone we all know pretty well…it is…” she stopped abruptly and faced Vanessa, “Should I tell her? Should I? Should I?”

Vanessa groaned and slammed her coffee cup on the table, “Oh for goodness’ sake, out with it! It’s Ace! Ace! Ace Foster! The Beta! There. I’ve said it. Happy?”

Athena looked shell-shocked and Alexia was beaming.

“Really? Ace? Wow. That’s…”

“Wild. It’s wild, that’s what it is.”

“I never thought it'd be you two though. I mean…you’re like polar opposites,” Athena remarked.

Vanessa sighed, “Can we stop talking about my love life? If you don’t, I’m walking away.”

Her friends raised their hands, “Okay. Fine. We’ll stop,” Alexia said.

They finished their coffee and started walking around the mall. Athena found a quaint little gift shop, and she insisted they enter.

It was like they went back in time as soon as they entered the gift shop.

A gramophone played classical music in a corner. There were a few electric bulbs, but rather than bright white bulbs, there were dim little orange bulbs that provided a warm ambience along with cinnamon and vanilla candles, perfuming the air with the scent of baking and cinnamon rolls.

The store offered numerous things. There was a section filled with old books on shelves, two cane chairs and a small, low coffee table for anyone who wanted to read. Another section was filled with little figurines, vintage hair clips, ties and trinkets.

There was also a rack of old CDs and vinyl tapes for lovers of old tapes and classical music.

A stack of homemade wax candles was at the innermost part of the shop, almost hidden. Alexia stumbled upon while holding a stack of novels, some hair ties and trinkets, and a few tapes of classical music.

Her arms were full, so she gently set her purchases down, then sniffed the candles. There were a bunch of unique scents, but one resonated with her the most. It was in a hand-painted teacup, the wax a lovely rose colour.

When she raised it to her nose, she perceived a beautiful blend of lavender and coconut oil, with a hint of honey and roses. The scent reminded her of Hayden and she added two jars to her growing pile of purchases.

She struggled with them to the checkout point where a middle-aged woman with a smile on her face waited for them. Athena only had a few items with her, and Vanessa held only a bracelet.

“I’ll help you check these out,” the woman said and started to scan the items.

While Alexia waited, something sparkled and caught her eye. She moved towards it, and found that it was a heavy crystal figurine in the head of a wolf.

It had very detailed features and the eyes were two tiny sapphires which twinkled as she turned it. She just had to have it.

She took it back to the checkout section and added it to her purchases.

When all their items had been paid for, she had the woman wrap a few items—a bracelet, one of the candles, and the crystal wolf head specially in a box. She tipped the woman extra and the three friends walked out of the shop.

“We are definitely coming here again, right?” Athena said when they were in the car. Hayden had given her the keys to his Mercedes.

“Yes,” said Vanessa.

“Definitely,” Alexia agreed, then she asked, “What did you get, Vanessa?”

Her friend fiddled with the small gift bag with her, then brought out the clasp bracelet in it.

It was an ornate bracelet with onyx beads, and a ruby set squarely in the middle. The clasp was an intricate little thing made purely out of gold.

“It’s for…I bought it for Ace,” she said. Her friends smiled and teased her until her scowl deepened.

“Athena, what did you buy?” Alexia asked.

“Oh, just this book I read as a child. I couldn’t find it all these years until now. Then, this cute little hairpin and its matching bracelets,” she replied and displayed the items, “What about you?”

“Books, old CDs, candles, figurines and trinkets…a little bit of everything,” she replied casually and started the engine of the car, leaving no room for questions or arguments.

Athena and Vanessa shared a look, then shrugged as they proceeded on their homeward journey.

***

“Hey babe,” Alexia greeted, entering Hayden’s office.

Her hands were behind her back. It came as quite a surprise when she saw Henry, Hayden’s father in the office. They were having a meeting and she had just interrupted it.

“Oh, sorry,” she apologized, her eyes widening.

She tried to retreat but Henry chuckled and stood up, “It’s okay. We can always continue our discussion. He’s all yours, and I’ll go find mine. Evie.”

“Oh, okay sir. My regards to Mrs Lockwood,” she said.

“You can just call us by our names, Henry and Evie, okay?” he said, grasping her shoulder.

“Sure, Henry,” she said, bowing her head slightly. Henry chuckled and shook his head before he walked out of the office.

Hayden stood up and stalked towards her, smiling. He stood in front of her, then he tipped his head down and kissed her on the lips. “Hey,” he greeted.

“Hey yourself,” Alexia replied dreamily, her hands still behind her back. He noticed it and tried to reach for it, but she scooted away before he could grab her. He cocked his head, “What are you hiding behind you?”

“Patience, my dear,” Alexia replied. She brought her hands forward and presented him with a gift bag.

“It’s something I got for you at the mall,” she told him, nervously playing with the tips of her long hair. She kept on rambling as he examined the contents.

“I know…it's not much or expensive or really beautiful for that matter, but I thought of you while I was buying it and it reminded me of you…and…and I wanted to get you something nice after my birthday and after you told me that you loved me and…and I didn’t know what to –” her torrent of words was cut off when Hayden moved lightning fast.

He grabbed her waist with one hand, held the back of her neck with the other, and tilted her head so he could kiss her soundly.

Her hands found their place on his shoulder and around his neck, pulling at the little hairs at his nape. He ended the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, “It’s perfect. Only you could get me something like this and I’ll like it. That’s just you. And…I don’t need grand gestures. I love the fact that you’re considerate and you do little things for me here and there. I love it. I love you, okay?”

She smiled and nodded, and he kissed her lips again before releasing her.

“You know what I like the most here? The crystal wolf head. It’s really…ah…I don’t know the word for it,” he said, playing with the crystal decoration, “I’ll use it as a paperweight so that I can always see it on my desk.”

He placed it on his desk on a bunch of papers, then tilted it until it caught the sunlight streaming in from the window.

The facets of the cuts and engravings on the surface of the crystal caught the light and reflected multiple rainbows on the walls of the office in different sizes. Alexia’s mouth was wide open.

“I did not know it did that, honestly.”

Hayden chuckled slightly, “When crystal is cut, it always does that. It’s beautiful.”

“What about the candle, and the bracelet? Did you like those too?” she asked eagerly.

“For the last time, Alex. I like them. I love them. I love that they came from you. I love you, okay?” he exclaimed.

“Thank you,” Alexia said and wrapped her arms around his torso. He smiled and hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.

***

“How are you feeling now?” The Boss asked Delilah.

“Like I was hit by a girl packing the power of a freight train, thank you,” she replied, her voice low and muffled.

She was sporting several casts and bandages. Her right knee down to her feet was bound in a cast, and her chest was wrapped in bandages and a brace. She was also wearing a neck brace, and her mouth was wired.

“I need you to get well soon. You’d be going back to the Clan as Clara. And you have to be brave. I can see fear in your eyes. Damn, she really broke you.”