radicalducati Book 6: Amelie
Book 6: Amelie
The whole way back to the house, I replay the last few minutes of my conversation with Zayne over and over in my head. What was I thinking? Inviting him to dinner came out of nowhere. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll enjoy the company, especially after realizing we have more things in common. Laila hasn’t told me much about his personal life, and I regret never asking her. I should’ve tried to get to know him sooner. I could feel him open up to me more tonight, and it’s a good feeling. He may think he’s happy being a loner, but I know better.
By the time I get to the house, the snow has already left a white blanket across the ground. The Christmas lights are plugged in on the front porch, but I haven’t done any of the decorations inside. I turn the tree on, along with all of the little Christmas knickknacks I bought at the holiday store in town. It’s open all year long, and I frequently find myself in there, even in the summer.
I walk over to the crockpot and breathe in the delicious aroma of my chicken and dumplings. I’m almost positive Zayne won’t stay, so I rummage through the Tupperware cabinet and pull out a plastic bowl and lid. Before I can open the top of the crockpot, Zayne’s presence grows stronger; he’s close. The royals can keep their energy hidden, but when they let it free, it can almost knock you to your knees. With Zayne, his power is a force to be reckoned with. I honestly don’t think he realizes how potent it is to a normal wolf like me.
The closer he gets, the faster my heart pounds. My skin heats up, and I reach for the Tupperware lid so I can fan myself. As much as I want to deny it, Zayne makes me nervous but in a good way. So many things fascinate me about him. One being his age. Over the years, I’ve been around others who are centuries old, just like him. It’s exciting hearing stories about what the world used to be like. By looking at Zayne’s thirty-year-old appearance, no one would know he’s over two hundred years old except for the way he carries himself. He has all the attributes of a gentleman. He’s courteous, honorable, loyal to his friends and family, and respectful. What I genuinely like about him is how noble and gallant he is. Visions of him as a knight in shining armor flash through my mind, and it makes me laugh. He wasn’t alive during those times, but I could picture him fighting for a woman’s honor.
The only problem I have with being a wolf is our aging; it complicates things in the human world. One day, I’ll have to quit working at the school, especially as the years pass. I can’t be around my colleagues and be sixty years old looking as if I’m twenty-five. That’s why most wolves have their own businesses so they can control who they work with. My mother was an artist; she used to sell her paintings to people when we lived in North Carolina. My father was a woodworker and made furniture. It didn’t make our family a lot of money, but it was enough to keep us happy and fed. I was proud of them.
Zayne gets closer, and I hurry to the door to open it for him. He appears through the trees, and I lean against the doorframe as he takes in the Christmas lights on my front porch. Before, I’d never seen him in anything other than dress slacks and a button-down shirt. Tonight, however, he has on a pair of black running pants and a short-sleeve gray T-shirt. He’d trimmed his beard back, but he still has a rugged five o’clock shadow, giving him that sexy, dangerous appearance that all women love, especially the ones in the surrounding packs. They all go crazy for Micah, and they did the same for Sebastian until he bonded with Tyla. Of course, Zayne would be swarmed with women as well if he ever showed up to any of the get-togethers.
“I would have bought more lights,” I shout, flourishing my hand around the porch, “but I didn’t need to spend any more money on them. I had bills I needed to pay.”
Zayne comes from money, but I’m sure his family earned it over time. He’s not an arrogant ass like a lot of people are when they’re rich. Zayne walks up the porch stairs and looks around at all the lights again. “You’re very festive; I like it. I used to get Christmas trees when Colin was younger, but that only lasted a couple of years. It was hard to find things to celebrate.”
I step out of the way so he can come inside. “Well, now things have changed. You and I both have a lot to be thankful for.”
He walks past me into the house. “Yes, we do.”
His scent wafts past my nose, and I quietly breathe him in, loving the way he smells of the forest. Cedar and sandalwood are what come to mind. I shut the door behind him and head straight for the kitchen while he peers around the living room.
“All I have to do is fill up your bowl, and you’ll be ready to go,” I call out, keeping my back to him. Then, holding the bowl in my hand, I lift the top off the crockpot with the other and reach for the soup spoon I had waiting off to the side.
Zayne comes into the kitchen, and I hold my breath the closer he gets. “Do you mind if I just stay for dinner?” he asks.
The breath hitches in my lungs, and I freeze for a second—Zayne’s full of surprises tonight. Finally, I set the Tupperware bowl down and turn to face him. “You’re more than welcome to stay. I figured you’d be tired of talking by now. I think this is the most I’ve heard you speak since I’ve been with the pack.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, he leans against the counter and gives me a small smile. “I’m not a man of many words.”
I laugh. “Hang around me a little more, and you will be. I have a talent for talking. If you ask Laila, she might say I have a problem with being protective too. She and the others used to call me their mother hen.” He’s right by the cabinet where my soup bowls are, so I walk over and open it. He stays right where he is, his body so close to mine as I pull out our bowls. Our eyes meet, and my heart races again. “I always had the need to take care of them. Give them advice and listen if they had problems. And believe me, they did when they found out they had mates. There was a lot of drama, especially with Colin and Kami.”
Zayne snorts. “I know how you feel. I heard it all from Colin.”
The intensity in his crystal blue eyes makes me tremble, so I step away and concentrate on scooping our chicken and dumplings into our bowls without making a mess. Luckily, I fill them up without spilling food all over myself. I set the two bowls down on the kitchen table along with two spoons and a handful of napkins.
I wait for him to sit at the table, but he doesn’t. “Do you want something to drink?” I ask.
Zayne glances over at the refrigerator. “If you show me where the glasses are, I’ll get some water.”
A smile spreads across my face. “You’re my guest, Zayne. I got it.”
I walk into the kitchen and grab two glasses out of the cabinet, thinking he’ll sit down, but he doesn’t. Once filled with ice water from the refrigerator, I set both glasses on the table. Only when I sit down does he decide to follow suit.
“I hope you like the food. What types of meals do you normally eat?” I ask, taking a sip of my water.
He sticks his spoon into the bowl, and I hold my breath as he takes his first bite. “Nothing like this,” he replies, meeting my gaze. “You’re a fantastic cook.”
“Thanks. I have my mother to thank for that. By the time I was five years old, I could cook a whole meal by myself.” Dipping my spoon into the bowl, I bring it to my lips, relishing the first bite.
He smiles. “Same. However, it wasn’t a hearty meal like this. My family were fishermen for the village. My grandfather taught me to clean the fish and cook them over the fire. So, if I wanted to eat, I had to do it myself.”
“Were things tough back then?”
Zayne shakes his head. “Honestly, I think things are tougher now. Things were a lot less complicated then.”
I take another bite of my food. “I can see that being true. Besides being a fisherman, what else did you do to earn money?”
“Let’s see,” he says, looking off in concentration. “I fished for many years, and then after that, I worked in the gold mines with Sebastian and Micah. It’s how my family gained their wealth.”
Mouth gaping, I can’t believe my ears. “Wow. I can’t imagine what it was like to find gold. Did you keep any, or did you turn it in for money?”
His lip turns up slyly. “I might have some gold bars stashed away somewhere.”
Shaking my head, I take another bite of my food. “That’s incredible. So, after that is when you probably went off to college, right?”
He nods. “I got my degree and went back to the pack. Eventually, I started Lyall Architectural Design and changed it to L&S when Colin joined me.”
“I’m glad he followed in your footsteps. I know you two aren’t blood, but he considers you his family.”
Zayne lowers his gaze to his food and smiles. “I think of him as a son.”
I finish the rest of my chicken and dumplings, and so does Zayne. “Do you want some to take home?” I ask him.
He glances over at the crockpot, and I can see it on his face that he does. “Is that okay?”
Grinning, I get up and scoop him several helpings into the plastic bowl I had out earlier. While I’m finishing up, Zayne grabs our dishes off the table and rinses them out in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher. I turn my head away from him so he can’t see me smile.
After he finishes the dishes, he leans against the kitchen counter while I put away the rest of the chicken and dumplings into another container. “We talked about me all through dinner, so now it’s your turn. Do you plan on staying in Wyoming permanently?”
Setting the crockpot bowl in the sink, I turn on the hot water so it can soak. “For a while, yes,” I reply, drying off my hands.
When I turn to him, his gaze narrows. “For a while? Are you thinking of going somewhere else?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure yet. I know I can’t stay at the elementary school forever because people will notice me not aging. Either I’ll have to quit and do something else entirely or move to a different city so I can teach at another school. This is where having your own business comes in handy. You’re lucky in that regard.”
A sigh escapes his lips, and he looks away as if something’s on his mind. “I never thought about you having to leave the school.”
I wave him off. “It’s no big deal. Wherever I go, it won’t be too far from here. I can’t leave my family.”
Zayne peers over at the clean table and then at the sink. “Do you need any more help cleaning up?”
Grabbing his bowl of chicken and dumplings, I hold it out for him. “No, I’m good. Thank you for cleaning the dishes. It’s the one thing I loathe about cooking.”
Chuckling, he reaches for the bowl. “Anytime you want to cook, I’ll clean. It’s the least I can do for a homecooked meal.”
My heart jumps in my chest, and I smile. The thought of having Zayne over again excites me. “We’ll have to make that happen.”
Zayne stares at me for a few seconds and smiles as he turns away. “Yes, we will.” He walks into the living room and glances around at all my decorations. “Do you go all out for other holidays as well?”
Laughing, I shake my head. “Not like Christmas. If I could keep the decorations up all year, I’d do it.”
Zayne meets my gaze again. “Who says you can’t?”
“Good point. I’ll have to consider it.”
He holds up the bowl of chicken and dumplings. “Thanks for dinner again. I’ll enjoy this tomorrow night as well.”
“Good. And don’t forget to join me on my Friday runs if you want. Maybe that can be when I cook dinner.” I’d like to see him more than just once a week, but I don’t want to appear needy. It’s a miracle he’s here with me right now. There’s something about him being around that puts me at ease. Maybe it’s because I got used to Micah staying with me all the time. He was Faith’s protector, and when she lived with me, he was always here. Zayne looks similar to Micah, but they couldn’t be more different.
Zayne nods. “Sounds good. I’ll be here.” He walks to the door and opens it. The snow has accumulated even more on the ground, and it doesn’t look as if it’s going to stop anytime soon. “I hope you have a good night, Amelie.”
“You too,” I say, really wishing it wasn’t time for him to go.
His attention lands on the book I have resting on the couch. He smiles at it and then over to me. “Have fun reading tonight, even though you already know what’s going to happen.”
I shrug. “Maybe so, but I love it.”
He walks out into the snow and glances at me over his shoulder. “Goodnight, Amelie.”
Leaning against the doorframe, I wave. “Goodnight. I’ll see you soon.”
Once he disappears into the forest, I watch the snow fall for a few more minutes before retreating inside. My mind is reeling at the events of the night. The last person I ever expected to be in my house is Zayne. Grabbing my phone off the coffee table, I scroll to Laila’s number and call her. The phone rings a few times, but then she answers.
“Hey,” she says in between giggles.
“Hey, yourself. What’s so funny?”
She laughs again, and it’s so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear for a second. “Sera just peed all over Cedric, and I can’t stop laughing.”
Slapping a hand over my mouth, I cackle so hard my eyes water. “Now that I wish I could’ve seen.”
In between laughs, she sucks in a breath. “Me too. It was pretty hilarious.”
“For you, maybe,” Cedric grumbles in the background.
Cedric continues to ramble on, saying how it’ll happen to Laila next and that he’ll laugh his ass off when it does. Out of all the mated couples in the pack, Cedric and Laila are the most entertaining. Colin and Kami come in a close second. I enjoy hearing them all banter back and forth with each other.
“All right, we can talk now that Cedric’s done complaining about his golden shower. How was your day today?”
“Good,” I reply, wondering how she’s going to react when I tell her what I did. “I went for my Friday night run and came back to eat my chicken and dumplings.”
“Ah, yes. Chicken and dumplings. Your cooking is one of the things I miss about living with you.” It was fun having Laila and Faith live with me. There were never any dull moments.
Moving over to the couch, I sit down and squeeze my eyes shut. “I wasn’t alone,” I confess. The line goes silent for a few seconds, and I open my eyes.
“Oh yeah?” she says, her voice curious. “Who was with you?”
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. Of course, it’s not every day you tell your best friend that you had dinner with their father. But, then again, our lives are different from humans. Zayne might be over two hundred years old, but he’s not considered an old man, and he doesn’t look like one. If anything, knowing he’s had worldly experience makes him even more desirable.
I clear my throat. “Your dad.”
She gasps. “Seriously? How did that happen?”
“I don’t know. He showed up in the woods, and we got to talking. After that, I told him I had a crockpot full of chicken and dumplings and invited him over. I didn’t think he’d take me up on it, but he did.”
Laila giggles. “Awesome. I’m glad to see he’s getting out more.”
I bite my lip sheepishly. “So, you’re okay with this? I didn’t know if you’d find it strange with me talking to him.”
“Not at all,” she exclaims. “My dad needs a friend within the pack who isn’t his brothers or Colin. Not to mention, it gives you someone to talk to. I’ve been worried about you.”
“Worried? Why?”
She sighs. “I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like you get lonely there all by yourself.”
Looking around the living room, I stop on my Christmas tree and smile. Am I lonely? Sometimes, but I know it won’t be like that forever. “I’m fine,” I promise her.
“You sure?”
“Yes,” I laugh. “I have a wonderful job, a family who loves me, and amazing friends. But, one day, I’ll have more than that.”
“And you will,” she agrees. “Who knows? It might be sooner than you think.”
We say our goodbyes, and her words echo in my mind. I sure do hope things happen sooner than I think. Every day that passes, I grow a little more impatient, even though I don’t want to cheat the balance of nature.
Finding my true mate will happen. The right time will come.