Chapter 29

Rowena & Eric

Eric

The car was silent save for the revving of the engine as I sped down the winding roads. I didn’t even bother to turn on the radio like I normally did; I just gripped the steering wheel tightly until my small warrior camp-sanctioned cottage came into view.

“I just don’t get it,” I muttered under my breath as I pulled into my parking spot. “What does she even see in him?”

My wolf sighed. “She still thinks you’re her brother, Eric,” he said, sounding much more calm than I felt at the moment. “When are you going to tell her?”

I stormed up the front walkway, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. “I can’t,” I said as I tossed my keys down in the bowl by the door and kicked my shoes off. “I can’t just tell her. She won’t believe me until her wolf appears.”

My wolf realized I was right, and yawned with exhaustion. I flopped down onto the couch and sat there for a moment, just looking around at my sparsely furnished cottage.

It was rare that I came here to spend the night; when I did, it was just to bring home a girl from a party or if I didn’t feel like driving back to my parents’ mansion. But ever since I had found out that Rowena was my fated mate, I hadn’t touched a single woman.

And in fact, I had chosen to sleep in my old bedroom right next to Rowena’s room in the mansion because I wanted to be close to her. Even if we couldn’t share the same bed for the foreseeable future, I hated being apart.

But this? Knowing that she was going out with Adrian?

I hated that even more.

The longer I sat there, the more I stewed over their upcoming date. I couldn’t blame either of them, really—I was Rowena’s biological brother as far as anyone knew—but it still pissed me off.

She belonged with me, not with… him.

“I can’t let this happen,” I suddenly blurted out, rising from the couch and beginning to pace back and forth in my living room. “I have to stop them…”

…

Rowena

“These are for you.”

Adrian held the bouquet of sweetly-scented flowers out to me. I felt my cheeks redden as I took them and admired the vibrant pinks and reds. “Thank you,” I murmured, touching the petals delicately. “They’re beautiful.”

As Adrian guided me over to his car, I felt my heart flutter in my chest. This was it; the night I had been hoping for since the moment I had laid eyes on Adrian. A date. Not just to the homecoming dance, but a real date with candles, flowers, dinner and a movie.

I couldn’t have been happier.

By the time we pulled up to the main street in town where our dinner reservation was set, we were a bit early. But the local shops were all open since it was a Friday night, so we resorted to walking around and browsing some of the gift shops.

“You look beautiful, by the way,” Adrian said, admiring my outfit as we walked together along the bustling sidewalk.

I felt my cheeks heat up beneath his gaze. I had just bought a new red dress, just for this occasion, and had even gotten my hair done earlier that day. I still recalled how I had nervously pored over my appearance in my bedroom mirror, even ultimately deciding to keep my glasses on.

But now, hearing Adrian compliment the way I looked was enough to send my heart soaring.

“Thank you,” I said, eyeing him in his crisp suit. “You look really handsome, too, you know.”

He grinned. “Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.”

We paused then, peering into a nearby shop. The sign overhead said “Ralph’s Antiques”, and the window was laden with all sorts of knick-knacks—everything from small trinkets to books to fur coats.

“Let’s go in here,” I said, nodding my head toward the shop.

Adrian smirked. “I figured you would be an antique lover.”

“And you’re not?” I teased, feeling a bit of a confident boost from our banter.

“I never said that,” Adrian laughed, holding the door open for me.

As we wandered between the shelves, I felt Adrian’s hand find mine. A shiver ran up my back at his touch, and I firmly grasped his hand, not wanting to let go. His fingers were soft and warm and slender, and they fit perfectly between mine.

The shop smelled like incense and old books, a smell that I always liked; and with the aisles so narrow, we were practically pressed up against one another. Another shiver ran up my spine at the sensation of his body brushing up against me.

I stopped in front of a shelf containing various jewelry; silver rings, charm bracelets, and even amulets. One particular amulet caught my eye, and I reached out to take it down and look at it more closely.

An idea came to me then; this would suit Adrian well, and I recognized it immediately as a good luck charm for warriors.

“What’s that?” he asked, leaning in closer to get a good look.

“Oh, this?” I followed his gaze down to the small amulet on a chain; the amulet was in the shape of a crescent moon made of pure gold. “It’s supposed to be a good luck charm for warriors. I was…”

I looked over at him and felt my eyelashes flutter of their own accord beneath Adrian’s steady gaze. “I was actually going to get it for you,” I finally said, holding it out to him.

“For me?” Adrian gingerly took the amulet and held it up, admiring the way it shined in the light. “Rowena, you don’t have to—”

“It’s a practical gift,” I interrupted, feeling my blush deepen. “If you don’t like it, though…”

“No, no, I love it,” Adrian said with a grin. “Really. Thank you, Rowena.” Still smiling, he slipped it around his neck. It fit perfectly and suited him well, just as I had thought.

But then, something unexpected happened; his eyelids half-closed and he dipped his head down a bit, almost as if to kiss me, and I felt his hand slip invitingly along my lower back. His eyes flickered to my lips, and in that moment, I felt as if time was stopping.

“Rowena…”

I’m not sure why I did it. Out of instinct, I leaned back and pressed my hands into his chest, stopping him. I felt my heart pound in my chest, partially anticipating the kiss and partially kicking myself; after all this time, I rejected a kiss?

“Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes opening fully now.

I swallowed, not really sure how to explain myself. I had only ever kissed… well, Eric. “I, uh…”

“Too soon,” Adrian said with a nod. He straightened and smoothed down his jacket, shooting me a warm and apologetic smile. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” I managed around the lump that had formed in my throat. “I’m sorry, too.”

We returned to our shopping after that, albeit a little more awkwardly than before. When we went up to the counter to pay for the necklace, though, more of the amulets caught my eye, hanging from a display in front of the register.

Adrian, noticing me staring, ran his fingers through them and caused the various pieces of metal to clink softly. “You should get one for your brother,” he said.

I quirked an eyebrow at him. “Eric?”

“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “He’s your brother, after all, and a warrior as well. Maybe this would make him happy.”

As I stared at the amulets, I realized that Adrian was right; Eric had been down since yesterday. I think that what I had said last night at dinner about how he treated girls had hurt him. Maybe this would cheer him up.

“Okay,” I said. “That’s a good idea.”

Finally, I settled on a small amulet depicting a wolf’s tooth cast in bronze. I held it up, admiring the small sapphire set into the base of it as it caught the light. This one was on a leather strap, something that I knew would suit Eric well. Understated, but a symbol of prestige and power.

And if it helped him during his warrior training, then… well, I’d spend whatever was necessary, even if we fought sometimes.

As we stepped out of the shop and back into the crisp night air, Adrian’s hand found mine again. He leaned closer to me as we walked, not to kiss me this time, but just to talk.

“I think—” he began, but was abruptly cut off when a stranger passing by in a long trench coat, wearing sunglasses and a hat, suddenly brushed past and knocked straight into him.

“Hey!” Adrian called after him, stumbling against the sudden blow. “Watch it.”

“Sorry, man,” the stranger called over his shoulder in a gruff tone of voice, but he didn’t stop walking.

Adrian and I stared incredulously after the stranger for a moment before he turned back to me, shaking his head. “Well, I think it’s time for our reservation,” he said, glancing at his watch. “Shall we?”

I smiled and took his hand, although my other hand still firmly held the wolf tooth amulet that was in my pocket.

“We shall.”