Page 44 of Crystal Luna

Though Alpha Heath insisted against it, Velora made both Mia and Curtis help her with the cleaning up. Once everything was tidy, the two were made to say their goodnights and were sent away to get ready for bed.

“Don’t forget to brush your teeth!” he called after them as they walked away. “Thank you for coming. They’ve been talking about this nonstop for days.”

“I really enjoyed it.”

He walked her to the door and quieted his voice. “We don’t have to make this a weekly thing. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed it too, but they are a handful.”

“I want to,” she answered, perhaps a little too quickly. Blood rose to her cheeks.

“I would really look forward to it. We’ll take whatever evening you are free.”

He opened the door, and she stepped out with a shy wave back at him as she began to walk home.

“So, how was it?” Rayan curiously asked as he sat down on her sofa with a plate stacked high with pancakes.

“Good,” she said, taking a seat in her armchair.

“That’s all I’m getting? ‘Good?’”

“Well, he was a little grumpy about the mirror thing.”

“Great now my alpha hates me because I outsmarted him,” he laughed, shovelling pancakes in his mouth and talking around them. “Anything else? A secret stolen kiss maybe?”

“No.”

“You need to give me more than one-word answers.”

“We cooked dinner with the kids. They had fun and now want to do it as a weekly thing.”

“Do I really have to pull it from your teeth, woman?”

“After they went to get ready for bed he said that he enjoyed the evening but that we don’t have to do it on a regular basis.”

“Please tell me you’re going to.”

“We are.”

He smiled so wide that the corners of his mouth nearly touched his ears. “Yes!!”

“I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“He’s my alpha.”

“And? He’s into you and you’re into him. You are allowed to be selfish, you know? It’s not like you’re throwing yourself at him.”

He was right, but something still felt… wrong.

“Look, just go with the flow and see what happens. What’s so wrong about that?” He sighed, then gave her a serious look. “Wanna know a secret?”

She nodded.

“I have someone I go to when I’m lonely too. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s natural to crave companionship.”

“Really? Who?”

“I’ll be more generous with the gossip when you do the same.”