“Easy, Alpha,” Ryan said with a grin. “It went really well! Eleanor knows exactly what she’s doing. And I’ve got to say, it’s a huge relief that Caroline forgave me.”
“That’s great,” I replied, trying to sound genuinely happy for my Beta. “Now tell me everything. How was she? How did she look?”
Ryan sat on my couch and spent the next hour telling me about his dinner with Caroline. Joseph had arranged for them to “accidentally” run into Caroline and Eleanor at the mall’s food court. Ryan had asked if they could join their table, and the women had agreed.
“After dinner, when we were walking through the mall, I asked Caroline if we could talk privately,” Ryan explained. “We sat on one of those benches, and I apologized sincerely. I told her I was just trying to protect you because I saw how devastated you were,but that I should have investigated properly first.She understood completely,said she’d do the same for Eleanor.”
“She forgave you that easily?” I asked, running a hand through my hair.
“Not easily,” Ryan clarified. “She made me work for it. But she said she understood loyalty to one’s Alpha. Eleanor’s right,Caroline has a big heart.”
I nodded, feeling a surge of hope. “Then maybe she’ll forgive me too.”
“She will, Draven, but you hurt her more deeply than I did. She needs time, and frankly, she needs to see that you’re suffering too. Most importantly, she needs to know your remorse is genuine.”
And how genuine it was. Alaric and I were in complete harmony about our need for Caroline and Liam in our lives.
The next morning, Joseph called.
“Alpha Draven, we’re taking the girls dancing tomorrow night at a bar downtown,” he said. “I’ve already mentioned to the girls that Ryan might join us, so it would be natural if you came along too.”
“Eleanor hasn’t mentioned this to me,” I said, surprised.
“That’s because it was my idea,” Joseph replied. “Eleanor approved it but thought it would seem more natural if it appeared spontaneous. This is your chance, Alpha. In a relaxed setting, you might be able to talk to her.”
“Joseph, you’re a genius,” I said, grateful.
“One more thing,” he added, his tone light. “I hope you remember how to dance. Caroline apparently loves it, and I’ve heard Alpha Draven Thorne isn’t exactly known for his dancing skills.”
I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. “I’m quite the dancer, my friend. You’ll see.”
As I hung up, Alaric purred with anticipation. We were finally going to see our mate again.
Joseph’s POV
When I walked into the boutique to greet Eleanor and Caroline, I never expected to see the most beautiful woman ever. She was like a goddess, glowing with this golden light around her. Her scent caught me right away, wild berries and vanilla mixed with citrus. It made Talon, my wolf, go crazy wanting to get closer to her.
Ava was absolutely gorgeous! The moment I saw her fit body, I couldn’t help thinking about kissing every part of her beautiful olive skin and running my fingers through her wavy chestnut hair. What an amazing woman!
I stayed with the girls just to be near this incredible saleswoman, but she barely noticed me. I really wanted to see her wearing something as short as the dresses Eleanor and Caroline were trying on, so I said I needed to buy a gift.
Ava showed me this little gold dress that made Talon wild imagining how perfect she’d look in it, but she refused to try it on. So I bought the dress and sandals right away, hoping to see her wear them someday.
When I asked for her card, she only gave me the store’s number. She completely ignored me! But that would change, I knew it would. I went home thinking about this beautiful woman, feeling like a young wolf again.
I came back the next day and tried everything to get her number, but nothing worked. Eleanor and Caroline found me at the counter, still trying to get Ava’s attention. They enjoyed watching me struggle.
Ava wrote her number down and gave it to both girls. Then she told me to leave, saying her boss wouldn’t like me flirting with the staff.
Monday morning, Eleanor handed me the shopping bags.
“Joseph, leave Ava alone, she’s really nice,” Eleanor said seriously.
“Oh, she’s very nice indeed, Eleanor!” I grinned at her.
“Stop being such a Casanova, Joseph!” Eleanor scolded me like she was my Mom. Now I really felt like a teenager. I had to laugh at that.
I spent all day looking at those shopping bags, trying to figure out how to win over my goddess. She had completely taken over my thoughts without giving me even a chance. By evening, Talon was getting restless, pushing me to go find her. So I left work and headed to the mall.
I spotted my goddess through the store window helping a customer. She had to leave sometime. I went to wait in the makeup store across from hers, but a short girl with braces who worked there came right up to me.
“Can I help you find something, sir?”
I looked at her confused, then realized how weird I must look just standing there staring at the other store. Since I might be waiting a while for Ava to leave, I needed an excuse to stay. We were by some lipsticks, so I tried to think fast.
“Hi, I’m shopping for my sister. She loves makeup, but I don’t know much about it.” I smiled at the girl, but she looked at me suspiciously before flashing her metal-filled grin.
“You’re not really here for makeup, are you? You’re watching someone in that store!” The girl caught me completely.
“Okay, yes, I like one of the saleswomen. I just want to ask her for coffee. Could you let me stay here for a bit?” I smiled awkwardly, hoping she’d help me out.
“I could let you stay… or I could tell security you’re stalking her,” she said, and I stared at the little troublemaker in shock. “But if you actually buy something…”
I quickly got what she was doing. Smart girl, trying to make a sale. That was fine by me.
“Alright, pick something and I’ll buy it.”
“How much are you willing to spend on this ‘sister’s gift’?” She was getting bold.
“No idea. I don’t know what this stuff costs,” I said, starting to get annoyed.
“Well, it depends which girl over there you’re after.”
What a clever little thing! She was straight up blackmailing me!
“Which one do you like?”
“Why does it matter?” I asked, confused.
“Because depending on who it is, your ‘sister’s gift’ will cost more.”
Seriously? This kid was really pushing it!
“Fine! It’s Ava,” I admitted grumpily.
“Ooh, that’s going to be expensive!” She grinned. “You really like Ava, huh? If you’re willing to pay, I’ll tell you everything about her.”
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