Treyton was in an online meeting with his business partners regarding his business's stats and sales. Everything was going well, but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't stop thinking about Maeve and their date. During the meeting, Treyton would glance at his phone, hoping that Maeve would text him. He tried hard not to text her early in the morning since he didn't know when she would wake up.

Five minutes later, the meeting ended, and everyone logged out; Treyton was relieved. He left his small office and decided to see what his son was doing. "Aidoneus, where are you?"

"Right here, Pops." The young man was outside in the backyard on a double rope hammock. The skies were still cloudy, and the winds were cold. "How was the meeting?"

Treyton got one of the outdoor wooden chairs and put it beside the tree where the hammock was tied. "It was good. I'm happy to know that business is doing well."

Aidoneus chuckled as he raised an eyebrow. "You couldn't concentrate, could you? You were thinking about your mate the entire time?" His father cleared his throat as he tried to fight off a blush forming on his face. "There's no need to be embarrassed about it, Pops. I imagine that having a mate is a fantastic feeling." Aidoneus sat up as he got off the hammock, got another wooden chair, and placed it before his father, where he sat on it. "I know that you are planning to butter her up. Once you do, how will you tell her about your identity?"

"I haven't thought about it too well, son. I was thinking of telling her bluntly and showing her my identity."

"Well, what about giving her hints about your identity? For example, you can show movies, take her to museums, or share stories about our kind."

"I might as well try that. I—" Treyton's phone rang, and he immediately took it from one of his back pockets. He struggled to get it out, and his phone fell from his hand. "Damn it!" The Alpha finally got a hold of his phone and looked at the caller ID: Maeve. His heart skipped a beat; he stood up from his seat and walked away to give himself some privacy. "H-Hello? Good morning, Maeve." Treyton wanted to face-palm himself; he felt embarrassed with his stuttering.

"Hey, Treyton. Good morning. Sorry for bothering you early. I hope I'm not bothering you."

"No, of course not! I just finished a meeting and now have time to relax with my son."

"Oh, that's nice. I'm glad you and your son are having time together." Maeve cleared her throat. "Anyway, I decided it was best to call you about an event a friend recommended to me."

Treyton became interested. "Oh? What kind of event?"

"Well, my friend has a baking class, and they are offering a free class tomorrow. It's to make gingerbread houses. Would you be interested?"

"Gingerbread houses?" he asked himself. He last made gingerbread when his son was seven years old. His professional and personal life took a lot of his time, and he almost forgot how to enjoy the small things in life. It was an excellent opportunity to give Maeve hints about his identity. "That sounds like fun. It has been years since I have made a gingerbread house."

"So you want to go tomorrow?"

"Yup. What time will the class be?"

Maeve sighed in relief. "At 4 p.m. I will send you the address and the rest of the information regarding tomorrow's event. I will meet you there."

Treyton wanted to pick her up but didn't want to seem too desperate. Patience wasn't the most vital attribute in a werewolf; they were more stubborn than a mule. "Sounds good. I will meet you there and ensure you are on time."

Maeve giggled, and the two hung up.

Treyton smiled and chuckled, excited about tomorrow. Aidoneus chuckled at the sight of his father's excitement. Seeing his father happy made him feel at ease, even though he was worried about him after his divorce. "So, what are you two going to do tomorrow?"

"Maeve's friend has a baking class that offers a free class to make...gingerbread houses." Treyton felt his face become warm.

Aidoneus chuckled. "Well, that's new. It's been a while since any of us made a gingerbread house. I'm happy for you. I want you to have fun tomorrow. Remember, give her clues."

                                                                                              ❄

Excitement filled the air; Maeve was looking at the event website in her living room. "Oh, this is going to be fun! It's like going through a romantic Christmas movie!" She RSVP'd for herself and Treyton Maeve and then thought about what outfit she would wear. "Maybe I need to go to Ross or Macy's to see if there is something I need to find." While looking through her closets, her phone rang. The young woman immediately went to her phone to see who was trying to call her. When looking at the caller ID, she stiffened; it was Stephen.

Why would he call her?

Curiosity slowly set in, and her thumb trembled as she pushed the answer button. Maeve took a deep breath. "H-Hello." Momentarily, the other end was silent. The silence always made Maeve anxious; Stephen would use silence whenever he was upset. Silence was power. "Stephen, if you're going to play this game, I will hang up."

Maeve was about to hang up but then heard Stephen clear his throat. "Maeve."

His voice echoed throughout her mind. "Stephen." He was silent, which slightly annoyed Maeve. I will hang up and block your number."

"Wait, sorry for being quiet. I-I didn't know what to say. I felt I didn't deserve to call or hear your voice."

"Then, why call?"

"I was calling to apologize for how I acted that night. I acted so cold and heartless. I also realized that my handling of the situation wasn't right. I wasn't thinking straight."

The urge to yell and tell him many kinds of profanities was strong, but it was exhausting to feel many negative emotions. Maeve was slowly moving on since she was dating Treyton. "I forgive you, Stephen. I was very hurt by the way you broke up with me and that you wasted years of my life just because you were afraid." Tears that threatened to form but were contained. "If you want my forgiveness, then you have it. This will be the last time you will ever call and hear from me again."

"Maeve..." Stephen sounded surprised. He never heard her speak to him in such a way: confident. "We shouldn't just forget about everything we went through. We could still talk and be friends."

Maeve scoffed and then chuckled. "As I mentioned, I forgive you. I no longer want to keep the anger; there's no point. We both should move on. I know I am."

"You are?" Stephen sounded surprised.

"Yeah. I'm seeing someone. I met him at the Botanic Gardens, and we went out for a coffee date yesterday. We need to move on." She smiled as her rage and hurt died down and hung up. "I know I did the right thing. He would only remind me of the past and what couldn't be. I need to focus on the present and future. Besides, I have another date with Treyton, which I look forward to."