Eve

When Kaden said he had somewhere nice to take us for lunch, he wasn't kidding.

We followed him to the top of the mall. After a small debate about elevators, we took another escalator. Calex stuck close to me, his heat washing over me and soaking into my back. After a short walk, we finally arrived at a sweet café.

It's tucked close to the back, the exterior a tone of pale lemon, and the frames and borders are a striking white. Even though it's small, the seating area outside makes up for it. Wooden panelling of a rich pine shade extends around the café, and tables framed by benches that look like they can hold a small group at a time dot the surface.

Jax makes a point to find a spot while I hurry to the railing, too excited to catch a glimpse of the view beyond the mall. The view isn't anything special, but being up so high—seeing the people below in the streets wandering by—makes it stunning. It's not high enough to see my house, but noting the ones I wouldn't pass on the way over is more fun.

I sense Calex before he even stops at my side. A small sound followed by his scent. It's strange that it's even possible, yet considering the amount of time we've been together, it's bound to be.

As if sensing my train of thought, he doesn't come closer. His voice comes out low and curious. "Do you like the view?"

Smiling to myself, I rest my hands on the railing. With two small taps to the rail bar, Calex takes the invitation. Instead of mimicking my stance, he leans on his forearms, eyes relaxed and curious as he meets mine.

"I do," I say once he's comfortable. I watch as he drops his head enough to observe the scene below. "Yet, I don't think I've seen anything as beautiful as the view your cabin has."

His head snaps to me, and I offer a small lift of the corner of my lips.

It is spacious, coated in luscious grass that tickles your skin. Trees lined the perimeter, thick layers of leaves adorning every branch; I can imagine the fiery embers that will replace the various shades of green in the upcoming days. The small berry bush—the only thing other than the cabin to landmark the clearing.

I see it all in his eyes: the doubt, the adoration, the gratitude. But it's the caution that illuminates them as he returns to staring into the streets. His fingers flex, and there's a small, audible exhale. "Really?"

I want to look into his eyes when I tell him the answer, but he doesn't lift his gaze from the pedestrians below, clueless to who and what is watching them from above. So I whisper, "Of course."

I don't know the origin of the cabin—whether it's his home or somewhere to relax when he isn't—but now that I'm seeing it with new eyes, not because I'm a wolf, but because I was able to take it in and find peace knowing Calex isn't a random rabid beast prowling through it. It doesn't scare me like it did when I had first arrived. Now, it will be the place where Calex helped me transition into this world and start something new.

It's not going to change me. Thanks to Calex, I'm starting to realise that.

Silence falls over us. Kaden is nattering away, and by the sound of it, it's to one of the workers inside the café. It brings a smile to my face as he teases about being here for the hundredth time and deserving a loyal customer discount. The person chuckles while Jax tells him off. I chuckle, shaking my head as I follow Calex's line of sight.

The people below are calmer than the ones inside the mall, quieter. It makes me wonder what they're thinking while they're strolling about the town—what possesses some of them to leave the car behind or to hop in it at all. It's only when Calex's shoulders stiffen in my peripheral that I turn to him.

We still have matters from earlier to discuss. I want to know what Lucas and his mother were talking about, and why he started acting closed off about it. I'm concerned, but I know now isn't the time, so I bite my tongue.

He releases a small rumble, more to himself. Then he straightens, turns, and leans against the railing. His attention drifts elsewhere, eyes unsettled. He hesitates, then his eyes flick to mine. "You're always welcome to visit. If that's what you want."

With those few kind, bashful words, I knew the day I received my wolf wouldn't be the last time I saw him. The thought melts away the chill of believing I might never see him again. It winds through me, coils, then fizzes into something peaceful.

"I'd like that," I murmur, mimicking his stance against the railing, just in time to spot the others emerging from the café. "Let's get some food."

Grunting in response, Calex waits for me to make the first move before following close behind. With the oncoming autumn chill, having the heat radiating off him takes me back to when I was little, roasting marshmallows with my parents, Kai, and his mum and dad. Warmth floods through me.

Kaden's already a beaming bowl of joy before he's even placed his order, and Jax is already heading toward us. I was prepared for him to question us about what we were talking about, but I know what he heard was harmless. Whatever he thinks we were or weren't saying in our own link is another thing, and his face gives nothing away. Rather, he surprises me by keeping a calm expression, eyes gentle rather than a hard glare—especially when he meets Calex's eye for a brief moment.

"We're getting ready to order. You should join us," he informs, tone light and casual.

Extending a tanned piece of laminate, I look at it, then Calex, who says nothing. Even his facial features are relaxed. Smiling toward Jax, I take the menu from him. "Thank you."

He inclines his head, the locks bouncing from the action. Now that he's in the light, his hair isn't pitch black like I thought it was. Thanks to the rays, it's dark brown, practically on the verge of black—like black coffee, like those jogging bottoms.

The three of us gather at the table Kaden's already plopped himself in, grinning from ear to ear. Jax takes the spot beside him, while Calex and I sit across from them. The corn-toned pillows looped into the benches are comfy, but not overly soft to the point you sink into them.

"I can see why you like this place," I say to Kaden when he looks up from the menu. "It's cute and comfortable."

He flashes a toothy smile, bright and infectious. "Wait until you try their food."

Beaming back at him, I set the menu Jax gave me between myself and Calex. When he leans forward, his knee brushes against mine. My face burns as I panic about what I should do; my normal reaction would be to spring away, but I would look like a fool. If I move over, I don't want to offend him. But Calex doesn't budge an inch, nor does his face give anything away.

Unable to stop myself, my eyes trail over him rather than the contents on the menu. Thanks to the way he hunches over and leans on his arm, his shirt stretches tight over his broad shoulders, showing off the swell of muscle in his arm.

There's a throat clear, and I snap toward Kaden, who isn't afraid to indicate he caught me checking out Calex.

Dropping my head, I hide behind my hair and shove all of my being into reading the list of foods and drinks three times over.

Don't stare at him. Think about the food, only the food. Don't be weird.

His knee shifts, only to brush mine before resting in the same spot it was seconds ago. When I risk a peek, he's already inspecting me from the corner of his eye.

How am I going to be able to focus on the food when he's looking at me like that?

I clear my throat. My eyes are everywhere until they land on the menu. Even then, it's hard to focus—all I can think about is his knee resting against mine, the warmth seeping into my skin. I don't know how he can concentrate.

Releasing a long sigh, I groan at the options. I thought picking something would be easy, but not one, but three items from the selection are too appealing. At least the drinks are in a merciful mood, the chocolate milkshake winning by a landslide.

The beverages that miss out today can make a comeback on my next visit.

Knowing I'm not going to pick anything from the food portion anytime soon, I reach out to Calex's mind. Following the thread, I follow the steady thrum. The open warmth that never fails to greet me is waiting, and it puts a small smile on my face. "Is there anything that tickles your fancy?"

Hopefully, he's having more luck than me.

A low, thoughtful hum sifts down the link, vibrating, but I welcome it. Without lifting his gaze from the laminated piece of paper, he rasps, "What do you recommend?"

I scratch the back of my neck, knee bouncing with a sheepish smile I hide by turning to fix my hair into a ponytail. "I'm still trying to work that out myself." My eyes widen as they land on Kaden. "One sec, I'll ask Kaden."

His first night staying at mine pops into my head. I don't know how much of this he's tried—if any—and I don't want to make a fuss, especially in front of Jax. Calex is a strong man, and I'm glad he found it in himself to confide in me about his lack of experience with human food. The last thing I want to do is give Jax any ammunition against him.