4 | Idle Thoughts

(NOW)

*** AlphaWatcher's POV

He had arrived early too. He always did. It gave him time to think, to watch. There was a calm in it, a sense of control. He needed that. She arrived not long after, and he saw her right away. Most people got out of their cars quickly, eager to move, to get on with things. But she sat there, watching. She wasn’t in a rush. She was taking her time, feeling out the situation. He admired that. It showed she had the right mindset—cautious but curious.

After a while, he circled the parking lot, moving a few spaces behind her. His vision was sharp, better than most. He got a good look at her. She was more attractive than he’d imagined. Fresh-faced, no makeup, no manufactured perfume. Just her. It was refreshing, real. There was something grounding about it.

Her car was old, a simple Honda, but in perfect condition. It looked like it had been kept unused in a garage for years. He concluded it had. She was practical, not flashy. He liked that too. Flashy people were too easy to read, too predictable. Practical meant she thought things through, didn’t just jump at the first shiny thing. That would make tonight more interesting.

Wolves know their mates by smell. At this distance, he could smell her arousal, but it was more than that. He recognized her. The scent was unmistakable—honeysuckle and fresh-cut lemongrass on a warm day. His mate. The realization hit him hard… his wolf even harder. He hadn’t planned for this, hadn’t even considered it. A mate, after nearly two lifetimes. The odds were slim, but here she was. It changed everything and nothing all at once. He had a plan, and he’d stick to it. But now, there was more at stake.

Of all the plans he had for her tonight, this possibility hadn’t crossed his mind. A second chance, after nearly two lifetimes. He hadn’t expected this. Fate had a way of throwing curveballs when you least expected them. He wasn’t one to believe in fate, but he knew better than to ignore what was right in front of him.

And what was a supernatural doing on a sex chat forum? He had an excuse—research. But sups? They had their own channels for this sort of thing. Not that he had access to those. He was a rogue, after all. The kind of rogue that stayed on the fringes, never quite fitting in. And he liked it that way, kept things simple. But this wasn’t simple. It was complicated, and that made it dangerous.

The plan was for Lilliana to go to the hotel first, grab a suite. It gave her some control, a sense of safety. She could bar him from entry if she wanted. Trust had to be earned, and this was part of the process. He needed her to trust him, but now it was different. Now, it was about more than just the night. It was about the future. A future he hadn’t anticipated.

But a mate changes things. He decided to do a walk-by, get a better look, a better smell. If she recognized him later, that was fine. She’d arrived early, after all, so she could spot him. He was curious if she’d pick up on it, if she’d sense what he did. If not, well, there would be time for that.

He wondered if she’d already gotten the room and this was just an added layer of security. He respected that. In his line of work, he wished more people were as careful. Careful was smart. Careful kept you alive. She was careful, and that made her all the more intriguing.

When the door smacked into him, all hopes of subtlety vanished. At first, he thought she’d recognize him as her mate, but she didn’t. Or she was very, very good at playing decoy. He assumed it wasn’t the latter. She wasn’t the type to play games, at least not without reason.

Her concern was genuine, and her smile was engaging. This wasn’t how tonight was supposed to go, but it might be ten times better now. There was something about the unexpected that made things more interesting.

He decided to move on, not start the conversation here. He’d follow the plan, at least until they got to the room. Then, they’d see where the night took them.

   

*** Third Person POV

Lilliana pulled into the gas station across the road, her mind still buzzing with anticipation for the evening. The soft purr of the engine faded as she turned off the ignition, sitting for a moment to let her thoughts settle. Just a pause, a brief moment to clear her mind before she returned to the hotel.

This wasn’t about avoiding what was to come. It was about pacing herself, taking control of her own readiness. The idea of surrendering on her terms, of being fully present when the time came, made her pulse quicken. This was about trusting someone else to take control, but only when she was ready to let go.

Her hand hovered over the door handle as she took a deep breath.

Shaking her head to clear the last remnants of hesitation, she turned her attention to the task at hand. Gas and water.

As the gas pump clicked into place, her thoughts began to drift, and she absently noticed the metallic paint of the car pulling up on the other side of the pump. The finish was striking, sparkling under the station’s harsh lights, and her mind briefly wandered to the process behind it. How did they achieve that kind of sheen? Was it the pigments or the layering technique? She admired the complexity behind such a simple, beautiful effect. Sometimes she marveled at the satisfaction she got from appreciating what others considered mundane.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the driver, the man from earlier, watching her through the narrow space above the pump. His eyes followed her movements, taking in the way she seemed completely absorbed in something far removed from the moment. When she moved to return the pump handle, he quickly averted his gaze, looking down at the ground, avoiding any chance of recognition.

Lilliana finished fueling up, her mind still lazily turning over the details of paint manufacturing, oblivious to the scrutiny she’d just been under. She replaced the nozzle with a quiet click and turned back toward her car, feeling a strange sense of calm settle over her.

Screw the water. With a final glance around the quiet gas station, Lilliana slipped back into her car, ready to return to the hotel and the unknown that awaited her.

  

*** AlphaWatcher's POV

I watched her from several lanes away. She slipped back into her car, the movement smooth, practiced. A small part of me wondered if she was leaving for good. But it didn’t fit. She wasn’t the type to bail. I’d seen her resolve, the way she watched. This wasn’t the end. Not yet.

She started the car, pulled out of the lot. My heart kicked up a notch. I made the decision to follow without thinking twice. I moved quickly to my car and slipped inside. The engine roared to life, and I scanned the street. She hadn’t gone far, just across the road. The gas station. I let out a breath, relief washing over me. She wasn’t running. Just a pause.

I considered sending her a message, something like “You should have stayed.” But that felt wrong. I didn’t need to rattle her. Not yet.

Mind reading was one of my talents, another perk to being a hybrid. But it required proximity. I’d have to get close. Close enough to know if she was really bailing. But I doubted it. She didn’t fit the profile. I knew her type—cautious, deliberate, someone who trusts her own decisions.

This was a break, not a retreat.

I drove my car across the street, pulled up to the pump opposite hers. Hiding in plain sight, another skill. Close enough to read her thoughts, close enough to decide my next move. The smell hit me again, stronger this time. Honeysuckle and lemongrass, and something else. Her mind was calm, almost blank. She was musing about something mundane, far from the night ahead. No panic. No fear. Just calm and that undercurrent of arousal.

The arousal almost undid me. It’d been a long time since I felt like this, out of control. My usual engagements, they were about control. Dom and sub, the way it was supposed to be. But looking at her now, through the gaps in the gas pump, I felt the ground shift under me. It was new. Unsettling. But I didn’t hate it.

She didn’t notice me. Just finished up, slipped back into the car. Headed back to the hotel. I watched her go, relief washing over me again. She wasn’t bailing. She was ready. And so was I.

It was time.