Chapter 9 – Her acceptance

Conrad decided to give her more time. He understands it won’t be easy for her to trust him when she spent the last few months only relying on herself and the others she’d been with.  

When they neared the lake, he heard her softly gasp.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He’s proud of this scenery. It’s one of the best places in their territory. Also, it’s calming.

The surface of the lake is calm and reflects the mountains beyond. The colors are clear, perfectly simulating a mirror.

Her pace became faster and she almost skipped towards it, going ahead of him.

He chuckled at her reaction. He’s glad she likes it.

Alice also noticed the cute houses that were situated near the lake. There were two of them. She assumed those were the houses he mentioned. Her gaze focused on the lake and its water surface. She breathed in the fresh air, too. His scent of apples tickled her nostrils. It made her shiver. Mate, huh?

When her mother lectured her about mates, she kept covering her ears. Some of those things were embarrassing. She never liked anyone in their pack so she couldn’t relate to some of the things her mother said. In a way, when she sensed him as mate, some of those lessons came to her mind. If they accept each other, he would have to mark her. And then, they would have to be intimate. Her face burned at imagining it. She’d never been naked in front of another person. Again, except her mother. How could she do those things with him? She was kissed for the first time yesterday and yes, she liked it. It was nice and gave her a very warm, fuzzy feeling. Her mother told her it’s going to be instinctual if it happens. Just go with it, if you accept your mate. He’ll take care of you.

Still… she’s embarrassed by the thought of letting him see her naked body. Since she only shifted into her wolf a year ago and she didn’t have much experience doing it, she’s not comfortable flinging her clothes away. She knew most men are very comfortable parading their nudity. It’s second-nature to them. For women, it’s completely different, though there are definitely some that are very comfortable with it, too. She’s not one of them.

“I think there are extra clothes inside the house. But you won’t need them unless you ruin your clothes.” Conrad stood next to her before escorting her inside.

“Are you going to run with me?” She’s suddenly nervous. Would he shift with her?

“Do you not want to? I can just watch you from here if you’re more comfortable with that.”

Alice hesitated. She’ll be more comfortable, yes. But… she’s curious about his wolf.

“I think running together would be better, right?”

The way he brightened up is cute. Right, he’s definitely much older than her.

“How old are you?” Her eyebrows furrowed. It must be a rude question, so she quickly covered her mouth.

“I mean…” How should she apologize for her slip of tongue?

“I’m twenty-eight. Does that bother you?” He ran a hand through his hair, a little concerned. They have a nine-year gap between them.

“No. I’m just curious. You still look young. Just older than me.”

He was relieved to hear her mumblings.

“Ready to shift? I’ll wait for you outside.”

“Oh, okay.” Why did she even assume that he’ll shift with her inside the house? Stupid her, she scolded herself.

The thing is, she’s not used to shifting. It takes her more time than others. She still feels the pain but it’s now bearable compared to the first few times she did it.

When she’s fully transformed, she made her way towards the door and pushed it open. Huh, didn’t she push it as well coming in? It’s a nice door.

She found a larger wolf waiting for her. His fur is pure white. She would definitely ask him about it later. Most wolves have black fur, or darker shades. White… that’s unique.

He gestured with his head and started walking towards the side of the lake. She quickly followed. When she caught up with him, he started a light run. And then, they were playing who runs faster. It was immensely fun.

She knew he was just accommodating her. There’s no way she could outrun someone like him. She enjoyed their time playing near the lake very much. It must have been over an hour before they got tired. Well, she was more tired than him. They shifted back and she wore her clothes again, grabbing her daggers.

There’s a built plank, some sort of walkway, near the lake and Conrad was setting up the picnic there. Alice took a deep breath as she made her way towards him. He doesn’t look tired at all.

Conrad glanced at her and smiled. It’s been a while since he had a fun run and he’s happy to have done it with her. Normally, he’s preoccupied with his duties and responsibilities in the pack. When he run with the others, it’s for training.

Her wolf was like any other. Dark brown fur. Brown eyes, just like the one he’s staring at right now.

She raised an eyebrow when she noticed the different way he’s looking at her.

In response, he simply smiled again. He may not have seen anything out of ordinary, something that would make her special or better than any other wolf, but he knew he would treasure her as his mate. He only needed her to exist.

“Are you hungry? Let’s see what mom packed for us.” He assisted her in sitting on the edge of the plank. Her feet almost touching the water below.

Alice couldn’t help returning his smile. He does make her feel safe. If only it could last…

“I don’t get hungry when I’m tired.” She honestly told him how she’s feeling.

“I see. Here, drink this then.” He gave her a tumbler filled with lemonade.

She already drank half of it before realizing there seems to be only one tumbler. Though she still wants to drink, she stopped and offered it to him. If he’s not thirsty, she would think he’s a monster.

“You looked as if you could drink more.” He chuckled and pushed it back to her.

“How about you?” She was bewildered.

“I’m fine. I’m used to running.”

“Still, drink some. You must be thirsty.” Alice insisted.

He stared at her for a while, before relenting, “Alright.”

He took a couple of sips, then returned it to her again.

Both of them looked at the lake. In their wolf form, they could definitely drink directly from its surface. They both chuckled.

He shook his head, wondering why he didn’t check the contents of the basket earlier. Why would his mom only put one tumbler? In a way, it made him see that she’s not selfish. She’s considerate. She does care for others. She would be a kind Luna.