-Prologue-

It’s been a year.

“Sue! Table 18, please.”

“Coming!”

I wiped my hands dry on my skirt before putting my hair in a bun and taking the tray of food settled on the countertop. I exited the kitchen and flashed Gabriella a smile as she took the orders of the customers.

It’s been a year.

“Quite a busy day today, Sue,” she grinned whilst chewing her gum, her eyes wrinkling at the sides.

“Busy day means busy pockets, honey.” I walked to the 18th table and laid their order. “Is there anything else I can get you, sir, ma’am?”

“Nothing more. Thank you.”

“Sue, could you be a doll and attend to the dirty tables outside?” Victoria smiled while carrying dirty platters. Her wavy mint green hair was in a ponytail, swinging side to side.

“Sure sure.”

It’s been a year. It’s been a year since I went independent and on the run. It wasn’t easy at first, especially for a wolf whose nature is to be one with her pack. All the days and nights I spent myself crying, I’m glad everything seems to finally fall in the right places.

“Sue, can you tend to table 10 after you clean? I’m sorry, there’s just a lot on my plate right now and I mean literally!” Gabriella and I laughed at Victoria’s frustration as she forced a fake smile on her face.

Going rogue wasn’t easy. Leaving wasn’t easy. But when everything just seems like you can’t fix it, like a coward, you just run like the wind. And that’s all I’ve ever been. A coward. I still look back at the footsteps and depress on the pace I’ve taken, could have taken, and should have taken. However, that’s all in the shadows now. As heavy the atmosphere can be, life goes on even if the odds aren’t in your favor.

I breathed in the fresh air and sighed. The atmosphere had a mixture of faint raspberries, roses, coconuts, and even grass most probably being a subject of our cafe located quite secluded from the city. It is open to nature and there are seats exclusively in the garden in which a variety of flowers such as roses and lavenders are planted. Smells just like home.

I felt my wolf stir when she caught again a whiff of the smell of coconuts.

'Calm down, Patrice. We’ve been through this. It's just the ingredients we have in the stock room,' I tell her through the link.

'It’s just that there’s a lot to remember and I can’t help it,' she whimpers a little. I can feel her pacing before she finally laid down on a corner.

'I know but we’re trying, right?' I cheered her up.

'Yeah, you’re right,' I can tell she convinced herself as I felt her mood shift again. 'Let’s just get our work done and get our ass paid.'

I laughed at her remarks before cleaning one of the tables in the garden.

I can’t really blame her. After being rejected once, I can recall how excruciating the pain inside me felt. It’s as if a glove of thorns groped your chest making it almost impossible to breathe. I can still taste the tears I’ve shed proir to being rejected by who’s supposedly your other half. And even the memory of leaving everything behind and forcing myself to move on, I can still taste how bitter and foul it felt. I never want to experience it again.

Of course I would know how it would feel. Me and her are one.

My head snapped to a direction when I thought I heard something. I dropped the wet rag on the table and made my way to the trees and bushes, curious to where the sound came from. I can feel Patrice’s anxiety slowly rising but trying to mask it especially in case something bad happens and she needs to be strong for the both of us. I was gonna take another step when a voice behind me spoke.

“Hello.”

“Jesus!”

I placed my palm on my chest and turned around to the blonde headed guy behind me who just laughed at my reaction.

The dude stood five feet away from me, grinning ear to ear. His blonde hair was neatly brushed to the side, skin fair, eyes green, and seems to be six feet tall. He was dressed in semi-formal clothes; a powder blue button-up, darker trousers, paired with black shoes. Rather a bit different from our usual customers. The people who would come here usually would be teenagers who ditched classes, or couples on a coffee date who seek not fancy delicacies but affordable yet tasty pastries and beverages, or even just people stopping by for the free wifi. Yup.

“Where?” he teasingly asked.

I shot him a glare. This idiot just had to startle me and joke around me at the same day. I didn’t even notice him walking up behind me, let alone felt his presence. This says a lot given that I’m a wolf!

“I heard about this cafe from a friend and got intrigued so I decided to give it a try. Didn’t know the minds and thoughts of their employees were out of this world,” he was smiling the whole time.

“The employees are not out of this world, they are just preoccupied,” I shot back.

“Well, is that right to treat a customer? My, my. My girlfriend would tear you to pieces if she finds out you just talked back to me like that,” he laughed while taunting me with a finger.

Who even is this guy? Dude seems so talkative I pity his girlfriend. Although I must say, I do take him to belong in the upper class in this city. Hells, I don’t even know if he’s from here.

“Sure thing. Let me talk to her, imma get her a new guy,” I smirked at the dude and laughed when he shot me a glare.

“You’re lucky I got a job to do,” he mumbled and placed his hand flat on his chest as if he’s gonna sing the national anthem then leaned a bit forward, giving me a short bow, “I’m Dylan.”

I gave him an unbelievable look and gazed at him head to toe, lingering on his feet, and raised a brow at him. Was I judging him? Yes. The man acts a bit off and jumpy for a stranger. And you don’t give your name to strangers.

“Rude,” he muttered. His brows furrowed at my reaction, “Well? Aren’t you gonna say anything?”

I sighed. “Yes, Dylan? How can I help you today?” I faked a smile which provoked a cackle from him.

“I want to order something.”

“The cashier’s right inside.”

“Oh, but I want to order from you exclusively,” he grinned and I gave him a flat look, “You seem like a trustworthy person so I will have you take down my order.”

I looked at him incredulously as he began stating his order.

“A dozen of red velve—”

“How can you be so sure we have those?”

“Oh, because I know you have those,” he wiggled his brows and motioned to the small notebook in the pocket of my skirt.

I sighed and began writing down his order.

The dude is suspicious, but I sure as hell will demand for a tip for this. Besides, I’m pretty sure Patrice would be thrilled to play around with this boy should he try to harm me. I felt my wolf’s laughter reverberating in my mind.

“I’ll leave a big tip, I promise,” good. “A dozen red velvet cupcakes, two boxes of tiramisu and one cup of vanilla latte.”

I paused upon hearing his order. Those were the top products sold in the cafe. How can a man whose friend just recommended this shop know exactly what to order?

“I will need you to send that 6pm this afternoon, to this address,” he grabbed the notebook and pen from my hand and wrote down the location. He then rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a bunch of hundreds and placed it on my hand.

Still puzzled, the man began jogging away while waving and saying, “See you soon!”

His order is rather great. I can attest for the taste of the pastries he ordered. They were my ultimate personal favorite!

I had a job starting at 7 in the evening in a club. Usually, Sam would deliver our orders but the latter called in sick today. I just shrugged and went inside the cafe to give the order. I suppose I can just drop the order off and proceed to my next job right after. It was no big deal.

I blew Gabriella a kiss and took the paper bags with me. I bid my co-employees goodbye as I headed to my car. It was already 6pm and I was running late. I started the car and drove away to the address Dylan wrote down. It was one of the tallest buildings in the city and I was to deliver it to the top floor.

I sighed and talked to the front desk who immediately gave me a go signal just by the first glance. I just shrugged it off.

'Anything for money, right?' Patrice said in the mind link and I agreed. We need it. We badly need the money.

However, I seem to immediately decline the idea the moment the elevator doors close. I can feel my heartbeat slowly rising and my wolf slowly feeling uneasy. I jolted when the bell rang; we had gotten to the top floor.

I got off the elevator to take a look at the entire floor. It was empty. Quiet. Dim.

It reminded me of those horror movies, one where a sudden ghost or even serial killer pops out of nowhere with a boogie mask and a kitchen knife.

'I don’t like this, Suerinity,' my wolf began pacing in anxiety and I myself felt my hands and feet go cold when the lights went off and the sound of the elevator closing was heard in the quiet floor.

I made my way back to the elevator and began pushing the button frantically.

Despite my fear, I can feel my wolf on guard should any danger arrive any moment, any second. Oh no. Had they found me?

I mentally cursed when the elevator' door remained closed and nearly tore off the bloody controls. All too desperately, I found myself holding by the blades of the elevator door, trying to force it to open when the familiar scent of coconut, mint, and lavender went to my nose.

I can feel Patrice's ears perked up, followed by her head, desperate to inhale more of the heavenly scent.

My wolf, I don't know if she’s scared or happy, began pacing faster in my mind while letting out a whimper from time to time. My heart–oh my heart raced faster and I could feel my insides twisting and turning. Everything just seemed to heightened when I heard footsteps coming closer and the scent I've always loved grew stronger.

To my delight, the elevator opened and I quickly stepped in.

That was until I felt a pair of muscular arms wrap around my waist. The electric shock from his skin burned mine, I don’t know if it’s from the mate bond or not.

The familiar heat of his skin on mine brought memories I've tried to bury, yet failed. The shadows of the past I forced myself to neglect and refrain from remembering began playing in my mind and my heart bled once again. Maybe because despite how painful it is to remember, a part of me still held on to the days that made me feel alive. Perhaps a part of me still held on to those memories to keep myself going. I have to.

My lips quivered when I felt his hot breath on my ear as he growled, “I found you.”

His baritone voice sent my heart and internal organs to a frenzy. His voice had always been a lullaby to my ears when the ghosts kept me from sleeping. His voice became the voice that held authority over my body and soul, anything he says I always found myself doing.

Tears threatened to fall and my knees felt like they would buckle from his voice. And they did when he kissed his mark situated on my neck.

He tightened his hold on my waist, caging me in his arms, holding me to his broad chest. He breathed in my scent, from my neck, to my hair. I can feel the delight emitting from my wolf as we felt how his chest rose and fell upon taking in our scent.

We stayed like that for a couple of minutes. Couple of crucial minutes. Him just hugging me, and me just feeling his warm embrace.

All the time we remained in that state, I could feel my heart rising to my throat. No. This isn't supposed to happen. Time seemed to stop at that moment.

I knew I was close to losing myself. I can feel Patrice's need to be with our mate, I can feel her desire for our other half. I had to snap out of it.

Crying, I wiggled and struggled to get free of his hold when he sighed and dropped his nose on the mark he made. Sniffing. Kissing. When he felt me trying to get free again, he growled and planted a kiss.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he kissed his mark again, “Where is my mate going?”