ONE

Grayson Redwood's first impression of the young boy standing in front of the little artisan chocolate business was that he must have possessed some demonic characteristics. Child was a complete and total nightmare.

Grayson and his brothers had been raised with the assistance of Mrs. Westwood, a witch who was a jack-of-all-trades. The memory of Mrs. Westwood caused the pain in Grayson's knuckles. If he had even entertained the notion of behaving in the same manner as that child, his knuckles would have been bleeding for a whole week. Or, far worse, she might have coerced him into undergoing the Change, then imprisoned him while he was in his wolf form and chained him up outside with nothing but kibble and water to eat until he learned how to behave appropriately.

When he looked at the child again, he came to the conclusion that he, too, would have been on the receiving end of a newspaper. The only thing that could have been more embarrassing would have been to be hit with a newspaper and made to act like a dog.

What a miserable little cretin. Grayson gave a little shake of the head.

In a broad sense, he did not have a particularly warm and fuzzy feeling toward the creatures, whether they were synthetic or natural. Once Kyle and Randi made the decision to start a family, he would be delighted to take on the role of doting uncle. He would let them to climb all over him, then he would take them running, show them how to shift, stuff them up with candy, and then he would send them home. It wasn't his job to change diapers, put the kids to bed, or...do this.

It appeared that the youngster was around five years old. Who was his mother and where was she? Did she not realize that children may be abducted and that terrible things could occur to them? Despite this, he felt sorry for anyone who was going to kidnap this child. They would have a lot on their plate.

To be fair, there was very little in the way of criminal activity in Blue Willow. The Redwoods interacted with everyone in the town as though they were members of their own family because of how they ran their business. Not only was it the moral thing to do, but also a community that loved and protected its members did not question the requirements or routines of an oddball family that provided the town's primary source of revenue. Its inhabitants were either friendly toward other kinds of supes or were themselves supes. Like Gin Goodwich, the mastermind behind Which Sweet, who created the enchanted chocolate that made Grayson the happiest of all beasties.

And contrary to what most people believe, she was in fact a sugar fairy the whole time and not a witch at all. She had been held captive by bone fairies, who used her to rot the teeth of children and steal them during the night. Eventually, she managed to escape and make her way to Blue Willow.

Speaking of children, the one who was currently capturing Grayson's attention was a young boy who had climbed behind the counter and was rubbing all of the champagne truffles into his blond hair, which had sadly been cut into the shape of a bowl. The champagne truffles were Grayson's favorite and the reason he was sponsoring the shop.

Just the hair should be enough to call his mother's behavior into question.

Where exactly was the woman?

Or, as he reluctantly admitted, it was more likely that the child was out with a man who was not the child's biological father. As he had seen with his friends in prep school, he had to do it. The adult probably didn't know how to deal with him, and the child probably didn't know how to get anyone's attention in any other way than through negative behavior.

In general, a terrible bunch. But, Grayson was not to blame, and it was not right to hold the champagne truffles back from him because of the conflict between their families. It was strange how silent his wolf was. In his youth, he was known to bite anyone who got in the way of his chocolate. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that he didn't have the need to bite the kid. There were certain activities that one simply did not engage in.

He was overcome by a peculiar odor. Something warm and inviting, like an old favorite. It was in contrast to the child's shrieking when Gin used her skillful hand to separate him from the prize he had been seeking.

The aroma brought back fond memories of his vacation in Santorini. No responsibilities, just long days spent lounging on the beach and evenings spent gazing at the sky while out on the ocean. He had no choice but to simply exist in the moment. He'd read so many books simply because he found pleasure in doing so, not because his teachers required it of him. Because he had consumed such a large amount of lamb, his human metabolism would have caused him to become as obese as a weaned pig.

There'd also been a woman. There was a woman from the beginning of time. She'd been stunning. He recalled her long blonde hair that was wavy from the salt sea, light streaks that had been bleached white by the sun, and her tanned complexion. He also recalled her long legs and her giggle and how she had utterly enthralled him. It wasn't because he was Grayson Redwood worth a billion dollars that she was interested in him. Grayson Redwood, Kyle's Beta. He was just Graham Phillips, a random beachgoer that she met while she was on vacation.

She gave off a scent that was reminiscent of apples, honey, and warm weather.

Goddess, every time he reflected about that evening when she'd tasted like honey and apples as well—the beach, and the stars... He'd never encountered another woman like her.

Honey, apples, and Ava were all he could smell now as they teased him with their aroma.

"God, Gin. I really do apologize. You are aware of how he behaves." She gave a slight nod in response. I'll cover the cost of everything that he ate. She let out a long sigh. "Elijah Phelan Harlowe."

The child immediately stopped struggling, hung his head, and, when placed on his feet, trudged over to Ava. Her tone was firm, but she maintained her composure throughout the exchange.

That was Ava's son right there.

Ava from Santorini.

Ava, the woman whom he had convinced himself he would never see again. Gorgeous, intelligent, beautiful Ava. It was hard for him to realize that she was actually there in front of him.

with a young boy.

Someone else had laid claim to her, someone else had made love to her, someone else—he eradicated those thoughts from his head like a malignant tumor. Ava was human. She was never intended to end up with him. He let out his breath gently.

"Gin, you don't need to worry about the bill. I'll cover it." Grayson found his voice while having a conversation with the proprietor of the shop who had rainbow-colored hair.

"Really, you don't need to do that, I—" Ava was about to continue, but she paused as her gaze gradually moved toward his face.

"Graham!" she said in shock.

We are still rather far away from Santorini. He gave her a friendly smile.

“Santorini?” Gin's pupils drew even more widely apart, and she quickly covered her lips with one hand.

"I'm sorry, Mom." The young child with the blond hair looked up at his mother and tugged on her hand while chocolate was smeared all over his face and in his hair.

"I know. Come with me, and I'll help you get cleaned up. " She took him in her arms.

He appeared to be in such a state of melancholy, which was somewhat surprising given his earlier demeanor. It's possible that he wasn't a demon child after all. The poor tiny creature. It seems as though he was genuinely sorry for his behavior.

She pulled him up, but he struggled to get one more look at the chocolate before he gave up. For a brief moment, his brown eyes took on the appearance of amber.

But I'm pretty sure that was just a trick of the light.

Ava was human. Her son wouldn't... he wouldn't even let himself finish the notion! That is completely ridiculous.

It sure was, didn't it?

The child had a profound fondness for those truffles. It appeared as though he was losing control of himself.

After then, he noticed it. The crescent moon birthmark that was on his wrist, which was identical to the one that Grayson had.