027 - A Beta's Fate, An Alpha's Destiny

CELESTE.

I’m freaking out!

Darvin would be arriving in less than an hour, and I was not done fixing myself. Instead, I spent hours preparing dinner for us. We were supposed to eat out, but for some reason, I wanted him all to myself tonight. I didn’t want any other woman to check him out, so I opted for a home-cooked meal, and now I want to regret it.

What if the food was something he didn’t like? What if he wanted al fresco dining? And what if my apartment was too small for his tall frame?

Oh, God! I would certainly mess up, and he might not want to see me again.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. The table looked good. It looked appetizing. I just needed to look good as well, but I didn’t have much time left.

If my gut tells me later that we should eat out, then we will. The last thing I wanted was to look like a loser in front of this perfect-looking man. 

It had been months since I met Darvin through Riley and Nadia, and for months he had been running in my mind. I swear, sometimes I thought I saw him, only for me to realize I was just hallucinating. Too much thinking could do that to a person.

And I’ve been calling Andrea so often in the hope that she would say something about Darvin, but nothing. At one point, she asked me if I was interested in someone, and I was on the brink of telling her I was crushing on Caspian’s friend, but I shut my mouth just in time.

Darvin looked like a man who would never go out with an aggressive woman. He looked too serious — like a dominant male with those piercing blue eyes and broody expression on his face — but for some reason, I was in awe of how perfect he was.

I had no idea how long I spent contemplating what to wear for tonight. And my goodness, I just needed to decide what shirt and jeans I would be wearing! All of a sudden, everything in my wardrobe seemed useless!

But in the end, I chose light-colored jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt that I could roll up the sleeves.  Simple and comfortable. Classy but not over the top.

Oh, God! I just wanted to look perfect!

Just as I finished putting the finishing touches on my barely there make-up, the doorbell rang.

⇜ ♡♡♡ ⇝

DARVIN.

Titan perked up from his sleep the moment my car came to a full halt outside her apartment building. She gave me an apartment number, so I assumed she was okay if I went and picked her up by her door instead of calling her and letting her know I was already outside.

I checked myself in the rearview mirror before grabbing the bouquet of flowers and chocolates I bought for her. I regret not bringing the perfume I used since I wasn’t sure if, after hours of driving, I had any scent left on me. But there was no time to waste. I only had a few minutes left before the clock hit seven in the evening, and I didn’t want to leave a bad impression on our first date.

With hurried steps, I finally reached the right floor. I walked and scanned the corridor looking for the right door number.

203. 

I took one deep breath before I raised my hand and pressed the doorbell button. 

Soon, I heard footsteps rushing from the inside, and her scent swirled around me — strawberries and almonds. 

I licked my lips before the front door opened. Her scent smacked me in full force, but aside from hers, I was able to get a whiff of a freshly cooked meal. 

Was she cooking? 

But it was the least of my worries.

Celeste was standing just a few feet away from me. The closest we’ve ever been since I first met her. She had her long, wavy brown hair down and collected at one side. Although we both agreed to wear jeans and shirts, we didn’t discuss the color, so it made me smile that she was wearing the exact same color as my shirt and my jeans. 

I was sure she saw me checking her whole body out. It was too late to take it back. I just hope she didn’t see that as a creepy move. 

Fuck, I needed to control myself around her.

I lifted up the bouquet of flowers and chocolates in my hands, flashing a wide smile as I handed them to her. 

Her face lit up at the sight of them, and I felt my heart about to jump out of my chest. She was just fucking perfect. Even the simple way her mouth twitched when she smiled was just breathtaking.

She took the flowers and sniffed them before she made way for me, inviting me in. 

I wasn’t expecting it. I thought we would proceed with our date right away, but who was I to complain? This was way better. I would be able to see a glimpse of where she lived.

My eyes scanned her apartment discreetly. It was small, just enough for one person, but definitely neat and tidy. My gaze shifted to the dining table across the living room, and I saw there was food and set plates on it. She must have seen where my eyes were because she suddenly stood in front of me, blocking my view of the dining table.

She forced a smile, nervousness flitting in her eyes, and she looked fucking adorable. I wanted to grab her face and kiss her, but I knew I shouldn’t.

"I’m not sure if you booked a restaurant or something, but I thought maybe we could just dine in here. I really love cooking, so I thought maybe we’d just stay in. I actually called you so I could let you know, but it was a woman who answered, so I dropped the call. I’m not sure who that girl was, or if she knew about me, so..." She said the last words in an almost inaudible voice. "Oh God, I’m rambling."

All the while she was talking, I couldn’t stop smiling, and Titan couldn’t help swooning over her. Did I say that Celeste was just too fucking perfect? I loved the way her face showed so many emotions all at once.

"My sister. I have two sisters. They are the only females, girls in the house."

"Oh, good. Your sister." She kept nodding her head, and she looked satisfied with my answer.

"The food smells good. And I think this is way better than dining out."

"Yeah, I think so too. But if you want to get fresh air, we can walk after we eat. There’s a nearby park which really looks nice at night." Her eyes lit up as she beamed at me, showing me those perfect white teeth.

"Yes. That would be lovely." This was harder than I thought. I was struggling to control myself and Titan from hugging her.

This was the first time Titan wanted me to do something after a long time. He has been passive for months now. But as much as I wanted to give in to his request, I couldn’t risk being aggressive with her. Not yet.

"So shall we eat? I’m not really sure what you preferred, so I made a little more than usual, so you can pick what you want," she said softly as we made our way to the small dining table. 

"Celeste," I called after her, and she slowly turned her body around, and I was completely mesmerized by the way she looked at me. "Thank you for trusting me enough to let me into your home."

She smiled at me before I went ahead and pulled a chair for her to sit in.

"I don’t usually invite anyone into my apartment, especially a guy, but I was talking to Andrea earlier and she told me her boyfriend said I have nothing to worry about because you’re a gentleman. So please don’t think I do this regularly." She bit her bottom lip as her cheeks started turning red again. "I don’t know, I feel I can trust you."

I understood her. It must be the mate bond working, making her more comfortable in my presence. I didn’t say anything more and just looked at her as she began fixing food on my plate.

This was too overwhelming.

She was putting my needs before hers. I wondered if this was a glimpse of what life would be like with her.

And for once, I was longing for a life outside of my pack. Maybe, living in the human world wouldn’t be bad at all. If only I could have Titan stay with me a little bit longer so he could experience this life too. 

I knew I was already thinking way too far ahead, but right here and now, I knew this was something I always wanted — someone to take care of me.