The luxurious sports car sped across the road and within mere minutes, Roxanne found herself in a different area than the parts of town she was accustomed to. They passed a lot of find houses and classy restaurants, and Roxanne wondered where Daniel was taking her to.
At a point, she grew suspicious and used her sight ability to confirm his intentions.
“He’s clean… then where is he taking me to?”
After passing by several places for dining or relaxing, Daniel reached a spot which was devoid of much activity. A patch in the edge of town where no one could be seen for a while.
“I did a little big of exploring, and guess what I found” Daniel said, grinning excitedly.
He moved slower now, skillfully maneuvering his car to avoid bumps and shrubs which were in his way. Finally, the car halted by the side of a roughly patched path.
“So, what do you think?” He asked, looking at Roxanne.
Her eyes were not on him, instead she gazed upon the meadow where they had arrived in.
Stepping out of the car, she looked around her in awe. Roxanne was amazed by the place she currently was.
Though it was already frosted by winter, Roxanne imagined how the entire area would have been in spring.
Green plants would be hanging all around in the high grounds, with small cliffs which could be seen in a distance. Flowerbeds littering the area, leaving only a small path for cars to pass across. The smell of chestnuts and the wild would fill the air.
This wasn’t the case, as most of the plants had lost their color, and show consumed most of the beautiful flowers. However, even with these, the place was still very much beautiful.
Suddenly, Roxanne’s eyes widened as she caught the sight of something. Rushing toward an edge on the barricaded cliff, she could see it even clearer now.
“W-whoah…” She marveled.
The frozen lake which she had heard about since she arrived at Oregon was in her sight. Of course, due to her withdrawn nature, Roxanne had never really seen it before, and definitely not from the angle she was in.
Below her was the white surface of ice, thinly woven to block the liquid contents underneath it. A force heavy enough would definitely crack the ice, causing the whole thing to cave in, yet it appeared powerful enough to hold the water at bay.
“Yeah, I figured experiencing this view would be better than just sitting in a restaurant and discussing. I’m glad you like it” Daniel smiled, moving closer to Roxanne.
Of course she did, but then why did Daniel bring her here?
Quickly breaking free from the enthrallment of the atmosphere around her, Roxanne stared at her company and asked him with a straight face.
“So, what do you want to talk about?”
Daniel’s confidence diminished slightly, a little taken aback by her question. He expected her to take in the atmosphere a little more, softening her, heart a little.
“Well, let’s just say I wanted to share one good experience with you, something we can only find here, in Oregon. There are plenty of restaurants and hotels in New York, but nothing bests this sight.” Daniel said calmly.
“I just wanted to share it with you. Regardless of your answer, we won’t be spending any more time here together… at least not for a while.”
Hearing his words closely, Roxane felt the honesty behind them. His lines had a lot of depth, for someone like him. It nearly made her think it was scripted.
However, now was not the time to engage in frivolities. She had called him for a purpose, and she had to finally reveal her decision.
“About the offer, Daniel…” She began.
The young man slightly froze, feeling a little anxious about what Roxanne would say. Certainly, the entire ambience was for making her have a more favorable opinion toward him and his offer. A simple marketing strategy, if you will.
However, he was also being sincere with her. If anything, he wanted her to be with him… no matter what.
“I’ll do it!”
Daniel’s eyes widened as she said this. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but her direct response made him stunned for a moment.
“Y-you will…?!” He repeated.
His dumbfounded and surprised expression made Roxanne laugh as she started at his face. Somehow, she still couldn’t believe such a guy could react in such a way.
“Yeah. I will.” She reaffirmed her statement.
Daniel felt relieved, a burden had finally been lifted off his chest. He felt like going deeper into details with her, telling her more about the deal. What was expected of her, what wasn’t. Her passport, her plane ticket, her family. But…
“Really? That’s cool…” He responded with a smile.
Daniel decided to put all of that on hold and spend the rest if the moment they had in such a tranquil place enjoying the atmosphere. He wasn’t sure what she would say next, but he was just going to play it cool and make sure she didn’t change her mind.
“Hey, Daniel… do you have a girlfriend?” Roxanne suddenly asked, dropping a bombshell he never saw coming.
His cheeks turned slightly red as he took a fee steps back in shock.
“W-what are you talking about all of a sudden…” He stuttered.
“It’s just a question. Come on, answer” Roxanne giggled upon seeing his flustered face.
“Well, no… no, I don’t.” He answered.
“What about someone you like?” She shot another question at him.
He was just as surprised by this as the last one, but he decided to just answer her plainly.
“Well, sort of…” He mumbled, glancing at her to see her reaction.
“Ah, I see… good for you.” She muttered in a somewhat distant tone.
Her expression seemed like she was about to tell him something, bit decided against it at the last minute.
Daniel’s thoughts ran amuck at that moment, neatly going mad with curiosity.
“Could it be that she-?!” He asked himself.
“What’s on your mind, Roxanne. You can talk to me…” Daniel asked, looking straight into Roxanne’s eyes.
As she started at his clear eyes and he did the same to eyes, Roxanne could feel the same emotions she had felt a while back. Suddenly, it began growing stronger. Rapidly rising, with greater intensity than before Roxanne felt it hot in her chest.
Her face reddened and her body throbbed in reaction to an unknown sensation of excitement.
Before she realized what was going on, a presence appeared before the two of them. That was when Roxanne caught a whiff of his scent, and from the corner of her eye, she could see his figure.
Shock. Pain. Jealousy. Betrayal. Guilt. Love. Hate. Longing. Fear. Curiosity. Shock again.
These emotions rushed into her at once. Some of them, she knew weren’t hers. They came from the man some distance from them.
Turning away from Daniel, she finally saw him clearly. Ever since their last encounter the previous year, this would be the first time they would see each other this way.
Destined mates of the pack. The fated Alpha and Luna… Asher and Roxanne.
“A-Asher…” She could hardly speak.
“Roxanne… it’s been a while”