Nicklaus’s POV
“But ma’am.”
“Enough. Get their orders at once. And guys, you’re all welcome to my bar. Please come with me to the VIP section. The house will take care of your drinks.”
“Thank you for seeing reason. Let’s go with her.” I noticed she was smiling at Martins, but he acted like she didn’t even exist.
“Alpha, I’m not comfortable here. I think we should try another bar,” Martins said to me. I gave a brief smile, replying, “Hey, no. I love it here, and this lady is on fire.”
“She looks suspicious,” he retorted.
“Come on and relax, okay? Something tells me something good is going to come out of this.” I added, and we all took our seats. A bottle of vodka was brought, and she filled our cups. When she reached Martins, she said, “Here you go. I never knew we had cute werewolves like you in town.”
“Can you just serve the drink and go?” Martins sounded rude. I couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “I think my friend meant to say thank you for your hospitality.”
“Oh, really? Wow, you’re so complicated. But don’t worry, I love cute guys who are complicated.”
“Can you stop touching me…?” I enjoyed watching their interaction.
I had a great time with everyone. I realized that I should bring my love here someday or even throw a party here-it would be a lot of fun. Eventually, we had to leave the bar, and I walked with Martins to his car for him to depart immediately.
When I got home, I noticed Gabby was fast asleep but positioned upside down. “She’s so cute.” I gently repositioned her on the bed, covering her with a blanket. I kissed her forehead, whispering, “I love you, mate.”
I undressed and headed to the bathroom. As the water cascaded over me, I kept pondering the choices I’d made in the past that I hadn’t even shared with my mate. I truly hoped none of my past decisions would come back to haunt me.
The following morning, I surprised my mate with breakfast in bed. She gave the most adorable smile, her eyes akin to the sky, her skin flawless and radiant, and her lips so inviting. “Good morning, love.”
“Good morning, Nick. What time is it?”
“It’s past 8,” I replied, glancing at my gold wristwatch.
“Oh, my. I woke up so late. Where’s Estella? I need to check on my daughter.” She hurried to get off the bed, but I halted her, “What’s going on with you? I made you breakfast in bed, and you’re in such a hurry to check on our daughter, as if something terrible happened.”
“I’m sorry, Nick. You might not understand, but I’ll tell you when I fully grasp what’s happened to Estella. But right now, I need to ensure my baby is okay. Thanks for the breakfast; I’ll eat it on my way to her room.” She grabbed the cup of tea and two slices of bread, rushing out of the room.
Her behavior was strange. I’d seen our daughter this morning, and she appeared fine to me, brimming with energy. I paused, sitting on the bed with my legs crossed and my right hand supporting my jaw. Did something happen yesterday when I was with the guys? There was only one way to find out. I rolled up my sleeves and buttoned my shirt to chest level before stepping out of the room, wearing my D&G slippers.
Outside, I ran into my mate again. She looked like a madwoman, demanding, “Where’s Estella? She’s not in her room?”
“Estella is with her teacher right now. Why are you freaking out? Did something happen when I wasn’t home yesterday?”
“I’ll talk about it later. I need to see my daughter for myself.”
“But you can’t go out dressed like that.” I pointed out, as she was wearing a transparent nightgown that revealed her innerwear.
“Right, my bad. You’re the best.” She kissed my cheek before hurrying back into our room.
I followed her, and she questioned me from the bathroom, “You didn’t return home early yesterday.”
“Yeah, I was with the pack. Did anything happen last night?”
“Not really. It’s just that I feel like our daughter isn’t herself.”
“Did you two have an argument?”
“No, nothing like that. I just sense that something is troubling her.”
“Well, I’d say give her some space, alright? Kids these days are smarter than we think. They often act mature even when they’re not. If something is truly bothering her, I’m sure she’ll come to us and share it.” I tried to console her, hoping to ease her anxiety. As she stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel with water trickling down her body, she said, “Thank you, Nick.”
“You’re welcome. If you don’t mind, I’d be happy to dry your hair.”
“Okay.”