17

Lilith’s POV
After the strange phone call this morning, I shook off the fog in my head and focused on what needed to be done. Dahlia was all in for this auction idea now, pulling out every stop she could. She’d scheduled us for hair and makeup Saturday afternoon, and said I would be the one calling the shots on how it was done.
Tomorrow, we were hitting up a boutique for gowns, shoes-everything. Of course, I planned to offer to pay, but I was pretty sure whatever she picked out would be way beyond my budget. No way was I maxing out my credit card for this event.
Overall, I was feeling pretty good. I was trying to keep an open mind about my date with Caden, especially since he seemed to be the lesser of two evils.
Well, it didn’t hurt that we’d had an amazing night’s sleep, nestled with our mates where we belonged, where we should’ve been these past few nights, Rose grumbled in my head.
I couldn’t deny it-I’d slept like a baby. Warm, safe, cared for. But there was something else…
Desired. Sexy. Hot with passion. The feeling of their skin against mine… Rose was practically in heat just thinking about it.
“You cut that out right now,” I snapped, glaring at my reflection in the mirror.
She stuck her tongue out at me, undeterred, as I finished fixing my hair. I left it loose in big, wavy curls. I had no idea what Caden had planned, but I imagined it might be something public. He seemed like the type to show me off.
“Would we go to his pack?” I wondered aloud.
“Our pack,” Rose corrected.
I made a face and turned away from the mirror, hopping onto the counter. Was I really ready to meet people from his pack? They’d figure out who I was soon enough. The twins definitely weren’t the type to take jersey chasers home for laughs. Future Alphas, after all.
I sighed and shook my head. Future Alphas.
It was a mess. Nothing they could do would change that fact. Their pack would always come first, ahead of my needs, my dreams, my desires. And now, it was expected that their dreams and needs would become mine, and I’d just fall in line.
But I wasn’t giving up. There had to be a way-a path to make room for my career. I just couldn’t see it, and I couldn’t imagine them wanting to sacrifice anything for me.
They’d been waiting for this moment their whole lives, and their pack had been waiting for them to step up.
I shook my head again.
N-I-C-E.
That was the word of the day. I was going to be nice tonight. Pleasant, even. If this was important to Caden, it should be important to me. I wanted him to be relaxed. I wanted him to show me his true self. I was confident he would, especially without Caleb around to stir things up.
Without Caleb, something told me he’d be different-less guarded, more himself. With Caleb, though? I had no idea what to expect. That would be a whole different side of him, and I was just glad I didn’t have to deal with it tonight. I wanted a calm, easy evening.
*Knock knock knock.*
I exhaled sharply and hopped off the counter. Caden had told me to be comfortable, so I wore sandals, a simple white knee-length skirt that was a little flowy, and a navy blue tank top. My hair mostly covered my bare shoulders and back, and I added some understated diamond teardrop earrings.
I didn’t like a lot of jewelry, and I didn’t own much, but what I did have was simple and elegant, something I could pair with anything. I grabbed my purse, slinging it across my body before pulling the door open.
Caden’s eyes scanned me immediately, and I did the same with him. He wore a simple black t-shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and black sneakers. His look was finished off with a backwards baseball cap, which-surprisingly-looked great on him. Normally, I hated that whole skater look, but he somehow made it work. Casual, but sharp.
“Hey beautiful, you look incredible. Perfect,” he said, flashing me that bright, white smile of his.
“Is this… okay for what we’re doing?” I asked, glancing down at myself.
“Oh yeah, it’s just right. I love that your hair is down too, just how I pictured it,” he added, licking his lips.
I turned away, my cheeks flushing. I wasn’t sure why Caden had this effect on me. With Caleb, there was still some tension, but Caden… he seemed to get through to me in a way I wasn’t prepared for.
“Reporter who wants to be famous doesn’t know how to take a compliment on her appearance. And now, here’s Naia with the traffic update!” I teased.
I took his extended hand, and we walked out to a sports car. It was cute, black, and sleek-fast, I assumed, but other than that, I didn’t know much about cars.
“No big gas guzzler tonight?” I asked with a grin as he opened the door for me.
“Nah, this one’s better for where we’re headed,” he replied, flashing me a grin.
Once we were on the road, he took my hand, gently holding it. It wasn’t demanding like it had been with Caleb. He ran his thumb over the back of my hand, and if I closed my eyes, I could easily drift off. It felt natural, comfortable-not forced.
I wasn’t the type to do PDA, even in committed relationships, but with Caden… I could imagine us walking hand in hand in public, sharing small, stolen kisses. The thought made me warm, and it was only the thought. What would it feel like if we actually did it?
“So, to break the ice, how about a round of rapid-fire questions? A way for us to really get to know each other,” he suggested, flashing that perfect smile again.
I grinned, wondering if he knew what he was getting himself into.
“You should know, reporters love asking questions. It’s kind of our thing,” I said, winking at him.
“Oh, I know. And I don’t want any secrets between us, Lily. You’re my equal, and I want this to work both ways. So, ask away,” he replied, his thumb still brushing my hand.
I couldn’t help but think… A normal girl would probably ask for his number right now. But me? I wasn’t so sure.
A normal woman would probably want to know his number of sexual partners. But I definitely didn’t. It wasn’t a question I could answer, nor did I want to admit the truth, or lie about it. So, I had to redirect the conversation.
“Which one of you is your parents’ favorite?” I asked, and he laughed.
“That’s what you want to know?” he said, sounding genuinely surprised.
I gave him a serious look, and he just shook his head.
“My little sisters, of course,” he said with a proud smile. “We all bring something to the pack, to the business. But they are the ones who holds us together. They are the glue. Our family would be a whole lot different without them.”
I could see the pride in his eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile at how much he clearly adored his sisters.
“Alright, then,” I said, shifting the topic, “why are you so hard on your folks? You seemed… well, a little embarrassed by them.”
He gave me a side-eye.
“I wasn’t ’embarrassed,'” I corrected, though Rose coughed loudly in my mind, as if to say otherwise. “We’re just different people. My mom… she was raised to be perfect. The whole prim-and-proper thing. Running the house, making everything look ideal. They couldn’t have more children because of a complication when I was born, and she never fully accepted that.”
I shifted in my seat, trying to ignore the emotions creeping in.
“She took that hard, you know? So, she focused on making sure I was her version of perfect, of *Rowena.* Which just made me rebel more,” I explained, gesturing as I spoke.
I looked down at our hands, the way they fit together. His hand in mine-it felt strangely intimate. If I were just casually dating him, I wouldn’t be caught dead holding his hand. But with him? Something about this moment felt… different.
I stopped my thoughts suddenly. Had I ever really known intimacy?
*No… you’d have noticed,* Rose said, flat and matter-of-fact.
“And you think that’s what you’ll turn me into? Some little doting, stay-at-home woman who doesn’t get to do anything for herself?” I asked, turning my gaze toward the window.
“No, Lily,” he said, sounding almost like he was reassuring me. “Not at all. Finding you is just the beginning of our adventure. The three of us… together, we decide the rest. Nothing is set in stone. We can do anything.”
I had to stifle a laugh. Was he delusional? An Alpha was exactly what I thought it meant. Constantly at the pack’s side, always needed for decisions. No time for being free-spirited, no room for being wild. Being Alpha meant being the grown-up, the responsible one. The one who always had to be serious.
For a couple minutes, we sat in silence. I watched the city fade away, realizing we were heading to Blood Moon. The scenery started to change. The buildings thinned out, and the air felt different. More coastal, more… open.
Then, without warning, he lifted my hand and kissed the back of it, setting it gently on his thigh. I turned to look at him, surprised by the gesture.
“Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together,” he said softly. “We’ll find something we can all live with. I promise.”
His words caught me off guard. I wanted to believe him, but how? How could they turn down the title of Alpha to live in a cramped city apartment with me while I worked? Could they be okay with me spending nights on assignments, on stakeouts? The whole idea seemed… unrealistic.
“Tell me about your writing,” he asked, breaking the silence. “What are some of the best stories you’ve covered? I’ve read a few of your articles online.”
The floodgates opened. I couldn’t help but talk about the undercover work, the stories I’d broken. He laughed so hard at some of the ridiculous situations I’d caught people in-a dominatrix/submissive scenario in broad daylight, teachers involved with students, even administrators. The laughter was real, full-bodied, and I realized I liked it. I liked him. His laugh was sexy in a way that made my heart race.
Soon, I noticed the smell of salt in the air, and the sound of gulls overhead. We were nearing the beach, but I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone to one. As we passed a ferris wheel in the distance, my heart skipped a beat.
“We’re going to a carnival?” I asked, surprised.
Oh hell, had he talked to my mom? I was a total sucker for places like this. As a kid, I begged to go every chance I got. The games, the food, the lights. It was freedom, pure and simple, and I loved it. My dad loved it too; it was something we always did together, just the two of us. Mom would take off with her sister, and Dad and I would be in our element.
“Yes, we are, baby,” Caden said, a grin in his voice. “It’s part of our pack, Moon at the Quay. I hope you love it as much as I do.”
I couldn’t even respond. The excitement, the unexpected joy-it hit me all at once. Maybe it was because I hadn’t been to a carnival in years. Maybe it was because it was so unlike anything I expected from him.
Without thinking, I threw myself at him when he stopped the car at a sign. His hat fell to the floor as I cupped his face and kissed him. My arms wrapped around his neck, and I lost myself in him. Our tongues tangled in a frenzy. He tasted so damn good, and he felt even better. His hands tangled in my hair, tugging me closer, and I moaned.
BEEP BEEP.
We pulled apart, breathless, and I blushed, touching my swollen lips. I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Keep that up, little mate,” he teased, “and we might end up fooling around in the haunted house.”
Oh, we will, Caden, I thought, smiling stupidly as I looked out the window.