Our lips met, and I tasted him—sweet and pure. For a moment, it felt like the world stopped, and we were the only ones moving.
My legs weakened as his lips brushed against mine. I parted my lips slightly, and our tongues met, dancing together in a slow waltz.
Our souls touched and embraced in a majestic fusion.
Until a sound shook me.
It was… clapping?
We turned around in perfect sync—and there were our mothers, proudly watching us.
"They're so sweet together," one of them commented, as if we weren't right there.
My cheeks burned. I must have looked as red as a tomato.
"Mooom!" I said, teetering between embarrassment and shyness.
Kale, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as bothered. He just laughed, then made a show of bowing in front of our audience.
"You really do belong together," his mother said, sharing a knowing nod with mine.
"Thanks. Now can we have a little privacy?"
"Sure, sure," they both replied, raising their hands in surrender before turning and walking away.
I was starting to believe he might actually be the one for me.
I'd never had much luck with relationships. At one point, I thought I'd never find my mate. My family was prestigious, and I was just a usual Beta, but no wolf I met ever felt right.
Now, it felt like maybe I had finally met him. Fate has a way of surprising you. I had always been skeptical of arranged marriages—but maybe, just maybe, my mom had done something right for once.
Once our mothers were gone and we were alone again, Kale took my hand, and we resumed our walk.
"So, what about your family? Is it really as perfect as it seems?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, a teasing note in my voice.
He chuckled softly. "Far from it. I don't usually talk about this, but my brother… he's what's wrong with my family."
"Brother?" I asked, frowning. When I'd done my research on him, there was no mention of a brother.
"Yeah. Not many people know about him. I have a brother—but he's evil incarnate. After years of cleaning up his messes, my family finally gave up on him and kicked him out of the country. There's a restraining order now. I haven't seen him in years."
"Oh..." I said, trying to mask my shock.
"He's my brother, sure. But trust me—if you knew what kind of person he is, you'd understand. He's a manipulator. Mischievous. He hurts people for fun. My mom sent him to a remote island, and I hope I never see him again."
"I see," I replied quietly, wondering what had happened to make him speak that way.
"Anyway, aside from that, we're a normal family. My father's strict—he trained me hard—but he made me the wolf I am today."
He smiled. "Parents have their own way of showing love, don't they?"
I nodded. "I guess so."
After a long conversation, we returned home. It was time for Kale to say goodbye.
We had arranged that I would visit his castle over the weekend and stay for a week to evaluate if our bond was strong enough to confirm the wedding.
As I said goodbye, my heart ached. A strange emptiness settled in my chest.
It was absurd—how could someone I'd only just met affect me so deeply?
He hugged me and placed a tender kiss on my cheek.
"I can't wait to see you again, Eve."
"Me too. Have a safe trip home."
We stepped apart, and I glanced at his mother.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Caroline."
"Same here. You're a good one. See you at the wedding," she winked.
Once they left, my mom closed the door behind them and let out a relieved sigh.
"Good job. He's crazy about you! And his mom—she already offered to pay for the wedding and gift us her property in Northern Ireland. Isn't that great? We can sell it and buy back our old house. I can't wait to spread the news around town. I want to see the other ladies' faces when they hear you're marrying a wealthy, powerful Alpha!"
She clapped her hands in delight.
I'm glad to hear you're happy for me, I thought, biting my tongue, then headed straight to my room.