Chapter 3

I finally left my guarding post about 7am and I needed to take a shower, get some food and clothes. I spent the night in my wolf form seeing as I could easily hide in the trees behind her building and not worry about being seen.

I waited until about 10am before I bugged the guys. Well, actually just Damien. Jared was spending the day with his mate, Emma.

"I wonder if she's working today?" I turned to Damien We were sitting out by the lake behind my house.

"Have you thought about how your going to tell her she's your mate and that your a wolf?" Damien asked quietly pretty much at the same time I asked about her working. I could tell he wanted to say more but he knew me well enough to know that I had to figure this out on my own. Though it seemed we both had been thinking about this a lot overnight. 

"Well she's human right, and human girls like to be courted and romanced so I guess that's what I'll have to do. I'll have to win her heart the old fashion human way." I said with a determination I didn't even realize I had. Zeus was in full agreement of whooing her the old fashioned way.

"You wouldn't know how to go about doing that would you D?" I looked at him with a look that showed just how unsure and uncomfortable I really was with this. As an Alpha it's very rare to show any signs of vulnerability, but I knew Damien would never acknowledge it. I was always confident but for some reason maybe because this was the most important thing I ever would do I was totally unsure with myself.

 "Maybe I should start with flowers, girls like flowers don't they?" 

"Dude, she doesn't strike me as the flower type. All that attitude she has and look at what she deals with everyday. She'll just see that as another creep trying to come onto her. No, I think you need to be upfront with her and not beat around the bush she is your mate, and you did say you knew she felt something when you touched her right. So play off that." Damien replied matter of fact, shrugging his shoulders.

Now is when I really wished Jared was here. I know Damien meant well but he wasn't interested in only one girl or finding his mate for that matter so he really didn't get how serious this was to me and I knew Jared would understand, being he had Emma.

"What did your dad say when you told him?" Damien questioned, he was picking up rocks and tossing them in the lake. He was trying and I loved him for it but mushy feely stuff really wasn't his thing.

"Nothing much, just that he was happy and he was sure they'd love her and good luck." I answered while tapping my foot on the ground. I didn't think I should go into researching if she had wolf in her or even if we could change her. "Well nothings going to happen if we sit here all day so how do you feel about taking a trip to get some diner food?" I smiled and winked.

Damien laughed "I can always eat man you know that, let's go."

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Another day in the dregs, the same gross men grabbing my a*s every chance they get. I am so damn tired too. After that fiasco in the tub I couldn't seem to settle back down enough to sleep so I stayed up watching infomercials. At least today so far I'd made almost a hundred dollars in tips. That would come in handy; I really wanted to buy myself a new pair of shoes but being on a budget priorities always came first. Shoes were my one extravagance I allowed myself, though I usually didn't have anywhere to wear them but they made me happy. 

I was slammed, so at least I couldn't dwell on how tired I really was, every table in my section was full but the second he walked in I knew. I felt him. It was like the air changed, it filled with an electric current kinda like the one I felt when he touched me. I refused to  look at him though. I wasn't going to put myself in a position to have my heart ripped out. So he could come eat his food and leave I didn't have to wait on him.

 Unfortunately right about that time one of my tables emptied and him and one of the guys he was with yesterday sat down.

Damn, now I had to face him. I groaned and grabbed the menus and stomped over to the table. Oh my god if it was even possible Max looked more beautiful today then he did yesterday and he was smiling at me like I was the most gorgeous girl in the world and this whole thing was as normal as apple pie. As I took in his expression I gasped at his eyes, I was sure those were the eyes that were in my dream last night. It couldn't be possible but I'd know those eyes anywhere, I would never forget them. The voice inside that was normally quiet was all but shouting at me to hurry over, it needed to be near him. This was getting stranger by the minute and I really didn't want to deal with this. Something was definetely not right and it looked like I was going to be doing some serious questioning to get some answers I'm sure I wasn't suppose to know. I hated it when people tried to get things over on me.

I must have made a louder noise than I realized because he looked kinda puzzled when I gasped but it was just a quick flicker across his face then it was gone, but I saw it so I knew tha something was going on and I was going to find out what it was; he didn't stand a chance. See one thing about me I had the determination and tenacity of a bull and I didn't stop until I got what I wanted.

I swear all the other waitresses were trying to get the boys attention. Even though they were in my section they all seemed to need to do something along that particular row of booths. He ignored them all and never broke eye contact with me. It kinda made me feel good in that selfish girl pride way we have. My soul knew this boy was mine so my head just needed to catch up but at least the other girls could see he only was looking at me and that almost made up for whatever was going on. I said almost. I made it to the table and set down there menus. 

"Two days in a row" I said sarcastically "What do I owe this honor?" I did smile and winked at him as I said it. I didn't want him to think I was a total b***h, just a little mischievous. I smiled to myself at that thought. "So boys what can I get you to drink?" This could get fun if I decided I wanted to play this game for a little bit anyways. Nothing was written where I had to let my heart in on this, I tried to reason with myself, because somewhere in me I wanted to have his attention.

######

GOD she's beautiful, Zeus was howling loudly at me to claim her and make her ours right now. It took all my effort to ignore his whining and to sternly remind him she was a human and she wouldn't understand the claim and we didn't want her to hate us. That we had to move slow because she also didn't know what we were. So he settled down after that, but not before he shot me a mental glare and huffed while curling himself up in a ball in the forefront of my mind to oversee our interactions and then decided he was happy to just be near her.

I couldn't stop staring at her so Damien kicked me under the table to get my attention. Oh s**t she was talking to me and I have no idea what she said I know I turned red.

"We'll have cokes, thanks" Damien answered her as he started laughing. "Also please just bring us out two burgers loaded rare with fries to eat, oh and two apple pies with ice cream for desert." he finished then handed her our menus with his eyes twinkling though he was staring at me when he spoke to her because for some reason I couldn't seem to form any words.

"Fine, I'll be back with your drinks." she sounded irritated and tired and she snatched up the menus and walked to the counter to put in our order. Shaking her head slightly as she walked away. 

She looked really tired. Her beautiful green eyes looked muted and there were slight grey rings underneath them like she didn't get enough sleep. I'll have to find out and make sure she took care of herself. I didn't know I was the cause of her distress though.

"Man you have it bad, I never thought I'd see the day when the great Max Coleman got tongue tied over a chick!" Damien laughed and punched me in the shoulder.

Man I made such a fool of myself she was right there and all I could do was stare at her like a little lost pup. Well we'll just have to change that. If I wanted to make her mine then I had to get in the game.

######

Boys are so weird, I thought to myself as I fixed their drinks. I knew he was there to see me but when he had the opportunity to talk to me all he did was stare. Did I have a bugger in my nose? HELL that's it, how horrible, I flew to the bathroom to check - nothing. I had to laugh at myself at this point because I was not acting like myself in any way. I did take that chance to examine myself. 

God I looked tired. I was even paler then normal and from not sleeping I had gray rings under my eyes. I didn't bother with makeup so I didn't have anything to cover it up or make me look better. Oh well he either likes what he sees or he doesn't, it wasn't like this was serious. He'd come around a few times realize he couldn't get in my pants and then get tired and that would be the end. That thought had me grabbing at my chest. What the hell I don't know this guy so why did it feel like I just got punched when I thought of him leaving. This was becoming more then I wanted to take on.

 

I knew better then to become interested in a boy, I had to get a grip on myself or I was going to end up a puddle of nothingness when this was all over. I carried way to much baggage to let anyone close because no one would stick around to deal with it all. 

Maybe he is shy and I need to make the first move. I knew he was holding back information that was important to me I just didn't know why it mattered to me so much. I hated this feeling. If I'm honest with myself all I really want to do was walk over to him put my arms around him and curl up in his lap and never leave. What is happening? This is so not me, I don't need anyone.

Well it's time to put on my big girl panties the time for games is up I wanted answers, I wanted to know about my dream and why this one boy haunts my every thought it has to stop or I might not ever be the same again. Only I had a feeling deep in my gut that this boy was about to change my life forever and the question; was I ready for it? 

Ready or not now is the time their foods up so it's now or never. I knew what I had to do so I readied myself on my way to the table with their trays. He was staring at me again. God when he does that it's like his eyes can see into me and I feel like I'm drawn to him and it's something I don't want to fight, I want to run into it. 

"Here's your food guys, I hope everything is to your liking." I said curtly  

I started to turn away but stopped - no this can't continue so instead of leaving I sat down in the booth next to Max. It was about time for my break anyway so why not take it now. I reached over and grabbed a fry and stuck it in my mouth. 

Oh the look on his face was a cross between full blown surprise and bliss and I swear I heard a sound that almost mimicked a purr. 

Unfortunately, when I sat down, I sat down so close that our legs and arms touched. Immediately I felt the electric tingles and heat that I had felt before. Instead of moving away I embraced the feeling and simply turned and looked at him making my eyes big, round and innocent looking and said "Do you care to explain why every time we touch I feel like I'm being hit with a pleasurably warm electric current?" I took another fry and ate it while I stared at him not giving anything away about what I was really feeling. I have always been blunt. I just didn't see the reason to not say what was on your mind. At that statement he choked on his coke while his friend just started laughing. My words seem to cause him to choke giving me a smug sense of satisfaction.

"On that note, I think I'll leave you two to talk feel free to eat my lunch if you'd like Ivey." his friend said still laughing and he got up from the table shaking his head he patted Max on the shoulder and he left the diner.

 

We both sat there silently for what seemed like forever just staring at one another. Finally he looked away. The look on his face almost broke me for some reason it was like he needed to tell me something but he just didn't know how or that he was scared when he did I would run. Only I knew now that no matter what he said to me I would never leave his side under my own doing. In that one moment I felt my heart shatter,walls crumbleing, only to re-piece itself together and beat for the beautiful man beside me that in that one moment I fell head over heels with a love. That realization carried so much weight that I felt like I couldn't breathe. The depth of my feelings brought tears to my eyes as I accepted the magnitude of what I now realized I had. It also scared me because I knew I would share the dark secrets I kept hidden within; but was he the one who could he handle them?

At that moment he turned to face me and looked like he was in pain when he realized I had tears in my eyes.

"Ivey, what's wrong?" he asked with such emotion that what was left untouched of my heart was now completely his. In that moment I knew I was u He reached and brushed away a tear that had managed to escape. 

"I..I don't know. I didn't understand and I was undeniably in love with him. The kind of love that settles in your soul and that was embedded there never to leave. I would follow him everywhere.

 "What's going on? I...I honestly am either stupid or flat out crazy." I stuttered "I don't even know you but yet I feel like if you were to walk out that door I would break into a million pieces and it scares me. I'm so crazy, this is insane, who says things like this or rather yet feels things like this." I managed to choke out with my head bowed my hands covered my face.

He slowly reached his hand up to removed my hands from where they covered my face and cupped my chin and tilted my face up to his to force me to look at him and in my eyes that were glistening with tears he saw deep into my soul. "Ivey your not crazy, there is an explanation. Would you like to take a walk with me and maybe I can answer some questions you may have?" he asked softly 

I only nodded because I knew I couldn't speak. Whatever was going on inside of me was more then I knew how to handle It scared the hell out of me but I also knew I would follow him anywhere. That weighed so heavy on me because I knew myself and what being me meant but could he accept it? I didn't know, I only hopped if he couldn't I would make it out with at least a sliver of an existence.

Author's Note

If I miss any grammarical errors please don't hesitate to point it out. I will try to update regularly. this is Book 1 of a trilogy so I really want honest opinions and any ideas you think could make the story better. all critism is definitely appreciated