The Alphas Hidden Mate

Chapter 8; Magic

I woke up from the nap so well rested that it was like I had an energy shot. I turned to look at Crace but he was nowhere to be seen. I frowned, confused. Where was he? I knew he definitely slept with me because of how well rested I was.

Crace? I linked him, worried.

Don't worry Princess. I'm out in the forest, preparing the picnic He replied. I breathed a sigh of relief. Oh thank god. 

You want me to come to you? I asked, already starting to get out of bed.

No, I'll come get you when it's ready. You just get ready if you want. I have everything under control He said. I smiled and went to get ready. Crace might not care how I look, but I definitely did. I went to my small wardrobe to find an outfit. I sifted through my outfits and decided on a simple blue dress. It was made with silk and was incredibly comfortable. It was cinched a little at the waist. I chose a pair of tan heels. They had a short heel on them as well. I laid them on my bed as I went to do my hair and makeup.

I straightened my hair and slightly curled it. I decided on doing a simple, 'natural' look for my makeup. When I was pleased with how it looked, I got changed. I hadn't heard from Crace yet so I just grabbed my book and read while I waited. Not long after, there was a knock on the back door and I laughed a little. I opened the door and smiled.

"You know you don't have to knock anymore? I will always know it's you. Also, this place is now yours as well." I told him. He just looked at me in awe.

"Wow" He breathed. "You look amazing." He said. I smiled and twirled a little.

"You really think so?" I asked him, looking up at him.

"Yes, I really think so. You're so gorgeous, Serena. Don't ever doubt for a second that you aren't. I will always be here to remind you, though." He said. He licked his lips that had gone dry. 

"Thank you." I said, blushing. 

"You don't ever need to thank me, princess. You are my mate." He said, simply. "You ready?" He asked me, holding out a hand. I nodded and grabbed it. He linked our fingers and started walking. He took us into the forest through the opening and led us to the same fallen tree trunk. Except, this time, fairy lights lit up the small area. They sparkled as bright as the stars above us, truly creating a mystical, magical aura. There was a picnic blanket on the ground and plates of food were waiting. There were sandwiches, fruits, snacks. There were also desserts such as cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries and small cakes. A bottle of sparkling wine sat in an ice bucket and I could only assume that ice was in it, keeping the wine chilled. Two flute glasses sat on the blanket. In the centre of it all, though, were two fake wax candles. I think it was that small detail that got me. The fact that he thought of that and cared for the forest and its inhabitants as much as I did...it really meant a lot to me. The whole picture was perfect.

Crace looked at me, smiling unsure. "What do you think?" He asked me. I slowly tore my gaze from the sight to look up at him. My eyes watered a little with happiness.

"Oh, Crace...it's perfect." I told him. I placed a hand on his chest and looked at him, adoringly. I can't believe he went to all this effort - for me. He made my safe haven a heaven on earth. I had no more words.

"I'm glad you think so. Nothing less than perfect for my perfect mate" He said. He held out a hand and looked at me, beaming. "Shall we?" 

I took his hand and bit my lip, excited. "We shall." I walked with him to the picnic blanket and we sat down. He opened the bottle of wine and poured a glass for us both. "Oh yeah, that's right. Now that I am of age, the werewolf blood overpowers the human blood, meaning that alcohol doesn't affect me anymore." I said, feeling silly.

"That's right, princess. I thought your first glass of non-alcoholic alcoholic beverage should be classy not trashy." He handed me a glass and I took a sip of the bubbles. The bubbles danced and popped on my lips and tongue, it was delightful. The fruity flavours from the grape combined with a slight woody tone washed through my mouth and it tasted delicious. I found myself taking a bigger sip, more of the bubbles filling my mouth. They somehow sparkled too. 

"Mmmm, delicious." I said. Crace chuckled and took a sip from his glass. 

"What did you want to start with? Dinner or Dessert?" He asked me, gesturing to the food displayed. 

"Hmm...dinner, of course. Save the best to last." I scoffed. He nodded, simply. 

"Fair enough." He passed me a sandwich and I bit into it. I looked at him in surprise.

"How did you know?" I said around a mouth of sandwich. I was completely aware of how rude it was, but I didn't care.

Crace beamed at me, knowing what I meant. "I may have asked the commune kitchen staff what your favourite sandwich was" He said, slyly. 

I took another bite and moaned. Ham, cheese, lettuce and pickles with mustard. "Oh my god...it's official." I said, swallowing and taking another bite. "I am in love with this sandwich."

"How? You have this sandwich almost every day." He said, laughing. I finished the sandwich and took another sip of the wine.

"So? I'm sure I will be seeing you every day and yet I will always love you." I explained, sticking my tongue out. Crace raised an eyebrow at me, surprised. I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Yes, I said it. I'd be stupid not to love you - considering you are my mate." I told him.

He laughed at me again. "You, my Fairy Nymph Queen, are truly a wonder to behold." He took a bite of a sandwich too.

"Hmm, that may be true. However, I hardly know anything about you." I mused, tilting my head slightly.

"Ask me anything. I am happy to answer any questions." He said, taking a sip of the wine.

"Hmm, well, what's your favourite sandwich?" I asked him, smiling coyly. He chuckled, amused at my question.

"Well...I would say it is...turkey, lettuce, cheese and mayo on wholemeal bread." He replied with, waving his sandwich at me. 

"Let me taste some." I said. He laughed again. I seemed to amuse him a lot. He held out one of the small sandwiches. However, as I went to grab it, he pulled it back a little. 

"Trade me with one of your sandwiches" He said. 

"You drive a hard bargain, my Alpha." I said, pretending to think about it. I shook my head at him before handing him one of my own. We toasted with our sandwiches and took a bite at the same time. We moaned simultaneously at the taste.

"Oh my god, this sandwich..." I said, taking another bite. 

"This sandwich tastes so good, I think I experienced my first sand-gasm." He said, eyes rolling a back a little.

"I want to have these sandwiches babies." I declared. "Actually, I think, in fact, yep...I am indeed pregnant with this sandwich." I said. I took a sip of my wine to wash it down before taking another bite.

"I want to take this sandwich out to dinner, then take it home with me, take it to my bed and then...nothing too serious. Fool around a little maybe." He said, seriously. I giggled. 

"Okay, besides having impeccable taste in sandwiches..." I began and he raised the sandwich in the air. "...what else is there to know?" I mused. "I suppose, everything." I deduced. 

We spent the next couple of hours, getting to know each other. We literally spoke about everything. Eventually, the sky grew darker and the fireflies began to rise from the ground. The crickets began to chirp creating a musical night symphony. Slowly, the fairy nymphs came out too and were startled by us here. They looked to me, questioningly. 

"It's alright, we will be leaving shortly." I told them, softly. They nodded and flew away.

"What's wrong?" Crace asked. I turned to look at him and smiled.

"They don't mind us being here during the day, and they don't mind us being here now, but they do like to have the forest to themselves and the rest at night." I explained. 

Crace nodded, understanding. "I see. We're intruding in on their space." He said.

"Yeah, it's okay, though. They'll let us leave at our own pace, tonight." I assured him. Crace nodded again.

He sighed. He emptied the rest of the bottle in our glasses and lifted his in a toast. "Well, here's to your birthday. Happy birthday, Princess. May the rest of your birthdays be as splendid as todays was." He declared. 

I raised my glass back. "My birthdays will be just as splendid because you will be there for every single one." I told him, clinking his glass with mine. We quickly finished the wine before packing everything up and heading back to the cottage. "Do you wanna stay the night?" I asked him as we did the dishes and put everything into the fridge. He turned to look at me, feigning shock. 

"My word! Miss Hastings, are you asking me to sleep in the same bed as you?" He asked me. I laughed and shook my head at his ridiculousness.

"Yes, my Alpha, I believe I am." I said.

"How scandalous of you! I can't believe this. A woman of such honour and grace, asking me to stay the night, after only dating for a couple of days. I'm appalled!" He said, placing a hand over his heart. I laughed and splashed water on him, playfully. 

"Oh shut up! Do you wanna stay the night or not, weirdo?" I asked him again. He bit his lip and shook his head at me. 

"Hard to resist such an offer, princess." 

"Is that a yes?" I asked him, excited.

"Of course I will spend the night with you. I will always be more than happy to stay the night. You're my mate, we sleep better together, and there is no way that I would say no to you and a full night sleep." He said, walking to me. I dried my hands. He pulled me into a hug and I breathed in the comforting smell of him. "Come on, let's head to the bedroom. It's pretty late." He said. He grabbed my hand and lead me into the bedroom. I was really looking forward to sleeping with him tonight. The nap was so nice and I knew that a full eight hours would result in an even better rest.