Her True Mate

Chapter 10 - Boy not a Man

Present Day

Kaitlin’s POV

“Alpha Hamil, thank you.” He says genuinely, if not ashamed.

“You speak the truth. I am truly sorry, and I ask for your forgiveness. I hadn’t thought much about what you pointed out, and I have a lot to reflect on. Please note that I really will think about what you said and make sure that I change the way I have first interactions with women.” He extends his hand to me, and I grasp it firmly.

He shakes my hand correctly, not crushing it like some men do. I nod my head in approval, giving him one of my genuine smiles.

“I accept your apology. You seem like a wonderful man, and it would be a shame to see such a person go down the road as you were and end up miserable like most old wolves these days.” He smiles dazzlingly, and my breath catches a bit. Wow.

“A boy, not a man, at least not yet. Otherwise, you hit the nail on the head.” He winks as he corrects me and continues to smile.

“If you ever need anything, Alpha, you have the unyielding support of the Beta of the Red Moon Pack.” I smile back at him. He pulls his hand back, nods to Blayn, and walks away, looking back once and smiling.

This sudden pride floods me, but I can tell it’s not from Annika but from somewhere deep inside, and almost not entirely my own, and I can breathe more easily.

What the heck was that?

“I think you got yourself an admirer there, missy.” Blayn laughs, batting his eyelashes. I can’t help but return the laugh.

“Definitely not, but I can see what the fuss is about. Very nice!” I winked back at him, and he looked shocked.

“Well, well. Down girl!” Blayn teased, and we laughed again, and I looked down at my watch at 10:15 AM.

“Well, it’s time to get ready.” I started gathering my things and headed up to the lobby to get ready.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Blayn says as he stands to take the trash to a nearby can.

Thankfully, the elevator ride was uneventful. However, a lingering scent in the small space gets Annika’s attention.

‘What is it?’ I ask her, breathing slowly, trying to place the scent. It’s almost masked, but I can catch small snips of it. I can’t quite put my finger on the exact smells, but I want more.

‘I don’t know. I feel excited, though calm, and strong all at once. Does that even make sense?’ She seemed equally confused.

“What’s wrong??” Blayn asks nervously as he notices my confused face and shifting body.

“I don’t know. We smell something and can’t place it. It is not a bad smell, enticing actually, but we are just confused by it,” I told him, and his eyes widened.

“It’s masked or something, though. It’s hidden from me in some way, and I can’t place it enough to know if we have smelled it before.” I trailed off as we came to a stop on our floor. I don’t notice the small smile that creeps into the corner of his mouth.

We exit the elevator and make our way to our rooms, not mentioning the scent again, and walk in peaceful silence.

“I should be ready in 45 minutes. How long do you need?” I turn to ask him as we get to his door.

“Luckily, the meeting is in one of the meeting rooms in the hotel on the mezzanine level,” I mutter. He opens his door and looks back at me, rolling his eyes.

“I am a dude 20 minutes.” He walks into his room, saying nothing else, and shuts the door.

‘Okay, rude!’ I mind link him with no response and roll my eyes. I go to my room next door and get ready.

‘I cannot believe what he just did!’ Annika scoffs and prowls within my mind.

‘Who knows, maybe he was cold from sitting out there in wet gym clothes.’ I say, defending my best friend.

‘You don’t get cold.’ She retorts. She also has a point. Shaking my head, I still feel oddly peaceful and proud of what happened downstairs. I felt an overwhelming need to explain how a gentleman should treat a woman to a douche bag but for some reason he surprised me.

I wanted to scold him, but what came out of my mouth instead surprised me. I was so calm and spoke evenly and softly, almost like an Alpha to a pack member, just needing a wake-up call instead of a scolding. However, Beta Hart was not a pack member of mine, and I was not his Alpha. I wandered over to the shower and cranked up the heat.

Closing the door to let it steam as a chill ran over my skin, I headed to the closet and looked at the outfits I had brought.

I wasn’t thrilled with the options I had, but I feel like my blazer, silky cream blouse, and tight knee-length skirt will do. I paired it with the sleek black Louis Vuitton pumps I picked up in Paris. I sigh, thinking back on that day and the quick Skype call we had as I showed her the shoes through the shop window. It was beautiful outside, and I wished Sara were there with me as we fawned over the shoes.

She would have loved Paris. I don’t feel terribly sad anymore that they are gone, which usually shuts me down for some time, so I take another deep breath to steady myself and head into my steamy shower.

Oh, the heat feels delicious on my cooled skin, but I still needed to dry my hair, so I only showered for 10 minutes to wash everything. I shaved the night before, back at the pack house we had been staying in. THANK THE GODDESS, as I was on a schedule.

I hurried out, checking the time, 10:45 AM. Ugh, I needed to hurry. I grabbed the blow dryer and started on my hair. Using the round dryer brush, I can achieve some curls at the ends of my hair, adding natural volume, and then use a high-volume spray for extra hold. I quickly applied some mascara and a bright red lip tint. I like the natural appearance, so I don’t add much else.

Thankfully, my dark blue eyes stand out on their own and don’t require more than a light coat of mascara. I wouldn’t say I like this makeup stuff, but I had picked up some good tricks from some ladies in Paris to keep it minimal. I glance down at my watch; 11:05 AM. I smiled and danced a bit as I was right on time.

I slip on my heels, grab my phone off the charger, and slip it into my purse with my iPad and notebook. I quickly scan the room for anything else I may need. Nope, nothing.

I lay my blazer over my arm, as I’m still warm from the bathroom. I check for my key and give myself a long look in the mirror. I can do this. I take several deep breaths, exhaling slowly, nod at my reflection once, and grab for the door.