The Alpha’s Prophesied Mate

Chapter 9: First Step

“What are you doing here?… No… I mean… I thought you hadn't come… I'm sorry… Never mind… How are you?”

“Good, and you?”

“Good… good… I… Thank you.”

Alexander smiled inwardly as he watched Evelyn, who, in contrast, was doing everything she could to avoid looking at him. Taking a quick look around, he noticed that both his sister and that Pedro guy had all their attention focused on them, and although he couldn't deny that he liked seeing his mate react to his presence, at that moment he realized that he didn't want anyone else witnessing her discomfort.

“I was talking to Mr. Stevens,” he said as he took a seat beside Eleonor, “and he recommended the raspberry pie with ice cream. Do you have any? I'd like a slice with an Americano, please.”

“Oh, yes, of course… sorry,” Evelyn apologized, but Alexander noticed her relaxing. “We also have other options. Cookies, pastries, croissants,” she informed him as she stepped away from the counter, presumably to prepare his order. “We also have sandwiches made with our homemade bread… But Mr. Stevens only comes for the pies and tarts.”

Not his son, though… Alexander thought irritably, remembering his encounter with both men minutes earlier. He hadn't considered the possibility of encountering werewolves during his visit to the café, much less that they would recognize his new status. Apparently, there were many things he hadn't known came with the change, such as now being able to perceive the emotions of his own kind, even if they didn't share any bond. So now he knew that the Stevens felt a mixture of confusion and caution toward him, which was understandable… What wasn't, however, was why the younger one was interested in his mate.

Stop tracking her with your eyes… and quit frowning… His sister's voice echoed in his mind, and Alexander turned to look at her, encountering Pedro's gaze along the way. He was watching him intently.

“John was with him?” he asked quietly.

When Alexander nodded, Pedro did the same.

“Okay… so now you know that Mr. Stevens comes for the pies… his son, not so much.”

“Yes.”

“Good,” he said, stepping away from the counter before speaking again, this time louder. “I'll take care of the coffee, linda.”

Looks like you have an ally… Leonor said through their bond as they both watched Pedro head toward the coffee machine.

I think so, he replied, feeling his reservations about his mate's best friend beginning to ease.

“Okay. Here you go,” Evelyn said, drawing his attention as she placed a huge slice of pie in front of him. “Mr. Stevens usually prefers it with lavender ice cream, and here we serve it with vanilla ice cream, but today we made white chocolate, and it's my favorite combination. I like how the flavors balance each other. So I thought you might like it… but if you prefer vanilla, I can…”

“No, it's perfect,” he cut her off. He didn't want her to reconsider a choice that clearly meant something to her. “I've never tried white chocolate ice cream, though,” he confessed, taking his spoon. “So it'll be a double discovery.”

Damn… No sooner had he finished speaking than his body tensed as he heard the café door and recognized the new presence.

“Seriously? Prep—”

“Twice in two days. This seems like more than a coincidence… I think it must be fate!”

One second… That’s all the time he had to watch the spark ignite in Evelyn’s eyes before her sister’s arrival extinguished it. He wondered what she was going to tell him, whether she would ask why he had never tried that flavor before or recommend new combinations. Being deprived of that small opportunity to get to know each other better irritated him immensely.

“…And I, on the other hand, vote for stalking…”

“Pedro!”

“Here’s your coffee. I hope you can still enjoy your pie. Her presence isn’t usually part of the experience.”

Despite his annoyance, Alexander couldn't help but smile at Pedro's comments. He didn't seem the least bit sorry about what he had said, and judging by the way he was looking toward where Naomi must be, Alexander doubted his disapproval was a secret to her. Evelyn, on the other hand, had chosen to ignore her, preferring to look at the spoon he was holding… so he decided to use it.

“Wow… this is spectacular,” he said before taking another bite, noticing once again how Evelyn's eyes lit up. Will it always be like this when she watches me try something she made? “I like that both the pie and the ice cream have that nutty touch. It's as if it ties them together,” he said, genuinely meaning it, aware that it probably wasn't the proper terminology… but what did he know about that?

“Did you taste it? You're the first—”

“Please, don't start talking to your customers about cooking,” Naomi said, moving to Evelyn's side. “You'll bore them. You always do,” she added before turning her attention to her sister and him. “Eleonor… Alexander, I'm glad you're here.”

Is this woman for real?

Alexander heard Eleonor, but he didn't bother responding, focused on the only thing that mattered to him at that moment. Evelyn. Her eyes had once again lost their emotion, but this time her face was tense, and he could perceive her discomfort, while Naomi, in contrast, exuded flirtation, pride, and satisfaction. He didn't need to know every piece of the story to understand the dynamic between them. And although he didn't know why his mate put up with her sister, he promised himself at that moment that he wouldn't let her keep doing it.

“In fact, I was enjoying my conversation with Evelyn until you interrupted us,” he told her as he cut another piece of pie, “but I'm not going to stay here wondering what it was that I discovered… So,” he added, focusing once again on his mate, “keep telling me. And I hope there's more left, because I have a feeling I'll be having seconds.”

You just earned 1,000 points, brother…

That's what I hope for…

Alexander heard his sister, but he wasn't fooling himself. He knew he had a long road ahead of him to win his mate's love, because he wanted nothing less and wouldn't settle for anything else.

So today, even though Evelyn didn't know it, they were taking the first step in their story together.