Chapter 8
734 Words
Chapter 8: First Meeting
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the café.
Emilia stirred the whipped cream on her drink absentmindedly while Camila enthusiastically scrolled through her phone.
"Oh!" Camila gasped.
"You have to see this."
"What now?"
"This puppy!"
Emilia laughed as Camila shoved her phone into her face.
"It's adorable."
"I know! I'm thinking of getting one."
"Lillian would love that."
"Dad wouldn't."
"Exactly."
The girls laughed together.
For the first time in days, Emilia felt relaxed.
The strange pull she'd experienced since her birthday had faded into the background.
Almost.
---
Across the street...
Roman Volkov watched from inside his SUV.
His crimson eyes never left Emilia.
"There she is."
His Beta, Adrian Voss, folded his arms.
"What's the plan?"
Roman smiled faintly.
"I don't intend to introduce myself today."
"Then why are we here?"
"I want to observe."
Roman wasn't interested in appearances.
He wanted patterns.
How she smiled.
Who she trusted.
How she reacted under pressure.
Weaknesses.
Everyone had one.
---
Inside the café...
Camila suddenly stood.
"I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?"
"The restroom."
Emilia nodded.
"I'll order another coffee."
"You're paying."
"I always pay."
"Exactly."
Camila disappeared down the hallway.
Emilia rolled her eyes affectionately.
---
A few minutes later...
The waiter approached.
"I'm sorry, Miss."
"We're out of caramel syrup."
"Oh."
"I'll just have a regular latte."
"Coming right up."
As the waiter walked away...
Another customer accidentally bumped into Emilia's chair.
"Oh!"
Her handbag slipped from the table.
Its contents scattered across the floor.
"Oh no..."
Before she could kneel...
Someone else reached the floor first.
Long fingers picked up her silver pendant, which had slipped from her bag.
"I believe this is yours."
The voice was smooth.
Cultured.
Emilia looked up.
The man before her was striking.
Tall.
Dark-haired.
Dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit.
His crimson eyes held an unusual intensity.
For a fleeting second...
She thought she saw sadness hidden beneath them.
"Thank you."
She accepted the pendant with a polite smile.
Their fingers brushed.
Roman froze.
His wolf surged forward violently.
Her.
The scent.
The warmth.
The impossible pull.
It was stronger than ever.
Not peaceful.
Not complete.
But irresistible.
He masked his reaction instantly.
"You should be careful."
"It's valuable."
Emilia smiled awkwardly.
"I know."
"It belonged to my mother."
Roman's gaze lingered on the pendant.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"I'll leave you to your coffee."
He inclined his head politely before turning away.
Not once did he look back.
---
Outside...
Adrian opened the SUV door.
"How did it go?"
Roman climbed inside.
"She doesn't know who I am."
"And?"
Roman stared out of the tinted window.
"She's kind."
Adrian frowned.
"That's not useful."
Roman smiled.
"It is."
"Kind people trust."
"And trusting people are easier to manipulate."
Adrian's lips curved into a cruel grin.
"So the game begins."
"No."
Roman watched Emilia through the café window.
"The game..."
"...has already begun."
---
Back inside...
Camila returned.
"Did I miss anything?"
Emilia shrugged.
"Not really."
"Someone helped me pick up my things."
Camila looked around.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"He left."
"What did he look like?"
Emilia thought for a moment.
"Tall."
"Dark hair."
"Red eyes..."
She paused.
"Actually..."
"Maybe they weren't red."
Camila laughed.
"Red eyes?"
"You've been reading too many fantasy novels."
"Probably."
Emilia smiled.
Yet something about the stranger lingered in her mind.
Not because he frightened her.
But because...
For just a second...
His eyes had looked lonely.
---
That evening...
Roman stood alone on the balcony of his penthouse.
The city lights glittered beneath him.
He removed a small notebook from his desk.
On the first page, he wrote one name.
Emilia Miller.
He studied it for several seconds.
Then beneath it, he added another.
Killian Hawthorne.
His jaw tightened.
"The way he looked at her..."
Roman murmured.
"That wasn't coincidence."
His wolf growled.
He's in our way.
Roman closed the notebook.
"No."
"He isn't in our way."
A cold smile spread across his face.
"He's the first obstacle."
"And obstacles..."
"...are meant to be removed."
Far away, at the Hawthorne Estate, Killian stood on his balcony beneath the full moon.
Without knowing why...
A deep sense of unease settled over him.
It was as though danger had just stepped into Emilia's life.
And for the first time since the mate bond awakened...
He feared he might already be too late.
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