[Paused] Dear Bloodhounds...

7. Good morning, gorgeous

I shifted in my 'seat' and glanced up at him again. Our eyes locked, my blue to his almost fully black.

"When she passed, I decided I'd expand her stories. Share them with the world." I smiled as I thought about the feedback I'd received on my books. "There's a whole lotta love out there for werewolves, you know."

Alex breathed out heavily, drawing his lower lip between his teeth, gnawing furiously. He then took a few deep breaths before finally stilling.

Taking my hands in his much larger, warmer ones, he placed a kiss on each before beginning to speak.

"Your Grandma sounds like an amazing woman, and I'm sure she'd be proud of you sharing her stories." Smiling, he took another deep breath and continued on.

"What I'm about to say may sound ridiculous, and you may not believe me, but you have to trust that I'm telling you the absolute truth." He searched my eyes, pleading.

"I call you 'mate' because you are. You're my mate; the love of my life, my other half, my soul mate. I knew it the minute I walked down the street towards and was drawn to the coffee shop. Once I seen you and walked in, I was hooked. Then I smelled the most mouth-watering scent and I couldn't leave your side. I- I'm what you write about. Werewolves aren't just magical, mystical beings written about in fairytales or bedtime stories, Lily. We're real."

His eyes raked over my face, searching for any hint of reaction. I was stunned. Stunned to silence. It certainly was a tale, that's for sure.

I quickly became unable to contain myself.

"Hahahahaha. Oh, no more, no more." I clutched my stomach as I was bent over double on his lap, laughing my arsē off.

"Ah, well if you care enough to come up with that pile of crāp then I'm going to let you off the hook for reading over my shoulder, big guy." I slapped his arm and continued guffawing in his lap. The giggles kept on coming, rendering me a jiggling, giggling, ball of laughter.

Alex looked on, dumbstruck. This was obviously not how he'd seen me reacting. He'd expected shock and awe, or a kick in the nuts, but not this hilarity.

He cleared his throat and tried to bring me back to him, but I was so far gone it wasn't funny. Tears raked down my face, my stomach cramping from so much laughter. I mean, really, what am I? Five years old?

"Gee, Lily, for someone who got offended when you thought I was laughing at your story, you sure know how to cut a man down."

Alex grunted out his statement curtly, his arms folding over his chest.

I calmed myself down, taking in his seriousness. I expected him to be laughing with me that I'd figured out his joking and teasing.

I abruptly stopped laughing and studied his face. He was seriously pissed.

Gosh, what if he actually does believe he's a werewolf? And you've just gone and insulted his beliefs. Way to go, Lily!

"Umm, I'm sorry, Alex. I didn't mean to offend you. I believe you. You're a werewolf." I mumbled out my apology, hoping he'd accept it and we could move on. Besides the whole 'delusional wolf' scene, tonight had been one of the best I'd had in a while... and he was definitely better looking than my four walls.

The second I finished my apology, his eyes immediately found mine, his stare penetrating right into my head. I swear he could hear every little thing I was thinking.

Just don't think about what he'd be like above you and we'll be all good, girl.

Whoops, did I just make you think of that? *cackles*