[Paused] Dear Bloodhounds...

7. Good morning, gorgeous

Recap:

Eventually biology regained control over our bodies as we broke apart, panting for breath, as wide smiles broke out over both of our faces.

One word was all I could muster up.

"Wow."

This was not how I had foreseen my Thursday evening playing out, but I definitely was not complaining.

----

His darkened eyes focused intently on my own. My view of his slightly blurred by the bottle of red in my system.

He sighed, almost contentedly, and lifted me effortlessly on to his lap, facing sideways. He tangled his long fingers in my chestnut hair and placed a lingering kiss on the side of my head.

"Mm. Mate."

That word. Again. I couldn't understand why he would give me the best first kiss I'd ever had then take the mōtherfūcking pīss. The red flowing through my blood only ramped up anger and I tried to stand, prying myself from his grasp.

Immediately, he pulled me back on his lap, groaning when I tried to wriggle free.

"Lily, please, for the love of-." He growled out lowly. "I advise you to stop wiggling or I'm not going to be able to keep up being a gentleman."

"Let. Me. Go. Alex." My voice was laced with tears, threatening to bubble out.

"No. I don't know what I've done now but please just talk to me, Lil." He huffed out, keeping his hold on my waist tight.

I sighed and stopped struggling. I guess we'd have this out right where I am then... on his lap.

"Fine. What the actual fūck? You think it's funny to just swoop into my life -my coffee shop, my apartment, my red wine (!) and then mock me because of what I write? I knew you were reading over my shoulder. I should have known you'd be just the same as him." I finally paused to take a breath, my face red between frustration and lack of oxygen.

"I-. I don't know what to say. I'm sorry if I've caused you distress. I couldn't help myself from meeting you; I was captivated by you from the minute I walked by that coffee shop. I wasn't even going to come in until I seen you sitting there, all curled up on the armchair, in a world of your own." He sighed and placed his head to the back of mine.

I remained facing forward, not wanting to have this conversation face to face for fear of either crying or punching him in the face; the outcome depending on his next words.

"I promise, I don't know what you were writing. I couldn't take my eyes off of you for even a second, Lily." He mumbled into my hair, feeling his lips place a small kiss to my hair.

He seemed like he was being honest with me, but that didn't explain why he kept saying that word.

"I honestly want to believe you, Alex. I've never felt such a strong connection to someone, you know, immediately after meeting, and you seem like a nice guy. But..."

I sighed and turned in his lap, looking him in the eyes. "If you didn't read the story I was writing, my story about werewolves and romance, then why do you keep calling me 'mate'?"

I shut my eyes as I waited on his answer.

I felt him suck in a breath, his hands rubbing up and down my arms as he breathed out.

"You write about werewolves? That's... well, that's quite unusual. Why?"

"My Grandma... she used to tell me these stories. She would tell me about them growing up in packs, finding mates they'll love forever, having alpha's, luna's and beta's, and shifting between being human and being a wolf.
She was a batty old thing, but I loved her to death, and her stories stuck with me."