The Solitary Mate

Chapter Eleven

After bringing the smoothies to the warriors I retired to my office to begin working on the many orders coming in from different pack members. I ranked them by importance and difficulty and scheduled for a few of them to be done by those that had gone through the training on my family's techniques. I noticed many females were putting in requests for numbing creams and fever deterrents in preparation for their approaching heat and I couldn't help but feel a slight ball of nerves in my stomach.

Because neither James or I had marked each other I wouldn't go through the heat but that didn't mean he wouldn't be impacted by any female in her heat. I added extras to be made as well as a few sleep aids in hopes of calming the wave of female hormones. I glanced at the clock and was shocked to see it was well past dinner time.

Most nights I grab food for myself as well as James and eat with him in the kitchen. I've been trying to convince him to eat with the others in the dining room but he still refused. Although, he has been coming to dinner earlier as of lately and I was hoping this was a sign that maybe soon he'd join us but it looks like I missed my chance for tonight. Hopefully he got something to eat...

I tried to push away my negative thoughts and continued on my work for a while longer before a knock sounded at my office door. "Come in." I called and the door opened to reveal Stephanie with a plate in her hand.

"Delivery for Grace." She sang out with a smile and I responded with one of my own.

"Stephanie! Thank you." I pulled out the chair beside me and she sat in it and placed down the plate carefully in the small spot of emptiness on my desk. Everything else looked like an unorganized mess of papers that somehow made sense to only me.

"Don't thank me, someone else made this plate for you." She placed down a fork and water bottle and I instantly began eating from the plate of alfredo and chicken parm. I didn't even realize how hungry I was until now.

"Who should I be thanking?" I asked after swallowing and I watched as her eyes lit up.

"Mr. Elusive himself, James." I was thankful for having swallowed my food otherwise I would have chocked for sure. My heart skipped three beats before I could speak properly.

"Ja-James made me this plate? Really? Like he went up and got it himself?" I asked feeling like a mad woman. I was beyond elated and overwhelmingly grateful. It was a small gesture to some but this meant everything to me.

"I saw him do it with my own two eyes." She leaned back with a grin and I took another bite of my food as she continued. The pasta and chicken went from being a good meal to the best meal I'd ever had.

"He got their earlier than usual and grabbed a plate even though we all know there's no point because he always sets it down the minute you pop up with your little dinner for two spiel. But anyway he's standing there not getting anything and he's just looking around the dining room like he's suddenly lost."

"He was looking for me?" I asked unsure and she nodded a giant grin clinging to her face. He still acts like I'm annoying at dinner and always pushed me to eat without him but he must appreciate it more than I thought. I could feel my guilt at skipping dinner increase.

"After a while he went through and made his plate but instead of heading to the kitchen he came to our table." It was my turn to interrupt.

"You're joking..."

"I swear to Goddess and he even spoke to us. He asked where you were and we told him you were probably in your office. The guys were shocked, apparently they've never heard him speak more than a few words. Candice insisted he eat with us but he turned her down and went to the kitchen. I thought that was that but two minutes later he comes back with his plate wrapped in foil and asked us to give it to you. He went back and made himself a plate after that and then disappeared."