He held out his arms and allowed me to step into his warm and open embrace. Once his arms closed around me and he held me close to his chest, I felt like I was finally home. I breathed in his glorious scent and basked in his warmth.
He ran his fingers through my hair, staring at it lovingly as it fell between his fingers.
“I missed you so much,”
he whispered against me, his breath warming my features.
I lifted my gaze up to his and that was when I realized I was crying. I wasn’t even sure why I was crying, but tears were escaping my eyes and falling down my cheeks. His shirt had gotten a little wet due to them as well, which was embarrassing.
He frowned, staring around my face with curiosity as he used his thumb to wipe the tears away.
“What is it, beautiful?”
He asked gently with a timid frown.
I sniffled and forced myself to pull out of his embrace.
“I just missed you,”
I told him, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. “It’s been a long few days.”
“I can’t wait to hear about it,”
he said, stepping closer to me and placing his hand on my shoulder. I peered up at him and met his eyes; I saw the love and compassion he felt for me in his eyes, and it warmed my heart.
“We were just finishing up for the bake sale tomorrow,”
I told him. “Then afterward I’ll be all yours.”
“Good,”
he said, leaning down to kiss my lips. “I’m going to take a shower and then we can go to dinner.”
He kissed me again, this time a little more passionately and hungrily. It took everything we had to pull apart and when we did, he left me breathless and red-faced. He left the kitchen, and I stared after him.
“Help me wrap these,”
Dee called me over from the other side of the kitchen,
I pulled my eyes off the door and joined her at the counter to wrap all the baked goods. The entire kitchen smelled delicious, and my mouth was watering.
“Distance is always hard on mates,”
Dee said, a timid frown decorating her lips. “That’s why I assumed you’d be staying here. I knew your wolves wouldn’t want to be separated.”
“I want to finish school before I settle down here,”
I explained. “Enzo understands that.”
“Yes, but I assumed you’d commute,”
she explained with a shrug. “No big deal. But I know the longer you are apart, the more painful it will be for both you and your wolves.”
My face warmed. I didn’t realize it was going to be painful; I certainly didn’t want Enzo to be in pain because of this.
When I didn’t say anything, Dee gave me a soft smile and reached her hand out for me to grasp.
“Enzo loves you very much and only wants you to be happy. I don’t mean to frighten you, but he’s been like a son to me since he was 9 years old. I want him to be happy too,”
she said, just before she released my hand and continued to wrap the baked goods without meeting my eyes.
I wanted him to be happy too, but things were moving too fast. I haven’t even told my parents about this yet.
“Dee…? I found myself saying, catching her attention. “Has Enzo mentioned anything about a proposal tonight?”
Dee stopped what she was doing to stare at me, completely startled.
Lila’s POV
“Why do you think he’s going to propose today?”
She asked, seemingly confused.
I opened my mouth to tell her about the wedding ring I found, but then Enzo returned to the kitchen.
“Ready for dinner?”
He asked. “I’m starving.”
I looked at him briefly before looking back at Dee. She was staring at me with concern and curiosity in her eyes.
“Thanks for your help, Dee,”
I said softly. “If I don’t see you again tonight, I’ll see you in the morning.”
She gave me a smile in return and nodded.
I went with Enzo out of the kitchen and out of the packhouse. He kept his arm wrapped around mine and I walked closely beside him. He was giving my body strength and even Val was awake and alert.
“I have a surprise for you later,”
he said as we got into his car.
I tugged at my fingers nervously.
“A surprise?”
I asked, peering over at him. “For what?”
“Do I need a reason to surprise you?”
He asked, raising his right brow.
I shook my head.
“No, of course not,”
I said, hoping the nervousness didn’t show through my voice.
It didn’t take long to get to the restaurant. When we were seated, he frowned at me.
“You seem off still,”
he said, assessing my face. “Thinner even. Are you eating?”
I touched my face; I hadn’t realized I lost enough weight for it to be noticeable.
“I’m eating,”
I told him. “Maybe not as much as I used to.”
“Why?”
He asked, furrowing his brows together. “Are you dieting?”
“Not exactly. Professor Xander gives me these protein shakes that fill me up for most of the day,”
I admitted, knowing that I couldn’t lie to him.
His brows shot way too far up as he stared at me.
“What kind of shake?”
He asked.
“I’m not sure what’s in it,”
I said, shaking my head. “But he said it’ll make me stronger.”
“You seem weaker,”
he said, cocking his head to the side. “Do you have any of the shake mix with you?”
“It’s in my stuff at the packhouse,”
I answered. “I have to drink it every morning.”
“I’m going to run a test on it to find out exactly what’s in it. Don’t drink any more of it.”