Filed To Story: Goddess's Design His Fated Mate (Willow & Reuben)
I turned to examine the plates in front of them. None of their food had been touched, especially Reuben’s, and the children had been nibbling on fresh fruit until my arrival.
“Daddy said he was going to wait for mommy, so we were waiting with daddy,”
Lori explained in her innocent voice.
Subconsciously, I locked eyes with Reuben. Why was he waiting for me? His entire day was usually meticulously planned and he despised waiting especially for food.
“Let’s eat,”
he invited me to the table, setting a pre-prepared plate next to his. Did not that mean I would have to sit beside him?
“I’ll eat later,”
I replied.
“Why?”
he frowned, unaccustomed to receiving a refusal.
“I just want to ”
“Are you scared of me?”
He raised an eyebrow, leaving me speechless for a moment. Wyatt and Lori glanced between us.
The corner of my lips twitched bitterly at his deliberate provocation in front of the kids. “Why would I be?”
I retorted in a controlled way.
“Then come and have a seat,”
his eyes were lit with the desire to argue with me.
I couldn’t help but glare at him. I knew I did not want to be around him. I was more likely to ignore him. Why the hell was he so obsessed with me eating with him? Under Wyatt and Lori’s watchful eyes I couldn’t refuse otherwise they might think I was genuinely scared of Reuben.
With a deliberate motion, I took a step forward, pulled the chair slightly away from him, and settled beside him. Staring at my food, I completely ignored him. Even without looking at him, I could sense the smug satisfaction on his face.
“Yay! We are finally eating with both mommy and daddy,”
Wyatt and Lori stated happily. “The two of them look so beautiful together.”
My hand stopped on the fork as I listened to their innocent remarks. I glanced at Reuben from the corner of my eye only to find he had never looked away from me. He looked somehow happier listening to Wyatt and Lori, “Did you teach them to say all of this?”
I stared at him with an emotionless gaze.
“The truth can not be taught. They realized it on their own,”
he remarked, his eyes sliding down from my eyes to my lips.
I tore my eyes away from him and focused on my food. If I argued then he was going to say something that would only make me speechless. I just wanted to eat quickly, get up from this table, and escape this awkward situation. Once I began eating, he also picked up his fork and knife, and we all started our meal. Both children animatedly shared stories about their kindergarten experiences, friends, games, and other activities while we ate. It warmed my heart to see Wyatt and Lori enjoying themselves and feeling comfortable at the shifters kindergarten. Surprisingly, this time, there hadn’t been any complaints from the kindergarten, which was a relief. Thankfully, everything seemed to be going smoothly, thank the goddess.
Reuben was deeply engrossed in their stories, showing a level of interest that made it seem as if he had been the one raising Wyatt and Lori all along. Ceri and I shared a mirrored concern about Reuben’s strong influence over them. They had grown remarkably attached to him. In three months, when we eventually left the Emerald Bright Pack to return to our previous lives, explaining things to Wyatt and Lori would be incredibly challenging.
I tightened my hand slightly on my fork. I had to stop it before it was too late.
“Mommy, I don’t want to drink my milk,”
Lori whined like always.
“Lori, you have to drink your milk. Otherwise I will only be taking Wyatt for ice cream today,”
I told her a little sternly. Every Sunday I usually take them out to play, shop, and get ice cream.
“Mommy, I want ice cream too!!”
She looked at me with big shimmery eyes.
“Alright, quickly finish your milk and once we are done with breakfast we will go shopping for ice cream okay?”
I smiled.
“Okay,”
both the children happily started finishing their food. They were always eager to go out and that’s why they would dress up from the day on Sundays.
That’s when my phone rang next to my plate on the table. Reuben’s gaze immediately flickered towards my phone. Lola’s name flashed on the screen-it was my assistant calling.
Answering the call, Lola’s excited voice came through, “Willow, I have good news for you!”
“What is it?”
I responded casually, rising from my seat to walk over to the children’s side to pour them some water.
“The grand runway event of the year that you had declined to participate in because you couldn’t return to Britain anytime soon, is now being organized in America!”
Lola announced eagerly.
I paused abruptly, taken aback, “Really?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
The grand runway event occurred just once a year, it was an eagerly awaited event for all fashion designers, including the top-tier ones. Being invited was an honor reserved for a select few and renowned designers. Despite receiving an invitation this year due to my growing reputation in the industry, I had to decline due to my current circumstances. However, it seemed that fate was unexpectedly on my side this time.
“Yes, Walter personally came to the office to invite you to the event. He was truly disappointed at not being able to see you,”
Lola’s words sent a chill down my spine. My eyes immediately darted to Reuben. His hand froze on the fork at the mention of Walter. He didn’t raise his head or meet anyone’s gaze, yet I sensed the air around him turn frigid, as though a dark storm was brewing within him.
“And you know what? When I explained to Walter that you wouldn’t be returning to Britain due to personal reasons, that crazy guy decided to move the event to America,”
Lola continued, oblivious to the effect her words were having. Her laughter filled the air, unaware that every word she uttered was triggering a reaction in Reuben, darkening his aura like a devil from hell.
I swiftly muted Lola, excused myself from the dining table, then left the packhouse all together to continue the conversation. My heart raced wildly, but I regained control as I spoke, “Alright, I will participate in the event. Send me the details through email, and I’ll start working on the designs.”
“Great! Then I’ll organize the models and everything for you then send the details,”
Lola exclaimed cheerfully. I shook my head at her enthusiasm, chuckling softly until Ella’s voice interrupted us.
“Willow,”
Ella called out to me, standing a small distance away from me. “You’ve really become a fashion designer,”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.