Filed To Story: Goddess's Design His Fated Mate (Willow & Reuben)
I quickly scanned the area for the kids, intending to keep them close before they wandered off, but to my surprise, they were already gone.
“Wyatt, Lori!”
I panicked. Leaving the trolley behind, I spun around to search for them, only to find them in the arms of a tall man wearing glasses and a cap. My eyes widened when I realized it was Reuben. He had shed his expensive coat and was now dressed in just a black shirt, untucked from his pants, he now looked like any other regular guy shopping at the mall. He had completely transformed his appearance.
“Now it shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
he asked, taking a step closer to me. I blinked at his willingness to change for me.
“Daddy, you are the best!”
Wyatt and Lori happily wrapped their arms around his neck in a hug. He smiled at them and looked at me for approval. I averted my eyes and turned to grab my trolley to continue shopping.
“Don’t cause trouble or fall behind,”
I murmured, ignoring his chuckle.
I began selecting dairy products and meat that I had planned for dinner. Then, I headed to the stationery section to buy items for Wyatt and Lori. Throughout my shopping, Reuben followed behind me like a shadow, observing my every move. This continued even when we entered the ladies’ lingerie shop.
I picked up a black lingerie set in size 32A, appreciating its fabric and design. As I checked the price, I felt a pair of green eyes on me. Turning around, I discovered Reuben standing in the ladies’ section, his gaze lingering on my chest. I shot him a disapproving look, then he grabbed a similar lingerie set from the next section, placing it in my hand before walking away with the children.
As I examined the lingerie set Reuben had given me, I realized it was a 32B. My cheeks flushed red instantly. Six years ago, I had more weight on my bones than I did now, 32B was my actual size. Had he figured out my size just by looking?
That thought embarrassed me further, especially since it seemed he had been eyeing my breasts!
I selected a few more lingerie sets and went to try them on in the changing room. After completing the purchase and stepping out, I couldn’t spot Reuben anywhere. On top of that the mall was too crowded to pick up his scent among the crowd. Frowning, I wondered, “Where did he run off to with my children?”
I entered the snacks section in search of them until my eyes landed on Lori’s favorite snacks. She had a particular fondness for that flavor, and it seemed there was only one packet left on the shelf. As I reached for it, someone else’s hand suddenly appeared, trying to grab it from the other side.
I paused and glanced at the middle-aged man next to me. “Excuse me but I picked it up first,”
I calmly informed him.
“So what? You haven’t paid for it yet. It’s not yours,”
he retorted rudely, attempting to snatch the packet from my hand.
“I could say the same to you. Just let it go,”
I frowned, firmly holding onto the packet. His attempt to take it from me, fueled by his ego, couldn’t overpower my grip.
“What if I don’t let it go?!”
He aggressively confronted me.
I remained composed, firmly standing my ground. “Don’t complicate things. You’ll regret it,”
I calmly warned. It wasn’t about the snacks anymore. I would have relented if not for his rudeness that triggered both my wolf and I.
“Ha this bitch,”
he sneered, stepping closer, his breath reeking of smoke, “You dare to threaten me? Do you know who I am?”
he yelled, making a scene, but abruptly halted when his eyes drifted past me and settled on something. His disdainful expression shifted from shock to horror. A terrible feeling crept up within me. I turned around to find Reuben standing behind me, glaring at him with intense, dark green wolf eyes.
“Did I hear you calling her a bitch?”
Reuben released a low growl, his grip on his glasses tightening until they shattered into pieces. Panic surged through me at the thought of Reuben attacking the man at any moment. He must have overheard the derogatory term directed at me. Unintentionally, memories from my school days when I had been bullied by a senior flashed in my mind’s eye. Reuben had intervened, severely beating the bully causing a major scandal since the senior was human and an Alpha had attacked him. His father, Alpha Luis, had paid a hefty sum to hush up the matter, but now I feared that Reuben wouldn’t stop until he sucked out the man’s soul as payment.
A crowd had gathered, drawn by the low growl resonating in the store’s aisles.
“You can keep it,”
I tossed the packet into the man’s face and immediately grabbed Reuben’s hand. “Let’s go,”
I pulled him away from the crowd before his eyes attracted unwanted attention.
People watched us curiously until we were well away from the snacks store. Tightly gripping Reuben’s hand, I kept moving until we reached a quieter area, away from prying eyes. “Didn’t I tell you not to cause trouble?”
I admonished him, stopping in front of a less crowded store.
He responded in a cool tone, looking all innocent, “When did I cause trouble?”
My frustration flared, did he think I couldn’t see through his act? “You ”
I began to scold him before the voices of Wyatt and Lori interrupted me.
“Mommy,”
their voices drew my attention toward the ice cream parlor. Blinking, I glanced back in the opposite direction to the snacks store. From where I stood, I could be easily seen from that ice cream parlor. Looking back at Reuben, I realized he had been watching me the whole time, even though I hadn’t sensed it.
Ignoring his gaze, I stepped into the ice cream parlor to purchase treats for Wyatt and Lori. They happily started enjoying their ice creams. Just as the server behind the counter handed me my treat, Reuben asked, “Where’s mine?”
Glancing up at him, I replied, “Buy it yourself,”
then turned to head toward the table where Wyatt and Lori were seated.
“I don’t have any money,”
he followed, his expression pleading.
I paused, surprised. “Why don’t you have money?”
I inquired.
“I forgot my wallet,”
he admitted with a pitiful look.
I couldn’t help but smile, responding, “Well, no wallet means no ice cream for you,”
as I continued walking towards Wyatt and Lori.
He narrowed his accusing eyes at me. Ignoring him, I brought my ice cream up to my mouth to eat. Just as my lips touched it, I noticed Reuben also lowering his mouth to steal a bite of my ice cream from the other side. Our eyes locked, and my heart started beating faster. His green eyes flirted with mine making my hands shake, my hold on the ice cream loosened, causing it to drop from my hand.
Reuben grabbed the ice cream in midair and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his chest. “What are you so scared of?”
My breasts bumped into his chest as he leaned down to brush our lips against each other. My eyes widened, I couldn’t put up my dirty hand on his chest with a gasp. “What are you doing?!”
I pulled away in shock, looking at him with wide eyes. Did he did he just? He brushed his thumb over my lower lip and leaned down to lick it, “Eating my own personal ice cream.”
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.