Filed To Story: Goddess's Design His Fated Mate (Willow & Reuben)
Walter reassured, offering a bright smile.
“Okay,”
Lori nodded, but as soon as she witnessed Walter grabbing his luggage, a tear welling up in her eyes. Another bout of tears seemed imminent. If she started crying anew, no explanation would suffice to cease her tears, a reality unbeknownst to Reuben.
“If you cry again, Uncle Walter won’t stay for lunch before leaving,”
Reuben suddenly declared, surprising not only me but Walter as well.
Wait! Did he just mention lunch? Reuben turned to me, then to Walter. “Join us for lunch before leaving,”
he whispered.
Lori’s tears remained suspended, her eyes no longer shedding them. Instead, a broad smile adorned her lips. “Uncle Walter! You’re staying for lunch!”
she exclaimed in a joyously childish voice.
Walter found himself momentarily taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, a surprise shared even by him. However, the warmth emanating from the little girl’s radiant smile melted his heart. “Yeah I am going to have lunch with Lori and Wyatt once they return from kindergarten,”
he grinned, cradling her in his arms and affectionately kissing her puffy cheeks.
Wyatt and Lori both hugged Walter happily.
My gaze shifted to Reuben, who wore a composed expression as he observed his children in the arms of another man. His dislike for Walter remained, yet, for Lori’s sake, he permitted the extension of his stay. Reuben’s newfound flexibility surprised me. The Reuben I had known tended to be indifferent to the emotions of others, but now he displayed a concern for others beyond his own comfort.
Reuben shifted his gaze to me. “Are you having a headache?”
He gently touched my cheeks to gauge any signs of fever.
His touch ignited a warmth in my cheeks, and in an instant, the memory of our kiss from the other day flickered in my mind. What was happening to me? Since when had I become so attuned to Reuben’s touch? Could it be my heat? Yet, what about the heightened beat of my heart, pulsating with our proximity?
I withdrew from his touch, feeling the urgency to take my medications promptly. “I think Mia is there to pick up the children,”
I stated, turning to grasp Wyatt and Lori’s hands, signaling our departure. However, as we stood in the middle of the room, I paused and glanced at both Walter and Reuben. Their exchange of glances revealed a swift unraveling of the masks they maintained in front of the children.
I issued a warning, “No fighting in my absence. If you two can’t get along, then wait for me in the study. I’ll be there shortly.”
With that, I left the packhouse.
Reuben and Walter exchanged another displeased look before dutifully making their way to the study, adhering to my instructions.
Unbeknownst to me, both of them adhered to my request and maintained an air of indifference towards each other. Seated in the study, Reuben immersed himself in the report detailing the mysterious attacks on the top three packs. Obtaining the report earlier that morning, he was determined to unravel the enigma shrouding all three packs.
Meanwhile, Walter silently surveyed the office, perusing Reuben’s certificates, awards, and photographs until his gaze fixated on the photos laying on Reuben’s desk.
“Hmm? Why does it look familiar?”
Walter leaned in, placing both hands on the desk, scrutinizing the photos documenting the mysterious attacks on the top three packs.
Reuben’s hand halted abruptly at Walter’s observation. “What do you mean familiar?”
He locked eyes with Walter.
“I don’t know why, but I find it familiar,”
Walter mused, his expression pensive as he delved into deep thought.
“Do werewolf packs in Britain also experience mysterious attacks?”
Reuben inquired with a grave tone. He struggled to fathom why Walter would find these incidents familiar.
“Mysterious attacks? What’s this about?”
Walter’s curiosity was piqued. Reuben contemplated for a while, weighing the decision to share this information with the hunter. Eventually, he chose to disclose the details of the attacks.
Taking a seat across from Reuben, Walter attentively listened while examining the photos, files, and reports one by one. Holding a tray of coffee in my hand, I paused upon hearing Walter’s words.
“Wait, now I remember why I find these attacks familiar!”
Walter exclaimed, slamming his hand on the desk.
“Where?”
Reuben’s attention sharpened.
“Eleven years ago, I heard from my father’s friend in America about a mysterious incident that wiped out a werewolf pack. The whole pack was engulfed in a fire, and not a single pack member was found. I remember it vividly because it was an exceptionally rare case,”
Walter explained.
Reuben frowned in response to the revelation. “Wait, does it mean these mysterious attacks took place years ago too? It’s not the first time?”
“Honestly, I think so,”
Walter affirmed.
“Which pack was wiped out? What was the name?”
Reuben pressed for more details.
“I don’t know. My dad’s friend is no longer alive, and at that time, I didn’t care about a werewolf pack mysteriously being wiped out, especially when it was none of my business,”
Walter shrugged nonchalantly.
Reuben’s frustration mounted. “If what you’re saying is true, how come I didn’t hear anything about it? And I believe if it had happened in the werewolf realm, these incidents must have been recorded in books too,”
he questioned, a mix of confusion and curiosity evident in his tone.
“The only explanation is that someone intentionally kept the news of the attack from spreading and concealed the incident,”
Walter remarked, observing Reuben’s darkening expressions.
“So this fucked up mess is rooted in the past!”
Reuben growled, his eyes intense as they fixated on the photos on his desk.
“If you suspect a hunter’s involvement, let me assure you that no hunter can single-handedly eliminate shifters in one night,”
Walter explained solemnly to Reuben. Despite being from a different country, he held a strong belief in justice, especially when it came to matters involving hunters.
“I know it’s not the work of humans or witches,”
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.