James broke the kiss, and he enjoyed the sight of Cornelia slowly opening her eyes to meet his. No matter how hard his day was, the thought of Cornelia in his arms made it all better.
Cornelia was absolutely dazed by James' attack on her senses. She hated that he kissed her deeply in front of others, but she couldn't complain because she was aware of how, unless they were in danger, James would focus only on her, and she loved that part of him. She loved every part of him.
While thinking about dangers, Cornelia had to ask, "Jay, who is the new face?"
"Zina's mate," James responded.
Normally, Cornelia would congratulate Zina, but this was not a normal situation, so she had to ask, "Is it OK for me to be here? Can we trust him?"
When Cornelia saw Owen, she froze at the door, and before she could ask who the newcomer was, James was already kissing her.
James smiled, happy that his chocolate-colored Goddess was in front of him, and he could feel her body pressing on his while her flavors of wild berries filled his system. The only thing that could make this better was if they were naked, but that will also happen, later. Would James allow anyone to jeopardize this? Not a chance.
"If that guy dares to say anything that shouldn't be said, I will kill him."
Owen stiffened at James' words. Were they talking about him? It sounded like it.
Owen was not surprised that Alpha Edward's son would talk about killing like it's a totally normal thing, but he couldn't believe that Cornelia was looking at James with hearts in her eyes like he said the most romantic thing in the world.
James and Cornelia joined them at the table and Owen didn't miss that James got busy feeding Cornelia which only confirmed Owen's suspicion: they were not just dating. They were mates! But, how was that possible? Wasn't James underage?
Nothing made sense anymore and Owen decided to give up on thinking.
He poked a bite-sized piece of roasted potato and offered it to Zina who obediently opened her mouth.
Every next moment brought another surprise, and Owen was now surprised by the sense of pride and accomplishment that swelled within him because Zina accepted the food he was giving her. It was his first time feeding someone, and it was such a simple thing. Why did it feel like it was important?
"How come you are here for dinner?" Zina asked Cornelia.
The witch would usually eat at the Dark Howlers pack and leave later in the evening when James was done with his duties.
Cornelia smiled at James while responding to Zina, "Jay texted me that he will be having dinner here, so…" She couldn't say more because James stuffed a spoonful of soup into her mouth which was quickly followed by a piece of dinner roll.
Owen remembered that James was setting up two additional plates. At that time Owen didn't think much of it, but now it made sense. Owen concluded that even young Alphas were not immune from the desire to serve their mates.
"Congrats on finding your mate," Cornelia said to Zina.
Zina glanced sheepishly at Owen. Was it too early to accept congratulations? But Owen was looking at her and she could feel his heart cracking with every second she remained silent, and her heart cracked as well when she realized that those were his insecurities.
"Thank you, Cora," Zina said. "It all happened so quickly that I'm still processing it."
"Take your time," Cornelia said. "You are mates and that won't change no matter how long you take to settle into it. Your heart knows best, but sometimes your mind needs to accept the adjustment. Only when they are in sync will you truly be at ease. Not everyone allows their impulses to take over thoughtlessly and gets marked the moment they see their mate."
Dawn felt that this was a jab directed at her. "And not everyone waits for a month!"
Cornelia's eyes flashed. "Why are you assuming that everyone is horny like you?"
James and George stiffened. Why were Dawn and Cornelia bickering about mating? If this resulted in no sex, they will be the ones suffering!
Zina burst into giggles when she noticed James' and George's panicked expressions. "Maybe you should take that back, Cora, as most of the people here are horny."
Dawn cocked an eyebrow at Zina. "Are you talking about yourself?"
Zina couldn't believe that Dawn called her out like that in front of Owen. "Mind your own business!"
"But you are my business, Zi. Until you figure out living arrangements, keep your hands to yourself."
"You shouldn't worry about their hands," George said.
"Living arrangements shouldn't be a problem," Cornelia said and turned to Zina. "Until you figure out things, you can always do how Jay and I are doing."
Zina's eyes lit up. Cornelia's suggestion made sense. Like that, she could work in the Dark Howlers pack, and Owen would do whatever he does during the day, and they could meet for the night. It was not perfect, but it would work until they find a permanent solution.
Dawn raised her hand to get everyone's attention. "You are assuming that we will dedicate a guest bedroom for Owen and Zi. And you are forgetting that after a few trips you will be tired of shuttling Zi around. How often will your schedules match?"
"Will a room for Owen and I be a problem?" Zina asked.
Dawn rolled her eyes. "It's not that simple. James was close to George before, so no one suspected a few additional trips. However, Owen and George are not exactly friendly. If their interaction changes suddenly, people will start asking questions and snooping around. You already know that if they look into this, they will find more than they bargained for. This is not the Dark Howlers pack, Zi. The slightest mistake will put all of us in danger."
Dawn saw that Zina's expression fell, so she added pleadingly, "Zi, you know that I'm thinking about what's best for you."
"Thank you," Zina said curtly. "I wonder how you would react if I was in the room when you saw George and realized he was your mate. What if I stood in front of you and told you to stay back because he is from the Red Moon pack?"
Dawn knew that Zina had a point, but there were many things Zina didn't know.
"Let's not talk about it now," James said, making both Dawn and Zina look his way. He gestured toward Owen and George. "Since you are discussing this small stuff, I assume that your mates didn't tell you what happened in my father's office."
Dawn was alarmed. "What happened?"
"We will talk about it after dinner," George said. He didn't want grim topics to spoil his appetite, even though it was already spoiled because Dawn was restless.
George knew that Dawn was worried about him, and it was killing him from the inside. He was an Alpha, why was his mate living in fear?
In moments like these, George was wondering if his revenge was worth it. Wouldn't it be better to disappear with Dawn to a place where Alpha Edward won't find them? It would be just the two of them, and it would be wonderful.
