Chapter 9 9

The wolf inside me was snarling, and I was doing my best to keep a straight face.

My good mood evaporated in an instant. Arthur noticed.

"Something's wrong? You just went quiet all of a sudden," he asked with concern, looking at me. "Your eyes..."

"It's nothing, really. It happens," I tried to force a smile, but it barely came out.

"Alright, I'll believe you... For now. It's not even a full moon. You're not going to shift here, are you?" Arthur asked seriously.

"No, of course not!" I answered, then added a quieter, less confident, "...I shouldn't..."

I tried to pull myself together, and it seemed to work. Arthur didn't push to figure out the reason for my mood, and I silently thanked him for that.

"You know, your sister's growing into quite the beauty. Bet she's swamped with suitors," Arthur said, steering the conversation elsewhere.

"Yeah, I think there's one guy she likes. She won't stop talking about him. What do they call it now? A 'crush.' She has a teenage crush. She's a fan of some pop group popular with the youth. Posters all over her room. Classic teenager stuff," I said with a smile, remembering myself at her age. I, too, wanted an otherworldly love, probably like any girl at that time. But I didn't have that unbearable youthful extremism. I never swooned over boys from magazine covers. I didn't even dye my hair. Once I tried highlights, but I didn't like it much, so I stuck with my natural color-at least until gray starts showing. Luckily, I haven't noticed any white hairs yet.

"And you? When are you going to find yourself a girl?" I asked. "Surely there's some beauty on your radar?"

"Well... there is, but I'm still not sure about her. We've met a couple of times," he said flatly.

"Then why am I here and not her?"

"You know... I always have time for you," Arthur replied, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

I continued talking with Arthur, but I couldn't stop glancing at the table nearby. From my angle, it was practically in plain view, just behind Arthur.

My eyes met Konstantin's. Did he remember me from that brief encounter at the office-or not? Should I greet him-or not? I felt like I should, but I couldn't even manage a nod.

And then... that scarecrow next to him noticed her companion's distraction. She swung her long leg toward Konstantin's lap! She should have been embarrassed-it was, after all, a public place.

My claws extended instinctively, and my gel polish flew off in an unknown direction. In a burst of furious, instinctive rage, I shredded the tablecloth right beside my plate. The wolf inside me growled and bared her teeth-they were touching WHAT'S MINE.

Arthur abruptly grabbed my hand without a word and led me toward the restaurant exit. Once we were outside, I began to regain some composure.

"Have you calmed down?" he asked. "Wait a minute-should I go settle the bill?"

I nodded silently, staring at the pavement. He walked away briefly but returned very quickly.

"Let's take a walk in the park," he suggested, offering me his arm.

I silently agreed. As we reached the neatly maintained park paths, Arthur finally spoke again:

"Don't you want to tell me what that was? I've never seen you like that before, especially in public."

I sighed heavily. What could I possibly say?

"It's... complicated. I don't really understand it myself."

"Start somewhere, even a little bit," he urged.

"I think... I met my mate. He was at the restaurant, and he wasn't... himself. As you can see, my beast didn't like it one bit," I said, turning my gaze away so Arthur wouldn't notice the tears threatening to spill.

"Did you meet him just now, or earlier?"

"A little earlier..." I trailed off, holding back my tears. I didn't want to go into details, but Arthur wasn't letting it go.

"You've only been in the city a couple of days," he reasoned aloud. "So this... is someone from your new job?"

Why won't you let it go! I thought, but I didn't say it out loud. I didn't want to be rude.

"Yes. But the job isn't officially mine yet, and nothing is really clear. And I'm not ready to share details because... there aren't really any yet. Sorry."

Arthur sighed heavily, staring straight ahead, but didn't say anything.

"And I think... our intimate time together, beyond just friendship, needs to stop too. My wolf won't let another man near me now that he is around. She has recognized him, and he's nearby," I said.

"Ah, and here I was thinking we'd have some fun today! I even invited you to the restaurant, spent some money, and you just ruined it!" he exclaimed, annoyed. I stopped in my tracks and looked at him wide-eyed, noticing the barely suppressed smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh, go on!" I exhaled and lightly punched his shoulder with my fist.

"But at least you're smiling now," he said, laughing.

One of the things I really love about Arthur is how easy he is to talk to. He always finds a way to lift your mood. His jokes... on anyone else, they might be annoying, but not with him. There's no malice in his teasing, no hidden intent to hurt, so you simply can't get mad at him. He can spin everything in such a way that it's impossible to stay upset.

"I told you, you should've invited some girl with a little dog! They wouldn't have said no! Then we could have had some fun. Instead, you get to listen to my suffering," I said, smiling.

"No way. Sometimes those girls are so... you'd be better off joining a monastery. But you? That's a different story!" He paused, thinking it over. "Maybe... still yes?" he asked, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"No. And don't even hope for it," I replied, laughing.

"Damn!" he grimaced playfully, feigning frustration. "But worth a try. If anything changes, call me," he said with a smile.

"Got it," I replied.

Word by word, our conversation continued as we casually made our way to the apartment where I was staying. My mood had lifted thanks to Arthur. We stopped at the door, and he turned to face me.

"And now, no more jokes. You know you can always count on me," he said seriously. "If you need support or a friend, I'll always help you, Dana."

I pressed my lips together to keep from crying. He's so good. I hope life treats him well and he finds the one who will bring him happiness.

"I know, Arthur. I know, and I really appreciate it. Thank you."

We hugged, he kissed me on the cheek, and we said goodbye.