I watched her devour that first burger with such unrestrained enjoynt that I almost forgot to eat my own al. It was oddly... captivating.
This woman who minutes ago had held a knife to a man’s throat, now licking sauce from her lips with such obvious pleasure in the taste. She didn’t attempt to maintain the delicate behaviors I’d seen countless tis across boardroom lunches.
No strategically small bites for the sake of a more feminine appearance and no dabbing at corners of the mouth between asured words. My m-... Citra Lomdi ate like soone who understood hunger.
Who knew its sharp edges and didn’t have ti for pretense. When she finally paused, polishing off the last of the potato wedges while eyeing the second milkshake with a strange amount of wariness... I asked a question.
"Was the food to your liking?"
"Quite acceptable. Though perhaps that... was just the hunger talking."
I think back to the bites of my own sandwich, and how I savored it more than usual. Like every little bite contained more of sothing when sitting here next to her.
An item I’ve ordered here a hundred tis... but I may never enjoy it again. Because it is sure to be tasteless without Citra sitting across from .
My wolf strained against my control, urging closeness. Demanding I move to her side of the table instead of keeping myself firmly in place.
For soone so vehently opposed to our wolves’ connection, she had a curious habit of sneaking glances at throughout the walk here - and while eating. When she thought I wasn’t looking or couldn’t sense her gaze.
Quick, assessing flickers of those striking gray eyes that I wanted to stare at from even closer. Each one sent a quiet roar through , despite my effort to not respond and ruin her... curiosity.
It was strange to think I’d negotiated rgers worth billions in corporate assets with less intensity in my heart than I felt now. Sharing relatively cheap food truck als with this... barely understood woman.
Perhaps it was because those transactions ca with clear rules, expectations, and agreents spelled out in immaculate legal language. This... whatever this was or wasn’t between us... had no such clarity.
Fated mate potential as werewolves, half-strangers otherwise. An attraction between us that must be clear to both of us, but resisted for different reasons.
The way she blushes and doesn’t seem to fully realize it sotis is adorable.
As I took another drink to cool off, I thought back to the alley - to the mont I’d slamd that rogue against the wall. The rage that had filled when I saw him lay hands on her wasn’t sothing I could easily explain.
It went beyond the territorial instinct I’ve felt when defending my pack. Sothing about Citra brought out both my most primal reactions and my most careful restraints.
A paradox I was still struggling to reconcile. Which is why I ventured to ask another question after the silence had stretched between us too long again.
"I’ve been wondering. Where are you staying tonight?"
Her eyes imdiately narrowed. I could almost see the walls of hers climbing back up inside them.
Ones built especially for - but with a sense of practice. A necessity that was born long before we t?
"I’ll find sowhere."
Of course. She’d survived coming to the city without my help. Still, after that confrontation earlier...
"I’m sure you will. But with what happened..."
I nodded in agreent and tried to keep my voice matter-of-fact, rather than as incredibly concerned as I truly was. I pulled out my phone and paused... feeling that this may be too ’presumptuous’ or perhaps... controlling?
"I have a list of locations within the safer places in Vossden. Nothing overly fancy, but cleaner than the Starlight Suites - and in areas where my pack maintains more regular patrols. May I send it to you?"
"You prepared a list?"
The suspicion in her voice was unmistakable. I could have lied, but sothing told honesty... even if it revealed too much of my hand, was the better strategy with Citra.
She isn’t a business partner. I don’t need to have a firm high ground. She is-
"I... worry. Is that so terrible?"
Her expression shifted when I simply admitted it, the sharp edges ready to say sothing snarky just softened and dazed. Like she wasn’t used to incredibly straightforward answers without manipulation behind them.
Sothing I do sort of understand, with my position. I suspected few people in her life had ever been genuine with her.
"Fine. You can send it."
With that almost too quiet response received, I quickly pulled up the docunt I’d prepared the very night I saw her going into that motel. Research I did on my own instead of involving Claire.
Selections of motels, extended-stay inns, and a few small apartnt buildings with month-to-month leases I would sign in a heartbeat if she asked. Places where she could remain independent from or anyone else... but where I could reasonably ensure her safety.
"Done. No pressure from to use any of them, but they’re options that I wanted you to have."
The string lights overhead provided most of the illumination, as the nearest street light had been broken for a year. Citra looked no less fierce, cautious, and intelligent underneath the low light.
Curiously thick hair, drawn up into that pair of high tails sohow draws attention to the proud, often raised line of her jaw. I’d been so busy watching her as she started to gather her trash and place it in a nearby bin... that I almost didn’t expect her to talk when she walked back.
"Thank you for dinner. It was... not terrible."
Such a small allowance of almost praise seed to surprise even her and I couldn’t help but laugh at her quickly vexed face. A real laugh, not the polite chuckle I used in business luncheons.
"High acclaim. I’ll take it gratefully."
My hand reached to give back her shopping bag, but sothing unexpected happened. Citra suddenly pulled out the phone she carried... the hunter’s phone.
With a blue sticker of a fox? The flash caught mid-movent as she stepped back quickly.
For a mont, I just stared at her in confusion. Frozen in position with the plastic awkwardly dangling.
"What are you doing?"
"Paying you back for the al, of course."
She replied with a mischievous gleam in her emotive gray eyes that I hadn’t really seen before.
"Or maybe not? Such a rare photo of CEO Kyrie Voss holding soone else’s shopping bag must be quite valuable. Could I not sell this to the tabloids?"
- - - - -
[AN]: For those of you that like to look at character art on the in app profiles... I finally added so for Chad, Luca, and most importantly - Claire!
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