The Wolf's Witch (book 1)

41. Processing

Kaitlin

Leon shows me his chat with Sethan, "Leave and don't come back until tomorrow afternoon."

To which Leon replied, "Got it."

I snatch Leon's phone from his hands and he doesn't protest when I start typing, "Didn't you cancel?" I press send and ignore my frustrated heart. I had thought I had scared him away yesterday. At worst, he'd up his guard after finding out how old I was.

"No." Sethan answers within seconds.

What? I gawk and run so damn fast to my room. When I get there, I realize I'd moved on autopilot. There's no point in dressing up. Instead I shower, put on light make up and a fresh shirt and jean shorts. Suddenly, I look a lot less pathetic. I stare at myself in the mirror for a few seconds too long. Thoughts threaten to pour in so I head off back to the couch and find that Leon was gone. I check my phone. No message from Sethan but there's ten minutes to kill. It's only then that I fully realize that I've cleaned up and touched my make up stash for him.

What the heck was I doing? I already accepted this. It wouldn't work between us. He's likely coming to kick me out of the city. I bite my tongue and yelp. I hadn't meant to bite that hard.

There's a knock on the door. I take my time sweet time getting up wondering how I should play this. With a deep breath, I open my door and see Sethan in dress slacks paired with a long sleeve navy sweater. It hugs him and is loose in the right places. This was the most formal I've seen him dressed. Words get caught in my throat.

Sethan takes me in as he steps inside and I move back automatically. He's clean shaven making his jaw appear sharper. To think the Moon Goddess paired him with me?

Such a waste.

His eyes are quick and his words are firm, "Go get dressed. Anything but jeans." He shuts the door behind him.

I bite my lip as I study his face. He's continuing with this date premise as a facade to lure me out? "I thought we talked about this."

"You did and I listened." he sounds sincere, "Now go get dressed." he urges but I don't move. I'm fully aware that I don't have one lucky bone in my body. The thought of walking off into the sunset feels like a dream that's likely to go bad any second. The sky would quake and demogorgons would come at us at all sides. Something like that.

Sethan reaches out for my chin, prying my lower lip free with a press of his forefinger and thumb on my chin. I realize I'd been biting my lip. Sethan licks his own and simultaneously rubs the pad on his thumb along my lower lip.

"Would you rather order in?" he asks as golden flecks lighten his molten eyes.

I'm not even joking but I forget how to swallow. I dart to my room. I'd only found out how much I wanted him yesterday when the hurt hit as he had leaned away from me on his bar stool. I knew male body language well and that was a clear tell of hurt or loss of interest, and in this case, both. Him being here to lure me out and bite off my head later wasn't a surprise. After all, I'd admitted to being able to take over his pack... I recalled the heat in his eyes that wasn't accompanied by hate. The thought that he wasn't this good of an actor manifested. His ordering in suggestion had sounded too real. Did he get amnesia and mean it? There had been zero growling as well.

I open my closet door suddenly all too conscious that I don't have much time to plan an outfit. I also don't know where we are going... If this is real then... I shake my head and I settle on a white blouse with beige high raise pants, light and tight enough for him to stare at a second too long. If he was here to officially reject, or worse, attempt to kill me, I'd be able to buy myself a few seconds. To my delight, it works. While I walk out, Sethan seems stuck watching me, not hiding the approval in his eyes. I started to imagine us ordering in instead and spoke to snap both of us out of it.