Duke Charming | Craig

Fifteen

The moment Craig was out of earshot, I unleashed the full power of my unbridled excitement. Squealing under my breath, I ran for the bed and flopped down face-first into the duvet, uncaring if my makeup smudged. And then I screamed, trusting the blankets and mattress to muffle my voice.

It felt unreal. I was going on a date tomorrow. My very first date.

The next thing I knew, I was jumping on the bed and reveling in the weightless feeling Craig left me with. I felt unstoppable. I felt powerful. And I was completely and utterly in love.

Falling flat on my arse, I bounced with the mattress. Breathless from the surge of excitement, I started wondering where we were going the next day. I probably should've asked, considering I'd have to dress up accordingly. Couldn't wear a pair of jeans if we're going to a fancy restaurant, and I also couldn't wear a fancy dress if he had something more energetic planned.

Waltzing to my closet, I started taking inventory of what I had. Something told me Craig wasn't the fancy getup kind of man that would pick me up in a limousine and take me to some upper-class dining experience – although it wasn't above him either. Knowing him, I guessed he had something unique planned that revolved around his hobbies and interests.

So practical clothes?

But not too practical since I still wanted him to look.

Ten minutes later, I had an outfit planned for the next day. It was a burgundy third-quarter sleeve knit sweater that reached my mid thighs. And keeping the unpredictable weather in mind, I was pairing it with a pair of plaid tights and my knee-high boots that Bonnie convinced me to buy. I made a mental note to thank her for that.

Satisfied with my choices, I began undoing the lacing of the dress, eager to take a shower and go to bed – although, I doubted I'd be able to sleep with all the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

And that's when I heard it...voices coming from outside.

My heart leapt when I recognized Craig's accent among them, and my feet automatically carried me to the balcony door. I had to steal another look at him before turning in, just to ensure that if I dreamed, it'd be of him.

Quietly opening the door and stepping onto the balcony, I followed the direction of the voices all the way to the fountain in the middle of the garden. My sides tickled when I clearly saw him talking with Rheon and Emric, still wearing that dashing suit that complimented his figure splendidly – minus the blazer of course.

I shouldn't be listening in...but found it hard to resist when I caught sentences like 'How was your nightcap with Nel?' and 'You look a bit flustered, brother.' So, I tuned in my hearing and crouched behind the rampart to remain unseen.

"She..." Craig trailed off, his tone soft and a little breathless, "...she's perfect. The Goddess Three be my witness, tha' lass could 'ave me on m'knees with a single look."

I clamped my hand over my mouth to muffle the elated noise that threatened to escape. It was almost impossible to eavesdrop further with the blood rushing in my ears.

"Oh, no, please, spare me those details." Rheon chuckled and that time, said sincerely, "We're all happy for you, Craig. You've beaten the odds and found your mate after thirty years. If gran was still here, she'd be bursting with joy."

"Aye, the ol' girl would've loved Nel," Craig replied, his tone laced with nostalgia as he no doubt thought of his mother.

However, the silence that followed among them was odd. I would've guessed Craig wouldn't be able to stop talking about us, perhaps even telling his brother and nephew about our date the next day. Hell, if I had a pack to confide in, I'd be ranting like a schoolgirl. I'd spill the tea for everyone, they'd have to tape my mouth to shut me up. That's how he made me feel.

But now, he was quiet, as though something was weighing on his mind that he didn't know how to voice.

Emric must have noticed it too, since he asked, "Why do I get the feeling you're not telling us everything, Craig?"

"Somethin' just not addin' up to me," he began, truthful as always. "Now, don't get me wrong, I'd follow Nel to hell and back if she asked me to, but...I think there might be somethin' wrong with me. Either tha', or Rheon's curse was contagious an' I caught it."

"What do you mean?" Rheon's voice had dropped. Just hearing about his former curse was enough to put him on edge.

"See, I can't sense her, she doesn't 'ave a scent," Craig explained. "I can't sense anythin' 'bout her at all, now tha' I think 'bout it. Can't tell when she's in a room with me, can't hear her coming, can't feel her when she's nearby. Heck, the only way I know she's real and I 'aven't made her up, is seein' her. Otherwise, nothin'."

Worry twisted my stomach at what I heard. That's how he wasn't aware of me in the kitchen that night – and how I was able to slip underneath his radar all this time.

Realization hit me like a punch to the gut. Could we have found each other six months ago when I came to Direfair? Would he have picked up my scent on day one and followed it to Nellie's? Could I have known sooner that I had another mate? That I could've been happy all this time...

The possibilities of finding each other sooner were endless, and I've never been more regretful of these unique gifts I had. For years, I've used them to escape my father and cover my tracks that I've grown used to it. So much, I forgot how to turn them off.

Werewolves were supposed to find their mates by scent, that's why our sense of smell was our most valuable gift. And each wolf's scent was unique. Craig's scent was my own personal brand of heroine, my Amortentia, my way of finding him among eight billion people. But he didn't have that with me. So...did that mean he was having second thoughts?

Or did he, too, see me as broken goods because of it?

"That is odd," Emric's voice sounded above my rising anxiety. "I've never heard of anything like that before."

"Now that you've mentioned it, you're right. I also couldn't place her scent when I met her at the bistro that day." Rheon tried to sound optimistic when he added, "Can it be that Nel's special, somehow?"

"I can't say," Emric replied. "I'll speak to Blake, see if he – or his sister – knew of occurrences like that. Either Nel is, how Rheon stated, special, or something darker is at work that's affecting our senses. Goddess forbids if residue of Lucine's magic still lingers at Craven Pride."

Having heard enough, I retreated inside and closed the door. The knot in my stomach remained, though, filling my thoughts with panic.

What if I wasn't good enough because I hid my scent? If Craig...

I couldn't even fathom it. The damage Dario inflicted on my felt as fresh as though it happened yesterday, a reminder that rejection doesn't just heal over the course of twelve years. It stays, and it devours you from the inside like a cancer. Finding Craig might have restored hope within me, but it also doubled my fear of going through all that agony a second time.

No werewolf could survive that.

For a brief second, I considered trying to lower my shields and allow Craig to just have a hint of my scent...but erased that idea before it could sprout root and grow. If I allowed any one of them a hint of my scent, they'll know I'm not human. I'd be exposed and nothing good could come of it.

And in that moment of hopeless desperation, my eyes shifted to my suitcase in the corner of the room.

To where I kept the potion.

Evil or not, it was still my only way out, and I had to remain focused on obtaining Craig's blood. Everything will be fixed once I've taken the potion.