Royal Secrets & Beastly Desires

12. The Element of Surprise

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Draiden and Victoria left for Canada a few days later. All last week, Dakota's belongings had begun to arrive, and she was grateful that Draiden had been there to help lift all of her heavy boxes. Without him, she wasn't sure how she would have managed carrying all of her stuff up ten flights of stairs. Of course, as a Lycan, she could have done it, but she enjoyed putting the Alpha to work. Plus, it gave her plenty of opportunities to check him out from behind. Her heart ached for him to come back but she understood he needed to get back and run his pack.

The decorating had been the fun part, and today she was anxiously waiting for Caleb to arrive! He had called to say he would be coming a week early, and Dakota rushed to prepare his room, excited for his visit.

"Ding...ding...ding!" went the doorbell, and Dakota jumped from the couch, practically sprinting to the door. Flinging it open, she squealed when she saw her best friend standing there, looking both exhausted and amused.

He held up his hand and gasped for air dramatically. "You just had to pick the flat with a hundred flights of stairs," he complained, fanning his face as if he were about to faint.

Dakota laughed, stepping aside to let him in. "Oh, come on! It's not that bad. Besides, think of all the cardio you're getting," she teased, closing the door behind him.

He rolled his eyes, but a grin broke through. "Sure, if I survive the climb! What's the plan? I need to know how I can help decorate this place and make it livable again."

Dakota beamed with excitement, eager to show him around. "Let me give you the grand tour first! Then we can hit the stores for some decorations."

Giggling, Dakota grabbed Caleb by the arm and pulled him in for a quick embrace. "I missed you so much! Why didn't you just take the elevator?" she asked, pulling away with a playful grin.

His eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands together. "Oh, thank God! I was so worried I'd have to walk up and down those steps all the time. Show me where it is, baby girl! I need to grab my stuff," he said, talking a mile a minute.

"Caleb , you're a shifter; you can handle stairs. Plus, I lied-there's no elevator," she admitted with a mischievous smile. "But wait until you see this view!" She grabbed his arm and led him to the huge window that overlooked the city. "Now you know why I picked this flat. Plus, you'll get used to the stairs, and when you find your mate, he'll be so impressed with your muscles. Mm-mm," she teased, waggling her eyebrows.

He laughed, glancing down at his legs. "My legs are quite skinny, aren't they? And girl, I am in love with this view! You did good. Mmhmm, very good indeed. Look at those sexy men down there!" he exclaimed, pointing at the people walking below them.

Dakota laughed, leaning against the window as they both took in the bustling city. "Okay, love, let's go get your stuff so we can unpack and then check out the city," she said, excitement bubbling within her.

"Lead the way!" he said, his enthusiasm infectious as he followed her out of the room. Together, they descended the stairs, ready to tackle the challenge of unpacking and exploring their new home. The laughter and banter flowed easily between them, each step filled with the promise of a new adventure.

He seemed to love the idea of diving right into unpacking, sprinting down the stairs at full speed to grab his belongings. Dakota followed closely behind, a smile spreading across her face. To anyone who didn't know him, they might think he was straight, but once he started talking, it was clear that he was anything but conventional. He never dressed in feminine clothing or wore makeup, but he loved to playfully adopt a more dramatic persona, mostly around Dakota and not in public.