Wolfdale

NINETEEN (Ruby P.O.V)

"Luna Iselen suspects something..."

"Of course she does, Mark. My mate's really smart..."

I lean my elbows on my wooden desk while looking at the park through the window. It has stopped raining finally although the ground is still wet... It doesn't matter, we can't wait any more, tomorrow is Friday and we only have one day left to get things ready. Now I have to find a way to keep Iselen locked at home but without looking through the windows of the penthouse. How am I going to do that?

"Well, you can do that like rabbits for hours... sorry, I mean like wolves..."

"Rose!"

"What? It's not very different from what you've been doing every night for the last three days..." The Diva rolls her eyes but a satisfied wolfish grin spreads across her muzzle, she knows that these have been the best days of our life: living with her and sleeping every night hugging my mate is the greatest joy I've ever felt.

"You said it yourself: every night... and then we took breakfast in the kitchen and she went to the studio and I came to my office... I can't have her tied up to my bed for 24 hours with the curtains closed... don't you dare to say a word, Rosie..." My wolf was about opening her big mouth but she closes her jaw and stares at me smugly.

"Everything's ready," Mark assures me. "Tonight they're going to start setting up the stalls in the park and the coloured lanterns and lights have arrived just in time..."

"Psst!" My assistant Lisette Shallou, Valérie's sister, the owner of the lingerie shop, puts her curly-haired head around my door. "Luna Iselen is here, climbing the stairs right now..."

"Shit! What am I going to do?" I whisper while running my fingers through my hair looking at Mark with despair but the Chief Inspector just shrugs. Our only other choice would be to tell her the truth but that would ruin...

"Hello babe, hello Mark." My mate comes into my office and it feels like the grey and cloudy day has vanished and the sun is shining all of a sudden. Maybe the white T-shirt with yellow lemons printed that she's wearing under her denim jacket has something to do with that or maybe it's her smile. Rose sighs in my mind like she always does when she sees her and I can't help doing the same. "I have this for you..." She places a paper bag on my desk carefully. "Roast chicken sandwiches with guacamole, from last night dinner leftovers... There's plenty for everyone if you want one too, Mark."

"I'm pretty sure they're delicious," the Chief Inspector mumbles amused while staring at my face of adoration. My girl brought me food made with her own hands, how did I manage to live all these years without her?

"Ruby, is that the portrait Denise painted for you?" She points behind my head at the wall. I look back over my shoulder despite I see it every time I walk into my office: it's a work of art actually, colours are soft and harmonious. The fact that she used coloured pencils for such a big format makes it very innovative, this kind of portraits are usually done with oil painting but Denise wanted to try a new technique and the portrait was so beautiful that I didn't hesitate a second and hanged it in my office for everybody to see it. I nod at my mate but I realize she's staring at it in shock. I frown confused, she doesn't like it or what? "Ruby, when did you have a flowered shirt?"

"Mmmm... to be honest that's the only one I've ever had..." I answer after thinking about it a little. I look down at the Metallica t-shirt I'm wearing right now trying to remember it. "I didn't even buy it, I think it was a gift from Claire..."

"Sorry again..." My assistant leans her head through my door and smiles. "Luna Iselen, Matt Kyoh has dropped by and left a box for you... it smells like heaven..." My mate bursts into laughing.