Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
CHARLI
Teague strides into the restaurant with the same confidence he displays everywhere, as if he knows his place in this world is at the top of the food chain.
Not in an arrogant, I’m important way, though.
Working with him has been eye opening. He’s a natural-born leader.
People in the office respect and listen to him, and while he pushes them to be their best, he also gives them his best.
That kind of self-confidence is intoxicating and intimidating at the same time. I’d give anything to have a tenth of it.
The instant we step through the doors, the hostess greets us.
“Mr. Lochlan,” the petite violet-haired woman murmurs. Her gaze swings briefly to me. “Miss Ford. We have your table ready. Please follow Robert.”
Teague dips his head and motions for me to go first, his hand lightly touching the small of my back. Something I’m slowly getting used to both him and Macklin doing.
Quite a few of the tables are full, but the dim lighting and candles flickering on the tables give the restaurant a cozy, intimate vibe. Pressed white tablecloths and sparkling silverware convey a sense of luxury, while the cream walls and light wood flooring bring natural warmth to the space.
I swallow hard. This is the fanciest restaurant I’ve ever seen. Now I’m even more grateful to Victoria and Amara for their expertise. Nothing in my closet would have worked, and I’d have spent the whole night fidgeting and wishing I was at home in my pajamas.
Robert stops at a table in front of a huge bank of windows. Captivated by the view of Greystone and the valley spread out before us, lights twinkling in the dark, I slowly sink into my seat. Robert sets the menus down and leaves.
“This is one of my favorite places in Greystone,” Teague reveals, his tone low. “You can see the whole city from here. All the houses and businesses that give supernaturals a safe place to live, work, and raise their children in a setting that continues to steal my breath every day.”
“Over a hundred thousand, right?” I state, recalling what he said to me on our very first chat. “According to Raine, this Vale served as a blueprint for others. It’s an impressive legacy.”
Surprise crosses his face. “You remembered.” Then he shakes his head. “Not my legacy. Macklin’s. Andros and I helped, but this is his dream.”
The server, a woman with bright green eyes and black hair, comes up and introduces herself, and I can’t help but wonder what she is. After all, the last time we went to dinner, the restaurant was owned by wolf shifters.
“My name’s Aisling, and I’ll be taking care of you this evening.” She fills our glasses with water as she walks through the specials. “Can I bring you something to drink? A bottle of wine, perhaps?”
Teague gives her a polite smile. “Give us a minute or two, please.” When she leaves, he turns to me. “I’d love a bottle of wine, but only if you’ll join me. Or we can choose something non-alcoholic.”
“Mmm, a bottle of wine sounds good. It’s been a while since I had any,” I tell him, shoving the memory of Cara and me clinking glasses at my birthday party down deep. This is a date. My first. And I don’t want to ruin it by thinking about the past.
Aisling returns and nods when Teague orders a bottle of white wine.
I open the menu and stare at the list of mouthwatering dishes. Roasted duck, pork ribeye, lamb, salmon. Everything sounds delicious. Not wanting to get the most expensive thing, I scan the list, but there aren’t any prices. I bite my lip.
“Is something wrong?” Teague asks, attuned as always.
“There are no prices on the menu,” I reply, wondering what I should do.
“Guess that means you have to pick what you want, not what you think you should get,” he muses, his sterling eyes shining with silver amusement. “I know you like steak, but what else looks good?”
“Almost everything,” I reply, a little overwhelmed by the choices. “What’s your favorite?”
His lips curl. “I love everything. Sorry, I know that’s not helping. Do you have any allergies or anything you don’t like?”
“No allergies,” I tell him, looking back at the list. “I tried venison when I was a kid. Didn’t like it.” There are quite a few things on here that I don’t recognize. Like mafaldine, carpaccio, croquettes. Tapping my leg, I skim each dish over and over.
Teague’s hand comes down on my knee, stopping it from bouncing.
His thumb lightly circles the inside of my knee, and heat spirals out from that one little spot.
“The first thing I tried here was the roasted chicken with lemon garlic sauce, truffle mac and cheese, and crispy Brussel sprouts. It was amazing. I promise anything you pick will be incredible.”
Exhaling slowly, I try not to think about the thumb that’s slowly driving me crazy.
Aisling returns to pour the wine into our glasses. “Decide on an appetizer?”
I wrinkle my nose. Didn’t look at that list.
“We’ll take the steak frites skewers. Medium rare,” he replies.
Aisling leaves, and I turn to Teague. “What are frites?”
He leans in close like he’s going to tell me a secret. “Fancy word for fries.”
I laugh. “Seriously?”
“I’m sure there is some culinary technique they use that’s different, but you would have to ask Macklin,” he says with a chuckle. He picks up his glass and takes a sip. “Have you decided what you want for dinner?”
Aisling comes back and sets down the appetizer, then leaves.
The first bite is tender and juicy, and I shoot Teague an incredulous look. “You weren’t kidding. This is delicious and tastes so fresh. And this sauce. I could lick the platter clean.” I wince. “Not that I would. It’s a saying from home.”
“The South, right?” he recalls, leaning back in his chair.
I chuckle. “Yep, and we have more sayings than you can shake a stick at.”
His lips twitch. “That definitely sounded southern. What’s your favorite? Or the craziest?”
“There are so many,” I admit, with a self-conscious shrug.
“My mother grew up in the country, and she used them all the time.” I’ll never forget her sweet accent.
“She used to tell me that I was too big for my britches. Or she’d say ‘that dog won’t hunt’ when I’d try to get out of my chores.
If she didn’t like someone, she’d say ‘bless her heart.’”
Teague chuckles, then reaches out and clasps my hand. “You said she passed when you were sixteen? Was it just you and your dad then?”
“Never knew him,” I say, matter of fact. “One-night stand kind of thing.” Never missed him either. Because I had Hank. He was the only dad I ever knew. Too bad he turned out to be a shit stepfather.
His gaze is thoughtful. “You had nobody when she died?”
I open my mouth, then shut it, and stare at Teague. “I don’t want to ruin our date by talking about the past,” I finally say.
Aisling returns to the table. “Ready to order?”
Teague raises an eyebrow, and I dip my chin. “I’m going to have the cream chicken with mushroom risotto and a side of green beans.”
Aisling jots it down and takes my menu from me. “Mr. Lochlan?”
“I’ll have the lamb, with the grilled asparagus, and roasted red potatoes,” he says, giving her the menu.
After she leaves, he picks my hand up again and plays with my fingers as his gaze locks with mine.
“This might be our first date, but you’re my mate.
There’s nothing I don’t want to know about you.
Nothing you could say would make me leave.
If I push too hard, tell me to back off.
But hopefully, as time passes, you’ll feel comfortable enough, trust me enough, to share more. ”
There’s so much emotion in the way he looks at me as if I’m worth the thousand years he spent waiting for the Fates to bring me to him. It’s quite terrifying. What happens when he doesn’t like what he sees? Or hears? He’ll leave.
Some of what I’m thinking must show because he frowns. “Never going to happen.”
Only death can sever the ties between us, and even then, I’d follow you.
I inhale sharply as his words fill my mind.
“Everybody leaves,” I persist, trying to make him understand.
His jaw locks and his eyes narrow. “Humans, maybe. But a mate isn’t a one-night stand or a boyfriend or a husband.
You’re my forever. And as someone who’s immortal, I know the weight of that statement.
” His chest rises and falls as he takes a deep breath.
“I understand being afraid. Every day, I wake up and reach for you, for the connection between us, and for a split second, I’m terrified it won’t be there.
That I’ll find nothing on the other end.
Then, I do, and I’m so damn relieved it almost drives me to my knees. ”
Something tight eases in my chest as he confesses.
“Cream chicken,” Aisling says, setting down my dish. “And the lamb. Is there anything else I can get for you?”
Teague glances at me, and I shake my head. “No, thanks, Aisling.” He peers at my plate. “What do you think?”
The chicken is a warm golden brown, with a light cream sauce drizzled over it, sitting on top of the mushroom risotto.
“Looks so good.” I cut off a small bite and pop it in my mouth, then groan. “Amazing.”
He does the same and nods several times. “First time I’ve had the lamb. It’s perfect.”
Starving, I dive in and hum happily when I bite into a crisp green bean. “What’s your favorite food?”
“A burger. Doesn’t matter what’s on it, although cheese is a requirement,” he says with a grin. “You?”
“Mexican food. Any kind. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tamales. I could go on and on.” I lean in closer. “Tell me there’s some place in town. Please, pretty please. With sugar on top.”
“That’s Andros’ favorite too. If we don’t have it at least once a month, he gets irritable,” he says with a laugh. It dims after a second, as if he’s not sure he should bring him up. “I’ll send you a list.”
“Favorite color?” I’m not sure what to say about Andros. “Mine’s green.”
He peers into my eyes. “Used to be blue until I peered into your gorgeous green eyes.” His gaze drops to my blouse and clears his throat. “Definitely green.”
I smile. “Macklin was a huge help today. I’m not sure I’d have chosen something so bold without him.”
He takes a drink of wine, then turns to me. “What do you think of Macklin?”
I blush as my mind conjures the incredibly handsome man. “I like him. He’s thoughtful and kind.” Sexy. The blush spreads from my cheeks down my chest and I take a bite of food and stare down at my plate, hoping my thoughts aren’t on display.
Teague leans in. “You know, it’s pretty common for supes to have more than one mate.”
I choke on the bite I’m swallowing and immediately start coughing. He curses and hands me my glass. I take a few sips, but it still takes several minutes to clear my throat.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said it,” he says, patting me on the back. He mutters something about patience. “Are you okay?”
Two mates. I nervously laugh, but I’m kind of panicking at the idea. “Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Talk to me,” he says, putting down his silverware. “I want to know what’s bothering you.”
I shake my head. “It’s hard to explain. Before I came here, I worked in coffee shops, lived out of my car, and showered at twenty-four-hour gyms. My life was quiet. Contained.” Except for Hank, but I’m not ready to talk about him.
Self-conscious, I twist the white napkin lying across my lap.
“Now, I have a job in an office, interacting with people. There are wolves and shifters and magic and witches. A whole world I didn’t know existed but somehow belong to.
” I pause. “And you. My boss. My mate. Who looks like he should belong to somebody else, but for some reason, insists I’m his forever.
” Why did I say that? I shake my head. “My life went from ten to a hundred miles an hour in a blink of an eye. It’s a lot. ”
Mine. The sudden urge to claim him overwhelms me, but I shove it away.
“First, let’s clear something up,” he begins, his jaw tight with anger. “You’re mine. And I will never belong to anybody else. Only you.”
He picks up my hand and places a kiss in the middle of my palm.
The connection between us vibrates. “The second I saw you, sitting in your car, tears running down your face, I was hooked. You take my breath away. Every damn minute. But beyond the physical, do you want to know why I’m falling for you?
It’s because you constantly push at your own boundaries until you’ve smashed through them.
You’ve been here ten days, and it blows my mind to see how far you’ve come in such a short time. ”
My mouth falls open, and my heart thuds with every word he utters. A battering ram against the doubts and fears weighing me down.
Teague brushes a finger down my cheek. “When you first got here, I couldn’t touch you.
At all. Now you lean into my touch. You say you’re terrified of your visions, yet you choose to help others again and again.
There’s a freedom in overcoming your own limitations, but I think you’re having a hard time seeing everything you’ve done. ”
“I’m not used to spending so much time with other people,” I say haltingly, wanting him to understand. “Sometimes it’s hard to think, much less see yourself through a different lens.”
He takes a deep breath. “I’ve been trying to take it slow. Give you time. But maybe you need some space?”
I nod, and he takes a drink of his wine. “This is probably a good time to tell you we’re leaving tomorrow to rescue Mavros. I won’t be in the office Monday or Tuesday, but I know you’ll hold down the fort.”
“I didn’t realize it would happen so quickly. Who all is going?”
“Macklin and me. Along with Ames and Rhory, the two dragon shifters who own the ranch with the hatchlings.” He chuckles when I give him an incredulous look.
How is this a real conversation? “Plus, a couple of vampire friends who are chasing down several disappearances and want to see if the cases are connected.”
Alarmed to hear supes are disappearing, my brow puckers. “Is there anything I can do?” I pause, and a frisson of alarm cascades down my back. “Andros isn’t going?”
“He’ll be here, but not in the office,” I reassure her. “And he doesn’t really like people that much, so I doubt you’ll see him out.” He picks up his fork. “Now, what should we have for dessert?”