Chapter 3
She – this woman is –
Calvin stared at the woman in front of him in shock, his mind blank except for the hissing and roaring of his wyvern as it spread its wings and did a squirmy dance of triumph, its jaws wide open, its eyes glittering as it cried out from the depths of its very soul: She is our mate!
Ours! The one we have waited our whole lives to find!
But… I don’t even know her name, Calvin thought, bewildered, as he continued to stare in silence – and he was pretty sure his mouth was hanging open too.
But knowing her name or not didn’t seem to matter to the wyvern – or his own heart. It was true: as soon as he’d seen her he’d noticed her beauty, with her long, ringleted hair and wide smile, which had made her dark eyes sparkle.
But my mate? Here? Out of nowhere? I hadn’t counted on this… and what am I wearing…?
It matters not! His wyvern writhed about, insisting that he do something about this revelation, though it didn’t seem to have many ideas as to what exactly Calvin should do. She will see into our soul. She is our mate! Outer appearances mean nothing!
Be that as it may, Calvin thought in dismay, he’d always thought that when he did finally meet his mate, he’d be able to sweep her off her feet while wearing a tux and presenting her with a dozen – at least a dozen! – red roses and a glass of champagne.
At the least, I thought I’d have my hair combed, he thought. He wouldn’t just be showing up sweaty and disheveled in hiking boots, a tank top, and shorts. Meeting his mate was important, after all – and he wanted to make a good impression.
Well, fat chance of that now, Calvin thought, despair creeping up inside him. Not after he’d – he’d –
“I’m sorry, let me help you with that,” he said suddenly, as his brain – and body – finally caught up with what his eyes had been seeing for the last thirty seconds while he’d stood there, mute and staring.
Which was his mate trying desperately to mop up all the lemonade he’d spilled when the sudden electric twinge of the mate bond had gone ricocheting through his body.
Calvin grabbed one of the napkins from the pile on the table – artfully weighed down with a ripe, golden-yellow lemon – and began mopping at the lemonade that was soaking into the red-and-white checkered table cloth.
“Oh no, don’t worry about it,” the woman – You must learn her name at once, his wyvern hissed, we must know more about our mate! – said, as she dabbed up the spilled drink. “Accidents happen, and it was my fault anyway – I shouldn’t have let go until I knew you had it.”
“No, no, it’s on me,” Calvin assured her – though he realized this could go on for a while, with them both trying to take the blame for the spill.
Ask her to dinner, the wyvern demanded. Tell her you must make up for this hideous blunder!
That, for once, was not actually a bad idea, Calvin thought – at least until his hand brushed suddenly against the tiny table fan that had been sitting behind the jug of lemonade, clearly there to help his mate stay cool on this hot day…
and which promptly sputtered to its death the moment his skin came into contact with it.
Complete with a little pffft sound, a small wisp of smoke rising from its slowing blades before they came to a complete stop.
Calvin stared at it.
Did it just… like my phone… my car… my Fitbit….
“Aw, my fan,” his mate said, her gorgeous brow crinkling in distress. She picked it up and gave it a quick shake, but it was obviously dead. “Oh well – it was on its last legs anyway. I guess I’ve had it on all day, and it was something cheap from the dollar store.”
Calvin shook his head. “Actually, I think that might have been me…” he muttered before he could stop himself – even though he wasn’t even sure of that himself.
I can’t be cursed. Curses aren’t real! And I don’t have time to be cursed – I have to somehow find a way to overcome this disastrous first impression my mate is getting of me. Not to mention, I only have a week off work, so –
“Oh – you mean you think some lemonade might have spilled on it?” his mate said, blinking. “I guess that could have happened – but seriously, don’t worry about it. Like I said, it was from the dollar store. I doubt it would have lasted much longer anyway.”
“If it’s from the dollar store, it’ll be easy enough for me to pick you up another one,” Calvin replied – and, seeing that she was about to protest, hurriedly changed the subject.
“Can I at least help you tidy up? There’s an awful lot of work here for one person, and that’s not even counting the fact that everything’s covered in lemonade now. ”
His mate blinked her beautiful black eyes at him, looking – dare he believe it? – happy about the idea.
“I mean… are you sure?” she asked. “You look like you’re on your way somewhere else.”
“I don’t have any plans,” Calvin said truthfully.
It was late in the afternoon at this point, and he didn’t think he’d be able to get his phone fixed and a tow truck located at this hour in a small country town – and even if he could, he was starting to worry that he’d just kill his car and devices again the moment they were repaired.
Not that he thought he was cursed, but it was starting to get a bit concerning. He didn’t want to pay to get everything fixed, just to risk breaking it again five seconds later.
In any case, all of this paled into insignificance when compared to the fact that he’d just found his mate.
He would’ve wanted to help out anyone whose stuff he’d just spilled lemonade all over anyway, but given that she was his mate, the thought of just wandering off was completely intolerable.
Her lemonade stand could’ve been made of solid concrete, and he would’ve offered to carry it home for her in a heartbeat.
“Well… if you’re absolutely sure…” the woman said.
“Positive,” Calvin said firmly.
His mate nodded. “Okay. On one condition.”
“Sure. Anything.”
What could our mate be asking of us? the wyvern demanded. A feat of strength? A quest to fetch a magical item? We shall accomplish whatever she requests of us!
Calvin rolled his eyes internally. Calm down, buddy, he muttered, though secretly he agreed. He was happy to do whatever she wanted.
His mate poured out another cup of lemonade and held it out to him, meeting his eyes and holding his gaze with more confidence than before.
“Drink this,” she said. “I insist.”
He had to admit, he was thirsty – in more ways than one, if he was being honest with himself – and the look his mate was giving him was making it clear that she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“I will,” he said, “if I can ask one thing in return.”
One of her eyebrows went up, but her curiosity was obviously piqued. “Deal.”
He smiled, hoping he wasn’t being too forward. “Would you be willing to tell me your name, just so we don’t get to the point where it’s way past when it wouldn’t have been awkward to ask? I’m Calvin, by the way.”
His mate looked startled, but then she burst out laughing, and the cheerful sound made his heart skip a beat with joy.
“I’m Diana.”
“Diana,” he repeated. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” she said with a smile.
Our mate’s name is Diana! his wyvern cried.
Yes, I am aware, he replied, though it came out more good-natured than nasty.
He couldn’t entirely blame the wyvern for stating the obvious – it wasn’t the only one here feeling a bit…
well, speechless with surprise would have been putting it mildly.
Calvin was pretty sure this was the most eventful day of his life so far.
Diana was still holding out the cup of lemonade, and so he reached out and took it, careful not to let their fingers touch.
As much as he yearned to take her hand – and maybe kiss the back of it like some kind of old-timey gallant gentleman – he refrained, even as his wyvern protested.
Whether or not she was his mate, it was inappropriate to go around kissing the hand of someone he’d just met!
The lemonade itself was almost an afterthought at this point, but his attention was very quickly brought back to it as he took a sip.
“Oh,” he said. “That is good. Unbelievably good.”
The smile that lit up Diana’s face was radiant, her eyes sparkling in the summer sun.
He’d meant every word of it – it was really good. The best lemonade he’d ever tasted, he’d go so far as to say. Light and tangy and refreshing, it was sweet without being sickly, and cool from being kept in the ice box.
Beyond all of that, there was something about it that elevated it above anything that he’d ever tasted before. He didn’t think that the thrill of the mate bond could change the way food or drinks tasted, but at this point, he was starting to wonder.
Maybe the lemons flourished under the touch of a unicorn, his wyvern said haughtily. It is possible.
I’m pretty sure there’s a much more mundane explanation than that, Calvin replied with just the mildest hint of exasperation.
Yes, it was known amongst shifters that unicorns had the power to grow the most delicious of fresh produce and the most vibrant of plants, but what would a unicorn be doing supplying lemons to a lemonade fundraiser stand up in the mountains?
He drained the cup to the last drop, closing his eyes and sighing in satisfaction. That had definitely been worth the two dollars, and then some.
Opening his eyes, he watched as Diana poured herself the last dregs from the bottom of the jug.
“I’m so glad you liked it,” she said, taking a sip. “It’s nice to feel appreciated every once in a while.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth she grimaced a little, like she’d said more than she’d meant to.
Though they’d only just met, Calvin got the impression that she was someone who didn’t like to show any signs of weakness – not that he thought it was a weakness to want to feel appreciated.
“I think we can all agree on that,” Calvin said, hoping to put her at ease. “And the lemonade really was amazing.”