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Audrey waved with a smile as she left the Starbucks, discounted drink in hand. She’d finished her shift half an hour ago, but had hung around to gossip with her co-workers and a couple of regular customers before finally taking her leave. She wanted to head home and take a long, hot shower – a bath would have been better, but she didn’t have a big enough tub for it to be worth the effort. The following day would be the full moon, and Audrey could already feel the ache in her joints and muscles that warned of the upcoming change.

Before she left the mall, however, Audrey intended to stock up on chocolate. It was unfounded, but she was convinced that the chocolate made the agony of change less, and if nothing else, picked up her mood post-moon when she could munch on the delicious treat. She wondered, idly, if eating chocolate while in wolf form would make her sick like it did to dogs. Maybe she’d ask Asher some time, he’d know. Or maybe Cassidy, who wouldn’t be inclined to make her feel like a bit of an idiot for her strange question.

Casually going into one of the popup boutiques that catered to Valentines day, Audrey was delighted to find their leftover chocolate had been seriously discounted, and she went to town. The expensive chocolate always tasted better when bought at a discount! She mumbled to herself as she picked out her treats, amused by some of the concepts the retailers had apparently thought would sell, or at least for more than she was willing to pay.

“I love post Valentines Day,” she said cheerfully to the girl at the register, handing over her chosen treats and watching as they were rung up. She grinned when the girl recited the information on the docket that told her how much she’d saved, and took the bag full of chocolate with a salute of her iced-mocha. “Thank you!” Beaming, Audrey turned to leave, walking cheerfully with her nose buried in the bag of delicious chocolate as she dug for something to munch on, accidentally colliding with another body in the process.

“Oh shi—sorry!” she said, censoring herself in case it was some grumpy lady or something.

Rhys was exhausted and sore from a day of training with the Guardians. He’d been close to simply going home and crashing right into bed but he knew he’d end up lying awake not only for the early hour but because his mind would replay all the mistakes he had made that day. No matter how hard he tried, Rhys never felt like he was good enough and the way some of the other trainees enjoyed teasing him because of his parents, his own modelling, and his supposedly glamourous life didn’t help either. His parents were both powerful mages and he never begrudged them for not wanting to be Guardians. Hell, his dad wasn’t just a designer of fancy clothes imbued with magic but he did special orders for the Guardians as well with weaving protective spells into coats and other things.

But on tough days like this one had been, Rhys could understand why not everyone wanted to be a Guardian. He wanted to protect people but was he good enough to do so? That question plagued him regularly and did so on the entire drive home and in the shower. When he finally emerged, his muscles weren’t screaming as much and his mood had lifted enough that the thought of seeing a friend would be nice. Of course it was last minute so some had plans and others were studying or were at work.

After several attempts, Rhys gave up and, not wanting to stay in, headed back out and found himself at the mall. He didn’t need anything but it wouldn’t hurt to browse and there was a chance he’d run into someone he knew. Or someone he didn’t know.

Rhys had stopped his meandering to glance down at his phone as his dad texted to remind him of the full moon ritual he was expected to be home for the following night. He was rolling his eyes and about to reply when someone bumped into him. Since it wasn’t enough to knock him over, his instincts to protect the person hitting him were stronger than the ones to fight back and an arm shot out to loop around the woman’s waist to steady her. A hint of a smile appeared at her apology and Rhys shook his head. “No, please. I was the one that stopped in the middle of the walk way. At least let me take some of the blame. Are you all right?”

Audrey lifted her head from her bag of chocolates, and the scent of mage flooded her senses as she stared up at the young(?) man that had wrapped an arm around her waist to stop her tumbling over. It was appreciated, but it made her face flush at the gesture, and the warmth of his touch. It was alien, but not horrible. It was… nice. But also wrong, and Audrey stepped back just once, gently forcing her way out of his arm as she continued to stare up at him with wide eyes. It took a moment for her to compute what it was that he had said. She smiled slightly.

“Okay,” she agreed, words more breathy than spoken, and she took a moment to clear her throat, flushing slightly again as she looked down and away, gathering herself. She was being ridiculous! But the guy in front of her was gorgeous, and apparently kind, and when she glanced up her eyes focused on his lips for a moment. She’d never tried kissing before, but he had such soft looking lips! She flushed more, and cleared her throat again, looking up properly to meet his eyes (such a pretty blue!) even though she just wanted to hide from her wild thoughts.

“I’m okay,” she said with a little more clarity than her last statement. She considered ducking around him and slipping away into the evening crowd, but decided against it; for one, it would be rude. But she also found his gorgeous and that grounded her to the spot more than anything else. He was just so lovely to look at. She knew not all mages were good looking, Asher had been training her to scent them and pick them out of a crowd. But this one was, and it was this one that had been sweet to her after she’d been the one to bump into him.

Audrey offered a shy smile. “I’m Audrey,” she said, and then waited patiently, still studying his features, probably not quite as subtly as she would have liked to be.

His smile deepened when she agreed to share the blame and said she was fine. He didn’t think they had hit that hard but he wanted to make sure since she was shorter and slimmer than him and she had been the one in motion when it happened. “I’m glad,” Rhys replied, genuinely happy he hadn’t ruined someone’s night by being thoughtless or for grabbing her as he had. It had been done to keep her steady but the way she had quickly ducked out of his touch hadn’t gone by unnoticed. Then again, the fact she wasn’t running away and was instead introducing herself also caught his attention.

“A pleasure to meet you, Audrey. I’m Rhys.” Despite his long day, Rhys felt he was keenly aware of everything as he noticed the way she kept checking him out. It was something he still wasn’t used to though he knew he should expect it by now. It was also the point where he couldn’t decide if he should let the usual questions come first or just state that yes, he’s Irish and yes, he does modelling at times. One of those was too arrogant to bring up himself and given how shy Audrey seemed, maybe she wouldn’t mention it either.

So he just skipped it and asked instead, “are you here alone?” Then he paused and gave a soft laugh. “I meant that I hope I’m not keeping anyone waiting for you.” He was about to point out he was also single that night but thankfully shut his mouth in time before that bit of awkwardness came spilling out. But it was true and he had come to the mall in the hopes of finding someone he knew to spend time with and forget his worries for a bit. So why not make a new friend instead?

“Rhys,” she echoed his name, rolling it off her tongue in an unconscious mimicry of his accent, which was hot, but she wasn’t about to say that out loud, and the thought made her blush almost as much as echoing him did. Gosh, she was nothing but a bumbling blushing moron right now! She blamed the oncoming full moon. That was totally believable, right? Right? She was in the process of convincing herself when he asked if she was alone, and her soft blush flared up at the implications, even though he laughed softly (at her?) before explaining.

“I am,” she whispered, before clearing her throat and saying almost too loudly, “Just finished work,” and she held up her Starbucks drink as if that was proof. The company didn’t really have a traditional uniform outside of the apron, which she wasn’t wearing because she left that at work. She flushed again, and lowered her drink, the bag of chocolates resting with one handle looped over that wrist, so it had gone for a ride with her motion.

“I was just getting some chocolate before I go home, because its so cheap, what with Valentine being the other day and all.” She was babbling now, lifting her arm again to show off the bag of goodies she’d been snooping through when the collided. “I, um, do you want one?” And she shoved her empty hand into the bag, digging around and retrieving a heart shaped chocolate in a bright red pattern that said ‘Be Mine’ on the front. She turned crimson again as she shoved it towards the mage, her eyes wide as saucers. He must think her ridiculous!

Audrey’s blushing and bumbling was adorable. Rhys couldn’t help but smile the entire time she explained herself by showing a cup (which he assumed meant she worked at Starbucks) and then dug around for a chocolate to give him. He wasn’t a fan of sweets but he still accepted the chocolate graciously, unwrapping it, and popping the little milk chocolate heart in his mouth. A little piece here and there was fine but he normally didn’t go out of his way for a sweet treat. Even still, he could tell it was of higher quality given both the taste and the easy way it started to melt on his tongue, causing him to give a small moan of appreciation.

After a moment, he swallowed the treat, running his tongue along his teeth in an effort to remove any lingering evidence of his snack. “If no one’s waiting for you at home and you aren’t too tired from your shift, I’d like to ask you to spend some more time with me. I was just going to wander around aimlessly for a while so you can join me in that or if you’re hungry, we can get something to eat.” Did he sound desperate? He hoped not. Audrey was intriguing and he wanted to know more about her. And maybe see where the attraction between them took them. He wasn’t looking for a relationship, so he’d have to make that clear if something took off between them but he didn’t just want to do a one night stand either since there was something sweet about the woman before him.

“Whatever you want to do since I’m trying to capture your attention for a while longer.” He flashed her another smile, perhaps relying a bit more than usual on his appearance. “Also, confession: Valentine’s Day was also my birthday and I didn’t do anything for it so while I don’t want to guilt you into spending time with me, I would be honoured if you helped me celebrate a bit late.”

Audrey breathed a soft puff of breath when no comment was made on the chocolate’s wrapper. While she was mostly glad that nothing was said about it, she was also strangely a little disappointed. Why, she wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like this mage was going to sweep her off her feet even if he almost had knocked her off them. He was likely busy, and she really should head home and begin preparing for the following night when her body would twist and contort in ways it wasn’t designed for, as she changed like she was cursed to every month.

Her wide eyes blinked owlishly at the invitation, and she gaped dumbly at him for a moment before she recalled she had a brain, and to use it. Her jaw snapped shut with a clack of her teeth and she licked her lips, glancing unconsciously at his in the process, before forcing her gaze back to meet his pretty blue eyes. “Something to eat would be wonderful!” She hoped absently that he could keep up with her; she had the appetite of a wolf and wasn’t ashamed to eat her fill. She certainly wasn’t one for salads and soda waters!

Not that she was expecting him to pay for her! She was quite capable of paying for her own meals, even if she didn’t like eating out too much because she was such a bottomless pit, and it could really add up! That said, she needed to go grocery shopping for the week and do her cook-up so her meals were prepared, and she could save some money. Rent would be due the following week and she didn’t want to be short changed. She really wished she could have a roommate, but Cassidy preferred to live alone with her daughter and Audrey didn’t want to intrude on Asher’s home. And it wasn’t like she could just shack up with a mundane and expect them not to notice when she vanished every full moon, even if they were too clueless to figure out why exactly.

“Was it?” She was slightly disbelieving, and her eyebrows arched above her eyes as she studied him, trying to decide if he was fibbing to her in an attempt to win her over, or if he was genuine. She really didn’t want to think he was the type to lie to a stranger just for pity, or whatever, but she was still unsure. She couldn’t get a good read on him, but he seemed eager and genuine, so she decided to relax a little and smiled; “Okay,” she said, taking his word for it. “Happy belated birthday.” Her smile widened a little, and she tilted her head. “Where did you want to eat?”

Rhys knew he was being pathetic and even desperate with how much he was trying to get Audrey to hang out with him and he slightly hated himself for it. It was borne from self-pity and worrying that he wasn’t good enough and then to have friends say they couldn’t spend time with him had him questioning if he was liked. It was all ridiculous, he knew that, but it was hard to let go sometimes. But Audrey’s excitement boosted his own and he was glad he had made the decision to invite her out on the impromptu date.

With a chuckle and nod of his head, he pulled out his wallet and showed his birthday on his driver’s license, uncaring that she saw his surname or address since he had a good feeling about Audrey and believed they would become friends. “I’m not a very good liar,” he added as he tucked the wallet back into his pocket. It was true. He swore he always felt a bit sick if he tried to lie to someone whether it was a light headache coming on or cramps. His parents joked he was allergic to lying and some days he believed them. But it had made him pretty damn honest, though he had also learned how to skirt the edges of the truth so he wasn’t lying but just omitting facts.

Where did he want to eat? He wasn’t a big fan of food courts since they were mostly fast food and rather bland. So he dared to continue being forward, asking if Audrey wanted to head down a few blocks to a restaurant he enjoyed. After verifying she didn’t have a car of her own, he offered to drive them or they could stay at the mall if she preferred. Rhys was beginning to feel like a total creep and wouldn’t have blamed Audrey one bit if she suddenly ran screaming from him. But she offered no protests and they headed outside and he guided her to his car.

A short drive and small wait to be seated and they were at their table and looking over menus. Given the amount of energy he had burnt through that day, Rhys opted for a pasta dish with chicken and a large bowl of soup and salad to start with, opting only for water for his beverage however. He wasn’t a huge drinker of alcohol but he was also driving and the snow was starting up again so he didn’t want to chance even a small glass of wine. He hoped his large order encouraged Audrey to get what she wanted as he hated when dates tried to only eat like a bird or get a side salad, insisting that was enough.

“Since I have hijacked your evening and I know you like chocolate and where you work, what would you like to know about me?” He was close to asking more questions of Audrey, wanting to get to know her but it seemed fair to give more of himself away for what he already knew.

Audrey was startled when a driver’s license was offered to her, and she studied it with a small smile; she was pleased to note that he wasn’t lying about his birthday, but also that he was only a year older than herself. That was a pleasant surprise, as she knew mages were some of those long-lived fuckers (like herself, now) that didn’t age as fast as the years that went by. It made her curious, though, to know more about him. “It’s not really a trait worth investing in,” she said honestly, when he said he was a bad liar, and she smiled at him.

The invitation to go to a restaurant instead of nibbling in the food court surprised Audrey, but she gave a small but genuine smile at the invitation and agreed to go. She could see or sense he was slightly surprised by her willingness, but Audrey didn’t feel threatened by the mage, and was quite sure she was dangerous enough in her own right to save herself if it came to that. That said, she could feel the aching in her joints increasing as the evening wore on, and she wasn’t sure how late she wanted to stay out. A bath would be so damn good. Maybe she’d go to Asher’s house earlier than usual so she could soak in one of his tubs.

Digging through her bag as Rhys drove them to the restaurant, Audrey found some painkillers and took them with a swig of water from her drink she still held. She set her drink in the cup holder, feeling that she wasn’t going to finish it before they arrived, and it would be rude to take it into the establishment. She left it in his car as they went in, as she did with most of her stuff. She wasn’t counting on a ride home, but he could at least keep her chocolates safe until they were done eating. She left her bag, too, only taking her wallet and phone with her.

When the waiter arrived, Audrey let Rhys order first, before putting in her own. She got herself a thick beef stew as an entrée, a rare steak with roast vegetables and gravy, and said she’d get back to him about dessert. She did get a glass of Sprite though, and turned her attention back to Rhys as the waiter took their order away. Audrey was flushed slightly at her big order, but he didn’t seem to be making fun of her for it, so she relaxed again and picked at her fingers in her lap as she waited for the order to come back, not sure what to say.

Audrey shifted her gaze from examining the restaurant to meet Rhys’ gaze when he spoke, and she tilted her head thoughtfully. “Do you work?” She asked after a moment, “or are you still at school?” She knew most of the mages attended the prestigious school for them and shifters, but she wasn’t sure it catered to further education. She herself had had a pretty uneventful schooling history, and had no real thirst for furthering her education.

Lyric was enjoying her meal, a treat out gifted by Nocturne since she’d landed the lead role in what would be a production put on come the summer holidays. She was really excited, and twice as proud of herself; she’d worked hard, and it had paid off. Lyric had been vibrating with her delight when she’d come home from dance that afternoon, and told Nocturne – Papa was away on business again – but she’d sent her father a text message; he hadn’t replied yet, but she knew he would be happy for her, too.

“Who are you staring at?” She asked Nocturne quietly, leaning forward some before trying to follow his gaze. It took her a moment before she spotted a couple at a table across the room. There wasn’t anything particularly notable about the pair at first, though they were both attractive she wasn’t sure they were worth her brother’s mild frown. It seemed the girl had most of his attention, and Lyric was going to make a teasing comment about him wanting to eat with her, when she finally recognised the man opposite her.

“Ooh! Noct! Noct! that’s Rhys Evans!” her voice pitched high on the name, but not above a whisper as she reached across the table to shake her brother’s arm, squeezing with her fingertips before she suddenly pushed up from her chair, flushing at his raised eyebrow. “I need a signature!” she gushed, forgetting for a moment that they were in a restaurant, and the couple probably wouldn’t like to be interrupted. After a disproving frown, Nocturne finally allowed her to go before the other couple received their food, and Lyric squealed happily to herself.

It took a moment, and finally Lyric had found her little pocket printer, and with a few taps on the ap on her phone, she’d printed off a picture of Cody beaming at the camera like a lunatic. It was perfect! It was a shame his birthday was so far away, because Lyric knew she’d never be able to wait that long to surprise him. She could hardly wait to show him, and she hadn’t even gotten the signature yet! Pushing away from her seat, she wove her way quickly through the tables, and cautiously approached the couple.

Lyric waited for a natural pause in their conversation – the girl had asked a question and it looked like Rhys was getting ready to answer, when Lyric quickly slipped up to the table and offered a shy but excited smile. “Excuse me, Mr. Evans? Would—Would you please sign this for my friend?” Her smile bloomed into one of hopeful mischief as she thrust the small photo of Cody towards the other mage, and a pen she kept in her purse.

She waited patiently as the signature was signed, bouncing delicately on the tips of her toes. “Thank you thank you thank you!” she babbled, taking the photo and the pen back and beaming happily. “Enjoy your dinner!” she added, flashing a smile at the woman before darting back through the restaurant, taking her seat with a wriggle and a grin. “I got it!” she gushed, cradling the photo in her hands before carefully sliding it into her purse, and putting her pen away. She couldn’t wait to show Cody!

Rhys knew those would be questions at the top of the list but he still hoped they wouldn't come. While he could sense magic and knew other mages were near--if they weren't shielding themselves--he couldn't identify other preternatural beings by sight. Audrey could be anything, including a human that knew about his world. Still, the Guardians weren't known to the world at large so he had to be careful on how he described what he did.

Or he could be hit by a whirlwind.

Rhys looked up as he heard his name, a part of him worried his dad was there. But no, it was a female mage a bit younger than him looking at him. This was new. He blinked, slightly wide-eyed at her as he processed the request. He never thought he was famous but when he was in high school his modelling had drawn some attention. His friends teased him about it but he'd never really been asked for autographs before, especially not when he was just out doing normal things. "Sure," he agreed when he found his voice and studied the tiny photo for a moment. It was odd it wasn't of him but maybe it was the girl's way of making it seem like her friend was there as well. He signed his name and handed the items back to the girl with a smile. "Your friend has a great smile. He exudes genuine happiness." Rhys bet the boy was excitable and great to be around and was happy she had someone like that in her life.

After she bounced away, Rhys' smile slid slowly away as he sighed and turned back to Audrey. "I was going to ignore that part but I guess I'll start with it. I sometimes model but it really doesn't count since my da is a designer and I do shoots and shows for him." In his mind, he was lending a hand at the family business. He never had to audition, though there had been some inquiries here and there that he turned down. It wasn't his passion.

"What I was going to say was I'm in a training program to be something like a guard or police." That was close enough to the truth that Rhys felt fine with it but he hoped she didn't want details.

Audrey looked up when the young girl stepped forward, inhaling subtly and getting a fresh scent of mage. Was this place filled with them? She breathed a little deeper, using the moment while Rhys was distracted by the girl, and noted the scent of several mages, and felt her shoulders tighten with apprehension. Being in a building full of mages did not seem like a good place to be for a werewolf on the brink of Changing.

A shy, slightly stiff smile was given to the girl before she bustled off, apparently not noticing Audrey’s discomfort. Not really surprising, considering how excited the child was, but Audrey was more concerned with how she could escape this mage infested eatery. She was so anxious to escape it took her a moment to realise Rhys’ attention was back on her, and she blinked at him with wide eyes, taking a deep breath in and forcing her shoulders to relax. Thankfully that breath told her the entrees were arriving, and she eagerly smiled at the waiter with a thanks for the food. It didn’t make her feel any safer, but it did help her forget for a few moments.

Dipping her spoon into the stew, Audrey shoved it into her mouth and considered how to answer the information she was given by the good looking mage across from her. “That sounds fun,” she said honestly, considering him thoughtfully for a moment. He certainly had the looks for a model, and she was sure he’d have the attitude, too. She smiled as she ate some more stew. It took her a few bites to realise that he was likely hinting at his training to be a guardian, and she almost choked. Great. She was in a restaurant full of mages and probably other guardians. She knew they knew of the wolves in the city, kept track of them and their packs, but she was still uncomfortable.

“That sounds… exhausting.” She offered. Like this night was turning out to be. Her appetite had vanished and she didn’t think the painkillers were working as well as she would have liked. Her leg had a serious ache from the knee to the ankle and the muscles in her left arm were twitching unhappily at intervals, though she was pretty sure it was hidden by the long sleeves of her shirt. She puffed out a soft breath, and finished her stew, and her glass of soda. “So what do you do for fun?” She asked with a half-smile, almost expecting him to say he hunted werewolves, because honestly, it would fit perfectly with the way this night was going.

He wanted to thank Audrey for being a good sport over the girl’s appearance or to assure her that it wasn’t a common thing. Thanking her for not freaking out that he had at least one fan and probably money was also on his lips but saying any of that just further pointed out how weird it all was and highlighted his occasional profession. So he ate his soup and salad instead, trying not to dwell on how it felt like Audrey was trying too hard to show some interest, especially in his training. The mood had shifted and he didn’t blame the interruption for it as he would have eventually brought it up himself and had it all tumble down around him then.

His lips quirked into a half smile with a soft chuckle when the question came and he glanced up at Audrey from his soup he stirred, “sleep mostly since you were right in that it’s exhausting.” Rhys gazed back down at his soup as he tried to think of something that was actually fun he did and realised his life was rather boring. “Sometimes I cross paths with a friend but mostly I go for strolls through the park or do jigsaw puzzles.” He had a small stack of puzzles in his condo that waited for his attention but the one currently laid out on a large table had been a slow work in progress for a couple of months. He simply didn’t have the time or energy most days for it but when he did get around to it, it was relaxing and lifted his mood.

After his soup and salad were both finished, Rhys looked at the pasta and gave a silent sigh. He was still hungry but he wasn’t sure about Audrey and felt like it would be rude to keep her with him longer than she needed to be. “We can get the meals to go if you want. I can drive you home or drop you off at the mall for your bus if you prefer.” It wouldn’t be how he hoped the evening would end since he thought they would enjoy dinner and he’d try for her number but he wasn’t a psychic. In fact, he was now wondering if he accidentally charmed Audrey and it was wearing off and that was why she seemed nervous and there was a shift in the energy between them.

Audrey, who had pulled her steak and vegetables towards herself, looked up in surprise when Rhys offered to have them take their meal to go. A part of her rejoiced at the easy escape from the mage infested restaurant, but when she cut into the meat, and the rich scent filled her nostrils and the dark juices spilled onto the plate, Audrey felt her appetite return in force, and she shook her head at him as she shoved a forkful of meat into her mouth. “I’m good,” she said, blushing when she realised she’d just spoken with her mouth full.

Chewing swiftly, Audrey swallowed and took in a deep breath; the scents of mages were lessened with the scent of red meat right below her nose, and it was making her relax a little bit. It wasn’t like she was going to Change right there in the middle of the eatery, she had some time yet, and Asher wouldn’t be unhappy with her making a friend, especially a mage. He liked mages. Of course, he wanted to Turn them, but he still liked them… Sort of. And Rhys was nice.

“I’m sorry,” she offered, finally getting her thoughts in order, before waving down a waiter who was walking by. “Can I get a glass of red, please?” She asked politely, then rolled her eyes when the waiter asked to see her ID. She got it out, and once he was satisfied, she turned her attention back to Rhys. “I’m not very good at making friends, and I tend to overthink and spook myself.” That wasn’t untrue, even if it wasn’t the entire truth. Not like she was going to tell him she was a wolf, and she didn’t want to blame it on work when the day hadn’t been that bad.

Satisfied with her explanation for the moment, Audrey dug back into her meal, making sure to eat her vegetables though she primarily focused on the steak. It was so good! Perfectly cooked and deliciously seasoned; she sipped her glass of wine between mouthfuls. “I can tell why you like this place,” she said, setting her fork and knife down when she’d cleaned the plate, picking up a piece of bread from the basket in the middle of the table, and absently biting off a large chunk. She chewed on that for a few moments, swallowed, and grinned.

“We should get dessert. Do you think they do birthday cakes the day after the birthday?”

Rhys nearly sagged with relief when Audrey dug into her steak, ordered wine, and made it clear she was happy to stay. There was still a chance he accidentally charmed her somehow despite knowing how slim that was, but he was opting to take it that she wanted to spend a bit more time with him. Really, he had no choice but to believe her words given that was exactly how he was feeling. Normally he was great at making friends but his overthinking did have a way of working against him and their spur of the moment date had his mind reeling, especially with some little hiccups.

“I’m the same way, sometimes. It’s so easy to worry or overthink something and our meeting hasn’t exactly been normal. But I’m happy you want to stay,” he confided with a smile before digging into his pasta. Another delicious meal! Rhys was further relieved to see Audrey enjoy her steak just as much and he was smiling again at her by the time they finished and she was singing the restaurant’s praises.

At the suggestion of dessert Rhys chuckled. Her enthusiasm—and appetite—was almost enough to make him want a slice of cake. “I’m sure there’s something but I have to confess that while a piece of chocolate here and there is delicious, I’m not really a fan of sweets and cakes.” He hoped he didn’t crush her spirit too much with that. Some of his friends never understood how he never craved chocolate or a pie or anything really. But he’d grown up on fruit as snacks and desserts and that had been fine for him.

“But please order anything you’d like from the menu because they do offer little fruit bowls for people with dietary needs or boring people like me.” Rhys smiled as he teased himself for yet another bland fact about himself. Puzzles, walking, and fruit salad. He certainly was a catch!

“You don’t?” She asked, looking concerned. “But chocolate is like, god’s apology for making the world such a bitch of a place!” While Audrey didn’t eat a lot of chocolate – mostly because it was a fairly expensive treat when you only liked the good stuff – she was a fan of cake, mousse, and all things dessert. Cheese cake was amazing, and chocolate mud cake was basically the best thing ever! She was still staring at Rhys with worry when he said he’d get a fruit bowl, and her nose scrunched up slightly. Audrey didn’t mind fruit, especially the tropical fruits that were usually in fruit salad and the like, but compared to cake?!

“I do not understand you.” She said with great conviction, though there was a smile on her lips as the waiter returned and took her order for a slice of chocolate cheese cake with vanilla ice-cream. If she was going to splurge on a night out, she was going to go all out and damn the consequences. Which she was sure she’d hate herself tomorrow – or the day after that, rather – when she checked her bank account and found nothing but spare change. But for now, she grinned as her bowl of ice-cream and slice of cake was delivered, and they hadn’t skimped on the size.

“So who is your dad?” She asked after a moment and a couple of mouthfuls, looking at Rhys curiously. “Is he one of those red-carpet designers?” She really didn’t know much of anything about fashion. It had never really been on her radar; her idea of nice clothing was a cute tee shirt and a pair of casual jeans. Sometimes she wore cute dresses in the summer, but who had time for clothing? She was too busy working at Starbucks or running errands for Asher, learning how to be a wolf and part of the pack.

“I don’t understand me sometimes either,” Rhys countered, though he was smiling and didn’t mind being teased in that moment. He was used to it for his weird tastes but he also saw Audrey was actually teasing him, though he fully believed her when she stated her love of chocolate. “But I did enjoy the piece you shared with me earlier,” he added after he ordered his bowl of fresh fruit. It would be a nice light ending to such an intentionally heavy meal and he couldn’t wait to dive in.

Rhys looked up as he stuck a slice of melon in his mouth, fork lingering a moment as he took in the questions. He supposed he did forget to explain exactly who is dad was when he mentioned him earlier. Normally people put it together but Audrey didn’t know his surname yet—unless she glimpsed it on his license—and she didn’t seem to be into high fashion, though it was rude of him to judge by looks considering she had just finished a shift at Starbucks.

“Padraig Evans and yes, he does high end and red carpet.” At least that was what the mundanes would know him for. The preternatural world also knew him for his enchanted fashion that sometimes was just cosmetic to add flare at a party or defensive spells woven in. “This shirt and coat are his designs,” Rhys plucked at his shirt with his free hand to indicate the logo. He may have been dressed down for the evening but the shirt still costs hundreds of dollars which he knew was ridiculous and would likely never buy if he wasn’t getting them for free thanks to be the son of the designer.

As they were finishing their desserts, the waiter came by asking if they wanted anything else and after checking if Audrey wanted another glass of wine or dessert, Rhys asked for the bill. When it arrived, he took out his debit card, and smiled at Audrey. “I invited you out so I’m going to pay.” He wouldn’t hear of any protests and tapped in his info, adding in a tip, and thanking the waiter for the excellent food and service. “You can pay next time,” he added after the man had left, some of his confidence returning and implying he hoped there would be a next time.

“Huh,” Audrey said thoughtfully, considering the information she’d been given. The name rang a bell, but she couldn’t figure out why and even with Rhys sitting right in front of her, she couldn’t find a face to go with the name of his father. She knew she’d heard of him before, though, and not because she watched celebrity fashion shows or followed the red-carpet events. She was still frowning slightly to herself when he indicated his current wardrobe was by design, and she leaned forward a little to peer at his shirt curiously. It didn’t help her place his dad, but it was interesting. They probably cost more than she would make in a month, and that was slightly intimidating. She really didn’t understand people who spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on clothing when the same basic thing could be bought from Walmart for ten dollars.

Once the waiter went off to get their bill, Audrey pulled out her wallet and began digging through it. She wasn’t sure how much she’d spent on her order; steak wasn’t cheap, she knew, and she’d gotten the entre too. And a glass of wine – she really shouldn’t have gotten the wine – plus dessert. She had a few notes, which she’d have to use to supplement her debit card, since she was pretty sure she didn’t have enough in the bank to cover it alone, and her credit card was maxed out after paying her rent and she hadn’t cleared off enough for the next rent, yet. She really shouldn’t have ordered so much.

Audrey was still calculating and stressing over making ends meet for her side of the bill when Rhys said he was paying for the whole thing, and she sat there for several long moments, just staring at him with her mouth slightly agape. It took her several more moments to pull herself together, eyes still wide and slightly glassy as she forced herself not to burst into tears at the sudden relief she felt of not having to find the money to pay for her ridiculous apatite. “I—Okay.” She said softly, wondering if he’d be okay with fast-food, or maybe Starbucks where she could get a discount. She definitely couldn’t afford to foot a bill as big as the one he’d just paid. “Thank you.” She said softly, putting her cash back in her purse, and her debit card, still in shock.

Rhys was still smiling as he got to his feet, quickly moving so he could take Audrey’s coat and help her into it. It wasn’t an official date but it still felt proper to be a gentleman and assist in some tasks. Chivalry wasn’t entirely dead, at least not with his upbringing and ideals. The door was held open for her as they left and he opened the car door for her as well, though he did leave Audrey to the task of getting herself seated and the door closed. There was being a gentleman and then there was going overboard and coming off as a controlling dick.

“Is there somewhere I can drop you off at?” He nodded at the address he was given, indicating he knew the street and area and headed out in that direction. The conversation was kept light, mostly about music as they commented about the song or band that was playing or laughing as they sang along to a chorus that they mostly knew. It was nice. Simple. Fun. Rhys needed that and the entire evening if he was honest. He was working so hard on being the best he could be and proving his worth but it was exhausting and a break had been nice.

As they pulled into the long driveway, Rhys realised exactly where they were but didn’t say or do anything more than a quick glance at Audrey to see if she looked confused. There was a chance he picked the wrong house, though he had seen the address and knew he hadn’t. It didn’t mean she was a wolf and he wasn’t about to get weird over it if she was. Judging an entire species on a few bad apples wasn’t something he did and wasn’t about to start now.

In fact, as he put the car into park, Rhys shifted slightly in his seat so he could face Audrey more head on. “Thank you for coming out with me tonight. I had a great time and I was hoping we could do it again sometime, and if I could give you my number?” It was probably a good thing they were at the Red Oaks Pack’s headquarters, otherwise there was a strong chance he’d ask to kiss her and hope to be invited in or to ask her to come home with him. Then again, while he was interested in a deeper connection, Rhys also didn’t want to make Audrey feel like a one night stand, especially one that was paid for given her reaction at the restaurant.

Audrey smiled at the chivalry, blushing slightly as she was helped into her coat. It was kind of fun to be treated like a princess, what with him buying her dinner and now acting the gentleman. She flashed another smile when the door to the car was opened for her, and she climbed inside, putting her phone and purse into her bag and zipping it back up. Setting it aside beside her feet, Audrey folded her hands in her lap and gave Rhys directions to Asher’s house, studying him subtly to see if it caused him any recognition. She didn’t see any, and relaxed into her seat and enjoyed the drive.

Relief settled over Audrey like a blanket when they reached Asher’s home, and she relaxed further, not noticing the quick glance that Rhys gave her. It wasn’t her home, but it was home. Safe, and secure and with the Pack, small as it still was for now. She had a moment of fear, hoping that Rhys got away before Asher realised he was there and decided to try and Turn him. She bit her lip, but was interrupted from her thoughts by Rhys’ voice, and she turned to face him with a slight smile.

“I did too,” Audrey said honestly, blushing when he asked to give her his number. “Um, sure.” Leaning over, she dug her phone out of her bag, and after opening it up to the new contact page, she handed it silently to Rhys so he could put in as much or as little information about himself as he wanted. She already knew his birthday, and knew she’d make sure to put that in once she got the chance, so she would be reminded of it next year. When he handed it back, she beamed at him, and then put her phone away again.

“I’ll text you,” she promised, glancing subtly at the moon, sitting so close to full in the dark sky, and felt a shiver travel her spine. She was good at changing, took to it better than most she was told, but it still was an agony of twisting limbs and angry muscles. It wasn’t natural, and was definitely a curse, but it was her life now and she accepted it with a serenity that helped make it easier. “Thank you,” she said again, smiling brightly one last time as she picked up her bags, and slowly got out of the car, not wanting the night to end with her new friend, but also extremely invested in that hot bath, more painkillers, and maybe another glass of wine while she soaked.