Travis POV
There she was stepping out of the keep in a beautiful curve-hugging sweater dress that only made me want to pull her in close for a tight hug. She looked up at me and I could see the happiness in her eyes along with the shy smile on her face.
"Glad you guys made it before it started getting crowded", I said walking over to them while keeping my eyes on my mate.
"Thanks for inviting me, I like going to culture fairs like this", her cheery, feminine voice rang out, which was music to my ears. What got my attention was the sweet smell of lavender that invaded my nostrils, making my beast purr in delight.
"Mate smells heavenly, we must stay close to her", he growled.
In total agreement with him, I signaled Stacy and Jesse to go on and leave me with Nia, who by the looks of it, didn't mind. I started our tour of the festival by first leading her to the craftsman stands where women were busy weaving an array of baskets, while others made small pieces of jewelry to be sold as souvenirs. Some were doing paintings ranging from small frames for tabletops to big ones that could be hung in a grand hall or large office.
Next, we went over to the metalworkers that consisted mainly of men making the more elaborate jewelry along with the decorative weapons you hang for displays. It warmed my heart to see the amazement in her eyes at the different works of my culture that one day she will be a part of.
"I've always seen these on TV but not in person, it's amazing how much detail they put into it", she said picking up a small ax with intricate designs on the blade before suddenly dropping it when her finger pricked the blade's sharp point drawing blood.
"I didn't know the blade was that sharp", she said in a slight panic while reaching in her purse for a tissue.
I went beside her holding her injured hand elevated in mine while taking the tissue and firmly pressing on the cut to stop the bleeding.
Nia POV
I was slightly embarrassed at how I managed to hurt myself on a blade I knew was sharp but what amazed me was Travis's concern for my well-being. It was just a simple cut on my palm but he treated it like I was about to lose my hand. The way he grabbed and elevated my hand while putting steady pressure on the cut showed how attentive he was in making sure I was okay.
I also noticed how close together we were to the point of me smelling his pine forest musk scent while also feeling the strength in his big hands that surprisingly held mine so softly in his grip. Being this close to him also affected those feelings I've had about being drawn to something and right now, I was feeling more drawn to him.
Just to see how he was feeling, I took a chance and looked up into his eyes which were just as I remembered them on that night, two blue jewels that seemed to shimmer with what looked like some type of adoration of me that quickly disappeared when they suddenly glazed over in a cloudy fog that caught me off guard and unconsciously made me break my gaze and pull my hand away.
Travis POV
"Alpha, do you want me and Jesse to give Luna a ride back home after the festival or will you?"
"I'll take her home", I replied before frustratingly cutting the mind link, only to see Nia had broken our perfect gaze and moved away from me. The last thing I wanted was to creep her out at a moment like the one we just shared. At least I could tell the mate bond was getting stronger for her than it was for me. When I looked into her eyes, I saw everything I needed to see which was my future with her, our pack, and the family that we'll one day have. My wolf also saw it, our lovely mate that will look to us for protection, guidance, and love, which I'll proudly provide her with.
As we continued through the festival grounds, I noticed her stop and look over in the direction of the food area.
"Mate is hungry, we must feed her", my beast commanded, so I lead her over to the dining area to a small empty table.
"Nia, since you're my guest here, allow me to treat you to lunch".
"Thanks, I'd like that Travis", she replied with a smile.
I linked one of the food workers that was also an omega in my pack to bring over a tray of freshly cooked food.
Nia was a bit confused at how suddenly the servant appeared without me getting up to place an order but she was amazed at the selection. They made a tray of authentic Viking foods such as Danish ham, Salmon patties, Spiced oak cakes with lamb and mushroom stew, along with some fruit pudding for dessert.
"Wow this all looks so delicious, I want to try it all", she said excitedly before putting food on one of the extra plates.
I and my wolf were happy that our mate was enjoying the food until I realized the servant forgot our drinks, so to enhance the experience I had them send over two cups of fruit wine but I made sure one of them was distilled for Nia since she doesn't drink alcohol. Being a wolf, alcohol doesn't affect me like a human, so I can drink two bottles of wine before I start to feel drunk. She was enjoying the taste by the way she drank it down but still kept her table manners.
After we finished lunch, we walked around some more and played some of the games. The best part was going into the maze where she decided to go into the center and have me come find her, which was easy from having an enhanced sense of smell that led me right to her in under a minute.
Soon the sun began to set and people were starting to close down their stands signaling the festival had come to a close. I walked Nia back to the parking lot when she turned and looked up at me with the most radiant sunset glow on her face.
"Thank you so much for inviting me Travis, I've never been to a festival like this one before".
"I'm glad you had fun, not many people have experienced this type of culture and I see you like it".
She looked down with a slight blush before we saw Stacy and Jesse making their way over to us and from the amount of bags Stacy was carrying, I could see she had been dragging her poor mate around to different gift shops.
"With all those bags I hope there's room for me in the back seat", Nia said with a giggle.
"Well actually Nia, I volunteered to take you home this afternoon if that's ok with you", I cut in hoping she would accept my offer.
"Sure Travis, that's fine. I'll just see you tomorrow for lunch Stacy" she said waving bye to her new friend before turning to follow me.
As we got to my car, a face I hadn't seen all day and wished not to see right now came into view. There was Garrett with his mate, a tall brunette named Anna that much like Garrett, wasn't too fond of humans. My attention was suddenly drawn to Nia when I smelled a strong aura of fear coming off her. She quickly pressed close to me and grabbed my hand like a scared child seeking protection from their parent.
Her actions had my wolf on edge in a defensive mode and me looking around for any sign of danger.
"Mate doesn't feel safe, we must get her away from here and back home", the beast growled.
"Hey brother, how'd you enjoy the festival? I haven't seen you all day but I guess you were probably busy with this pretty woman", Garrett said with sarcasm. He may be my brother but if he does anything to upset my mate, there will be hell to pay.
I looked down at Nia and could see her practically trying to hide behind me, then it clicked in my head. Garrett must have somehow had an interaction with her that made her so uncomfortable right now seeing him. I had to get her away from here fast to keep her calm and at ease.
"Yes Garrett, me and Nia did enjoy ourselves today but right now I'm going to take her home, so I'll see you later", I said using a bit of my alpha tone followed by a low growl to which he smirked at. I just led Nia over to the car and opened the door for her to get in, then got in the driver's side myself before speeding out of the parking lot while gripping the steering wheel hard.
This only made things more serious now, I would have to reveal the truth to her soon before something happens and I'm not around to protect her. When it comes to my mate, anyone or anything that presents itself as a danger will be dealt with, even if that means banishment or death.