Nia POV
The next day after work, Stacy came over and helped me get ready for my date. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like the hottest girl in town by the time she was done with me because the way she did my hair and makeup had me feeling like a supermodel.
I decided to let my hair stay down in loose curls and only let her apply some light makeup since, between the two of us, she was the girly girl and insisted on enhancing my facial features so they would stand out in the glow of the moonlight as she put it. For my outfit, I decided to go with a red dress that I had bought in town at one of the boutiques and pair it with my black heels that weren't too high so I wouldn't get sore feet or fall over, which would be embarrassing beyond belief.
After a couple of hours of getting ready, we were finally finished and I was very pleased with the result. I couldn't help but keep looking at myself in the mirror and feeling like the prettiest girl ever from the way I looked, I just hope Travis will see it the same way.
"I hope he likes my outfit, I mean after all guys like it when girls wear red don't they?" I questioned feeling a bit unsure of myself at the moment.
"Nia, that man is crazy about you, you may not see it now but I've seen the way he looks at you, and it's the same way Jesse looked at me when we first got together. Just don't doubt yourself and let things happen naturally, be yourself and let Travis get to know the real you and in return, he will do the same".
She was right, what did I have to worry about? It was obvious that Travis cared about me and taking me out to dinner only confirmed that he was serious and willing to take the next step in this relationship, I just needed to learn to stop holding back and just go with the flow so things happened naturally. Since we were having this girl chat moment, I thought this would be a good time to confide in Stacy and talk to her about my experience the other night.
"Speaking of letting things happen naturally, the other night I found myself giving into some unseen type of force or more like a pull that seemed to occur after this howling from a wolf out in the woods started. It was like the more it howled, the less control I had over my body until the point I snapped out of my trance and realized I was standing outside at the forest edge in my nightclothes, barefoot and shivering in the cold night air. I know it sounds crazy but it did happen, I'm starting to think there's something wrong with me. This never happened to me before back in the city and ever since I've moved out here, things have been kind of strange in a supernatural way".
I was expecting Stacy to have a look of shock and confusion on her face but instead, she seemed like she was holding back some excitement with a smile on her face.
"Oh my gosh Nia, that's wonderful. You're letting not only your body but you're spirit get used to your new surroundings and it's giving you all these new feelings. It might seem scary at first but in time you will understand them", Stacy said while packing her things.
"Ok but what about the wolf howling, how does that go along with these new feelings?", I asked a little frustrated that she wasn't taking this matter as seriously as I thought she would be. I could see a bit of hesitation on her face before giving her next reply letting me know that she knew something more about that last part I told her but didn't know how to answer it.
"Nia, I can't tell you everything about what you've been experiencing but just know that these things are meant to happen and once you fully understand what's going on, you'll realize what an important part you play in all of this", she said grabbing her bag and looking at me with a smile before heading out the door to her car.
What could she possibly mean by enjoying what's happening to me and that I play an important part in this ?, I mean for God's sake, I was sleepwalking outside at night towards a wild animal that could've killed me and she says to enjoy it. Anyway, all I needed to focus on tonight was not making a fool of myself in front of this man. Even though we've hung out before, it was just as friends and by the end of tonight, I'll know if we're going to do more than just that.
Travis POV
Standing in the mirror of my Master Suite, I suddenly realized that I wouldn't be the only one living in this room. Of course, I had to hope that she accepted me and my pack first but just the thought of not being alone and having that special someone to come home to that I could unwind and relax after a long day of work had me smiling to myself.
"Mate will be well cared for and protected by us and the pack, anything she needs or desires will be made available to her. She is our queen and will be treated as such," my wolf said with pride in his voice at talking about our mate and it was true, a wolf only gets one mate in their lifetime, so this was very serious.
In my culture courting your potential mate is quite an old-school romantic experience. There are flowers involved along with poems and bonding time for the two to get more acquainted with each other. Since we were wolves, many times the male would prove his ability to provide for his mate and pups by going off alone on a hunt and bringing back a deer from the forest, a big fish from the stream, or one of the huge goats from up in the mountains. Some of us still do these things today but mostly only when the other mate is a wolf also.
Since Nia is human, I'm just going to stick with a nice dinner at a restaurant to make the experience more enjoyable for us both, then work my way up to get her more involved with the wolf side of things.
Everything was set for tonight, the reservations were made, I wore one of my best suits and I also had the florist in town prepare a beautiful bouquet of purple bellflowers to present to her. These are the flowers a man would go out in the woods to get and bring back to the woman he was courting. I knew she would love these because not only did they have a sweet-smelling scent but they were her favorite color also. There was one more surprise I had in store for her tonight but I just decided to put it in my pocket for safekeeping until the moment was right.
I gave myself one final look in the mirror before leaving out and going downstairs, to see none other than Garrett, drunk and leaning up against the wall with a smirk.
"Going out on a date instead of the hunt? You know if it was up to me, I would just keep my obligation to the pack because after all, the tradition of the pack overrides the wants of the individual any day," he said before staggering off to his quarters.
I made a promise to myself, that as soon as I have the opportunity, he is out of this pack for good.
As I walked outside to my car, Stacy had just pulled in. She told me that she and Nia were going to be having a girl's afternoon to get her ready for our date and I was glad Stacy was there to help keep her calm.
"Luna is ready for you Alpha, I hope you two have a great first date", she said before going inside to find Jesse.
Since I was taking her to a fancy restaurant in the city, I decided my Luna needed to arrive there in style, so I went to the garage and started up my black Mercedes before going down the driveway, out to the main gate, and on to the main road in the direction of her house.
Nia POV
I looked at my phone as it read 7:57, only 3 minutes before he gets here. The butterflies in my stomach were going crazy, l couldn't help but look over my outfit again in the mirror to make sure everything was in place before I noticed headlights shining out front.
"Okay he's here, just act normal as you have before, keep your ladylike manners, and remain open to what he has to say", I said giving myself a pep talk while walking to the door. After he rang the bell, I opened it to reveal Travis in a 3 piece black dress suit with his blonde locks combed back.
I never imagined that a 'country boy as he put it, would clean up so nice.
"You look beautiful Nia, these are for you, they're bellflowers, a sign of affection among my ancestors and they seemed right for the occasion."
"Thank you, Travis, they're beautiful," I said taking the bouquet and putting it on the dining room table.
I put on my coat before grabbing my purse and following Travis out to his car. Like a true gentleman, he opened the door for me to get in before getting in himself and pulling off down the road.
It felt weird to be heading in the direction of the city instead of the small town like I do every day but I could tell he wanted to make this night special for us and after a 40-minute drive, he pulled into what I could only describe as a 5-star restaurant from the elegant design of the front, to the view of it being next to the water.
We pulled into a reserved spot upfront and then went inside where we were greeted by a man that was dressed differently from the staff, so he must be the owner.
"Good evening Mr.Hagen, your private table is ready for you and your lady, just follow me this way," the man said leading us to pass the other guest. He led us to a secluded, warmly lit corner beside a large window that overlooked the water. We both sat down and looked at our menus before ordering our food and Travis requested some wine while making sure they gave me the non-alcoholic one.
I could tell by his sudden change in demeanor, that there was something he wanted to say but just couldn't come right out with it. They brought out our food and we had a good time talking about our childhood and lives to lighten the mood a bit. I couldn't believe how comfortable I was talking with him about these things and in return, he told me more about things that he hadn't before.
I was surprised when he got a sudden look of seriousness on his face and reached for my hand.
Travis POV
This was it, the whole reason why I was doing this. Now would be the best time to tell her the truth about myself.
"Nia you know how I said that my family is descended from Vikings of Norway and how I grew up in the country being taught the ways of nature by my father ?"
She nodded her head yes while looking a little nervous.
"You also know that many of the businesses in town are owned by my family and there is an important reason behind all of that and it's because not only are we descended from Vikings but Viking werewolves."