Liona was tired and felt slightly suffocated in the grand ballroom of the hotel that was hosting her elaborate 18th birthday celebration with her family. Her family owned this hotel, but her parents did not own it. It was one of many properties that was jointly owned by the Edevane family as well as the Bartley and Hendrix families. These three families were all part of her family.
With her mother coming from the Hendrix family, having been adopted by her Grandpa Ash as a young girl, and her father having come from the Bartley family. But her Grandpa Kaito was the head of the Edevane family. Even though he had married her Grandpa Lionel, who was born a Bartley, he still had inherited the role as head of the family thanks to her great-great-great uncle, Sylvester Edevane. She didn't know all the details, but she did know that he had been the previous head and had passed that role onto her grandpa before his passing.
As Liona thought about her extensive family, she excused herself to go out and get some air. No one questioned her leaving the ballroom, but her mom did look a bit concerned when she explained she needed some air. Her mom ultimately just nodded and let her go, probably because she looked as flushed as she felt. Having suppressed her heat, and it being out of character to come early, she thought that her mom was worried about her and was only wanting what was best for her.
Leaving the ballroom, she made her way to the side exit she knew of that led to the parking lot. Exiting the building, Liona took a deep breath as the cool night air hit her overheated body. As she took that breath, her senses, and omega, started an uproar. Her mate was nearby. She then realized that the slight breeze held a hint of mint that was only getting stronger. She followed her senses, listening to her omega's demand that she see her mate. As she walked, the more excited her omega got until she spotted him. There was Erik, looking handsome even in his work shirt. He looked like he had just gotten off work, but by her calculations, he should have been working at the grocery store at this time.
Shaking the thought from her head, Liona was just really glad to see Erik. Her mate was before her and she hurried as fast as her mermaid gown and heels allowed, to reach him. She approached him with a smile on her face as her omega practically jumped for joy at seeing him after too long apart. When she was within just a few steps of him, she saw that Erik had his eyes closed. This made her smile even bigger as he seemed to sense her presence and when he opened them, she was practically grinning like a fool.
"Hi! What brings you to another party of mine?" Liona felt like teasing him a little. He always had this cute flush when she teased him before she found out he was her fated mate.
"Uh, um, hi…" Erik sounded a little breathless as he looked at her. She took a step closer without even thinking about it and closed the distance between them.
"I missed you. I almost thought that you didn't want to see me after what I did…" Liona couldn't bring herself to tease Erik when he looked slightly nervous now.
"No! I wanted to see you! But… I couldn't…" Erik mumbled.
"Whyever not?" Liona was curious.
"I thought that you were the one who didn't want to see me! I tried to go to your house, but I was turned away. The person who answered your intercom thing said that they would let you know I visited, but you never acknowledged that I stopped by. I couldn't call or message you, which I also thought that you didn't want to talk to me and that was why I couldn't get a hold of you either… If Georgie hadn't told me that you had shown up at the restaurant, I would have thought that you hated me because I wasn't your ideal…" Liona was surprised after hearing this.
No one had told her that Erik had shown up or asked for her. The only thing she could think of was that the maid had mentioned that a solicitor had shown up pretending to know her. Now she knew that the maid had probably mistaken Erik for an annoying pest that had tried that route in the past to get close to her or her family.
"I'm sorry you were turned away! If I had known, I would have explained to you myself. I was in heat for a couple of days and during that time, I wasn't going anywhere to be on the safe side, even though I always suppress it. My heat was actually early, which concerned my parents, so I was doubly unable to leave the house under such conditions. I tried to contact you myself, but I too was unable to get a hold of you. Today was the first day I could try and see you, but I didn't have time to stick around and wait for you to either get off work or take a break. I had lunch for you, but I left it somewhere, and I don't know where it is… But! I'll make you another one! I promise! I just wanted to give it to you as a sort of apology and to tell you something important…" Liona trailed off as she blushed.
Looking at her feet, she continued to blush as she thought of what she had hidden in the bento she had painstakingly made for him. She was sort of glad he hadn't seen that embarrassing message she had written out in the letters she had carefully cut out using the new bento tools she had received for her birthday. When she looked back up, Erik was rummaging in his backpack and pulling out something.
"You mean this lunch? It was delicious… And um… I saw your message… and I'm not sorry you did that… As for your other message? Is it true?" Erik looked so hopeful that his eyes were almost shining.
It made her heart beat faster as she gazed into those beautiful peridot depths that spoke of endless spring. Before she knew what she was doing, her eyes teared up as those words sunk in. Erik wasn't sorry? She hadn't irrevocably hurt him with her actions?
"If you hadn't kissed me, then I wouldn't have presented… and I wouldn't now have my fate standing before me…" Liona heard Erik speak a bit more firmly, before she caught a hint of movement from the corner of her eye.
Erik reached out and took her hand and squeezed it. She felt reassured, so she looked up with the hint of her tears still in her eyes that she was still on the verge of spilling. Then he did something a bit unexpected. He reached up and gently wiped the unshed tears from the corners of her eyes. He also took another step closer to her as he traced the outline of her face before stopping at her chin and gently lifted it. He was looking right into her eyes, and she felt her heart hammer in her chest as she felt like her soul was being bared for him to see.
"Can I kiss you?" Her eyes widened as Erik was now just inches away from her face.
Liona felt herself nodding, before she could even speak. "Yes…" Just as she gave her verbal consent, Erik closed the distance this time and leaned in, still staring into the depths of her soul as their lips met once again. It was like an explosion of fireworks going off in her brain. There was an electric thrill that ran down her spine and she felt like everything was right in the world as the gentle and chaste kiss soon held a hint of more heat to it. That hint of heat simultaneously excited her and scared her.
Before she could vocalize her fear over that unknown, Erik broke the kiss. There was still a deep longing in his gaze that was now such a deep green that it looked like the depths of a forest. The once peridot eyes of her mate were now so dark of a green that she felt like she was standing in the midst of the deepest, darkest part of the forest that bordered her grandfather's ranch. It was the most beautiful shade of forest green she'd ever seen.
"I'm not sorry that you kissed me, and I hope that you aren't sorry that I kissed you…" Erik said in a low voice that felt like there was an unspoken desire in it. It sent shivers down her spine listening to him speak.
"Not at all…" Liona breathed as she shivered as the cool breeze picked up and swirled around her. She had forgotten that she had left her shawl in the ballroom, since she had been too warm just a few minutes ago. Again, she found herself in an unexpected situation. She was enveloped in Erik's embrace that was so warm, and it was comforting. She breathed in his strong minty scent that made her want to burrow further into his arms.