CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY FOUR


    Talia’s POV


    My wolf woke me close to noon.


    I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling before the time registered. The lighting through the curtains was too bright for morning. I sat up and looked at the other side of the bed.


    ‘Why did you wait so long to wake me?’ I asked.


    ‘Because you needed more rest,’ my wolf replied. ‘Now, let’s get up and find our mate.’


    I could not remember thest time I had slept this long. My body clearly needed it more than I had thought. I still felt tired but


    not as much as before.


    I got up, washed, and dressed before heading down to the dining room.


    Breakfast had been kept warm for me. I sat down and ced a roll on my te. I had taken only a few bites when Maggie walked in, and she was grinning from ear to ear.


    “You look like you’re having a good day,” I said as I took another bite of my roll.


    “Luna,” she chirped. “Alpha Nn is waiting for you in the central garden. He said toe whenever you’re ready.”


    I set the bread down. “Did something happen?”


    Maggie shook her head. “Nope, just a surprise I think,” Maggie replied. “He said to tell you toe when you are ready.”


    Intrigued, I grabbed another roll and headed out. As I approached the central garden, the air carried the scent of roses. My wolf caught the scent and became curious.


    ‘The roses are in bloom,’ my wolf said in surprise.


    ‘Not possible. It is the wrong season,’ I replied.


    The moment I stepped through the entrance, I saw the rose bushes. They were full and open despite the cold. How was that possible?


    ‘There is something on them,’ my wolf added. ‘A fertilizer, or a potion maybe. Something was used to bring them out early.”


    I looked at them for a moment longer before continuing down the path.


    At the far end of the garden stood the central greenhouse. The ss was fogged slightly from the warmth inside. I pushed the door open and stepped in


    Nn stood beside a table that had been set up in the center of the room. It was the kind of table you would expect in the main dining room, not a greenhouse. It was properlyid out with several covered dishes, two sses, and an open bottle of wine


    “Good morning,” Nn said.


    “It is noon, Nn.”


    He stepped closer, a small smile ying on his lips. “You just woke up, so it’s morning to me ”


    “What is all of this?”


    “A date,” he said simply, pulling out the chair nearest to me “Sit down”


    “You nned all of this?” I asked as I walked over


    “I did. Since you came to Bloodmoon, I have not given you the time I should have. We never had a proper honeymoon We have


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    barely had an afternoon to ourselves without something pulling one or both of us away. I wanted to change that.” Nn gestured toward the chair again.


    I sat down and Nn took the seat across from me and poured the wine.


    “It is perfect,” I told him.


    Nn chuckled and said, “You haven’t tried the food yet.”


    “That is not what I meant,” I said. “Being here with you is enough.”


    Nn reached over and lifted the cover from one of the dishes. The smell reached me before I saw it clearly. It was pepper chicken stew, prepared the way it was made in Silverfang. I recognized the color of the broth and the way the herbs had beenid across the top before I even lifted the spoon.


    “De made it,” Nn said, watching my face. “She said it was your favorite.”


    I pulled the dish closer and served myself a generous portion without waiting. I had not eaten it since leaving home. It tasted exactly the way I remembered.


    “She has been keeping this from me the entire time I have been here in Bloodmoon,” I said. “I am going to get her back for this.”


    Nn smiled at my reaction and uncovered another dish on his side of the table. “This one I made myself. Maggie told me what to do, but I did the cooking.”


    I served myself a portion of what turned out to be herb-crustedmb. It was well-seasoned and cooked through properly. “This is delicious.”


    Nn raised an eyebrow. He picked up his own fork, cut a piece for himself, and chewed it slowly. His brows furrowed as he put his fork down.


    “It is too salty,” he said.


    “It is not.”


    Nn reached over and moved the dish firmly to his side of the table, away from me.


    “Nn.”


    “You are being kind,” he said. He refilled my ss and set the bottle back down. “There is enough food here. Eat the rest.”


    Iughed, and he looked quietly pleased with himself. I stood up from my chair and moved around the table.


    “What’s wrong?” Nn asked, his eyes following my every move.


    I didn’t answer. I simply sat on hisp and wrapped my arms around his neck. Nn pulled me closer, feeding me another piece of chicken with a low chuckle.


    “Why did you move the dish?” I pouted, my lips brushing his jaw.


    “Because you would have suffered through it just to spare my feelings,” he murmured, his thumb tracing a slow circle on my hip.


    “Maybe I actually liked it.”


    “You didn’t.”


    I leaned closer, my breath hitching as our foreheads touched. “Since I cannot have themb,” I whispered, “I suppose I’ll have to taste something else.”


    Then I kissed him.


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