18. A Date With Her

(Here's a longer chapter to make up for disappearing for so long)

Adella, holding a cup of iced coffee, leans against the balcony railing. She watches the cars at the front gates drive down the road and away from the House.

'It'll be way quieter now,' she thought, taking another sip. She turns her gaze to the head of red hair by the gates, watching too as the cars leave.

The woman only shakes her head before exiting the balcony back into her room. She places the cup on the table by her bed, papers scattered around as if it was the wind's doing. Adella pretended not to see it as she passed it, heading out the door and into the hallways.

Her head turned to the door at the very end of the hall, her gaze burning into the material as if trying to make it open with her mind. Sucking in a breath, she found herself in front of the door in only a couple long steps.

She stared at the doorknob whilst deciding whether or not to enter. After pacing around all night and creating a mental script of what to say, she's decided today is the day to ask the big question.

However, it seemed like all the confidence she had built up had disappeared. The Alpha shamed herself for it, as being confident was a part of being a leader.

'You're going to strut in there like a model, make hella eye contact, and ask him.'

Swallowing whatever nervousness had accumulated at the back of her throat, she knocks three times. When she heard shuffling from the other side of the door, a smile almost broke out onto her features.

The door quickly opened, revealing the man she longed to see. He was less than presentable–- a stained oversized shirt on him and paint smeared across his cheeks. But the sight made a light smile rest upon Adella's lips.

The man gasped, alarm filling his eyes. He turns around to wipe the paint off his face, attempting to at least look presentable. Adella only shakes her head, leaning on the doorframe with her arms crossed.

"Good morning Kieryn," she says, her smooth tone causing Kieryn to look up at her.

An orange color crawled up his neck, and he shifted from one foot to the other. He tries to subtly pull down his shirt to cover his boxers, realizing that he wasn't wearing any pants. The woman chuckles pushing herself off the doorframe once Kieryn moves to the side to let her in.

Once she enters, her nose is overpowered by the smell of paint. She sees the large canvas held up by the easel, as well as the black tarp under so paint wouldn't smear the floors. Opened paint bottles layed carelessly on the tarp, causing Adella to raise her eyebrows.

"You used almost everything I gave you," she said. "I guess you must really love painting."

Adella turns around to see Kieryn wiping his face with his shirt. He froze up when he met her eyes, averting him to the floor.

'Ah, he must still be embarrassed about that.' The thought made her chuckle under her breath.

"Go sit down. I have something I need to ask you."

Kieryn's eyes slightly widened, a glimmer of excitement appearing in them. He rushed to the bed and sat down at the edge, looking down to make sure no paint got on the sheets.

Adella's light smile turned into a small smirk. Her eyes slowly ran up and down the man's body, as if trying to peel it off with her eyes. It lingered a little longer at his bare, pale legs.

Feeling her gaze, Kieryn shuffled around in his seat. His thighs closed together and his hands placed on top of them, attempting to cover what she's already seen.

She noticed the damp rag on the table, most likely to wipe off the paint from his fingers. She sighs before taking it, using her free hand to grasp Kieryn's chin and tilt it upwards. Jumping at the sudden contact, he almost immediately relaxes to her touch.

Adella focuses on wiping off the blue, green, and brown streaks of paint from his cheeks and nose. Frowning, she looks into his eyes. "How do you even get this much paint on you?"

Light orange dusted his cheeks, and the man looked down at his lap to avoid her question. Adella tilts his head back up to finish cleaning him, biting the inside of her cheek to stop a smile from forming.

Her thumb subconsciously brushed against his bottom lip, causing her to shift her gaze to it. Using her nail to pull it down, she felt a sudden urge to claim it with her own.

Kieryn's own gaze was trained on her lips as well, and so his tongue darted out to wet his. However, once they touched Adella's thumbs, his heart almost stopped. He meets Adella's eyes, a pool of desire swirling around in them.

The attractiveness of this man was irresistible, but she couldn't just kiss him without his permission. 'Control yourself, dammit.'

Adella pulled away, allowing the man to catch his breath. He could feel the heat spread onto his cheeks, which Adella had a clear view of. He gulps, feeling her gaze burn into him like a mark.

Adella realizes that she might have been making him uncomfortable, so she clears her throat and looks away. "Anyways," she says. "I have to ask you something."

Kieryn looks at her once more, his eyebrows raising in anticipation. That made Adella's brain go blank, forgetting the script she had perfected last night.

'Fuck.' She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. 'Stand up straight, make eye contact, and ask. Easy.'

"Remember when I told you about that restaurant I wanted to take you to?"

Kieryn slowly nods at this, holding her unwavering gaze. He subconsciously bit the bottom of his lip, causing her to stare at them.

'Stop distracting me,' she hissed in her mind.

She forced herself to ignore it, promising unholy things in her mind. "How about today? If you're not doing anything that is."

Uncontained excitement showed in Kieryn's eyes, and the man immediately nods. Adella gives a light laugh, placing the rag on the table.

"I'll come get you in two hours. Make sure you're dressed by then."

Kieryn jumps up, making his way into the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, Adella's smile widened.

'I'm so going to spoil this man.'

Later,

Adella crosses her arms together, inspecting each dress on her bed. She picks up two of the dresses, one red and the other black. She turns to show them to the women lined up side by side.

"Which one is better?"

"Mm, black one for sure," Vanessa said with a nod.

Murmurs of agreement came from the maids, all except for Yuliana.

"I still don't get why you're asking us. You look hot in literally anything."

"I know," Adella responds. "But this night is special, so I have to wear something fancy."

"I think Kieryn won't care what you wear. His jaw is still going to drop when he sees you."

Adella points a glare at her, causing the woman to shut her mouth. She sighs before looking through her walk-in closet, picking out more clothes.

"Dear, just choose something that fits you," Menena says, breaking the silence. "I agree with Liana. Your mate will like anything you wear."

Adella knew she couldn't retort the woman's words. "Fine then. But I'm still going to dress to impress."

"I know you will," Menena says with a smile. "Wear the beige and pair it with some white heels."

Murmurs of agreement filled the room.

"Well, I didn't know you were a fashion expert," Adella joked with a small grin.

"Of course," Menena said, her chin tilted up in mock arrogance. "Back in my days, all the boys wanted me and all the girls wanted to be me. I always went to school with the most stylish of kurtis."

"Most of the men in your hometown were married," Damineh said with crosses arms and a raised eyebrow. "Don't tell me that you went after married men."

The older woman only chuckled. "Oh please. I don't chase, Damineh, I attract. And it just so happened to be married scum. But don't worry, dear, I don't pick up trash with my bare hands."

Damineh laughs out loud, amused to hear the woman's response. The maids in the room try to hold back a chuckle from slipping out.

Adella, on the other hand, was busy creating clothing combinations. If dedication was an award, Adella would have had won it ten times over. She would not walk out the room with the perfect outfit to wear tonight.

Her entire being focused on the final three choices on her bed. Then, a light bulb turned off in her head. A smirk grows on her face.

'Just wait Kieryn. Your jaw and pants will drop when you see me.'

Afterwards,

Kieryn smelled the lavender and cinnamon scent before there was a knock on the door.

The man panicked, smoothing down his hair one last time to make sure he was more presentable than last time. Rushing to the door, he took in two deep breaths before opening it.

The first thing he saw was the top of Adella's head, then his eyes slowly raked her body to drink in the sight.

And his jaw did drop, just as she predicted.

Adella wore a beige, high-waisted bandage belt mini skirt, paired with a white button up shirt tucked inside. The first few buttons were undone, giving Kieryn a teasing view of her cleavage and her neck. Her usually painted toes were covered by reddish-brown stiletto pumps.

Her neck was donned with a thin chain choker, and it looked simple, but Kieryn knew that that kind of money could buy everything he had in his room.

Suddenly, Kieryn was feeling insecure for wearing something so simple. He wore the only clothes in his closet that could be considered "formal". A simple white collared shirt tucked in to dark slim-fit pants, along with some dark tuxedo shoes.

The colors went well together, but the price range did not.

Kieryn used to never care what clothes he wore as long as he had something on him. However, ever since Adella asked him out, he was filled with this desire to impress.

His hands subconsciously went down to smooth over his pants, as if to wipe sweat off of them. Adella almost immediately saw the shift in his mood and posture. 'Is he embarrassed?'

The woman walked forward, her face too close to Kieryn's to let him breath. She holds both his cheeks with her palm, tilted his head upward to see all of his face.

Her heels shortened their height gap, and so, Kieryn was left to stare into the captivating eyes of Adella.

His breath caught in his throat and he held his breath, finding it hard to breathe. Especially since he was given a better view of her cleavage, which he couldn't help his eyes from flickering down at them.

A smirk grows on Adella's nude lips, seeing the red that tinted his ears. Her hands moved to touch his combed back white locks. When the tips of her fingers brushed against the shell of his ear, he stiffened.

"You look amazing," Adella says, a smile showing off her pearly whites. "But I do need to get you some clothes. Maybe after the date."

Shock filled Kieryn's eyes and his head shook in response. 'I don't need them,' he mouthed.

Adella only smiled wider. "But I want to. And I feel like spoiling you, so I will."

Before Kieryn could open his mouth to refuse again, Adella already turned around and walked away. He bit his bottom lip with slightly narrowed eyes, following behind her.

Before he descended down the stairs, he saw the maids poke their heads out of Adella's room in the corner of his eye. They had wide grins on their faces, whispering words of encouragement to the anxious man.

However, it did not help as much as they thought it would.

At the bottom of the stairs, Sandra was already waiting to ambush the two. She jumped on Adella with a squeal, wrapping her arms around her.

"You look so amazing!"

"You're going to ruin my makeup," Adella laughed, hugging the woman back. "Thank you."

Then the giddy woman turned to Kieryn. However, her smile dropped as she looked him up and down. Kieryn flinched at her scrutinizing gaze, subconsciously smoothing his shirt with his hands.

Adella scoffed, pinching Sandra's cheek to turn her away from Kieryn. She whispers in her ear, "You're going to make him embarrassed. I'll get him some new clothes later."

Sandra slowly nods, before turning to Kieryn once more. Now, her previous smile appeared on her face as she walked over the the man. She puts her hands on his shoulders, making him freeze at the contact.

"You look nice. But it's going to take more than that to impress Adella." She whispered the last part to Kieryn.

He looked like he saw a ghost right in front of him. Her words didn't help like she thought it would. Instead, he wanted to run back in his room and bury himself in paint.

Adella narrowed her eyes, pointedly looking at Sandra. She gives an innocent grin before running off before Adella could open her mouth to ask what she said.

She groaned to herself before walking towards Kieryn. He looked down at the ground, most likely thinking over what Sandra said.

'It's true. Adella has everything, and I'm just some guy who was lucky enough to meet her. She could throw me away in a second-'

Warm palms snapped him out of his thoughts, and his body couldn't help but relax into the familiar touch. His head was tilted to look at Adella, who had a small smile on her face.

"You are perfect, Kieryn."

As if she read his mind, Adella said the one thing that Kieryn wished to hear.

A deep red blush flooded Kieryn's cheek, and he couldn't look away from the soft gaze she gave. A gaze that showed she only saw him. He felt like it would open his body and see everything he had locked up.

And somehow, that comforted him.

Before long, Adella's hands dropped and took his arm. "I'll tell her off when we get back. Right now, just put all your insecurities away and have fun with me."

Kieryn's head bobbled as a response. He was pulled along by Adella, and he silently followed behind. He was lost in thought, still in shock of what she said. He softly nibbled on his bottom lip, wondering if Adella truly meant what she said.

'No,' he says to himself in thought. 'I can't ruin my time with her because of what Sandra said.'

And so, the man pushed back all his negative thoughts and replaced them with positive ones. He was going to enjoy tonight and nothing was going to stop him from doing that.

The two were escorted to the main gates by a few guards. Kieryn tried not to worry about their stares and kept his eyes forward. He saw the three black cars that were waiting at the entrance, as well as the chauffer that held the door open for them.

'This must be what it's like to be rich,' he thought in astonishment.

Adella slides into the seat, followed by Kieryn. She chuckled when she saw the excitement in his eyes.

"You must have never been to the city before."

Kieryn blushes, looking down at his lap. Adella leans back in her seat, placing a hand on top of Kieryn's. The man jumped at the contact, which caused an amused smile to appear on Adella's face.

"Don't be embarrassed, darling. I said to have fun, didn't I?"

The nickname made a boyish smile appear on his face. He nodded, trying to keep himself from bouncing in his seat. Adella chuckled once more, looking out the window as the car started.

Kieryn turned his gaze towards her, secretly staring at her features. The way her perfectly curled hair fell over her shoulders, the light reflecting off her eyes, and even the clothes that hugged her curves.

He didn't see anything less than perfect. It was hard for him to believe he was sitting next to her right now.

He was afraid that he would become to greedy for her time, affection, and her stares. He didn't want to put her off, and making her angry was the last thing he wanted.

He chose to gave himself to her, but he shouldn't expect the other way around.

Kieryn decides to enjoy the time he had with her for now, and prepare himself for when he is no longer needed.

In the city,

Kieryn was absolutely captivated by all the lights, even though they hurt his eyes.

At night, the city came to life. A crowd of people walked the sidewalks as cars raced down the lit up streets. Buildings were so high they touched the sky, and that terrified Kieryn.

He was used to seeing tall trees with no end in sight, and animals running around was normal for him. He couldn't imagine how someone could live in such a crowded place.

"We have arrived, Alpha," the driver said.

The car slowed down before coming to a complete stop. Kieryn saw one of the larger buildings in front of him. There was an entrance in which pairs and groups of people, all wearing clothing he could never dream of wearing, were escorted through.

Kieryn felt out of place. He wondered what the prices were like, for someone like him to be anywhere near such an expensive looking restaurant.

His door was opened by the chauffeur, startling him out of his thoughts. He looked toward Adella, who gave him a nod of encouragement.

He felt his heart pound in his ears, sliding out of the car. The chauffeur offered Adella his hand to help her out, but the woman brushed past him. She turns to him with a stone faced look.

"Tell the others they don't need to follow me inside," she commanded him. "They will stay close by the building in case of an emergency."

The man could not raise his head to look at the woman. He nods and rushes off to do what he was told.

Kieryn realized that no matter what situation it was, Adella was always in control.

For some reason, that thought excited him.

Adella turned to Kieryn, her face shining with a bright smile. Her hand reaches up to wrap around his arm, her eyes turning soft when she sees him stiffen.

"Are you uncomfortable, Kieryn?"

The man immediately shakes his head, not wanting to cause this night to end.

"Then let's go inside."

Adella leads him towards the entrance, where two men wearing suits were standing. One held a clipboard in his hand, which he flipped through. However, the other one looked like he shat his pants.

"May I have your name, miss?" The one with the clipboard says.

"Yes, it's-"

"No need for that, Alpha," the other one blurted out, cutting Adella off. "Reservation on the 16th floor, right? I'll escort you and your partner there."

Adella didn't appreciate being disturbed while she spoke, so her eyes narrowed into slits. However, she followed after the man.

The first man with the clipboard look like his soul left his body after hearing Adella's title. He was ashamed for not recognizing her sooner, even when their boss told them that she was coming tonight.

Kieryn looked through the windows that they passed, seeing people dining at circular tables covered by white cloth. He gaped at the chandelier that hung over them, calculating its worth in his head.

He wondered if dining in places like this was normal for Adella, after all, she didn't look the least bit shocked when entering.

The two were led into an elevator that would take them to their destination. While the man escorting them was blabbering about the food and expensiveness of the restaurant, Adella's gaze was trained on Kieryn.

He stared out the glass elevator, looking down at the city as it became smaller and smaller. Adella noticed the way his eyes shone in amazement, making a mental note to visit the city with him again.

The elevator doors opened, and the man beckoned them to follow him. Kieryn heard the chatter coming from behind the multiple doors in the hallway. Servers holding up plates of food passed by them, glancing at the two before they disappeared.

Kieryn once again smoothed his shirt, fighting the urge to cower and run away. Finally, they stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway, one much bigger than the others they've passed.

The man opened the door for them, revealing a dimly lit room, only being illuminated by the large window at the side.

"Would you like to meet my boss? He has been expecting you for some ti-"

Adella walks past him without a word, and soon Kieryn as well. The door behind them closed, leaving Kieryn to turn his attention to the room.

In the middle sat a large, circular wooden table, and red roses protruding from a vase in the middle. There were only two chairs, one on either side of the table. To the side of the room was a mini bar filled with different kinds of bottles lined up in shelves.

Adella took her seat on one side and Kieryn took his on the other.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Her voice interrupts the silence.

Kieryn nods, not sure if he meant it or not. But he did know that he was too shy to look the woman in the face. Sitting at the table just across from her reminded him of the time they ate together before. He felt like that was a date then, but now is a more official one.

The side of Adella's lips quirk up, but she had to stop herself from pouncing on him like a starving lion. Tonight was going to be a time to get to know more about him, after all, that is why she asked him on a date.

The door opened once more, revealing a man dressed in a suit holding two thin books. His eyes darted to Adella, and Kieryn noticed the slight fear in his eyes. "Good afternoon, I am Johnathan and I will be your waiter." He gave Kieryn and Adella the books he was holding. "I will take your orders when you are ready."

Adella watches Kieryn's eyes squint as he looks at the menu, probably trying to read the difficult names. She chuckles under her breath, turning to the waiter.

"What kind of three course meals do you offer?"

"We offer fish or other types of seafood, meat, or vegan. Those options are on the back of the menu."

Adella turns her attention to Kieryn, who was still examining his menu. "Kieryn," she says, and he lifts his eyes to look at her. "Would you like to try seafood?"

Kieryn nods, giving her a smile that covered his previous sullenness.

"Which two seafood courses is your most famous?" She says to the waiter.

"The first is the Smoked Salmon served with horseradish crème Fraiche and mixed leaves, pan fried sea bass with crispy pancetta served on a bed of sweet potato, and a fresh fruit Pavlova. Would that be for you?"

"Yes, and the other option?"

"The other option is smoked salmon and prawn parcels, smoked salmon on rye, and cranberry filo tart."

"We'll take it."

"It will be served in a couple of minutes. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Red wine for me and ginger ale for him."

The waiter nods, writing the orders down and taking back the menus, rushing out of the room after.

And soon after, the dishes were served in front of them. Kieryn stared at what looked to be fish, but it looked expensive. He bet it was.

"Do you not like the food?" Adella says, lowering her fork and knife.

Kieryn shakes his head, shoving a large piece of the fish in his mouth to not make her worry. Adella chuckles, a glint of mischief in her green eyes.

"Careful, Kieryn. I don't want you to choke again."

That one sentence took Kieryn back to when he choked on spaghetti. He remembered vividly when Adella wiped his lips, looked at him with a gaze like she was going to eat him, and she-

He snapped himself out of his thoughts, a light red color dusted on his cheeks. He chewed the fish slowly, but in truth, he wouldn't mind if they were to recreate the scene again.

He watched as Adella takes the bottle that sat at the middle of the table. Kieryn tries to read the label, but it was in a different language. 'French?'

As Adella pours the red liquid into a tall glass with a long stem, Kieryn wonders what exactly it was. Seeing Kieryn's curious gaze, Adella shakes the bottle. "It's red wine. You can't have any, though."

Kieryn seemed to be disappointed when Adella told him that. He watches as Adella tips the glass to her lips, her throat bobbing as the liquid slid down. Kieryn noticed a drop of wine trailing down her chin and threatening to slide down her neck. The man looked for a napkin to give Adella, but she wiped the wine with her finger.

Adella saw the gaze on Kieryn's face and she smirked. "It's alcoholic. I don't know if you can handle your alcohol. You probably won't like it."

A slight pout formed on Kieryn's face and he looked at Adella with wide eyes. Adella lets out a sigh of defeat and she takes another glass, pouring only a bit of wine into it. However, Kieryn was joyful to taste something new, and he gulped down the liquid.

A burning sensation in his mouth makes him press his lips together. He looks at Adella with narrowed eyes. 'How do you drink this?'

"I told you you won't like it," she laughs, pouring herself another glass.

Kieryn drank some of the ginger ale in his glass, secretly watching Adella as she drank her wine. He felt a burning sensation, this time not from the alcohol, but it was rooted deep within his chest.

After the meal,

The two finished their meal in about an hour, but Kieryn took longer to savor the taste of his meal. Adella stood up from her seat, followed by Kieryn who didn't want to be left behind.

She had already paid for the meal beforehand, so they were free to leave as soon as they finished.

Adella exits the room to find the waiter, along with a bald-headed man in front of him. He extends his hand with a large smile.

"Alpha Adella! I'm honored to have you come to my restaurant tonight. I hope the service and meal was to your taste."

Adella looks down at his hand with narrowed eyes, but she gives hers for a handshake. "It was good enough for me to come back here another time."

"Then I'll be expecting you," the man laughs. "You know, I rushed here all the way from the next city over to meet you. I was in a meeting with other restaurant owners, but how could I delay any time to see you in the flesh?"

The woman nodded, promising to wipe her hand down with sanitizer when she reaches the Pack House.

As the man was talking, Adella realized Kieryn wasn't right next to her. She couldn't hear his breathing, nor his footsteps.

She turns around, eyes widening when she saw the man leaning against the wall.

"Is there something wrong with your partner?" The restaurant owner asked.

Adella didn't answer, rushing to Kieryn and pulling him upright to see him face. His face was flushed with pink and his eyes were half-lidded. His body swayed as if he couldn't hold himself up by himself. He looked out of it, as if he were drunk.

'Of course he's a lightweight,' she thought with a sigh.

Now, she would have to carry the man back to the Pack House.