Page 171 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince

I blush at her words but choose to ignore her.

Once Marius and I have finished shopping, we are exhausted. We take our bags to his car, intending to take them directly to Red Claw and wrap them up there. It’s easier to have them there since that’s where the party will be.

“Please tell me I am not the only one who’s starving,” I groan.

“No, I could eat literally anything now,” he says.

“How about Italian?” I ask.

“Works for me.” He says with a happy smile. I don’t know why he’s looking at me so happily, but I don’t inquire further.

During lunch, we chat about all manner of things. It suddenly feels like we’re on a real date, but to my surprise, I’m not upset about it. It’s not all forgotten or forgiven, but I have to admit to myself that I’ve enjoyed my day with Marius. He is really making an effort to change, and never once did he pressure me or try to corner me, and I like that he’s kept this promise.

I don’t know if this makes me weak or not, but it’s up to me how I handle my mate. I am not sure if I will be able to let go of my whole grudge anytime soon, but I can start the process of letting go, little by little, and open up to him gradually.

After dinner, we grab an ice cream cone each and decide to walk through town for a bit. Marius choses Stracciatella and pistachio.

And I…

“Oh no, you’re a mint chocolate-chip girl!” he exclaims dramatically.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I bet you also have all your Christmas presents bought and wrapped two months before the holidays,” he grins. “And you always remember everyone’s birthday.” He pauses, eyeing me in horror. “You write gift cards!”

“Who doesn’t write gift cards?” I ask in confusion. “Are you just wrapping up gifts without even writing a card?”

“I am not wrapping them up at all,” he admits. “It’s a waste of paper.”

“Goddess, help me,” I groan.

“I bet you also think licorice is candy.”

“It is!” I argue. “Licorice absolutely qualifies as candy!”

He grimaces. “In that case, I think broccoli should be counted as candy too.”

“Licorice is a salty snack,” I try to reason. “But with a gummy texture. It counts as candy.”

“If you throw a bag of gelatin in a jar of Bolognese sauce, then put it in the fridge, it would come out as Jell-O. By your argument, that’s candy!”

I punch his shoulder lightly, frowning when he laughs. “Alternatively, you could just try some of my ice cream before being so judgmental,” I mock grumble.

“Is that a challenge?” he grins.

I hand him the little spoon, and he scoops some of it up. He grimaces a bit, but eats it nevertheless. He tilts his head back with eyes closed as he contemplates the flavor. He frowns slightly before admitting, “Not bad.”

“So, does that make you a mint chocolate-chip boy then?” I ask dryly.

He pouts. “You are learning way too fast. Typical alpha.”

I elbow him again while chuckling. As we walk by the park, I remember something I wanted to ask. “Marius,” I say earnestly. “I… I don’t want to ask too much from you, so don’t think you need to say yes now.”

He looks a little worried, probably because I normally don’t approach him so carefully and am still a bit standoffish with him. But this is different. “I would like for you to meet someone.”

“Who?” he asks curiously.

I nod towards the cemetery, right behind the park. “My mom and my brother.”