7

The next morning, I awoke early in order to prepare for our outing. I showered quickly, changed clothes, and then headed downstairs for breakfast. There, I ordered eggs benedict and a cup of coffee while waiting impatiently for Aron to arrive. When he arrived a short time later, he looked exhausted. He sat across from me and ate a small bowl of cereal before placing his utensils neatly atop his plate. Then he took a sip from his mug and smiled tiredly at me.

"Good morning," he greeted cheerfully. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. I overslept again."

"Don't worry about it," I reassured him. "I understand perfectly well how exhausting it must have been to deal with those annoying reporters last night. Anyway, let's go outside for a bit of fresh air."

We left the hotel soon afterward and walked over to the park. It was located just steps away from the building and offered an excellent view of the surrounding scenery. Once we had settled onto a bench, I asked Aron if he wanted anything to eat or drink. To my delight, however, he declined both options without hesitation. Instead, he merely watched me intently as I savored a croissant and enjoyed a hot chocolate. For a moment, we remained quiet as we soaked up the beauty of nature around us. Then I glanced sideways at him curiously.

"Do you mind telling me why you're acting strangely today?" I inquired cautiously. "Last night, you seemed fine. But now you look depressed."

Aron sighed heavily. "I suppose that you're referring to the news reports I received yesterday evening?"

"Yeah, something like that," I confirmed. "Did you read them already?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously upon hearing his response. Why wouldn't he want to discuss this topic? After all, it was obvious that the media had caused him considerable distress. Yet instead of voicing my concerns, I decided to wait patiently until he felt ready to speak freely about it. Eventually, he opened his mouth to respond. But before he uttered a word, he paused briefly to collect himself. Finally, he spoke quietly.

"Yesterday afternoon, a group of journalists approached me unexpectedly at the hotel lobby."

"Ahh... I see."

"Yes, exactly," he murmured bitterly. "Apparently, the reporters knew that I stayed overnight at a nearby hotel. Apparently, they assumed that I was staying alone. Which meant that they figured that I'd be an ideal source of information regarding a recent rash of murders in New York City."

"Wait, what?!" I exclaimed incredulously. "What the hell?! Why would anyone assume that?"

"I told you," he reminded me. "People always suspect that I am responsible for such incidents."

"Seriously?"

"Indeed," he stated flatly. "Ever since I became involved with you, rumors began spreading throughout the city. Most people believe that I'm secretly a murderer."

I stared blankly at him for several moments before shaking my head furiously. "No freaking way! What's wrong with everyone?"

"Nothing," he asserted coldly. "In fact, I consider myself fortunate to live in a society where such absurd beliefs are tolerated. After all, they allow me to blend in without attracting undue suspicion."

"Right..." My voice trailed off as I struggled to come up with something useful to say. However, nothing came to mind despite my best efforts. Thankfully, Aran didn't require much encouragement.

"Anyway," he continued after taking a breath, "the reporters cornered me while I was eating lunch at the restaurant. Naturally, they expected me to answer their questions. But unfortunately for them, I refused to cooperate. As a result, they proceeded to badger me relentlessly."

"Wow... That sucks."

"Very much so," he agreed somberly. "Fortunately, I was able to escape from them after spending almost two hours trapped inside their van. Fortunately, the police showed up just in time to rescue me."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me," I mentioned absentmindedly. "How did you get away from them?"

"By driving straight into the middle of traffic," he answered simply. "I swerved toward the sidewalk and drove directly towards the curb. By doing so, I forced the reporters to step aside in order to avoid being hit by the car. This allowed me to drive past them without incident."

"Holy crap!" I cried in shock. "Wasn't that risky? Didn't it put you at risk of being struck by a vehicle?"

"It definitely could have happened," he acknowledged frankly. "Luckily for me, the reporters chose not to pursue me further. Or perhaps they realized that chasing me would do more harm than good. Either way, they abandoned their pursuit once I escaped from the parking garage and entered the street."

I shook my head in amazement. "That's amazing!"

"Thanks," he replied modestly. "I suppose I lucked out that day."

I nodded slowly. "Yep. You certainly did."

Aran smiled at me warmly. Then he gazed deeply into my eyes as if searching for signs of deception. Suddenly, his expression turned dark. His eyes widened suddenly and he leaned forward aggressively. Before either of us knew what was happening, his lips pressed against mine passionately. The kiss lasted only seconds before we pulled apart reluctantly. We stood frozen for several long moments, staring silently at each other. Then we broke into laughter simultaneously.

"Well, I'll be damned," he remarked humorously. "You actually kissed me first! Who would've guessed?"

"Me neither," I gasped. "Why did you stop though? Were you expecting me to initiate things?"

Aran shrugged his shoulders casually. "Actually, no. But given the circumstances, I thought it might be appropriate to reciprocate."

"Fair enough," I conceded. "Although I still feel kinda awkward about it. Like I said earlier, I never imagined kissing you would be this exciting!"

"Come now, it's completely normal," he assured me. "If you recall, I made similar advances on you numerous times prior to this encounter. And every single time, you rejected me."

"I remember," I muttered sadly. "But that was different because we were friends. Plus, I was afraid of hurting your feelings."

"Hahaha..." He chuckled lightly. "That sounds pathetic coming from someone who's dating a wolf alpha."

"Hey!" I protested indignantly. "Just because you're the boss doesn't mean that you can treat me like a child! Besides, I'm old enough to decide which guys I wanna date."

His face softened instantly upon hearing my words. "Alright then," he whispered softly as he leaned closer to me. "Let's try something else instead."

Before I could object, he slipped his arms around me and hugged me tightly. A second later, he buried his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply. Instinctively, my body stiffened under his touch. Although I hadn't noticed it previously, there was a subtle scent of pine emanating from him. It wasn't strong but it was present nonetheless. In fact, it reminded me strongly of the woods near our home. I breathed in the fragrance carefully, trying to identify its origin.

"Smells like the forest," I commented quietly.

"Exactly," he agreed happily. "As a matter of fact, the smell originated from within our house. Specifically, it emanated from my bedroom."

"Your room smells like trees?"

"Not exactly," he explained as he released me. "However, the scent contains traces of pine sap."

"Huh... Really?" I questioned skeptically. "Does that happen often?"

"Quite frequently," he affirmed confidently. "When I sleep, I emit tiny particles of pheromones through my skin. They evaporate when exposed to oxygen and create a distinctive aroma."

"Okay, wow..."

"Yes, really," he repeated seriously. "Have you ever smelled another man's sweat before?"

"Umm... Yeah, I guess so," I admitted hesitantly. "At least I think I have."

"Correct," he responded proudly. "And did you enjoy it?"

I blinked at him blankly for a few moments. Then I finally remembered my previous encounters with men and women during sex parties. Those experiences had indeed been memorable ones. Still, I hesitated to share these memories with him. Especially since it was possible that he would misinterpret my reactions. So I opted to remain silent for the moment. Instead, I studied him curiously.

"Are you curious about what it feels like to make love with a man?" he wondered aloud.

I swallowed hard. "Sort of. Not really. Ummm..."

He grinned knowingly. "I see. Well, don't worry. You won't need to experience it firsthand to know what it tastes like."

"Really?"

"Absolutely," he insisted firmly. "All you have to do is ask me nicely."

For some reason, his statement sent shivers down my spine. Despite my apprehension, however, I couldn't deny that I was intrigued by the prospect. If I recalled correctly, humans usually used food as a metaphor for intimacy. Now that I considered the possibility that he was suggesting something along those lines, however, I found myself unable to resist. After all, I'd tasted his semen plenty of times before. Was it too much to hope that I'd taste something else this time around?

"Would you mind giving me a sample?" I requested nervously. "I mean... Um... Would you mind tasting me?"

A smile spread across his handsome features immediately. "Of course not," he declared cheerfully. "After all, I've done it countless times before."

The sudden shift in tone left me confused. Had I misread the situation somehow? Perhaps he wanted to take things slow or maybe he preferred to keep things platonic between us. Whatever the case may be, I sensed that he was hiding something from me. Unfortunately, I didn't have any idea how to discover what that secret might be. Consequently, I decided to hold back my curiosity for the moment and focus on enjoying the rest of our conversation.

We spent the next hour talking about various topics related to our lives together. For example, we discussed the upcoming wedding ceremony and the honeymoon vacation planned afterward. More specifically, we talked about our respective families and our plans for the future. At one point, I asked him why he hadn't married a woman yet. Surprisingly, he revealed that he'd already proposed marriage twice in the past. Both of his previous girlfriends had declined his offer, however. Apparently, they'd been afraid of becoming mated to a notorious serial killer.

"I understand their concerns," he explained honestly. "They probably believed that marrying a man who kills innocent people would cause problems for both of us. Of course, I tried to convince them otherwise. But ultimately, I failed to change their minds."

"Yeah, I can imagine," I sympathized. "Especially since most folks tend to view wolves as evil monsters rather than civilized beings."

"Precisely," he agreed solemnly. "Unfortunately, I fear that many individuals will continue to associate me with violence and murder unless I find an effective means of dispelling these myths."

"Maybe you should start wearing a mask or something," I suggested hopefully.

"Ha ha..." He laughed sarcastically. "Don't be silly."

"Sorry, sorry," I apologized quickly. "Didn't mean anything by it."

"Please don't apologize," he insisted kindly. "I appreciate the gesture regardless."

"Good," I replied eagerly. "So, what are your thoughts on the subject?"

"Honestly speaking," he started thoughtfully, "there are several options available to me. One option involves creating a new identity for myself. Another requires me to adopt a disguise. Finally, I could also attempt to prove my innocence publicly by revealing everything about my true nature."

My jaw dropped open in surprise. "Wait, you're serious right?"

"Indeed," he confirmed. "In addition to having a lot of influence, I possess sufficient funds to hire the best lawyers money can buy. Therefore, I believe I would stand a very high chance of winning in court."

"Wow..." I murmured in astonishment.

Aran nodded somberly. "Unfortunately, the legal process could take years to complete. Meanwhile, I would spend decades locked behind bars until the trial ended. Even worse, I would lose all contact with my loved ones while imprisoned. During that time, I would suffer immense emotional trauma due to the separation from my family. Eventually, however, I might regain control over my emotions and resume a normal life."

I shook my head emphatically. "No way!"

"What do you mean?" he inquired curiously.

"There has got to be another solution!" I exclaimed desperately. "Otherwise, you're going to end up killing yourself!"

His expression grew sad as he listened to my words. Then he sighed heavily and looked away from me. Several seconds passed before he spoke again. When he did, his voice sounded defeated and resigned.

"Do you remember the night we met?" he asked sadly.

"Of course," I replied softly. "You saved my life from two muggers."

"Right," he replied grimly. "During that fight, I lost control of my anger and became extremely violent."

I stared at him incredulously. "You killed somebody?!"

"Yes," he acknowledged bluntly. "One of the thugs died in front of my eyes. However, I managed to restrain myself after that."

I gaped at him in disbelief. "How come? Why didn't you kill the other guy too?"

"Because I promised to protect you," he answered simply. "It was the same promise that I made to my late father. That's why I stopped short of finishing off the second thug. As far as I'm concerned, that incident marked the beginning of our relationship. Ever since that night, I've always intended to keep my word."

I took several deep breaths to calm myself down. I felt overwhelmed by sadness and confusion at the same time. On top of that, I was struggling to comprehend his confession. How could such a gentle person become a ruthless murderer? Nevertheless, despite my reservations, I knew better than to question his actions directly. So instead, I chose to address another concern entirely.

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?" I inquired cautiously. "Anything that hasn't been mentioned thus far?"

Aran paused briefly before answering. His silence gave me ample time to study his facial expressions closely. The sight of his sorrowful countenance filled me with regret and remorse. Yet even more disturbing was the fact that it seemed like he was holding back tears. My heart ached for him as I struggled to suppress my own emotions. Fortunately, I eventually regained enough composure to speak again.

"I understand," I assured him gently. "But please don't feel bad about it anymore. We're just friends. Nothing more."

He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes momentarily. Then he opened them again and smiled warmly. "Thank you, Ava. And thank you for being understanding about this matter."