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Chapter 25- Elias – First Date (VOLUME 1)

*~*Elias's POV*~*

"This is really nice." Haley said as she looked around the restaurant at the other diners. This wasn't the most expensive place in town, I didn't have a reservation for a place like that, but it was a nice place and that was what mattered to me. I needed her to know that I already valued her more than anything else in the world.

"I am glad that you like it." I couldn't take my eyes off of her. While she looked at the beautiful statues, paintings, and other décor of the restaurant, I was fixated on her.

"Why did you bring me here, though?" She asked, finally looking at me again. She noticed that I had been staring at her and a slight pinkish color tinged her dark complexion.

"Why not?" I asked as I sipped from my crystal water glass.

"Well, you could have taken me to a place that was less expensive, less upscale. Why did you choose this place?" She didn't look angry or upset, just inquisitive.

"I thought that I needed to have a place that was at least close to matching your beauty. I didn't have a reservation though, so I had to settle for here."

"This is settling?" She asked with a laugh. "And you're quite the smooth talker, aren't you, Elias?"

"I'm not usually. I think that it is only because it is you. If I was with someone else, I would be quiet and standoffish."

"Really?" She sipped her water as she looked me up and down. "And what makes me so special?"

"I am not sure if I want to tell you that just yet. I don't want to frighten you."

"Oh, are you referring to the fact that you aren't human?" She smiled at me. "I knew who you were, even if I had never met you in person before. You do know that I go to the same university as you, right?"

"Oh yes, I know." I grinned at her, but I didn't tell her how I knew that.

"You're being all mysterious, is that on purpose?" She asked with a smile and a hint of laughter in her voice.

"I am almost never mysterious, so the fact that I am now is unusual to me."

"I don't know why, but I believe you about that." She laughed again and sipped some more water. We were both nervous, that was for sure, but also neither of us felt uncomfortable. The fact that we were able to be so open with each other was making this a lot easier.

"I would never lie to you, Haley. Never in all of my life."

"That sounds final." She leaned back a little, not sure how to take that, but she was still smiling at me. It was hard for me to figure out what to do next. There had been other human and nonhuman matings in our communities, but it was always hard to know when to tell your partner that they were meant to be yours forever.

"I don't mean to sound so intense, Haley. I apologize if I frightened you." I made sure that my tone was soothing and calm.

"You haven't frightened me, Elias. Actually, I am trying to figure out what it means when I look at you. I feel this pull, this attraction that I have never felt before. It's intense, powerful, and a little scary. Still, I am not frightened of you personally. And I just get this feeling that no matter what the situation is, I will be safe with you."

There was music. It might have been coming from me, inside of my head or inside of my heart, but there was music, nonetheless. And it was glorious music as well. It was like the singing of a choir of angels. Something that was perfect, beautiful, and ethereal. And it made me smile.

I was sure that she couldn't hear the music. It was coming from me because I was happy with what she had just told me. She felt that pull, she knew that there was something between us, and that meant that I should be able to tell her what was really going on between us.

"Well, Haley, you already know that I am not human. You knew that from before. And because of that, I need to ask if you know much about my people. I am a werewolf, by the way."

"I knew what you were. You are famous after all." She smiled at me. "And I admit that I do not know much. I am taking that new course though, because I am not one of those people that think you all need to be banished. I mean, if I thought so closed minded as that, I would have to hate myself. I mean, I am half black and half Asian, I am not the usually accepted person, per the directives of the people in groups like that DOE that used to be around."

"You're beautiful, that's what you are, Haley. Beautiful, perfect, radiant, and so much more." She blushed again, just a little tinting in her cheeks like before. "Anyway, the reason I asked if you knew about my people, was I needed to know if you knew how we found the person that we were meant to be with."

"You mean like soulmates and things like that? Does anyone really believe in that?"

Haley laughed again, sipping more water nervously as the waiter brought out our food. We waited a moment before we continued to speak, waiting for privacy so that we could be candid once again.

After the waiter was gone, I spoke once more. I needed her to understand what was going on, but I didn't want to scare her away either.

"Yes, people really do believe in that. Especially people that are not human. You see, Haley, we are strongly guided by the Gods and Goddesses of the world. And through them, we all have a fate that we are meant for. Mostly, that fate is limited to who we are meant to be with. There is one person in the world that we are supposed to be with. One person that will make our hearts sing like no other."

"Alright." She nodded as she speared a piece of asparagus and popped it into her mouth. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, Haley, you are that one for me. I noticed your scent this year on campus. I didn't notice it last year, either we weren't ready or you weren't there for some reason, but I have smelled you around the campus since the term began. And that is why I went right to you today when I entered the office. I felt destiny pulling me toward you."

"You smelled me?" She laughed. "I hope it was a good smell. I shower regularly."

"It has nothing to do with cleanliness. To me, you smelled like honey, chocolate, cinnamon and ginger. Sweet, spicy, and perfect."

"Wow." She gulped and needed to take a drink of water. "I wasn't expecting that."

"I know that I am coming on a little strong, Haley, and I don't mean to. It's just how fate is for us. We seek out the ones that we are meant to be with. And fate tells me that is you."

"OK." She nodded but didn't look scared. "I..I know that there is something between us, Elias. I can feel it. And I am not going to say that it isn't something magical. I know that you are a nonhuman, and that means that there is magic involved here. Still, this is all a bit sudden."

"I know that, and I am sorry. I will not rush you though. I will be content with just dating you until you are ready for anything more. I feel a sense of peace just being next to you, or across from you." I winked at her as I sat across the table. "I will not pressure you for anything at all, and everything can move at your pace, Haley. I promise you that. So, I guess what I need to ask is, will you go out with me, as my girlfriend and possible soulmate?"

"How is a girl supposed to say no to that?" She laughed. "I think that anyone that got that question from you would agree. I don't know how you do it, Elias, but you look and sound so perfect while you say such lovely things."

"It's all because of you, Haley." I gave her the best smile that I could, and I felt like I was looking a little goofy when doing it. Still, she seemed like she was about to melt from it, so maybe it wasn't that bad after all.

"I accept." She finally answered me and my attempt at a smoldering look. "I will go out with you. I want to see what this feeling inside of me means. And why I get it whenever I look at you or hear your voice."

"Thank you." The elation just about exploded inside of me. I couldn't have been happier.

We ate and talked for a while longer. I learned that we were in the same year, but she should have been a year ahead of me. She had taken last year off to take care of her mother when she was in the hospital. Her mother had been diagnosed with cancer and had needed extra help while her dad worked. She was about six months older than me, but I had started school a year late so that I would be ahead and not needing to struggle. That had been my parents' decision when I was a little kid.

We had similar tastes in music, in movies, in books, and so much more. Just talking to her like this was like a dream come true. And when it came time to take her back to the dorm, I was reluctant to let her go.

"Can I kiss you good night?" I asked her after I helped her from the car. I was a gentleman and had walked around to open her door for her.

"Uhm, O..O..OK." She was grinning and I was sure she was blushing, if there was more light I would be able to see for myself.

I leaned in to her, cupping the side of her face in my right hand as my left hand snaked around the back of her head to cradle the nape of her neck. When our lips touched for the first time, I heard those angels again. As well as explosions. There were fireworks. Once again, they were just inside of my head, but I could see them behind my eyelids, and hear them booming in my ears.

Her lips parted for me almost instantly. She was welcoming and accepting me with no hesitation at all. Her arms wrapped around my neck, holding me tightly to her as I slipped my tongue into her mouth. I had kissed women before, but I was not a playboy. This was still a novel enough experience for me that I wanted to sing with joy.

I tangled my tongue with hers. The two performing an intimate dance that was for no one's eyes, not even ours. After dancing with her tongue, I started to explore the secrets that her mouth had in store for me. The way that she tasted on my tongue was so intense and so satisfying that I just couldn't get enough.

After several minutes passed, I finally broke the kiss. I don't know how long we had been standing there, but I knew that it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. And still, I had to let her go.

"Good night, Haley." I smiled down at her, passion, need, desire, and the faint stirrings of many more emotions already blazing in my eyes.

"G..g..goodnight, Elias." She stuttered out.

"I will see you tomorrow." I kissed her cheek softly before letting her go.

She was a little unsteady on her feet as she walked away from me. That made me smile, and parts of my anatomy tighten involuntarily.

I started to think once again, that I needed to get my own place. I was not going to embarrass myself with Haley by taking her to my parents' house. Nope, not going to happen.

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