Raymond has been working overnight for days.
[Eve, why was the big bad wolf working late again last night? I miss him!] Willa nudges Evelyn in boredom, demanding.
Like Evelyn missing Raymond, Willia misses Sysiphus and maybe more. The spell's breaking restored the memory of Scarlett, James and Raymond, and Evelyn suddenly got all her family and friends back with no life-threatening risk hanging over her head.
But that isn't the case for Willa. She is clean like a newborn baby and the only one she knows now is Sysiphus. Not to mention, Sysiphus adores Willa like no one else. Willa would only talk to him and Evelyn, not even Raymond.
Things were so great for a month or two after Sysiphus marked Evelyn, but then he suddenly got busy, and so did everyone else. Though they see each other at breakfast, that had been their only chance to see each other in a whole day.
[I'm sure we can see him tonight, it's Friday after all,] Evelyn rubs her forehead, getting a headache from the baby that had been annoying her all day in her own head -- Willa.
Killian thought Evelyn would hate him for all the pain he had caused her, but to his surprise, Evelyn took over the title of the high priest and devoted to leading the coven. She did hate the coven that exiled Scarlett and made her a criminal when she didn't do anything wrong, and that was exactly why she took the title--
She was determined to make the coven a better place.
Later Killian realized her real revenge later -- working him as a dog! And she has a good reason too--
"You are more familiar with the coven's work. I have so much to learn from you, Professor Killian!"
Killian: "..." So he has to handle all the high priest's work without having the title! It's revenge! Pure revenge!
Right now Evleyn is going through the coven's law, and it isn't easy with Willa complaining by her ear all the time.
[That's what you said last Friday!] Willa falls on her side heavily in Evelyn's mind, and flinches at the piercing pain in her head, Evelyn finally gives up the law book and lies back to rest.
[Raymond,] Evelyn tries to mindlink him with her eyes closed, [Willa misses Sysiphus. Are you guys back home for dinner tonight?]
Raymond usually puts the mindlink through for Evelyn no matter when she tries, but not recently, especially when it was about Willa. Evelyn felt that, she just didn't want Willa to worry so she didn't mention anything.
She has to talk to Raymond tonight. It's getting serious. Something was definitely off!
Evelyn almost fell asleep in the chair as she lay there resting while waiting for Raymond's mindlink, and when he finally reached out it was half an hour later.
[I know I have been busy recently, but I can't get home today. I promise things will be better soon, okay?]
Before Evelyn could even put through the mindlink, Raymond broke it off.
Evelyn: "..."
Willa lay there with her ears draped lifelessly, her eyes with wronged tears at the edge of her eye sockets.
Evelyn: "..." She never has a wolf before but...why did nobody warn her that having a wolf is like having a baby?!!!
[That's it! We are visiting him at the office and see what bewitched him from his own home!] Evelyn huffed angrily, packing up with determination. Nobody bullies her wolf, not even Raymond!
[Really?!] Willa instantly jerked up her head, but then thought of something she lies down again, [Do you think he has been avoiding me? Does he not like me anymore?]
[That's not true. You have to admit how much Sysiphus has been spoiling you, little wolf,] Evelyn assured Willa when she was also working on accepting the face that she was Raymond's mate. Never in a million years did she expect that, and now when she hadn't even warmed up to that idea, Raymond was already tired of her?!
Willa cheered up fast.
Evelyn didn't go find Raymond directly. She was feeling insecure, too, and she couldn't let Willa feel it. So Evelyn went home first to have dinner with Mathilda.
Mathilda has healed from losing her wolf rather fast -- relatively speaking. Hid in her own room for a whole week after everything settled down, Mathilda came out, still the sunny little princess of the pack. She eats and talks and laughs with Evelyn and Raymond as if nothing happened.
But one thing changed -- she started training really hard.
"How's training today?" Evelyn asked Mathilda, trying to make small talks. Though Mathilda acted normal, Evelyn was still worried. She knew how hard it is to be a wolfless, not to mention losing your wolf after adulthood.
She couldn't even begin to imagine how hard it is for Mathilda.
"I think I made some progress with the technique you showed me!" Mathilda was cheerful, as always, "Actually that's why I wanted to have dinner with you today."
"Yes?" Evelyn stopped, putting her full attention on Mathilda.
"I know my fighting skill is far from where you are, but..." Mathilda took a deep breath and started again, "But I was wondering if you could let me take your position as the assistant in Raymond's Human VS wolf class?"
Evelyn blinked in shock, not seeing it coming at all.
Mathilda explained in haste: "You fight really well even without your wolf, but I was thinking, maybe you started this class not only to teach fighting skills, but to encourage wolflesses, am I right? I know I felt encouraged when I just lost my wolf, and I think I'm a better fit for that position now because I lost my wolf."
"Mathilda..." Evelyn's eyes are filled with pain when she heard Mathilda say it out loud, "I'm really sorry about what happened--"
"Don't be. It could be anyone's fault but yours. Elena tricked me, and Ava White hurt me to hurt Raymond. That was what happened." Mathilda shook her head, "I know you guys have been worried about me, and I know you didn't believe me when I said I was alright, but I really want to tell you again -- I'm alright, for real."
Evelyn pursed her lips.
"Being the princess of the pack made me too special ever since I was born, so I rarely felt having a wolf made me anything different. I wasn't the best warrior when I had my wolf, and I wasn't doing anything special with her either. But do you know who gave me the courage to pick up my life again?"
"Who?" Evelyn wants to say Theo, but she knows that Mathilda still hasn't forgiven him yet.
"YOU!" Mathilda laughes, and suddenly Evelyn feels like she is back at the very first day she ever arrived at Raymond's place, where she met Mathilda for the first time, and the sunny girl told her she was her idol.
Just like now.
"Back in high school, everyone was bullying you because you were wolfless, and yet you never cared," Mathilda says with a serious tone, "I want to be able to do that. I want to matter even without my wolf. You will be there for me, won't you?"
"Of course!" Evelyn nods hard. She didn't care about those bullies because she grew up being a wolfless and was used to it, but now she wants something different for Mathilda. She wants Mathilda to not care about those attacks because she is loved by her brother, her friends, her parents, and...hopefully someday when Mathilda is ready to forgive -- her mate, too.
But Mathilda gave her more!
Mathilda not only walked off the pain of losing her wolf, but actually wants to devote into being a positive model for the wolfless and fight for their right! Evelyn couldn't be happier seeing that.
It's at this moment that Evelyn really believes Mathilda is healed from the dark incident.
"I know magic can get me someone else's wolf," Mathilda said calmly, adding fast, "Don't deny it. You talked to Killian about giving me Ava White's wolf, didn't you? He told me all about it!"
Evelyn: "..." Killian had been close to Mathilda lately. That got her worried a lot! That crafty fox could eat Mathilda alive and Mathilda wouldn't even realize it!
"Can't believe you even thought about that!" Mathilda wrinkled her nose, waving her fork with a faux frown, "To even think about having any connection with that filthy person makes me nauseous!"
That was why Evelyn didn't go through with it.
A wolf grew up with their human parts, and Ava's wolf would definitely have picked up Ava's value bit by bit. It would only be a bad influence to Mathilda.
"I don't want another wolf," Mathilda grabbed Evelyn's hand with a serious look, "My wolf died protecting me, and I want to be hers and hers alone. I'm not sad that I'm wolfless now, I'm sad that I lost a best friend."
A wolf was more than a best friend. It was a part of their souls.
Evelyn didn't know what to say but to nod: "If you ever change your mind--"
"Then I would let you be the first one to know!" Mathilda nudged Evelyn, raising her fork with her eyes shining, "By the way, Raymond told me that Killian told him that you wanted to give Willa to me!"
Evelyn: "..." She was barely conscious at that time from the torture, and she never had a wolf, okay?! All she thought about was that she owed Mathilda a wolf. Not to mention, she didn't know she was Sysiphus's mate at that time.
"You didn't see Raymond's face when he told me that, haha!" Mathilda was laughing so hard the whole table was trembling, "To think my brother's mate tried to give me her wolf! I think that was the first time I ever saw Sysiphus being shy!"
More like awkward.
That suddenly light a lightbulb in Evelyn!
Could it be? Is Sysiphus mad at them because he heard about what she did from Killian?! There is no other posibility!
"Thanks, Mathilda!" Evelyn put down her untouched dinner, "You are a treasure, as always!"
Mathilda freezes in her laughter and Evelyn runs off before Mathilda can even understand what just happened.
That must be it! Evelyn grabbed on this seemingly ridiculous reason as if that would help her feel safer -- that Raymond was just mad at her, instead of cheating on her or anything like that!
He is mad at her, and she needs to apologize and talk it out with him! That's the plan!
Repeating that over and over in her mind, Evelyn took a long shower to relax herself before she put on Raymond's favorite -- her tight, irregular red dress. No make-up, no perfume. Just the way he liked it. She even went to the cellar and picked a bottle from one of the best years.
With a basket she carried the wine, a little glass box of lobster meat from dinner, a bowl of strawberries...and when she is leaving the bedroom she pulls and slips a little square containing the rubber to the side of the basket.
Everything is set with her right armor and necessary weapon!
When she made it to Raymond's building the windows were half black. Most of the staff wouldn't stay as late as ten in the night. The receptionists already left, and in the lobby was only a security.
He was a pack member, she recognized.
She nods at him before heading to the elevator, and he froze in shock at the sight of her before he chases after her--
"Hmmm...Luna--I mean, Miss Evelyn! Fancy seeing you here!" The guy looked pretty nervous, but he stands between Evelyn and elevator nonetheless.
Evelyn frowns with a bad feeling rising in her chest.
"I'm here to see Raymond, am I allowed to go up?" Evelyn manages a polite smile.
"Of course you are!" The guy answers with such a nervous smile that he might as well just write "suspicious" on his face, "Let me check with the Alpha first though, is that okay?"
Evelyn's heart drops.
"It's not okay!" Evelyn answers firmly, purple light coming out of her palm as a threat, "If Raymond has something to hide from me, tell me now or move out of my way!"
"The Alpha didn't do anything wrong! It was my mistake--" The guy blurts but he can't finish his sentence--
"Sorry..." Evelyn sighs before she snaps her finger and freezes the poor security, "You will be free in five minutes, okay? I only need a little time with MY mate!"
Anger was burning in her eyes wider than the flame in her palm. All sorts of possible horrible stuff going through her mind as the elevator rises up every so slowly. When the door finally opens in front of Evelyn's eyes, she is barely contain her anger.
The high-level executive's floor is empty now with only light coming out of only one door -- Raymond's office. Evelyn strides over and puts her hands on the door, but then she hesitates.
[Willa, go into deep sleep,] Evelyn ordered. Willa has little to no human experience, and whatever is going on in that room, Evelyn doesn't want Willa to see.
[Why?! I hate it!] Willa has no idea why Evelyn suddenly got angry, but she didn't mind too much because she could smell Sysiphus already, [You promised that I get to see my Alpha today!]
Evelyn really does feel like she became a mom ever since Willa woke up.
[Willa, I need to talk to Raymond about some human stuff,] Evelyn takes a deep breath to calm herself, [please go into deep sleep and I will wake you up as fast as I can, okay?]
[No! You are bullying me!] Willa pouted, tears of feeling wronged at the edge of her huge eyes, [He is right in there and you won't let me see him! I hate you!]
Evelyn: "..." Aren't they supposed to be ONE?!
Right when Evelyn is negotiating with her wolf outside Raymond's office, a woman's gasp comes through the door with a string of laughter that gets cut off in the middle.
There is a woman in there with him!
Taking a long deep breath, Evelyn threatens Willa: [Go into deep sleep right now or I won't let you see Sysiphus for a week!]
Willa whimpers with a wronged face, and just when Evelyn feels sorry for snapping at her, Willa jumps for control and mindlinks Sysiphus--
[Sysiphus! I'm here with dinner, right outside your door!] Willa mindlinked Sysiphus in a cheerful tone, and not forgetting her tattletale either, [Evelyn is bullying me! Help!]
Evelyn: "..."
The office falls into silence the moment Willa mindlinked Sysiphus though.
How dare he?!
Can't hold back anymore, Evelyn raises her leg and kickes the door down! In front of her eyes is Raymond and Elena. She is half naked, and his tie is around Elena's wrist.
Raymond hesitates: "I can explain--"
Willa's eyes land on Elena's wrist with Raymond's tie on it: [Did she attack you?! Let me help!]
Evelyn: "..." She no longer wants this child-like wolf! Is a wolf exchangeable?!
Sysiphus puts through Willa's mindlink with a smirk as he taunts Raymond: [I told you so and good luck.]
Oblivious to all these small exchanges between Evelyn and Raymond, Elena laughs: "I told you he loves me! But I didn't think he would get tired of you so soon. Is it because you are always this fierce at home?"
"Not only at home, but in bed, too!!!" Evelyn throws a beam of purple light at Elena and knocks her off her feet before she turns to Raymond: "Seriously?! This is why you haven't been coming home?!"
"Evelyn, it's not what it looks like!" Raymond explains in haste.
"Really? It's not what?! It's not that you got mad at me, and have been hiding in your office to avoid seeing me?!" Evelyn throws the basket at Raymond and he catches it carefully before checking if she broke anything with that throw, "And that while doing so you realized you can use yourself as a lure to trap the criminal that's responsible for Mathilda?! Where did I get wrong?!"
Raymond pauses in shock before he chuckles: "Well, you got it wrong and right and right. I'm actually impressed!"
Raymond's words choked Elena when she was laughing hard.
Mew mew mew???
Sysiphus has been playing with Willa in their minds this whole time. Though he didn't think Evelyn would figure it out on her own, he isn't too surprised that Evelyn trusted Raymond, nor is he surprised that Evelyn is still mad at Raymond even though there isn't a misunderstanding, and that Raymond doesn't understand why still.
"Barton, get Theo here to take Elena," Raymond presses on the internal line. Evelyn now remembers -- that security guard. His name is Barton.
"Lend me a hand?" Raymond raises Elena's wrists, giving Evelyn a silly grin, "I did this myself because I was worried that the mages might help her, but if you can make sure she can't escape then all the best!"
Evelyn snorts coldly: "I thought the great Alpha can manage everything on his own."
Raymond: "..."
Sysiphus laughs at Raymond, and the movement of his belly gets a string of laughter out of Willa.
"I know you are mad at me, and I'm sorry," Raymond comes and takes Evelyn's hand, "I was wrong, okay?"
"Where were you wrong?" Evelyn throws him a rhetorical question.
Raymond: "..." He actually doesn't know. He thought Evelyn would be angry because it looked too much like an affair, but Evelyn saw through his plan right away. So why IS she angry???
Sysiphus raises a paw lazily before he lands his heavy paw on Willa's belly and keeps her down as she wiggles in loud laughter, enjoying Raymond's conundrum because like he said--
He told Raymond so.
Throughout the process of handing Elena over to Theo and making sure that Theo wouldn't kill her on their way to prison before sending off Theo and the criminal and coming back to the silent Evely, Raymond has been thinking about that question.
Getting nowhere.
[Apolgize to me for these past days and I will help.] Sysiphus taunts Raymond in a lazy tone, his eyes narrowed in enjoyment as Willa lands her belly on his back before licking his ear.
[No, you won't!] Evelyn glares in Sysiphus's direction. Willa flinches and Sysiphus laughs before he pulls Willa under his arm and curls around her -- just like how his shadow did in the life-exchanging spell.
Raymond: "..."
Having no clue, Raymond rubs his hair before he takes the basket to Evelyn with a claptrap: "Is this for me?"
Evelyn: "Nope!"
Raymond's smile freezes: "..."
This is when Willa leaves Sysiphus, seeing the hurtful and confused look on Raymond's face. Her heart aches for him, and she feels that before understanding why.
"She's mean sometimes, but she cares about you," Willa nudges Raymond with her huge head, but because she can't get control doing that like with Evelyn, she almost knocks Raymond off his feet.
With Evelyn, the nudge would dissolve when the control switches.
Raymond puts his hand on Willa's smooth fur with a flattered look. It's such a pleasant surprise because Willa never initiated a talk with him. Willa prefers Sysiphus, he knew. And he was okay with that. But still, it feels good to be accepted and cared for by your mate.
Separated from Evelyn for too long, Willa is still not used to the fact that she and Willa are one. To her, Evelyn is Evelyn, and she is Willa, and because of that, Willa can't seem to feel that Raymond and Sysiphus are also one, but only two sides of the same coin.
That's why Raymond has been avoiding Evelyn.
He too feels that Willa is like a child rather than an adult, and that makes him feel tremendous guilt whenever he gets aroused with Evelyn, which happens a lot when Evelyn is close to him.
In the end, he has to hide out just to avoid that happening.
Sysiphus didn't think it would be a problem. The wolf spirits would be reduced to minimal when sex happens, not to mention, Willa's full attention would be on Sysiphus so long as he's present. But Raymond couldn't accept it, and because of that, Sysiphus was ripped the time to spend with his mate!
That was why Sysiphus has been arguing with Raymond, and why Sysiphus tried to blackmail himself an apology from Raymond.
"I'm really grateful that you went this far to prepare me a great dinner...?" Raymond said in a cautious tone, checking out Evelyn's look carefully, "I know luring Elena here is not the best plan, but she has been slipping from our hunt and it was obvious that she had mage's help..."
"And you don't have mage's help?" Evelyn folds her arms in front of her chest, and suddenly answers Raymond's monologue, "You have me, and yet you didn't ask for my help! Why?!"
Raymond: "..." Because he was feeling guilty of being aroused around a wolf pup?
"This is not for you," Evelyn sighs before she takes the basket from Raymond's hands and starts unpacking the dinner to the table, "Because it's for us. I brought it as an apology and I wanted to share a dinner with you as we talk about it."
"About what?" Raymond blinked in shock, "I'm not angry with you."
Evelyn grips the ham of Raymond's shirt, pulling him into her slightly, and satisfied to see Raymond's throat rolling subliminally.
Stroking Raymond's chest lightly, Evelyn soothes him as she talks on: "You can be. I know you feel weird that I asked Killian to give my wolf to Mathilda, and I'm sorry. I thought I was dying anyway, and she needed a wolf, so I thought I might as well. It's okay if that makes you feel awkward, but I hope you can talk to me about it, rather than ignoring me next time."
Raymond feels his heart melting for his considerate little mate.
It WAS weird to think that she wanted to give his sister his mate's wolf, but Raymond was only touched by Evelyn's offer.
Though did it out of pure good intentions, yet Evelyn came to apologize just because she thought it made him feel bad!
What did he ever do to deserve such a perfect mate?
"I'm sorry I chose to avoid you instead of talking," Raymond pulls Evelyn into his chest, rubbing the back of her neck gently, "You are absolutely right. I should have asked for your help when I needed it, and I should have come to you when I had a problem. I want you to know that I do respect you, and I will learn to involve you in my problems instead of keeping it all to myself."
"Okay!" Evelyn wraps her arms around his waist, "So...are we good now?"
"Yes. Yes, we are good now," Raymond taps her chin up and lands a kiss on her lips, "Let's have dinner first? I do want to talk to you after--"
Raymond's hand freezes when he pulls the condom out of the basket.
Evelyn: "..."
"I...can explain...?" Evelyn blurts with her ears turning red with visible speed. She only took it just in case, but now it looks like she planned to seduce him into forgiveness!
Raymond gulps. He is thirsty again. He is thirsty for his mate.
The more he suppresses his urge toward her, the easier she gets him excited.
Raymond dodges Evelyn's eyes when the guilt washes over him again.
Evelyn frowns.
"I thought you said we were good..." Evelyn bites her lips before she follows him, determined to get an answer this time.
"We are! It's just..." Raymond is backed into his seat by Evelyn's push, and his breath gets messy instantly, "Evelyn, I need to talk to you--"
Tears brim Evelyn's eyes and she stops, one step away from him.
But he can't tolerate that distance now. It's too hard to see his little mate this upset without holding her in his arms. The only thing occupying his mind is to wipe off the sorrow in her eyes and make her happy again.
Raymond pulls Evelyn onto his lap, his arm around her waist as he caresses her cheek ever so gently: "I'm sorry, baby. Please don't cry. I'm sorry! I don't mean to make you cry..."
"Don't you want me any more?" Evelyn murmurs in a wronged tone. She felt Raymond's resistance every time it came to sex, and that hurt her feelings.
"Of course I want you! What's all this silly misunderstanding that's going through the little brain of yours?!" Raymond huffs in surprise, ironing Evelyn's furrowed brows with his thumb.
"I can feel your resistance," Evelyn said seriously, looking into Raymond's eyes with such a clean look that Raymond felt guilty about getting hard right under her, "It saddens me, and Willa said it feels like a rejection. She's hurt, too."
"She is?!" Raymond opens his eyes wide in surprise. He always thought Willa didn't like him, after all, she wouldn't even talk to him.
"I'm really sorry about all of this! I was so stupid!" Raymond let out a plaint, landing kisses on Evelyn, hoping to ease the pain he inflicted on her--
He knows too well how painful a rejection is.
Watching him with careful observation, Evelyn looks Raymond's lips into her neck, her shoulder, and slowly to the mark he left on her collarbone. Her body starts to relax as she tries to follow the feeling.
Just at this moment Willa jerks up her head: "Wait, I dreamed about this!"
Raymond stops instantly, and Evelyn buries her face in Raymond's neck, her breath messy and her cheeks flushed.
"That damn kid!" Evelyn murmurs in frustration with her needs unfulfilled when Raymond just starts to push it higher, "I need to put her into deep sleep! For real this time!"
Willa whimpered with a wronged look, and Sysiphus pins her down and starts licking her fur. That cheers her up really fast.
[In my deep sleep I once had a dream!] Willa wiggles slightly under Sysiphus, meeting his eyes with a timid look, [You were going to mark me but then stopped all of a sudden. It feels great though, before the abrupt end.]
Evelyn and Raymond both gasps in shock!
It's not a dream! It was the first time they had sex, when in his coming Sysiphus tried to mark Evelyn, but Evelyn kicked him between the legs and stopped him!
Chuckling, Sysiphus lures Willa further into the corner of their minds like how they should be when sex happens: [That's my fault, I should have gone through with it.]
Willa laughs: [Why are you apologizing? It was only a dream!]
Raymond & Evelyn: "..."
"Does it mean that if I didn't stop you that time, none of these would have happened?!" Evelyn murmurs at Raymond, feeling like she made a huge mistake.
"We would have been together sooner, but we would have missed so much fun, too." Raymond nods, pressing his body over Evelyn's, no longer hiding his hard.
If Willa sees him as her mate, if Willa wants him and Sysiphus can handle her. What reason could there possibly be that can keep him away from his mate?!
Their weight flattened his chair, and in the room filled with Raymond's smell, Evelyn feels her wet between her legs. Her face turned ever so red.
"I don't regret any second spent with you, Evelyn Stone," Raymond whispers into her ear between his rain of kisses, his hand molding her perfect figure slowly, appreciating every inch of her, "I loved you when I recognized you as my mate because of the mate pull, but I appreciate the life-exchanging spell not only because it allowed me to not lose you, but because I got the chance to fall in love with you all over again, and this time it's only because it's you. It's not a soul bond, or a magic trick. I love you because you are you. The unique, perfect, naughty girl that stole my heart."
The food was getting cold and the room hot.
The night only just started.
[AN: The first bonus chapter for you! Hope you like it! I wont' charge you with the bonus chapters so, enjoy!]
