"Are you ready?" Kaiden asked as soon as he saw Emily appearing in the living room with her backpack.

The girl nodded her head in reply while she let him take her backpack. Her eyes settled down on her brothers who were also present in the living room but except for Domenic, none of them looked too happy at the moment.

​​

"Rylan and Leo have already left for a movie date and now you are taking her away for two entire days. I still don't know why this is a good idea. If you want to give her company, you can always stay here and do that. Why do you have to take her away from here?" Crist questioned as he glared at Kaiden with an unhappy look in his eyes.

"Don't mind him and the others. They are just worrying for her. You guys should leave early." Domenic told Kaiden while dismissing the disappointed looks from his brothers.

He smiled softly at Emily who still looked a little dull. She had barely smiled ever since Shadow left a few hours ago.

"We will be leaving then," Kaiden told her brothers before he took hold of one of her hands and after giving a quick nod to Domenic, walked out of the room with his silent mate.

He could still hear his brother-in-laws complaining but it only made him smile softly as he walked out of the mansion and headed towards the long stairways that led downstairs where his car was parked.

--

Within twenty minutes, Emily found herself walking inside the familiar apartment of Kaiden that was located in the central area of the city.

The first and last time when she came to his apartment was four years ago and after so many years, she was once again standing in the same hallway.

"Let me show you the guest room. You can freshen up while I'll prepare a late dinner for us." Kaiden told her with a soft smile as he offered her a pair of fluffy indoor slippers.

"Kaiden, let's just order food tonight. It's so late and you are probably tired. Don't over-exhaust yourself." Emily tried to stop the man but only received a warm smile from him in return.

"I'm not tired at all. Just your mere presence here is filling me with immense energy. Please let me cook for you."

His eyes were almost pleading with her to approve his request and seeing those mesmerizing cerulean eyes, she could not find the heart to say no anymore.

As soon as Kaiden saw her nodding her head, he beamed happily at her as both he and his wolf were excited to once again cook for their mate.

"Come. Let me show you the room." He said while once again taking hold of her hand before he started climbing the stairs.

He pulled her towards the room located next to the master bedroom and opened the door to let both of them inside.

'Here. Take your time and let yourself relax. I'll be waiting for you downstairs." He told the girl in a warm tone as he gave her head a small pat before walking out of the room.

Emily did not take too long to shower and dress up in a simple lemon green night suit. She fixed her long hair in a loose bun before she made her way downstairs.

On her way to the kitchen, she left a message in the family group, wishing her brothers and Shadow 'good night'.

The delicious smell that was filling the apartment made her mouth water. From her past experience, she was aware that Kaiden's cooking skills were really great, and just by thinking about the last time, she felt her tastebuds awakening for another taste.

She found Kaiden in the Kitchen where he was busy cutting the steak into small slices. He looked so different from his usual self. He was no longer the young CEO of the Sullivan Enterprise, at that moment, he was just her Kaiden.

"Am I that handsome? You can't even make your eyes look anywhere else other than my face." He commented while he kept his attention on his work, not looking up even once to see the young lady scoffing at his shamelessness.

Emily walked closer to her mate, close enough to invade his personal space. She watched him silently for a few seconds before she suddenly wrapped her arms around his slim waist, plastering herself against his back.

Kaiden stopped slicing the steak as a small smile appeared on his lips. He cleared his throat before speaking, "I love it when you take the initiative between us. It helps me to understand that I'm not moving too fast."

He turned around to pull her into his arms before planting a soft kiss on her temple. He was too happy to see her in his home. Even though it was just his apartment and not the mansion, it was still a step forward in their relationship.

"It feels so good to hug you," Emily whispered against his shoulder as she tightened her arms around his waist.

Kaiden chuckled softly as he patted her head with affection before speaking, "You can hug me all you want. But first, let's have dinner."

Emily pouted but eventually let go of him. The two of them shifted the cooked food on the dining table before they sat down to enjoy the meal.

The two of them enjoyed the food and Emily did not forget to praise him for his amazing cooking skills. The atmosphere was light and filled with happiness.

After dinner, the two of them moved to the living room where Kaiden settled down on the huge sofa placed next to the glass window before he pulled his girl in his arms.

"Here you go. Now, you can hug me as much as you want. If you want, I will stay here with you the entire night so that you can hug me. Does that sound like a good idea?" He asked while brushing away the loose strands of her hair from her face.

"You are really shameless," Emily whispered in response but still wrapped her hands around him, letting herself relax and enjoy the warmth and security that he brought to her.