"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformeds." - Carl Gustav Jung

“So Auntie Carla is the owner of this diner?” Ethan asked, his eyes now back to their beautiful, grey colour.

We were both sat at the counter, sipping on Auntie Carla’s signature Red Velvet milkshakes while our pizzas were in the oven. Everyone in the pack was obsessed with this tasty drink but sadly, there were only certain days when she made it.

It was the perfect mixture of moist red velvet cake, vanilla ice cream, and was topped with whipped cream and red velvet cake crumbs. An absolute mouthgasm.

“Yes, this is all hers and her husband's, Uncle Levi, who is the pack's head chef.” I answered, taking a huge gulp of the shake to satiate my hunger, “They are both very good at what they do, especially Auntie Carla. I mean... come on, this delicious milkshake is a testament to her talent.”

Ethan had a lazy grin on his face; his eyes drawn to my lips as he listened to me speak. He stretched his hand and used his thumb to swipe the corner of my mouth. When he brought it back, there was a smidge of whipped cream on it.

His sultry grey eyes connected with mine and never broke eye contact as he put his thumb in the mouth and swiftly sucked the cream away, “Yep, definitely delicious.”

I felt heat rise to my cheeks and quickly turned my head down, concentrating intently on the delicious milkshake with the traitorous whipped cream, “So tell me about yourself?” I asked, quickly changing the topic.

Thankfully, Ethan took the bait and changed the subject by answering, “I never know how to respond to this question. Whenever someone asks me to tell them about myself, my mind just completely blanks.”

I smiled, he looked adorable when frustrated, “Okay, okay I’ll rephrase the question. How about you tell me about your likes or dislikes?”

He hummed a low, deep sound which I felt deep in my core, “Likes would be watching and playing football. Usually, when I am unable to sleep at night, I also like to take a book and start reading it so you can say I also find pleasure in reading.”

I tried to ignore how deliciously the word ‘pleasure’ rolled off his tongue, “Yes, I do remember seeing books in your bedroom. Who’s your favourite author?”

“I don’t particularly have a favourite author, I just enjoy reading good books; it doesn’t matter who wrote it. But one of my most read authors is Jane Austen.”

I placed one arm on the counter and used the other to hold my head as I leaned in, “And your favourite book of hers…?”

“Would probably be Persuasion. I liked how in comparison to her other books, this one focuses on love lost and how as time passes by, people change in some ways but remain the same in other ways.”

I hummed in response, “Good choice; what I liked about Persuasion was how realistic it was. Both Wentworth and Anne had to go face many obstacles, reflect on their characters, and then mature before getting their happily ever after but, personally, I think Sense and Sensibility is Austen’s finest work.”

“Any particular reasons?”

“You need only one – Colonel Brandon,” I swooned and used my hand to playfully fan myself.

Ethan rolled his eyes, “Ah yes, the decent guy.” He mocked.

“You say it like being decent is a bad quality to have. Plus, I’ll have you know Colonel Brandon was strong, compassionate, honorable, and most of all, he was a gentleman, despite the fact he was badly hurt in the past. He is the type of guy most women would wish to marry; sensitive, caring, respectful, patient the list goes on.”

“I always thought he was a bit boring, to be honest. Compare him with Wentworth who is full of fire, passion and surely his art of writing letters cannot be superseded by any romantic gestures done by your Colonel.”

“Well, I’d pick my ‘boring’ Colonel over your ‘passionate’ Captain any day.”

“Hmm, well I guess we have to agree to disagree.”

Time passed by as we continued talking about each others families, packs, hobbies and life growing up. Over time, I realised that our conversation was much more than just words. It was the sweet smiles, gentle shrugs and the sparkle in our eyes; how he hung to every word I spoked and listened to it so intently as if it was something he was waiting all his life to hear.

His attentiveness was one of the most attractive features of his. It allowed the conversation to flow easily. Even the silences were comfortable.

“Occasionally, when I’m free, which rarely happens these days, I also like to paint,” A heavy sigh escaped his lips and he took a long gulp of his shake, “But I don’t really get much time to do it because of my Alpha duties… although I wish I did.” He added as an afterthought.

“You paint?!” He watched as sheer amazement flooded my face, his answer returned to me in a form of a nod.

“What type of paintings do you do?”

He stirred the almost empty shake with his straw, “Depends on the mood really, but my preferred type would be oil painting.”

My traitorous mind once again busied itself in creating vivid images of Ethan painting, imagining how he dipped his brush into his soul and painted his emotions on the canvas – wait, what the actual hell am I talking about?

I’ve completely lost it tonight.

“Enough about me, tell me about your likes and dislikes.” Ethan manoeuvred the conversation towards me.

“Well, my likes are pretty simple," I started. "I love to eat food and watch movies to entertain myself. I also pretty much spend most of my time overthinking every single decision I’ve made in my life and when I am done with that, I overthink some more because Goddess knows that once that mode is activated, it never ceases.”

He let out a loud laugh, his eyes twinkling with actual happiness.

“I am also very, very competitive. If I’m not eating, or watching a movie, or overthinking about overthinking then I am most probably busy sparring. I absolutely love physical fights. Love.” I emphasized the word, “You know the rush of adrenaline you get before and during a fight? That is my fuel. Yeah, it gets pretty demanding on the body at times, but I like how it also challenges my intellect and gives me the ability to protect and defend myself.”

He ran a hand through his inky hair his eyes boring into mine, “Yeah, I saw it at the Academy. You were pretty impressive.”

“'Pretty impressive?'” I mocked, feigning hurt. Gulping the last few drops of the shake, I slammed the glass on the counter with a little too much force, “I was absolutely amazing, thank you very much.”

His smooth pink lips tilted up on one side into a small, crooked smile. “Still couldn’t defeat your Dad and as for the fight during my class against Roxy, you could’ve won it sooner if you were more attentive.”

“Ah, right… as if you were able to beat Tyler that day.”

The smile from his face dropped immediately at the mention of Tyler's name, his jaw flexed and from the corner of my eyes I saw him clenching his fists, “Speaking of, what happened to him?”

I bit my lip in guilt and tilted my head to the side. Way to ruin the tempo Vivian; now however will I bring that beautiful smile back on his face?

“Tyler found his mate.”

“Are you serious?” The smile returned to his face.

Well, okay… that was simple.

“Wow, never thought I’d see the day you’ll be happy for Tyler.” He tried to control the smile but I could still see the corner of his mouth twitching. “But yes, I am pretty serious. The worst thing is that she doesn’t know it.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Why is that?”

“Because his mate is Leia.”

Ethan almost choked on his milkshake, “W-what? The Leia? Randy’s niece?”

“Yeah, that very one.”

“What do you mean she doesn’t know? They met on several occasions. He was there with her during the entirety of the ball and the dinner as well.”

I straightened myself and pinched the bridge of my nose, “Apparently Lycans recognize their bond through touch. She was always wearing gloves so there was no physical interaction between them. Tyler also couldn’t do anything else considering our relationship with the Lycans. So now he is waiting to see how it all pans out.”

“Shit. Even though I don’t like the pup, it must suck not being able to do anything when your mate is right in front of your eyes, when the only thing you want to do is proclaim her as yours but you cannot so you just stand there... absolutely helpless.”

My heart ached from pain because I knew Ethan was talking from his own experience, of about a time when the world didn’t let us be together.

“Is that why you invited Leia to your pack?”

I nodded in response, “Maybe we can slowly ease the information on her. I have a feeling that she is not like the other Lycans. And also because I think she deserves to know. We don't want a repeat of history, now do we?”

His gaze darkened, “Guess there is only one way to find out.”

Right as Ethan said that, a ding noise came from the kitchen.

Dinner was ready.

After taking out our pizzas out of the oven and grabbing the necessary eating utensils, we came back to sit, choosing a booth this time. Ethan sat opposite me, his pizza in front of him, looking insanely cheesier and much, much tastier than mine.

Goddess above, even though his pizza looks certainly better than mine, please let me win.

Ethan began cutting both of our pizzas in half so we could exchange it with one another. When he was done, instead of handing down his half to me, he got up and stood next to me.

“What?” Confused, I looked up at him. “You want me to say grace or somethin'?”

He shook his head and grabbed his half of the pizza from the table, “Since this is a cooking competition, it is only fair we present the dish we created.”

I nodded, urging him to continue.

“Tonight Alpha Vivian, I would like to present to you a pizza so tasty that the entire world sings its praises.”

“By the entire world, do you mean your mom?”

He gave me a look and I chuckled, “Sorry, sorry… please do continue, Chef Ethan.”

“As I was saying before you oh-so-kindly interrupted… a pizza that is incomparable; a pizza that will fulfill you physically and emotionally,”

“I know something that can fulfill me physically and emotionally.” My wolf mused, and I stopped myself from laughing out loud.

“A pizza that is definitely going to knock other pizzas out of your mind; a pizza worth waiting for,” He bent down, a cheeky grin on his face, “One bite of this and your world will never be the same.”

In response, I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrow at him to tease him.

“Allow me to serve you.”

Something in the pit of my gut fluttered unnecessarily when I heard the words ‘serve you’ escape his full lips. And judging by the growl I heard in my mind, my wolf shared the same sentiments.

Placing half of the pizza on my plate, he sat back down on his seat and passed me a lazy, sidelong grin as if he was saying “it is your turn now”.

“Alright. Okay, okay...” I hurriedly got out of my seat and picked up my half of the pizza.

It might not look as great as his, but hey, if there is anything that years of watching Masterchef has taught me is that never judge a book by its cover – it all comes down to taste. I am sure what my pizza lacks in appearance, it will make up for it in taste.

“Wishful thinking will get you nowhere,” Her Highness burst my bubble.

Ethan watched me intently as leaned back against the seat; his legs spread apart, his hand slowly stroking the stubble on his chin. A warm, fuzzy feeling swirled in my stomach.

I was hundred percent going to make a fool out of myself but oh well… it isn’t something he hasn’t seen before.

Clearing my throat, I raised my chin up high, “Alpha Ethan, in our life, we all meet people who disappoint us. I am sure you must have too. But tonight, I present to you a companion like no other. Lo and behold, a pizza that will never leave you, a pizza that will never disappoint you. No matter what happens, this pizza will always be there for you; through thick and thin, which is why, I ask you to put your trust…,” I waited for a dramatic pause, “in this crust.”

A pretty cheesy introduction, pun intended, but that’s the best I could do. The introduction earned me a low, gruff chuckle from Ethan which was more than what I had hoped. Bending down, I placed the half of my pizza on his plate.

He looked down at the slice and then back up at me again from behind his sultry eyes and long lashes, “You had me at pizza.”

I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped from between my pursued lips. Settling back in my seat, I glanced at Ethan who already had his eyes settled on mine, “Let’s dig in, Jerry Maguire.”

I first tested my own pizza and was quite pleased with the taste of it. Not bad, I thought to myself, not bad at all.

My eyes fell on Ethan right as he took a bite of my pizza and fuck, it shouldn’t have turned me on but it did. The way his jaw tightened as he chewed, and his Adam’s apple moved up and down when he swallowed. My eyes went a little hooded as a silent intense minute passed where I thought about all the things his mouth could do if I was somehow involved in the equation.

Ethan felt my heated gaze on him; his eyes flit up and caught mine. Quirking an eyebrow, he looked at me with a knowingly smirk.

Damn it, he just caught me checking him out.

There was hint of amusement and laughter twinkling in his grey eyes as he subtly shook his head at me. Fighting the heat that was rushing up to my cheeks, I averted my attention to his pizza which was aggressively screaming at me to try it out.

Well, who was I to deny the pizza its wishes?

Taking a huge bite, I almost let out a moan of approval because this was, hands down the best pizza I had ever tasted. It was… So. Damn. Good.

Goddess damn this flawless man and his flawless cooking. I was so close to getting up from my seat to go over and kiss his blessed hands which created this flawless masterpiece.

When I looked up, I saw that his stormy grey eyes were already zeroed in on my mouth and I couldn’t help but swipe my bottom lip with my tongue to wipe the pizza sauce. His pupils dilated in response, his gaze darkening and I swear I never had such a strong urge to kiss someone ever in my entire fucking life.

We stared at each other for a moment but then feeling the tension in the air, we both hurriedly looked elsewhere and concentrated on finishing out pizzas. Once we were done eating, Ethan called out to me.

“So what’s the verdict?"

Behaving like a true Masterchef judge, I wiped my mouth with a handkerchief, and took my sweet time to answer him back, “Hmm… Chef Ethan, you put up a great fight but...” He raised his eyebrow as if to say are-you-sure-you’re-going-to-continue-the-sentence because he knew his pizza was better than mine, “Alright alright, your pizza was much better than mine and for that I will gladly accept defeat.”

His whole face lit up with a grin, “For a second there I thought you won’t admit defeat considering how competitive you are but you surprised me.”

“Honestly, I thought you liked seeing me smile.” I pouted, my bottom lip protruding out.

“What?”

“Don’t you remember what you said this morning? ‘I’ll lose as many times as you want just to see that beautiful smile on your face’.” I answered with my best Ethan expression.

“Hmm… did I really say that? And do I really sound like that?” he teased, his grin growing wider when I narrowed my eyes at him, “I must’ve have forgotten. I was too lost in the joy of seeing you defeated. Hmm, must have slipped my mind. Yes, definitely.”

Throwing my dirty napkin at him, which he caught amidst his laughter, I stood up to collect the dirty plates, “Congrats on your win; consider this your first and last time.”

He laughed even more at the seriousness of my tone but got up from his seat to help me. Holding the dirty dishes in my hand, I walked towards the kitchen to place them at the sink to wash them.

When I turned around, my head collided with his hard chest.

Ethan was standing too close to me; his chest inches from mine. His entire body was exuding heat. The way his dark eyes settled on my face caused a warm tingle to slide across my skin. Our breath tangled with each other and I found myself stepping back to grip the polished counter to steady myself as a rush of adrenaline passed through my veins.

“What are you doing?” I willed my voice to sound normal and indifferent even though my heart rate had accelerated.

Gone was the laughter from his eyes, something feral and wild replacing it. His eyes bored into mine with searing intensity as he cocked his head to the side, “Claiming my prize.”

His words hit my heart as it began to beat faster and faster by each passing second. He placed his hands on both sides of me, trapping me effectively against the counter. Eyeing me up and down for a moment, his eyes eventually trained on my lips. I felt my throat dry up.

Slowly, he brought his head closer to mine, his hot breath tickling my nose which made my heartbeat rise in anticipation. One of his hands came to my rest on the bare strip of skim above my hip, his thumb moving in circles, unleashing a trail of sparkles at the point of contact.

He slowly turned his head to the side and tapped his left cheek. I understood what he was referring to – he wanted a kiss. Giving a soft smile, I leaned up to give a quick peck to his cheek and pulled away just as fast. I moved to the side to get out of his hold but his hold on my hip tightened.

“Let go, Ethan. I’ve to wash the dishes.”

Ethan let out a groan of disapproval as he turned his other cheek in my direction. I sighed dramatically and rolled my eyes heavenward. Leaning forward once again, I kissed his right cheek as well.

“Had enough?”

He released something between a groan and a grunt before plunging down. In a flash, his arms were around me and I was suddenly pressed against his hard chest. His lips came crashing down, devouring mine, consuming mine and claiming me as his. He tasted me like he was starving, like he was waiting for this moment all of his life. His mouth mashed against mine as he gave the kiss his all.

My mouth fought back with equal passion and vigor, not wanting to lose once again. Waves of heat rushed through me; my whole body was on fire. Our lips moved against each other, caressing and demanding, molding them to shape of each other. He bit my bottom lip and pulled it.

“What makes you think I’ll ever have enough of you, Vivian?”

His raspy voice rang in my ears as I felt my eyes being drawn to his lips. The way my name sounded in his low, husky voice sent heat to flood my lower gut. His breath was warm on my neck, shivers raced up my legs and inner thighs, craving for his touch. My breath came out barely a whisper as I inched further away from him in need of breath.