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In reality, Magnus would always do what was best for his pride, and what was best would be building a life with his true mate. Even if she was not a panther shifter.
Another problem that came to mind as he watched the door close behind her was that she, as a human, didn’t have the mate sense. Alexis, while she might be drawn to him, had no idea they were fated for each other.
Magnus would have to work hard to prove his worthiness. While he was willing to put in the effort, he had to make sure he didn’t come across like a lunatic again. He didn’t want to drive her away before he even got to know her.
If this woman was fated to be with him, she would be his partner and, in turn, help him run his pride. There was more than met the eye when it came to her. There simply had to be.
He’d also be damned if he allowed Carvin, fucking, Hibbard to take her out again. He’d rot in the seventh circle of hell before that happened.
With that thought cheering him exponentially, he got into his Land Rover and drove off. He needed to plan a date, something romantic and public, to keep her comfortable. The problem was that this sort of thing wasn’t his area of expertise.
By the time he got home, he had a few ideas of where to go, but he decided that the best course of action would be researching this sort of thing. For a strategic businessman, planning a date with his fated mate didn’t come naturally to him.
With his laptop on the coffee table, he began researching area attractions. Only the best would do for Alexis.
A few days later, the two of them were seated at the three-star Michelin restaurant he had made reservations at. The candles in the center of the table cast a warm glow across her face as she looked around at the linen tablecloths that covered the tables.
Flowers in tall, thin vases gave off a pleasant aroma, but Magnus couldn’t help but notice the forced smile every time she made eye contact with him. He frowned. Considering he was doing everything his research told him to do, she should be having a marvelous time.
She tucked a strand of platinum hair behind her ear and looked up at the crystal chandelier above their heads. Every time the light caught a crystal, it sent a cascade of tiny rainbows across the ceiling.
For a moment, a tiny smile touched her lips, but it disappeared the moment her eyes returned to his face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked finally.
She sighed. “I’m sorry, Magnus. This place is beautiful. It really is. It’s just not my idea of a good time. It’s so fancy, and I’m so … not fancy. I feel super out of place here.”
His answering chuckle had her lifting a brow in surprise. “I’m going to be honest with you, Alexis. I have no idea what I’m doing. I did a Google search to find the best place for a date. This isn’t for me, either. What do you say we get out of here?”
For the first time since they arrived at the restaurant, she smiled, and it illuminated her face. “I would really like that.”
He rose to his full height and held a hand out for her to take. She slipped her fingers in his, and he pulled her to her feet. He stopped only to tell the host that they wouldn’t be dining there after all.
With their fingers still entwined, he escorted her out into the fresh night air. The moment she was out of the restaurant, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful …” she began, but he shook his head, effectively cutting her off.
“I’m way more casual. I hate stuff like this,” he responded, gesturing to the restaurant. “There’s a food truck carnival a few blocks away, and quite frankly, I’d rather be there.”
Her face lit up. “Oh, my God, me too! Can we go there?”
He chuckled and led the way. It was barely a ten-minute walk, and when the first food truck came into view, Alexis squeaked in excitement.
“There’s so many. How do we choose? Oh, man, street tacos. Ooh, and they have chili dogs.”
He loved her excitement. “There’s also Everything Cheese over there.”
Her eyes grew wide. “We simply can’t pass up cheese.”
“That I’d have to agree with. Why don’t we just get some of everything?” He paused and looked around at the fifty or so trucks that surrounded them. “Well, not everything, but picking just one is out of the question. We’ll start with cheese.”
“I love this idea. Cheese and … Holy shit, is that fried ice cream? We’ve got to add that to our roster. What’re a few thousand calories when you’re on a first date?”
Everything Cheese boasted specials of fried cheese balls, extra cheesy mac and cheese, and the cheesiest grilled cheese sandwich. They opted for the cheese balls.
“I can’t believe this comes with cheese sauce to dip it in,” Alexis said.
Magnus leaned over and, with his thumb, cleaned a glob of melted cheese off her chin. “You had cheese on your chin.”
