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Avelyn watched them banter and the thought that they were perfect for each other crossed her mind. Val studied the amusement on her
face.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said.
“What? Think about what?” asked Avelyn confused. What was up with Val?
“All right, let’s go.” Caleb closed the trunk and made sure everything was good. “Rosanna, lead the way.”
The Jolly Wolf was a cute, intimate pub. Avelyn laughed when she saw the sign: a drunken wolf barely standing on his hind legs. They got in and ordered a couple of drinks and sandwiches. It was Wednesday, so the place was quite empty, with only three or four people drinking beer at the bar. Avelyn admired the funny pictures on the walls, then studied her companions. Caleb was sitting opposite her, with Val to his right. Rosanna was sitting to Avelyn’s left, her legs bouncing impatiently.
“I’m so hungry!”
Val threw her an exasperated look. Caleb didn’t seem to pay attention to her.
“Guys,” Avelyn said. “I just wanted to say thank you for taking me out today.”
“No problem! We should go out more often,” said Rosanna. “But next time, let’s leave Val and Caleb home. Especially Caleb. He’s such a kill joy.”
“Well, I’m sorry for not being the type who’s into binge shopping and meaningless chitchat.”
“It’s not meaningless.”
“You know what?” said Avelyn. “I think we should definitely take Caleb with us every time. He needs to go out, he just doesn’t want to admit it.”
“Miss Avelyn, with all due respect, I do go out a lot.”
“Really? Because in the past few weeks I’ve only seen you at the Schloss.”
Caleb sighed, licked his lips in deep thought, then smiled at Avelyn. “Lately, work has taken up most of my time.”
“Work? Is that what you call it? Where I come from, it’s called stalking.”
“You don’t like me much, and I get it. Entirely. I’m sorry. I would have very much loved to go out than… work all day long. Alas, it wasn’t my choice.”
“I know, Caleb. I’m just teasing you.” Avelyn gave him a playful smile and a cute wink. The Delta wasn’t that bad, she had decided. He had patiently followed them everywhere, gave them thoughtful fashion advice, and carried their bags. Also, his pretty eyes, golden skin, and sexy, disheveled brown hair made it impossible for her to stay angry at him. For lack of a better word, he was handsome. Handsome in a boyish, slightly bratty way.
Their drinks and sandwiches came, and they ate in silence. Avelyn watched the passers-by on the sidewalk going about their business. This was the best day in a long time. She enjoyed the company of all the three wolves, even though they were not particularly compatible with each other. When she finished her sandwich, she leaned back in her chair and took out her smartphone. She was in such a good mood that she could even text Maxwell von Liar and add a smiley face at the end. “I’m having a great time! Love you! :)”
“So, where do you want to go next?” asked Val. “We still have half a day left. I don’t believe you want to go back to the Schloss this early.”
“Not in a million years! Don’t get me wrong, I do love your medieval castle, but I was dying to change the air a bit. What’s there to see in Dunkelstadt?”
“I know! I know!” jumped Rosanna. “There’s a forest adventure park nearby. Caleb can take us by car.”
“Err… I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” Avelyn couldn’t picture herself trying a ropes course or going on a canopy tour. She wasn’t sure they would even let her do that. “I… I’m afraid of heights.”
“They also have target archery,” offered Caleb.
“He’s right! With a coach and everything.”
“That sounds interesting.” Avelyn had never practiced archery before. There was no need to teach the shifter-brides how to use a bow with arrows, after all. “Yeah, I think I’d like that. Is it difficult?”
“A bit,” said Caleb. “You need to have strong arms and a good aim, but it can be fixed. I can show you how to do it, if you want.”
“Caleb here is kind of passionate about weapons and the like,” said Val.
“Cool!” Avelyn clapped her hands in excitement, making Caleb blush and avert his gaze. She happened to love people who had hobbies and actually took the time to practice them and invest in them. “Let’s go! I want to learn how to shoot a bow.”
