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She motioned at Lucas, who stood as still as a statue with his hands in his pockets behind her.
“Order something at the counter. It’ll be on us. I want to speak to Tao for a second.”
He nodded and smiled at her softly.
“Will do.”
The look made her heart flutter. She bit her lip and turned, forcing her expression into that of a serious, concerned friend.
Eliana didn’t have to force the look much longer. Tao sat alone at a booth scrolling through his phone with an empty plate in front of him, caked in syrup and red stains of fresh strawberries.
She sat slowly, his look downtrodden and mournful.
“You two were busy,” he said with no inflection in his tone. “I’ve never seen that look on your face before.”
Eliana felt a flurry of emotions cascade through her mind and body. She knew sex would be a touchy topic with an ex-partner, with jealousy acting as a natural response in this situation. But Tao was also a reasonable man. Had he really expected her to give into him and the marriage, locking away her thirst for sexual passion when things hadn’t worked out between them?
She cared for him, maybe even loved him in a way. But the love was strictly platonic.
Eliana couldn’t hurt him, but the issue with the pack finding an alpha and, of course, finding Lucas as her fated mate were making their lives confusing. She had to be real with him. She owed him that much.
“What look?” she said, trying to jest and lighten the mood.
Tao lowered his phone, placing it on the table in front of him. His dark eyes looked like those of a shark’s if a shark could be depressed.
“The look of love, Eliana. You basically have a sign hanging from your neck.”
Eliana sighed, shuffling her body around to navigate the conversation. She continued to smile, trying to find that friendship inside him that she still valued.
“Is it that obvious?” she murmured.
Tao nodded, then let out his own sigh. His voice lowered, the din of the restaurant a booming thud as Eliana strained to hear him.
“Tell me the truth. Is Lucas your fated mate?”
Eliana nodded, feeling her throat dry with not only realization but the power she held in her hands. It was a reluctant sensation of pushing a sword into the heart of someone you cared for but wasn’t your soul mate.
“He is, Tao. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have … gone off last night like that. There’s just a pull. I couldn’t not know what it was like.”
One of the servers came over and refilled Tao’s coffee cup. She asked if Eliana would like one, and she said yes. They waited in horrible silence for her to bring the extra mug, pour the coffee, then finally leave.
Tao looked sad, but Eliana did not regret what she had done. She had been thrilled to chase after Lucas on the beach and encourage him to take that chance. If she had slept alone that night and left Lucas alone to leave, she would have never lived down her regret.
Regret of never experiencing unbridled passion that left her entire body and soul vibrating, even still.
He stirred cream and sugar into his mug as he spoke, a sense of relief washing through Eliana as he did.
“I understand the feeling. I have my own mate back in California. It physically hurts to be away from her.”
Eliana frowned, then chuckled, sounding close to absurdity. She touched Tao’s wrist with genuine excitement.
“Tao! Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shook his head as he brought the mug to his lips.
“It’s not a good thing. It’s complicated, as it is for you, I’m sure. She’s human.”
Eliana let her hand slide off of Tao’s wrist, then rested it on the table.
