“When you said you would cook, I was expecting spaghetti with ketchup.”
He snorts. “Annalise, that’s a bit cliché, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, but this here,” I point at the plate. “That’s just perfect! I can’t cook like that.”
“I’m just tricking you skilfully,” he says earnestly, pouring some wine into my glass. “There are exactly five dishes I can cook well. This happens to be one of them."
I frown slightly. “Does your lie detector work on yourself too? If yes, I would like for you to switch it on.”
He laughs softly. It’s the sweetest sound I have ever heard. He smiles sometimes, but a full-hearted laugh is rare.
Again, my heart skips a beat. Goddess, I have it bad.
During dinner, we talk about all kinds of stuff. When we move to his sofa, the topics turn more private until we reach the inevitable topic of past relationships. I don’t feel comfortable about it, and Leah doesn’t like it either, but she wants to know what Liam was up to in his past. Liam doesn’t seem to be too much into that subject either, but I assume Fenris is pushing to know the truth.
“I haven’t had a real relationship before,” I admit openly. “I did date a boy from my pack when I was sixteen. It was nothing serious.”
He tilts his head, looking at me thoughtfully. “Nothing serious, huh? You don’t strike me as someone who just plays around.”
Goddess, he is looking through me too easily. “You are not manipulating the conversation, are you?”
He looks slightly hurt at my suggestion. “No,” he says shortly. “I need to touch someone to do that. I would never manipulate you like that.”
I divert my gaze. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to imply anything,” I mutter. “It’s just… you are looking right through me.”
“You are not hiding a lot of things,” Liam states. “People like you are pretty rare. You are so honest. I guess I got caught up in your tone.”
I sigh. “I had a little crush on him,” I finally admit. “I was never popular with the boys, but he liked me. We hung out and made out a bit. Then he found his mate when he turned eighteen. End of the story.” I pause. “I knew about the mate bond, so even before turning eighteen, I tried not to get too attached. No one wants a crazy ex. And I didn’t want to get hurt too much, but it’s always easier said than done.”
“You got hurt in the end,” Liam concludes.
“I guess so.”
Liam sighs.
“You don’t like that there was a guy before you?” It’s usually hard to read him, but it’s mind-blowingly simple in this case.
“Fenris doesn’t like it.”
I allow myself a moment to consider what to say next. My feelings for him are growing, aside from the mate bond, but I don’t want him to look down on me for something that’s in the past. I had a right to have a relationship before him. Best thing is to be honest now, Annie. “He was the only guy I was ever with. We kissed and touched a bit, that’s all. There was no sex involved. But what about you?” I ask daringly. “With your looks and status, I doubt it all stayed with kissing and touching. Or are you seriously telling me that you saved yourself for your mate?”
He looks slightly surprised by my blunt question and a bit embarrassed. “I didn’t have countless affairs. Just a very few. Nothing serious, no strings attached. I made sure about that. Definitely no crazy exes.”
I look at him openly. “Leah doesn’t like it either.”
Good comeback. You left our mate speechless,Leah grunts. She sounds content, proud even.Fenris is quiet too. Serves him right.She flops down and curls her tail around her, puffing and growling a bit.Playing around with other she-wolves when I should be his first.
Chapter sixteen
Chapter 16 Almost
*ANNALISE*
Liamkeepslookingatme for a moment, his gaze inscrutable, his expression blank. I wonder if I pushed it too far. Mate or not, he is still a powerful Alpha and I’m downright challenging him now. I hold his gaze though, hiding my trembling hands beneath the table. To my utmost surprise, he leans back and nods after a while. “You are right,” he says evenly. “It’s out of place for me to shame you for something I myself did.”
My eyes widen at his words. “What!?”
He looks at me, confused. “What’s the problem?”