380 Perfect Mate

The day proceeded with paintball, lunch... and, after Jason’s relentless requests, a few video games that Sandra was not familiar with. The hunter was reluctant at first and when she accepted, she took the time to adjust. Before Jason knew it, she was putting up a fight.

Her instincts as a hunter didn’t let her down when it came to combat it seemed. Even when that combat took place in a virtual world. Sandra found the feeling of victory much more rewarding than she’d initially anticipated. After all, it was the first time the girl was actually getting to defeat her mate in something combat related.

Sandra later urged him to take the day slower... His tension had not gone unnoticed. Jason obliged, cancelled the storm of other activities he had planned and took her to the park where they found a table set with tea and refreshments, steam rolling off the rims of the cups that had been set for them.

Sandra looked about them in search of Jason’s little helpers but was at a loss. They were just that good at hiding. Before taking a seat, the man peeked under her sunhat, “I know the weather is fine today, after a long period of time without the sun, but do you have to hide your face from me?”

Sandra smiled, finally taking the hat off and placing it on the table, “Since you wouldn’t stop whining, I guess I’ll have it off for the rest of the day.”

Jason was quick to give her a kiss on the cheek before flashing her a dazzling smile, ‘He just wants to kill me with charm today,’ she mentally groaned, “Thank you,” he replied, pulling her seat out for her. ‘Definitely wants to destroy me...’ the hunter silently lamented.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed your helpers preparing something everywhere we went. I know you were ready-” she shuddered, “-far too ready for the paintball, but this was sudden. You couldn’t have heard it all done that fast,” she gestured at the table.

“You’re right about all of it. I had helpers. It would be next to impossible for us to go wherever we wanted without me giving some sort of order,” Jason laughed nervously, “I just wanted our date to be perfect.”

“You don’t have to go through all that trouble to impress a girl that already finds you impressive when you don’t try,” Sandra smiled.

.....

“Perhaps I’m only trying to match the perfection I’ve been graced with,” the man replied with a mischievous grin.

'

The girl chuckled. Having heard his compliments longer than anyone, she was learning to expect them when they came. He didn’t seem capable of missing the chance, “Perhaps you should have worried more about who would be eating all this. I don’t share my best friend’s appetite,” she chuckled, picking up a cup of tea.

The all-too-familiar scent of cinnamon overwhelmed her senses. There was no doubt the tea had been prepared to perfection, just the way she liked it. Jason was not taking any chances.

Not even when she’d brought up the complaint about her dress getting messed up in their game of paintball. It felt too convenient for there to be a beauty salon not too far from the field for her to wash off and resume her dating outfit as if nothing had happened.

It soon dawned on Jason that she was going to take tea and nothing more. “This reminds me of the time Cole was invited to a tea party with one of his suitors,” the man chuckled.

“Oh, and what did he end up doing?”

“Hmm, he had me deliver a letter of him declining her invitation. She was so mad at him. She all went, ‘Who’s going to eat all this?’ like she’d meant to feed him until he was fat and couldn’t walk,” Jason narrated.

Sandra couldn’t hold her laughter, “I would see how this would remind you of that time. I’m guessing you ate everything in his stead though.”

“No werewolf could have been prepared for what she had made for Cole. It was more of a feast for a nation than a tea party. She took the phrase, ‘The door to a man’s heart is his belly,’ quite far too seriously,” he replied chuckling.

“It should be. It would be a shame for you to reject my cooking,” Sandra sighed, the satisfied glint in her eye did not vanish while she faked taking a sip of her tea.

“You can cook? Why haven’t I had any of that before?” Jason asked, his face beaming at the idea of his mate making a meal. ‘Would it take good, divine... or would it be a demon spawn presented on a platter. Whatever I’d eat it all without complaint. If it’s not good, she can get better, but that smirk tells me she knows how to cook.’ The anticipation was slowly taking root in the beta alpha’s mind.

The two of them continued talking for the better part of the evening. Jason stopped trying to impress her exceedingly and returned to his usual normal self, cracking jokes and doing all he could to keep a smile on her face.

The conversation between the two of them flowed so naturally that it sometimes surprised Sandra. She thought of herself as a quiet person, but with Jason, she wasn’t the same either. Her mind was more active and everything on her mind just came tumbling out with no end to it. She didn’t have to think of what to say and felt comfortable speaking her mind in his presence. ‘If only we could get stuck in moments like these,’ she thought to herself.

Eventually, the sun made its steep descent over the horizon, bathing the sky with smooth crimson rays. The cool wind and the warmth of the evening sun commanded a slower conversation between the two of them.

Upon Jason’s request, they had taken a stroll through the park and found a place where they could watch the sunset, “Watching the sunset on a date. I’ve read that a couple of times,” Sandra mentioned. Yet another one of the things she did that Katie never had the time for... Reading novels.

“It might be, but I’ve had a phrase before that went... ‘Something as simple only gets more beautiful when you watch it with someone you love,” Jason’s words shocked the girl. Once more, he was going a little too deep with his compliments.

“Your compliments are coming off a bit strong today, don’t you think?” Sandra hid her reddening face, wishing for her hat to return to her. It was much easier to hide her face under it. Unfortunately, they’d left it at the table where they’d been seated, no doubt intentionally.

“Either that or you’re finally starting to take them seriously. I’ve always meant everything I’ve said about you,” the man responded. Sandra couldn’t help the rush that came over her. It was different when she wasn’t trying to stop his advances. His words held more meaning now... They weren’t the same occasional flirtatious lines he’d used on her since they’d met.

Jason cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes, “I like around, calling myself ‘perfect,’ but I couldn’t have been granted a more perfect mate. I must be the luckiest beta alpha in the world.”

‘...Someone wake me up right now...’ Sandra swallowed. Jason’s soft crimson gaze was so close to hers right now. ‘...This can’t be real...’