Bloodbound [Alpha-series (II)]

Chapter 3

A silver-colored, ankle-length, sleeveless dress embroidered with delicate golden roses and a pair of flat, golden shoes was what I ended up with. It was still much too flashy for my taste, but all in all, it didn’t look too bad. The soft fabric tightly hugged my waist, but Adele assured me it wouldn’t rip should I move or sit down. I hoped she was right.
Little did I know choosing a dress was merely the beginning of what Adele intended to put me through. The real torture began when she sat me down to work on my hair and make-up. In my opinion, every hairstyle that took longer than fifteen minutes wasn’t worth the effort. Adele invested more than twice this time until she had my hair pinned up to her full satisfaction. My face was next. She put so many cremes and powders on my skin that I felt like wearing a mask. I couldn't wait to wash all that disgusting stuff off once that pointless dinner was over.
The restaurant we headed to was only a ten-minute car ride from the apartment, which the Council spent glued to a portable electronic device he called an "IPad". To my disappointment, he left it in the car once we arrived.
We were seated beside a window that offered an undisturbed view of the famous Norte Dame Cathedral the guys and I had visited yesterday. There were several five-course dinners to choose from, and when I spotted the price, I wanted to cry. Why in the name of the goddess would anyone pay that much for a single meal? John and I had spent less on the food of a whole month!
"Did anything pique your interest?"
I instinctively pointed at the cheapest set.
"Menu One it is then."
The Council ordered in what I assumed to be flawless French. If one lived several lifetimes, learning different languages was probably a given.
"When did you and your mate get together?"
Under the table, I clawed my fingers into my dress. From everything he could have talked about, that’s the topic he chose?
"We had our ten-year anniversary this May."
"An unusual early mating", he commented. "It is understandable you feel so distressed over your mate’s death, considering you spent so much time together starting at such a young age. Have you been courted by an unmated wolf yet?"
I choked on the water I had just taken a sip from.
"E-excuse me, could you repeat that?", I asked, sure I must have misheard.
"Has another male wolf already registered interest in you?", he followed my request without blinking an eye, features as cold and unmoving as always. I just stared at him in disbelief, lost for words.
"Do you consider this question to be too intrusive?", he wondered when I stayed quiet.
"More like inappropriate."
"Inappropriate?", the vampire repeated. "I don't see what would be inappropriate about this question."
"It’s not even been a year since I’ve lost my mate, and you think I could already bring myself to search for another male?"
This guy couldn’t be for real!
"Everybody grieves differently. It's not unusual to look for a new partner half a year after the death of the former."
Among his coldblooded lot, maybe. Should any wolf dare such a thing, any Alpha with a shred of integrity would personally teach him a lesson he would never forget.
"Well, that doesn’t apply to me. I don’t want a new partner. Not now, not ever. And I would appreciate it if we could change the topic."
"You are still young. You might change your mind one day."
"I won’t."
He didn’t argue, but it was obvious he wasn’t convinced.
"Caleb told me you own a farm. Are you specialized in anything?"
Though I had asked for another topic, I hadn’t expected him to comply so readily with my request.
"No. We grow different kinds of vegetables and corn, and we also keep some animals."
"Do you like being a farmer?", he continued.
"I do."
"Why?"
Why do you care?, I wanted to snap at him, but in the end, my good upbringing gained the upper hand.
"It's peaceful, rewarding and I like working outside."
"What task do you enjoy the most?"
Seriously, what did he hope to achieve by forcing me through this small-talk nightmare? It's not like he cared, anyway.
"Gardening and taking care of the animals, especially the horses."
"Do you employ workers?"
"Three."
I wondered why I answered him so honestly. It's not like I owed him the truth, and I doubted he would go through the trouble to verify the information.
"Which occupation do you think you would have chosen if it had been up to you?"
"I have no idea."
"Take a guess, then."
Goddess, make it stop!
I shrugged.
"Something with animals or a gardener, maybe."
The interrogation continued until the first course was served. Two times, the Council asked if I was satisfied with the food. Other than that, I was allowed to enjoy the meal in utter silence which felt almost too good to be true. The food looked weird but was delicious without exception. What tempered my delight though were the many different sized forks, knives, spoons, and glasses we were expected to use for each course. I did not want to make a fool of myself using the wrong cutlery, so I had to constantly observe what the Council used so I could copy him. Sure, I could have just asked him, but then I would have risked starting a new conversation – something I wanted to avoid at any cost.
"Tomorrow, you may sleep as long as you wish. Just let Adele know once you are ready to have breakfast. We will be heading out the whole day, so you should be well-rested", the Council informed me back at his apartment.
"Where will we go?"
"To a place that you will enjoy."