“Miss Hart,” she said, smiling. “It’s so wonderful to see you down here! Back on your feet?”
“I brought donuts,” I said. “Thought the kids might like a treat.”
Miss Crystal stood and dusted her hands on her apron. “They’re going to lose their minds,” she said warmly. “Especially your little one. He’s been having a ball lately.”
That made me pause.
“Oh yeah?” I asked, curiosity piqued.
She tilted her head, her voice dropping slightly into a conspiratorial tone. “Mhm. Ever since a certain someone started volunteering a few weeks ago. It’s been all giggles and group games. Real gentle presence.”
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “A new volunteer?”
She nodded toward the gym area.
And that’s when I saw him.
The man from the hospital.
He was crouched beside a foam climbing set, laughing quietly as one of the children shoved a foam sword into his lap and demanded to be knighted. Aiden was beside him, eyes bright, clearly telling him how it should be done.
My breath caught.
Nox stirred instantly.
There. That heat again. That unbearable tension just beneath the surface. The mate bond.
It tugged at me like a magnetic pull, like I was being reeled in by a thread I couldn’t see. Every nerve in my body stood on edge, but not in alarm. In recognition. In yearning.
Miss Crystal gave me a sly smile and walked away without another word.
Aiden spotted me first.
He grinned, wide and knowing, and ran over.
“Hey, Mom!” he said, breathless.
“I’ve heard you’ve been having a lot of fun lately,” I said, watching him carefully.
He nodded enthusiastically, and then–without a word–turned and looked back at the man beside the foam mats.
I followed his gaze.
He was looking at me now.
Derek.
The bond between us pulsed. Shifted. It wasn’t just strong–it was overwhelming. Consuming. Like gravity. Like the Moon herself had wound the thread tighter. I’d heard what bonds were supposed to feel like. I’d read the stories. I’d even seen other mated pairs from a distance.
But this? This wasn’t just a pull. It was a storm.
“Hi,” I said, my voice softer than I meant it to be.
He stood slowly. Tall. Steady. His eyes never left mine.
Chapter 275
+25 BONUS
There was something restrained in his expression. A tension in the corners of his mouth. Like he wanted to speak but was afraid to. Like he was bracing himself for something he thought might not come.
I stepped closer, slow and cautious, like we were both standing on precipice neither of us could name.
“I feel like I’ve seen you before,” I said quietly. “Not just at the hospital. Before that.”
His breath caught, almost imperceptibly. But he didn‘
answer.
“I’ve been… thinking about you,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “Which is crazy. I don’t even know your name.”
Still, he didn’t speak.
The air between us was charged–like every molecule knew something I didn’t. Nox stirred again, but it wasn’t the frantic pull of instinct. It was curiosity. Longing. Recognition. Mu knews man. Even if I didn’t.
“You don’t have to say anything,” I murmured, heart thudding in my chest like it was trying to answer for him. “I just… I’d like to get to know you.”
He blinked, A shift flickered in his gaze. Something softer. Sadder. Like I’d just handed him a gift he hadn’t dared hope for.
“Would you…” I hesitated, biting my lip before pushing through. Would you like to go out with me?”
His eyebrows lifted slightly. “On a… date?”
“Yes.” I nodded. Straightforward. No games. No pretense. “A real one.”
He didn’t move for a beat.
Then he nodded. Slowly. Carefully.
“Yes.”
He smiled. The kind of smile that cracked open something in my chest.
Could anything feel better than this?
Finding your fated mate?
