The Sakura petals still flowed like a waterfall while Maeve and Treyton looked at one another. Although they looked at one another, they felt as if they were in a euphoric trance; it was as if they could feel what they felt from one another. They got back to reality when asked if they would take a picture. "Huh? Oh, sorry," the duo said in unison as they moved away from the center of the Sakura Meadow. The two stood away from the visitors taking pictures of the trees but realized they looked at each other strangely. Maeve felt her heart pound rapidly as she glanced at the Treyton. "He's so handsome! I can't believe it!" The more she gazed at him, the more she thought he was a model; he was more handsome than Stephen.
Treyton noticed her glances and blushed. He felt his heart pounding at the sight of her; she was beautiful. It was noticeable that she looked shy when looking at him. He didn't like bragging but knew he was good-looking for his age since many human women told him so. When being close to her, Treyton felt a strong pull toward her and had the urge to make their connection permanent. Besides the vanilla and jasmine scent he smelled, another scent was noticeable: the scent that she was human. It didn't matter to the Alpha since his mother was human, and she took the news well when she learned his father was a werewolf. Yet, there was a possibility that not every human was as open; he didn't want to think the worst scenario. "Uh, hello. N-Nice to meet you," he said. The Alpha wanted to face-palm himself. "Real smooth," he thought, "The name is Treyton Bledig. What's yours?"
"Oh, uh, I'm Maeve Connor. Nice to meet you, Treyton." She motioned her hand toward him. Treyton slowly motioned his hand out and held onto hers. Once their hands were connected, a jolt went through their bodies; they flinched. However, they still held each other's hands and enjoyed each other's touch.
It had been a while since the Alpha held another woman's hand after his divorce; he couldn't deny that he missed the feeling. He also couldn't help but notice her voice; she was nervous but sounded sweet. They eventually stopped their handshaking and began with their eye staring again. Treyton felt his hand tingling from excitement. "Maeve, that's her name." Treyton tried opening his lips, but he struggled to say anything. "Damn it, say something!"
"So, um, how are you liking the gardens?" Maeve spoke up but shook from shyness.
"Oh, uhm, they are pleasant. I-I have been here a few times." The Alpha stuttered; he hated it. He was usually confident, but the day was full of surprises. He was filled with happiness when he finally found his mate. "H-How about you?"
Maeve cleared her throat and tried to calm her heart down. It was strange that she felt so much emotion for a man she barely met. It was not just because of his looks, but something else drew her to him; Maeve didn't fully understand. "This is my first time and I think it's okay but, I feel that this spot takes the cake." She looked at the Sakura trees and the people taking pictures. Although there were a few trees, there was still a sense of beauty and peace. Maeve then looked at him and noticed his clothing; she giggled. "If I had to guess, you're from the wedding that is taking place on the other side of the garden."
Treyton chuckled as he massaged the back of his neck. "It's so noticeable, isn't it? I totally stand out from all the simple shorts and shirts." They laughed. Treyton was in awe when he heard his mate's soft laugh and noticed her delicate smile. She was perfect in his eyes. "May I ask you something?" Maeve nodded. "How old are you?"
"I'm thirty-two, and yourself?"
"She's thirty-two!? She looks young for her age!" Treyton felt a sense of shame; he was older than her. He didn't know why the Moon Goddess would give him a mate who was eighteen years younger than him. Was it so wrong to be someone so young? "I'm fifty."
"You're fifty!?" The young woman covered her lips; she felt rude. However, she couldn't hide her surprise that Treyton was fifty. He looked young and wondered what he did to improve his appearance. When the realization hit her of his age, she was slightly disappointed. She never dated a man over ten years older than her. However, Maeve was old enough to know what she wanted. "Sorry about that. It's just that you look good for your age."
The Alpha smiled as he put his hands in his suit pockets. "I get that a lot. I guess you can say that it's within my blood. So what brings you to these gardens?" He motioned her to sit on one of the wooden benches; they sat.
"I don't want to bore you with my dramatic life, but to keep things short, my ex broke up with me a couple of days ago; we've been together for five years. I thought he would propose, but it didn't happen." A humorless chuckle escaped her lips. "What a nice way to start the holidays, huh?"
Her sadness was noticed, and it tore Treyton's heart. He didn't like to see her sad and wanted to rip her ex into shreds. Yet, he felt thankful that her ex broke it off, or she would have married another man. The Alpha didn't know if he would be able to keep himself from killing another male. "I'm sorry that you went through that, especially before Christmas. I find it funny that you and I aren't so different. My wife divorced me not so long ago for another man."
Maeve flinched as she put her hands together. She thought she had it bad, but others endured harsher pains than her. "I'm so sorry to hear that."
"It was painful at first, but I finally understood why she left, and she couldn't deny her heart." The Alpha looked at her. "If I have to be honest, the divorce gave me another opportunity to find a new beginning. Not all is lost." Treyton was happy that he had found his mate but was afraid he might never see Maeve again. He couldn't let her go. The Alpha gathered his courage and cleared his throat. "I-I was wondering if you would like to go out and grab a cup of coffee tonight?" Maeve looked at him, confused; he feared he might have gotten too far too soon. Treyton couldn't help it since he felt there was no other option; he had to know more about her. It took many years to find his mate, and now that he found it, he was determined to keep her by his side. "It would be nice to talk to someone since we had similar heartbreaks. It's also nice to have a nice conversation with someone."
They were silent, and Maeve looked at the scene before her. She was surprised to be asked out in such a short amount of time, but life was full of twists and turns. Treyton looked like he was still healing from his divorce and probably felt alone in dealing with his thoughts and feelings, like herself. Her mother's words came to her: 'Keep an open mind.' It would hurt to meet someone new. "Um, sure. That sounds delightful."
This surprised the werewolf, and he felt thrilled and relieved that his invitation had been accepted. "G-Great! Where do you live?"
"Long Beach."
She lived far away, but he was willing to drive wherever she was close by. "That's not bad. Would you like to go to the Library Coffee House? I once went there with some associates, and I think you would like the environment."
"Hm, sounds lively. I never heard of it before."
"Well, you're in a treat." He stood up, and Maeve did the same. "May I have your phone number so I can text you the address?" The young woman nodded, and they swapped phone numbers. "Would you be open to meet at 7p.m.?"
"Yeah, I will meet you there." Maeve put her phone away. "I guess I'll see you later."
Treyton smiled as he put his phone away. "Sure will. Until then." He watched as Maeve walked out of the meadow; she gave him one last look until she walked away. A sigh escaped his lips, and he decided it was time to leave the wedding, but not before he said his goodbyes to the bride and groom. He was happy that hope was in his path and that meeting Maeve was a possible holiday miracle.
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