Embarrassment filled me at just how badly I’d bungled that, all of it. My future mate did not smell like crunchy autumn leaves, and I was entertaining a woman who did and was not in fact my one. No.
My mate was out there and maybe thought I was going to try to be with this other woman. She’d smelled like... “Forever.” That's what she’d smelled like. MINE and forever. “Argh.” A long groan left me. There was a scent that had lingered, and at first I thought it might be my date’s, but the leaf crunch was so strong with her I found that impossible. It wasn’t bad, quite pleasant actually, but nothing like that other scent. I’d nearly gone mad trying to figure out the owner of that other scent. I’d nearly lost it after catching a few whiffs of it.
Actually, I thought with no small amount of shame, collecting my clothes to walk them into the house, I’d snuck inside to beat my meat not once but twice, leaving that poor woman who’d been duped into coming here waiting for me.
The kiddie pasta soup was all I could think of to give her. I had nothing ready. Going through the house, I walked past the living room to the laundry room, grabbing fresh sweats and a loose grey shirt from the clean clothes hamper sat atop it and put my dirty clothes in the wash.
Walking back, I stilled, taking in the room.
“She cleaned,” I breathed. Vines slowly started to creep up from behind my ears, winding through my dark hair. Spotting a piece of paper on the fridge, I freed it from the Hellboy magnet pinning it there. Dread filled me as I read her short but sweet missive.
Aster. That was her name. I wasn’t even close. Wincing, I read aloud, “Thank you for an interesting evening. I look forward to many more.” There were little flowers, quite well drawn for quick doodles, and her name and number. Shaking my head, I crumpled the note and chucked it towards the trash bin at the end of the island counter.
Sometime later that evening, I went to sit on the front porch steps when I spotted it.
Huh.
Picking up the little ceramic pot, I stared at the tiny bud sprouting up from the moist soil. Aster. Had to be… Leaning in, I gave a small sniff. I couldn’t tell what the flower was just yet, strangely enough. Intrigue filled me. I’d never had that happen before. A small note beneath pinched under it as I picked the pot up to set it in my lap fell. Picking it up, as I’d expected, it had her name written in a pretty, swirling scrawl. There was also a daisy, a rose, a tulip, and a carnation. I was more of a plant man than flowers, but they were wonderfully drawn. She was talented.
Will liked artsy stuff, and Aster was actually quite sweet, if too shy, maybe Will would give dating her a go.
Taking the gift into the house, wondering at it, her kindness eased some of the sting of what all had occurred. She was nice, but she wasn’t my mate. Her silly puns had me smiling and shaking my head. “It’s nuts,” I said on a chuckle, setting the small potted plant on an empty shelf in the sunroom.
Going back to the front stoop, again and again, my gaze kept going to the sunroom. What would that flower blossom into? And why did it nag me so?
Chapter 4
Aster
Iwas being a creeper. I’d admit that. But it was worth it just to glimpse the look on his face, the handsome smile that transformed his features, as he examined my gift. Oh, he knew. He had to.
Now, I just had to wait.
My leaves shivered deliciously. Mine. Mate. Curling my vines into myself, I slid back into my hiding place across the way, hidden in the foliage of the woods just beyond.
I was told my smile was scary in my shifted form, but I couldn’t help it, and it wasn’t like there was anyone around to see it.
My mate! I couldn’t wait to tell my parents. And he was so kind and sweet and handsome, and adorably awkward. I wanted to twirl in place.
I had a mate!
Chapter 5
Greniv
The bud began to bloom, a tiny white flower of the likes I’d never laid eyes on before. I’d tried looking it up but couldn’t find a single bloom that even closely resembled it. Still wondering about my mystery mate scent as well, wondering if Aster held the key to it, I sucked it up, dug her number out of my trash, and called her and hung up several times.
I was a chicken, a giant one. Funnily, I smelled like dried bark when I was nervous. Otherwise, I had a rather pleasant pine wood meets pine needles scent about me.
The seventh time was not the charm, and I hoped she didn’t think I was insane. She had to know the number was me.
Meet with me?I texted her, held my breath, and waited.For coffee or tea, I added, so she didn’t assume this was a date.
When?She sent back almost immediately, as if she’d been waiting for me to text.
Now?My fingers fumbled with my phone.
Working, she sent, along with a sad face emoji.
