Chapter 2: We meet again

NALANI 

I suddenly pushed the man I was staring into the eyes for a moment. In his reaction, it was as if he had known me for a long time, but I, no matter where in the corner of my memory, his face did not cross my mind. I didn't know him since then, and I really saw him just now.

My heart rate quickened. I couldn't help but step my feet back as his eyes met mine. But from what I also noticed from him, he also seems confused by my reaction. He actually asked, "W-What's going on?"

I shook my head and ran away from him. I felt a fear that I could not explain. It was as if my system was telling me that I should be scared. Maybe because, he knows my name even though I don't know him.

In my fast run my feet brought me to the front of Madame Hale's flower shop. I just swallowed when he held out his hand to me expecting the payment for the flower bouquet and said, "You're too fast, you just left then you're here now? Where's the payment?"

I'm dead. I didn't sell the flower bouquet and the truth is that it was there in the middle of the road and was crushed. I licked my chapped lips and took the wallet from my dress pocket. He didn't need to know what happened so I took some money and paid for the flower bouquet.

I answered as an excuse, "I just run as fast as I could, so I got there right away. Anyway..." I took a deep breath to calm my panting and went on, "There's someone wants to buy that flower bouquet too, same design."

I closed my eyes in my lame reasons but he giggled, and he even snapped his finger in the air. She turned his back to me and called Siena, "Siena! Another order of seraphina white bouquet!"

"Okay, Madame Hale!"

Crossing his arms across his chest, Madame Hale looked at me for a moment from head to toe as if doubting my quick return from the place she was talking about. He should really have doubts because the truth is that I failed. He told me, "Okay, start arranging flowers that will be brought to the human town later."

Speaking of that matter, before he left in front of me, my mouth automatically open and called him, "Ahm, Madame Hale!"

He raised his eyebrows at me in a modest but sarcastic way. "Yes?"

I bit my lip before I went on, "I have to prepare Alpha's—"

Before I finished what I was going to say, his mouth fell opened in realization and touches his lips as well. "Sorry, I forgot. You can follow us alone in the human town, after your work with him. And—"

I snapped him, "His brother is also coming tonight so I need to make a meal box for both of them too."

His eyes suddenly flashed and he exclaimed, "Really?! Travis is coming?!"

As my brows knitted, I winced while nodding and he automatically clapped and said, "I miss that guy. I think I'll prepare food for him too." I was about to open my mouth to tell him that I'll be the one to cook, since that's my job, but he raised his index finger and said, "Wait, I should be buying the ingredients now—"

In order not to have a competition with what I will cook later, I snapped at him, "I think, it's better if you just make a desert for him, Madame." I smiled politely, to convince him more.

His eyebrows raised for a moment and I didn't change my reaction even though I had a little doubt if he would follow my suggestion. He hummed, still thinking, then finally, he said, "That seems more okay. What kind of desert is the best for him? What do you think? This is your thing, right?"

I wanted to retort 'not at all' but I chose to just think. I said, "What if you do something special unique..." Crossing my arms across my chest, I looked at the ceiling until the desert I imagined came up in my mind and told him in an exclaim way, "Vacherin!"

His face scrunches up and bows to me since he is taller and repeats what I said that he also forgot the full name, "Va... Vache what?"

I repeated it more clearly, "Vacherin, meringue!"

His lips parted in realization, but it was only for a moment and was replaced by a question, "So how to do that?"

My mouth closed as I realized that was his problem. But I came up with an idea again, "I'll just write the ingredients and procedures on paper."

After I wrote down the ingredients he should buy and the procedure he would follow to make that desert on a clean piece of paper and Siena was just done with her new flower bouquet, I immediately returned to the Rowan building that Madame Hale told me. While walking, I was mentally praying that I would never see the weird man who called my name again.

I didn't even do what Madame Hale ordered me about the flowers for the reception in the human town. We were both busy about the desert he was going to make for Travis, Alpha Liam's brother. I don't know if Madame Hale has a crush on Travis or not but my mind was more accompanied by the man who called me by the name earlier.

Honestly, he is handsome, tall, and hot. But in his eyes it seems to be full of sadness. I think that man has an unpleasant past but why does he really know me?

When I reached the entrance of the Rowan building, I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't even see his shadow. But I guess I was too traumatized by our meeting earlier. No matter where I go, I feel uncomfortable. I feel that he is always there around me. But why I'm scared? He doesn't seem like a bad guy.

Should I be afraid of a man who is so good looking? Hot and yummy?

In front of the door of room 104 here in the Rowan Building I slapped myself with that thought. But my shame increased when the house keeper saw me in such a situation. It seemed that she was even more embarrassed than me based on her anxious movements. She quickly turned her back on me and ran away with her cart.

Because of that, despite the shame I felt, I couldn't stop letting out a loud scoff of laughter. But since I was going to deliver a flower bouquet, I first pressed my lips together to ease my laughter and then decided to knock.

I cleared my throat again and again until the door opened. A man with messy hair and a bit fat came out, he was frowning and really scolded me, "Your service is too slow. Your shop is close to this building but why does your delivery take so long?"

I'm dead again but I just cleared my throat and tried to make my smile polite and said, "We're being careful in making the design of the bouquet you want for your girlfriend to be satisfied, sir."

He just let out a smirk and said, "I don't have a girlfriend. This is for my pet cat."

I was surprised by what he said and I couldn't resist my curiosity causing me to ask, "P-Pet cat?"

He nodded while taking cash from his wallet. "Unique, right? My cat is male and I brought a female for him. When I noticed that he had a bit of a crush on her, I thought of buying him flowers to use in his courtship."

I wanted to burst out laughing in front of him, but I didn't want to offend him and he might even punch me in the face, so even though I couldn't stop laughing, I just tried to look pleased with the craziness he shared. I said while taking the payment from his hand, "You're really smart! That's a better idea, unique and memorable. Honestly, a cat can also be a person."

I immediately turned my back on him but he answered in agreement causing me to stop, "Yeah. Just like a human that became a big dog. I mean, the werewolves. Right? They also use the flower to please the women they like."

My mind automatically asked questions about his personality. I turned to him and smiled again to ask, "I thought you were a werewolf too."

He waved his hand over his face and said, "I'm wolfless. I'm a hybrid of human and werewolf."

I looked at him all over and mentally asked how it happened that he was close to the cat if he was a werewolf. But I shook my face to get these questions out of my mind and just smiled, "Okay, sir. Thank you again, I'll leave now."

I quickly turned my back on him and ran back to the elevator. When I entered there I breathed a sigh of relief but automatically asked, "Why do I always meet weird men these days?" I looked up at the ceiling and just as the elevator came down, I went on, "Earlier, the man who almost killed me. He called me by my name but I didn't know him and now, the man who bought flowers for his cat! My goodness! "

I slapped my forehead out of frustration and just stopped when I heard what seemed to be the sound of a hand going into a pants pocket. I quickly stood up straight and the male voice suddenly dominated the question, "So you are really Nalani."

My eyes widened when I realized who the owner of that voice was. I slowly turned to him and automatically pressed my back against the wall when I immediately recognized him. He was the man who called me by my name and he was currently looking at me with his hands in his pockets.

He said again, "And you're alive. I wonder what happened to your wolf. You smell like a human but your face, your hair, doesn't change."

I gulped down and asked out of nowhere, "W-What are you talking about?" I don't know how to hide my fear. I also don't understand why I'm afraid of him.

But he asked, "You are Nalani Halifax, am I right?"

I retreated against the wall even though I had nowhere to retreat. I gasped while nodding and also asked, "You know my full name too. H-How did that happen? I don't even know you."

But he said, "That's impossible. Your fear of me hasn't changed. How can I believe you that you don't know me?"