Peter's chest twisted like he was ringing out a wet rag and the anxiety dripped down his body. He sat at full attention, gripping his knees as he averted from everyone's pinning gazes: Leo's furrowed brow, Delphine's twinkling eyes, James' pursed lips and Elias. Elias all together. James would begin to say something, then he'd close his mouth. Just like the rest of them, Peter didn't know what to make of this. And above all else, he could not look at Elias.

The tips of his pointy ears burned.

They sat facing each other and waited for the one person excited about all this, to come up with some ideas. Peter was at a loss. Delphine fluttered around the office for supplies. She'd open a cabinet and a puff of dust billowed out. She announced, "We'll get to the bottom of this! Don't you worry your pretty little head Peter! There's a reason for everything!"

Peter's eyes raised to the ceiling and fell back to the floor. He rubbed his sweaty hands together, a restless feeling festered inside his bobbing legs. The portal beckoned him. He could throw himself through the closet and end up back home inside his little apartment across the bridge. Groceries could be ordered online. Reyna could run The Greenhouse without him.

Peter made the mistake of glancing at Elias.

Elias' icy blue eyes sliced right through Peter. Heat trickled down his cheeks like he stuck his face inside a preheated oven. Still scowling, Elias crossed his arms into unbreakable knots. Peter finally released a tortured sigh. He looked up at James. "Can you tell him to stop staring at me?"

"He doesn't know he's doing it," James whispered, touching my shoulder. It was true. Elias couldn't see Peter. He was invisible, but only to Elias. So, Elias really was wasting his glare on an empty chair.

Elias' chin perked up. "What did he say?"

"Nothing!" Peter insisted.

James translated with an unconvincing smile. "It's nothing."

Elias' scowl sharpened. He released a huff through his nose and Peter felt like the temperature of the room went up another fifty degrees. "I hate that everyone has the upper hand. I feel like an idiot."

"Don't feel so bad," Leo chimed in, resting his cheek inside his palm. "Peter hasn't really said much. I think he's too busy trying not to vomit everywhere-"

Panic shot through Peters veins and his limbs moved on their own, shoving Leo off balance. The teen laughed and hid behind James from further punishment. Peter jumped to his feet, bursting with unnerving energy. He rubbed his hands, pacing up and down the windows.

Elias still stared at the chair.

Peter still stared at Elias.

A string wrapped around Peter's heart that was attached to Elias' heart on the other end. If Peter walked too far, the string went taught and his heart clenched. He was so aware of elias it felt like they were one person.

"Let's play with the crystal balls! Shall we?" Delphine announced, setting two crystals on James' desk, right on top of little gold stands. Delphine clutched her chair, dragging it to James' side. "Sure!" she waved her hand. "It hasn't worked before, but that was when we didn't know your soulmate was! Now-"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," James warned her, knowingly eyeing Peter. It seemed like he was the only one that could sense Peter's distress like an onlooker about to witness a semi-truck flatten Peter into a pancake.

Delphine, of course, ignored James. "But we have a lead! And I have an idea how to break this bewitchment." She tapped on her smiling ruby red lips. "What breaks all love curses?"

"A kiss?" Leo offered an answered in a stunned room.

"True love's kiss!"

Peter's stomach tightened. That was a lot of pressure to put on a first kiss. His first kisses usually ended with teeth clapping together or toes being stepped on. With a sigh, Peter dragged himself over to the desk and took a seat in front of one of his old foes, the crystal ball. He couldn't stop fidgeting with his hands as he glanced over his shoulder.

Elias stood. He motioned to the empty chair with a nod, "after you."

Peter bit down a smile, squeezing his hands tighter. Butterflies fluttered around his stomach, spinning him into a stomach ache.

James cleared his throat. "Um, he's already over here."

And for the first time, Peter watched a blush burn across Elias' face. Peter's heart swelled up into a big target for cupid to shoot an arrow through the center.

Oh no, Peter thought, he's cute.

At the same time, Elias' eyes darkened and without having to say it, he had every intention to murder everyone in the room. Crossing his arms, Elias stormed to his chair and sat down with gumption. His knee just bumped Peter's and suddenly, they both sat completely upright. Elias raised a brow, glancing back at the space. He sat lower slowly so the others wouldn't notice and dragged his knee out until it touched Peter's again. The little touch started a freak electrical fire and Peter didn't move, expecting to be reduced to ash and rubble.

"We'll link up," Delphine explained and extended her slender hand to Peter. "All of us. That should help-"

"It won't work," Peter said just as Elias said:

"That won't help."

Leo snorted.

Since Elias didn't notice, he continued, "James, don't you remember? You can't see any visions of me. We went through this back at the Timber Pack Manor."

"And it's never worked with me before," Peter added. When Delphine looked over, so did Elias. Elias peered as if he could fix the problem on his own, if he tried hard enough. The fire reached Peter's cheeks. He wasn't going to last very long at all.

"You're both so negative-" She insisted.

"What did he say?" Elias asked.

Delphine ignored him, "just give me your hands and we'll start from there." She motioned her hands again and this time, Peter accepted. Elias watched Delphine's hand curl into what must have looked like air. Elias rolled his shoulders back and took her other hand. Delphine blinked. "Well? Take each other's hands too."

"Oh," Peter jumped, moving his knee away and a little disappointment prodded his chest. The feeling thickened as Elias sat his hand on the table, watching and waiting for the touch of Peter's fingers. Peter sucked in a breath, readying himself when Leo cut in.

"Hold on," Leo raised his hand, stepping around to Elias' side of the desk. "Elias, you seem to already think it's going to fail. What makes you think that?"

Elias curled his hand into a fist, taking it away and the opportunity to collide was gone. "When I was about your age, I paid a witch to erase my mark on the world. No matter what I do or where I go or wherever I'm going, magic obliterates my existence. James has never gotten a vision from me because of it."

James nodded in agreement and Peter's brow furrowed. Peter didn't know they spent so much time together, holding hands and trying to spur visions. Even now, when Elias looked at James, his body language was so relaxed. Peter bit his lip, gnawing on the thought instead of saying something.

"Oh," Leo nodded. "I get it. They're oracles and when they magically try to see into your past, present and future, they can't. You can't see Peter, because he's your future." Peter sunk deeper into the seat as if he could will himself out of existence.

"My, my, my," Delphine shook her head, pride twinkling in her eyes. "I did not realize I was in the presence of a romantic. Leo darling, you're in the wrong species. If you were an oracle, I'd hire you on the spot."

"I think it's more than that," James stated. "I mean, you're right Leo, that's why we can't see Peter for Elias, but the greatest magic given to a wolf is being able to spot their mate by... by looking into their eyes and because of the enchantment, he can't."

"It wasn't exactly my top priority at the time," Elias muttered. He crossed his arms, glancing Peter's way. He didn't quite meet his eyes. Really, Elias bore a hole in Peter's lips and a lump formed in Peter's throat. He started ringing his hands again. Elias admitted, "I never thought I even had..." ­­

Mate.

Could Peter really be Elias' mate?

"Well," Delphine dropped her hands on the table and stood. "I'd like to remind you that your little enchantment is old and darling," She rolled her shoulders back, presenting herself like the most sought-after trophy. "James and I are Oracles and that witch couldn't possibly be more powerful than us! Enchantments of that sort go stale overtime like bread while Oracles just get better with age."

"Now!" She clapped her hands, suddenly talking a thousand miles per hour. "Hold each other's hands! Enough talk! All you kids wanna do is talk and talk and talk, but we're going to do this so let's give it a go!" She motioned them, sitting down and scooting her chair up. "James and I will funnel these visions into the crystal balls because-"

She suddenly corrected herself, reaching for Elias, but without touching him. "I'm not saying you would accuse me of being a liar, but I am saying you're a poor sport so I want to make sure you two are seeing what we're seeing.."

Peter laughed so suddenly, he coughed and when everyone looked at him, Peter's face burned. He hid behind his hand, fanning his fingers out to glance only at Elias. His eyes found Peter's face again and just narrowly, just by accident and Peter couldn't breathe. He tried imaging what it was going to be like when Elias could finally see him, if this finally pushes Peter out of the safety from his workroom. Peter's stomach tightened.

What if when Elias finally saw him,  would he be disappointed?

What if Elias still doesn't want to meet his mate?

And what if Peter isn't Elias' mate at all? They kiss and nothing happens. They kiss and Peter finds himself playing the fool again. Alone again.

"Peter?" James said his name and Peter released a shaky breath. He slipped his hand into James' and looked back at Elias' waiting hand. Peter looked at that hand and, in that moment, he feared more than just death. Elias' fingers laced Peter's, fitting roughly as if Elias never held hands with anyone in life, so Peter melted into his form. He squeezed on his own.

Elias and Delphine linked hands next. The two Oracles lowered their heads and Peter's mouth went completely dry. His heart thumped the walls of his ears. Light swelled inside the crystal ball and Peter's grip tightened. Even James and Delphine broke concentration, glancing at each other. This would be the first crystal ball that didn't immediately shatter in front of Peter. The Oracles narrowed their shoulders, squeezing their eyes tight. Shimmers of light flickered just beneath their skin. The glimmer reminded Peter of the moon reflecting against the water.

A pink smoke billowed from the middle of the crystal balls, filling them to the brim. The smoke swirled, changing colors from pink to a sunny gold, until the smoke washed away and inside Peter saw a field of flowers... a field of....

"Sunflowers?" Elias cocked his head.

It was as if a camera was panning over a field of gorgeous sunflowers. Peter's brow scrunched together as a wave of realization crashed into him. He looked at Elias, watching him grow more and more dumbfounded. Elias went from confused to furious in a flash. He narrowed a glare at Delphine. "Why sunflowers? What does it mean?"

"What do they mean to you?" Delphine tilted her head, picking Elias' expression apart and yet, Peter already knew the answer. Before Peter realized it, Elias did share something with him.

"Tell him..." Peter said, and James perked up.

"What?" James asked.

"Tell him he goes to a floral shop."

"You..." James raised a brow at Elias. "You go to a flower shop?"

"Yeah, The Greenhouse," Elias nodded, "so?"

Peter swallowed. "Tell him I own the Greenhouse. Tell him he goes every Friday at noon. Tell him I make the bouquet of sunflowers he buys. Tell him..." Peter took a deep breath, suddenly overwhelmed and ready to cry. "Tell him Sunflowers are my favorite flower."

No one said anything at first. The room just stared at Peter as if collectively holding their breath. Delphine's face broke into a smile as James cleared his throat. A blush crept to the surface of his freckled cheeks. He said, "Peter says..."

"Wait! Wait!" Peter shot out of his seat and ran half way out of the room. He turned, totally tense with his shoulders nearly up to his ears. He held his hands up almost in defeat. "This is gonna sound crazy to you two but-"

"What's happening?" Elias looked around the room.

Peter melted just a little, staring at Elias. "I like him there," he pointed. "Over there... I've gotten so used to just watching him that the thought..." Peter's voice caught. He could stay. He could get an answer to this burning question, but there was no guarantee he'd get the one he wanted. Peter shook his head. "The thought of that ending is devastating. I can't. It's too much. I can't be disappointed again, I'm sorry."

Before they could stop him, Peter barreled out of the room. He turned off his brain. He kept his head down and ran as if his life depended on it.

#

Elias watched the door open on its own.

He snapped his head around at the Oracles. His anger simmered under his skin. Amazingly, he wasn't steaming, but inside his bones burned like embers and crackled like firewood. The heat wafted up to his ears, but he clutched the top of his legs and held in his dire want to snap their desks in half.

Elias hated being left out of information more than anything. Elias didn't know how to act. He wanted to keep holding onto Peter's hand just so he at least knew where he was in the room. When Peter's hand slipped out from his fingers, Elias felt the loss all over his body like being stripped of clothes in the middle of winter. It had a certain bite that forced Elias to brace himself.

Not to sound like a broken record, but Elias asked once again, "what happened?"

"We need to hurry," James jumped up. He grabbed Elias' arm as he ran. James kicked the door from closing and shouted, "you go to the Greenhouse, right? Well, Peter owns it."

Elias straightened up, following James down the spiraled staircase to the bottom floor. Their footsteps thundered, bouncing off the cement walls.

"Peter makes every bouquet you buy, the ones you buy every Friday."

"How?" Elias blinked. "When-"

"He told me." James shook his head at the ceiling as they poured into the lobby of the building. He grabbed Elias, pulling him to his side. Elias had spent enough time with James to know he was suppressing his smile. James said, "you've been buying his favorite flower."

Elias suddenly remembered every time he visited that flower shop on the corner. He tortured himself. How many times was Peter there? Elias realized he must have ignored Peter, not just once, but twice, maybe a dozen times. God, Elias must have looked like an asshole.

"You must understand darling," Delphine called after them, slowed down by her heels. "Until today," she gasped, clinging to the railing for dear life. "Peter had given up on finding his soulmate. Every match we've made for him have been failures!"

"He's a one date wonder!" Leo yelled from behind.

"Thank you, Leo!" James glared at him. "Oh!" James' eyes popped open. He threw open the front door, stumbling onto the sidewalk. People gave them weird looks as they took up the street. James' straightened his arm at the crosswalk. "There! He's about to cross!"

Elias didn't need to be told twice. He dashed down the sidewalk, through the throngs of people. He stood on the edge, looking across the striped crosswalk. A line of cars hummed, edging the crosswalk. Their engines expelled breath as hot as a dragon's sigh.

"Peter! Peter, let me talk" Elias called out. He raised his hands and willed Peter to just take it. He wanted the curtesy of being heard out. More importantly, he wanted Peter to understand him. "Just let me talk just a second..." He looked around. "Please? I beg of you." In desperation, Elias lowered to his knees and held out his hands.

"Move out of the way, buddy," a man grunted, nearly tripping over Elias' legs. More people remarked their displeasure, but Elias swallowed his sinking feeling and looked forward. He had to believe this would work.

The crossing walk sign blinked and the red count down started. Elias' chest tightened. Just when he assumed hope was lost, he felt a pressure circling his arm. "Peter..." The pressure tightened and Elias took one breath. It was comforting just knowing where he was. Deep inside, Elias' wolf and all his instincts wanted to pull Peter in. He wanted to trap him inside his arms.

Elias tried to figure out where Peter's face could possibly be and spoke fast, "I didn't know you existed. I didn't know someone out there could like me for me and now I'm wondering if you thought the same thing. If you thought you didn't deserve love... I don't know, I'm rambling. I never ramble-" He huffed and looked down at his feet like he was a teenager again. God. He never had time to deal with being awkward.

"I'm not good like you," He explained, knowing Peter was at Eric and James' wedding, knowing that Peter must see him as once being a villain. He sighed. "I haven't... I haven't thought I was deserving and I can't promise it'll be perfect because I'm not but... but if it's you, the same person who makes all those beautiful flowers, I'd be crazy not to be here, begging you to let me try..."

Suddenly, Elias felt a finger press against his lip. Elias froze as if one wrong move could frighten Peter away. He closed his eyes, patiently. Peter's hand slid across Elias' jaw. Elias soaked in what little information he could about Peter's cold touch and his thin fingers. Peter's lips appeared last. The press of soft lips and Elias swore he thought he heard someone catching their breath.

Sparks pinched the front of Elias' face. The need to know, the curiosity devoured all the patience he learned and his eyes peeled open on their own. Peter burned into existence. Patches of light sewed themselves together over the silhouette of a man. The patches of sunlight dimmed to reveal smooth powdered skin, stained by a blush as red as roses. He was long and slender with perfectly styled brown hair. He looked like he stepped out of a royal portrait. A prince.

To say he was beautiful would be like calling Van Gogh's Starry Night painting pretty, like calling a sunset nice. Boring and unforgivably underwhelming and Peter was neither of those things. Every other person in the world must be an idiot for passing Peter up.

Slowly, Peter opened his eyes. Forest green eyes that slapped Elias across the face. Elias' heart swelled like a choir harmonizing alongside the thrill of piano keys and the thrum of string slicing the air like butter, An orchestrated attack at Elias' heart.

Peter smelled liked like spring, like honeysuckles hanging from the vine during a perfect summer. He smelled like fresh cut grass, fresh laundry out of the dryer that made Elias' hair straighten from his body.

It was like the universe pausing and saying, "that's him."

Thought escaped Elias faster than his words.

All he could say was "hi" as a smile pricked the sides of his mouth.

Peter opened his mouth, cut short by the blare of car horns. Peter jumped, nervously eyeing the cars and their drivers shouting at them. Elias couldn't muster the energy to care. Moving to get out of the way, Peter's hand slipped out of Elias' hold. Peter looked torn as he stumbled backwards, before turning and running down the sidewalk.

Resurrected like a statue, Elias couldn't move and while Peter ran away, Elias' eyes were pinned to him. He could feel his presence through the fog of the city. The cars finally gave up, revving their engines and swerving around Elias. The whiplash alone unbuttoned Elias' jacket. His clothes and hair wiped in the breeze. They slammed on their horns and from the corner of Elias' thought, he heard James and the others calling him back.

Elias closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and enjoy the lingering smell of honeysuckles of Peter of his mate. Who would have thought Elias Baines would have a mate?

#

Author's Note

Whoa! An Elias POV???

Okay. No one freak out, but after a thousand years, I have updated this novella. Like I've said before, I HATE not finishing things, so one day! This will be completed, I swear!

How did you like the addition? Were you as anxious as Peter? Haha. What's been your favorite moment so far? But comment on anything! I'd love to know what you think!

Remember to like the chapter as well! And if you'd like to support my writing, please consider leaving a tip! Any amount will do OR you can donate to my ko-fi!

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