"I never pegged you as a truck guy, especially after seeing you drive a little manual Ford car," I mused when I climbed into his Tacoma. The interior of the truck was basic and about as far from flashy as one could get. Typical Toyota, practicality and safety over all the bells and whistles.

"Welcome to Alberta," Easton replied, shifting the truck into reverse. "Everyone and their dog has a truck, even if it's more reasonable to have an SUV or a small car."

"So why do you have a truck then?"

"Because I needed something off road capable. Living out here, it's kind of a requirement if you want to enjoy the world around you. Plus, I have a couple pack members that live off the grid and I need to be able to check up on them every now and then. I would have gotten the SUV version, but it was ten grand more and Elliot keeps me on too tight of a leash for that to happen."

We moved through Easton's town at a crawl and I watched in admiration as he waved and smiled at each person we passed. He didn't seem like the only alpha I had ever known. He wasn't threatening those below him, wasn't strong arming people to his will. 

"So Elliot does the finances, but what do you do everyday? Like what does being an alpha actually entail?" I wondered. It was an honest enough question. But it felt like a test. If he wasn't torturing sirens what did he do all day long?

"Well, mostly, it's paper work. I'm responsible for documenting my pack's welfare and sending it off to the royals. Alphas are born into their position, but sometimes they aren't right for it. The royals need all the information they can get to determine who needs more funding, who needs more education, or who just isn't fit to be an alpha at all. I make sure all the businesses are making money, preferably for the human tourist population. I make sure everyone has safe housing and access to food and water whenever needed."

"Wow, that sounds intense."

"It's not," he said as we merged onto the highway. "They are normal people. They tell me what they need and I provide it. They tell me what they want and Elliot and I go over a budget. They are the town and they run it themselves, I just help those who need a little push. Honestly, I had so much free time I started volunteering at the high school. I have a diploma in social work so I thought I should use it."

As he spoke, I watched his mouth move. I watched the way his eyes shone when he talked about his pack and the love he had for his volunteer work. It could have just been my rose coloured glasses, but this man seemed really wonderful.

"So when do I get to know what we are doing on this mystical dated?" I pressed.

"When we get there," he replied with a cheeky grin. 

We slowed on the highway and slipped onto a gravel road. A gravel road that didn't seem to have any houses around for miles. Thick foliage was covering the world in green, swallowing every sound a person could make. My hands curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms. My spine suddenly felt like it was made out of steel.

"Are you alright?" Easton asked. "Kaia, I'm taking you on a date, not murdering you. But, if you don't want to go, we can turn around right now. No hard feelings either way, okay?"

I almost told him to turn around right then. It was on the tip of my tongue. But something else came out of my mouth. "I'm just a little nervous, but I trust you."

I stayed quiet as we bumped along a road that hadn't been maintained in ages. We gradual drove up the incline, dodge ruts and holes as we went, though it was clear to me that Easton wasn't completely comfortable with driving off road all the time. His line choices weren't always great, but I kept my lips sealed, not wanting to offend him.

After a short while or repressing curses and wincing, we made it to wherever the hell we were supposed to be and it was getting dark fast.

"Stay here and shut your eyes," Easton instructed, hopping out of the truck once it was in park. 

I rolled my eyes before doing what he asked. He closed the driver side door and there was the sound of something heavy being retracted. Then the rear doors were open and there was the soft shuffle of fabric. The doors were closed and opened a couple more times. I heard Easton crinkle something plastic, but did exactly as he asked, keeping my eyes shut.

Then finally he said, "Alright, open your eyes and come with me."

I peered at Easton who was beaming at me with a hand extended in my direction. I popped off the seatbelt and placed my hand in his, allowing him to pull me out of the truck and onto rocky ground. He didn't waste a second, tugging me along to the rear end of the truck. It was dark, but I could tell we were in the middle of nowhere. More specifically, above the middle of nowhere on a tiny road that wound it's way up a mountainside.

A tiny camping lantern illuminated the truck box, showcasing the plume of blankets and pillows that filled the small space. the functional space had been effectively made into a traveling couch and it seemed that my entertainment tonight would be one handsome man and a million stars over head.

"Put your foot here," Easton instructed.

I did as he asked, putting my foot on the rigid plastic and metal. His hands found my hips and he boosted me up as I hoisted my body into the box. He followed while I kicked off my shoes and crawled over all the softness to find the perfect pillow and a fleecy blanket.

While I stared up at the sky in awe, trying to memorize how all of the stars looked with so little light pollution, Easton found a comfortable spot for himself. I was so mesmerized by the twinkling world above that I almost didn't notice him reaching into a thermal bag until a warm container was plopped in my lap. 

"Corn chowder with chicken," he said, passing me a spoon. "Nothing quite like a warm chowder on a cold night."

"This is incredible," I gasped.

"You haven't even tried it yet."

"Not the food, but I'm sure that it will be great too. I just can't believe that you thought of this. I mean, you said you haven't been on a date. And I think that this is shaping up to be one of the best dates I have been on."

"Really?"

"Easton, you cooked for me and put in more effort than just picking me up and taking me to a rom-com after feeding me a salad from a chain restaurant. This is incredible." I was thankful for the darkness when I felt my cheeks flush with colour. "I think I might be the luckiest girl because you chose to take me on a date like this."

Easton let out a breath that sounded like it was stuck between a sigh of relief and a laugh of delight. I could watch him turn to face me, but in the limited light, I couldn't quite make out his expression. 

"I would do anything for you, Kaia." the words were full of passion and promise.

In fact, it was such an intense admission that I almost choked on my chowder. We had almost just met and most of our interactions had been rocky at best. I had pointed a bloody gun at him and willed myself to pull the trigger. How could he feel intensely about me already?

But hadn't I tossed all my trust on him? I had run to him with tears pouring down my face, flaunting all my scars. I had let him drive me around a foreign city and spent a fair amount of time with him in a public park I hardly knew. And now, here I was eating food he had prepared - which was heavenly- in the middle of nowhere with only my wits to keep me safe.

"You have no idea how excited and surprised I was when you actually showed up. I honestly thought that I was making all this food for nothing because you have always run away," Easton continued, bringing me back to him. 

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I haven't had it easy," I mumbled. "But, I did go to you, of my own free will."

There was a weight pause. I took it as an opportunity to scoop another spoonful into my mouth and repressed the urge to moan out loud at the creamy texture and smooth flavor. Easton's lips were now pressed in a hard line and I thought I saw his eyebrows lower. His serious features left no room for compliments about his food right now.

"I want you to know that you are always welcome to come and kick down my door in the middle of the night. So far, my most prominent memories of you are you sending me away from the river, you pointing a gun at me and my beta, and you showing up in the middle of the night looking like you just fought off a hundred raccoons."

Even delicious soup couldn't cover the shame and guilt I felt over that. I stared down at my container, wishing it would tell me what to say or do in that moment.

"I will always, always open the door for you, Kaia. And I don't need to know what happened to you that made you so afraid of me as long as my pack is safe. But I'd really like to start replacing those memories with nice ones. I'd rather watch a thousand musicals on repeat than have to feel what I felt when you fainted in Glasgow."

Somehow, my wonderful chowder was forgotten as I popped the lid back on. When had someone given me time to open up to them? The last person had been Eddy and because of that we had a beautiful relationship, but he hadn't known about my powers and my trauma until it was too late. Hell, he still didn't know everything. But, like Eddy, Easton would wait. The consideration and thoughtfulness made something flutter in my stomach. 

Everyone tried to pry me open, like I was a stubborn clam clutching onto a pearl that was theirs by birth right. They didn't understand that, once people knew, they wouldn't meet my eyes, they wouldn't feel like they could joke or tease me. I would be damaged, too fragile for the world.

"Thank you for giving me time. And I promise that I won't barge into your house unless I absolutely need to. How about I plan a date? Are you free tomorrow?"

"I have a couple things, but I can move them around," he blurted.

"What about the day after? I'm not going anywhere. At least, not until you get sick of musicals."

"I'll listen to your musicals until my ears bleed if it means you're going to stay."

~~~Distraction Section~~~

Hello everyone! For my fellow Canadians I hope you had a lovely thanksgiving. How do we feel about Easton now? He kinda has my heart to be honest. I love softer men. I used to like rough and tough, but having a soft partner is so much better.

Question of the Day: What movie could you watch over and over again?

For anyone who knows me or read my other books, you know the answer is Beauty and the Beast.