Page 39 of His Rejected Fated Mate

I was nervous for the entire drive. My lower leg bounced, and I tried to push it down so he wouldn’t know. I was the one who suggested we have sex, so I needed to appear like I was confident.

I swallowed as I looked over at Troy. I could smell his after shave and took in how neat he’d dressed. His shirt was pressed, and his hair was combed back. He didn’t look nervous at all.

We arrived at the restaurant and headed inside. We were seated in the back, by the piano, which was playing music. The lights were dimmed, and I could smell the food.

“It’s nice here,” I whispered as we sat down. I took in the space and all the plants that surround the walls. It gave you a jungle vibe.

“I thought you’d like it. It’s popular but private as well. I’ve heard nothing but good reviews from everyone. I also know the cook pretty well.”

I nodded as the waitress placed the menus on the table. “I’ll bring you two some water and give you a minute to look over the menus.

I looked around again, taking in couples deep in conversation. There was a large group across the restaurant that was celebrating a birthday. But the music was all I could hear. The ceilings were high, which I’m sure helped with the acoustics in here.

I looked back at Troy, who was adjusting himself in his chair. He tugged at his shirt collar. “Are you nervous?”

He nodded. “A little. It’s been a while since I’ve been out on a date.”

I smirked. “Same.”

He offered me a smile. “So, how do you want to do this?”

“Do what? Dinner? I don’t understand the question.”

He chuckled. “Do you want to act like this is a first date? Or do we want to act like exes that spent years apart and still don’t get along? Or do you want to role-play? I can have amnesia if it helps.”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cringe. Troy offered me a smile. “I was kidding.”

I nervously laughed, and he frowned. “Bad joke. My bad.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just… well… it’s true. We are exes that have spent years apart.”

I looked at the menu, not sure where to look.

“Elize, I know that we have a past, and we can’t just swipe it away. But I want us to get along. We’re going to be spending time together, and I don’t want us to be uncomfortable.”

I looked back at him, and I could see he was being sincere. I nodded. “I’d like that. So, did you say your name was Troy?”

I watched him smile.

We both ended up ordering lasagna. Troy told me about how he took over being Alpha and was trying hard to be there for his members. He explained that the pack had been lacking a caring leader, and he had a lot of work ahead of him.

I told Troy about my move to the convent. I talked about Charlie and Victoria and how much they were there for me. I told him about the other members and the children. I explained howclose-knit everyone was and that we all helped each other. It’s how the convent stayed going as long as it had.

“Victoria seems nice.”

“She’s amazing,” I said as I took another bite. “She’s taught me everything I know. Honestly, I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t met her. She was a big influence in my life.”

“She seems sweet, and Charlie seemed like a nice gentleman.”

I smiled. “Charlie is. He’s helped me in so many ways. He actually fixed up the space upstairs and turned it into an apartment for me.”

Troy’s eyebrows went up. “Really?”

I nodded. “Yeah. It used to be a storage room until I arrived.” I took a sip of my drink. “So, tell me more about this Alpha role you took over.”

He shrugged. “I started shadowing the previous Alpha before he passed. Took over a year to get the pack to this condition.”

“I’ve never been here before, but I would say you did a good job.”