Takes place in the time between chapters 81 and 82 of Seeking
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Sorry folks about the posting and deleting earlier! For some reason when I posted the chapter, it combined both chapters together, so I had to re-separate them and repost them. Thanks for your patience and reading anyways!
Chapter 10
Aidan's POV
After his conversation with the jackal-child he is aware that his potential bondmate is dating no one and has not at this time selected a partner for during her heats. As such, he decides that he will approach her on Valentines when she is done with class for the day and sets about preparing for it including asking the jackal-child to make sure she is home much to the older man's amusement. After that he makes a reservation with a restaurant that he has been informed she enjoys eating at before heading over to the flower shop.
When he first enters the building there are several others shopping so he finds himself a quiet corner to wait in while he waits. Most of those within the shop are human, however the mouse has another one with her, a younger one, with a similar kin-scent that he suspects is her daughter. Once the humans are gone he drifts over, bowing politely to her before inclining her head to the daughter as well.
"Why hello Aidan, I had not expected you so soon!" she remarks in greeting, her smile genuine as she does a partial bow back that he waves away, it's a well known fact that mice are not formal, no reason for her to do something she would not normally do.
"Good afternoon, Mistress Nana, Miss," he returns her greetings politely, "I have decided to approach her on Valentine's Day and will need an arrangement for such an occasion."
"Please, just Nana, this is my daughter Nora, she is starting her apprenticeship with me." the older shifter responds.
"Hi," she murmurs hesitantly, standing a bit behind her mother and away from him.
He smiles politely at her, with a partial bow, superior to student.
Grinning, she heads towards the back of the shop, asking as she goes, "So I take it you have an idea as to what you desire?"
Nodding, he follows, but leaves a little bit of space between himself and the younger shifter, there is no reason to get too close and scare her worse. Bad enough the normally nice smelling shop has an after-scent of her fear right now.
"Aidan here is quite brilliant at creating combinations and understands all of the meanings behind the flowers and colors alike, it makes working with him a really easy thing," Nana remarks to the younger shifter before turning her attention to him, "So tell me about what you are thinking."
"A vase of light pink and purple, preferably blended together, maybe a little red, but not much. For the plants, preferably white edged ivy, fern, calla lilies of light pink, light pink roses, and rue." He responds as he recalls the exact meaning he wishes to convey. Thankfully she likes flowers and is not allergic to any of them according to the jackal-child.
The older mouse's smile grows as she considers the meaning, "Nora, go check the vase collection in the basement for the desired color combination. I am certain we have something to match."
"Yes mum," the younger mouse responds before fleeing out of the room.
"Don't mind her, she is young, you startled me right off too," she remarks as she sets to selecting the flowers for the arrangement, "So, have you asked formal permission to court her? I know you were considering that, when we last spoke."
Now that the younger mouse is in the other part of the building, he relaxes slightly since the air clears quickly. "I did indeed, happily her sire has no issues with me courting her if she so desires. He has also agreed to make sure that she is home on Valentines so that I may actually ask her out."
Giving him a curious look, she tilts her head to the side, "Different schools?"
He nods, "I am going to Queen Mary's for a degree in psychology. She is working on her A-levels."
"Are you planning to become a mindhealer?" she inquires as she starts making the arrangement now that she has all the flowers selected.
He shakes his head, "I am not sure, I have considered mindhealing, I have a gift of both telepathy and empathy, however our den does not need another mind healer so I am undecided." He chuckles softly, "As an elite I have a long life span, that means I have plenty of time to decide what I wish to do, I already understand the stock market and use it as a way to pay for my education and apartment."
She nods, "You must be good with numbers for that to work for you."
Again he shrugs, "With a perfect memory, numbers are easy," he murmurs.
He falls silent as the younger mouse comes back upstairs and into the room, in her grasp is a small box with four different vases of light purple and pink. She carefully sets out the vases for him to look at and he selects the third one which looks like porcelain that has been painted with a swirling pattern of light pink darkening into light purple though it is not possible to tell where one color begins and the next ends. After he has selected the vase, she settles the arrangement in it, altering it just a bit to fit.
"Excellent," he murmurs happily when he sees the end results with the ivy sporadically hanging over the sides, the fern circling a pacific pink to red calla lily, and light pink calla lilies and light pink roses mixed together around the center flower. "As always you have done a splendid job. Now then, I also would appreciate two slender white vases, the first with a variety of alstroemeria and the second with marjoram flowers, preferably of pink and light green. Then let me get this paid for."
Nana, motions to Nora, having the younger mouse ring him up while she makes the second two vases for him before he bows politely and bids them farewell. It is actually the thirteenth so he is heading home.
At his home he takes the time to design and print a card for Valentine's and selects an outfit to wear. When he is done getting ready for the next day's plans, he gets to work on his new assignment. They might not be due for a few weeks but he prefers to be a head in his assignments rather than behind or just up to date.
oOo
Charlotte's POV
On her birthday she had received a beautiful thing of white and red flowers with a lovely vase multi-tone red and purple glass vase. According to her aunts they were a birthday and courting gift from her potential bondmate. So on the full moon meeting when the younger cobra asks her Daddy for a word her attention is drawn to them but she loses sight of them when they go into the indoor garden. Part of her wants to follow but she knows that is rude, so instead she heads to the library where she chooses a book at random and settles in to read. After they are done talking, her Daddy collects her and her sisters before they go home. For three days following she is curious about what they had discussed but she doesn't ask because she doesn't want to be rude. However when her Daddy suggests with a smile that she comes straight home after school on Valentine's Day she grins at him and nods. Later that night he tells her a little bit about his conversation with Aidan and she goes to bed all excited.
Over the two weeks between when her Daddy mentions the subject to her and Valentine's Day she spends in a perpetually good mood. Since she is expecting him, she makes sure to take the time to sketch him a card, looking up the meanings of flowers and carefully including a little drawn arrangement of silvery white camellia surrounded by holly leaves.
That morning, she is just bouncing because she is excited, very excited. She had not expected that anything would happen between them. Truthfully she hadn't even thought that they would be friends at this point because she was not sure how to approach him, and he seemed to avoid to speaking to most the people in the pack. Actually, the only ones that she knew he spoke with regularly are Jace and Konrad. Still, she was ever so happy. Apparently her excitement was easily noticed because Karen, Ally, and Alethea all comment on it.
"What has you so hyper and happy about?" Alethea asks while they are walking from lunch to science.
Smiling and blushing, she ducks her head, "Daddy suggested I come straight home tonight, during the last full moon he asked Daddy if he could court me."
The gifted girl tilts her head to the side, a thoughtful look on her face, "He? You mean your bondmate? That's remarkable, I thought that bondmates where a bit of a myth."
She nods at her friend, "Our alpha had a bondmate, though he died, there are several bonded couples within the pack." Grinning, she tilts her head a bit, "I'm excited, a bondmate is considered special since there is only ever one male and one female bondmate per person."
"Do you like him? Your bondmate." The slightly younger girl inquires.
Blushing, she nods again, "He's adorable, really smart, already in university."
"Really? How old is he?" her friend asks as the two of them enter the classroom.
"He turned eighteen in December, so he is a year and couple of months older than me. He's originally from America and graduated from high school before he moved here." She can feel her blush getting hotter as she mutters, "I think his voice is adorable with the accent and all."
"Well if he does anything to hurt you, I'll jinx him." the gifted girl remarks as they take their seats across from each other.
The rest of the day goes smoothly and her excitement turns to nervousness because what if she messes this up? Shaking her head, she heads directly to the shower when she gets home. Carefully washing herself with a light apple scented body wash, she tries to make sure that she does not over do it. Once she feels clean and can no longer smell her fellow students, she gets out of the shower and returns to her room where she carefully looks through her clothing choices before settling on a nice long black skirt, purple long sleeve shirt, and a pair of pretty black dress boots. It's nice but not formal. To complete the look she puts just a little bit of eye shadow on, along with a pewter necklace with a small tear drop garnet pendant and matched earrings.
Quite happily she takes her school stuff to the dining room table where she sits and does her homework while she waits, this way she will not have to worry about it whenever he shows up. While she works on it, she visits with her Dad who had come home from work early. She is just finishing up as she hears the smooth purr of his car's engine in the driveway and puts her things away.
oOo
Aidan's POV
Since he had prepared the night before, his day goes quickly, and he finishes his classes without any sort of attention being paid to any of them. Nice thing about his memory is the fact he really does not have to pay attention in order to retain the information and review it later. When he is done with class, he returns to his apartment to get cleaned up and change into the outfit he had picked up for the night.
He had told Greg that he would be by at four-thirty pm to see if she would like to spend the evening with him. The jackal-child had just smiled at him, and invited him to call him by his first name, something he had been mildly surprised by and thanked him for the right. So twenty minutes before he was due at their house, he is climbing into the car with the flowers for all three sisters and heading in that direction. Since he had told Eric his plan, he is moderately certain that is why he has not hit a single red-light which means he actually gets there five minutes early. That's alright, early is better than late.
After pulling into the driveway, he carefully grabs the vases and flowers from the floor of the front seat before striding up to the door to knock on it. A moment later it is being pulled open by the middle sister, her light colored eyes giving him a curious look.
~Good evening, Madeline,~ he greets her, his left hand fingers flickering.
"Hello Aidan, I don't know sign language so feel free to use basic telepathy." the younger girl tells him as she steps back, "Come on in, Dad is in the kitchen making dinner, Chare is upstairs putting her stuff away."
My thank, Madeline, how are you this evening? He queries politely as he offers her the vase with the alstroemeria.
She accepts them with a shy smile, ducking her head as she sniffs them. "They are beautiful, thank you," she murmurs before looking back up at him, "I'm good."
He inclines his head, stepping in to the house and carefully using the heel of his black boot to close the door behind him. Almost as soon as he does so, the other sister comes barreling out of the living room to greet him.
"Hi Aidan!" she exclaims happily as she prances close to him, "Is that for Chare?" she demands as she motions excitedly to the flowers in his hand.
Smiling, he carefully shifts his grip on the vases, handing her the second one with the marjoram flowers in it. ~Happy Valentine's Day, Sofia.~
~Thanks!~ she slowly but excitedly spells out. She had been taking lessons on how to use sign language from of Jace.
~You are improving, great job.~ he remarks, taking his time so that she can understand.
She grins at him, before bolting to the kitchen yelling, "Daddy! Aidan brought me flowers! He brought Chare and Madeline flowers too!"
He chuckles, giving a small shake of his head, he is considering heading to the kitchen to greet the jackal-child when he spots Charlotte coming down the steps. His tongue flickers out as he tastes the air, she's in a good mood, though a bit nervous. Beautiful, he thinks as he watches her come down the steps, I am happy I picked the exact message that I did when selecting the flowers.
"Hi Aidan," she murmurs shyly, in her hand is a small envelope that she holds out to him.
Bowing low, male to female, courter to courted, he carefully balances the remaining vase as he offers it to her. She accepts the vase and its flowers, her eyes going wide as he takes the card with his left hand and glances at it before flicking it open.
The front of it is swirls of ambers and gold, pinks, and purples together with small red irises in small spiral across the middle. Inside the card says –Happy Valentine's Day Aidan, Affectionately Chare– with a small bouquet of white camellias and holly.
A small part of him wonders if she realizes the exact meaning of flowers, but a small smile curves his lips. If she does then she has just accepted his offer of courtship. Otherwise, well he will still ask her, just to be on the safe side and so not to assume something.
"Good afternoon, Charlotte," he murmurs softly. Thankfully within the house the amount of scents is far less and easier for him to deal with. "I thank you for the card." He gives a slight bow, one of thanks, "It would be my pleasure and honor if you would accompany me to dinner?"
She smiles, nodding at him, "Just let me go put these up," she answers before just about skipping up the stairs but not before stopping to show her father the flowers as he comes out of the kitchen.
"Hullo Aidan, I see you are spoiling my girls." The jackal-child greets him with a smile.
He chuckles, smiling, "Not so much spoiling as appreciating."
"Well you two have a good night. It is a school night so try not to be too late, yeah?" He remarks before heading back into the kitchen.
A few minutes later the oldest of the girls has returned, still smiling radiantly and looking beautiful.
After stopping in the kitchen to bid her father goodbye she joins him in the front hall. "Ready," she tells him, still blushing, looking down for a moment before looking back up at him smiling.
He politely inclines his head before opening the door for her and holding it. Manners dictate that he also sticks half a step behind to make sure that she does not trip, and he does so, though his stride is so much longer than hers so it puts them about equal. A small part of him wonders if she is bothered by the fact he dwarfs her in height but it is not something he is planning on asking. At the car he opens the .door and holds it while she gets in before closing it behind her and going around to the driver side.
Once inside the car, he breathes in through his mouth, catching her scent with the tip of his tongue once more and quickly analyzing it. She is happy, mildly nervous, and excited. The drive there is mostly silent, with only the radio playing.
Before they get out of the car he inquires, "While in public, telepathy or sign language?"
She turns to look at him for a moment, confusion clear on her face before she seems to realize why he is inquiring, "Telepathy," she replies voice soft, "I like the idea for one thing, and do not know sign language for another. Though I hope to learn it someday."
He nods, "If you ever desire I can teach you the traditional way or by embedding the knowledge in your memories."
She smiles at him, "I'll learn it the traditional way, but let's not start tonight."
Inclining his head politely, he gets out of the car to get her door. At the restaurant, he escorts her inside, and the two of them are showed to their seats. Her eyes are wide but she appears happy.
Since I am using telepathy would you mind ordering? He blushes as he admits, I forgot to check and make sure that there was at least one person who uses sign language.
She nods once, "I can, do you know what you would like?"
He glances over his menu, making a selection and telling her.
She in turn tells the hostess their order before she withdraws.
For a bit the two of them spend time just talking, sharing interests and goals, though she does more of the speaking then him. At this point he is using it as a way to collect information and everything he asks is designed for him to learn more about her. There is brief pause when their food is brought out before they return to speaking while they eat. Since they are using telepathy, they do not actually have to pause in between bites, instead they are able to allow the flow to just go naturally.
When they are done with dinner he inquires if she would like desert, and she shakes her head no, pleading a full stomach.
Nodding, he pays the bill before escorting her out.
Is there something in particular that you would like to do since it is still fairly early? He inquires as they are walking out.
"Could we go to the park and walk for a bit? Or somewhere else you would feel comfortable speaking aloud? I like hearing your voice." She blushes as she admits the end of that.
He inclines his head, considering it for a moment before he reaches with his mind for Nana, Mistress, would you mind if my bonded and I wander your green houses?
It takes her a moment before she replies, Of course, feel free Aidan, and please call me Nana. Have a good time.
My thanks, Nana, he replies politely while holding the door for her to get in.
Once she is in, he gets into the car as well, and takes off, heading towards the farmland on the outskirts of the city. When they get there, he alerts the mice on the grounds of their arrival. At the green house complex he again opens the door for her.
After they enter the green houses, he murmurs, "A combination of the two, I think, a green house where I am comfortable which is similar to a park. I have a few bottles of water in the car if you are thirsty."
"Thank you, but I am good right now, so I babbled all about me while we were eating, your turn to babble." She tells him happily, they are walking close together without actually touching.
"There is not much to babble about. I can speak English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Hebrew, and Greek., along with Latin and sign language. Like most cobras I am formal, though mine is more out of the fact I have the mnemonic gift and thus know the traditions without having to think about it. As a serpent, I am lucky in that dancing comes easily to me, though I am not very artistic." He pauses, shrugging, he is not sure what else to say.
"What about pass times? What do you like to do for fun?" she inquires as they keep walking.
Tilting his head to the side, he considers it for a few moments before answering. "I read and listen to music, enjoy my time on a computer." Despite the fact he really does not wish to speak of himself, he almost feels compelled to answer.
Luckily the conversation goes smoothly, with the two of them taking turns asking questions and answering. Thankfully, he is able to turn the conversation back to her for the most part. However as it gets a bit later, he decides to inquire as to what she desires to do and whether she is welcome to being courted. She agrees to the courtship with a huge smile and tells him she wishes to see where everything goes. When they get back to her house but before she gets out of the car she looks at him blushing, which has him raising a questioning eyebrow.
"I, ummm," she begins, shaking her head slightly she finishes the question, "I'm going to be going into heat in a few weeks. How would you like to handle that? I," she stutters again, her skin darkening with a blush, "I'm not sure what is expected here."
He smiles, trying for gentle though it is not something he is all that certain he can pull off before replying, "As a shifter I understand about heats, I probably understand better than you because I grew up in a completely shifter household with two older sisters and many cousins. Since my intentions are a three year courtship at least, that means you will have at least twelve heats, so it would be a good idea if you were to find a shifter partner for that time frame."
Staring at him she questions, "You wouldn't be jealous?" her voice is full of confusion and shock.
A soft chuckle escapes him, "Oh I'd be jealous, and would probably arrive shortly after you finish your heat in order to reassure the bond. I feel your heats too, though not in the same way as you." Honesty is the best option for this situation otherwise things are screwed from the beginning.
According to her scent this is reassuring to her and she smiles a bit more before nodding.
After that the two of them get out of the car, with him opening the door for her. Politely he walks her up to the house and she stops as she steps on the second step, turning to face him, which puts them a bit closer to the same height though he is still a few inches taller the height difference is not as noticeable.
For a moment she just stares and he almost wonders if he has done something wrong or has something on his face when she ducks her head for a moment before straightening up and beaming at him shyly. "Thank you for a wonderful Valentine's," she carefully places a hand on his shoulder before standing on her toes to brush her lips against his cheek, "Goodnight Aidan, sleep well."
Before he has a chance to say or do anything, she gives him one more smile before heading inside. Internally sighing, he returns to his car and sits there for a moment while his mind catches up with the events of the night. Once he is calm, he heads home and takes a nice hot shower where he considers everything that had happened. Over all it had been a great night, definitely not what he expected. Of course, now they will have to plan for further in the future but that can be dealt with tomorrow. For now, he is going to get some sleep and does so shifting into his cobra form and burrowing into his bedding.
Charlotte's gift from Aidan: Vase: romantic and sentimental desires. Plants: You fascinate me, I offer friendship, fidelity, affection, passion, and truthful clear sight. You are beautiful, innocent, graceful, and bring me joy.
Madeline's gift from Aidan: Vase: purity. Plants: I wish you wealth, prosperity, and fortune. With a variety of sub-meanings based on the various colors including: strength, love, determination, playfulness, innocence, caring, intellect, hope, happiness, friendship, and energy.
Sofia's gift from Aidan: Vase: purity. Plants: I wish you joy and happiness. With a variety of sub-meanings based on the various colors including: calmness, soothing, refreshing, well-being, safety, honesty, love, happiness, innocence, softness, youthful, tenderness, sensitive, caring, sympathetic, and playfulness.
His choices for Charlotte are much more exact then his choices for Madeline and Sofia.
Aidan's cards flowers from Charlotte: You mean so much to me. I find you adorable, with hope for happiness.