Alpha’s Hybrid Cinderella
Chapter 37

Evan had to go away on business again. There was so little time for us to spend together between his Alpha duties and my classes, especially with the time for finals creeping ever closer.

There was also the added stress of Rafael taking me to see her gynecologist so I could start birth control, another thing she held against Evan for his carelessness in not handling himself, since he was legally my guardian and I would have no reasonable way of knowing how to handle myself. Maybe the compounded stress was the reason for the strange nightmare that plagued me two nights in a row. His absence made me so uneasy in the wake of the new turns in our relationship.

I couldn't remember the entire dream, but what little I did recall was dark and terrifying enough to bathe me in sweat when I awoke. Something about Evan, and blood, and screams.

It was on the third day when I dozed over my homework at my desk that I remembered it all at once: the nightmare took shape in my memories, crystallizing with horrifying clarity. Evan's body arcing through the air, riddled with bullets. Gunshots. Gunshots, gunshots, more and more, cracking in the silence. His body jerking with each one that struck him, until they drove him to the ground.

Blood, everywhere.

And the screaming - was from me.

I awoke with a start, and this time for good. I shivered as I stared at my darkened laptop screen, taking in my wide, terrified eyes that stared back.

Evan... I needed to see him. He had been away too long, and my fears walked all over me with nothing to restrain them. I wrapped my arms around myself and counted down the minutes until his return.

***

"Evan!"

"Claudia."

He took me into his arms, catching me when I all but ran into his embrace. I'd flown down the steps so fast I practically tripped onto him, but he caught me with effortless strength as if I were no heavier than a leaf. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight, not caring who saw us. But it was nearly two in the morning; no one was up save me. I'd been waiting for him to come back, eyes wide open as I lay in bed.

And now he was here.

"I missed you," I murmured into his jacket, damp with rain. "You're late."

"The train stopped halfway because of some rogue cows on the tracks. Apparently they got out of someone's barn and the farmer didn't hear it because of the storm."

I laughed. "That's what you get for going all the way to the countryside!"

"Next time, I'll make you come with me. We'll get to watch the cows lowing at the train for an hour straight because the conductor can't get anyone to move them off. It'll be romantic."

I laughed again, and he picked me up with a playful growl.

"There are consequences for laughing at me, Claudia. See what happens?"

"Wait! Evan!" I batted at his shoulder as he took me up the stairs. "You said there was something you wanted to tell me when you got home. What is it?"

He smiled and refused to tell me, but when we reached my bedroom door, he could no longer hide it.

"I want to take you out tomorrow," he said. "You don't have classes on the weekend. We'll sleep in, but after you wake up, I get to have you all to myself."

"Take me out?"

"On a date."

"A date!"

"Why do you look so surprised?"

"Because you aren't the dating type."

"And what exactly does a dating type look like?" He leaned in, pressing me into the door. His hands came up to brace against the wood, and his closeness, his heat, the flashing emotion in his eyes made my heart drum so hard he had to be able to hear it. "I can be anything for you, Claudia. Even suave and romantic. Tomorrow, I'll take you to dinner and a movie, and we'll talk about things that people on dates talk about. We'll do it right."

I smiled, suppressing the nervous energy threatening to burst out of my skin. "And what is that that people on dates talk about?"

"Claudia, are you teasing me?"

"Me! Never." I threw my arms over his shoulders and pulled him down for a kiss.

***

We went all the way to the far end of the Scarlet territory the next day. I had never been here before, and judging from Evan's careful scrutiny of the surroundings, it must have been quite a while since he was last here, too. He must have made the reservation over phone.

Not that it compromised the quality of the service we received. When Evan and I pulled up outside the fancy glass doors, two men were already waiting for us in their pristine white and red uniforms, the restaurant's valet service. The one on the left took the car while the other ushered us in, and the host received us from there where he stood with a team of waiters at the ready.

I gawked even though I tried hard not to betray I had never been in a place like this. At least no one commented on how obvious it was that I had no experience with fancy dining, least of all Evan. He only smiled at my marveling and guided me forward, tall and confident.

Did he not wonder what everyone thought about him coming to dine with a hybrid? Of course, the rumors had spread even here that I was his mate, but the staff was equally confused since rumor also said Evan had not yet given up conquering and inspecting other packs. Which was it? They hoped for an answer today... but Evan dashed their expectations, dismissing them from the private room they seated us in.

"Whatever you like," he said as he opened the menu and passed it across the table to me. "You can even get one of everything and take a single bite of it all. Maybe that's for the best. You wouldn't have had any of these before in Dark Moon, I think... with how they treated you."

"Only good thoughts today, Evan," I admonished him before the dark look in his eyes could become any angrier. Not to mention he had already inflicted his wrath upon Dark Moon... but today was not the day to dwell on that. It would come back to haunt me later, but I pushed the dire thoughts away and focused on the joy of being with Evan in the here and now. "You tell me what you're ordering first."

"Are you sure you won't just ask for the same thing I get?"

"Maybe. Are you going to stop me?"

"Claudia..."

I held up the menu to conceal my smile and peeked over the top with wide eyes. "Go on and order," I teased. "I'll sit over here quietly until we come to an agreement."

It was a good thing our server had recommendations for me when Evan signaled him to rejoin us with a button installed on the tabletop. Otherwise, I might have taken forever to find something I liked. In no time at all, we were treated to three courses, and it took everything I had to labor through even the tiny dessert they brought out for me with its beautiful decoration.

Honestly, even if I weren't already feeling guilty about ruining how beautiful it was, I didn't know if I could take more than a single bite of it anyway.

"Claudia, I have a question."

I eagerly jumped at the distraction. Anything to stall for time and hopefully find the willpower to take at least one more forkful of the immaculate 'Decadence D'or Cake' in front of me. "What's the question?"

Evan watched me with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. "Your birth certificate says you were born on January 1st, and that's what you put for all your paperwork for your university registration. But that's not true, is it?"

"Well... no, probably not. My mother gave birth to me in the pack house because Alpha Kris and his Luna refused to publicize that he had an illegitimate half-breed daughter. So no hospital. I think a lot later, though, someone took me to a hospital or somewhere to try to fudge the papers. They just used January 1st since that was the first option. But it's not a big deal, it's never bothered me. I don't know when I was born at all except for the year."

"I want it to be a big deal. Truth is, tomorrow is my birthday. That's the other reason why I wanted to bring you here, as a present to me."

I smiled. "Wasn't much of a present to you at all since I'm the one being pampered."

"I like that. I like giving you whatever you want and more. How about we go and get your paperwork adjusted, and we'll make your birthday the same as mine. I don't want you to carry anything from Dark Moon into your new life... with me."

My face heated up like fire under my skin, and I hid the spring of tears in my eyes with my hands. In a flash, Evan darted out of his seat and came to crouch on the ground by my chair. He grabbed my forearms and forced me to look down at him, and kissed my wrists gently.

"Don't cry," he said quietly. "This is just the beginning. I don't want you to cry. I want you to be happy, Claudia."

I threw my arms around him and let him kiss the sadness out of me.