When they touch me (Shelagh Milano)

Artemisia

"How is it?" Matthew asks me with big eyes.

Gulping down the bite I just took off my sweet crepes, I smile happily. "It tastes delicious. But I never eat with so many eyes on me."

"Glad you like it. And yeah, sorry about that. But they will stop staring as soon as they have gotten used to you." He wipes his mouth with his napkin, throwing it back onto the table.

He had driven me into the heart of the pack, and I guess you could call it the town center. There are small cute shops for everything that one needs or a heart could desire. They are distributed along beautiful cobblestone paths that are adorned with colorful flowers. What I love the most is that all of those colorful paths lead to the town square with a big fountain. The fountain is decorated with several statues of wolves and warriors, and on top of it, there are three pups, carved out of marble, that are playing with each other. It was a strange feeling to walk along the narrow streets with Matthew holding my hand.

Even if it felt amazing as well.

A few people stopped to talk to him, while others even came out of their shops for it.

I felt happy and must have blushed, embarrassing myself, as he was introducing me as his mate.

As a total stranger, I had expected a few angry looks, but I only got so much kindness and love from everyone that I wanted to cry.

'Don't let them fool you. They are still monsters.' Cassy snarls, making me clasp my shirt on my stomach.

"Did you say something?" Matthew asks me, and I shake my head, taking a sip of my cup.

He lifts his eyebrow at me, but I act like nothing happened, and he seems to take the bait.

After finishing our breakfast, we drive back to the estate.

On the way, he explains how the pack lands are divided into, and shows me the different directions where people are living.

As if I could remember any of it, but it's cute.

I listen to him intently as he goes on reciting historical facts as he parks the car.

Walking around the pack house, and further down the lands and gardens behind it, he shows me the training grounds as well as the different pens and turfs where the horses are trained.

"Horses?" I say with sparkling eyes as we stand at the railing of the turf and Matthew is telling me everything about groundwork.

"Yeah," he laughs, pointing to a few stables that stand out just before the line of trees to a gigantic forest. "There are the stables. Fynn is the one training them most of the time." "Awesome!" I say as we stomp back through the tall grass.

Giggling to myself, I bump into him

slightly, thinking about how his brother would have already pushed me to lie into the grass while he is being the perfect gentleman. "Thank you for showing me everything, Matthew. I really like it here

"Ah, that makes me happy." He walks a few steps in front of me, but I can clearly hear the smile in his voice. "It wasn't planned that we would throw you off your guard like

this, so... I'm glad that you don't hate

us for kidnapping you."

I laugh as I catch up with him, wrapping my arms around his. "Must be the bond, but I don't hate you at all."

***

As we spent a lot of time out, we get to eat a late lunch all by ourselves.

And if he wasn't such a nice and shy type of guy would think that he made it on purpose to have me a bit to himself. It must be kind of hard to get the things he desires with kis character against those of his brothers.

Making a little mental note that I have to take that into account, I shock myself with my thoughts.

What is wrong with me?

'It's that you are desperate. So, you are throwing yourself at anyone as long as they give you some attention.'