Chapter 3

"Why is it you think I'm perfect?" Harry's blue eyes seemed amused. 

I shrugged. "Because you are?"

He shook his head in contradiction. "I once woke up naked in Bangkok after my third cousin's birthday party."

I laughed aloud bringing attention to myself from the other restaurant patrons. "That's not too bad. I assume we all have nights we wish to forget." The previous night flashed past my mind. I wish I could forget. 

He scratched his stubble. "I just wish I could remember it."

"But still," I continued. "So what you partied too hard one night in Bangkok…"

He shook his head taking a sip of beer. "The party was in Sydney."

I knew I looked shocked. "How did you get to Bangkok?" 

"Again… I wish I could remember. It was a very expensive mistake."

"Did you learn your lesson?"

"Australians and Absinth create an international disaster…" he smirked. 

"Australians?"

"My distant cousin is the Australian beta, he sits behind his great uncle who is the alpha."

"Are all leaders related and…."

"Inbred?" He laughed. 

"I wasn't going to say it that way."

"We are distantly related. I believe the beta went to university with your brother."

"More's the pity for him," I said thinking of how bad Caleb was back in the day. I was quite younger and was hidden from most of the shenanigans. 

"You'll meet everyone at the engagement gala," he explained. "I'll fill you in." He winked cheekishly. 

My stomach squirmed. Of course, there would be an engagement gala for him and his chosen bride. It made me uncomfortable and so I did what I always did in these situations. I made a joke.

"Let's make sure to have a drink minimum at the gala, perhaps hand out family trees so that no one makes irreversible decisions."

He laughed, genuinely, at my way of deflecting from the conversation of a gala where I would try and match the wall as much as possible. 

"Speaking of events," I kept going, "I enjoyed your speech tonight."

He tried to read my face to see if I was lying. He could see I was telling the truth. 

"Your sister left quite early," he cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow. 

"She needs time," I explained. "None of this is easy on her. Trust me it's not personal. She will come around."

He shrugged his shoulders as he finished his second beer. "I have your support though, right?"

"I'm a sucker for duty," I smiled miserably. He was politicking I could tell. Shaking hands and kissing babies; a year ago I may have fallen for it, but I liked to think I was keener and less naive. 

"We have that in common," he cheeked. "Duty." He waved to the waiter for another beer as we settled into comfortable silence. 

"Can I ask you a question, alpha?"

"No," he snapped. "But you can ask Harry a question," he broke out into a grin. 

"Alpha," I continued. "What are your plans?"

He eyed me for what seemed like eternity. The waiter brought him another beer and still he remained silent. 

"Is that really what you want to know?" He asked calmly. 

No. I thought. "Yes," I lied. 

He sighed. "Is that why you are at dinner with me now?" I went to speak but he put his hand up. "Honestly, Tally."

I caught my lip before I spoke. "I'm a sucker for duty. My mom wanted me to come out tonight. So I did."

He studied me. "If I had asked you to dinner without her pressure?"

I shrugged. "I don't know." I was being honest so he accepted it. 

Dinner went on as we talked about our lives and the crazy things we had experienced. 

"So she hits this fire hydrant and water is going everywhere," I remembered. "Then she backs up, leaving the front bumper still stuck to the hydrant, and drives off. I'm freaking out because I'm a goodie goodie or whatever. She shrugs and says 'that's what insurance is for'. I stay quiet and she can tell I'm shaken by the situation. She scoffs and says 'god it's like you've never hit something with a car before'."

"Implying she has hit things before?" He laughed and his blue eyes twinkled. 

"Apparently this wasn't even her first fire hydrant…" I snorted as I looked down at my food. 

"College always introduces us to interesting people," he said. 

"You have no idea."

He rolled his eyes. "I met your brother at uni."

"You win."

We both laughed knowing how Caleb is. 

"He's a good guy though," Harry continued. 

I nodded. "He's the best, really. I've always needed a buffer between Lilly and myself. She can be…" I trailed off knowing that he was a potential prospect for her and I shouldn't speak poorly. 

"Difficult," he helped me finish my sentence. "Every time I have had to deal with her, she has been difficult."

I didn't look up. I stared at my food. 

"Hey," He said to get my attention. I looked up to his sparkling eyes. "I'm sorry I shouldn't say things about your sister."

"Don't hold her past against her," I said. "She needs solidarity. She's better on solid ground." 

"Aren't we all?"

I nodded. "I've only ever been on shaking ground once or twice." I tried not to remember the previous night as I continued. "She's lived a life on shifting sand." 

"I understand that," he said. "I've taken a lot into consideration trust me." 

"I don't doubt that," I admitted. "I've heard you are a perfectionist."

"Don't hold that against me," he smiled. 

"Just don't expect perfection from this family," I said honestly. 

He nodded. "Don't expect perfection from me, either. I do that enough for everyone."

"Expect perfection from yourself?"

He nodded. "I fall short quite a bit."

"How So?" I was genuinely interested. 

He looked down to think and then back up. "I don't always say what I'm thinking, and I assume a lot. I think that what I'm thinking is what everyone should be thinking."

"That's a lot of thinking," I smiled. 

"You think?"

We both giggled and I realized he would be good for Lilly. He was calm and collected. He was thoughtful and contemplative. He was like Humphrey. No one extinguished Lilly more than Humphrey. A marriage with Harry would be balanced. 

We continued with our stories and as the night grew on. I forgot about his purpose and simply enjoyed myself. 

I almost forgot this wasn't a date. 

"this may sound crazy…" I began as we entered his condo door. "Or I may be a little crazy for bringing it up." 

He laughed as he sat his keys on the table near the door. "I had a great uncle who sang Abba songs after every kill, and he wasn't the strangest in the family. I'm good with crazy." 

"Which Abba song?" I had to know. 

"Dancing Queen," he responded idly checking his phone for messages. "He was always quite traditional."

I had to hide a laugh at his casualness in discussing his great uncle who killed his foes and then sang show tunes. I realized as he scrolled through his messages that we had not looked at our phones the entire evening. 

My eyes glanced to the far wall that was covered in books. The brute liked to read. I subconsciously began to peruse his collection. I laughed when I found a very familiar title. 

"What?" he asked flopping on his plaid couch which had obviously been gifted to him. 

I smirked. "Dracula?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Though I have slaughtered them in droves, the count makes for excellent reading." 

"Is that supposed to be impressive?" I asked with concern. "That you've slaughtered hundreds of vampires and the like?" 

He slung his arm over his head. "Thousands," he corrected. "And to answer your question, no. It's not something I'm particularly proud of. Especially the human lives I've taken."

His shirt rose almost to his navel and I could see he was chiseled under the casual attire. Also, that he must have been adverse to waxing. He was a paragon if ever there was. 

"I should go," I said suddenly. He was going to smell my attraction if I didn't leave. 

He was meant for a marriage of diplomacy and I was not on the list. It would only end poorly. I would submit to him and be left picking up pieces of my pride. 

He sat straight up. "I've offended you?" 

"No," I lied. "I've just had a rather full weekend." 

That was the truth. 

He nodded and understood. "How about a couple of chapters of the count and then I take you home?" he smiled sweetly. Almost boyish if not for the stubble. 

"Is that an order alpha?"

"A request from a friend." 

I needed a friend; so I stayed. 

He took the book from me and pulled me on top of him. My head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck as he read me the tragic tale of count Dracula and his Elizabetha. Poetic I would say.