Chapter 6 Honesty

Carol’s POV I look at Aiden with shock. I’ve never heard him raise his voice before, not even in any of the videos of him that I looked through. Zack freezes in place. His face looks paler than normal as he slowly turns around. “Yes?” He says. I almost laugh at how meek he sounds. “Don’t misunderstand.” Aiden’s voice is as cool as ice. “Carol is charming, yes, but that isn’t why she beat you. Her work was simply more meticulous than yours.” He narrows his eyes. “Maybe you should take some time to reflect on that.” Zack opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Clearly out of his element, he rushes out the door. The immense satisfaction I feel at watching Zack run away for once is quickly stifled when I remember my situation. Nervously, I glance toward Aiden. He’s looking at me once again. There isn’t a trace of his earlier coldness in his eyes. I cough awkwardly into my hand. “Thank you,” I say. “You didn’t have to do that.” “It was the right thing to do,” Aiden says softly. I gather up my binder, mostly to hide the blush forming on my face. “What I said about the quality of your work. I meant it.” Aiden smiles gently. “I promise you didn’t just win because I…” He trails off meaningfully. “… Know you.” It’s a miracle that we make it out of the room without the conversation moving into more awkward territory. We exchange pleasantries and prepare to view the properties. It should come as no surprise to me when the car that comes to pick us up is a luxury vehicle. The personal driver opens the passenger door for Aiden, but he decides instead to sit in the back of the car with me. The distance between us is palpable. The driver has only just pulled away from the office when Aiden turns to me with a serious expression. “Carol,” he begins, “there’s something I want to tell you.” This is exactly what I was afraid of. “Right,” I say quickly, “let’s decide which house we’re visiting first!” I look away pointedly to shuffle through my papers. Luckily for me, he goes along with the conversation and doesn’t bring it up again. I can’t deal with this right now, I think. It’s all too much. For now, I’m just thankful I didn’t lose my job. The first place we visit is my favorite of the houses. The property is a smaller villa tucked away in the mountains. It’s even better than I could have imagined once we arrive. The villa stands tall in front of us. The decorations are much more traditional than many of the other selections. The house is built primarily out of wood and the decorations are warm and comforting. The backyard is an open-air swimming pool that has a view of an expansive forest. We’re standing on the back porch and enjoying the view when Aiden begins to speak. “I love it,” he says. His expression is filled with as much awe as I feel. “The forest provides so much privacy. This place is really special.” He looks at me with that same singular intensity again. I feel my face flush. I have to remind myself he’s talking about the house, not me. “I’m glad to hear it,” I say. “This was my favorite of the options.” Aiden chuckles. “You know,” he said, “most real estate agents start with the worst options to make their later choices look better.” “I hate dirty tactics like that,” I declare. “I only offer my most sincere recommendations. This job is about finding the perfect place for someone, not trickery.” I stop myself, realizing I got carried away talking about my job again. Aiden is looking at me with a depth in his eyes I can’t quite decipher. I clear my throat. “Sorry,” I murmur. “I guess that’s the second time I’ve gotten carried away.” Aiden’s laugh is warm. “Don’t ever apologize for that.” He takes a few steps closer to me until I can feel the heat of his body. “I admire that about you.” For a moment, we linger like that. I can’t bring myself to pull away. The seconds feel like hours when he looks at me like that. I can’t help but wonder how intensely I’m looking back at him. I miss Aiden’s warmth as soon as he steps back. He takes one more look at the view before looking back at me. “Sold.” I assume I must have misunderstood him. “I’m sorry?” “Sold,” he repeats with a grin. “This is the house I want. This is the home I want.” My heart jumps. “Well,” I begin, trying to suppress my excitement, “we should probably discuss the price, then…” “No need,” Aiden waves a hand. “I accept the price as the owner listed it.” I smile brightly. “Perfect!” I exclaim. I jot down a few notes on my clipboard. “This is excellent. I’ll prepare — and I’ll notify the owner! Don’t worry, I work fast. I’ll make sure you’re able to sign as soon as possible.” Aiden shakes his head fondly. “You know, you might just be the most honest real estate agent in this city.” “I don’t know about that,” I laugh. The joy of successfully securing a contract — and the perfect home for Aiden — makes me giddy. “I have a question that I hope you’ll answer honestly,” Aiden says. My heart squeezes when I realize where he’s going with this. I know I can’t avoid this conversation forever. In all honesty, I’m not even sure if I want to. My life has changed so much in the past two days I’m worried I don’t even know myself. “What is it?” I reply. Aiden seems to sense my hesitance, but he presses onward. “Have you seen the news?” He asks softly. I can’t lie to Aiden. I avoid eye contact for a long moment as I try to collect myself. “Yes.” Aiden lets out a heavy breath. He runs a hand through his hair and closes his eyes. By the look of it, he probably already assumed as much. “Why didn’t you call me?” He asks finally. I clutch my clipboard against my chest, but I don’t avoid his eyes this time. Slowly, I find the words I’ve been searching for since last night. “… I’ve always wanted a stable relationship,” I confess. I squeeze my eyes shut. “My parents have the kind of love that I’ve always wanted, but I’ve never been able to achieve it myself. I’ve always felt like something was missing.” I slowly open my eyes again, my expression stiff. “I want a relationship that can make me feel the stability I’ve never truly had. And… I don’t think that’s something I can have with someone like you.” Aiden chuckles, a bewildered look on his face. “What kind of person do you think I am?” He asks. “I looked you up,” I admit. “You’ve been linked with countless celebrities. I couldn’t live through that.” Aiden shakes his head. “I can assure you that those are false.” I purse my lips. “Well, either way, there’s another pretty obvious problem, isn’t there?” I point out. “You’re a werewolf. You have a fated mate. I won’t just be someone to pass the time with until you meet them.” Not again. Aiden stares at me for a long moment. I think maybe I’ve finally convinced him until he speaks again. “Carol,” he says softly, “have you considered that you are my fated mate?”