THE LYCAN KING’S SECOND CHANCE MATE

ASHANTI'S POV.

"Shit!" I curse under my breath when my cell phone starts ringing again. It's in the bedroom and I'm just stepping out of the shower in the bathroom. It must be one of my colleagues, calling to ask for clarification on something. I told them to relax for today so we could start our arrangements for the competition tomorrow but they refused to listen and now they won't let me bathe in peace.

The cell phone keeps blasting as I hastily dry myself with my hand towel before putting on my bathing robe. By the time I get to the phone, it has stopped ringing. I check the missed call and notice it's not from either of my colleagues but from my mum.

Oh...

I pick up the phone and return the call, but her line is busy. Just then, a knock sounds on my room door.

"Who's it?" I ask out loud.

"It's Ryan."

"Come in." I signal. Immediately, the door opens and Ryan walks in while on the phone with someone.

"Yes Mum, we arrived safely and now we're already settled in our apartment... Yes, mum... I will do that... I love you too, goodbye." He ends the call and gives me a furious side-eye.

"What?"

"Next time, take your calls so I don't have to deal with this."

"Chill! I couldn't take it because I was in the shower!" I fire back, throwing my phone on the bed.

"I'm going out for dinner and after that, a drive around the city, wanna come?"

A wide smile forms on my face.

"Dinner?"

"Yeah. I made reservations at this very popular restaurant I saw online."

"Wow! Sharp!"

"Are you coming or not!" He asks impatiently.

"Of course, I'm coming. Chill. You're too hot tonight. What about the guards? They're not coming with us, right?"

"No, they are not."

"Cool!"

"You have..." He shoots a glance at his wristwatch before meeting my gaze again. "... thirty minutes to get ready." And with that, he swivels on his heels and exits my bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Thirty minutes!

Ryan is very time-conscious. If in thirty minutes I'm not ready, he will leave without me.

He has done it before.

I rush into my closet to start getting ready.

The instructions given to the guards by our mother before we left the Blue Diamond Pack were clear and concise.

Never let them go out in public on their own.

No matter how much we begged and told her we didn't need guards, she wouldn't listen and insisted on sending them along with us. So, for us to achieve this guard-free evening, my smart little brother slipped a few of his sleeping pills in the drinks he had convinced them to drink, and now, they are snoring on the couches in the living room while we're pulling up in front of a big building, all dressed up for dinner.

The valet, who happens to be a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit, opens up my seat door and holds out his hand for me which I take with a warm smile on my face and get out of the car.

"You're welcome to Monte Plaza Restaurant." His radiant smile and warm welcome nearly make me blush.

"Thank you."

We are soon joined by Ryan who greets the elderly man and hands over the keys to the car. A chuckle bubbles out of my chest when Ryan holds out his arm for me to take.

"What's so funny?"

"It's cute seeing you act like a gentleman.” He shoots me a frown.

"Of all the words you could use to describe this gesture, you had to use cute?" He sounds offended. I

I

chuckle even more as I slick my hand around the held-out arm. We both start walking towards the main door of the building.

"If I don't piss you off, who will?"

"I already have Mum and Sheila for that."

"They aren't here now, are they?"

"You make it sound like getting pissed is some sort of cool experience." He looks at me deadpan. "It's not!"

I cover my mouth with my calm to suppress my laughter.

"I love you too." I blow him a kiss that makes him scoff.

*Ashanti Anderson." A masculine voice calls from behind. Ryan and I halt in our tracks and turn to see who just called my full name. It's a young man, dressed in a navy blue tuxedo, wearing a small smile on his face which I've noted to be

handsome. I don't know him.

I turn to Ryan, asking him with my eyes if he knows the man, but he shakes his head. I look back at the man, smiling politely at him.

He looks kind of familiar, but I can't place where I've seen his face.

"I'm sorry for stopping you like this Wow!" He exclaims in awe, his eyes beaming like one of the many lights illuminating the dark surroundings. "You look gorgeous as always."

As always.

My brows crease.

"I'm sorry, my name is Leonard Kirk. It's nice to finally meet you in person."

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Kirk. Since you already know my name... this is my brother..."

"There's no need for that," Ryan says letting go of my hand and shooting daggers at the man with his eyes. "Don't take much of her time."

"I won't." The man agrees. Ryan looks at me again.

"Meet me inside."

With that, he walks into the building, leaving me alone with the stranger.

I will never understand his ways.

"You've got a Ninja right there. That warning went straight to my soul." Leonard says in a playful tone.

"He doesn't play with me," I tell him, still trying to keep my smile.

The only reason why I'm out here talking with this stranger is because he sounds so sweet and he looks so good and he smells so fucking great!

Yes, it's a stupid reason, I know!

But he's cute.

"You must be wondering who I am and how I know you."

"You read my mind."

"I'm one of the contestants in the competition." He divulges and my eyebrows shoot to my hairline in amazement.

A Designer like me. Interesting!

"Oh... Wow!"

"Yeah... I'm the Chief Designer of Fashion Forward."ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"Fashion Forward?" I ask, shocked. "THE FASHION FORWARD?" My voice is a little higher when I say that last sentence.