My Not Yet Mate

Chapter 70

She

stretched and yawned as she opened her eyes. She stared at the ceiling. She felt so good today, warm and relaxed, Lukas had been coming every night to watch her memories with her. He held her tight, murmuring softly to her as he tried hard not to rip Loatie apart. When she couldnt take anymore, he changed the dream to one of his memories. A happy memory and then a darker one. Then he would hold her until she fell into a dreamless sleep. Last night, she hadn’t been able to conjure up a memory.

Somehow over the last few months, he had dulled all of her bad memories and so they had spent the night exploring happy memories, both his and hers. Their nights had become a series of flirting and teasing each other. Lukas’s playful manner made her giggle and made her comfortable enough to tease him back. Last night he had kissed her in their shared dream and she didn’t panic. She got up out of bed and got dressed in blue jeans and a green tank top. She rushed downstairs to the dining hall to eat before school.

“Good morning,” she sang as she danced into the hall.

Her family all stared at her as she snagged a blueberry muffin and kissed her father’s cheek. She sat next to Sommer.

“Hey, girl. How are you today?”

Sommer eyed her. “I’m good. How are you?”

“Im fantastic,” she said with a smile.

“You must have had a great night. I haven’t seen you this happy

“I dreamed about Lukas.”

“Ah, so a very good dream.”

y in, well ever

Lily grinned, nodding. Sommer leaned close to her, lowering her voice.

“Do me a favor, look at our parents. What do you see?”

Lily turned to the head table where their parents sat. Her father was watching Sommer’s mother who kept glancing shyly at him.

“Is something going on between them?,” Lily asked quietly.

“I don’t know, but they have been looking at each other like that since your mate brought her here. The last few months they have gotten really bad.”

Lily pushed her food around her plate. “Have I been that self absorbed that I haven’t noticed? I have missed so much lately. I have been trying to fix everything for everyone.” She lowered her head. ‘Am I the reason they are holding back?,” she asked quietly.

“No. I don’t think that has anything to do with you, I think whatever happened between them happened years ago.”

“Oh. They really do seem like they care about each other.”

Lily watched them interact while everyone else around them ignored them. She pushed her chair back and he got up to help her up. She smiled at him and he lifted his hand to lightly trail his fingers over her wrist. She trembled and pulled back. She glanced in their direction and paled when she

saw the girls watching them. She hurried from the hall while her father stared after her. He left the dining hall through the side door and Lily took note of

his untouched food.

“This is because of me,” Lily whispered, crushed that it appeared to be her fault they weren’t together.

Sommer hugged her. “No, I’ll talk to mom.”

Lily stood up, shaking her head. “No, I’ll do it after school.”

She hugged her cousin and waved to the others, before leaving to go to school. She was lost in her own world so much that she didn’t even realize when she bumped into someone and ended up sprawled on the floor. She looked up and smiled.

“Hey, Kenny.”

He turned away. “Have a good day H…

She narrowed her eyes as he started to walk away. “Wait!,” she ordered, her aura coming out.

He froze and she could feel his frustration coming off of him in waves. She scrambled up to stand in front of him.

“Why haven’t

1 you talked to me or sat with us at lunch?,” she asked.

“No reason. I have other friends. I have been busy.”

She rolled her eyes. His excuses were like water, she couldn’t hold them up to anything, not even her previous poor view on what friendship was.

“Look, Kenny, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I really do think you’re great. I’m just not the girl for you. With that being said, I would really love to have your friendship back. What can I do to make it up to you?”

“Did you tell anybody I tried to kiss you?”

“Yes”

“Who?”

“Just my mate.”

“So nobody here?”

“No. It’s none of their business.”

He sighed and held out his hand. “Thanks, I’m sorry for being an asshole.”

She took his hand and squeezed it. “It’s ok. I want to help you find your mate

“How?”

“There is an annual clan meeting Sasha was telling me about at the end of July. I was thinking about going. Do you want to go with me? There will be so many girls there from all over. One of them might be your mate.”

“Sure and maybe this infamous mate of yours will be there and I can finally meet him.”

She laughed, blushing at the thought of seeing Lukas again. Well, in person. Dreams were different. For as much as they felt real in that moment, they werent. When he took her flying, she wasn’t left exhausted. When he touched her, her panic was very scarce. She was confident in her abilities to control everything. In reality, she couldn’t, but that still didn’t scare her. She had come to have a fragile trust with him again that she hoped wasn’t misplaced.

“Sure,

with you. Who wouldn’t want to see this handsome face?,” he teased.

She giggled. “That’s a face only a mother could love.”

She grabbed her bag and dashed off as he stood in place, pretending to be hurt. The day flew by and to Lily’s amusement, Kenny joined them for lunch, sliding back into the group like he had never been gone. The whole lunch period he had cracked jokes and flirted with all of them. Last period he walked in and stopped to glare at the guy sitting next to her until he got up. He had passed her a note and when she opened it, she had been in awe at the sketch she had drawn and thrown away. She looked up at him.

“You took this out of the trash?”

He nodded. “Shouldn’t throw your stuff away, Lily. I’ve already talked to the group. They’ve agreed with me that you don’t have to draw us secretly. We will sit for you.”

She ran her fingers over the scene at the cafeteria table. She had drawn it months ago so that if something happened to her, her family would know exactly who was responsible. She crumpled it up in her hand, before smoothing it out, signing it and handing it back to him.

“For when I become famous and I would love to paint us. This weekend at my place.”

“Perfect.”

“Just say you’re welcome.”

He rolled his eyes. “For what?”

“This project is on King Lukas and 1 live with his sisters,”

He chuckled. “Good, you do it. I’m gonna find me a hot date,” he said, eyeing the boy he had made move.

Lily giggled. “Homy much?”

“Always”

Lily started the project while Kenny chatted up the boy. The hell rang and Lily showed her stuff into her bag. 1

on the cheek.

He walked her out, before giving her a kiss

“I have a date on Friday.”

Lily playfully showed his shoulder and smiled at Sommer who was waiting beside her hand me down black charger. Lily walked over to her giddy cousin.

It came in,” she squealed. “Next time I see your mate, I’m giving him a big fat kiss! For as old as this car is, it only has 13 thousand miles on it.” Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Lily climbed in the passenger seat and

eat and

nd nervously clicked the seatbelt in. She gripped the door and braced her foot on the dashboard.

“Okay, I’m ready. Go.”

Sommer glared at her. “Im not that bad.”

She took off and Lily was thrown to the side, screaming for all to hear in terror. Sommer braked at a light and Lily was thrown forward. She lifted her arms in front of her face, but thankfully only lightly smacked her face on the windshield.

“For Goddess‘ sake, Sommer. Learn how to drive.”

She reached for Lukas’s link. Two things. First thing, did you know Dad has a crush on someone?

“Yes, but I wasn’t sure who, And hey, Lils, he answered, his voice softening on her name.

Her heart started pounding. She didn’t know if it was fear or excitement, but she knew she wanted him to keep talking.

If I know who it is, would you care if I tried to get them together?

Do you?

“Yes, I think so.‘

Go for it. He deserves to be happy. Who is it?

Sommer’s mom.

Toy?

Oh that’s great. I adore her. She’s a good woman.”

I know. Have a good day, Lukas. You sound distracted.”

It’s just a meeting. They can wait.”

“Our people, Lily. What was the second thing?”

Oh, that,‘ she giggled. Sommer wants to give you a big kiss for this car you gave her that she has already tried to kill me in. So, thanks for that.

He chuckled. No thanks, but I’m glad she likes it. Be safe.

She knew he wanted to say it, but didn’t want to upset her. She leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes.

I love you, Lukas.”

I love you, too, Lily, he murmured, his excitement very evident,

She jumped out of the car as soon as it was in park and kissed the ground.

“Oh, Goddess, land. Unmoving land. I’ve never been so happy t

to see you.”

Sommer rolled her eyes as she walked passed. “Bitch,” she called fondly over her shoulder.

Lily giggled as she went over to sit beside Joy to watch her garden.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hey, sweetie. How was school?”

“Good. We learned about picking a mate after losing a mate today,” she lied.

“Hnim?”

Lily laid back to stare at the sky. She picked a blade of grass and began to chew on it. I think that the ability to love after losing your mate is something so incredibly strong that it’s almost superhuman.” She rolled to face her. “What do you think?”

“I think that if you

if you have c

children…

…your focus should be on them,” she replied slowly, calculating every word.

“But it’s okay to be with someone. Caring about someone doesn’t belittle the bond, especially if both of you have lost mates. There’s something so romantic in the thought of two halves becoming whole again, don’t you think?”

“And what if there are two people that someone cares about? What about then?”

“I think that if there’s two, talk to them and see. It’s not for everyone, but it could work. Anyways, I have homework I have to do. I hope you find someone you can be with. I want that for you, Lily told her as she got up.

She bounded into the house and ran into Sasha and their father.

“Oh, Lily, perfect. Casey wants to come visit tomorrow.”

“Really? I haven’t seen her in years. She’s been too busy to visit. Her boss must be a slave drive

“Tomorrow at about 1,” her father said.

“Okay”

‘Dad will have to greet them. I will be in meetings on and off all day.”

“Them? Is Papa Slansky coming, too?”

She nodded. Lily did a little dance, before stopping sadly.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

“We’d almost be complete again,” she whispered. ‘All we’re missing is Lukas.”

When will she get here?”

she could immerse herself in painting. That always seemed to relax her and after doing this with Lukas, she was going to need it. She just hoped she could handle this dream.

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