The Golden Lycans (Ella) novel Chapter 29

The Footbridge-Part 2 

*Austin*** 

“You are joking, surely? I would’ve thought London would be a great place for teenage dating, how come?” I ask. She looks at me with her eyes wide for a moment, as if I’d asked a stupid question. 

“Uhh…because no one ever asked me and I have definitely never felt in the position to ask anyone myself,” she replies quietly, “I was always a bit invisible at my other schools…but I liked it that way.” 

It seems crazy to me that guys hadn’t been interested in her before, but that was their loss. 

I am about to tell her how visible she is to me, when the waitress comes back to take our food order. We both order a rare ribeye steak and chips with a salad garnish and I get us a camembert sharer to start. 

“I’m so glad you didn’t girl out on me and order just a salad,” I say warmly to her as the waitress 

took our menus away, “and rare? I’m impressed.” 

“Are you kidding? I love a good steak and, well, you know I’ll just burn the chips off during one short run anyway,” she jokes with a smirk on her face. I can feel Atlas’ vague amusement from the back corner of my mind. 

“Oh! You’re going there are you?” I laugh. She winks at me which earns her another laugh. 

“What if you weren’t the heir to a pack of Lycans? What would you love to do if you didn’t have your future already laid out for you?” Ella asks, accepting another drink off the waitress. I pause for a moment and considered her question. 

“You know, I’ve never really thought about it,” I reply truthfully. I take another mouthful of coffee before I answer. 

“I would be…a chef.” 

Ella chokes on her drink a little and laughs out loud. 

“Why is that so funny? I’m being serious,” I say, now laughing a little at her strange delight. She is clutching her stomach while laughing. I didn’t know anyone actually did that. 

“I don’t know. I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting that,” she says, smiling fondly now instead of laughing. 

“Well, Ms Reva. I’ll have you know that I make the best french toast, baked cheesecake, lamb roast dinner is my specialty and even soufflé. I can cook lots of stuff and I really enjoy doing it,” I said proudly, “I try to cook as much as I can when I’m at home.” 

She continues to smile at me warmly, her blue eyes bright, as if she truly hadn’t expected this of 

“What were you expecting me to say?” I ask, now curious. 

“I don’t know…maybe a rugby player, a personal trainer, something… physical,” she shrugs. I sigh a little. I really didn’t want her to see me like another version of Ollie. 

“I know my best friend Ollie has had me chained to the gym lately,” I say, clenching my jaw a little, “but it is not for vanity, I need to be at my strongest for whenever I take over. Any new alpha can eas ily be challenged for their position.” 

The waitress comes and puts down our starter. 

“It’s okay, Austin, I don’t think you’re like your friend Ollie,” she assures me before dunking in and scooping out a large blob of melted camembert on a slice of bread. She looks immensely satisfied with it as she chews it happily. 

I ask Ella about her parents, about their home in London and what it was like living and going to school in a big city. 

“…Now, I honestly can’t imagine living in a city ever again,” she says truthfully. 

“Wow. Eight weeks at Exton and you’ve already converted to the country lifestyle?” I ask, my eyebrow cocked. She laughs, regarding me for a moment before she answers. 

“I didn’t expect to love it here so much. It’s like… being at Exton has made me feel more…more like the real me. I don’t know, it’s irrevocably changed me, and I feel more assured in who I am, even though I don’t even know what I am. I feel different. I feel like I should’ve come here years before now.” 

“Whatever you may be, we will figure it out,” I tell her kindly, “and there is no doubt, you do belong at 

Exton.” 

She nods a little at my statement just as the waitress comes over with our main course. 

“The steak here is phenomenal,” I promise, watching Ella cut off a piece of hers and put it into her mouth. She chews once or twice before closing her eyes and making an appreciative moan. 

“Oh my GOD that is amazing,” she says once she has swallowed. I was a little intrigued by the 

noises she was making, at first, but now I chuckle at her reaction. 

“I can cook steak just like this, by the way. If it helps to know that,” I inform her. 

“I will keep that in mind,” she replies with a smile, popping a chip into her mouth. 

We finish our meal, feeling a little too full to order dessert, and I ask the waitress for our bill. 

We walk back out of the hotel, the sun shining brightly down on us. The weather really had been great this autumn. I lead us away from where the car is parked. 

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify