His One Powerful Mate (Rewriting)

Chapter 31 - Edited

Ava followed Raoul back to his house. The house was a three story mansion made of recycled wood and glass. As she walked through the front door and into the first lounge room, she noticed its warmth and how it opened up to a joined kitchen and sitting area that could hold twenty people. Raoul had kept his hand firmly connected to Ava and Artemia waited outside looking through the glass double doors that led out to a balcony.

"It's beautiful. I have never seen a house like this before. It's so open and there is so much light coming through." Ava frowned, thinking about her bedroom back at her parents house. That safety net was no longer there for her. She wondered if it ever would be again.

She follow Raoul through his house as he showed her all the rooms, where everything is and their bedroom. She looked at him and he seemed a little sheepish.

"This will one day be the room we share, but until then you can have your pick of any of the spare rooms." He smiled at her, his arm gesturing to the other rooms he had further down the hall.

Ava walked down the hallway and peaked into all the other rooms he had. They were smaller, but only just slightly. But they were nicely decorated and welcoming.

Ava found a room that looked clean, white and simple. The room had dark grey tones and blue with hints of green plant life throughout. It wasn't home, but it would do.

"Thank you for letting me stay here."

Raoul smiled down at her opening his arms slightly as she moved closer to him. Ava hesitated for a moment looking unsure at him before she took the last step towards Raoul. He wrapped his arms around her slowly, gauging her reaction. When she gripped the front of his shirt, her body stiff, he held her close while leaving enough room for her to step back if she needed to.

Ava swallowed the lump in her throat. This has been the thing she was missing but she never thought it would be like this. She felt awkward but comfortable at the same time. She let got of her vice grip of his shirt and moved closer into him to wrap her arms around his waist. She felt right with his arms around her. Closing her eyes she breathed in his scent. She would never forget it. It would be etched into her soul for all of time.

They didn't move for some time and didn't step away until the light changed. Raoul heard voices and footsteps move around in his kitchen pulling out pots and pans for dinner. He took a step back but didn't let go of Ava's waist. He kissed the centre of her forehead and gestured for her to follow him into the kitchen. He waited for her and grabbed her hand, squeezing gently as he led her to meet his family.

His mother and sister moved around the kitchen preparing stock for a large pot of beef soup. He could imagine the smells that would fill his house in a few hours and his stomach began to rumble.

His mother, Vittoria, looked up from cutting and pealing onions.

"There you are! We were wondering when the two of you would resurface."

Ava saw a younger woman standing behind the older one with a baby in her arms. The baby cooed and made bubbles with its mouth.

"Ava, this is my mother Vittoria, my sister Elena, and her son Jasper, that over there sitting at the table with my other niece and nephew is Gregori with his two kids Olivia and Colin. I have two other sisters and two other brothers-in-law around here somewhere but they are on the other side of the house. Where on the east side that faces the mountain point, while the others get the west side where all the sun is. We do get sun over here but it's only for a short time during midday or summer. That's why there is a lot of glass around. To get the light."

Ava nodded at Raoul's family, committing their names to memory.

Vittoria looked the younger girl up and down. She looked too young for her son. He was older than she was even if he didn't look it. It was time to gauge this young woman and what she expected from her son.