CHAPTER 3 He's Back

Evelyn's POV

Ava's presence was strong, very very strong. I couldn't even ignore it.

It was as if everything in the atmosphere just changed all of a sudden, and I could feel him—whoever he was—somewhere near.

Sophia still had no idea what was happening. I barely even remembered she was still there. I was just consumed by one single thought.

'My mate'

Was he really close? Was this all real?

Ava's voice was clearer now, calmer. "Yes, he's close. So close, Evelyn. We're meant to find him."

I looked at Sophia, who was still watching me with concern. I could feel my heart pounding in my throat, but I couldn't seem to stop it.

"He's here," I whispered breathlessly, with my congested chest as if the very air I breathed wasn't enough any longer.

And for the first time in years, I didn't feel lost. I felt... found.

The last time I felt this way was seven years ago. Seven long years, but the sensation was so clear, it might as well have been yesterday.

My heart was thumping really fast, almost like it was going to burst.

My fingers trembled as I gripped the edge of the table.

"Are you sure about this, Ava?" I whispered to my wolf.

"He's here, Evelyn. I'm sure. He's so close."

I turned my head, scanning the café, my eyes darting from one face to another.

It was so strong, so so strong that I could barely control what I felt. Almost like it was magneting me and I couldn't stop myself from looking.

I needed to see him, to find him, whoever he was. It was impossible to believe someone else could make me feel this way after all these years.

"He's getting closer, Evelyn. So close," Ava urged again.

I stood abruptly, my chair scraping loudly against the floor.

Heads turned. I didn't care. My body moved on its own, guided by Ava's certainty and the emotions I couldn't contain.

"Evelyn! Evelyn!" Sophia's voice caught me as she got up and hurried to me.

She grabbed my arm gently but firmly, "What's wrong with you? Everyone is looking at you like you've lost your mind."

I barely even heard her. My heart, my soul, and Ava were all consumed by one thing.

And that was finding my mate.

"He's here, Sophia."

"Who? Who is here?" she asked, twisting her brows, looking more lost than I was.

She was also searching for what—or who—I was looking for.

"My mate," I whispered.

"Your mate? Victor?" Sophia asked.

Victor. His name sounded wrong, like a dull note in the melody that was playing inside me.

Of course, it wasn't Victor. It couldn't be.

I had been around Victor countless times, and I'd never felt this fire, this pull that made it hard to even breathe.

Only one man made me feel this way. Apart from him, I haven't felt this way again. So I was so curious to find who it was.

"No," I said firmly, shaking my head.

Ava confirmed as well. "It's not Victor."

I already knew it could never be Victor.

"Let's go back to our seats, Evelyn," Sophia said.

She was glancing nervously around the café, trying to will away the stares we were gathering.

"It's coming from this side, Evelyn," Ava said, drawing my attention back to the moment.

"Where is he, Ava? Where?" The pull was already becoming too overwhelming.

"He's so close, Evelyn. I can feel him," Ava insisted.

I couldn't see what she was seeing but I could definitely feel what she was feeling. We were both feeling it.

I took a step toward the direction Ava was pulling me, and then another.

The scent—the feeling—grew stronger, clouding my senses, yet I still couldn't see him.

My breaths came shallow and fast as if I were chasing something that was almost impossible to exist.

"Evelyn! Enough!" Sophia yelled.

She stood in front of me, her hands gripping my shoulders, forcing me to stop.

"I don't know what you're feeling, but your mate is Victor. You're engaged to Victor!"

I shook my head. Yes, I was engaged to Victor but what I felt wasn't Victor.

"No, Sophia. It's not Victor. It can't be Victor."

She stared at me, helpless and confused, but she couldn't understand. No one could.

This wasn't something I could explain. It was something I felt in every part of me.

"You're already looking ridiculous, Evelyn! We're outside for crying out loud!"

Her words stung, but I knew she was only trying to protect me from myself.

"I know what I felt, Sophia," I whispered as I sank back into my chair.

"You're looking ridiculous! Look around you, Evelyn. Everyone is staring."

Reluctantly, I let my gaze sweep the room, and sure enough, eyes were on me.

"The last time I felt this way was seven ye—" I began, but she cut me off before I could finish.

"Seven years ago! Yes, Evelyn, seven damn years! And you're still holding on to it. You're engaged to Victor! He's your mate now. You're just trying to go back to the past."

She didn't understand. How could she? I didn't even fully understand what was happening.

I let out a heavy sigh with my trembling hands as I reached for the cup of hot chocolate in front of me.

It had gone cold. I raised it to my lips, but the taste felt off, empty.

I set it back down with a soft clink, turning my face away.

And then it happened.

The door to the café swung open, and a man walked in.

He had dark, wavy hair that caught my attention instantly. He just walked straight to the counter, without looking around the cafe.

My eyes followed him as he moved, and that's when Ava came whispering to me again.

"He's our mate."

My heart skipped a beat, and then another.

The world around me seemed empty at that moment.

Even the noises of the cafe suddenly dimmed until all I could hear was my heartbeat.

Wait.

I froze. The way he walked, his posture—there was something hauntingly familiar about him.

I stood without thinking as I tried to catch up with him. The closer I got to him, the more the pull increased.

It was like he was magneting me.

And then I saw his face. I was instantly knocked out of breath.

"Nathan………"