*Lucca's POV*

After Landon and Ryland head back down to the party, I wait with baited breath for a chance to sneak out without being seen. Which is pretty hard, because I'm hyper-aware of Kai's presence. Our bond is still tugging on my chest, and it gets stronger the closer we are to each other. I wait at the top of the stairs until the bond feels like it's further away, and I stealthily slip out the front door.

I made it!

"Lucca, wait!"

Or... maybe not.

Reluctantly, I turn around in the driveway and face the short Omega. His deep brown eyes are wide with excitement, resembling a little puppy. Cute, considering he's a wolf.

"Yes?" I ask dryly while raising an eyebrow. Kai's taken aback by my lack of enthusiasm to see him, and his smile slightly slips.

"You're not leaving, are you?" He questions, fidgeting with his fingers.

Looking around at our surroundings, I pretend to be shocked. "Gosh, am I? Well, I'm currently walking away from the house, so I must be leaving. Wowee, who would've thunk?"

This time, Kai's smile fully morphs into a displeased frown. "Are you always a dick, or is today a special occasion?" He quips, his nose scrunching up in annoyance.

The corners of my lips twitch upwards. So, he does have a bit of fire in him, huh?

"It's all part of my dazzling personality," I smile.

"Dazzling isn't the word I would use," he grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest. He reminds me of Ryland mixed with a kitten. An angry kitten. A cute angry kitten.

"Oh, yeah?" I take a step towards him. "What word would you use then?"

Kai hums in thought. "Is douche-baggy a word? Because if it is, I choose that one."

I bark out a laugh, causing a grin to replace the scowl on Kai's face. His eyes light up as he smiles, and he tilts his head up to look at me. My laughter dies down as I realize how close Kai is standing to me. His sweet scent is wafting all around me, making my head feel dizzy. As if I've somehow become high on his pheromones. Swallowing thickly, I force myself to step back.

"Kai..." I shake my head. "I'm not sure how this is going to work."

His face pales. "Are you rejecting me?"

"No!" I quickly shout, panicked that somehow I'll accidentally reject him and fuck both of us over. "I'm not rejecting you, but I'm not... accepting you? I'm not sure how to put it."

"It sounds like you're rejecting me," Kai whispers, his bottom lip beginning to tremble.

Dear goddess, help me. That trembling bottom lip will be the death of me.

"I just— it's not— gah, I can't do this right now. I need to go."

"No!" Kai shouts, chasing after me as I head to my car. "Don't go, please! I want to talk to you."

Shaking my head, I climb into the car. "Not today."

Before I can close the door, Kai is in the way, blocking the door and preventing me from leaving. Annoyed, we glare at each other — although Kai once again reminds me of an angry kitten.

"I'm serious, Kai," I warn him. "Give me a chance to think things through before I do something we'll both regret."

Kai's expression is stricken as his spine stiffens, and he takes a few steps backwards. Exhaling in relief, I slam the car door shut before hurriedly driving away. As I head towards the pack gates, my eyes continuously flicker to the rear-view mirror where the Omega watches me leave with the saddest expression.