When Darcy stepped off the bus the next day, Luna was waiting for her. She had her cheeky half-smile pointed right at her and Darcy almost lost her footing.

Her heart was turning her into a fool in love. But it wasn’t real. They were mates, but Luna’s true nature would peek out again soon enough. It was a cycle she couldn’t allow herself to be caught in. Nice for a moment and cruel for the rest. She said nothing to the beta and headed straight to her first class, she was more than happy to sit at her desk early.

All Darcy wanted was her boring Alpha Assistant role in her own pack, on familiar territory, to be left alone to live a peaceful life. This was her main goal for the rest of her existence. Why did her mate have to be so hot? Why did her kisses have to make Darcy melt into a puddle? Every time she touched her she was getting worse. Darcy was feverish for her.

Of her list of smaller goals for the Luna situation, so far she had only crossed off:

- Stop the bullying from Luna’s friends

Luna had promised she would tell them to leave her alone, but Darcy had still only crossed it out in pencil, just in case.

Remaining, she still had:

- Stop the Luna stalking

- Stop the touching/kissing/anything that made her fall deeper in love with her stupid bully

- Get friends back within ten feet radius

She was hoping to tick every remaining box for handling this curse off in one move.

After collecting her lunch, she led her diligent stalker to an empty classroom. Luna grinned wickedly as she shut the door behind them. Darcy didn’t want to know what she was imagining was about to happen. She hopped onto a table and put her food beside her. Luna followed and placed herself between her legs, her hips pressed into the table top and her hands splayed either side of Darcy’s thighs. Luna’s head hooked over her with her ridiculously sexy height. She had a lecherous look in those molten gold eyes.

Darcy spoke before she could make a dirty remark. “I want to propose a deal to you.”

“You want to propose to me?” Luna teased, sharp grin out in full-force.

“I want to make a deal.”

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours?”

“No.”

She chuckled. “Sounds boring,” she remarked with a wink. It flustered Darcy instantly.

“I don’t- I want you to stop-” Darcy floundered for her words, the words she had spent all morning rehearsing. “You follow me around because you don’t want anyone to taint your back-up option,” she said all in one breath, words smushing into each other. “I want to make a formal agreement so that you don’t need to. I don’t get stalked and you don’t have to worry about someone who might be your mate pursuing… other people.”

“You are my mate,” Luna said slowly. Her cheeky attitude was slipping already. Her fingers began twiddling with the hem of Darcy’s skirt where it drooped over the desk.

Darcy pooled her patience and reminded her with the most monotonous tone possible, “You don’t know that for sure. That’s why you’re embarrassed to be seen with me.”

“I do know, MYSTIKA-”

“I’m the back-up,” she said sharply. The hurt she had been feeling for the last month puncturing her already-thin screen of self-restraint. “You believe in MYSTIKA just enough to want to keep me away from other wolves, but not enough to put all your chips in.”

Luna laughed cruelly. “You’ve got your knickers in a twist because I haven’t marked you?” she asked, all playfulness had dissipated from her features. Darcy blushed uncomfortably hot at even the thought of her mate… of Luna… marking her.

She stammered, “N-No-”

“I can’t mark my mate until I turn eighteen.”

“So leave me alone until then!” Darcy yelled, frustration bursting out of her. “That’s all I want. We can make a deal - put it in writing if you want - that I won’t date or do anything with anyone else until your eighteenth birthday. Then I get my peace and you get yours. No more bodyguard.”

“It’s not you, it’s the others,” Luna said darkly. “You couldn’t fight off anyone!”

“I’ve done okay until now,” Darcy huffed. “The only people I have had to fend off are you or your friends! As long as you don’t let them touch me, I have nothing to fear.” It was an obvious dig to her pride as a beta to control her pack members, but it seemed to work.

“I’ve ordered them not to go near you. They wouldn’t dare,” Luna growled. She suddenly leant back, folded her arms and looked her over, either considering the offer or considering how quickly she could strip her. It was difficult to tell with Luna. “This agreement,” she drawled. “In writing. What happens if one of us breaks our end? What if I see someone with their hand up your skirt? Or you sitting in some girl’s lap?”

It was Darcy’s turn to let out a sarcastic laugh. “Whatever you want, because it won’t happen. Choose the worst punishment you can imagine because at least I’ll know then you will follow the rules.”

A wild grin split her gorgeous face. “Loser gets the other’s name tattooed on them.”

“Are you insane?”

“On their face,” she added.

Darcy sighed. “I don’t want my name on your face.”

“You’re right. I’d prefer your pussy.”

Darcy’s brain malfunctioned. Four words had transformed her into a doll, frozen in place.

The Luna in her mind was clutching at her thighs, pulling her down deeper as she balanced on her mouth. Imaginary Darcy had been reduced to sobs and shakes. She clutched at her skirt with one hand and Luna’s perfect golden curls with the other. Her soul-mate ate greedily.

In reality, Darcy was incapable of moving a muscle, and her body temperature had surpassed lava. Her eyes were fixed on Luna’s boobs, they bounced a little as the beta laughed herself stupid. Darcy didn’t know if she was laughing at her own words or her reaction, but she was doubled over and clutching her stomach. If she had even the slightest inkling of what had just passed through Darcy’s mind, she wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

“N-no, thank you.” It was mortifying how breathless she sounded.

Luna straightened. “Fine, a step down from that awesome idea.” She wiped a pretend tear from her eyes. “T-shirts with the other’s name on. Gotta wear it every day to school until D-day.”

“D-day?”

“My birthday, dumbass.”

“Whatever,” she huffed. “It’s a deal.”

“Shake on it?” Luna stretched out her palm.

Darcy eyed her hand warily, it was definitely a trap. It stayed out, demanding she acknowledge it. She extended her own half-size hand and Luna snatched it roughly, pulling her off the table and in against her chest. Her other hand groped at her under her skirt, sliding her fingers between Darcy’s thighs.

“H-hey!” she yelped.

“Gotta get my fill if we’re going to be apart for the next month,” Luna groaned into her ear. “Oh? You’re wet.”

Darcy gasped and struggled out of her grasp.

“I’m not!” she squealed. She snatched up her lunch bag and made it to the door with only a mild stumble. “And you can’t touch me any more!” she reminded her as she yanked it open. “We have a deal.”

Luna’s farewell smile was far too fiendish for Darcy’s liking. Positive thinking, she reminded herself. A deal was a deal, and she only had to keep her away for a month.