Aaliyah frowned, her voice laced with concern. "You really gonna leave your camera?"

I grunted, rolling my eyes. "I didn't mean to, shit. Dominic—the other girl showed up, and honestly, she gave me the creeps. It's like she wants to rip my fucking head off."

"Maybe she does." Aaliyah laughed.

"Oh, shut up." I shoved Aaliyah as we crossed the parking lot to her car. I shouldn't have comforted Dominic. Now it's like I'm back in high school, ducking and hiding from my bully.

"You ain't tryna get your camera back?" There was a peep and a click as Aaliyah unlocked the car doors with her remote.

I stood at the passenger side door, looking across the roof of the car at my friend. "Do I have to?"

Yeah, I'm chicken. Because what if I go back and Dominic's still there?

Aaliyah gave me a look like: girl, be fucking for real right now.

"Okay, okay," I said, gripping the strap of my messenger bag. "I'll go back for it."

"I'll be here waiting, love."

As I crossed the parking lot back toward the building, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that I was about to make a huge mistake. Go back for the camera, or call it a loss?

The cool evening air bit at my cheeks as I stepped onto the sidewalk, each step heavy with hesitation. The lampposts flickered above me, the dirty orange light casting long shadows across the campus. I passed a couple of students chatting by the fountain, their laughter a stark contrast to the knot forming in my stomach. My phone buzzed in my pocket.

Aaliyah: Girl, sorry, I had to leave. My bro called with an emergency.

There was a faint shuffle behind me, the soft scuff of shoes against concrete, but I shrugged it off as I typed a reply to Aaliyah. Probably just another student rushing back to their dorm. Still, my heart sped up like it knew something I didn't.

Just as I reached the steps of the martial arts building, I sent Aaliyah another text, not paying attention. I heard it before I saw it—the honking of an electric scooter coming my way. The world tilted as a hand shot out, yanking me back into their chest. I was about to thank whoever saved me, but then I froze.

Great. Dominic is my savior now?

"Um, thanks," I mumbled. Dominic looked pained, like she was holding her breath. Her eyes dropped to her hand on my upper arm, and she quickly let go, taking a step back.

"Your camera." Dominic swung her backpack around to the front and pulled out my camera. "Maribel asked me to give it back to you."

"Thanks again...?" I took my camera, my fingers brushing against hers. She pulled her hand back quickly. My body relaxed a little at her demeanor—she seemed different now, standing there awkwardly, hands stuffed in her jeans, just staring at me.

I waited for her to say something—something mean, maybe rude—

"Get home safely," she said, her eyes averted to the ground.

I put my camera into my messenger bag. "Uh, you too...?" Blood dripped from Dominic's nose. "Shit, your nose. You're bleeding."

Dominic dabbed the back of her hand to her nose. "Fuck."

"Here." I dug into my bag, pulled out a blue bandana, and held it out for Dominic to take. She wobbled a bit. "Are you okay?"

She didn't want the bandana at first, but the blood kept flowing, and the color drained from her face. I took her by the hand and led her to the building stairs. We sat down as the lamppost lights grew brighter. Dominic's face was cast in harsh shadows. She snatched the bandana from me.

"Could you move away?" Dominic asked, wiping the blood from her face. She kept the bandana pressed to her nose, the muscles in her throat tightening.

I wasn't even that close to her, but I moved. "Do you want me to take you to the nurse's center?"

"Nah," she said. "You can go."

"You don't look good, and you want me to go?"

"If you want to stay, then stay. I'm not asking you to." She snapped.

I sat with my fists in my lap. "I'll stay with you until you're feeling better."

Dominic pulled the bandana away to check how much blood she'd lost. She cursed under her breath as a trickle of blood continued, angrily wiping it away like she hated needing help.

I blinked, catching myself checking her out. No. No way. She's the last person I should be noticing like that...

"You get nosebleeds often?" I asked, trying to restart the conversation.

Dominic stretched out her long legs and hunched over, staring out at the lit-up campus. "Sometimes." Her voice was muffled by the bandana. "Listen, you don't gotta stay. I'm starting to feel better."

"Girl, you're bleeding through the damn bandana, and you want me to think you're feeling better?"

She scoffed. "It's a nosebleed. I'll be fine. Go."

I scooted up beside her. Dominic's body stiffened, then relaxed.

"You look like you're starring in a horror movie right now." I nudged her in the side with my elbow.

"Shut up," she said, leaning away from me. "It's just a nosebleed."

"Yeah, sure. Just a casual fountain of blood coming out of your face." I smiled a little. "You sure you don't want to go to the nurse's center? You look like you're bleeding out."

"I said I'm fine. It's just a little blood."

I rolled my eyes. "You're bleeding like someone punched you in the nose... or like the universe decided it was your unlucky day."

She sighed, pressing the bandana harder against her face. "It's just a fucking nosebleed!" Dominic shouted.

"Well, until your nose stops bleeding like a heavy period, I'm gonna be here for a while."

"You're so fucking annoying."

"Glad to be of service."

DOMINIC 

My head pounded, a clear punishment for blocking my wolf. I couldn't block her emotions—especially not with Jasmine so close. Too damn close. It made everything worse. Imani was practically clawing to come forward. I needed something, anything, to calm her down. I took a few deep breaths, closing my eyes, trying to steady my mind. But Imani was still steeped in anger.

I couldn't give in to her delusion that Jasmine was her mate. My dad's voice echoed in my head, all those words about how finding your mate was supposed to be blissful, the closest thing to heaven on earth. I call bullshit. A mate means nothing to me—but to my wolf, a mate means everything, fated by the Moon Goddess.

Treyvon's voice suddenly cut through my thoughts, mind-linking me.

"Dom, where are you?"

"Outside the campus building. Got a nosebleed."

"I'm on my way."

Jasmine stared at me, her worried gaze tugging at something deep inside. The need to comfort her gnawed at me—it was Imani's need, not mine. Never mine.

These feelings didn't belong to me. They were Imani's. Slowly, I stood from the steps, feeling the rough stone beneath my hand. Jasmine immediately rushed to my side.

"Hey, are you okay to stand?" Her worry was so persistent, it made my heart ache.

"You're fucking annoying."

"Sorry for caring."

Shit. Now I felt like I should apologize. My lips parted, but before I could say anything, Treyvon jogged up to us, flashing Jasmine a smile.

"Damn, that bandana is bloody. I'm taking you to see your dad." Treyvon studied me for a moment.

"I'm fine. It's Imani."

"If you're in good hands now, I'll head out," Jasmine said, stepping back. "Thanks for returning my—"

I didn't wait for her to finish, walking off with Treyvon beside me. He threw his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side as we reached his Jeep and climbed in. The bleeding had stopped, for now. I glanced at the bandana—it had turned a darker color, soaked with blood. I'd have to give it back or get her a new one. Leaning my head against the window, the coolness of the glass brought some relief to the pounding in my skull.

"Why are you blocking Imani? Is she asking to go back to the pack?" Treyvon asked as he started the car.

"If I tell you something, you can't tell your parents. They'll tell mine, and I'm not ready for the drama they'll stir up."

"Over what?"

"Imani's mate," I said. "That girl with me. It's her. The one from our territory. The same one I got into it with at the gym."

Treyvon slammed on the brakes. I jerked forward, almost hitting the dashboard. The car behind us blared its horn as it swerved around us.

I glared at Treyvon. "Nigga."

He grinned. "This is huge. You'll have a Luna by your side when you take over the pack."

My stomach knotted. Luna. That's right—Jasmine would be the future Luna.

"It's not huge," I said. "She'll never be my mate."

"Dom," Treyvon said my name in that soft, concerned way. He started driving again. The hum of the car filled the silence for a few moments. "She's your mate. You have to be feeling something. Imani definitely does."

"Fuck these emotions. Fuck Imani. Fuck Jasmine. And fuck the Moon Goddess for shoving a mate down my throat."

"Yo, Dom, chill. Don't disrespect the Moon Goddess like that, and don't disrespect your mate, either."

"I'm pissed, Treyvon."

"About?"

"This mate shit!" I shouted. Blood trickled from my nose again, a sharp pain spreading through the back of my head. I pressed the bloodied bandana to my nose. Despite the scent of blood, I could still smell Jasmine's summer scent lingering on the fabric.

"Talk to Imani before she kills you."

I leaned back in the seat, closing my eyes and inhaled deeply, then exhaled. I was inside my head now, where Imani paced back and forth, growling low.

"You need to stop with this mate shit," I said.

Imani halted, fixing on me with a deadly glare. Her dark eyes darkened even further. "You can't deny me my mate."

"I can and I will."

"You think you can keep me locked away in here? On a mental block?" Imani stalked toward me slowly. "You expect me to be an obedient pup, doing whatever you say? It's always about you, Dominic! Everything. You dragged me away from the pack because of your free-spirited hippie bullshit. Now, you want to deny me the one thing we need."

"You're staying on mental block."

"You want to kill us? Is that it? Because that's what this is—suicide." Imani laughed, a low, twisted sound that sent a shiver through me.

"Don't care."

"I can make it more miserable for both of us, Dominic. You don't want to play this game with me, girl."

"Stay on mental block. Bye."