The girls left first. We followed shortly after. The kitten was sound asleep on my lap, its scent tickling my nose. This damn thing needs a bath.

"What the hell was that back there?" I asked Treyvon.

"What was what?" he replied, taking his eyes off the road for a split second before looking back.

"The whole spring break thing?"

"Oh."

"Oh, my ass, Treyvon."

"Don't you think it would be fun, though?"

"Hell. No."

Spending a week somewhere with Jasmine would drive me insane. If it wasn't clear already, she's annoying. I knew what Treyvon was trying to pull—forcing me to be in close proximity to Jasmine, hoping I'd recognize her as my mate. But that wasn't happening. I'd noticed that Imani had been calmer lately whenever Jasmine was around, which only made it worse. I couldn't tell if the emotions I was feeling were mine or Imani's.

"You're not actually keeping that thing, are you?" Treyvon asked.

I glanced down at the kitten.

"Yeah..."

He laughed. "Look at you, already whipped by your mate."

"She isn't—shut the fuck up and drive."

It was late when we got home. I made the kitten a cozy bed in the living room, but he kept following me around. My phone rang, and the caller ID flashed my dad's picture.

"Hey," I said tiredly into the phone.

"Hey, sweet girl. Your mom said she talked to you earlier, but she asked me to check in and see if you'd come home for a visit."

I walked into the bathroom and flicked on the light switch. "I told her I'd try to make it home. It's just that school's been busy lately."

"Are you doing anything else besides school?"

"Dad, I'm tired."

"Okay, sweet girl. I know spring break is coming up. Maybe you can come then? Everyone in the pack misses you and Treyvon."

"I can't. We already have plans for spring break."

"Dominic..."

"Dad, I'll come back eventually. It's not like I won't return to the pack. I know Mom's close to stepping down as Alpha, but I want my freedom for now. Let me enjoy it while I can."

He sighed into the phone. "Okay, sweet girl. Sorry for calling so late. Get some rest."

"Night, Dad."

"Night night."

After the call, I showered and finished my nightly routine. The kitten was outside the bathroom door, crying. I wasn't sure if he was hungry or just didn't want to be alone. Treyvon was asleep on the sofa when I passed through the living room to get a bottle of water from the kitchen. I was scrolling through IG when a text notification popped up.

Jasmine: Is the kitten still alive?

Me: Why wouldn't it be? 🤨

Jasmine: Knowing you, you could've killed the poor thing. 😟

Me: I'm not a monster. 😑

Jasmine: You could be...

Me: Good night, Jasmine.

Jasmine: The night is still young. Stay up with me. 💃🏾

Me: I'm tired.

Jasmine: Fine. I'm tired too. Good night, boo. 😙

Me: Yeah... and you're getting blocked.

Jasmine: 😟😟😟

I lay in bed with the kitten curled up next to me. I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Jasmine's face. She's pretty. I gagged. No, she isn't. Shit. She was.

For a few minutes, I let the wall between me and Imani come down. She was sleeping, her ears twitching as she raised her head and yawned.

Hey.

Dominic.

I'm sorry.

Save your apologies.

I want to fix things between us.

There's nothing to fix.

There is.

Are you taking Jasmine as our mate?

Not yet...

Then, there's nothing to fix here.

Imani, please. Just give me time to get to know Jasmine as a person. Let me fall for her naturally without the whole 'You're mine! My mate.' It's a little cringe.

Imani's ears twitched. And what if you don't? Then what?

I'm destined to be with her whether I like it or not. I just want to get to know the girl I'm going to spend the rest of my life with.

Fine. Fine. Get to know her, but take the wall down. It's depressing.

Will you behave if I do?

I have no choice, do I?

I love you, Imani.

I guess I love you too, Dominic, though you're a pain in my wolf ass.

I woke up to something rough licking my face, followed by little cries. What time is it? I rolled over in bed, squinting at the red digital numbers on my clock. Throwing the blanket off, I sat up in bed and stared out the window. It's gloomy today. I like gloomy weather—it means sleeping in. But I've got classes in a little while, so extra sleep wasn't happening. 

The kitten hopped around on my bed, swatting his paw at me. I playfully growled at him. He got scared, jumping off the bed and running out of my room.

Ding. My phone went off.

Jasmine: Just checking to see if I'm blocked 🥹

Me: Don't you have a life? Leave me alone.

Jasmine: We're friends now.

Me: Says who? 🤨

Jasmine: Me.

Jasmine: Are you at school? I was thinking we could get lunch or something. Just the two of us.

I brushed my teeth while staring at Jasmine's text.

Me: Shouldn't our "friends" be there too?

Jasmine: I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we had some alone time together 😏

Me: I'm getting real creeper vibes.

Jasmine: Umm 😀

Me: You're a creep. You give creeper vibes.

Jasmine: That's totally not my vibe. I give more of a hot girl summer vibe 🥹

Me: Nah, most def creeper vibes.

Me: We can do lunch, probably at one of the cafés on campus.

Jasmine: I don't think I wanna do lunch with you anymore. You hurt my feelings by calling me a creeper. 😞

Me: ...You are a creeper tho. 🤣

Jasmine: BLOCKED

Me: You ain't gonna block me. We're friends, remember? 🥹

Jasmine: Idk about all that right now.

After class, I met Jasmine at Mickey's Cafe. It's more of a breakfast spot, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods clung to the air. Jasmine was looking at her menu, and I was looking at mine.

"You look cute today," Jasmine said casually, and I wasn't sure if she was being serious or trying to be funny.

Honestly, I looked more like a bum today. I threw on some basketball shorts I thought were clean, stole Treyvon's Nike shirt, and my socks didn't match—one yellow, one white. I was behind on laundry.

"You're blind," I said.

"Blinded by all that cuteness."

"I think I'm gonna throw up." I gagged.

Jasmine looked up from the menu, pushing her glasses up on her nose bridge, her eyes narrowing as if she was searching for something interesting about me to attach to.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm trying to figure out why you're so pretty."

My face got hot, and I hid behind my menu. "Shut the hell up," I grumbled.

"Your skin is so clear, and your eyebrows are arched to the gods. What's your secret?"

"Please stop taaaalllking."

Jasmine snatched my menu out of my hands. "What if I don't stop talking?"

"I'll leave."

"You wouldn't dare."

I grabbed my bag and stood. Jasmine screamed for me to stop, and I sat back down. She pouted, and I almost found it adorable.

"Geez, can't believe you were actually going to leave."

"Why are you still talking?"

"Because God gave me a mouth, that's why," she said, handing the menu back to me.

Now it was my turn to search Jasmine, trying to find something interesting about her to latch onto. Summer children were a million things wrapped into one: a burning fire in their chest, a wildness in their hearts, and a personality as unhinged as their souls.

"Why are you staring at me with dreamy eyes?" Jasmine asked.

I blinked, clearing my throat and dropping my gaze to the menu. "I wasn't."

Our mate is the prettiest thing ever, don't you agree, Dominic? Imani asked.

I ignored her.

Jasmine and I placed our orders and talked about random things, like favorite colors and where our families were from—just the usual stuff to get to know someone better. I read Jasmine like a book, every sentence, every paragraph. She had a rhythm that carried the beat of who she was.

There were things I thought about at that moment, watching and listening to her. Would she make a suitable Luna for the pack? Would my pack welcome her as their Luna? Could she accept who I am? Could she accept the pack? Human mates were rare, and it usually ended badly for a wolf whose mate was human. Often, they were rejected by their human mate, and the wolf would die from a broken heart. 

And maybe the Moon Goddess doesn't always see the outcome of these things.

So when I looked at Jasmine, I saw a million things and felt a million emotions I couldn't express. Because getting to know her as more than just a person was more meaningful than claiming her as my mate right away. I wanted to understand her inside and out—to learn the things she doesn't share with her best friend, what songs make her dance, what songs make her cry, and what smells she associates with her favorite childhood memories. Just the little things I could cling to. Sure, I could learn all this over time after claiming her on day one, but I wanted more of an emotional connection, something that would bind me to her beyond just being mates.

She wasn't just someone I was trying to get to know. She was my mate. And there's no guarantee Jasmine would accept me for what I am. That alone terrified me. I couldn't create a fairytale out of something that might become a nightmare.

"Everyone, break for water!" Coach yelled.

The team stepped off the mat, heading for their water bottles or towels to wipe the sweat off. Maribel stood next to me, guzzling her water, and I did the same. Some of the photography students were in the gym again, taking photos while we trained. Jasmine walked over with her camera aimed at me, and I heard the shutter click.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I need a picture for later." She smiled, lowering her camera.

"You're definitely not beating the creeper allegations."

"And you're so funny. Like, way funnier than Kevin Hart if he was actually funny."

Maribel laughed. "I think she's trying to say you're not funny, Dominic."

I gave Maribel the side-eye. Jasmine told her to stand closer to me so she could get a picture of us together. "Smile," she said. But I didn't. Maribel did, though—a big goofy smile that reminded me of an animated character.

Coach yelled that we had five more minutes before practice resumed. I capped my water bottle and felt Jasmine staring at me, so I turned to face her.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said, but I could tell that nothing was definitely something.

"Tell me."

Though her complexion was dark, it was obvious she was blushing, the way she tried to hide her face.

"I just think you're really cute. Like, super cute."

"Creeper."

She punched my arm. "Maybe I will start stalking you on the low." Jasmine snapped another picture of me.

"A creeper, a stalker, annoying and dramatic. Should I add more to the list of things you are?"

"You know what? I'm reconsidering my friendship with you."

"Good, because I don't want to be your friend, anyway." I reached out and flicked her forehead. She cussed and stepped away from me.

I wanted to tell her I thought she was cute, too. And how Imani thought she was the prettiest thing. But I buried the words deep.