“Cause if I want you, and I want you, babe

Ain't going backwards, won't ask for space

Cause space is just a word made up by someone who's afraid to get too...

Close,

I want you close.”

---

"If he buys you food, he's a keeper." Katherine said, wiggling her eyebrows. She was referring to the fact that Chance and I picked up pizza on our way back to pack house.

"Yeah whatever. It was just pick up pizza," I said, trying to play it cool.

"HEY! PIZZA IS THE BEST," Katherine defended and I couldn't agree more.

I nodded as I popped a popcorn in my mouth and continued on my homework.

Katherine and I were in my room after Chance got us back in the pack house and we were trying to get done with tonnes of homework school piled on us.

"Oh god, you are doing chemistry for me and I'll do your English for you." Katherine said, looking at me with puppy eyes and I shook my head.

"No Kat. You can't keep bailing out. You need to learn this, otherwise how will you pass?"

Kat groaned. "I'll find a way, Oli. Just right now, I don't want to see the face of stoichiometry."

I frowned at her disapprovingly, but gave in. I always give into her.

"Fine," I grumbled and we got back to our works.

"So," Kat began. "How was the date?"

An involuntary smile graced upon my face at the mention of the date and I barely stopped myself from grinning like a love sick teenager.

"It was great," I mumbled.

Kat looked at me with eager eyes. Obviously, wanting more details.

"We went to watch the sunset and then..." I told her every single little detail about the evening and she listened intently. It is like a girl's rule.

Your best friend deserves every detail about your special night.

No matter what.

So I told her everything.

"...then he asked me to be his girlfriend." I concluded and Katherine's eyes bulged out.

"Oh my god! Did you say, yes?" Katherine asked, referring to Chance's proposal.

I smiled. "Of course."

Kat cooed, "Aw, look at you, blushing like a love sick girl," she pulled my cheeks and I swatted her hands away, frowning.

"Shut up, Kat.

"But like, I'm surprised." Katherine said, looking genuinely shocked. "Werewolves don't usually ask their mates to be their girlfriends because they're like... mates. And isn't that way better and more than being a girlfriend? It doesn't make sense...but maybe he wanted to seal the deal with a gesture?"

I shrugged and hugged my knees. "Don't know. Mates don't usually call each other girlfriend and boyfriend because they're mates. But I think Chance did it because he wanted to show everyone in the school that I mean something to him and I am not just one of his conquests."

"Then why doesn't he just declare that you're his mate?" Katherine asked.

That question made me frown.

"I asked him, he said that I will become the most powerful woman in the pack in the absense of Reece's mate- the Luna and he doesn't want to declare it till he marks me. Because that will get me in danger. He wants to wait till the next full or new moon to mark me, and then only will he tell everyone about us."

Katherine nodded slowly. "Makes sense. The time when higher ranks can mark come every fortnight. Such that it's either full moon or new moon. But wait, wasn't the last day..."

"Yeah it was my birthday." I said. "Last full moon was my birthday and next New moon will be in about 5 days from now."

"So does that mean it is the same day as to when you'll shift?"

I bit my lip and nodded. "Yeah, hopefully. I hope I shift soon, Kat. Because if I don't, people will start talking nonsense about me and call me abnormal. I ...I don't want that. I just want my wolf. I hope I shift Kat...I want to have my wolf and go on runs in the woods with it, just like you guys do. But I haven't been seeing any growth in my wolf for a long time. The only times I feel her is when I'm with Chance and that's about it. What if I never shift? Oh god...what will happen..."

Katherine stopped my rambling by keeping a hand over my arm. "Stop worrying, Oli. Everything will be fine. Once Chance marks you, your shifting will trigger and your wolf will come out."

"Is marking necessary?" I asked, curiously.

Kat shrugged, "not always. But it fastens it. Marking fastens your shift and rejection makes your wolf very weak, almost non shiftable."

The word rejection made me cringe but I reminded myself that that won't happen. Chance has changed he won't reject me. He promised to mark me on next New moon and declare that I'm his mate.

Everything will be alright.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Chance exclaimed as he walked into the kitchen and stole a sandwich from my plate.

"Hey!" I complained and punched his arm. He chuckled at me as he wolfed down my sandwich.

I frowned at me, grumbling. "You are a little bitch, you know that right?"

"Nothing about me is little, sunshine." Chance said, wiggling his eyebrows and I gaped at him.

"Chance!" I hissed. "We're in the kitchen." I said, referring to the old couple in the kitchen who were now covering their child's ear while throwing us deadly glare; and the poor grandma on the counter who almost choked on her food.

"I never asked you this," Chance said as we got out of the car for school. "But why did you shift to the pack house?"

"Oh that," I smiled. "My parents were a little busy. They had to go to a neighboring pack to help them in the war conditions."

"Oh." Came his short reply.

"Yeah, and my mom, she's working after so long! I am so happy for her, Chance. Do you know she left working a few years ago for no reason?"

No answer. I looked up to to see Chance walking with a thoughtful expression.

I wondered if he was even listening to me. Was he thinking about some pack business? Was he mind linking about something important?

I waited for a few seconds before asking.

"Chance, are you okay?"

He didn't say anything.

"Chance?" I touched his arm to get his attention and he almost jumped up in alarm, as if being awaken from a trace.

"Huh?" Was his reply as he blinked repeatedly, as if waking up from some dream.

I gave him a confused look and he smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, I am sorry, Sunshine. I was just mind linking Ryder about some little rogue attack in the borders. Didn't hear you. What were you saying?"

I nodded, understandingly and repeated my words.

"So, doesn't your father work for the pack anymore?" He asked as we entered the school building.

"Oh he does. The alpha only sent him to that pack for help."

"Of course." Came his reply.

I nodded and we reached our lockers, I turned to ask him about his parents but he was already talking.

"I'll see you later, sunshine. Got some business to take care of." He said as he lightly peck my lips and left.

I smiled and waved at him.

"Did you see Ryder?" I whispered to Andrew as I sat on my bench in the English period and Andrew shook his head.

I frowned at him and wondered what happened. He hasn't been talking a lot. Even when we were walking here, he didn't say a word and now he's not even replying verbally.

What happened?

This isn't usual Andrew. Because usually Andrew can't stop yapping about everything and rambles even more than I do.

I made a mental note to talk to him about this later as the teacher started the class and turned towards the board.

Halfway through the class, when everyone was absorbed in reading The Rimes of an Ancient Mariner, the door opened and Ryder walked into the class.

He looked at the teacher and I could tell they mindlinked as the teacher let him in without questioning.

Ryder walked lifelessly to my seat and seated himself next to me.

"Where were you?" I asked, whispering so that no one hears me.

Ryder's eyes had saddened if possible and his eyes had darker circles than before. It angered me to no extent that my best friend was suffering because a power hungry bitch couldn't get an alpha mate.

"I met her." He whispered and I didn't even have to ask to know it didn't go well.

"You just tell me her name Ryder." I said, planning to give her a piece of mind as soon as I meet her.

Ryder shook his head. "No, Livy. I don't want you to involve yourself and get in danger. I'll handle this."

"Ryder, shut up." I said, rolling my eyes. "I didnt ask you, okay. I demand to know her name. I'll shake some sense into her head and tell her what big of an idiot she's being. Maybe she'll understand if a girl talks to her and reconsider her decision. Sometimes, people just reject out of panic. Maybe it's one of those cases. I promise, I'll be as polite as I can be. I need to talk to her. I can't you like this. Please, Ray, let me help..."

My voice turned pleading and he sighed.

"Fine... I'll tell you..." He whispered.

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