"So, how'd you do on the exam?" Jasmine asked me, sitting on a bench in Callum's back yard in a tank top and a pair of shorts. Other packmates sat at tables and on picnic blankets around us, chatting with each other.

I sank deeper into my sweatshirt, unsure how anyone could be warm in this fall wind, and groaned in response.

Adan fucking pissed me off.

Because of him, I failed that test, had a shitty attitude toward Callum earlier, and constantly looked over my shoulder to see if Adan was coming to find me again. If he kept coming around, then Mom and Dad would surely find me. I glanced over at Callum sitting at a table with a couple of his warriors—that's what he told me who they were—and frowned.

I wouldn't let Mom and Dad take anyone else away from me.

They had already stolen my life. Now they wanted more.

All for money.

That's all their daughter was worth, apparently.

"That bad, huh?" Levi asked, arching a thick brown brow. "You can always suck off your mate to get a better—"

Jasmine elbowed Levi so hard in the ribs that they cracked. I winced and scrunched my nose, as Levi doubled over the table and grasped his side, giving Jasmine a side-eye. "All you have to do is tell me to shut up, not break my bones."

"I've tried that approach before with you," Jasmine said. "And it doesn't work."

Rolling his eyes, Levi turned back to me. "As I was saying..."

My lips curled into a small smile, and I suppressed a giggle. Man, this guy never learned his lesson, not even after having his ribs broken. So, I leaned forward toward Jasmine. "If he says any more shit, go for his spine next time."

"Goddess-damn..." Levi said, smacking his lips shut. "She-wolves are ruthless."

"In a couple weeks, I won't be the one breaking your bones, Levi," Jasmine said, taking a bite of her burger. "Bria will snap you in two pieces, chew you up, spit you out, and leave you for the rogues, if you talk back to her."

Levi leaned closer to me and smirked, as if he was challenging me. "I don't think so."

From across the yard, Callum growled so lowly that I... clenched. Levi quickly moved back into his seat and picked up his burger, his entire body now tense, his head bowed, and his gaze connected with his plate.

My breath caught in my throat at how quickly a growl from Callum could put anyone in their place. Anyone except me, of course.

I might've hated how jealousy looked on Adan, but on Callum...

Whew!

All I had to say was that I loved it more than I should've. Jealous, overly possessive, even over the top suited Callum Lee, my classics professor and now... my boyfriend, if I could even call him that.

So much so that I wanted to make him even more possessive of me.

And I knew just the way, for tomorrow in class.

Jasmine smiled. "If you haven't noticed, alphas are extremely possessive of what's theirs. Alpha Lee has already told Levi to stay away from you, and someone"—she turned her glare on at Levi—"can't listen to any orders ever."

Levi straightened his back. "I don't listen to ord—"

Lee growled again, and Levi snapped his mouth shut. I suppressed a giggle and finished the rest of my food. Callum glanced over at me, as if he wanted to come over and talk, but I turned away, still sorta-kinda angry at myself for getting pissed at him today and failing his test. Besides, I didn't like the attention on me when I was with him, not yet anyways.

I didn't know any of his packmates, and they all seemed very talkative and loud and close, while I was quiet Bria Benton who was trying to get over her confidence issues and running away from a family that had never accepted her.

Uneasiness set over me. I stood, politely excused myself from dinner, and tossed my plate in the trash, my social battery suddenly drained. Slipping through the back packhouse door, I ran up a flight of stairs to the library and shut the doors behind me, breathing in the calming scent of ancient paper and decade-old books.

After pulling a random book from the shelf, I settled down in one of the library chairs and flipped it open, a drawing of a wolf on the first page accompanied by the title: One Alpha. I arched a brow and turned the page, glancing through the summary to see if it would be something I'd enjoy reading.

"Ooh! Great choice!" an older woman said. Striking silver hair that came to her mid-back and piercing brown eyes, she gestured to the book. "Has Callum taught you about The One Alpha myth yet?"

I glanced back down at the book, then at her. "Not yet."

"Oh, goddess, that's more surprising than finding out he has a human mate," the woman said, giving me a small smile. "Callum loved this book when he was a boy. I secretly think that's what turned him into a mythology-obsessed professor."

Not knowing what to say, I shifted in the seat, placed the book in my lap, and smiled. What could I even say to her? I didn't know her at all; Callum hadn't really introduced me to anyone this weekend, had basically locked us both away in his packhouse for days.

"You're Bria, right?" she finally said.

My lips curled into a soft smile. "Yes."

She sat in the chair beside me and placed a hand on my knee. "I'm Callum's mom."

Cheeks flushing, I sat up taller and grasped the book until my knuckles turned white. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know! I'm Bria," I said stupidly after she literally just asked my name, embarrassing myself even further. I nervously rubbed my sweaty palm on my jeans. "Sorry. I, uhm..."

"Don't worry about it, Sweetheart." Callum's mom gently patted my knee. "Anyway, I wanted to introduce myself to you, since Callum has been keeping you to himself like I expected him to. I'll let you get back to that book." She glanced down at it once more. "You'll enjoy it."

Once she left, I glanced out the library window at Callum outside, easily chatting with his pack. I hugged One Alpha to my chest and frowned. I could barely chat with his mom without making an ass of myself.

Being a luna was going to be more incredibly difficult than anything else.

Maybe even more difficult than dealing with the Council.