After not getting home until the wee hours of the morning, I did not quite get out of bed at my normal 4 AM. Although, now that I am on the first week of my last summer vacation for a while, I think I could probably get away with sleeping in a bit. The only person that will say anything would be John. He was a creature of habit, just like me.

Finally rolling out of bed, I grabbed my phone. 12 missed calls, 26 text messages, and 3 voicemails I did not need to read them or listen to them to know that they were all from McKenna. I opened my phone and instantly it started to vibrate, McKenna was calling again.

I answered only hearing, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!? I HAVE BEEN SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING TAKING OFF FROM THE PARTY AND NOT SAYINGING ANYTHING LIKE THAT?!?"

I was holding my phone a good 6 inches from my ear as she yelled at me, "Whoa! Kenz! Chill! I was hanging out with Tate last night. You knew that."

Instantly, McKenna's rant ended, "I will be over in 10 minutes," and the line went dead.

I pulled myself out of bed, since she is on her way over, I should at least get up and be presentable. After I grabbed a pair of my denim shorts and my old ACDC t-shirt before heading into the bathroom for a shower. By the time I got out of the shower and dressed, McKenna was already in my room plopped on my bed waiting for me.

After a few minutes Kenz finally looked at me, "Well, well. I didn't actually think you had it in you, you're a sneaky little girl."

"Oh, shut up. It isn't like we did anything. It's not like we marked each other and mated. We just talked." I was going to leave it at that until she gave me the, I know you are not telling me everything mom eyes, which made me kind of snap, "Come on Kenz! Just stop, you know that this isn't going anywhere. We might spend a couple weeks together, but that is it! His life is going to be with Kimber, you know it, I know it, and so does he. It is known pack wide that the Alpha has already laid this all out."

McKenna got up off my bed, "You know you only get one mate, the Goddess puts you together for a reason. Don't walk away from him because it is hard. Nothing worth anything is ever easy." I blew out a breath, looking down at my fingers like a scolded child.

"I know."

"You know I love you like a sister. I would do anything for you. I will keep your secrets forever, no one could get me to break them, so I am not going to tell anyone about who your mate is. You have lost so much in your life, don't give up on him just yet." She said, giving me a hug. "Now, I have a date. So, I will see you later." And with that McKenna was out the door. I love how she just stops in to scold me and then runs off.

Shaking my head and trying to clear my mind I figured I would go get breakfast and check on my mother.

*********************************************************************

I needed to get away, needed to clear my head. I needed to think and sitting at home was not helping any. Deciding to go for a run, I went into my room, changing into a pair of my black leggings, a sports bra, and tank top. Since most of the day was shot there was no point in running to gym for a workout, so I figured I would take the 10-mile trail through the woods. On my way out the door I grabbed my bag, phone, headphones, and hydro flask.

As I ran, the ground pounding under my feet, my mind was reeling with everything, I lost myself to the music and inner monologue with my wolf.

"He isn't going to want us. He has Kimber."

"Don't be stupid, our mate wants us" my wolf growled.

"What about school? I have an agreement with the Alpha to go train to be the pack doctor."

"Who cares? Stay with mate, be Luna."

"I am not Luna material. My father is dead and since his death my mother has fallen to that of Omega."

"Shut up! The Moon Goddess would never mate us to an Alpha if we weren't meant to be Luna."

"Oh, stop growling at me. You know what I am saying in real. Besides he is NEVER going to choose us over Kimber. His father has made it clear to the entire pack that Kimber will be his Luna no matter what!"

"Grrrrr...."

"You know I am right Lily, I don't want us to get any more hurt than we already are. No sense in getting our hopes up. I need to think about school. I made a deal with Alpha Blackwell."

I slowed my pace, stopping for a quick moment to grab my hydro flask and drink down a few gulps of water. After drinking some water, I bent over placing my hands on my knees taking a few deep breaths to calm my breathing back to a normal pace. Then from out of nowhere a hand was placed on my shoulder, and just from pure instinct and all the adrenaline pumping through my system I grabbed the arm of the person touching me, flinging them over my shoulder and onto the ground in front of me.

"Ow!"

I looked at the person that I had just thrown to the ground and in shock I pulled my headphones from my ears, "Oh shit! I am so sorry! You scared the shit out of me." I helped my victim off the ground, tingles shooting from my fingertips up my arms. "You should know better than to grab an unsuspecting girl."

"I don't think you were very unsuspecting with the way you just flung me to the ground." Tate said. "You know there are not many people that have ever been able to flatten me like that?"

"I am sure," I said coolly. "But I also don't think you were expecting me to react like that." Tate just looked at me, he had this twinkle in his eye, "So what are you doing out here anyway?"

"I was looking for you." A smirk playing at his lips.

"Why?"

"What would you say if I told you that I just did not have the power inside to stay away from you?"

"I would say that you are lying, Tate. Please, let it be." The pain was laced in my words, I could see that he understood the deeper meaning behind my words.

"But I don't want to." He said, stepping closer to me, placing the palm of his hand on the back of my neck. Gently pulling me closer to him. Without warning his lips were on mine. At that moment it was as if the world stilled and fireworks erupted from inside. I know how cliché it sounds, but it is everything that I was ever told it would be and more. It was as if everything in my life made perfect sense. Everything was leading me to this one moment. The moment I lost myself, the moment that Tate became the gravity holding me to the earth.

I was now more lost than ever. I had no idea what I was going to do. I was now lost in Tate, he wielded this power over me, and it scared me. I knew that I did not have the power to resist him, I wanted him more than anything, more than my education, more than being a doctor.

With that one electric kiss, Tate Blackwell had set my world on fire, he had set me on fire.