I didn't sleep that night. Nolan plagued my every thought. Every minute, I grew too uncomfortable or too hot and resorted to tossing and turning until the sheets tied ropes around my ankles. I must have tried out every pillow on the king-sized bed and subsequently thrown them onto the floor when they failed my comfort-test.

All the while, I meticulously planned a speech for Nolan. My mind sorted through at least a dozen scenarios for when I saw him again in the morning: Where have you been? Look, I get that you're angry with me, but you have to understand that I'm my own person! You don't own me. I'm glad you gave me space last night... Why didn't you stay up for me?

I couldn't help from dwell on that last thought, even if I would never admit to the hurt that festered deep in my heart.

Of course, it didn't help that Nolan's scent encompassed every surface in the bedroom. Pine and peppermint and musk and... I groaned out loud. This is hell!

Against all odds, counting sheep helped. I counted seventy seven white, fluffy lambs that softened the harsh edge of worry that jabbed my thoughts. By the time sleep weighed down my eyelids, the sun's fingers sought to peel back the bedroom curtains and creep across the floor. I had only an hour of sleep before the light reached the pillow where my head rested.

When the bright orange against my eyelids became intolerable, I woke up. Note to self: Ask Lizzie to ship my old zebra print eye-mask to the Black Lupis pack house.

Given my less-than-restful night, I could have laid in bed for hours, but the familiar click and creak of the cottage's front door had my heart accelerating. Finally! Nolan had come home. I scrambled out of bed, narrowly avoiding a nasty tumble in the twisted sheets, and opened the door into the living room.

A male figure occupied the space in front of the door way. But it certainly wasn't Nolan.

"What are you doing here, Dylan?" I growled. The annoyance in my voice certainly conveyed my word's underlying meaning: You are not who I wanted to see this morning.

"Nice to see you too, brat," Dylan yawned, but his words dripped with sarcasm nonetheless.

I let out a long breath. I was being unfair. Dylan didn't deserve ill-treatment just because I felt on-edge. But I couldn't shake the worry that gnawed at my very core like a parasite. I blamed my dormant wolf... Somewhere, hidden deep within myself, she needed her mate.

I clenched my teeth together with shocking pressure, an attempt to release some of the frustration I felt before I unleashed any more of it on the poor man in front of me. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me."

"Damn right," Dylan snorted.

I painted a painfully false smile on my lips and spoke through gritted teeth, "Let me try again: Good morning, Dylan. What are you doing here?"

Amusement danced in his eyes at my shoddy attempt at making amends, but he moved on. "I'm here to baby-sit you, remember? Alpha's orders."

"Hmph," I muttered, crossing my arms against my chest. I walked closer to the male, "And where, exactly, is our wonderful Alpha?"

There was no denying the sarcasm that laced my words, but, then again, there was no denying the fact that Nolan and I did not get along. Dylan undoubtedly knew about all of our spats and arguments, yet he did not treat me any differently. Truthfully, I was grateful to have a friend in Dylan, even though he'd been forced onto me by my mate.

"He's out with-- Holy hell, Charlie!" Dylan rushed toward me, eyes widened in shock.

"What-is-it?!" I half-yelled, hands automatically flying to my hair. Is it a spider?! I brushed imaginary cobwebs and critters from my hair as a precaution, but soon realized that Dylan wasn't looking at my hair at all.

"Your face," Dylan pointed toward my cheek.

I lifted my fingers up to the spot in question and flinched at the touch. My cheekbone had a nasty bruise, and I raised my arms to investigate any further battle-injuries from the night before. My knuckles were battered and bruised, and I was sore all over, but, otherwise, everything seemed intact.

"Shit, that hurts," I whispered, tenderly investigating the little knot on my cheek, courtesy of Dominic's left-hook. I'd have to pay him back later, but, for now, I had an over-protective Delta to deal with. "I'm fine, just a training accident."

Dylan looked unconvinced, so I tossed a long tendril of brown hair over my shoulder in mock- confidence. "Seriously, you should see the other guy!"

He rolled his eyes, and I wondered if he knew just who 'the other guy' was in this situation. Regardless, I wanted to avoid another lecture, so I changed the subject before Dylan could reprimand my foolishness or my poor blocking technique.

"Where did you say Nolan was?" I feigned disinterest.

"I didn't!" Dylan replied quickly--too quickly.

I cocked a brow at my Delta, ignoring the slight twinge of pain in my cheek from the facial movement, and crossed my arms against my chest. "Dylan, where is Nolan?"

He still looked unwilling to talk, so I twisted my features into my best 'You Better Not Lie To Me' glare. I'd seen it on my father's face enough times, and it always made me want to pee my pants. It was worth a shot.

The corners of Dylan's lips turned up in a smile. Not quite the reaction I was looking for, especially when I detected the smallest hint of pity in his gaze. Pity. Dylan pities me! And, perhaps because of my pathetic nature, Dylan decided to tell me the truth.

"He's at the Broken Valley Pack," he resigned.

"Why?"

"Alpha Kayan's daughter just turned eighteen. There's a party." Dylan shrugged, as if that sort of thing happened all of the time.

I thought back to my own eighteenth birthday. It had been a quaint birthday party thrown by my dad, brother, and closest friends. My own Alpha didn't even come to my birthday, let alone the Alpha from another pack! Then again, I was only a Beta's daughter. On top of that, I couldn't shift into my own damn werewolf...

Rather than allow self-pity to consume my thoughts, I faked a smile. "A party? What does that have to do with Nolan?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Dylan squirmed, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck. "Well, she is an Alpha's daughter." I shot him a look that screamed 'Yeah, so?,' and he continued, "You know... It's customary for available males, especially Alphas, to scope out potential partners in powerful bloodlines."

AVAILABLE MALES? I couldn't be sure if I screamed the words out loud, or silently to myself. I felt my mouth fall open, and my eyes felt like they might bulge right out of their sockets. Blood pounded against my skull, so loud I couldn't even hear my own thoughts. Thank the Moon Goddess.

And then I laughed. I laughed like Dylan had just told the funniest joke I'd ever heard. I laughed like a mad woman. And maybe I was. Dylan certainly seemed to think so. The poor male winced every time my shoulders shook with the manic laughter.

Several long moments passed before I calmed down, and I wiped a stray tear from beneath my eye. I tried to ignore the chasm in my chest that seemed to split me right in two, tearing me apart from the inside out. I considered crying for a half of a second, but decided to stick my tongue in my cheek instead. "I guess my invitation got lost in the mail, huh?"

Dylan didn't try to smile at my sad attempt for a joke. Pity swarmed his gaze once more. "I'm sorry, Charlie. He told us not to tell you anything."

"Why? It's no secret that Nolan and I don't l-like each other." A single crack in my voice betrayed me. I thought back to the conversation that Nolan and I had a few nights ago. We said we were friends... partners. "Besides, I would have found out eventually. If not from you, then by their engagement card."

My own self-deprecating jokes tortured me, and Dylan could tell. He took a step forward and clapped me roughly on an already sore shoulder. The gesture translated to 'I feel your pain, bro' in the male language. "Look, lets forget about it. What do you want to do today?"

I took a deep breath. Resolve washed over me like a wave.

"I want to go to the Broken Valley Pack. Let's freakin' party."