"re you sure you don't want us to come with you? You're prone to getting lost, you know," Dad joked as I grabbed my last bag and opened the car door.

"No, I'm good, and if I do get lost, then I'll just have to ask one of the hot seniors." I waved goodbye to my parents.

My parents wanted, no insisted, that they come with me to my orientation. Of course, I was eighteen, I wasn't a baby bird that's still stuck in the nest anymore, so I didn't want them to embarrass me. Even though I'd really miss them.

My phone buzzed and I took my phone out, getting a call from Stella.

"Hey, how are your classes? Any cute guys?" She asked excitedly.

"Orientation doesn't start for another thirty minutes and you're already asking me if there are cute guys in my classes?"

"Hey, I'm curious." She joked and I heard some cheering through the phone.

"Where are you right now?"

"A baseball game. Help me," Stella groaned dramatically, "Oh, yuck, Taylor and Jesse are making out and it's disgusting."

"Then stop agreeing to go on dates with them." I rolled my eyes. Even though Stella was still dating Matt Hudson, she still wanted to be the third wheel.

"It's not like I want to."

After Mystic High was busted, I saw Jesse come by and comfort Taylor. Ever since then, they'd mended the bond and slowly made their way to becoming inseparable.

"Don't you think it's weird that one of your best friend's is dating your ex?" I asked curiously.

"Nah, I've gotten over it. Besides, he's actually not that bad."

"That's true," I agreed. When Jesse saw what Dr. Vonn and her minions had done in their experiments, he changed his mind. Honestly, it didn't seem like something he'd do, he was a little thick-headed, but I was happy he was on our side.

I turned the corner, almost to the main auditorium. . . and there, walking towards me, was Roan.

"Uh, I gotta call you back." I ended the call and ran up to Roan.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

He pulled out some papers out of his pocket and showed them to me, smiling, "I'm here for the admitted students orientation."

What the hell? Since when was Roan going to the same college as me?

"But I thought you were going to the one in New York." He'd told me multiple times that he'd been accepted somewhere else. He'd also told me that he never applied to any colleges I'd applied to.

"Nope." He seemed kind of happy that I was confused.

I read the acceptance letter three times before it actually sank in.

"How did you know?"

"Stella told me which colleges you were applying to. I wanted to surprise you."

"For once in my life, I'm happy she opened her mouth." I said, smiling like a fool.

I still couldn't believe we were going to the same college. This was a dream.

"Orientation starts in half an hour, what do you want to do?" Roan checked his watch.

"Whatever tickles your peach."

"Okay, then, let's just. . . take a walk."

.•*•.

We walked beside the water, the yellow and red leaves flying through the air and landing in the pond.

It was peaceful. . . quiet, even.

"I quit my training. You know, the whole hunter thing." Roan said abruptly and I almost forgot that was one of the reasons why we fought.

"Wow, I don't even know why I was mad at you in the first place." It seemed so petty, compared to the shit that went down last year. It was like the end of the world, a mad scientist kidnapping werewolves to do terrible experiments on them and then the whole war between humans and werewolves.

The supernatural world was a mess.

He added, "Oh, and I finally found out what they were trying to do to me."

"Really? What?" Roan had never found out what they injected into his body last year. I'd found out that they were injecting me with wolfsbane, another clue that should've hinted at my heritage. Wolfsbane was lethal to wolves who weren't high in rank but to Alphas or descendants of Alphas, it just weakened them.

"They were simulating a werewolf bite, trying to see if I could turn into one." He shoved his hands in his jean pockets.

"And?"

"And. . . it didn't work. But I'm kind of happy it didn't." I was surprised, he'd always wanted to be a werewolf.

"Everyone knows werewolves are born, not made," I scoffed at Dr. Vonn's stupidity.

An end-of-the-summer breeze danced through my hair, tousling and making it become tangled.

I remembered it like it was only a few days ago. When everyone was freed, there was always someone waiting for them.

Matt showed up for Stella, Laurel hugged Asher, Jesse apologized to Taylor, even John and Nicole were being civil to each other.

And I had my brothers and my parents and Roan. I decided to forgive my parents, after all, I understood why they didn't tell anyone. They sacrificed their power for any scrap of normalcy and I respected that. I wanted that.

I glanced at him and caught him staring at me. I smirked.

"So when did you start to like me?"

He hummed casually, "Probably when you asked Asher out and he said no."

"Really? Why?"

"Because I was jealous."

"Then why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because I was stupid. And a coward."

"Well, it goes both ways." I sighed, gesturing to myself.

He stared at me for an extended amount of time before asking slyly, "When did you start to like me?"

"I guess. . . I always did."

"Oh, come on, that's not an answer."

"It so is," But it wasn't the one I had on my mind, "Okay, fine, when I transferred to Mystic High, that's when I realized I loved you." I inserted the word swiftly, trying to sound casual about it.

"Well, I think it was the time you told Drake to get the hell out. That's when I knew I loved you."

I giggled like a schoolgirl.

He just said he loved me.

Well, it's not like I wasn't used to it, but it had been some time since he'd talked about me like that.

Swoon.

Roan cleared his throat, "Did you hear Mystic High's re-opening? They're combining Mystic High and Rivier Prep."

"For real this time?" Mystic High wasn't just a group of human scientists who wanted to take apart werewolves and put them back together?

"They're trying to get humans and werewolves to be friends. Not sure if it'll work but it's a good idea."

"I don't get what the big deal is, humans aren't so bad." I smiled at him and he smiled back.

"And werewolves aren't so bad, either."

I looked down at the ground, not sure I could even call myself a werewolf. I'd lost the ability to phase or mind link or have a mate.

Roan checked his watch, "Oh shit, orientation starts in five minutes."

"Race ya." I took off running and he sighed loudly, obviously wanting to take it slow.

"Come on, Leia," Nevertheless, he ran with me, "You cheated, you started before me." I rolled my eyes. Says the guy who's already caught up to me.

"Why do you call me that?" I asked as we scared a flock of birds.

"Why do you think?"

"Because you forget my real name." I deadpanned and he smirked.

"Because I'm Han Solo and you're my princess," I tried not to laugh at how cheesy he was being, "I'm kidding, it's because I actually thought your name was Leia."

"You big dork." He always was obsessed with Star Wars.

"Yeah, I was a big dork for you."

"Stop it," I shoved him playfully but secretly, I liked it.

We slowed down when we got to the main path.

Suddenly, he grabbed my hands and stopped us.

"What are you doing?" I raised an eyebrow and he touched the side of my face.

"Wait, I wanna try something first."

"We're gonna be late-"

He pulled me closer and pressed his lips to mine.

I could feel his love for me pour into the kiss, so beautiful and fragile that I was scared it would break.

Tugging him closer, I kissed him back with equal passion, addicted to the feeling of his sweet lips on mine.

I wanted to stay this way forever. Frozen in time with him.

A human and a werewolf.

I gave up my mate, he gave up his pack. We gave up our thrones to live a normal life, to link our souls as one and spend the rest of our time together in this world.

And we'd never regret it.