He was gorgeous. That was to say the least. His muscles rippled underneath his olive skin and part of my brain had me convinced they were calling for me to touch them.

The top half of Theo's body was covered in patterns in different colours. There were deep blue swirly patterns that covered his right shoulder and swirled on to his right pectoral muscle and mingled with sharp, red (almost black) patterns that moved across his left side of his chest and down underneath his left arm.

"Theo? Why do you have all these marks?" I asked him, but realising I might sound like I was being bitchy, I rephrased. "I mean, these match mine so they must mean that you have found your mate. But the sharp looking ones?" I trailed off while looking up into his eyes as they stared into my soul.

"They symbolise that I'm an alpha." He said simply.

My eyes widened. "An alpha?" I asked. He nodded, as if eager that I was realising this for the first time. "I've heard stories about the mating marks that I have always wanted to try, ever since I was a little boy." He said quietly. "Trace them."

At first I didn't really know what he meant but then I thought of the marks under my touch and I could hardly contain the need I felt for them. Inwardly, I was ecstatic. Outwardly, I smiled; glad I was finally getting an opportunity to touch the swirls. I lightly grazed my forefinger against the biggest swirl but leapt back.

"It glows?" I asked incredulously. More like an accusation than a question.

He let out a surprised laugh. "Ha. It actually worked?" he said still grinning. When I heard his laugh, something shifted in my gut and I began laughing too. He stopped still and gave a chuckle at me. "You're so adorable." He said from a distance.

Every cell in my body begged me to close the distance again. To press small frame against his and finally quench my thirst for his body. Instead, much to my distaste, he put his shirt on and helped me zip my dress back up.

"Let's go to lunch pancake." He said leading me to the front door.

** ** ** **

He had taken me to the nicest place in town and, while we waited for our food and ate, he told me everything.

And, surprise, surprise, I listened.

"A pack is like a community, we are a family built of little families. There is the head family, the ranking families and the pack families." He said before taking a sip of the beer in front of him.

"The head family is made up of the Alpha, the Luna, aka his mate, and their children. The eldest of the children will grow up to be the Alpha and the rest could, stay in the pack as a lower rank wolf, start their own pack or they can go to a pack nearby and challenge that current alpha." He said scanning the restaurant for ear droppers who were too close. "I chose the second option and made my own pack. However, a soon-to-be alpha can only have a pack after his, or her, twenty-fifth birthday or after they find their mate." He said looking back to me.

"So an alpha can be female?" I asked frowning. He nodded slowly. "Yeah but they are referred to as Luna." I cocked my head. "Why Luna?" I asked. He smiled. "That's a question that most human mates ask. The word Luna means moon. Wolves howl at the moon. Luna is the highest form of praise for a female."

He began to speak about the ranking families but was interrupted by a tall, beautiful waitress who wore a short, clinging dress that showed of her long legs. Who, by the way, completely ignored me and preyed on Theo like her next victim. Her long eyelashes batting uncontrollably.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" she asked him, literally shifting her breasts.

Yeah, I mean as in using her hand and propping up her chest to make them seem bigger.

I mentally gagged at her efforts to claim him.

Theo shook his head his eyes locked on mine. "No, but you should ask my beautiful date. Want anything else?" I smiled at him and nodded to the waitress. "May I please have another of that wine please?" I asked, still blushing at Theo. "Of course." She said in a think sarcastic voice as she trotted off unpleasantly.

"She reminded me of that waitress in Twilight!" I whisper-yelled. Giving a giggle. "She doesn't hold a flame to your beauty." He said.

I knew I was pretty but she was model worthy.

"That's the problem; she holds the whole freaking fire over me." I said smiling in the direction her sorry ass had taken. Theo shook his head seriously. "You are the most beautiful woman who has ever graced my eyes with their presence." He said making my cheeks colour.