"I have come to a decision" I declared standing in front of Jonathan and Ryan.

"Right" Ryan nervously answered; sweat literally dripping from his forehead.

Well damn, it feels like they're about to announce the results of the presidential elections in here.

"Well... you see, you're werewolves. I'm human. So-"

"Please don't do this" Ryan cut off, his heart beating so fast I could hear it echo through the room.

"Ryan-"

"No, please just hear me out-"

"But Ryan-"

"I can't live without you-"

"I'm not-"

"I won't bother you or-"

"I'm not rejecting you" I snapped.

"And I won't- Wait, what?"

"I'm not rejecting you for fuck's sake" I repeated, a wide smile instantly taking over. "But" I intervened "I'm not completely accepting this either" his smile dropped a few degrees. "You have to understand this whole werewolf thing is absolutely, crazily new to me, and I won't jump on the opportunity to live between... things like yourselves. I hope you don't expect me to move in with you or meet your pack or, mate or mark or whatever it was, with you right now. I will continue to prioritize my job and my partner and my friends, and for now, we too will remain friends. I know that I have no escape from this path, so I won't run from it, but I'm not ready to fully embrace it, so we're gonna take this one step at a time." Their faces remained neutral as I said this, none of them breaking out into panic.

"One step at a time it is then" Ryan finally spoke up, a certain smile lighting his face up. He extended his hand forward, my eyes staring at them for a mere second before I placed my hand in them to shake him back. What I didn't expect was for a sudden spark to spread throughout my body, igniting every fiber within me. "Don't worry; it's natural for mates to have that spark. You'll get used to it." He notified me, clarifying my doubts.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later" I awkwardly mentioned beginning to move before his voice interrupted me.

"You're leaving already?" regret covered his face the minute he caught my expression "I mean, yeah, see ya later?" he reluctantly responded, making me chuckle on the inside. I returned a smile, making my way outside the Barnes residence.

It was time for me to get to my next destination. Go to meet him. He was finally here, away from England, and I had to see him.

The Cock & Bull British pub came into view, causing excitement to flutter within me. I emerged from the car, walking through the doors, causing the bell above to jingle, and suddenly, it felt like England all over again.

At the very end of the bar, I spotted James. He wore his usual attire; a plane blue shirt on a casual pair of jeans and sipped the usual Pimm's Cooler he always had back at home.

"James Darson, it's been donkey's years!" I exclaimed, gaining his attention. A smile spread on his face as a he saw me, causing him to elevate from his seat and embrace me in a hug.

"How have you been Liz?" he questioned me once we sat down on the bar stools.

"I've been fantastic James. What about yourself? Where have you been all these years? It's been forever since I've seen you last!" James ordered me my favourite beer, returning to my question.

"I know, after the whole Brew incident...-"

"Yeah" I interrupted, not wanting to bring back burning memories. James smiled at me, holding my hands in his to cheer me up.

"Well, the past is the past. Tell me, what have you been up to these days?"

"Oh nothing much really" I said, unconsciously throwing a sarcastic tone in my voice given the circumstances in my life.

"Oh that's tosh Liz, stop taking the piss already! Oh my lord, are you up the duff?"

"Bob's your uncle!" I exclaimed, obviously being 100% sarcastic. There was no way I was pregnant.

"Are you really?" He asked, completely gobsmacked.

"Of course not you daft cow!" I laughed, a relieved face replacing his tense one.

"Stop taking the piss would you Liz? That was not funny!"

"I see you're still the same old gullible James that you were"

"I am indeed" he agreed.

"Well, I am a detective for the New York Police Department. What about yourself? What snookers have you been up to?" He smiled down at me with pride.

"Well, surprisingly I haven't been snookered ever since the Brew. I moved to Ireland, started working in a shop my uncle owns. My uncle died a few months ago and he left the shop to me, so here I am owner of an ordinary textile shop in Dublin" he concluded. I smiled, not being able to imagine a tough man such as James working in a textile shop.

"Get a lot of action from the old ladies do you?" I hinted, chuckling loudly.

"Oh get stuffed! I'll have you know that I still manage to achieve the full monty with the young ladies. Irish girls are-"

"Oh spare me the details James!" I exclaimed. A moment of silence filled the tense air before James noticed my discomfort.

"Spill Liz. I know there is something you need to tell me" I froze not being able to think for a few seconds.

Should I tell him?

I trusted James with my life, but I also made a promise to the boys that I wouldn't tell anyone. One mistake could lead to a whole load of mess I wasn't ready to deal with.

"I'm completely gormless as to what you're referring to James. It's all tickety-boo in my world." I pretended, wanting to avoid the subject. Before he could insist, I decided to divert the situation "Anyways, I better go spend a penny" I began getting off my seat to go to the toilet when James caught my arm, stopping me.

"I can tell that you're fagged, so I won't pressure you to tell me Liz. Now, sit down; we'll talk about something else. Did I mention I'm getting married next year?"