Ivana

He moved to cup both my cheeks, his forehead still resting on mine. Sweet delicious tingles spread on my face and I closed my eyes. I felt him kiss my eyelids.

"Ivy, I want to be yours, please accept me." He pleaded.

"Damn it." I muttered and opened my eyes to look up at him.

He pulled back slightly. "That wasn't the response I was looking for."

I poked hard at his chest with my index finger. "You don't get to do that to me. You don't get to bully me for years and then confess what you have felt for me."

I pushed away from him and began pacing the floor, pinching the bridge of my nose as I thought about what he just said. I can't deny that I felt happiness fluttering in my stomach or the fact that my heart was thumping rapidly against my chest at his confession but god was I pissed off.

I whipped around to look at him. "You bullied me, Killian! You hurt me! You said awful things!"

"I know." His face dropped sadly. "I wish I was better at telling you I liked you but when we were kids you said you will never like me and it was just easier to make you mad and irritate you to get your attention-"

"You could have apologized!" I pointed out.

"If I did, would you really have accepted my apology? We were kids back then, Ivy." He explained.

He was right. I would've said that I still don't like him. He took a step toward me and grabbed my elbow, halting me from pacing.

"I'm sorry, Ivy. I am truly sorry. I wish I can take it all back and didn't make fun of you. I wish we were friends when we were little." He said. "I wish I had better communication."

I scoffed. "You suck at communicating."

"I know but I am trying, Ivy." He said.

We were silent for a couple of minutes before he spoke up again.

"So you won't accept me?" He asked and tried to not look hurt but I can see it and hear it in his voice.

"Can you give me time?" I asked.

His face fell and instantly I sought to soothe away the hurt I inflicted on him with my uncertain answer. My hands came up to cup his cheek so that he will remain eye contact with me.

"I'm not saying I do not accept you, Killian. I want to get to know you and I want us to learn each other first. You have been gone six years and came back a completely different person. Can you give me at least that much?" I asked.

His eyes came back with a brighter color and I can feel the frown on his face disappearing. "I can."

I smiled then. "Then that means you need to start courting me your mate."

He chuckled. "I guess it does which means we should start immediately. Tonight, we will go out on a date."

"Wait, hold on, but I am so tired." I said. "We just got back from-"

"I'm not wasting another minute, Ivy. We have waited long enough and I am not a very patient male." He interrupted. I huffed and crossed my arms as he directed me towards the bed. "Rest up and I will see you at six tonight."

At exactly six, Killian sauntered into my bedroom without knocking. He was dressed in a v-neck black t-shirt and dark denim jeans with casual black shoes. His tattoos peaked down his arms to his wrist.

"Ready?" He asked.

I nodded and moved to pick up my thin jacket as we headed out my bedroom. We walked in silence down the steps toward the front door when my mom stopped us.

"Where are you two going?" She asked as she walked up to us. "Dinner is about to be served soon."

I didn't realize we were holding hands until my mom's eyes zoned in on it. I tugged on my hand to release it from Killian's hold and when he realized that we were holding hands he let go. My mom looked up at us with a smile on her face.

"Um, mom, Killian and I we were just going to go out, you know, have some time to-" I didn't know what to say.

"Luna, I was hoping to take Ivana out to eat. We will be back soon, I promise not to take her out long and I promise to watch over her." Killian helped me out. My mom's eyes sparkled and her grin grew.

"Of course, go right ahead, Killian. I'll let your parents know and the Alpha as well." She responded.

When we were well away from her ears I moved closer to Killian as I whispered, "I think she knows."

"Why do you think that?" He unlocked the car and opened the door for me to get in.

When he got into his side of the car and started the ignition I spoke. "Because I know my mom and she has that look in her eyes. The looks that told me she knew exactly what was going on but she was going to pretend that she doesn't."

"Oh?" Killian looked confused. "So you are able to tell what she's thinking just by looking at her?"

"I know my mom and that look is a look that I know very well."

He chuckled. "I am sure everything will be fine. We will have to tell them eventually."

I groaned. "I know."

"Do you not want to tell them?" He asked a little hurt as he made a turn onto the road that led back to the city. He was so tall that his head almost touched the top of the car.

"It's not that. I know we will have to tell them eventually. It's my dad. He wants me to find a mate but I don't think he is mentally prepared yet." I responded.

"We will see when the time comes." Killian said. "Don't worry so much about it."

We rarely venture out into the cities but when we do it was a beautiful sight—especially at night. We grow so use to just seeing the moon as our light at night that when we do see the numerous lights that lights the streets and stores in Paris it was beautiful.

Killian and I stopped at small restaurant that had outdoor seating. We ordered our food and as we waited Killian rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a pink glittered bow clip that I recognized that was mine. It was my favorite.

"How did you find it?" I asked. "I lost it when we went on vacation at the beach. I remember I did!"

I moved to take it out of his hand. He shrugged. "I went to look for it after you cried for hours."

I blinked. "You did?"

He nodded his response. The hair clip still looked so new, untouched. I remember he was gone for hours while my parents try to make me understand that it was just a hair clip and they can buy me a new one. I didn't think about his absence until now. It made sense.

"How long did it take you?" I asked. "Where did I put it?"

"It took me a few hours actually. You lost it while you were building a castle on the beach."

"You mean the one you stomped on?" I retorted and he grinned.

"That one."

He looked handsome tonight even when he was dressed casually. I admit I was extremely attracted to Killian. I always have been attracted to him even when he was a total bully but this was really sweet of him. I can't believe he kept it.

"Thank you." I whispered. "Although, I don't know why you did it, I am super happy that you did. If we ever have a female pup I will definitely pass this on to her."

Killian didn't respond to me and I looked up at him. He was smiling and it was then I realized what I had just said. My cheeks heated up and I placed the clip into my jacket.

"I think our female pup will love it."