Two hours later I sat across from Stephan in a beautiful black dress, his hand holding mine tightly as we sat in the tiny round booth of a fancy Thai restaurant called ‘Embers Formation’.

“You look so beautiful.” he smiled, his thumb brushing over the top of my hand.

“Even with my All Stars?” I grinned.

“Even with your All Stars.” he chuckled.

“Thank you.” My cheeks reddening under his gaze.

I had to admit, the more I got to know Stephan, the more I liked him. Even with his moodiness.

“A penny for your thoughts.” he whispered, tapping his thumb on my hand.

“I’m just thinking about my mom.” I lied. Well, not entirely. My mother had been popping up in my thoughts more often than not.

“I’m sure she’s fine. Raven is looking after her for you.” he smiled gently.

“Who’s Raven?” my mind clouding up with confusion.

“The girl I was with when I met you? Her name is Raven Rose.” he looked at me, shaking his head like someone would shake it if they were saying ‘duh’.

“Oh.” I shook my head up and down. Why? I did not know. Maybe it was to reassure myself of my mother’s well-being, or maybe it was just me being me. A freak.

My mother and I have been suffering under the hands of my father. His drinking would make him easy to aggravate, and then he would lash out at whoever was around. Which was almost always my mom and I because he stayed at home and worked from home as a film critic.

“You’re doing it again.” Stephan’s finger tapping on my hand once more, as he motioned his head towards the hand by my mouth.

“Sorry.” I said, ripping my hand from my mouth. Stupid nail biting habit.

“It’s okay. What would you like to eat?” he pushed the menu closer towards me.

After a few minutes of browsing through food options, I smacked the menu down on the table, causing Stephan to jump up in his seat.

“Why so jumpy?” I giggled.

“I just have a bad feeling about his town after what happened at the gas station.” He almost whispered.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” I smiled, squeezing his hand.

“You don’t know that. You do not know what shifters are capable of. What I did, won’t be overlooked.” he snarled, ripping his hand free as his voice slipped through his teeth, almost like a whistle.

“To quote Bella from Twilight, ‘You know, your mood swings are really giving me whiplash’. What the hell is your problem, I’m trying to have a good time with the person I love for a change.” I spat, grabbing my purse before shooting up from my seat. Did I just say the ‘L’ word?!

“What did you say?” his voice warm, breathy as it now danced across my skin, his body only inches away from mine while he looked me dead in the eye.

“I said I’m trying to have a good time with you.” I lied, looking away.

“You’re a terrible liar.” a smirk playing at his lips from the corner of my eye.

“I’m not lying.”

Denial

“You said you love me.” he breathed, his smooth, electric hand brushing up my jaw, stopping at the top of my neck before moving my head to look him in the eye again.

“I don’t.” My voice hitching and faltering as his hand trailed down my neck and over his claim.

“Oh, I think you do.” he whispered, his lips nearing my face.

“You’re wrong.”

Get a grip, woman.

Where the heck is that extra composure you always keep on hand?!

“I can hear your heart beating at 150 beats per minute, Sam. It’s like you’re a deer being chased by some huge bad wolf. You can’t look me in the eye and you’ve been holding your breath for almost 40 seconds. You love me.”

“I don’t even know you. This is insane. I’m going to leave.”

“No! Stay! Please?” his smile warm and tight as he motioned his hand towards the booth.

“Fine. But after that, I’m leaving and you’re taking me back to my family.” I grit out.

“I will think about it.” was his only reply.

Dinner was long and silent apart from the sound of Stephan’s plate straining under the weight of his aggressive and frustrated cutting of steak.

After a while, his cutlery clattered to his plate, and he stared up at me with eyes dark as tar.

“You are mine.” he breathed, leaning over the table, his frame tall and intimidating as I almost choked on the lump in my throat “You aren’t going anywhere.”

“But-“

“No buts! I am not fucking going to let you leave me. Get that in your skull!” he snarled, slamming his hand down on the table, a whimper escaping me as I flinched away.

Stephan’s Point Of View

I hadn’t yelled at Sam for nothing. The agitation I felt kept growing and growing till it became a life sucking crater that had me on the edge of my seat in that damn fancy restaurant.

I had killed a pack member from one of the most notorious packs in England, and I knew hell and all its hounds would be on my case in no time.

The look on Sam’s face when my outbreak struck shot through my heart like nothing else could. Not even a torture session by Lycantire.

Now you’re probably wondering what that is...

It’s a royal family that reigns over all shifters, funny since a Lycan is human, infected with a part of the Lycan gene which is entirely different from what we are but the gene died out during the Black Plague so the royal family adopted the name for the entertainment of their sick sense of humour.

I smelt them before I saw them. Trouble.

“Sam... We need to go.” I breathed.

“I’m not going anywhere with you until you apologise to me for being a moronic twat.” she said whilst folding one arm over the other across her chest as she looked away.

“We don’t have time for that right now.”

“A simple sorry will suffice”, her chin lifted in the air as she mouthed the words perfectly. A perfectly snobbish action.

“Fine. I’m sorry, now can we go now, please?” I stood from the seat, grabbing her handbag and her arm, slamming a 20 down on the table before rushing over to the door and out towards the truck.

“Nah ah ah. I don’t think you are going anywhere.”, a voice deep and demanding, stopping me right in my tracks as I shut the door after Sam.