She was just sitting down to a nice, yummy bowl of mac and cheese when she heard a knock at her door.

            Vallen never knocked. In fact, she couldn't think of anyone who knocked, except for Summer.

            She was hoping that Everett would talk to him before he came back to ask her out again.

            If Savannah was correct and he planned to again.

            She was still shocked that he had the first time. The most popular guy in school asked her out. The same guy who hung around with Letty and Parmalee.

            Crazy.

            Seeing Cato at her door, she was as shocking as she'd be if it was Summer asking her out again. Or as shocking as when she found out her wolf was Vallen. Or when she found out that her grandmother_.

            "Hi. Vallen sent me."

            He handed her a brown bag. "He says this is your payment. It's a fair price."

            "A fair price?" The bag was so heavy that she nearly dropped the bag and she had to grab it with both hands. "What is it, rocks?"

            "Cash mostly. Gold coins and jewels. My alpha likes to be prepared for all situations."

            She frowned at Cato. "He sent me money? For what do I need money?"

            "He suggests clothes that weren't made in the eighteen hundreds. He also says he wouldn't be opposed to the next season of Ink Master."

            She knew her smile probably took up most of her face. One day she really needed to figure out if she was going to beat the boy or just hold him until he stopped fighting fate. "Tell him I have the complete series and he can watch it with me anytime he'd like to. You can also tell him to shove this money up his ass."

            "Wouldn't do any good. Whatever you did, he thinks you deserve it, so he's not going to take it back."

            She looked at the heavy bag in her hands. She wouldn't even know what to do with this much money. A girl only needed so many books and her allowance paid for the electricity.

            Nevaeha dropped the bag on the table near the door. "I'm surprised he sent you with it."

            "My jaw nearly hit the ground when he told me he was sending me here and that he was no longer worried about me."

            "He said that? Does he mean it?"

            Cato smiled his smiled that would weaken most girls. "He did, and he does. I'm here, aren't I?" His smile grew. "I wouldn't do anything crazy like touch me, but this is real progress."

            She didn't know whether to jump up and down and squeal or dance in victory like a loon. This was important. This meant more than all the money in the world.

            Tears filled her eyes. She'd like to think that this was his true gift to her, but it was probably just because he knew Cato's mate would be here soon.

            "It's truly a perfect day and the next few days promise to be just as perfect. "We are blessed. I'm going to need to make a gift to the moon tonight."

            His beautiful eyes danced. "And what does one gift the moon?"

            "The gift of dance, of course."