^ Ryland's date outfit, except the collar is pure black

"In my life, there's been no one like him anywhere. Anywhere, where he is. If he asked, I'd be his."
~Les Miserables, 'In My Life'

~~~

*Landon's POV*

"Nope."

I throw the purple shirt aside, this time holding up a dark green shirt.

"Nada."

Sighing, I toss the green shirt and pick up a black one.

"Too moody."

I groan, narrowing my eyes at my best friend. "Shooting down every one of my options isn't very helpful."

"It's not my fault you have poor taste in clothing," Lucca retorts, standing from my bed to dig through my closet.

I cross my arms over my chest. "Not all of us can pass off the tattoos, piercings, and ripped jeans vibe."

"I know, and I forgive you," Lucca grins cheekily, making me roll my eyes.

"Why did I bother asking for your help?" I grumble more to myself, but knowing Lucca can hear it with his heightened wolf abilities.

"Because I can hear how hard your heart is pounding from how nervous you are about your date," Lucca points out with a raised brow, making my cheeks heat up. "I'm not sure why you feel so nervous anyway. From what you've told me about Ryland, he genuinely likes you. I doubt he would ditch you over wearing a basic-ass outfit on your date."

"I know, but it's our first date," I stress. "I want it to be perfect."

Lucca sighs, standing up straight to look at me head on. "Landon. I'm not really the type of person to want to get sappy, because feelings— yuck. But just hear me out. You guys like each other, yeah? Then that's all that matters. It'll be perfect no matter what, so stop stressing about the small details."

The tension in my shoulders start to dissipate at the truth of his words sink in. "You're right, man. Thanks."

He hums in acknowledgment before his dark eyes light up. "Aha! Here. Wear this."

A sky blue button up shirt is shoved into my hands. I mutter a thanks before throwing the blue shirt over the white undershirt I had been wearing. Checking myself in the mirror, I rub my jaw and wonder if maybe I should shave beforehand. Perhaps not a full shave, but a trim.

I head into the bathroom, aware of Lucca still failing behind me. Grabbing the trimmer, I get to work on making myself appear well-groomed.

"Where are you taking him?" Lucca asks as he leans against the bathroom doorway.

"To see a musical. I saw a flyer that a local theatre company was performing tonight. Luckily, it's a show I've heard of so I got us tickets."

"I didn't know you were into musicals."

I shrug. "I wouldn't say I'm super into them, but Ryland is. Just thinking about the way his face is going to light up when he finds out we're seeing a musical makes it all worth it."

Lucca stays quiet with his lips turned up in a small smile. His eyes are dazed, lost in thought and I have a pretty good guess as to what he's thinking about.

"Have you thought about what you'd do if you found your mate?" I ask him as I fix my hair, trying to act like this is a normal, casual conversation.

"Yes," he mutters vaguely, his gaze shifting downwards.

"And?"

"What do you want me to say?" Lucca throws his hands in the air.

"I want you to say you won't immediately reject them," I state, locking eyes with him through the reflection of the mirror. "I told you about how much that fucked up Ryland, emotionally. If you reject someone, it needs to be for a very good reason that you took a lot of time thinking about."

"Jesus Christ, Landon," Lucca groans, making me wince at the use of a deity's name that's not our own. "I get that what happened to Ryland was shitty, but you can't push that on me. I don't want to be forced to love someone just because the Moon decided to give me a fucking mate."

I huff in annoyance, turning around to face him. "Would you stop saying it like that? Because it's not like that."

"How do you know? All of these feelings, it could just be the Moon bitch brainwashing you into believing you're in love. How do you know any of it is real?"

'I'm going to slap him,' Leo growls in my head. As my wolf counterpart, he's extra sensitive about other wolves dissing our goddess and mates.

I open my mouth to argue and immediately snap it shut. We've had this argument dozens of times, and his opinion never changes. What's the point of arguing when neither of us are going to change our minds? Furthermore, he's insulting my relationship with Ryland, which is pissing me off and making it likely that I'll snap at him and say something I regret.

Looking down at my watch, I sigh at the time. "I gotta go," I mumble, pushing past him to leave.

"Landon... wait," Lucca grabs my arm, his tone softer this time. "I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight with you either," I tell him honestly. "But you keep questioning my relationship with my mate, and it's starting to really piss me off. I accepted a long time ago that your beliefs are different than mine. Why can't you do the same for me, instead of trying to shove your beliefs down my throat?"

Lucca blinks at me in surprise, releasing my arm so he can ruffle his dark curls. We stand there awkwardly for a moment, neither one of us knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry," Lucca finally says. "You're right. You've been respectful of the way I believe, and I should do the same for you."

I nod my head appreciatively. "Thank you. But now I really do have to leave, or I'll be late picking him up."

Locking the door shut behind me, I hop in my Jeep and drive over to Ryland's pack. He's waiting at his doorstep by the time I get there, and I pout to myself.

"Nope!" I yell as he starts to make his way across the lawn. Ryland tilts his head in confusion. "Go back inside and wait for me to knock on the door like a proper gentleman."

A smile graces his lips as he giggles and turns around, heading back inside. I turn off the car before walking up to his door. Raising my fist, I tap my knuckles lightly against the white-painted wood.

I hear shuffling and hushed arguing on the other side. Pressing my lips together, I suppress a grin as the door knob jiggles for a few seconds before the door finally opens.

Instead of seeing my adorable mate, I come face-to-face with a stern young woman. Her sleek dark brown hair falls just below her shoulders, with tattoos littering her arms. Her dark hazel eyes are narrowed at me, and I immediately recognize that glare.

"Ronnie, right?" I confirm, to which she nods her head. "Hey, it's been a while. How have you been?"

"Fine," she answers flatly.

I purse my lips and slowly nod. "Good to hear... uh, is Ryland there? I mean, I know he's there, because I just saw him two minutes ago. Er... where is he?"

"I convinced him that his shirt made him look washed out, so he's upstairs changing," Ronnie deadpans.

'This bitch made our mate feel insecure?' Leo starts to get riled up. 'Why is everyone set on pissing me off today?'

I furrow my brows, not liking that. "Why would you do that? Ryland looks great no matter what he's wearing."

The corners of her lips twitch ever so slightly, and she crosses her arms as she leans against the doorframe. "I wanted a chance to talk to you."

"You could've done that without making him feel insecure."

"He's fine," Ronnie rolls her eyes. "Ryland's a big boy, he can handle a little constructive criticism. At least I got to see that you're concerned about him."

"Of course I would be concerned," I say defensively. "He's my boyfriend and my mate."

"Hmm," Ronnie hums lightly as she smiles softly. "How refreshing."

"What is?"

"For the longest time, it's just been me, Lyn and Kai worrying about Ryland. Well, besides our pack leaders, but that's a whole different story," she says, shaking her head when I quizzically tilt my head to the side. "The point is, I was curious if you cared about him as much as he cares for you. We've only been talking for a few minutes, and you've already demonstrated that you do. I'm relieved."

I scoff with a half smile. "I'm glad I passed your test," I say with a hint of sarcasm. Ronnie's eyes gleam in amusement before she glances towards the stairs.

"Ryland will be right down," she states flatly, turning around and disappearing into the house. True to her word, Ryland comes skipping down the stairs with a wide smile on his face.

For a moment, I'm struck speechless by how stunning he looks.

With his dark hair sexily pushed back, he's wearing a red shirt with the top buttons undone, showcasing part of his smooth chest. Leo tries to push forward to make him cover up more, but I hold him back. My mate looks gorgeous just the way he is.

My eye catches his ever-present collar around his neck, and I have to bite my tongue to keep myself from asking about it again. Last time I brought it up, he didn't react well. I've been hoping he'll tell me when he's ready, but now I'm not sure when that will be.

Looking back up at his face, my heart flutters at the sight of a smile ob his plump lips, his honey eyes practically sparkling.

"You look beautiful," I tell him, delighting in the delicate blush that graces his cheeks.

"Thank you," Ryland says with a smile as he steps out of the house, closing the door behind him. I cup his cheeks, tilting his head slightly so I can capture his perfect lips. Ryland's hands cover mine as he responds to the kiss, pressing his lips softly to mine.

I pull back to press a kiss to his cheek. "Are you ready?"

Ryland nods, following me to my Jeep. Per usual, I open his door open for him, earning another heart warming smile. I climb into my seat, making sure he's properly buckled before driving away from the pack.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going?" Ryland asks as I drive. "Or are you going to continue to be mysterious?"

"The mystery is half the fun," I tell him with a lop-sided grin.

"Can I have a hint?"

"Nope."

"Not even just the first letter?"

"Ryland."

"The first letter is Ryland?"

"Smart ass," I chuckle, shaking my head. "Just sit back and let me surprise my mate, hm?"

Ryland slumps back in his seat with a dramatic sigh. "Fine."

To placate him, I reach over and take his hand in mine. He instantly brightens, placing his other hand over the back of mine. I swear, there's no one like him that can match how adorably sweet and affectionate he is.

'He's using both hands,' Leo coos with a slight purr. 'One for you, one for me.'

I suppress a laugh at my wolf's logic, keeping my eyes forward on the road. I'm worried that if I glance over at Ryland, I'll give into his adorable face and ruin the surprise.

~~~

I decided to split this into two chapters, or else it was going to be long af

Does anyone have a guess of what musical they're seeing??

Thoughts on the chapter?

I've seen a few authors doing fun questions for their readers in their chapters, so I think I'll start doing that so I can get to know you all better!

Q: What's your favorite musical?
[Mine are Phantom of the Opera and Dear Evan Hansen]

See you next time!
-Gumbie