CHAPTER THREE– THE DATE

Alice stood in front of her mirror like it had officially declared her its worst enemy. Which honestly wasn’t a lie, mirrors always seemed out to get her. They pointed out every uneven strand of hair, the smeared eyeliner, and the weird smile that made her look like she’d just sniffed something rotten.

But tonight? Tonight the mirror felt personal.

Her bed looked very untidy. Piles of clothes everywhere, hoodies, jeans, random tops that all screamed “I tried out ten outfits and now i hate my life”

She pulled on a dark blue shirt, checked the mirror, and groaned.

“Nope. I look like I’m going to some family dinner, not a date.”

She pulled it off and tossed it to the mountain of rejects.

Next, a gray tee with ripped jeans. She tilted her head, frowned.

“Perfect… if I wanted to look like an extra in a N*****x teen movie.”

By outfit number six, sweat dropped down her forehead and her stomach buzzed like a bee hive. Her pulse pounded so hard it almost drowned out her thoughts. This wasn’t supposed to be her. She wasn’t the type to freak out about dates. Her life had rules, there should be no distractions, no attachments, no romance. Her dad made sure of that.

And here she was… still debating lip gloss.

“You’re pathetic,” she muttered at the glass. Then added with a nervous laugh, “Well, at least if I fall on my face, I’ll die semi-cute.”

Sarcasm was always her shield. It was easier than admitting she was about ready to faint.

Her phone buzzed, it was Mira.

Mira: “So… big night? 😉 Don’t screw it up.”

Alice rolled her eyes and dropped the phone onto the bed. Of course Mira knew. Mira always knew. That fake-sweet smile earlier in the week, the “Oh, Liam invited you?”… Alice didn’t pay much attention to her.

A knock at the door took her by shock.

He’s here.

Alice scrambled, yanked on the black shirt she’d ditched earlier, paired it with black jeans and sneakers. Safe and simple. She styled her hair into place, muttered a prayer, and smoothed the shirt like it might fix everything.

Another knock.

“Okay,” she whispered. “No tripping. No dumb jokes. And definitely don’t mention stabbing yourself with eyeliner that one time.”

She opened the door.

And there he was.

Liam Hart the golden boy. The kind of guy who looked like one of those hot celebrities on Forbes magazine. He leaned on the porch railing, hands in his pockets, jacket hanging just right. That smile of his came easy, but when his eyes landed on her, something softened.

“Hey,” he said, smiling wider. “Ready?”

Alice’s brain crashed. Then rebooted way too slow.

“Uh… yeah. Just don’t laugh if I trip. Grace isn’t really… in my DNA.”

Liam chuckled and held out his hand like it was nothing. “Then I’ll catch you.”

She rolled her eyes, trying not to melt. “Yeah, no pressure at all.”

They went down the steps together, side by side. For a second, Alice forgot how to breathe.

The restaurant Liam chose wasn’t fancy, but it wasn’t a greasy diner either. A cozy downtown place with string lights dangling across the ceiling, jazz humming low, and the smell of food so good it made Alice salivate. The kind of spot straight out of a cheesy rom-com movie.

Alice blinked at the entrance. “Wow. Okay… definitely didn’t expect this.”

Liam raised an eyebrow, opening the door. “What did you expect?”

“I don’t know. Pizza? Burgers? Something with a paper bag?”

He smirked. “Pizza’s reserved for date number two.”

Alice blinked. “You’re assuming there’s a second date?”

“Confident, huh?” he teased. “I like that.”

Her cheeks warmed. She turned away fast. “I didn’t say yes.”

“You didn’t say no either,” he said back smoothly.

She groaned. “You’re impossible.”

“Thank you,” he said proudly, showing her to a booth.

Alice slid into her seat, trying to keep her hands still. She expected shallow talk, sports, bragging, whatever. Instead, Liam asked about books she read, her old school, her go-to midnight snack.

She gave safe answers, nothing too close to her real life. She couldn’t exactly tell him, Oh, I spend weekends sharpening blades and learning werewolf anatomy. Still, she fed him just enough to keep him curious, enough to pretend she was normal for once.

And when nerves got bad, sarcasm slipped through.

Like when Liam leaned close and said softly, “You look at people like you’re studying them. It’s… intense.”

Alice smirked. “So basically, I look like a stalker. Perfect. Love that.”

Liam laughed, warm and unbothered. “Not at all. More like you don’t waste time with fake stuff. I respect that.”

The words hit deep, thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

Outside, Kane leaned on his motorcycle under a streetlight. Arms crossed, his expression was unreadable. He didn’t follow them in, but he hadn’t left either. He stayed there, waiting and watching.

Alice didn’t know.

Later, Liam walked her home. The atmosphere smelled like rain, crickets humming while cars whispered in the distance. The silence between them was easy, but charged.

Alice dipped her hands in her pockets. Words felt uneasy.

Finally Liam spoke. “You know… you’re not what I expected.”

Alice raised a brow. “That usually means: you’re weird.”

He smiles. “It’s a compliment.”

She laughed softly. “Wow, you’re really laying it on thick tonight.”

“Only because it’s working,” he said, with his smile softening. “You make it easy.”

Her chest tightened. Her heart flipped.

Then she noticed they weren’t going toward her house. “Uh… Liam? This isn’t my way.”

“I know,” he said lightly, but careful. “Thought maybe you’d come over for a bit? My parents aren’t home. I could show you my music setup. Unless you’d rather head home.”

Alice hesitated. Every warning in her screamed bad idea. Her dad would lose his mind. But Liam’s eyes had something, excitement, sure, but also a touch of vulnerability.

“Just for a bit,” she murmured.

His house looked so perfect, like one of those fancy houses you see in movies. Family photos, trophies lined up very neatly. Too polished and too safe.

Alice followed him upstairs, nerves sparking with every step.

His room was surprisingly normal—posters, sheet music scattered, a guitar in the corner.

“Not what you pictured?” he asked.

Alice smirked. “Honestly, I expected a shrine dedicated to yourself.”

He clutched his chest dramatically. “Harsh.”

“You’ll survive,” she teased him, softer than intended.

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward. It was heavy.

Liam stepped closer, his smile fading into something serious. “I’ve wanted to do this since the day we met.”

Alice’s breath caught. “Do what?”

“This.”

His lips met hers.

At first, soft. Careful, like he was giving her a chance to back away. She didn’t back away, she couldn’t. She could feel her heart racing and her fingers clutching his shirt as she leaned in.

Liam slowly grabbed her waist and they were as close as two peas in a pod. Their tongues meeting and tangling in a slow and sweet rhythm. The kiss became more intense, something less of a question and more of a devouring need. Alice leaned in letting go of her hunting warnings and morals. At that moment, she didn’t care what her father always said, she just wanted to live the moment.

The kiss deepened, laughter mixing with nerves. For a moment, she wasn’t a hunter or a secret or a mistake. She was just Alice. And Liam wanted her.