MY DATE HAS GONE TO THE WOLVES

The date was actually going well. Which honestly should have been my first warning sign. Nothing disastrous had happened yet. Hunter wasn’t awkward anymore, the food was good, and for once I wasn’t thinking about rejection, heartbreak, or emotionally unstable werewolves every five seconds. I was even smiling. Actually smiling.

Hunter was in the middle of telling me some embarrassing story about accidentally setting his chemistry project on fire when something suddenly shifted inside me. Nyx lifted her head instantly. My smile faded. Because I smelled him. Bane. The scent hit me so strongly my stomach twisted immediately. Not faint. Not passing by. Close. Very close.

My eyes slowly scanned the restaurant. And suddenly everything clicked together in the worst possible way. The laughter. The scents. The heavy feeling in the air. Almost everyone here was a werewolf. Some from school. Some older. Some from our pack. How the hell hadn’t I noticed earlier? Nyx growled softly inside me. This is bad.

Hunter frowned slightly across from me. “Livana?” I barely heard him. Because right at that moment— “Hello, Livana.” My blood ran cold. Bane stood beside the table looking perfectly calm while Damon and two other wolves stood behind him. Hunter immediately straightened slightly. His eyes moved around the restaurant slowly now, finally noticing familiar faces from school staring toward us.

Bane smiled faintly. “Nice choice, Hunter,” he said casually. “This is a nice place.” Then without asking permission, he pulled a chair beside mine and sat down. Too close. Way too close. His thigh pressed against mine instantly beneath the table. My wolf reacted violently to the contact.

“Bane,” I warned lowly. He turned toward me slowly, completely unbothered. “Yes, sweetheart?” I clenched my jaw. “Hunter,” I said quickly while standing up, “let’s go somewhere else.” I grabbed Hunter’s hand immediately. But before we could move—Bane caught my wrist. Hard. Too hard. Pain shot up my arm instantly. “Stay, sweetheart,” he said quietly.

That commanding alpha tone slipped into his voice naturally. The kind wolves instinctively obeyed. Nyx recoiled angrily inside me. “This table is too crowded,” I announced tightly. Hunter stood up immediately now. To his credit, he looked terrified but still stepped slightly in front of me. “You’ll leave her alone.”

The entire restaurant went silent. Bane slowly looked up at him. And smiled. Not a friendly smile. The dangerous kind. “This one here,” Bane said calmly while curving an arm possessively around my waist, “is mine.” His grip tightened. “She knows she wasn’t supposed to go out with anyone else.”

Rage exploded through me. I tried squirming out of his hold immediately, but it was useless. He was too strong. “Screw you, Bane,” I snapped. “I’m not yours. Leave us alone.” Something dark flickered across his face. His patience finally snapped. Before I could react, his hand grabbed my jaw and his mouth crashed violently against mine.

The entire restaurant gasped. The kiss wasn’t soft. It wasn’t loving. It was possession. Pure alpha dominance mixed with jealousy and fury. I tried pushing him away, but he only kissed me harder. His wolf was too close to the surface now. I could feel his canines pressing painfully against my lower lip—then sharp pain. Blood. I gasped softly against his mouth. Nyx whimpered.

Bane pulled back breathing heavily, his eyes darker now, almost glowing. Tears burned my eyes instantly. This date is over. I already knew it. Damon stepped forward carefully. “Take her home,” Bane ordered roughly. “I’ll do it,” Damon answered immediately. Hunter moved slightly closer toward me again, but Bane growled low enough that even I felt it in my chest. A warning. Deadly.

The next thing I knew, Bane had lifted me into his arms like I weighed nothing. I started hitting his chest instantly. “Put me down!” Every eye in the restaurant followed us. Nobody tried stopping him. Nobody even looked surprised. “Bane, no......” He ignored me completely while carrying me outside. “Don’t touch a hair on his head!” I shouted desperately over his shoulder. “Do you hear me?!”

Still nothing. He simply handed me off to Damon once we reached the parking lot before turning back toward the restaurant. Toward Hunter. Fear crashed into me instantly. “Bane!” But he was already walking away. Damon quickly opened the passenger door. “Get in.”

The drive home was painfully silent. I was grateful for that. Because if Damon asked me one question, I probably would have broken down immediately.

Streetlights blurred past the windows while I sat curled slightly against the seat trying not to cry. Trying and failing. Halfway home, the tears finally came anyway. I covered my face with my hands as quiet sobs escaped me helplessly.

Nyx stayed curled painfully deep inside my chest. Silent. Broken. Damon didn’t say anything. Didn’t stare. Didn’t try to comfort me immediately. And honestly that somehow made me cry harder. When we finally parked outside my house, I quickly wiped at my face in embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

Damon looked at me quietly for a moment. Then suddenly he leaned over and pulled me gently into his arms. The hug startled me completely. But it was… nice. Warm. Safe. Which honestly meant he was probably dead the moment Bane smelled him on me. “Why is he doing this?” I whispered brokenly against Damon’s shoulder. “He doesn’t love me.”

Damon sighed softly. “No,” he admitted quietly. “He doesn’t.” That hurt more than hearing it from Bane somehow. “But werewolves are possessive about their mates,” Damon continued carefully. “Especially alphas.” I stayed quiet. “And Bane…” Damon shook his head slightly. “He’s been fighting with his father for years. Alpha Alistair actually wants him to mate with you.”

I blinked slowly. What? Damon leaned back slightly to look at me. “So now Bane’s even more determined to choose Pia instead.” Understanding settled painfully in my chest. I laughed softly. Bitterly. “So I’m basically a pawn in some father son argument.” Damon’s expression tightened because he clearly knew I was right.

“You deserve better than this,” he said quietly. I looked up at him then. And for the first time, I noticed something strange in his eyes. Regret. Deep regret. Like there was something he wished he could change. I gently pulled away first. “Thank you for bringing me home,” I whispered softly while fumbling awkwardly with the car door.

Then I paused. “And… please make sure they don’t kill my date.” Damon looked genuinely disappointed by that request. Not angry. Just disappointed. Still, after a second, he nodded anyway. “I’ll make sure Hunter gets home safely.” Then he smiled faintly. Gently. And somehow that almost made me cry all over again.