Maybe Normal Isn't So Bad

I woke up exhausted. Not normal exhausted either. The kind that settled deep into my bones and made even breathing feel annoying. The moment I opened my eyes, pain rolled through my stomach again, sharp enough to make me curl slightly beneath the blanket with a groan.

Nyx whimpered softly inside me. We both already knew why. Bane. Apparently my ex-mate had been very busy last night. Again. Honestly, the mate bond was one of the most disgusting things the Moon Goddess had ever created because why exactly did I need to suffer while he enjoyed himself with Pia? It was unfair. Humiliating. And deeply unhealthy.

“This is toxic,” I muttered tiredly into my pillow. For once, Nyx agreed immediately. That alone told me how bad things were becoming. Usually my wolf still reacted strongly whenever Bane was involved because rejected or not, the bond still existed. But lately even Nyx sounded drained whenever his name crossed our minds.

I stared at the ceiling for almost an hour afterward thinking about my life. About Bane. About the rejection. About Caspian. Unfortunately my brain kept circling back to silver eyes and low voices and the way he kept calling me sunshine like he had known me forever. Which was ridiculous. Because clearly I needed better taste in men. One rejected me publicly. The other said we couldn’t even be friends.

I groaned dramatically and buried my face into the blanket. “I seriously need to stop thinking about men that don’t want me.” Nyx stayed suspiciously silent after that. Which honestly felt judgmental. Eventually I forced myself out of bed and dragged my exhausted body downstairs where the smell of breakfast immediately filled the house.

The moment my father looked up from the dining table, he smiled warmly. “Good morning, sunshine.” I froze halfway down the stairs. Sunshine. Immediately Caspian’s voice replayed in my head. *You and I can’t be friends, sunshine.* Absolutely not. I refused to let a Lycan nickname psychologically damage me.

“Morning,” I muttered quickly while pretending nothing happened. The dining room was already chaotic. Aurelia, Kane, and Vesper sat around the table stuffing their faces with food like they paid bills there while my mother kept bringing out more plates.

“How are you people still eating?” I asked in horror. Kane pointed his fork at me seriously. “Your mother cooks like she’s trying to heal emotional trauma.” “That’s because I am,” my mother answered calmly from the kitchen. “See?” Kane said dramatically.

Genevieve looked up from her drink the moment I sat down. “You look awful.” “Good morning to you too.” “You look like you lost a fistfight with sleep.” “I didn’t sleep well.” Dad immediately looked concerned. “You’re not hungover at least?” Mom smacked his shoulder lightly with a medium scowl. “Don’t encourage nonsense.” “What?” Dad defended immediately. “I’m being supportive.” “You’re being annoying.”

Meanwhile my friends were already laughing. Honestly, my family was exhausting. Vesper pushed a plate toward me gently. “Eat first before you pass out dramatically.” “I don’t pass out dramatically.” “You absolutely do,” Aurelia said instantly. “Your entire personality is dramatic,” Kane added. Traitors.

Somewhere in the middle of breakfast, Vesper suddenly brightened slightly. “We should watch a movie later.” “A sad one?” Kane asked hopefully. “No.” “A horror?” “No.” “A documentary about serial killers?” Vesper stared at him. “What is wrong with you?” Before Kane could defend himself, Aurelia suddenly smirked at me. “Well whatever we do, Livana better not forget she has a date tonight.”

Mom blinked immediately. “A date?” Every eye at the table turned toward me instantly. Wonderful. “With who?” Mom asked suspiciously. “The human boy,” Genevieve answered before I could speak. Traitor number two. Mom looked shocked. Dad looked impressed. “A human?” he repeated. I sighed deeply. “Can everyone stop reacting like I brought home a criminal?”

Kane leaned back in his chair dramatically. “Honestly I respect him. Approaching Livana while Bane is acting psychotic is brave.” “Or stupid,” Aurelia corrected. “Both,” Vesper added calmly. I buried my face into my hands. Why did I tell these people anything?

The rest of the morning passed surprisingly peacefully after that. No Bane drama. No Caspian sightings. No emotional breakdowns. Just normal. And honestly? I liked normal. By evening, Aurelia had fully taken control of my bedroom like some aggressive fashion dictator. “No,” she said immediately while throwing my third outfit onto the floor. “You look like you’re attending a funeral.” “I feel like I’m attending a funeral.” “Not helpful.”

An hour later she somehow transformed me into someone I barely recognized. Soft makeup. Curled red hair falling over my shoulders. A fitted dark dress that made my waist look smaller. And heels that honestly felt like attempted murder. Aurelia stepped back proudly. “Perfect.” “I can’t breathe.” “That means it’s working.”

Before I could argue, Mom knocked lightly before opening the door. “Your date is downstairs.” Immediately my stomach flipped nervously. “Oh my God,” I whispered. Aurelia grinned wickedly. “Go destroy that poor boy emotionally.” “I hate you.” “No you don’t.”

Hunter stood awkwardly near the front door holding flowers when I came downstairs. The moment he saw me, his eyes widened completely. Wow. Nobody had ever looked at me like that before. “You look…” He cleared his throat nervously. “Really beautiful.” Heat rushed to my cheeks instantly. “Thanks.”

The flowers were red roses. Of course they were. Mom looked moments away from emotional tears while Dad watched Hunter with the terrifying calmness only fathers possessed. Poor boy. The drive to the restaurant was surprisingly easy after the awkwardness faded. Hunter talked a lot when he relaxed, mostly about random things involving school, movies, and how badly he wanted to leave this town eventually.

And honestly? I liked listening to him. Dinner itself was nice too. Simple. Comfortable. No emotional manipulation. No dangerous tension. No silver eyes staring through me like they wanted to consume my soul. Just… normal. For the first time in days, I laughed without forcing it.

And somewhere between dessert and Hunter rambling nervously about how long he practiced asking me out. I realized maybe this could work. Maybe I could learn to like him properly. Maybe I could stop obsessing over rejection and impossible men and dangerous Lycans. Maybe normal wasn’t so bad after all.