The wooden floors creak as I slowly make my way to the dining hall. No matter how lightly I step or how much I try to distribute my weight the ancient wood is protesting each one of my movements. The house is completely silent except for my footsteps since most of the Lycans have either gone to bed or are out in the forest. I can only assume their Alpha told them to make themselves scarce. I know Domenico can hear me coming and that makes me even more nervous. I don't truly understand why because it's not like I haven't been on a date. I mean I lived with a man before. But this feels different...like it's the beginning of the rest of my life. I push open the dining room's beautiful original door and my mate looks in my direction instantly. His green eyes sweep over me so quickly that I almost miss them. "Yellow suits you," he whispers after a second and I blush before stepping further into the room. "Thank you. The girls said the same thing," I reply and he smirks befor

I pick at my food while sending him small glances. Each look makes me feel worse about my scream. He looks utterly miserable. My chest still hurts from his enthusiastic grab, but I still feel awful for him. He didn't mean to hurt me and it's consumed our entire date."I feel uncomfortable with you just sitting there. Please say something or eat something. Can we just forget the breast thing happened," I beg and the guilt in his eyes grows exponentially. I bite my bottom lip and try to keep myself in my seat. I want to hug him and kiss his sadness away. My weak attempt at fixing the evening made him look so much worse."I am sorry. I will eat the dish with the deer if it will settle your nerves. Feel free to ask me questions," he announces sounding confident and I smile triumphantly. I know he isn't over hurting me, but at least he is going to try and move on with our evening. The pain in his eyes isn't as bad now. He looks determined to move on.I rattle my brain quickly and b

TAYLOR POV The rest of the night went smoothly after the three returned from killing the enemy and the area where the pack chose to rest didn't see a single thirsty one. Domenico and the pack seemed rather relaxed as we left the camp this morning. Domenico had even kissed me before feeding me some more fish that he had caught during his night shift. At first, I was embarrassed but then I saw two other females being fed by their mates and I calmed down... It really is how the males are toward their females. "Almost there," Domenico says after a few hours of medium-speed running, and I get a little anxious about meeting another pack. He glances at me as my heart rate picks up and I smile. "I'm a little nervous," I admit and he rolls his eyes before hugging me closer to him. "My mate. No need to be scared," he says brokenly, and I somehow relax as his words reassure me. After another mile of running Dom stops and sets me down. I straighten my clothes and then look in the

TAYLOR POV "You will tell me if Domenico runs into trouble... Right," I ask Alessia, and she shakes her head. "I can't. He has given me orders," she says brokenly and I bite my bottom lip instead of screaming at her Lycan form like I want to. "You mate is second only to the Oracle. He will be fine," Yuri says smoothly and I look at the beautiful girl with one arm. She didn't shift like the others heading toward the bunker. Instead, she pulled out a knife from somewhere. "I am still going to worry about him," I snap a little harsher than I mean to and she grins before looking at me. Her amber eyes and dazzling white teeth stun me for a second until she turns away again. "I am familiar with how mates act. Your worry is normal," she says so calmly I blush. She doesn't care that I just snapped at her in the middle of a destroyed town. She expects me to behave like an emotional teenager about Dom and what is happening to him. "Well since it's normal why can't I be

TAYLOR POV I feel so much closer to the lycans.Before the trip to Alpha Ulf's pack a week ago, I still felt out of place, but now I feel comfortable walking around and talking with everyone. I make jokes and they joke back. We complain about doing the chores around the house and I have been forbidden from trying to cook ever again after burning soup. But there is something missing.Domenico and I have had a couple of intimate moments of kissing, but we haven't attempted another date or shared a deep conversation, which bothers me. Nathan and I could talk for hours. We were best friends. With Dom, it's a more physical attraction that draws me to him. I still don't know him, the real him. The man underneath the muscular leader. I feel more connected to him than I have ever felt with anyone, but my brain is telling me I don't know him yet. I feel like we can't move on to the next step until I know everything. "Taylor," Giulia says, and I draw my gaze back to the Lycan beside me.