"This apartment is the soonest available for Henry if he chooses to stay here with us." Margaret, one of the in-home nurses said as she unlocked the door to said apartment.

As the door swung open, Sophie instinctively held her breath. Henry was eager to go inside, dragging Sophie in as well. She looked around at the empty space and let out her held breath. It was small but very open. There was a small kitchen to their immediate left, a space for a dining table, and then the rest of the apartment was open space for the living room. A small hallway to the right led to a bedroom and bathroom.

Henry made his way to the window in the living room with Margaret as Sophie scoped out the place. The bedroom wasn't all that big but it wasn't bad. She couldn't imagine he'd fit his chair and bookcase in it like at home. But to be fair, the living room was a good size for all that stuff. Still, Sophie couldn't help but be on the fence. It just didn't seem like enough. Even the walls made her upset. They were plain white and boring.

"I already informed your grandfather," Margaret pulled in Sophie's attention as she reappeared from the bedroom. "But you don't need to worry about getting lonely. We have nurses coming in regularly, volunteers that read to those living here, and we always encourage our residence to interact on the main floor where we have a tv, puzzles, beautiful birds, and special events almost every night."

Sophie nodded, not having much to say to that. She wasn't worried about her grandfather being lonely. Whenever she asked him if he was after getting home from school, he always claimed he liked the peace and quiet. He liked when the world was still and he didn't have to worry about a thing. She knew he would be fine in a small apartment like this. That wasn't what bothered her.

Selfishly, she was worried about herself. Her grandfather may be fine living on his own but she sure wasn't. She couldn't live in that house all by herself. Sure, Daisy would have to stay with her, but that wasn't enough company. Daisy wasn't good with conversation. It would be a waste to live in that hour because Sophie would be visiting her everyday anyways.

Unfortunately, this place only took in those that needed help. Families weren't allowed to move in. This place was meant to move a disabled family member out of the house to make it easier on the others. They did accept visitors from six in the morning to ten at night, which Sophie planned on taking advantage of. Still, she didn't like imagine going home at night to silence and darkness.

"Do you like it?" Sophie asked her grandfather. "There isn't much room. You have a lot of books. Where are you going to put them all? And the kitchen is tiny."

"Oh, don't worry about the kitchen. We host breakfast and dinner every evening. He won't need much in the kitchen." Margaret smiled, oblivious to Sophie's restrained anger.

"You'll have to keep some of my books then. If I request a certain book from home, you can bring it over and exchange it for one I've read so it doesn't get crowded. Right, darlin'?" Henry grinned happily at his granddaughter.

Sophie tried her best to force a smile but it just wouldn't work. "Sure, Chief. I would do that for you. But not for a couple more months."

"Months?" Henry exclaimed.

"It's almost summer break!" Sophie whined. "Stay for summer break or I'll be lonely and bored in that house all by myself. You can ditch me when I'm a senior and get a job. I'll be busy then."

"So you want me to stay for your sake?" Henry knowing smirked.

Sophie pouted as she let her eyes bounce around the room. "Maybe... But I'll take extra good care of you until the school year starts again!"

"Let's compromise. I'll move in here halfway through summer break so you can get used to living alone and I can get into the apartment before someone else rents it." Henry said.

Sophie let out a sad sigh. "Sure. Cortez will just have to get used to coming over and fixing everything. I reckon we'll have a brand new house by the time I graduate."

"Not Cortez, darlin'. Pick one of your school friends to come over and keep you company." Henry grumbled lowly.

"Why not Cortez? I thought you liked him?"

"He's very nice, yes. He seems well behaved but I don't know him from kin, therefore, I can't completely trust him to be around you 24/7. Especially, not when you're trapped in an empty house together."

"Nothing would happen. Cortez isn't an animal. The last time you came here, he was with me, at home, and he was nothing but polite. You didn't have a problem with him then."

"You didn't tell me he was even with you then so I was just happy to see you alive when I came home. That's another thing, if anyone ever walks in that house without me there, you give me a call beforehand, understood? That behavior won't be tolerated once I'm out of the house and can't keep a eye on you."

Sophie's jaw nearly dropped at her grandfathers sudden fountain of rules and restrictions. He was never strict. All he really did was make her go to school and be home before sunset. He didn't care if she was with friends, which he actually encouraged because it happened so rarely. He didn't have to be strict about Sophie doing chores or getting her homework done because she did all of that without being told to.

Why was he suddenly being like this?

Sophie didn't find it all that fair. It's not like she wanted him to leave. Why would he act like this, as if Sophie had kicked him out and he was taking his parental anger out on her? It wasn't like she was suddenly acting out just because she didn't want him to leave. Although, if he stayed home with her, none of these rules would even matter.

It made her want to act out. She never did have a rebellious phase.

"I'll be in the lobby. Come down when you're ready. I don't feel like being here anymore." Sophie mumbled and folded her arms over her chest as she turned to leave.

That counted as acting out, right?

~

"It hasn't been all that long, Alpha. You have to calm down." Jeremiah said as he stared at his Alpha, who sat at his desk with his hands buried in his hair.

"Bullshit! If you didn't see Delilah for six days, you'd lose it." Cortez spat.

Jeremiah cringed, knowing his Alpha was right. He didn't even like going a couple hours without her. Even now, after a half hour, he was itching to see Delilah again. Cortez hadn't even marked or mated with his mate yet, which meant the effects would be a lot stronger. The mate bond would be pulling them closer and closer as the days passed and Cortez postponed the necessary procedures. It was just now that things started to take a toll on him.

"Maybe we should visit the Crystal Lake pack now so you can get out of here and clear your head, Alpha." Jeremiah hesitantly purposed.

"That's a good idea." Cortez suddenly jumped out of his seat. "I'll go say goodbye to her before we leave."

Just as Cortez marched through his office, Jeremiah rushed in front of him and blocked his path to the door. "No, Alpha. I don't think that's a good idea. I'll call the Crystal Lake pack to see if we can visit early and then you can call her and say your goodbyes. Alright?"

"No. I need to see her." The flash of gold in Cortez's eyes prompted Jeremiah to frantically shake his head.

"No, you don't, actually. Stay here. Don't even leave your office. At this rate, you're going to go mark her and scare her to death. Just stay put." Jeremiah pushed.

When Cortez didn't protest, Jeremiah carefully eyed him and skipped out his office. It didn't take long for Jeremiah to contact the Crystal Lake pack and rearrange their meeting. It was originally suppose to be around a month from now but it was best to get Cortez away from Sophie now.

When Jeremiah returned, he was happy to see Kano and Trevor in front of Cortez's office. They were both stood like professional guards, making sure Cortez didn't try to escape while Jeremiah was away to make the call. Jeremiah walked in to see Cortez sat back in his desk chair with his arms over his chest.

"I can't believe you put my own pack against me." Cortez narrowed his eyes at his Beta as he waltzed into the room.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jeremiah chuckled.

"I'm not a child. I don't need to be babysat." Cortez growled and sat forward in his seat to rest his arms on his desk. "I'm actually the Alpha, here, if you've forgotten."

"You wouldn't have known you were being babysat if you didn't try to leave." Jeremiah smirked. "Listen, the Crystal Lake pack will be ready for us if we leave tomorrow morning. We're still gonna stay for two weeks. Everything's settled."

"Good. I'm calling Sophie." Cortez said as he reached for his phone.

"Go ahead, Alpha. Don't confess your undying love or tell her you're gonna go visit some fellow shapeshifters or anything." Jeremiah playfully warned as he left the Alpha's office.

Cortez dialed Sophie's number and got up to pace his office. He listened to the phone ring over and over again. The first time, she didn't answer. Cortez instantly grew worried. From what he knew about Sophie, she was never out this late. It was nearly sunset. Why wasn't she answering? He'd have to call her again until she answered.

"You good, Chief?" Sophie asked as she helped her grandfather sit into his chair in the living room.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Go answer the phone already." Henry groaned as his bones and muscles settled into the chair.

Sophie skipped through the house to get to the kitchen and quickly snatched the phone off the wall. "Hello?"

Cortez felt his whole body relax, all his muscles loosen and the paranoia slip from his mind. The sound of her voice was enough. It was soft yet slightly peppy. Blissfully familiar.

"Hey, Princess." Cortez grinned, the expression conveying through his voice.

"Oh, a new nickname?" Sophie stepped out of the doorway of the kitchen and leant against the kitchen counter so her grandfather couldn't see or hear her. "Wasn't it Beautiful and Gorgeous the other day?"

"Don't worry, Princess, I've got more up my sleeve." Sophie giggled as she nibbled on her thumbnail, causing Cortez's smile to broaden. "How have you been, huh? I haven't seen you in awhile. You don't need anything fixed?"

"No, we're good here. We just got back from the assisted living place and they showed me the apartment Chief would be moving into." Sophie sighed.

Cortez could easily tell his mate was upset. He didn't even have to see her to know. "How did that make you feel?"

"Selfish."

"Why selfish?"

"Because it would be good for him. He would have all the help he needed but I still wish he'd stay. I know I couldn't take care of him as well as trained nurses but I still know him better than they do."

"They'll get to know him the longer he stays. You don't have to worry about him so much. If he's happy to live there, it's probably the best decision."

"So you're still on their side, I see." Sophie pouted.

"I'm on your side, Sophie. No matter where your grandfather goes, I'll always be by your side." Cortez reassured.

"Funny you mention that. Chief went on and on about how we shouldn't be left alone in the house together. I tried to tell him you were a good guy but he's still convinced you could have ulterior motives we don't know about."

Cortez let out a frustrated sigh as he lowered into his desk chair. Of course, the list of things keeping Cortez away from his mate just kept adding up. Maybe they shouldn't go to the Crystal Lake pack. Maybe Cortez should just run over to her house now and spend as much time with her as possible before her grandfather boarded up all the doors and windows.

"I'll probably still invite you over, anyways." Sophie whispered with a mischievous smirk. Cortez raised his head, hope filling his head. "I did it once. He can't be that upset if he doesn't know."

"You really are something, Princess." Cortez chuckled lowly as he sat back in his desk chair. "It's nice to know you trust me, at least."

"I don't really know why I do. I don't usually warm up to people as quickly as I warmed up to you. It's so weird, it's like I wanna see you all the time."

Cortez eyes slightly widened at her words. He loved those words. Those were the best words she had ever said to him. He couldn't have been more excited to hear those words fall off her tongue. He couldn't even help himself when he jumped up from his desk and rushed towards the door. Unfortunately, Jeremiah, Kano, and Trevor were still there and blocking his path.

"Move!" Cortez demanded, holding his phone to his chest so Sophie couldn't hear.

Kano and Trevor stepped back, having no other option but to listen to their Alpha. Jeremiah worked a little differently. He was the second strongest male in this pack house. He was meant to obey the Alpha and help him do anything he asked, but he also had to be the logical and rational one when the Alpha couldn't. It was actually his job not to stand down from the Alpha when he was asked, at least, in this situation.

"You can't do this, Alpha. We have to leave in the morning. You were meant to call her and say goodbye. Remember that? Once we leave, you'll finally be able to get her off your mind for awhile." Jeremiah explained calmly, staring into Cortez's eyes as they flashed gold on and off. "If you go now, you're going to do something you'll regret."

"Cortez?" Sophie whisper-yelled with her thumb nail between her teeth. "Cortez?"

"Sorry." Cortez finally spoke up. He stared down at Jeremiah with narrowed eyes. "I have to go, Sophie."

"What?" She panicked. "Is it because of what I said? Was that too inappropriate?"

Sophie cringed and nibbled even harder on her thumb nail as she recalled what she said. She suddenly wished she didn't say that. That might've been a little weird. Scratch that. It was really weird.

"No!" Cortez barked as he walked back into the room. "What you said was great. I loved what you said. I feel the same way."

"Hey!" Jeremiah yelled from the doorway. Cortez turned towards his Beta, who pointed a firm finger at him. "What did I say about love confessions?"

Cortez shot Jeremiah the hardest glare he could muster as he charged towards him. In a panic, Jeremiah, Kano, and Trevor all pulled his big office doors closed. Cortez huffed and walked back towards his desk.

"I just meant..." Cortez sighed as he sat at his desk, put his elbows on the table, and let his fingers disappear into his hair. "Tomorrow morning. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for two weeks. I would come visit you before I go but I think it'd be best if I didn't."

Sophie frowned and processed all that he said. He wanted to see her but he couldn't. That made her a little happy, at least, that he wanted to see her. She was sad that he was going to leave for two weeks, though. They hadn't seen each other in a week, which meant, when they met again, a month would've gone by.

Of course, he had to disappear right after she cofessed how much she wanted to see him. She even said she's break her grandfathers rules to see him.

"Can I ask where you're going?" Sophie chimed.

"Away.." Cortez answered.

Sophie scoffed and shook her head. "If you were going to give me such a vague answer, you could've just said no."

There was a pause as Sophie switched hands to nibble on her other thumb nail. The one she was nawing on was beginning to hurt. She stood silently and patiently as she listened to Cortez take a deep breath on the other end of the line.

"When I get back, should I treat you to dinner?"

"You don't want to eat here?"

At your house? Alone? Together with my mate who I haven't even gotten to properly touch yet? No. That sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.

"You're cooking every time I see you. Let me treat you." Cortez smirked.

Sophie couldn't help the smile creeping on her lips. She cupped her hand over the phone and carefully whispered, "Are you asking a high school out on a date, Cortez?"

Cortez chuckled and shook his head. "No. It's nothing romantic. The way I'll look at you and ask to hold your hand won't be romantic. Just a date between friends.. And one of the friends really likes the other one."

Sophie bit roughly at her bottom lip to contain her insanely big smile, which she failed miserably at. She could feel her cheeks warm and her heart race in her chest. Her whole body was igniting with this happy, fluttery, warm sensation. She felt like a bottle of carbonation that was about to pop. All she could do was bury her face in her hands and try her best to contain all the giddiness rattling in her chest.

When Sophie gathered herself enough to speak again, she raised her head, took a deep breath, and brushed her hair nervously back as if Cortez could see her. "I can't wait for you to get back."

Cortez felt just as excited and jittery but didn't display it as much. He simply smiled and nodded. "Don't miss me too much. I'll miss you enough for the both of us."

"Stop it! Friends don't talk like that, you know." Sophie whispered as she fanned her hand in front of her face. She listened to Cortez chuckle on the other end.

"Forgive me, Sophie."

Those words were very familiar. Cortez seemed to have a tendency to say that in similar situations. It made Sophie wonder if he would be saying that again. But the thought made her even more flustered and nervous.

"I forgive you." Sophie said and trapped her bottom lip between her lip.

"Goodnight, Beautiful. I'll call you again when I get the chance but I might be very busy."

"That's alright. I'll wait for you, don't worry."

Cortez happily nodded to himself. He was happy that she'd wait for him since he was endlessly waiting for her.

"Goodnight, Cortez." Sophie whispered before she hung up.

Cortez slowly dropped his phone to his desk and took a moment to think and relax. Just one phone call took the edge off. Hearing her smile through the tone in her voice filled him with so much contentment. She was upset when he first called her so he was proud of himself for getting her to smile by the end of it. And he had successfully asked her out on a date, which wasn't technically being called a date. That didn't matter so much. He just wanted to see her.

Meanwhile, Sophie had her head in her hands as she tried not to break out in squeals. She had a date with Cortez. She didn't even care that he was a little older than her. She liked him too much. And she knew it. She had a massive crush on Cortez. He was handsome, incredibly sweet, caring, thoughtful. There was something else but she couldn't put her finger on it.

It was like she was drawn to him. Sophie always had this feeling in her chest like something was missing but when she was with Cortez, it was gone. That feeling made her want to be around him more. It was like he completed her in a weird way. They hardly knew each other but she felt like she had known him forever. Like he was her other half. And she was addicted to that feeling. She really really liked him.