"Wow." Bryce whispers when I walk into the living room where he's sitting on the couch. "You look amazing!"

I feel my face heat up, and I duck my head for a moment to look at my outfit. I'm wearing a lacy, apricot dress that falls in loose ruffles down to my knees. And from what I remember in the mirror, my hair is curled as close to ringlets as Jasmin could get it. It was a lot tighter at the beginning, but they are definitely looser and bigger now. By the end of the date, I know my hair will be flat again.

"Thanks. Um, so do you?" My compliment comes out like a question and he laughs, making me blush even more. "Sorry, I've never done this before."

He grins and takes my hand, causing electrical shivers to travel up my arm. "It's alright, you don't have to be embarrassed."

I give a small grin back and he leads me out the door and down the driveway to the sidewalk. We turn to the right — the opposite way as everything in the pack community — and begin walking hand-in-hand towards the forest at the end of the street.

"You seem to like the forest, so I set up a little something in there. I hope that's alright." He says nervously and I smile.

"It's perfect."

We walk mostly in silence, which was awkward at first, but now it's kind of nice. He isn't pressuring me into talking and he isn't blabbering. We're just enjoying each other's company and that's all we need right now.

A little ways into the woods, he turns and I see a small clearing with a basket set in the middle of a blanket. Nothing is spread on it, but it looked cute and cozy and it brought a smile to my face.

"I know it's totally clichè, but I hope you like it."

I shrug, "I don't even know what that means; and I love this!"

He laughs and lets go of my hand as I sink down onto my knees on the edge of the blanket. He kneels down beside the basket and starts pulling random items out of it. Some of them I can't name, but I recognized bread and cheese, and I could smell the meat that was in the soup Jasmin made weeks ago. I think it's called chicken.

He creates a plate full of a little of everything and hands it to me before creating his own. When he's finished, he scoots closer and motions to the food.

"If you don't like anything, don't be afraid to tell me. You won't hurt my feelings; I know you're not used to some of the food we have here."

I smile, "Don't worry, I've been here for a while now and I think I'll like everything you brought."

I dig in, taking it slow with small bites. I don't want to stuff myself in case he somehow had more surprises. After a little bit, he clears his throat and I freeze, glancing up at him through my eyelashes.

"So, um, there's been something I've been needing to talk to you about." He starts, and I can tell he's incredibly nervous.

It's making me nervous, so I start fidgeting, "Is this going back to what I'm not telling you? Because I promise I will eventually, I just have trust issues, and I'll answer small scale questions right now if you want, and —" I stumble over my words and he grabs my hand in a gentle manner.

"Hey, relax! It's not that, I swear."

I slackened my posture and finally looked him in the eye. ". . . Okay." I can't tell where this conversation is leading, and that frightens me a little bit.

"It's actually sort of about being a wolf."

I tilt my head, "Me being a wolf? Or your pack?"

He shakes his head. "No, more like all packs and like how the Moon Goddess created us in the beginning. I'm sure you've heard of it at some point, but to start, do you believe in Soulmates?"

I'm so intrigued, yet confused, by his response, that his question takes me off guard. "W-what?"

"Soulmates. Do you think they exist?"

I widen my eyes and lean back a little, debating what to say. "I- I mean in a way, I think they can. But I believe it's more like fate got two people together and they hit it off. I don't really think that the gods or goddesses handpicked people to meet and fall in love and have a life together, you know?"

Bryce blinks at me, his eyes don't hide his surprise well enough. "That's what you really think?"

I shrug. "I guess I never really thought about it. Where I'm from, we didn't have soulmates. Instead, many teenagers fell for each other in training. They'd get together and be married once training was completed. It wasn't arranged by anyone. It was real, you know?" I know wolves call their partners Mates, but I wasn't about to tell him that. And just because the wolves I am now apart of believe, doesn't mean I have to.

He smiles at me, but his eyes give away his disappointment for a split second. "Soulmates can be real too, Az. It's not like an arranged marriage. They feel connected through their souls — that's why it's called a soulmate!" He beams at the end, looking proud of his explanation. It almost makes me want to laugh.

But I don't, my brain focused to what he called me. "Az?"

A blush creeps up onto his cheeks. "That's what I call you in my head. I wasn't sure if you'd like it so I never said it. I guess it slipped out."

I beam, a happiness I've never felt before overwhelming me. "I like it." I tell him in a soft voice.

"Really?" I nod and heat flushes my face. The blush grows when he reaches his hand out and cups my cheek.

I suddenly realize how close we actually are. My heart starts pounding and I'm trying to decide whether or not I will flinch away if he leans in.

I'm relieved, however, when he doesn't. Instead, he goes back to our conversation. "Anyway, I needed to tell you something. I want you to understand why you feel this connection with me."

"You mean the sparks?"

"That's part of it, yeah!" I'm not sure why he's so excited.

"Well, what about it? I've always felt different around you, and I didn't know why. Will you tell me why?"

Bryce chuckles and squeezes my hand. "I'm getting there." He pauses and takes a breath, "Soulmates are real, Az. Serena the Moon Goddess assigns them from birth. But it's not like an arranged marriage, it's real. It's still fate how they meet and how they get close. The only way it compares to how humans do it is the connection; the sparks, the natural feeling of wanting to be with your mate. It's all part of it."

I stared at him.

"Azari?"

I blinked and slowly nodded. "I think I'm starting to understand. But can I ask something?" He nods enthusiastically. "How do you know the connection is real and that the sparks really mean it's the right person? I mean, sparks can't be all it is right?"

He chuckles, "Of course not! The sparks are only physical contact with your mate. The rest is the feeling you get when you look at them. How your heart soars when they smile or..."

At the beginning of his little speech, I'm smiling. But then I think about what he's saying and my smile drops. I pretty much stop listening to what he's saying.

"Az?"

I look up and take a breath, almost afraid of what the answer will be. "How do you know so much about this? Do you have a soulmate?"

"Really?" He deadpans. I blink. "Azari, I know you're not stupid. I know you've somehow already figured this out on some level. Your subconscious has told you what we are to each other, you're just afraid of it."

I stare at him, bewildered. "How-how did you figure all that out?"

He shrugs, "I know you, Az. We haven't known each other very long, but I feel like I've known you my whole life."

"Me too." I whisper. "It's the mate thing, isn't it?"

He grins and nods. "You're my soulmate, Azari.  And that doesn't mean you have to immediately love me or anything, don't feel pressured into this. But I want to let you know that I think I'm in love with you. I'm not asking for you to say it back, so don't freak out." He adds when I widen my eyes and lean away slightly.

"Thank you." I tell him. "For everything. For this date, for explaining things, for opening up. I appreciate it." And now the guilt hits me. He just shared so much with me. Why can't I do the same? Why can't I open up and let him in?

I never get to even try, though, because suddenly a loud and short crunch! sound makes us both jump. I turn to my left and see an arrow sticking up from the thickly woven basket of food.

My eyes dart to the surrounding woods and I see two wolves and a man. The man has a bow and a pack of arrows. The wolves make low growling sounds.

The growls aren't like the ones I've heard a few times around Bryce's pack. These ones are deep and menacing, and also brings me back to the day I lost my family. The day I was forced to run from the Caves and never look back.

These wolves came from the pack that attacked my family! The entire Dragon community in the mountains. I tell myself I'm not just jumping to conclusions. Something inside of me — and also Kenna — are telling new it's the same ones.

Bryce stands up and faces them, his body slightly shielding me from them. "Get off my territory!" His voice is scary as it echoes through the clearing. He turns back to me with one eye on the invaders and softly tells me to run and warn Jasmin.

Instead, I stand up and shake my head at him, taking him off guard.

"Az, run!"

"No. I'm sorry Bryce. You've shared so much with me, and now it's my turn to share. I just wish it didn't have to be like this."

"What? Azari!"

I face the wolves and the arrow guy, close my eyes, and I shift.