Walker smiled, but he wasn't happy.

He couldn't understand his rage—it wasn't towards Roxie—it was towards her mate.

"Do the elders pair you someone who's hurt you?"

"Not usually," Walker mumbled, "They want you to be happy."

"But I heard that all is forgotten after you're mated," Roxie said, "Like, you know that a person has harmed you, but they would never do it again."

"You won't be hooked up with Victor if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh?"

"No," Walker shook his head, "Victor will have to deal with the consequences of that later."

"How so?"

"If he's mated—and his mate is at the ball and he isn't because he attacked you—she can choose to forgive him. He'd never hurt her."

"Oh..." Roxie frowned, "I didn't mean,-"

"Don't you dare,mouse," Walker warned, "What he did is on him—don't worry about his mate. I feel bad for whoever that is, but she'll deal. The mate bond is strong."

"How strong?"

"Your parents would never have hurt each other—I will never hurt my mate, but it's different for vamps who aren't mated. Their human side is still quite developed while our mutation gets stronger, deeper. I feel bad for those who aren't mated, to be honest."

"Me, too."

"So, what visions are you having?" He asked as they stepped into their math classroom.

"Uh, I don't know. It's silly."

"Visions aren't silly, mouse. You could have the gift of foreshadowing."

"Maybe..." Roxie settled down in her chair as Walker sat next to her, "There's a kid in it and I am pregnant again."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Roxie blushed, "Very talkative kid. I can't tell if it's a boy or a girl because they're so young and even their face is a little blurry. I was just about to tell them the story of me and their dad, but I snapped out of it."

Roxie smiled, "Me, pregnant....so crazy, right?"

Walker noticed her turn a little pale, "You OK?"

"No," Roxie said, her hands becoming clammy, "I'll be right back."

She rushed to the restroom just in time to have her coffee come up.

"You OK?"

A voice asked from the stall beside Roxie's.

"Uh, yeah.." Roxie quaked, "I-I'm fine.."

Flushing the toilet, Roxie rinsed her face and washed her hands before heading back to class, popping a piece of gum in along the way.

"What happened?"

"I got sick," Roxie told him as Walker looked at her with a stone-cold expression, "It's stress."

"Stress?" Walker's body tensed, "You sure?"

"Of course," Roxie smiled, "Hey, I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?"

"Some of my mom's lasagna," Roxie said, "I brought you some."

"You brought me homemade lasagna?" Walker smirked, "You're starting to like me, aren't you?"

"No, ew, no..I wanted to thank you for coming for me."

"Well, I don't want to pass up food—or you," Walker licked his lips, "I could eat you all day."

"Don't leave me...."

"I have to..."

"Why?"

"You know why!"

"Shit.." Walker blinked as they rounded the corner, his head pounding.

"Walker, you don't look so good.."

"I will kill every last one of you if you don't give her back to me!"

"Oh?"

"Walker! Walker! Please, help me!"

"Don't you love hearing her squeal like the pig she is?"

"I will..."

"So, you haven't looked at the painting, right?"

"I haven't. You asked me not to and I want to be surprised. What movie do you want to see Friday?" Walker asked as they made their way to the gym, "Damn assemblies. Boring as fuck."

"Um, something black and white. I like retro films."

"The classics are good," Walker nodded, taking her hand in his, "I,-"

Her heat exuded from her as she thought about what they were going to do at the drive-in.

"Naughty girl.."

"Huh?"

"Nothing," Walker smirked, "I am just thinking about all of the ways I am going to take you this weekend."

"Is that all you think about?"

"With you? Yes..."

"You're my everything, baby..."

"Please let me come...I want to come.."

"Shhh," Walker chuckled, "You'll wake the baby..."

"I can't help it," she giggled, "I just love it so much."

"I love you so much, my little,-"

"Hey! Watch it, man," Eric pushed Walker back as the bigger man ran into him, "Oh, shit. Sorry, dude. You OK?"

Walker looked at Roxie then back to Eric and back again.

"I need some air."

Walker let go of Roxie's hand and rushed out of the gymnasium and out to the corridor.

"Shit.." he breathed in deeply, trying to slow his heartbeat. Rushing to the counsellor's office he burst through the door without knocking as Brett looked up at him, "Help me."

"Mr. Wells, have a seat."

"I can't sit. I can't stand. I can't eat..."

"When did it start?"

"I don't know..." Walker paced the room, "Can you see your mate before the elders come?"

"Sure," Brett nodded, "It's rare, but if a mate bond is strong, you can."

"What if you knock them up?"

"Can you explain?"

"Can I knock up someone who is not my mate?"

Brett leaned back in his chair and smiled.

"Extremely rare, but it's happened in a few regions."

"I've never heard of it."

"Like I said, it's rare. Hasn't happened in about fifty years or more," Brett wrote something down on his notepad, "Is this about Roxie Reynolds?"

Walker turned around and hissed, his fangs gaping—eyes blazing.

"Don't you fucking say her name..."

"Calm down, Walker," Brett said, "I understand how you're feeling. She feels good, doesn't she? Sex isn't love...you know that."

"Do you love me?"

"I've loved you before you came into my life."

Grabbing his flask, Brett watched as Walker downed the juice, calming down a little bit.

Walker sat down and sighed.

"Now, start from the beginning..."

Walker rolled his eyes and stared at Brett.

"This woman...She's got me by the balls."