Kane breathed out as the water cascaded down his back. He pressed his side against the wall of the shower, his legs no longer feeling strong enough to hold him up. He watched as the water fell over him, warm and comforting, on a night that had been anything but. Kane didn't want to close his eyes. He knew what, or better yet, who, he would see if he did. Her name was at the edge of his every thought. Nora.

He reached out and twisted the knob. The water came over him stronger. He took a deep breath and pushed his face under the stream. His closed eyes revealed one face. Her piercing blue eyes haunted him. He pushed the image away from his mind, but what replaced it was just as unwelcome. What was he now? What was his label?

He pulled his face from the water and took a gasping breath. He sat down, his legs crossed and the water falling over his back. He didn't know who he was now. He had known, from as long as he could remember, that he was gay. He liked boys. Boys liked him. He didn't want to kiss girls, but he wanted to kiss Nora. It made him shiver, even under the warmth of the water. He wanted to kiss her.

Kane's whole world was shaking and crumbling around him, and it was all because of her. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to be upset with the girl. It wasn't her doing. She was innocent in all of this, just a girl looking for her prince. He placed his head in his hands. She was going to be so disappointed. He already knew that.

A tear fell down his cheek, rapidly mixing in with the water. He didn't know who he was crying for, Nora or himself. In that moment, he knew that she was crying too. He didn't know how, but he felt it. He thought of her, held up in one of the huge rooms of the Alpha's house, crying into her pillow, thinking of him. Was his name wrapped around every one of her thoughts too? What did she think of him, her strange, avoidant mate?

He was out of the shower before he even knew what he was doing. He threw his shirt over his head and yanked his boxers and jeans up his legs. Then he walked as quietly as he could through the hallway. His wet feet made sounds against the wooden floors as he moved gently.

"Kane?" a voice said, it came from behind him.

Kane turned. The voice was coming from the end of the dark hallway. The person stepped forward and Kane could just see his brother's face in the moonlight from the window. If he had to, however, he could have forced his eyes to see more clearly, but he didn't need to. He could see his brother's confused expression clearly.

"Go back to bed, Heath."

Heath crossed the distance between them. "You're dripping wet, ever think of using a towel?"

Kane sighed. "I need to go somewhere, I'll be back."

Heath grabbed his arm quickly. His grip was loose, and Kane was suddenly and acutely aware of the force it would take to yank his arm back.

"You don't get off that easy," Heath said. "What happened at the ball?"

Kane gently unpeeled his brother's fingers. It was an uncomfortable feeling being restrained by another wolf, even if it was his brother. "I don't want to talk about it right now. I'll explain tomorrow."

Kane tried to walk towards the stairs but his brother stopped him. He blocked his path. "This isn't like you, Kane. What happened?"

Kane tried to walk past him. "I don't have time to explain it to you, Heath."

Heath blocked his path again, stepping right where Kane was trying to. The concern in his features had grown. "I'm your brother. If you're in trouble, you can tell me."

Kane stood still. "I did something tonight, I hurt someone, and I have to make it right."

Kane watched as Heath's expression hardened. "It wasn't a human, was it?"

"It wasn't a human, and I didn't physically hurt anyone, I just, I acted like a prick."

"Now, that does sound like you," Heath replied with a laugh.

Kane ignored him. "I have to make it right."

"Will you be home tonight?" Heath asked.

Kane nodded. "Don't wait up for me though."

Heath stepped out of the way. "Go apologise to the guy. Use your signature Kane charm on him. I'm sure it will be okay."

Kane didn't correct him. Instead, he made a beeline for the front door, slipping some shoes on hastily as he went.

He parked down the street to his aunt and uncles house, not wanting the car noise to wake anyone up. The walk from his car to the front door seemed to take hours. Finally, he stood on the porch. Now, getting in was the hard part. He didn't want to wake up the entire household, but breaking into the Alpha's house wasn't the best idea either.

He made his way back down the steps and looked up at the house from the driveway. That was when he saw it. The light from Peyton's room was on. He tried to call her, but her phone went straight to voicemail. He sighed. He knew then what he had to do.

He walked back up the porch steps and faced the road. He grabbed the railing and stood on it, so that his hands could just reach the guttering. He prayed that it would hold him as he hoisted himself up to the next level, for a second, he was sure that he was going to fall, but suddenly he was on top of the roof, kneeling down on the tiles.

As he leant against the tiles, he wondered if this was going against Adam. He remembered Adam's words, but he knew that Adam didn't really think of his words as law. He had just suggested that they have the night to think. Thinking, however, was what was making Kane spiral down the deep, dark hole that was his mind. He needed answers. He knew that he was making the right decision. He could only hope that Nora would see it the same way.

Kane took a deep breath and hoped that no one could see him from the other houses. He didn't want to have to explain this one. He watched his steps carefully as he scaled the side of the roof, grabbing hold of the window frame as soon as he could. He fixed his footing, making sure that he wasn't going to go flying off the roof if a gust of wind blew past. Then he lent towards the window.

He saw Peyton clearly through the glass. She was sitting on her bed, laughing into her phone. The covers of her bed were pushed down to her feet, revealing her purple shorts and black crop top. He knocked on the glass gently.

Peyton jumped when she heard the noise. Kane already had his finger against his lips when she saw him. She nodded, the adrenaline from the scare clear in her eyes. She hung up the call and came up to the window.

"You never cease to surprise me, cousin," she whispered after opening the window.

"Can I come inside?" he asked. "I don't really want to die up here."

Peyton shrugged. "You should have thought of that before scaling the side of a house. My house, to be exact. It's trespassing really. I should just leave you out there."

Kane smiled at his cousin. "Let me in, come on."

Peyton stepped aside. Kane gently lowered himself into the room.

"Should I ask why you are here?" Peyton asked after she pushed the window shut behind him.

Kane shrugged. "If you want, but it's a long story."

Peyton waved him away. "I don't care enough for that. Don't use my window to leave. Go out the back door."

And with that, Kane found himself in the dark hallway, alone. He suddenly decided that if, god forbid, he ever needed to cover up a murder, Peyton would be a great accomplice. She never asked for details. It was a good trait of hers.

Kane knew which bedroom Adam would have put her in. He walked slowly, slower than normal. He dragged his feet, unsure suddenly if he had made the right choice. Then he felt it, that bond that connected them. He was close to her, it told him. It made him want to run to her, uncaring of the noises it would make. His feet wanted to sprint, but he stopped them.

He put his hand up near the door, his knuckles hovering near the wood, unsure. He was about to knock softly, but the door opened before he could get a chance. There she was, Nora. The girl that he couldn't stop thinking about.

"I could feel you coming," she said softly.

He took a moment to look at her. Her eyes looked dull and red, like she had been crying. Her eyeliner had run down her cheeks, leaving uneven dark circles under her eyes. She wore a nightie with the words, sleeping beauty written on the front. He found that mildly amusing considering, just like him, she obviously hadn't been able to sleep.

It was the redness in her eyes that got him. It was like someone had their hand against his chest. He hated himself for being the reason she was hurting. She was his to protect, and here he was, making her cry. He wanted to gather her in his arms and whisper that it was going to be okay, and other sweet lies into her ears. They would be comforting, but lies none the less.

"I was hoping that you would come back," she said. "Do you want to come in?"

Kane nodded. He followed her into the room. The bed hadn't been touched, the sheets still pushed up against the head of the bed, numerous pillows piled neatly over the top. Instead, her bag sat next to the small chair in the room. A blanket hung over the side.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"I wanted to talk to you." Kane glanced back towards the perfectly made bed. "You didn't try to sleep?" he asked.

Nora sat on the edge of the bed. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I couldn't-" she stopped herself.

"What?" he asked. Kane made his way over to the bed, sitting next to her, but putting a fair distance between them.

"Well, I couldn't stop thinking of how you acted."

Kane sighed. He pushed his damp hair back. "I'm sorry about that."

Nora looked so vulnerable, her legs crossed and hair falling over her face as she looked down at her lap. "I don't understand, Kane."

He didn't know how much to tell her. "You surprised me," he replied. "I didn't think that I'd meet my mate tonight."

Nora shook her head. It was so slight that Kane could only tell by the swaying of her hair. "You weren't surprised, you were disappointed."

Kane froze. He reached for her hand. Invisible sparks flew between their skin when they touched. "I've never dated a girl before. That's why I've been acting so strange."

Nora lifted her gaze. Her hair parted to reveal her face. Her eyes were bright. "That's what you were worried about?" she asked.

Kane nodded.

"I've never dated anyone, either!" she exclaimed. She laughed quietly. "Why didn't you just say that you were worried about that?"

Kane bit at his lip. "I've dated people before," he told her.

Nora's head tilted. "You just sai-"

"I've dated boys, exclusively boys," Kane said quickly.

He waited for her to be mad. He expected her to rip her hand from his and scream at him. However, she just smiled. "I don't care about that, if that's what you were worried about. I don't care about what, or who," she smirked, "you've done in your past, I just care about who you want to be with now."

Kane felt a rush of feelings. Acceptance and happiness washed over him. Nora, the girl with piercing blue eyes and the face of an angel, was willing to accept him the way he was. She wasn't disappointed.

"Were you scared I wouldn't accept you because of that?" she asked.

Kane squeezed her hand. "I'm scared about a lot of things."

Nora smiled encouragingly at him. She rubbed her thumb on the back of his hand. "Me too. How about we just get through it all together? Isn't that what mates are for?"

Kane blinked back tears. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Nora sighed. "I can't believe that I just spent the last three hours crying, thinking that you hated me."

Kane rushed to correct her. "I don't hate you! You are my mate, I could never hate you."

Nora spoke slowly and carefully, "It felt like you hated me back there at the diner."

Kane remembered that horrible feeling he had when he saw her for the first time. He was thankful that it hadn't returned. "Did you feel something when we first saw each other?"

"I felt the mate bond," she replied. A small smile graced her lips. "It felt warm and comforting and like nothing I've ever experienced. I still feel it now, sitting next to you."

Kane didn't feel warmth, he felt on guard. He wondered if there was a difference in the way people felt their mate bonds. His seemed to be protective, like he needed to protect this girl from the world, and possibly even himself. He had upset her more times than he could count in their few small interactions.

"I meant like a feeling," Kane specified, "a bad one."

Nora's eyes grew concerned. "You felt a bad feeling when you first saw me?"

Kane hesitantly nodded.

Nora shook her head fast. "I didn't feel anything of the sort. Perhaps, it was just your surprise and shock that gave you the feeling. Isn't that possible?"

"Yes," he thought of the adrenaline that had surged into his veins the moment he saw her. "You are probably right.'

Nora moved on the bed so that she was closer to him. "So, you've never, I don't know how to put this, liked a girl before?"

Kane shook his head. "Never."

"Do, uh, do you like me? In that way?" she seemed to get more nervous as she spoke.

He thought of the way he had wanted to kiss her. "Yes. I-I think so."

Nora clasped her free hand around their linked fingers. "No wonder you were so freaked out." She looked into his eyes. "How can I help?"

"I'll just need time. I need to get used to this whole girl thing," Kane admitted. "I need to figure out who I am now."

Nora nodded like she understood. Kane knew that there was no way that Nora knew what he was going through, and yet he felt reassured by her nod. She had a face that projected honesty and trust. He liked that about her.

"Well you know one thing," Nora said.

"And what is that?"

Nora lent closer to him. Kane could smell the sweetness of her perfume, mixed with the unique sent of hers. He wished he could drown in that smell.

"I'll be here to help you figure it out."

"What if I don't figure it out?" he asked. He wasn't sure if he was asking himself, or Nora.

"We are mates. Meant for each other. Destined to complete one another. We will figure it out."

Nora sounded so sure, like she had seen their future in a crystal ball. Her eyes held so much hope and cast-iron certainty that it made Kane shiver. He wished that he could be as sure as she was. She reminded him of the same certainty his friends held about their mates. It was strangely a mix of comforting and confusing. He had secretly hoped that she would hold the same fears as he did. He felt so alone in his worries sometimes, like no one understood.

"I don't know why this happened," Nora told him. "I don't know why you didn't end up with a man, but there must have been a good reason for the Moon Gods to have picked us."

"You're right," he said. "I'm sorry that I was such a prick today."

Nora laughed quietly. "You have a whole lifetime to make up for it, so don't stress."

Kane smiled, but her words hit close to home. He was to spend the rest of his life with her. This small girl with wide eyes and a strange amount of certainty. She was so different to him, almost polar opposites. He hoped that the Moon Gods knew what they were doing.

"I think I need some sleep," Nora said after a yawn. "Can you stay with me tonight?"

Kane looked over at the pillows behind them.

"By sleep, I really do mean sleep," she clarified nervously.

Kane smiled at her. "I know. I can stay."

He crawled into bed beside her. He offered his hand and she took it in a heartbeat, wrapping her fingers between his. "We can ease into this whole couple stuff," she assured him.

She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against the pillow closest to her.

Kane pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "You are incredible, Nora."

She smiled into her pillow. Those were the last words spoken of the night. Kane stayed awake for a few hours after she drifted off, just watching her sleep. Her name was still on the edge of his every thought, but he liked it now. It was reassuring and felt safe. She wasn't just a scary stranger anymore, she was Nora, the girl who accepted him, flaws and all. She loved him. He could feel it through the bond. She loved him already.

He just hoped that he could love her back. 

Remember to vote! Also, I've gotten some comments about this story being a heterosexual story not BXB. Although at this point, the main characters are a girl and boy, things do change as the book develops and it is a boyxboy book. It will become clearer over the next couple of updates.