"I thought you were supposed to be on some date," Andrew commented as he plopped down on the couch next to me. It had been a few hours since I arrived back home and I hadn't heard from Ryder at all. I was actually sitting in the dark watching crappy movies in the living room until Andrew got back home. I looked over at him, fatigued from nothing.

"I was," I sighed and sat up more onto the couch while he questioned me with his frown. "I met his pack and everything was fine until he mentioned you."

"I told you it wasn't safe, and yet he told the very people who are probably the sources to any possible danger you can have," Andrew said.

"Well apparently not or else Ryder wouldn't have done it," I mentioned.

"Well Ryder's mistaken."

"Maybe the rest of them are," I figured. "It's not like you're declaring war on any werewolf taking claim over the town, so I don't see what the big deal is about you. You're not that great."

"Hey," he warned about my subtle insult. I suppressed my amusement. "It doesn't matter what the big deal is. I pose a threat to them and that's all that matters...even if I don't want to be Alpha."

"Well I think it's idiotic that they're all overreacting," I muttered and then there was a knock on the door.

"Well thankfully you have someone who rather be with you and tear up his pack instead of hunt me down," Andrew joked. I glared for a moment before getting up to answer the door. I opened it and saw Ryder standing there, texting on his phone. I frowned without him able to see it, but when he looked up, he stayed locked to my gaze.

"Ready for our date?" he asked without personality or romanticism. I forgave it because I knew something important had happened after I left.

"Yeah, just let me get my purse and—"

"Why?"

"Because it has my wallet and stuff in it," I answered and he looked at me as if I hadn't said anything. "Okay..." I said, beginning to back up and he scoffed at me as if I was an idiot and I frowned.

"You know I'm not gonna make you drive or pay, so stop insulting me so we can go; it's already late and I'm hungry," he ordered effortlessly. I could tell that he wasn't up for his usual playful exchange of conversation, but I still went out with him because not only did I want to know what was wrong with him, but I was supposed to get him through it and make him feel better. I stepped outside after slipping on my sandals by the door.

"I'll try to have her home before midnight, but no promises," Ryder assured Andrew as he shut the door for me. We walked down the porch and sidewalk together to get into his Porsche. As usual, he opened the door, but that was the only thing familiar about his behavior (and it wasn't even familiar if you asked some people). He was completely quiet during the car ride, and I was too scared to reach over and grab his hand in fear he would just throw the gesture away.

We arrived at a Cheesecake Factory maybe forty-five miles away in the next town over and there was still an awkward tension between us. It was worse when we took our seats and he was studying the menu as much as I was trying to analyze him.

"What?" he finally asked me while his eyes still remained on the plastic menu.

"Nothing," I lied just to irritate him as much as he knew he was irritating me. Sure, there was a wall built between our minds, but it didn't take a genius to address the obvious dilemma. He sighed though.

"I'm not going to tell you what happened."

"You're the one who said I was eventually going to be part of your pack so—"

"Well you aren't yet, so—" he interjected with a sarcastic ass smile. I was feeling resentment rising between us and I didn't want an ounce of it.

"I just want you to talk to me," I muttered, truthfully, letting my eyes fall onto my booklet of food options. I felt Ryder finally try to look up at me, though.

"Well I know that talking to you about my pack is just going to end up in me accusing you for complete and utter bullshit," he announced and then I made my decision about this whole situation. He made it clear that his attitude was from the pack's meeting and he didn't want to talk about it. Aside from that factor, he shouldn't feel bad about anything, so I guess we weren't going to talk about his pack and I was going to just ease his mind and try to get him to focus on something else. Considering the current setting, I could think of other options.

I suddenly reached over and took his menu from him, right as our waitress Brittnee, came to ask for our drinks and orders.

"What can I get for you two?" she asked and waited for one of us to say something. Ryder was too busy glaring at me.

"Um, he's going to have a slice of...peppermint bark cheesecake," I told Brittnee and while Ryder tried to narrow his eyes at me to study the meaning of my ordering dessert for him, Brittnee wrote it down. She glanced at Ryder, once more, but then looked back at me since she knew very well who was calling the shots right now. "And for you?"

"I don't know," I told her with a pleasant sigh. I finally connected a look with Ryder. "What will I be having?"

"Toasted Marshmallow S'mores Galore," he eventually said without looking at Brittnee.

"Yum. I'll have that right out," she informed before leaving. It wasn't soon enough for Ryder, apparently.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" I asked, innocently. I was waiting for him to exchange the mischievous yet flirty smirk as usual, but it never came. Fine. I could be just as stubborn in my own way.

"You don't even know if I like peppermint bark cheesecake," he mumbled.

"I don't really care, either," I shrugged and gave him the bitchiest sarcastic smile I could muster. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it'd be. I was acting just as selfish as he was.

"Well I can order for myself," he murmured.

"Good. So can I."

There was a battle raging on through our eyes at this point. But if I was right in this whole imprinting thing, I would win.

"So I'm assuming you like peppermint," he assumed and I tried to continue with my stubbornness.

"So then I can assume you like s'mores," I mimicked and he finally broke into a smirk at my attempts to outdo him. His gaze met the table's cloth briefly, shadowed by his long eye lashes.

"No, actually, I just thought this'll make up for all the s'mores the guys will eat this weekend at the camping trip before you get the chance to make one," he informed and I felt not only my heart warm up, but also my wolf personally growl at me for being such a jerk to Ryder when he was thinking of me aside from all of this. At least he referred to the boys going to the camping trip, so maybe they didn't completely tear apart the pack because of something like my namesake.

So I'd surrender my own selfishness since Ryder had secretly done the same.

"Maybe," I whispered. "And yes, I like peppermint...after all, my birthday's in the winter and it seems to fit the holiday diet."

"You're kidding," he hoped. I shook my head and frowned a bit. "When's your birthday?"

"December 22nd," I informed. "It was supposed to be the 21st, but I missed it by an hour or so."

"Shit," he cussed and then Brittnee arrived with our plates of delicious looking dessert slices. I just wondered what he just figured out. But he only picked up his fork and revealed that he actually did like peppermint. I still studied him, wondering why he asked for my birthday.

"Well at least you like peppermint."

He put the fork down and looked at me.

"My birthday's the 21st of December," he notified. "If that doesn't convince you we were meant to be together, I don't know what will."

"It just proves that we were born extremely close to each other," I shrugged, beginning to eat my cake.

"When I was born, I was in critical care for the whole day for an irregular heart condition and I was magically fine the next day. Because of you. Because I had to live for you and you weren't even born yet."

"Not because of me," I denied. "Probably because, I don't know, your mom was trying to bring a bloodline werewolf into the world and it obstructed the natural balance in the world."

"Fine. Don't believe me," he sighed. It made me start to think though...because I was remembering that my mom's birthday was only days after my father's. "Actually," Ryder began again. "I need you to believe me...I need you to not pick and choose when you want to claim being my mate and when you're going to act insecure about it. I'm not battling myself for revealing stuff that you're so quick to deny. And you're not sitting there trying to get me to forget about this afternoon unless you knew exactly how to distract me."

"I already told you I just want you to talk to me," I reminded. "I don't want you sulking and me sitting here not knowing how to handle it."

"You shouldn't have to handle anything though," he told me. "When I'm acting like a dick to you, just say 'hey, Ryder, you're acting like an asshole; be here with me' and I'd be fine."

"I don't want to force you to pay attention to me," I said, disgusted.

"You don't have to force me to pay attention to you; you're on my goddamn mind every minute of the day," he assured without sensitivity. "I just...I'm more focused on trying to be with you without losing you with all the other shit going on than actually being here in this moment. Now that I know we're mates, it's complete bullshit that you have to put up with me."

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Put yourself down," I clarified. "First you said it to me and then Cassandra and Andrew and now tonight."

"Because you don't understand what this is."

"Maybe you aren't understanding," I countered. "You want to insist on never being good enough for me because your life's devoted to mine when that isn't the case."

"Isn't the case?" he questioned. "I'm supposed to give you the world and I'm so wrong for you and anyone else that I don't know how it's possible. I smoke and drink and I get into trouble and I'm just hard to deal with and I'm destructive. You can ask my dad or, hell, ask Stella!"

"You don't need to convince me of how ever much of a bad person you think you are," I said, searching his eyes. "I don't even care if you actually are bad for me right now, but you can't start whatever-we-are off by thinking you're not good enough."

"Meaning what?" he finally asked, giving up his sense of sureness about this whole imprinting thing.

"Meaning..." I said, putting my open hand on the table. "Maybe we should focus on actually getting to know each other before figuring out the other stuff."

I could feel the weight lifted off his shoulders when I said that, as if it was something he needed to hear. He met my hand with his and ran his thumb along it.

"After all," I added, planning to tease him. "I still haven't figured out if I like you or not."

He pulled back his hand as he smiled brilliantly and rolled his eyes.

"Just eat your cake, loser," he laughed before putting whipped cream on my nose.

***

"You missed the turn," I told Ryder on the way home.

"No, I didn't," he denied.

"Yeah, you did," I insisted. "I live back there."

"I know that," he shrugged as he got in the left lane.

"Then why are we—"

"People don't usually surprise you, do they?" Ryder suddenly asked and I saw the night's lights glint off of his smile.

"No," I admitted, crossing my arms. I frowned at myself. After a moment, he didn't say anything else. "You're still not telling me where we're going," I finally had an outburst.

"Of course not, because I love seeing you out of your own comfort," he smiled.

"Jerk," I mumbled under my breath and looked out of the window to my right. I heard Ryder sigh within his laugh, and then felt his warm hand on my leg. I looked over and saw it to be palm-side up and Ryder looking at me as if I was a child having a difficult time admitting I was wrong. I just rolled my eyes and he removed his hand. Silent minutes later, we arrived at his grandiose house.

"Aren't you supposed to take a lady back home after the first date?" I inquired as he opened the car door for me and extended his hand.

"Um, no, not when she's my mate," he responded with an equal amount of attitude. We walked up to his door and the house was dark aside from the outside lights that illuminated the finely installed glass windows and décor. It made me question what exactly we were doing here.

"So where are your parents?"I asked him, slowly walking through the foyer as he was far ahead of me, turning on the lights leading to a kitchen and bigger living room.

"They're going out of town as we speak."

"What for?"

"Well my dad and I haven't really been getting along so he's handling business elsewhere, and Mom just kind of assumed I would want the house to myself this weekend so she went with him," he answered and I entered the living room/kitchen that was split by a long marble counter. I saw that he was pulling out two glasses and opened the refrigerator.

"And why would she think that?"

"Because she isn't stupid and knows when to respect a pair of mates, unlike my father," he answered.

"What does that have to do with leaving us the house?" I asked him and then I stupidly recognized what it meant. I knew exactly what he meant. It hallowed me out, actually. All I could do was leave through the nearest door in the kitchen that led to a dark backyard and I saw a trampoline sitting there, unused. So I climbed on it and fell back, looking up at the dark sky and the invisible moon.

"I'm interested in learning what you think I meant by that," Ryder's voice said at the edge of the trampoline. I rolled over, facing him while being propped up on my elbows. His hands were over our heads, clutching the netting and he looked down at me. Even though it was dark, I could see him clearly.

"I'm not stupid," I began and he let me continue. "I know what boys do at night in an empty house with their date."

"I don't think you know anything about that, actually," he said plainly, and honestly, he was right considering I hadn't really been brought back to a guy's house before. He adjusted his position and propped his arms onto the side of the trampoline. We were face to face with only a net separating us.

"Fine, I don't, but I'm not going to sit here and play dumb about what you wanted to do tonight," I added. He shrugged.

"Alright."

"Alright?" I questioned as he began to walk away and I got up to follow him as he entered the house. "What do you mean alright?"

"Exactly what I said," he confirmed with a shrug. "You were right, so I said alright."

"And you think you can just admit to having those...intentions?" I asked, sort of confused myself.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Of course I want to have sex with you; you're the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen with or without the bond. However, I'm not going to lie to you, and you already know you're right—on top of not being ready for that this soon, so now what? Do you want to argue for the rest of the night or actually have some fun?"

"You're unbelievable."

"And you're incredibly stubborn," he added. I glared at him and yet my body was still attracted to him and his honesty for some reason clearly known. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and began to tow me somewhere, but I released his grip. "Come on; I'm not going to assault you or anything. I promise."

He held his hands up as if surrendering and then I reluctantly followed him. We made it upstairs in the big open room and I stood at the top of the stairs where he left me. Minutes later, he was turning on the TV and stacking boxes of board games on top of each other on the bar. I questioned every move he made and after he turned on the TV and I saw the green X-box logo appear, he turned to me.

"What are you doing?"

"It's not what I'm doing; it's what we're doing," he corrected and then I wanted him to humor me. He gestured to the counter as I stepped into the room. "Choose a game."

I tried to look for the catch, but couldn't find any. Beneath a deck of cards, there was Mancala, Operation, Checkers/Chess, Battleship, Life, and various other classic board games that I wondered why he had so many of if he was an only child. But I wondered what the catch was.

"Choose a game," he repeated.

"For what?"

He stepped closer to me and his eyes dropped down to my lips.

"Since I don't want to play mind games with you, let's play board games instead," he said, his breath touching my lips. He tried hiding his menacing smirk and failed by gliding his tongue across his bottom lip and I shifted uncomfortably. Then, his eyes caught mine. "Choose a game and play with me."

"Operation," I chose. He nodded once and quickly departed away from me and set up the game on the floor. I hesitantly took a seat across from him. I watched as he placed the board between us and set up the cards and money. He seemed so focused and maybe his lustfulness from before had went away. Maybe he was finally serious about this relationship thing. I put my hand on his forearm and he glanced up at me to acknowledge me, but otherwise shuffled the cards.

"Each body part we choose, the opponent gets to ask the other a question pertaining to it...while the answerer is trying to extract the toy thing," I proposed. He looked up at me, but said nothing. "Like...if you draw 'Watered Knee', I could ask...I don't know. What's your favorite drink is or if you can swim? I don't know. A question."

He smirked and slightly chuckled as he looked down away from me and I felt embarrassed at the idea.

"Alright," he said and I felt a bit relieved. "But the body part you'll want to be asking about isn't on this board..."

"Excuse you," I said, feeling my face heat up. "I said no sex. You promised no sex."

"I know. I got that much," he assured and then looked up at me with a laugh. "But that doesn't mean I can't tempt you...just so you know exactly what you're missing and feel exactly how I felt when you were coming onto me last night and I decided not to corrupt you then and there."

"And how are you going to do that?" I asked, amused. I saw an evil glint in his caramel eyes.

"Each game's loss—no matter the margin—the loser strips off a piece of clothing."

In any other circumstance, I would've called him out on trying to be slick, but this was my mate. I knew eventually we would get to whatever sexualized point in our relationship—not now, hopefully—but I wanted to know just how well he was in control of his urges. Maybe I wanted to know my own extent. So I simply raised an eyebrow and said: "Game on."