Roxanne wanted to run to the grocery store but it’s a stupid thing to do for a mere gossip but nonetheless, she still arrived early at the grocery store. She found Kiya as usual behind the counter, reading her notes but looked up when the door opened. In the end, she couldn’t hold herself back and shook Kiya.

“Are you really dating Cain Foster?!” Roxanne almost shouted in excitement and worry.

Kiya could roughly guess what happened. The pub afterall is a place of gossip so it wasn’t a surprise that word would go out the next day. She started to dread going to school today.

“He’s my mate.” Kiya simply explained.

Roxanne along with Sam are also werewolves that’s why Kiya was more comfortable with them than with her other co-workers that were human and few werewolves with whom she could only consider as an acquaintance. However, in perspective, Cain would be the closest person to her now.

“Oh so that’s the case. My teenage human neighbour exaggerated that you were being played around by that Cain and here I was ready to give him a piece of my mind even if he is the Alpha’s son.”

“We just found out yesterday and he’s sleeping upstairs.”

“He’s sleeping upstairs?” Kiya nodded and Roxanne just sighed. She could only lament on her inability to understand youngsters this days. “Well I’m glad you finally have someone.”

Roxanne really felt like a parent handing her child to someone else, she could roughly guess that Sam would feel the same. After a while, Roxanne forced Kiya to leave and check on Cain. Kiya was not that reluctant to leave since she needs to wake up Cain for him to go home and get ready for school. The apartment was quiet like it used to be, the only evidence Cain was still here is his shoes by the door and the unmistakable sweet scent that becomes prominent the longer she smells it. When she was just about to open the bedroom, the bathroom door opened and a freshly bath Cain came out. Kiya also noticed that he was wearing a new pair of clothes.

“Good morning.” Kiya could only greet.

Kiya now realized that she was too bothered by the fact that he is her mate but now that her mind is clear about that, she could now clearly see how handsome Cain is as pathetic as it sounds. Cain would actually do something to her if he knew what Kiya is thinking.

“Morning and before you could ask, I keep extra clothes in my car. I play basketball if you didn’t know. I’m sorry I took a bath without permission.” Cain quickly explained thinking that Kiya would misunderstand that he really planned to really sleep at her apartment.

“It’s fine. You came down earlier?”

“Yeah but I saw you talking to someone so I just grabbed my stuff in the car.”

“That was Roxanne, she works for the day shift.” Cain nodded in acknowledgement that he heard as he wiped his hair. “I’m going to get ready.”

Kiya fled as she felt a blush bloom on her face. Somehow, she’s finding Cain very attractive this morning. With reluctance, Kiya rode Cain’s car to school surprisingly without Cain’s persuasion. However, just as Kiya expected and feared, everyone at school had already heard and was looking at them as they walked together in the hallway. They were whispering and rudely pointing, Kiya could even feel the jealousy and malice from some of the females, mostly humans. Kiya could only think that it wasn’t her fault her mate is too handsome. She took a peek at Cain who did not appear bothered by his surroundings. It was her turn to be jealous at how calm he was.

“By the way, I’ll need your contact number.” Cain asked when they were at Kiya’s locker. Kiya is searching for her keys in her bag while Cain was leaning on one of the lockers. They were still being stared at.

“I don’t have a phone.” Kiya muttered as she wondered where her keys went then she remembered giving her keys to Cain when he sent him up to sleep. Her apartment can be locked from the inside so she didn’t remember to get it from him. She turned to him but her question stayed in her mouth when she saw him looking at her weirdly. “What?”

“You don’t have a phone?” His tone suggested that he’s actually shocked. Kiya wants to roll her eyes.

“I need my keys back.” Cain reached inside the pocket of his jacket and handed her the keys. “And I don’t need a phone. I have no use for it.”

“How do I contact you?” Cain said in exasperation. As one of the population who is addicted to technology, Cain could not simply accept that his girlfriend is living without a phone as crazy as it sounds.

“Simple. Find me.” Kiya said those words while getting things from her locker so she didn’t see how the words stunned Cain and how he brightly smiled afterwards. The females nearby seethed with jealousy.

In a blink of an eye, a week had passed. Cain sticked really close to Kiya for the entire week but not to the point of annoying her, he was always with her in school but he would not bother her at her jobs. He would just casually drop by at the pub or at the grocery to see her and hang out but he never slept over again and then aside from holding hands, Cain never did anything else while Kiya is still awkward and shy. However, for the first time since they started going out, they weren’t together for the weekend. The weekend started normally for Kiya, she tutored someone in the morning and went home to do her laundry afterwards. Of course the absence of Cain is an itch in her heart but she chastised herself. He said he was going out with his friends, their first outing since he came back and she said she’d be busy all day anyways. However, now that she’s not with Cain, she seems to remember something, her plans to leave town after she graduated.

She wants to travel, she imagined it so many times but she never imagined coming back. However, Cain is finally here. Second thoughts with her plan came as a natural response. The thought of choosing what she wants over Cain is ridiculous. They’re not a normal couple, they are werewolves and they are mates, bonded to each other for life. Although mates can be rejected, Kiya could never do that over a ridiculous thing as seeing the world. At the end of the day, Kiya did not finish everything she planned out to do and sat at her bed for a long time, rethinking what she really wants to do in the future.

Cain had said that nothing would change but there is the undeniable truth that they’re still getting to know each other and this is the sole reason as to why Kiya is always hesitant to be with Cain. At a very early age, her parents has shown her the dark side of people and in her years and years of working, she has met a lot of people, all with different personalities, some truly bad. The experience has made her stay away from people, socializing an awkward thing for her to do despite her jobs. Although she has to admit that she never felt the same way for Cain, the wariness she feels whenever she talks or is near someone. Not even once did the feeling appear when Cain talk or approach her. Then there’s her background. She is aware that her past is not really a private thing anymore with her parents always causing trouble somewhere, she’s thankful that Cain does not hold that against her. However, there is one thing that Kiya notice, Cain will always let her do the first step and he will do the waiting. That is his love for her and Kiya has no confidence.

“I’m pathetic.” Kiya said out loud.

She knows she’s always overthinking things. It is a trait she acquired when she was a child. When she was a child and wanted to do or asked something that required her parents, she would always think up of many scenarios. The thinking became a habit because she was always scared when her parents were around the house. They didn’t hurt her but there were the shouts and the insults, she could only stand there and listen as crying was never allowed. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Kiya opened the door slowly until she saw two men in blue uniform.