Micajah Rye's PoV:

- "hes y lpha."

"I still can't believe you made me do it," I comment, zooming in on the pic I took on my 'phone.

Seneca grins slyly, taking her eyes off the road for a second as she turns to me, the mischievous glint in her sparkling silver eyes making me return the grin automatically, "Well, he deserved it, didn't he?"

"Yeah . . . but, they were guests in our Pack!" I laugh, remembering the red Bugatti Veyron that had been covered in egg yolks and broken shells by the time we were done with it—and the way, me, Seneca, Ezra and Nicole had all burst into laughter when all the eggs we'd brought were over, giving away our identity to the furious Alpha Daemon. We'd fled the place like lunatics on crack, laughing so hard as we escaped the guest house where the couple had been staying, and the enraged 'Seneca!' yelled by Daemon when he'd seen the condition of his expensive car had been so worth it.

"You know, I thought you were just joking to console me, when you said that. I really didn't think you'd sneak me out of the hospital room in a wheel chair for Goddess' sake, just to pull a prank!" I shake my head at the memory of that night, and Seneca's shoulders shake with silent laughter as she shifts the gears and steps harder on the gas, the sudden pressure pushing me hard against the seat.

"I'm a woman of my words." My Mate winks, her hands casually resting on the steering wheel, despite the speed we're going on, her posture relaxed as only a person with absolute control over her car can have.

My smile fades at the memory of the driving lessons I'd been enduring since the delivery of my shiny Alfa 4C.

"Do you think he might be still angry? He left the next morning with her after all."

"Nah. He apologized over a thousand times and though I'd told him that the only way I can forgive him is if he asked for your mercy, he couldn't leave his pride on the floor and talk to you. If anyone should be angry, it should be us."

"Oh!" I say, surprised by the news.

She told her childhood best friend that she wouldn't forgive him unless I did.

My Wolf lets out a happy yelp at the perfectness that is his Mate.

"You didn't have to do that, Seneca . . . he was your friend, the rift between me and . . . " I swallow, my voice catching at the thought of the girl who'd betrayed me, the girl for whom I'd have given my life without a moment's hesitation, "Nora . . . is something we should deal with, I mean—"

"Shh . . . " Seneca silences me with a scowl, glancing at me before dutifully turning her gaze to the road, "Your fights are mine. If she's gonna be on your 'People we can't forgive yet' list, then so is she and and her Mate gonna be in mine too, you're my fiancé, remember?"

A reflexive grin spreads across my lips at her reminder of our relationship status, and I can't help the nervous flutter of my heart at my next question, "About that . . . Seneca, I think we should wait till the end of school for the wedding . . . as much as I'd love to elope right now in Vegas, I don't think everyone would be very . . . " I trial off, searching for the right word, "approving, if we marry now, especially our teachers."

Seneca presses her lips together, her her disapproval of the situation evident in her frown, "Even if I want to say 'fuck the teachers and everyone else', I think you are right." She nods reluctantly, agreeing to my proposal. "We'll wait, after all, it's only 6 months."

I wince at the mention of the half year stretching ahead of us, "Don't remind me, I might just take you up on that suggestion to eff everyone and drag you to Vegas." I sigh, just as the familiar looming gates of Greenville High comes into view, and I get ready to go back to a place I'd completely forgotten about in the past week.

School.

+ + +

My first day back flies by in a blur, with everyone stopping by and asking me if I was okay, and wowing and ahhhing at my bravery for jumping in the way of Ezra.

I was pleasantly surprised that my brother had sung my praises behind my back and had weaved the story into an extremely heroic act of valiance, when in truth it was nothing more than a move based on mere impulse to save someone I love.

Not that I would ever say that to him, though.

He would never let me hear the end of it.

"Hey, Seneca, I'm going out on some work, I'll be back in a couple of hours, okay?" I inform as I exit the bathroom, ready to go out. She turns her surprised gaze from her homework, raking her eyes over my outfit, which consists of a simple red and white striped tee, dark jeans and a brown jacket.

Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Work? What work?" She asks, seemingly amused as she drops her pen and turns her body away from the moderately compact desk I sometimes use as well, when I do my homework in our room.

"Um, work is . . . work." I finish lamely, smiling with a flush of embarrassment painting my cheeks as I shove my hands into my pockets, wondering if I could be any more obvious.

She would've definitely figured out by now that I'm planning something for her birthday tomorrow.

"Fine." She rolls her eyes, "You're going alone?"

"No. I'm taking Nicole with me." I inform, "And my car." I add after a moment of thought and her eyebrows disappear past her hairline.

"Really? I thought you hated it?" Her lips curve up in endless glee, and she seems to be enjoying this way more than she should.

"I don't hate the car, Red. I hate to drive it." I correct her, glowering at the thought of all those times she'd forced me to drive it.

"Okay, then. Be careful. Don't overwork your ribs." She nods, letting me off the hook as she begins to turn back to her work.

I exhale silently in relief and am about to turn around when she calls me suddenly, "Hey!"

What now?

I resist the urge to fidget as I turn around, raising my brows in question.

"You're forgetting something." She taps her lips, and a genuine grin splits my face as relief floods through me.

Crap. In my nervousness to keep things a surprise I'd completely forgotten our ritual.

Now she'll be definitely suspicious.

I chide myself for being so stupid as I make my way to her. I cup her cheeks in my palms as I tip her face up and give her a deep kiss, taking my time to make it drawn out and lingering enough to erase all other thoughts from her mind.

She moans slightly as I pull away, leaning my forehead against hers, as we take a moment to catch our breaths. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She whispers with her eyes closed and a small, peaceful grin on her face, "Now go." She lets go of her grip on the neckline of my tee, shoving me away as she finally opens her eyes.

I grin back, my chest expanding with a feeling of belonging, a feeling that I'd finally found something to live for.

+ + +

"Oh my Goddess! That cyclist just crossed us!"

"So what?" I ask sourly, not taking my eyes off the road.

"It means that you," Nicole points an accusatory finger at me as she glares, her irritation clear as day in her features, "are driving slower than a goddamn bicycle!" She throws her hands up in exasperation, groaning as she leans back on the seat, her body hitting the soft leather with a thud.

"Shut up and let me concentrate." I snap, my fingers tightening on the wheel.

"Just let me drive, Micajah!"

"No, this car is Seneca's gift. I'm not sharing it,"

"Then we could've taken a cab!"

"No! You know very well that human transportation cannot enter Pack grounds, they'll be confused by the way we will and suspect something."

"Well, why are we going to the Parker Pack, anyway?" She asks curiously, her agitation long forgotten.

"You'll see." I say evasively, taking a deep breath as we enter the place that's filled with so many memories, a place that has shaped my childhood and given me every reason not to return back ever.

+ + +

After our stop in our old Pack and a revelation that made me and Nicole laugh so hard we're still wiping tears off our face, we'd stumbled back to the car with the occasional chuckle still erupting from one of us.

And guess what the revelation was?

Chance Parker, that is, my darling elder 'brother', has found his Mate.

A Mate who's a guy.

The guy who just happens to be the one who's been hired to take care of Victoria Rye, my very multi-personality'd mother, whom I'd decided to peek at for a second just for old times' sake, but gotten an eyeful of a make out session that was broken when the good-looking Mexican care-taker, Alejandro Hernández, had pushed Chance off and asked him curtly to only come near him if he was ready to come out of the closet.

Nicole's and my collective gasp had given us away, and Chance had stormed off with burning cheeks, and we'd just introduced ourselves and left, because the actual reason why we'd come here in the first place had already been fulfilled.

I reminisce everything that had just conspired and feel a grin pull at my lips as I park in front of a store I'd always hoped I would in my life at least once, ever since I was a kid, grinning wider at the brass board of the 'H' and 'W' shining in the evening sun.

Harry Winston.

+ + +

The next morning, I wake up with a grin on my face, feeling the agitated energy rolling off my Mate in waves, and a pair of electric gray eyes scrutinizing me so hard it's impossible to act as if I'm sleeping.

So, I give up, opening my eyes as I stretch my arms above my head, yawning as I grin sluggishly, "Good morning,"

The frown on her face disappears as she grins, a ray of hope lighting up her beautiful face, "Good morning!" She says cheerfully, grinning as she waits for me to say something.

I lean up and place a kiss on her lips, my hand going around her waist as I pull her closer to me, aligning our bodies together. She gets the message as she rolls on top of me, smirking as she straddles my hips, pulling off her pj top in one swift motion which makes my brows fly up in shock.

Before I can comment on her sudden boldness, she pulls off my t-shirt as well, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me into a kiss so fierce, all of her frustration in me put into that single battle between tongues. Her hand roams down my bare back and slowly creeps down to the waist of my shorts, and I lie back, letting her show who's boss.

And just like that, we lose an hour to pure bliss.

By the time we stumble into the shower, hands and lips moulded together as our insatiable need for each other rears its head one more time, a whole week of abstinence catching up to us, we still can't seem to get enough of each other. On any other day, I'd be all for a whole day in bed, just relaxing and doing whatever we please, but today being a week day, we have to go to school and we can't afford to take that much time. So, I reluctantly pull away from her lips, lips I can taste all day, dropping to my knees as I push her against the translucent glass of the shower, having my dessert even before coffee.

Life can't get any better.

+ + +

The moment we enter school, I hug Seneca and kiss her goodbye, telling her that I'll not be able to meet her for lunch in the Cafeteria as I have to help out Ms. Smith with the chore she'd given me. I can feel her expectation through the link, the way her eyes are urging me to say the thing she'd been waiting for me to say since the morning she took control and made me almost tell it, but I grin and turn around to leave, enjoying her irritation.

I take two steps away, when I slap my forehead and turn around with an embraced grin, "Gosh, Red! I completely forgot!"

"What?" She asks with an eager smile.

"I didn't have breakfast!"

She growls and rolls her eyes, pirouetting on her heel and stomping away to her class.

I chuckle to myself, turning around as I make my way to my destination.

+ + +

As we enter the posh Italian restaurant, Seneca is almost bouncing with happiness, but one would think she's come here to finish a business deal. That's because even if she'd squealed at and given me a long kiss when I'd given her a dress and told her that we'll be going out for dinner, all that enthusiasm was curbed into the professional mask of indifference the moment I'd open the door for her and helped her out of the car, passing my keys to the valet who rushed to our side.

Despite the mask carefully slid into place, I know she's practically bursting at the seams to know what I'd planned, because her eyes are shimmering with excitement and her hand is firmly tucked into mine, and there's an almost visible bounce on her step which one wouldn't notice if they're not observing her keenly.

She looks angelic in the white dress I'd picked out, and I'd already taken the time to tell her that with my actions before I'd forced a stop and dragged us both to the car. I shake my head at the memory and tighten my arm around her, as the maître'd directs us to the table I'd reserved, at the very centre of the room.

She seems to be confused at my choice of seating, because from here, we have no privacy whatsover, but before she could voice her complain, a voice calls her name, making her turn around in surprise.

"Seneca? Is that you, my dear?" A blonde woman who looks to be in her late early thirties, but must be actually older than that, asks with a surprised look on her face, appearing to be happy to have seen us.

Seneca looks at her for a second before a polite smile—which I interpret as her being joyed to see the woman as well, and stands up, just as a man an intimidating man with dark hair and light eyes, who's clearly an Alpha walks up to the woman, smiling down at Seneca as well.

"Alpha and Luna DeVega? Wow, such a pleasant surprise," Seneca exclaims, "How has it been?" She extends her hand, which the couple take turns shaking.

"Oh, It's been wonderful dear, Alarice is getting married!" The woman exclaimed and Seneca looked shocked.

"Married!? She didn't tell me one word!" She complains, almost as if she's offended.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll invite you. She's just busy. We all know how it is," She winks, "Well, is that your husband?"

Seneca looks surprised and opens her mouth to protest when I stand up, smoothing my suit jacket as I join the trio, "Yes, ma'am. Micajah Rye." I extend my hand to the her and shake her husband's hand as well, feeling Seneca's shock.

I turn to her with a playful smirk, my brows raised. "Um, yes." She nods, playing along after a moment, smiling.

The couple chat with us for a few more minutes before taking their leave, returning to their table. Seneca turns to me with a mock glare, a reprimanding look in her eyes. "Why did you lie to them?"

"Oh, just for fun. I wanted to see how you'd react."

She shakes her head, rolling her eyes just as the waiter comes to take our orders.

"So . . . Congratulations on acing the Accountancy test." I start, an impressed look in my eyes.

"Yeah, thanks. I heard you scored a 98 in Eco, congrats for that too."

A few minutes of awkward convo flows between us, her expecting me to say it and me hell bent on not.

Thankfully, our food and wine arrives then, and we busy ourselves in eating the food when Seneca seems to notice something.

"Hey, wait, Is that Ezra and. . . Nicole?"

I turn to see in the direction she's pointing, and my brother and Nicole wave at us from 3 tables away, grinning widely.

I exhale in relief that she finally noticed, turning to the waiter and nodding in signal.

"And . . . Goddess, that's David and Jonathan and Sky and Marianne . . . the entire Pack is here!" She turns to me with wide eyes, her fork dropping to the plate in surprise.

A suited server rolls over a simple two tier chocolate cake, placing the 18 candled decadent dessert on our table and walks away discreetly. Her jaw drops slightly as everyone stands up from their tables and form a loose circle around us, and she surveys the crowd with shock and delight, turning to finally meet my eyes.

"You were so concentrated on being with me, you didn't even notice our Pack," I chuckle, "Happy Birthday, Red." I grin, saying it finally and I stand up, dropping to one knee as I pull out the small black box from my suit pocket.

"Seneca Roxanne Mordecai," I start, gulping as she stands up as well, a hand half-covering her mouth. A hush falls over the crowd, because I hadn't shared this part of the plan with anyone except Ezra and Nicole.

My mind goes blank as I stare at the granite eyes of my Mate, the woman I love, who's currently staring down at me with shock, "I'd practiced such a long speech but to be honest, I can't remember a single word right now." I admit truthfully, wetting my lips with a swipe of my tongue, "All I want to say is, I just can't live without you, okay? I can't and don't even want to imagine it. I love you with every fibre of my being, and you are stuck with me. Forever. Please just, Marry me, alright?"

I see her eyes well with moisture as she blinks them back rapidly, shaking her head in disbelief as she stares down at the Classic Winston Heart-Shaped Diamond Ring, with "Tapered baguette side stones" as the shop assistant had so eloquently described it. To me, the plain platinum band and the single diamond shaped like a heart had immediately reminded me of Seneca, because it was just like her heart.

So beautiful, yet so hard and strong.

"Since you haven't given me a choice, I don't think I can refuse," She grins, biting down on her lower lip, "But hell, I'll just say it, yes. I'll marry you, Micajah Theodore Rye, I love you so damn much and I'll be honored to spend the rest of my life with you." She whispers, her voice cracking slightly, clogged with emotion.

I exhale in relief and pull the ring from the box, sliding it onto her finger. Applause erupts around us, and I see my brother clapping away like a maniac, the biggest grin on his face, along with Nicole, who's whistling loudly. It's a perfect fit, the single larger stone in the middle glinting in the lights with every movement of her hand.

I stand up and Seneca meets me halfway, wrapping her arms around my neck in a kiss. We keep it strictly PG-13, pulling back with obvious reluctance, and I lean forward, pecking her cheek as I whisper into her ear, "Do you like the ring?"

"It's perfect, Cage. It's everything I'd hoped for and more." She whispers back, giving my middle another squeeze before pulling back.