The sun came streaming through my window, waking me from my peaceful dreams of Tate. After dropping me off at home last night, I fell into my bed into a restful sleep. I was happy, my wolf was happy, we had been with our mate. Lily and I just felt complete, something that we hadn't felt in a long time.

My phone pinged, so I rolled over grabbing it hoping it was Tate. Frowning I realized it was only McKenna. Not that I don't love McKenna, I was just already missing Tate.

It was only 6:15 so I had plenty of time. This sleeping in thing I was doing I could get used to, I was enjoying it. Although, I knew I only had limited sleep in time, and it would not benefit me to get into a routine with it. I only had this week before I started back with my summer classes.

Rolling out of bed, I figured I would try to get into an actual Taekwondo class. I lacked the structure and discipline it provided. I was going to have to start going to classes again versus just working out at the gym, however, with everything going on this might try to be a bit tricky. That means I had half an hour to get to the gym, so I had to hurry. I dressed in some simple clothes and grabbed my gym bag before heading out the door.

I walked into the gym about 20 minutes later, running to the locker room to quickly change. Walking out of the locker room, I was quickly tying my hair into a bun. I couldn't stand when it was in my way while in class. I made it to the back room where classes were held, I quickly noticed that Jake was there.

"Hey Allison!" He shouted across the room.

"Oh, hey Jake." I smiled back. I took my place on the floor as Zach, the instructor, walked in. Zach eyed me and got a smirk on his face. I knew what that meant, he was really going to work for us today. Maybe I should have stayed home?

45 minutes later I was collapsing on the floor. "Geez, Zach! You don't have to be so tough. " I mumbled.

"Sure, you do. I have to make sure you still remember everything. It's been a while since you joined a lesson. "

"Quit toying with me." I rolled my eyes.

Reaching out Zach offered me his hand, which I gladly accepted as I hoisted myself off the floor. "Next time, don't miss so many lessons." He chuckled. Suddenly Zach got really quiet and whispered, "Don't look now, but I think you have an admirer." While lifting his eyebrows up and down.

"Stop doing that. You look weird," I said, and then I looked around quickly.

Zach jabbed his elbow into my side, "I DON'T LOOK!"

Catching Jake's eyes, I realized who Zach has been referring too. "Nah, he's just someone I sparred with once. He probably wants to spar again. Nothing more than that Zach. "

"Oh, I wouldn't be sure about that one Al. His eyes have not left you all class. Just be careful "He said with brotherly inflection before turning and leaving me standing there.

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As I was walking out of the gym, I heard someone shouting my name. "Hey, Allison, wait up!"

I turned and saw Jake, "Oh, Jake. Hi, how are you? " I continued to walk down the street needing to get home to meet McKenna.

"Better now." He winked. "Hadn't seen you around lately."

"Just been busy," I said shrugging off his comment. "So what's up?" I prompted after a few moments of awkwardness as we trudged down the sidewalk away.

"Well ... see ..." He stuttered, "... I was wondering if," He started, lifting his hand to the back of his neck and rubbing it, "maybe you'd like to go out sometime?"

"Oh, ahh ... um" I was having a hard time stringing a sentence together. Honestly, I had never had anyone really ask me out before, no one wanted to go out with an Omega like me. But I had to stop and remember that Jake was human, he had no idea who or what I really was. "I'm not sure..." I started again.

"Listen just think about it, I would love to take out a pretty girl like you. Not to mention it's completely hot the way you handle yourself in the gym. " He said, finally finding his confidence, and reached out tucking a strand of my hair that had fallen into my face behind my ear.

It was in that instance that I melted him and heard a growl and I was suddenly jerked away from Jake's fingers. "You will do nicely to keep your hands off of her." Tate said shoving me behind him, like I was a china doll that needed to be protected.

Jake took a step forward, being a human, he had no idea what he was doing or who he was challenging, Tate growled again, but it didn't dissuade Jake from saying his piece, "She is a big girl and sure doesn't need someone like you to tell her what to do. Last I checked this was a free country and she could do as she pleased. " Jake stupidly placed his hands on Tate's chest to push him back.

The shock registered on Jake's face as he was unable to move Tate as much as he was thinking he could, I knew this was going to get much worse if I didn't intervene. Reaching out I hoped that by touching Tate it would help soothe him and calm his wolf, the warming tingly sensation of my fingers touching his hand did not go unnoticed, I could tell by the way Tate relaxed slightly. "Hey, Tate, let's go. Take me home? " I whispered into his ear. I was hoping that this would be enough to make him realize that I was choosing him.

"Mine," he growled, pulling me into him and wrapping his arm around me.

Jake's gaze flickered from Tate to myself and then to Tate's protective arm around me, then he put his hands up in surrender, looking a bit dejected he mumbled, "Sorry, didn't realize you had a boyfriend." Turning on his heels he walked away.

Tate was fuming still, trying to calm down. "Who was that?" He demanded as he turned to me.

"You know, you didn't have to act like a jerk! How the hell did you know where I was anyways? " I shot back.

"I didn't know you were here. I was checking out a few things when I drove by and saw you, so I stopped to say hi. " What he was saying was innocent enough, at least he wasn't stalking me, right? "But then I saw him touch you and I couldn't control my wolf."

"Well, learn to control him." I stated. Looking at my phone I realized I was going to be late. "Shit! I have to go, McKenna is going to be picking me up soon. See ya later. " I said pulling away from Tate and running towards my house.

_____________________________________________________________________

I heard the horn sound from McKenna's Jetta, so I ran out the front door of the house. Opening the passenger side door, I slid into the seat and buckled up. "What are we doing?" I asked innocently.

"We're going shopping, then lunch, and you're going to tell me what's going on with Tate." She said in a very matter of fact tone.

I hate shopping, because it's not that I hate shopping, it's really that I don't have the funds to buy all the things I want. So, I only ever go shopping for necessities, never splurging. With money that dad had left us, and the money from the pack (since he was in service to the pack), just enough to cover expenses and cover what we needed. My mother wasn't working, since half the time she would even refuse to get out of bed, so that left me to make sure everything was handled and paid for. I had learned rather quickly after dad died to be extremely frugal to keep what little we did.

After McKenna had drug me through 5 stores at the mall and provided me with a fashion show, I was bored and hungry. "Listen Kenz, I am hungry." As if on my stomach grumbled.

"Fine to the food court," she said pointing toward the door of the store we were currently in, "but first, I have to pay for my clothes." Reaching over to her must have arrows, she grabbed everything and walked to the register.

Finally, at the food court, I sat down with my Sesame Chicken with Brown Rice and fried dumplings from the Cherry Blossom Chinese. Best meal ever, I figured I needed to have this before McKenna's interrogation ensued, since she had yet to say a thing about Tate. McKenna was still in line at Mrs. Meyer's Kitchen, when I heard my phone.

I was grinning at my phone and messaging with Tate when McKenna got to the table. "What's so interesting on your phone?"

"Nothing." I said innocently, putting it down.

"Sure," she said squinting her eyes at me, "What's Tate saying now?"

"Nothing," I said again, more focused on my phone than McKenna.

Just then McKenna grabbed my phone, "Oh, no you don't. Pay attention to me girly! " She said.

"Give that back," I faked annoyance trying to grab my phone back.

"Nope, lover boy can wait!" She said, shutting my phone off, "So what's at 6?"

"Nothing!" I exclaimed, "He's gonna pick me up so we can go out."

"Details girl. I want details about it all. " McKenna demanded. Knowing that I needed someone to talk about everything I let everything out to her. How nervous I was about the future. How scared I was that I already wanted him as much as I did. The way he made my insides feel like mush just by looking at him. How it felt like he could see my soul by looking into my eyes.

"... And then he kissed me at the top of the Ferris Wheel." I finally finished playing my gust to McKenna.

"Jolly, sounds like you have it bad!" She said.

"Ya think?" I snarked, "He is my mate."

"I know," she said, softening her approach to what she was going to say next. "Just be careful. You know as well as I do about Kimber. You know his father has laid out that she is supposed to be his Luna. "

I was starting to get tears in my eyes, but I was holing them back, "I know, but I just can't help it."

"Just remember, I love you girl and no matter what I want to be there." She finished.

I wish that after we finished eating it would be time to leave the mall, but much to my dismay McKenna pulled me to the shoe store. Apparently now that she had some new outfits, she needed new shoes to go with them. Off to DSW we went, where I sat and watched her try on about 50 different shoes. Okay, so maybe I was exaggerating a bit, but 2 hours in the shoe store was far too much time. Finally, 6 stores, lunch, 5 hours later, and 10 bags later we were leaving the mall!

When McKenna drove me home, she just had to speak, not knowing how to sit in silence and enjoy the music. Sometimes I loved that she could feel any silence, but right now I wanted to take the time to think of the conversation I was going to have with Tate tonight. "I can read what you are thinking. It's all about your face. " She started.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned, like I didn't know.

McKenna just glared over at me from the corner of her eye, "You know full well what I mean. I have known you forever, I know what you are thinking about. "

"Yeah? So, what am I thinking? "

"You think you need to talk to Tate. Tell him why you two need to stop what's going on. That you are going to have to reject each other, so you can move on. " She said, finishing with, "So you can love someone else, since he is going to be taking Kimber as Luna."

I growled as soon as the part of Kimber being Luna was out of her mouth, Lily didn't like hearing about anyone else being with Tate.

"Grrr... Tell McKenna to shut up!" Lily was angry. "He is our Mate! We will be with him! We want to be Luna "

"Calm down Lily!" I spoke back to here. "Kenz is only trying to help. It's not anything different then I've been thinking. You know it's true, don't you think I wish things were different too? "

Lily whimpered, putting her tail between her legs she sheltered herself in the far corner of my mind, "But he is ours, he is supposed to love us. Supposed to be with us. Knox wants us. "

"I know Lily. I know. " I could feel her close off communication with me, finished with our conversation.

A couple of minutes later we pulled up to my house, I turned to McKenna and pulled her into a hug over the center console. "Love you girl! Thank you for today "

"You don't have to lie. I know you hate shopping. But all the same thanks for keeping me company. " She said hugging me back. Once she let go, she finished what she wanted to say, "Tell Lily I'm sorry. I don't mean to set up either of you. I just don't want to see you get hurt and I know that no matter what, now or later, this is going to hurt, and I hate that there is nothing I can do to stop it. "

I once again reached over and hugged McKenna, "And this is why you are my best friend, because more like my sister. Don't worry, we'll be fine. Everything will be fine. " I said with conviction. How I managed to do that I do not know, because I knew nothing was going to be fine once the summer was over.