Parked in front of the school gym, I was excited for my friends and Blaine.I was the one dropping my friends and Blaine off for Homecoming night. Dresses of all sizes, lengths and frills flashed by us, and I parked my car to drop them off.

Penelope and Callie looked absolutely gorgeous with their Homecoming dresses on. Blaine, because of Penelope's persuasion, was going to chauffeur both of them. He looked cool and a bit dorky, but that was my cousin. Next to them, I looked like a total bum with my work outfit on.

I felt like a parent watching them get out. Even though they've asked me a hundred times to come.

"I'm working an extra shift," I shrugged, not feeling too bad about it. It wasn't my thing, but the thought of seeing and missing my chance with West in a suite was something I surprised myself with.

"I guess you saved all of us the trouble with dancing the robot the whole time," Penelope teased.

"That's literally the only dance you'd be doing," Blaine chuckled.

"Hey! The robot takes some skill and art," I smiled at them three. "Make sure to take a ton of photos. Have fun you guys! Seriously!"

Penelope blew me a kiss, Callie agreed to make sure we all behaved as they tried getting out the car and Blaine looked nervous.

"It'll be fun," I told Blaine as he paused by the door, looking back at me. There was a weird part of me that wished I went with all of them especially them getting ready and dolled up, but I wasn't really losing anything by not going.

Truly, I was happy watching the people I loved going to a dance that everyone couldn't stop talking about. I tried not to see if West was there or not, but I couldn't help myself.

During work, my phone dinged. Throughout the shift, I saw some pictures that Blaine sent of the photo booth they took which was really adorable and cute.

Figuring it was from them, my eyes widened a little when I saw that it was from West. My heart sped.

Then I cursed myself for feeling this way.

He sent me a cute selfie of himself eating popcorn and clearly on a couch saying:

Wait.

Cute?

I cleared my throat, and glanced at where the register was- I was the only one working tonight, and so far it hasn't been really busy.

I texted him back.

My heart beat faster at the though of it. I chewed my lip. A part of me knew he didn't go to Homecoming because I didn't. In a way it made me happy, but he should've went. He was all alone right now.

And I was on dangerous grounds worrying about how he was all alone right now.

I stared long and hard at the text. The part of me that wanted him to come wanted to see him so badly. I haven't seen much of him this week which was strange. The logical side of me knew this wouldn't be a good thing for either one of us. I needed to keep him at arm's length.

But I did really want to see him.

I started to type "No" then deleted it and sent him .

West sent me a devil emoji and the pen one.

Suddenly I was nervous. Why was I nervous? This was just West. My mate. The one I tried so hard to not think that he was my mate and how attarted I was to him. This was just me being friendly. That's all.

In about less than an hour, West strode in the coffee shop wearing a black Adidas hoodie and gray sweatpants, with his book bag on his back.

When our gazes collided, he grinned at me. There erupts the butterflies in my stomach and thrill went through me. The mating bond didn't help at all as I felt the pull between us, it pulsated and it made me gravitate towards my mate unwilling. Maybe willing too, who knows.

He walked to the line, there was an elder human couple before him, trying to decide if they needed caffeine this late or not.

West peeked at the menu, and shrugged. "I guess I'll have a large coffee and a pastry..."

"On the house," I found myself saying, but West shook his head, and placed a folded up ten dollar bill in the tip jar.

True to his word, he did do his homework. He was attentively on his Macbook, and an open textbook was sitting on his lap. He had earphones on, looking like a complete human student.

He stayed until I closed the coffee shop, a little after midnight. I knew everyone at Homecoming was going to some after party, an that was going to be super late. He waited for me and as I locked up the coffee shop, I turned to him curious about it.

"Why didn't you go tonight?"

"Just didn't feel right this time," he answered me.

"Feel right?"

He shrugged, "I don't want to go to Homecoming where I'm not going to be with my mate."

He said this so easily, I don't know what to think.

We were quiet for a few moments before I sense something in West that he wants to say. West hesitates, "Could you...I - Salvatore. Shift."

Understanding him even though he didn't properly speak a sentence, I nodded. "Yeah of course."

West nodded, almost a look of surprise coloring his face, but his smile was ever present. "I'll put my clothes in my book bag. Just need to stretch a bit. Sorry I'm taking advantage of you."

"No, no it's fine," I said truthfully. I felt the most safe when I was with Salvatore. When I was with West.

I put his clothes inside his book bag, putting on the straps and Salvatore's massive form appeared from the trees.

Salvatore rubbed against me in greeting. "Hey there," I greeted him, rubbing his ear and wishing my wolf could shift with him right now. But it was too risky. I had to be in human form, I understood because that was the best way to get Salvatore to listen. And I couldn't fully control my wolf if she decided to do her own thing.

We went into the woods, Salvatore getting his much needed stretch. Night wasn't scary at all. With the looming threat of rogues, I felt safe enough if Salvatore was here. There was something peaceful about him being there, and I could think about everything and nothing at once.

After Salvatore shifted back, West announced that he was hungry.

"There's this diner," I began, because I was hungry too after work and walking for miles with Salvatore.

We ordered food, and West told me about how he was searching around to see who would be the wolf that Nicholas was going to meet that night for wolfsbane.

"I got no luck," he said, picking up a fry and frowning.

"Same here," I sighed. With Penelope's help, I gathered any information if the cheerleaders and dancers had anything or knew of anything. Turns out, no one did. I didn't know which group in the school would have it? "The teachers?"

West curled his lip, "They're too old fashioned. A lot of them don't even think that stuff exists."

"I'll pay," West said, offhandedly like it didn't matter.

I clutched my wallet. "No that's fine," I said harsher than I intended. But that's the thing with Alphas and Betas. They're all rich. They all did business. They all helped each other out. Silas was rich, but left my mother and I in the dust to fend for ourselves. And if that meant I had to overwork? So be it. I did.

West's eyes soften. "I won't let my mate pay for anything."

"Have you worked a single day in your life?" I asked, unkindly. West's eyebrows scrunched to me.

"What? So if I haven't worked a real job I don't know what struggle is?" he asked lowly. I know what he's talking about. His wolf. I could see the struggle it took him.

Money could solve most of my problems, honestly. I could go somewhere far away, taking Blaine, Rosie and my mother and aunt. It could get them away from Silas.

But if you didn't have money, then the only means would be getting my pack back.

"And I did. Have a job, I mean. My mom owns a book shop near my pack and I worked there a lot when I was younger." Oh. "So," West's brilliant hazel eyes meet mine, a defiance and challenge, "don't judge me before you actually get to know me, mate."

The next early morning, Callie and Penelope couldn't stop talking about how much fun Homecoming was. They showed me a ton of pictures, all of them I asked for and I swiped through the beautiful pictures.

"You guys looked amazing, and I'm so glad that you went," I said.

"So..." Penelope trailed off, exchanging glances with Callie. "We noticed golden werewolf wasn't there."

Trying not to meet their eyes I shrugged and feigned innocence.

"Well it's quite obvious to us why he didn't go," Penelope continued. "Did you see him last night?"

"If I say yes...?"

Both Callie and Penelope squealed. "Edith! What happened!?"

"Nothing happened," I tried to calm them down before they got any crazy ideas.

"Abby was so pissed off," Callie said, much for my benefit. "She didn't look like she was having fun."

"That sucks. Really it does." I was sincere about it. Why should I hate Abby for kissing and being in love with West? It wasn't her fault. No hard feelings there. Whatever happened and said between them must have hurt because they were friends before I came in the picture and I feel guilty for ruining that friendship.

"Tell me if Blaine gets in!" Penelope told me as we all had to split up. Blaine's basketball try-outs were this morning, and I was headed to the gym to see how he did.

West was already outside the gym doors, sitting down.

Something happened in my heart because I knew it was for Blaine. West didn't need to, but he helped out Blaine a lot. And it was rare for Blaine to like someone so quickly and feel totally comfortable with West. I'm sure there are things Blaine tells West that he wouldn't even tell me.

"You think he has a chance?" I asked him, trusting his opinion.

West turned his head toward me. "He's related to you, right? There's nothing that can stop him."