"Sophie's your mate?" I asked.

Jack downed the rest of his bourbon and leaned back in his chair, only offering a nod to my shocked expression.

I rubbed my hand across my forehead. "I don't understand," I said, then paused for a moment organizing my thoughts, "does Caleb know?"

Jack rested his elbows on his knees, twirling his empty glass between his long fingers.

"I doubt it," he said, "Sophie didn't want anyone to know. I don't see why she'd tell her betrothed that she was mated to his brother." He said that word with such disgust, his face mocking.

"Why would she keep that a secret?" I asked. Jack looked up at me through his dark lashes and raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to come to the same conclusion he had. "She wanted to be the Luna."

"It's not just that she wanted it," he said, standing. He walked over to the bar cart and poured himself another drink and making one for me as well. "She didn't want to disappoint anyone. Being the Beta's daughter is kind of fucked up. They spend their whole lives learning how to be a Luna when the position isn't even guaranteed. They're expected to reject their mate for the good of the pack, but if the Alpha found his, he could just cast her aside, even if they were married, even if they had kids."

He was getting worked up now. His grip on my glass as he handed it to me was so tight I feared he would break it.

"So," I started, treading lightly as to not anger him further, "why aren't you together now? Caleb found me, she's not obligated to anything anymore."

Jack rolled his eyes, "I have no fucking idea. All I want is to be with her, but I don't know what she wants."

I took a sip from my drink then cringed at the burn that traveled down my throat. "She seemed pretty interested a minute ago," I said.

"She's about to go into heat, she always gets like this around that time," he said, plopping back down into his chair.

I didn't even think about Sophie going into heat. "When I went into heat I felt like I was burning up until Caleb got there. What has she been doing all this time?" I found myself, yet again, feeling for her.

Jack sighed. "I couldn't let her suffer," he said, "once a month we'd sneak off..." He ran a hand through his hair and stood, pacing the floor. "Do you know how hard it is to have sex with your mate and not mark her? It's really fucking hard Birdie!" He threw his drink against the wall, shattering the glass.

"Jack!" I yelled, startled. I stood from my chair and set my hands on his shoulders, trying to calm him down. "I'm sorry you were put in this position, but being pissed and getting drunk isn't exactly fixing it."

"It'd be so much easier if she'd just reject me," he said quietly, looking down at me with sad eyes.

"Well why don't you reject her?" I asked.

Jack rolled his glassy eyes and brushed my hands away from him. "I can't," he said. His voice sounded so broken. He turned his back to me.

"Jack," I said, my voice full of pity.

He straightened his back and sniffled loudly before dismissing me, "I'm just going to turn in tonight. Congrats on you and Caleb."

I didn't know what else I could do as I watched him walk out of the room. I felt helpless in the fact that I couldn't take away some of his pain.

I figured it would be a good time to return to the party, I'd been gone for almost thirty minutes and I didn't want anyone wondering where I'd went.

I picked up the glass of bourbon Jack had poured me and drank it all quickly. I cringed at the taste again. Bourbon wasn't my drink.

I barely found my way back to the back yard, annoyed at the layout of this place.

I could feel my cheeks heating up from the alcohol. My tolerance wasn't very high but I'd also never had bourbon before.

It was luck that Caleb happened to be by the open bar talking to a girl with short black hair.

"I signed up to be on the search party your dad organized," she said to him, "he seems pretty concerned."

"Some of the locals already have their suspicions about us. If any more hikers get attacked by animals he's afraid someone's going to point fingers," Caleb said.

"The hikers were killed by wolves?" I asked.

Caleb turned to face me quickly, startled by my presence. He looked to the girl then look at our surroundings to see if anyone heard me.

He grabbed me by the arm and led me away from the crowd of people, over to the far side of the yard near the old barn.

"Where have you been?" He asked, his pace was quick and I was practically tripping over myself trying to keep up with him.

We walked into the barn, the only light provided was the soft glow from the party and the moon beams that peaked through the broken windows.

"I just needed some space," I said quietly, "this is all just a little much."

Caleb stepped closer, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. "I'm sorry you're feeling overwhelmed. I was afraid of that. Do you want to leave?"

I shook my head, "What were you talking about with that girl? Is it people from the pack killing those hikers-"

"No!" He interrupted me, his brown were furrowed and his mouth was set in a frown of disgust. I'd offended him. "What the hell Birdie is that what you think of us?"

"How am I supposed to know? You don't tell me anything," I shrugged, the bourbon making me brave. "How much did Sophie get to know?"

I hated how I used her against him. How I used her at all, hadn't the poor girl been used enough? But it was too late. The words were already out.

Caleb took a threatening step towards me. "I don't tell you anything because I can't," he said. His voice was low and angry. "I already explained this to you once today. Why are you being so difficult?"

I rolled my eyes and took a step past him, intending to leave. Caleb grabbed my arm to maneuver my body against a wall so he could trap me there.

"Why are you acting like this?" He hissed. He took a pause then gave me a look of confusion. "Have you been drinking?"

"I just had one glass. I'm not drunk-"

"You're not sober," he was disappointed which only made me angrier. He had started a habit of treating me like a child.

"You know what? I actually would like to leave," I said.

I moved to push him away but he didn't budge. He was made of stone. Marble. Gorgeous but tarnished with angry gray veins.

We stood there in silence. Challenging each other to make the first move. I was caught off guard when a smirk cracked his statued anger.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're really sexy when you're mad?" He asked, his eyes dropping to my chest.

"You're not funny," I said, my serious demeanor failing me as I bit back a smile.

"I'm not trying to be," he said leaning down to place a solitary kiss on my neck, above the bandaged that covered the mark he gave me. His hooked a finger into the thin strap on my dress and slipped it off my shoulder.

"It's the barn," I joked, as Caleb's lips made his way to my shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure it's you," he said, bringing his nose to nudge against mine.

My breathing every so slightly started to pick up. He noticed.

My muscles were still sore but I couldn't bring myself to care. I was still upset with him for talking down to me but my brain pushed it aside. All I could think about was how I wanted him. Now.

I leaned forward, closing the gap between our lips. His hand moved from my arm and cupped the back of my neck as he kissed me hard.

His other hand coerced my leg up and around his waist. Bunching up the hem of my dress. Exposing me. He pressed himself against me and I could feel how hard he was.

His fingers ventured between us, pressing against my underwear.

"Can I?" He asked, breathless.

"Please," I begged, quietly.

He moved the fabric to the side then slowly pushed his middle finger inside me. His jaw fell slack and his nostrils flared at my arousal.

My hands fumbled with his belt, popping open his button and lazily pushing his pants down.

I gasped as Caleb wrapped his hand around the crotch of my panties and ripped the fabric off, discarding it on the ground.

"Holy shit," I breathed, rolling my head back as he hitched my other leg around him, pressing me harder against the wall.

I could feel him hovering at my entrance, hesitating to take this further.

"You're sure you're not too sore?" He asked, his eyes pleading me to let him continue.

"I'm sure," I said, kissing him.

Slowly, he lowered me onto him. I hissed at the discomfort though it wasn't nearly as bad as before.

He moaned and leaned his head on the wall behind me, digging his fingers into my thigh. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, twisting my fingers into his hair.

"Fuck Birdie," he moaned as he pushed into me again.

I hooked my ankles together, squeezing him tightly, as he moved his hand in between us to rub circles against my most sensitive area.

Caleb cut my moans short as his lips found mine again. I sunk my teeth into his bottom lip.

He used gravity to his advantage as his thrust became harder. His gaze locking with mine every so often waiting for my signal to stop. But I didn't want him to stop.

I could feel the pressure beginning to build in the pit of my stomach and I could tell that he was reaching his end as well from the crescent moons he was notching into the back of my neck.

There was pain with his last few strokes that he slammed into me, but the timing of my climax was enough to make up for it.

Caleb's head fell against my shoulder, his breathing labored.

We were quiet for a while. Just sitting in silence with one another. The only noise was our breathing falling in and out of sync.

"I'm sorry," he said, quietly.

"Me too," I said, my volume matching his.

I let my legs fall from his waist, his hands aiding me in my descent back to the ground.

"I don't make the rules," he said, his forehead resting against mine, "not yet. I promise that you'll know everything eventually, but you can't fight me on it anymore. There's nothing I can do."

I exhaled, nodding. I had nothing left to say. This was just an issue I would have to deal with being unresolved.

Caleb stepped back, pulling his pants up. "Do you still want to go home?" He asked, fastening his belt.

"Is that okay?"

He smiled, resting a gentle hand on my cheek and kissing me.

"I'll drive you home," he said.

Taking my hand, Caleb led me back to the party. "We should let my parents know we're leaving," he said. He let go of my hand and disappeared into the crowd of people.

I was suddenly very aware that I had no underwear on. I began tugging at the end of my dress to make sure I was fully covered even though it already fell to my knees.

"There you are!"

I turned to see a stumbling Charlotte heading my way. Once she reached me she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

"Are you having fun?" She asked, smiling widely. The glass of champagne in her hand was only half filled, but I assumed that it wasn't her first.

"Tons," I said, not being able to help my amusement from her expense.

The girl I saw Caleb talking to earlier walked up to us, taking Charlotte's arm and leaning her against her chest.

"Babe, maybe we should lay off the champagne," she said.

Then it clicked. This was the Alison I'd heard so much about today.

"Sorry if she was bothering you," she said to me.

"Not at all," I said, "do you need any help getting her to bed?"

"I think I got it but thanks," she said smiling.

"I told you Caleb's mate was gonna be a knock out," Charlotte whispered loudly to Alison.

"You were right as always," she said, playfully rolling her eyes.

"Hey, we're gonna head out. I'll see you later?" Caleb said, appearing next to me. He set his hand on the small of my back, his familiar sparks dancing their way up my spine.

"Yeah, we were just leaving too," Alison said, now supporting most of Charlotte's weight.

We weaved through the crowd of people, now thinned by the time of night, before walking out to the driveway where my grandmother's Jeep sat waiting for us.

Acting like a gentleman, Caleb exaggeratedly opened the passenger side door for me, the hinges creaking as he did. He didn't seem to have the same trouble my grandmother had with it sticking. He held out a hand for me to help myself into the Wrangler.

"Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" He asked after he'd settled into the driver's seat.

"My grandma is coming home tomorrow," I said, nuzzling up next to him.

"I'll be gone early anyways, I have important pack stuff in the morning," he said. His hand was warm against my bare thigh.

"Then yes, please stay with me."

Caleb pressed his lips against my forehead in a quick kiss before saying, "as you wish."