I didn't get much sleep that night. All that kept running through my mind were the events of the horrific day, shouting out at me that I was now technically property of a werewolf. Oh, and get this: he's my new PE coach. Excellent...

I peeled my eyes open at the shrilling screams of my stupid alarm clock. Groaning, I rolled over and slapped the top of it, eventually hitting the Stop button. When it was silenced, I lied in my bed, staring at the ceiling. Unfortunately I didn't catch whatever my brother, who was now coughing his lungs out, had. Life's a bitch.

"Nora, hurry up or you'll miss the bus," my mom said as she knocked on my door.

Remembering Vincent's demand that he drive me to school this morning, I winced. "Umm, Jessie's mom is giving us a ride this morning," I lied.

"Make sure you thank her," my mom called as she walked off to comfort my brother.

Like a zombie (thank God they're not real...I think) I slowly crawled out of my room and made it to the bathroom. I didn't feel like taking too long of a shower this morning, so I just washed my hair this morning. Maybe Vincent will smell my natural human scent and be disgusted. A girl can only hope. I made sure to get dressed in the most boring clothes I own: plain blue jeans and a plain black long-sleeved shirt. I even put my hair up in a boring ponytail.

Maybe Vincent will be turned off by how normal and uneventful I am.

I thumped my feet down the stairs, my backpack dangling from my right shoulder. I had noticed the bite mark Vincent gave me when I was taking a shower, fighting with myself not to scream with anger.

My plan was to just sit on the sofa, watching TV and eating cereal, while I waited for my doom to arrive when I heard a loud honk outside.

"I'm leaving!" I shouted as I got off the couch and walked to the door.

"Already?" my mom called from upstairs. "School doesn't start for an hour!"

Damn Vincent! "We're getting breakfast!"

That was good enough for my mom who remained silent.

Sure enough, as soon as I opened my front door, there was Vincent's black truck parked in front of my house. I saw Vincent inside, bouncing up and down like an excited kid. What a nerd. He opened the door for me from the inside, giving me a look that told me to hurry up.

I fast-walked to the truck and reluctantly hopped in, shutting the door, sealing off my escape...for now. As soon as I was inside, I was wrapped in Vincent's strong embrace; he nuzzled me, his chest vibrating with what I assumed was like a purr.

"Good morning Mate," he happily said. He held onto me for a while before starting the car back up and driving off. I noticed that he was trying to impress me with his looks. He wore a black polo shirt that strained across his massive chest muscles, none of the three buttons at the top done. His biceps seemed to bulge out of the sleeves, being too big to be confined in fabric. He wore those jeans that looked worn, the kind a working man wears. He appeared to have styled his hair, attempting to look like he hadn't spent a few moments working on it, the bed-head/spiked look.

Well, unfortunately for him, I don't find dogs sexy.

We began to drive off down the street, when he took a right instead of left. "Where are we going?" I asked him.

Vincent had a wide smile on his face and his arm around me shoulders, keeping me close to his warm body. "I figured I'd treat you to some breakfast before school. I'm gonna take you to that one diner near the highway," he answered.

Vincent was referring to Bill's Diner, a diner that was run exclusively by werewolves, meant to serve food up to werewolf standards. That just meant more meat products and larger portions.

I just nodded, uncomfortable in this tight closeness with the obsessed werewolf. The whole drive there, Vincent didn't turn on the radio once. We rode on in awkward silence...well awkward for me at least. Vincent was perfectly content, looking over at me every now and then, that smile plastered on his face, his fangs pointing out over his bottom lip a little bit. I tried not to squirm under his admiring eye, totally aware of the fact that he was ten thousand times stronger than me and could do anything he wanted.

Eventually we reached the diner, and Vincent was all too eager to act like a gentleman by rushed out of the truck to open my door for me. That or he was making sure I wouldn't try to run away from him. He put his arm around my waist and led me inside the diner where we took a booth near the back window, away from the other werewolf customers.

I couldn't help but notice that when we entered the diner, Vincent's hold on me tightened and I could've sworn I heard him growl a little, but maybe I was just imagining it. I slid into the booth, expecting Vincent to be like most normal beings and take the side opposite me, but instead he slid into the side as me, trapping me.

"What sounds good to you?" Vincent asked as he picked up a menu and handed it to me, not even bothering to get one himself. Instead, he read mine over my shoulder.

I shrugged, shuddering as his breath warmed my neck.

"You can get whatever you want, Mate," he whispered, nuzzling my neck once more. So now he's trying to buy my affection with food.

A waiter walked up to us, obviously werewolf. Vincent growled a little, keeping it low, but I could feel it vibrate his body.

"What can you guys to drink?" the waiter asked us, ignoring Vincent's hostile attitude.

"I'll have an orange juice," I said.

The waiter's eyes grew wide and he looked at me like I had grown another head. Perhaps they didn't have orange juice or something. The waiter looked at Vincent, a scared look on his face. Vincent looked pissed, his fists tightly clenched, his teeth grinding. He took a few deep breaths and looked at the waiter.

"My mate will have an orange juice. Give me a coffee. Black," he all but growled at the guy.

The waiter shyly nodded and hurried off behind the counter to get our drinks.

"Mate," Vincent quietly growled at me.

"Hm?" I looked at him from the sugar packet I was playing with in my hands. "What is it?"

Vincent got a little closer to me, having both his arms wrapped around me. "Mate, it's considered wrong when a mate talks to another male werewolf."

I cocked my eyebrow. "I was getting a drink."

"I know that, but next time, you speak to other male werewolves through me, got it?" he asked, his tone becoming less forceful.

"No, I don't 'got it'," I scoffed, finding the last shred of courage I had hidden somewhere behind my pancreas.

Vincent jumped back a little, shocked by my attitude. He composed his surprised face and let out a warning growl.

"I have werewolf teachers," I clarified, "some of them male. Like my chemistry teacher."

Once again, I earned a growl from Vincent. Before he could say anything though, a waitress this time came over to our table, setting down our drinks in front of us.

"Have you decided on anything to order?" she asked us.

I rolled my eyes. "Vincent, tell the waitress I want the cheese omelet." I turned my gaze away so that I could look outside. There was nothing eventful going on. The weather was bland, there were no cool cars driving by, nothing.

Vincent sighed. "My mate will have the cheese omelet and I'll have the supreme omelet."

"Sure thing," the waitress said, sounding very uncomfortable around us. She walked off and Vincent tapped my shoulder.

"Mate, I didn't mean to say you couldn't talk to anyone besides me, just other males," he cooed, as if that were supposed to make me feel better.

Who was this guy? Why on earth did he think, that not even twenty-four hours after meeting him, that he could control who I associate with? I'm so fed up with this mate nonsense. I just want to leave this diner, leave Vincent, and leave this whole stupid werewolf territory!

We were silent after that, me too mad to say anything and Vincent trying to think of something to say that would make me feel better. Every now and then he'd perk up as if he thought of something, but would then sag, determining that it wouldn't help. Before long, he just settled on resting his head on my shoulders.

"You know," he said in a slow voice, gauging my reaction, "when I first phased, I was so pissed."

I stopped sulking for a while and listened to his story.

"I was...I think thirteen? Yea, it was twelve years ago, I was thirteen. And I had just got this brand new bike that I had saved up all my money for. I rode that thing from morning 'til night, from when I got out of bed until my mom called me inside for the day.

"Well, one morning I went outside to ride it, and it was gone. I couldn't believe someone had stolen the bike that I spent all summer vacation mowing lawns for. I phased on the spot, knowing right then that my life wouldn't be the same."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

Vincent opened his mouth, but then the waitress came with our food. The plates were huge! It seemed as if our omelets were made with ten eggs each, both of them overstuffed. They were set on the table and Vincent, with one arm still around my shoulders, and one holding onto his trusty fork, set off to shoveling the food in his mouth.

Now I'm sure Vincent meant for that story to have some sort of happy ending. Like he thought that being a werewolf would suck butt, but then in the end he found out that he loved it. He probably meant to relate our werewolf experiences.

Well, guess what? I'm never changing my mind about werewolves!

Thanks to werewolves, I'm not allowed to leave the county; I haven't been out of the city limits in years. I'm not allowed to see my grandmother who lives in Florida, all because of the borders!

I'll have to go to the college within our territory, never becoming a marine biologist, which has become my dream lately. Thanks to the werewolves, that's gone as well.

And now, I'm forever bound to a werewolf. I'll never get to lose my virginity to a man I've fallen in love with. I'll never get those butterflies when I like someone new. I'll never get to introduce my new boyfriend to my parents, having them grill him and then eventually accept him.

I'll never have a baby.

I've heard of werewolves and humans trying to get pregnant, but the pregnancy rates for them are often low. And when a human does manage to get pregnant, they give birth to a werewolf!

All thanks to Vincent, I'll never get to have my own baby. No normal, human baby for me, but instead a monster if I'm lucky.

All these disappointments about boundaries, relatives, college, and babies got me going for some reason. I felt my hands start to shake and a lump started to grow in my throat.

No! I can't cry! Not in front of Vincent! His protective instincts will go all psycho and then he won't leave me alone for the whole frickin' day! That thought didn't help me at all. The lump grew bigger, and my eyes began to sting. A tear must've escaped, because I could feel the wet trail on my cheek getting colder as air hit it.

Vincent, who was oblivious to my whole ordeal, stuffing his face, must have smelt my tear. He paused and sniffed at the air, turning to face me, a look of concern all over his face.

Crap, now I know what he's going to call me, and I know that when he does, I'll lose it.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Okay so he didn't say it, thank God-

"Mate?"

That did it. The tears broke through my restraints and my hands shot up to my face to prevent anyone from seeing me cry, especially Vincent.

Vincent dropped his fork, letting it clang on the floor. His other arm wrapped around me. "Just tell me how to fix it!" he pleaded, his voice reeking of desperation.

There was no way I could tell him why I was having this break down. He'd tell me that the boundaries helped to keep me safe. He'd say I could always just call my grandmother. He'd say that there was good science department at the college here.

And, he'd say he'd do everything in his power to give me a baby. Eww...

"Mate!" Vincent pleaded giving me a little shake. "Tell me what's wrong so I can help you!"

I shook my head, my hands blocking everything from my sight, which was nice. I didn't have to see the worried expression on Vincent's face. I knew that the fact that he was unable to help my pain go away killed him inside, but right now I could care less. All I wanted was to leave him and this place.

"Take me home," I sobbed, barely able to decipher my own words as they were strained with my choking cries.

"Of course Mate," Vincent said, making my cries louder. I heard him throw money on the table and then he lifted me up into his arms, carrying me out of the diner. I was really glad I had my eyes covered. I didn't want to see all the werewolves in the diner watching me cry.

I was carried outside and gently placed in Vincent's truck. The door slammed shut and Vincent ran over to the other side and got in, hurriedly starting the truck. Within seconds I could hear us speeding down the road.

Vincent put his arm around me for the thousandth time, letting out a little whimper, like puppy. "I'll take you home, but I have to go to work today, so I won't be able to stay there with you," he said.

Well that certainly made me feel better. I just nodded. Before long, Vincent pulled up in front of a house that I didn't recognize.

"This is my house," he cleared up. He got out of the truck and walked over to my side, taking me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing. He walked up the path, taking me inside his house, a place I knew I'd have a hard time leaving...

Wait! He said he had work! Which means he'll leave me unsupervised for a few hours, which means I can escape!

I can leave Vincent today!