Mommy shakes Aaron Turner's hand, "Are you the Alpha's brother by chance?"

"You could say that..."

"I see that. You're a matured version of him."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Come on in," she pulls him inside and I'm unwilling to let Aaron sleep in my house. Why is my mom acting like he is her best friend or something?

For the rest of the night, we eat pudding and bread mom made at the dining table, the light bulbs twitching as heavy insects blindingly jam into them. I listen to him crack jokes all night until 2 AM. Mom tells me to show him a room as she retires to her room.

I open the guest room and gesture inside, "this is your room now. Until you sort out your issue." The room has only one made bed, a nightstand and a wardrobe by the window. It used to be my sister's room but everything that belongs to her has been cleared leaving only the bed. Even the sheets were changed.

"You're too kind, Ms. Olsen."

Before he can pass by me and enter inside I grab his wrist and he pauses, looking at me with a raised brow. "I don't know if I'm doing the wrong thing here, Aaron. I don't even know if you're indeed Aaron Turner but if I'm right and you're lying to me, I will hunt you for the rest of my life. Do you get me?"

"Do you have a knack for threatening people or what?"

"It's hard to earn trust. I respect people who fight to earn one. You're a stranger and for all I know, you could be running from the Alpha. So forgive me if I up my guard against you."

"Can I go in? Or are you taking me to the bed?"

I unhand him faster than he can finish uttering those words and I stomp away, hearing him chuckle behind me.

♣. ♣. ♣

I twist and turn for the umpteenth time, my eyes wide without sleep. I grunt in frustration and jump out of bed, heading outside for some breeze. The fan in the room makes it harder to breathe.

Aaron Turner is out on the porch when I come out. He looks lonely and disturbed, hugging his knees like a little troubled girl. I go towards him and sit on the step beside him. He stretches his legs, resting his arms by his sides.

"Can't sleep?" I hear him say.

"Yeah."

"Me too." The breeze is chilly than normal.

"Are you the only child of your parents?"

I eye him and look away. "Yeah." Now.

"Must be fun."

"I do wish for a sibling sometimes."

"Trust me." He looks at me, "you wouldn't want one. You're better being by yourself."

What he says strikes a chord in me. A memory plays in my mind and it makes me long for something. Something unattainable. Guilt gnaws on me. "Why do you think like that?"

He opens his mouth. I only hear him breathing, then he stops and says, "nothing."

I nudge at him, "Tomorrow is a full moon."

"So?"

"Tomorrow, some of us will finally meet our mates. Might just make your life easier."

He chuckles, tilting his chin to look at me, his gorgeous green eyes shimmering in the moonlight. "You're so naive, Leticia."

I scoff, "don't worry. I will pray to the moon goddess to make you meet your mate tomorrow."

He chuckles again-low and dark. Then, it turns into a full blown laughter. I have to remind him my mom is asleep.

"Don't tell me you've given up on finding your mate."

"I'm not.... Who knows if she's dead?"

"Don't think like that, Aaron Turner." I sigh, exasperated. Why is this wolf filled with melancholy? I should have left him at the mercy of those outlanders. Does he want me to cry?

"Can we... Can we change the topic?"

"Alright. What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything."

He shifts so close to me that our bare elbows are touching. He is so warm that I almost melt beside him like candy. "What about your girlfriend?" It comes out so quickly and I immediately regret what I did. But I'm curious so I push forward, "surely, you must have a girlfriend." I downplay it with a pathetic giggle.

"No. I'm currently single."

"Have you even dated before?"

He chuckles, "Ms. Olsen is so invested in my love life. Should I be honored?" he sighs, "Do you have a boyfriend, Leticia?" He looks me dead in the eye and I fumble with my words. By God, what those deadly green eyes are doing to me and I don't actually hate it.

I open my mouth and say, "well, I just got dumped so I'm currently single."

"Your ex must be crazy to have let go of someone of your caliber." He says and my face burns. Did he just compliment me? Should I compliment him back?

"Boyfriends suck," I say, feeling more like basking in his pity party.

"Boyfriends don't suck. It's just that you haven't met the right one," and he drawls, "yet."

"Well, who knows? I might just find my mate tomorrow."

His face grimaces and I quietly laugh. I notice he's stopped talking and I look at him. He's looking straight at me. And, he's not smiling. There's something in his eyes. It's too thick for me to make out. I stop grinning and anticipation fills my core. Why is he looking at me like that? He leans closer, blocking the gap between us. His breath is fanning my face and I'm sure mine is fanning his. Is this happening? Is Leticia about to be kissed right here, by a stranger in front of her mother's house? His lips touch mine for a brief moment. An invitation. I open up to him and he takes me with eagerness, biting softly on my lower lip as I kiss him back, the flies jamming the lightbulbs have formed summersaults in my stomach. He brings down my walls and walk into my heart like he owns it. His hands connects with my body. One rests on my back. The other trails my thighs, my stomach, pulling on my wrist to hold him too. I feel his hard shoulders, his biceps. His hands squeeze my hips and I flinch. I feel his mouth curve up in mine. He's teasing me. I wonder if he's invested in this little act of intimacy like I am. I cup his cheeks and I pour myself into him. Maybe it's because I want him to want me. To take me. Not here. Somewhere better

I want him to feel my longing; how lonely I get sometimes. I want him to know all of me through this simple act of intimacy. However, he pulls away before I can go further. Our breathes are fast and come in rushed gasps. He looks at me like I'm the only one he sees. A vortex build up in the pit of my stomach and I don't know how to explain it for a moment.

"Has your ex ever kissed you like that?"

The sweet moment I am basking in pauses. "I don't know." I say honestly and I get to my feet and flee. I run back to my room and lock the door. I start to berate myself. What if he's a criminal? What if he is a villain? Why did I let him kiss me like that? He must think I'm easy. Oh, mother, I feel so stupid. I'm about to unite with my mate tomorrow and here I am daydreaming about another man. I feel around my mouth as if I want to retain some of that warmth he left on me. I can't stop thinking about that kiss. His hands on my thighs, on my waist. Ugh. I pull the duvet covers over my head and groan.

I wake up from a dream and I groggily stare at the alarm clock. I sigh. I'm late. I break into a scuffle; bathing, brushing, brushing, slipping into my clothes-a flurry of activities. I leave my room and go to the dining room, heading to the fridge for some fruits. I can't stay for breakfast since I'm so late. I'm greeted with my mom and Aaron sitting for breakfast, conversing. I mindlink my mom, «mommy, you're being too nice to a stranger.»

She eyes me, «it's called simple courtesy.»

«It's an eyesore.»

«Whatever.»

"Morning, Ms. Olsen." Aaron raises one fine brow at me. His brown hair is brushed and tied into a fine bun. Finer than the messy bun sitting on top of my head right now. "Are you going to work? It's already late. Should you hurry?" He's mocking me. I suddenly feel the need to skip work. He probably can't wait to see me leave. Scratch the sweet kiss last night. I don't trust him. I look at my mom, almost glaring. She merely nods. Reassuringly as if she understands my fear. I'll be fine. I'm still concerned but I leave.

It takes about twenty six minutes or so to get to my workplace. Thirty-five minutes later and I blame it on slow traffic. Today isn't my lucky day. My white t-shirt is marred with a child's tea during my wait for a taxi in the subway and all I can do is stare at him while his mother apologizes profusely. Now my sandals strap has snapped and I'm practically walking around in the store on foot. I can't help but heap all the blame on Aaron Turner. I let him kiss me last night and now I'm a bag of nerves.

"Whoa," Nicole Timothy says as soon as I step into the store on foot. "Baby, you're a mess. What happened?"

"Tell me about it. Today is just not my day."

"You've got to go clean up. You can't look like that attending to clients. Especially the VIPs. You know they like..."

"I know..." I go to the ladies bathroom, passing by a couple of coworkers and we're murmuring greetings to each other. I try to open the tap but it refuses to budge. I try a few times until I get impatient and miscalculate my strength and practically wrench it out, the water spraying all over me and I scream. I cover it with my hands, tilting my chin away, all to no avail. I suck my teeth and yell, "fuck! You've got to be kidding me. Someone!" I call out, "someone, help me!"

Someone does come to my aid. A beautiful man. He's dressed in a blue suit and his brown hair is cropped. His hazel eyes scans the situation and he chuckles. I'm displeased. He has a nose mask on so I don't recognize who this man is. I don't know if he finds my predicament funny or he's laughing at something else entirely. He goes under the sink and fiddles with the pipe and the water recedes. I look at my clothes and I feel like crying. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to think of something when I feel a hand enclosing my right shoulder. My eyes snap open and I growl, ready to charge. Instead, he takes his suit off his body and hands it to me. I look at him.

"You don't want it?"

What? Of course I want it. I take it from him and slip it on, then say in the smallest voice possible, "thank you." I sigh and regard him with utmost respect, "are you looking to buy a car, sir?"

"Yes. Ms. Timothy is finalizing the dealership contract." His voice is soft. Not too deep like Aaron's.

"Oh. Okay." I look down at my bare feet and sigh again. The clothes had been taken care of... Just the shoes. He peers at me. I can see him through my hair.

"What's your name?"

"Ah... um... Leticia Olsen."

"Leticia, you don't have a footwear?"

I cringe in embarrassment and try to retract my feet from his scrutiny. I feel like digging a hole and hiding there for the rest of my days. He looks at me with a smirk, his hazel eyes filled with amusement at my expense. Something about him reminds me of Aaron Turner. "Oh, uh... My footwear. Well... My sandals snapped. I can't..." I stop stammering and bite my lower lip, considering the option to run and never come back.

I see him take out his phone and he calls someone, "Nathan, can you go to a convenience store and get me some ladies shoes for a nice woman?" He takes the phone out his ear and asks me, "What's your size?"

"40," I say. I have pretty big feet for a lady.

"Her shoe size is 40. Please, hurry." He puts his phone right back in his pocket.

"Thank you. You're so nice." I want to kneel and pledge my allegiance too but I'm at my workplace. That'd be too low.

"That's no problem." He takes a breath, "so, what's your job around here?"

"A salesperson."

"So, why haven't I seen you before?"

I laugh nervously and scratch my nose. I've been working here every five days for four years now. Everyone sees me when they come into the sales store. Maybe he hasn't noticed me until now. I don't have a reply for this question.

His phone ringtone blares the bathroom and he takes it out and picks up, "I'm in the ladies bathroom. Hurry over before some women see me here and start screaming." He glances at me as if expecting a reaction from me. I hold a laugh. A laconic man hurry inside, carrying shopping bags. He stops short before him and bows. The man who gave me his suit gestures at me and Nathan hands me the shopping bags. "For you."

"I... I can't thank you enough..."

"Please to meet you, Leticia." And he is gone. Like a breeze. He's gone. I check the shopping bags and see the shoes. A black flat sandals worth a hundred grand. In fact, all of them are expensive. I suddenly feel like putting my feet in the shoes will be a sin.

♣ ♣ ♣

"Baby, looks like your boyfriend got you some clothes, huh?" Nicole Timothy says when she sees me approach my desk.

"Zephyr broke up with me. He doesn't care about my problems. A man was kind enough to give his suit. He even bought me shoes." I flaunt the shopping bags and the Zara sandals I'm wearing.

"Ooh. A so-not secret admirer." She nudges me, "tell me. What did he look like?"

"Cropped brown hair. Hazel eyes? He said you were processing his dealership paperwork. I don't-"

"No way." She's laughing, her voice high-pitched. "Regan Turner? Did The Regan Turner meet you in the ladies bathroom?"

I start feeling a sense of déjà-vu. Regan Turner. His name leaves an inexplicable taste in my mouth. Aaron Turner. Are these two related?

"Regan Turner," I blink. Did my pack's Alpha just give me his suit jacket and buy me shoes? When did I get important?

Nicole Timothy grabs me and squeals, "You met The Regan Turner. OMG, you're so lucky!"

"Is he our top client here?"

"He is a VVIP client. Today, he bought our limited edition Ferrari. He's bought at least twelve cars from our store. I mean he bought six cars in one day from this store. He is rich as fuck. And don't forget. He is fine. His family are eccentric but they are legends. People say." Nicole gush about the Turners like I don't already know about them. She talks like she worships him. He is that impressive? Buying six cars in one day? Most of the cars in the store cost at least several hundred grand with the most expensive here, the Ford Mustang about a million bucks. Who spends money like that these days? But this young, rich, billionaire wolf gave me his suit jacket and bought me shoes. My face breaks into a smile and my heart blossoms.

"Hello?!"

I look up to see a couple, hands intertwined, looking haughtily at me. "I want to buy a car from here. They say this store have luxurious cars."

"We do, ma'am." I proceed to find the catalog book from under the paperwork.

"My boyfriend is buying me an Ashton Martin. Got any here?" She fans her gigantic eyelashes.

"Any Ashton Martin you've got in this store?" The boyfriend half yell at me like I'm a halfwit. I suppress myself from rolling my eyes, put on my killer smile instead and lead them to the garage.

♣ ♣ ♣

I return home tired and weary from the day's shift. Aaron Turner is sitting at the porch and I ignore him, passing by but he grabs my wrist and I turn, ready to scold him.

"Whose suit jacket are you wearing?" He eyes Regan Turner's suit jacket like he has a problem with it.

I look back at the blue suit jacket and regard him growing irritation, "how is the suit jacket I'm wearing any of your business?"

His face contorts and he orders, "take it off."

Is he joking? "What?"

"Take that thing off, Leticia."

I look at him like he has a few nuts missing in his brain and it's open, gushing nonsense. He rises to his feet, towering above me, hostility emanating from him. My heart skips a beat. "Do you have any self-respect? Is it every man that you wear his things?"

I smile, anger slicing through me like a knife, "have you lost your darn mind, Aaron Turner? Don't forget you're in my house." That seems to set him straight and he takes a big step back.

He sighs like he knows what he has done. I want him gone from my house right now. "I don't know what happened... I'm sorry..."

"Go fuck yourself," I snap and shake off his grip, barging inside the house, in an angry march. I hear him muttering curses. He kicks something and now I feel my eyes glisten.

Aaron's POV:

Why did I do that? I grab the plastic chair I had kicked and sit, my head in my hands. I am just starting to get close to her and I ruined everything. My mate. She is my mate. It came as a shock and didn't as well. I commend the moon goddess for choosing a beautiful, capable mate for me. I hadn't even realized she is my mate until that night I kissed her. In fact, the first time I laid my eyes on her, I felt a pull towards her like she was a magnet and I was a metal. But judging by my interactions with her, I think she doesn't realize it. I've waited so long to find my mate only to see that the moon goddess once again played a trick on me.

When I sniffed Regan's scent on that piece of clothing she wore-I knew it wasn't hers. I knew how she was dressed before she left. I instinctively tried to pry it off of her body. Even after successfully becoming Alpha, Regan still wants to leave his imprints on my things. On my mate. I can't let him. I shouldn't have done that. I scared her and I might be thrown out of the house later.

She comes out a while later, dressed in a blue sundress and black sandals. I stand and reach out for her but retract my hand. Oh, how I want to grab her and kiss her hard, pin her against the wall and feel every inch of her body, maybe punish her for letting Regan talk to her. "Leticia..."

"How long did you say you were staying again?" She looks at with coldly. She's distant. The warmth I saw in her eyes yesterday has vanished.

My heart drops and I swallow. "Just for three nights." I want to stay longer than three nights. I want her to realize I'm her mate. Why can't she see that? I have already ruined that chance and I might never see her again.

"Okay." She spins and leaves the house. I watch her gets smaller and smaller in the distance until she's out of my sight.

Her mother comes out. She must have caught me staring. I swear Leticia's curves are pulling. "When are you going to tell her?"

I pull my gaze from where I saw Leticia disappear and look at Mrs. Olsen. "What?"

"When are you going to tell her you're mates?"

My eyes widen. "How did you know?"

"I saw it the first day you came over. I'm seeing it now. It's in your eyes. The flashing."

So, that's how they find out. I nod. "I-"

"She knows you're her mate but she's in denial. Though I could be misinterpreting." She finds herself a plastic chair from the stack of it resting in the nook of the porch. She sits beside me. "Are you willing to accept my daughter as your mate, Aaron?"

I laugh self deprecatingly, "mother knows I've been waiting for her all my life."

"Then, tell her."

"Mrs. Olsen. She doesn't feel anything for me and I... sort of scared her."

"Then, wait for matters to settle."

I look at her with an apologetic smile. She must think it's easy. I used to think finding your mate is easy-just when it comes, you're both in the same fucking place and boom, it happens, you both confess your feelings to each other. That's all. I have held some kind of longing for my mate, always picturing what she'd be like. And indeed, she is incredible but she's incredibly hot tempered. I feel unlucky. I never got lucky with my siblings. We all hate each other. I never get lucky with my love life. Most of the girls I've date secretly simped for Regan, the impressive one in my family and I always end up breaking up with them first. Am I not good enough that every little action of yours is for my little brother's scrutiny?

"Your family. How are they all doing? Have you talked with any of them?"

"They're great," I mutter casually.

"At least, some of them has found their mates. When will Alpha Regan get his?"

I squeeze my eyes. I really don't want to talk about my little brother. If there's one thing I want to eradicate from my life, it's Regan Turner.