Chapter 17: First Date.

E M B E R

"No way! I don't accept at all."

I cross my arms and pout.

Sebastian appears in my vision and animatedly exclaims, "Well, you have to. Ivan declared that I won."

I huff, "Oh, please! You must have bribed him. After all, he belongs to your pack."

He rolls his eyes and grits. "I didn't bribe, and I'm not a cheater."

"Says every cheater," I mutter indignantly.

"Oh, excuse me! I won fair and square, understand —" "Fair and square?" my eyes twitch in annoyance, and I dramatically wave my hands and then put them on my hips as I exclaim, "It wasn't fair and square. You cheated, and I want a freaking rematch." however, that's when he leans down too close to my face and grins, "I don't want to." I frown, and he shrugs, "You must know that if you fight by the rules, you'll get your ass kicked."

I gape at him incredulously and scoff at that stupid smirk on his face, "I don't fight by the rules either, but trying to seduce me and blowing your breath into my ear on the field aren't exactly rules. I demand a rematch, or else I —" he mocks me as he breathes out into my ear, "Everything is fair in love and war, love." he winks.

Ignoring the tingly feeling through my body, I glare at his pompous self and growl at his teasing tone, "Ugh!"

It follows with a carefree laugh escaping his mouth.

I begin to stomp away when he humorously calls out, "So, you better get ready and come out by five. I have something to show."

As promised, I later meet and catch up with Flora until Ivory intervenes, when I learn they turn out to be mates. Shocking, but the two look very cute together. I have been teasing them for the past hours while they do the same, as they help me with my date's outfit and listen to me vent my frustration about Sebastian.

It takes us around an hour to finalize the outfit and get ready, and then the girls help me with light makeup. Then, I tie my hair into a cute double braid and bun with a pleated hair scarf and turn to look into the mirror.

Woah, I look good.

I don a plain black sweater and pair it with a green pleated skirt, white sneakers and a black colour bag to colour-coordinate the look. I complete it by adding on a few necklaces, bronze rings and bracelets.

No, I look hot!

I proudly grin.

"Oh, My God!" Ivory exclaims and looks at me like a proud mamma hen while Flora stays by her side and nods in approval like a proud dad.

I look over at them through the mirror and boldly smack my lips, "Gee, thanks."

I leave the girls to have their low-key movie marathon date as I descend the stairs and silently acknowledge their stares and hesitant greetings before my eyes land on Clayton.

My smile fades, and I stop on my track.

He turns his head toward me, and our eyes lock. I anxiously tighten my grip on the strap of the bag and clench my jaw, trying hard not to look awkward, when he tilts his head and warmly smiles at me — that smile which tells me, "it's okay", "we're fine", "have fun, Luna", and lets relief rush all over my body and loosens my tense muscles.

I can't help but smile back with a tiny wave.

Clayton waves back.

Relieved, I subtly nod and walk out of the main door. I stand on the porch and take a deep breath before something— or someone catches my eye.

Sebastian.

He leans against a grey Jeep Wrangler and smiles as soon as he spots me. It's remarkable how his smile can dictate the feelings inside my chest. My eyes take him in. He looks dapper in a dark grey polo t-shirt, ankle-length skinny jeans, and a pair of sharp brown dress shoes.

I take a deep breath and begin to walk on the stone pathway separating the porch and the road, not taking my eyes off him.

"Hey!" he says, and his hand startles me by curling around my waist, pulling me close to him when I reach him. I can't help the blush and want to look at him, and the moment when I believe he would kiss me, he surprises me again by leaning in and greeting me with a kiss on my forehead.

I almost shut my eyes close before he pulls away. That simple physical gesture sends a current through me, making it hard to focus and not be giddy around him. So, I force myself to take control as I shyly tuck a strand behind my ear and clear my throat, "So where are we going today?"

It's hard to look into his eyes because I can feel him rake my appearance with his intense gaze. He clicks his tongue, "Oh, yeah, I have something in mind."

Curious, I do look up and frown, "Well, if it's illegal or bad, you can count me out —" he abruptly leans in and whispers into my ear (he probably didn't hear me gasp, right?), "Aww, but I plan to do a lot of bad things with you, and to you." my eyes widen at his suggestive tone, my cheeks heat up, and shivers run down my spine as I gape at him.

Sebastian leans back and winks.

Flushed, I press a hand on his chest and then push him away from me. He stumbles slightly, and I take this moment to shake my thoughts out of my head and then clear my throat, "Seriously, tell me, where are we going? What's your plan?"

I pretend to be annoyed because that's better than giving in to lust.

"Impatient, are we, love?" he playfully remarks and boops my nose.

I blink when he moves fluidly away from me and goes to open the car door for me. Then, suddenly buzzing with energy, I step toward him and grab the handle first. "I can get it."

Sebastian looks over at me, and we stare at each other for a few seconds, hoping he will kiss the hell out of me, when he grins, "I know you can, but I am being a gentleman."

I raise my eyebrow and scoff, "Why?"

He gives me a look as if I should know what he is talking about before he sighs, "Ember, I told you, I am a romantic gentleman during the day and a hot beast at night."

I cringe at it, my cheeks heat up at his words, and I think I am getting addicted to the way he says my name. If he continues to say my name with those eyes filled with so many emotions, I am bound to fall in love harder and faster than no one ever did.

I take control of myself and notice his lips curling upwards as he locks his eyes with mine. I shudder, and as he leans forward, I close my eyes. I feel his breath across my cheek before he presses a quick kiss against the side of my head.

"Let's go, love."

"Okay," I mumble, so flustered.

He laughs softly.

I open my eyes and see him backing away from me as he heads to the driver's side of his car. The two of us stare at each other in silence, and I realize he is waiting for me to get in first. I immediately climb into the car and then watch him get in, fidgeting with everything: the air vents, his seat belt, and music connected to his Bluetooth.

Ten minutes pass when Sebastian suddenly hovers over at me, and I lean back against the window as I gasp, "What the heck—"

He notices it and steps back, amusedly pointing out, "Seat belt."

Oh.

What's wrong with me!?

Seriously, so embarrassing, Em!

I growl at my wolf and then clear my throat as I pull at my seat belt and begin to fasten it. I look at the front and dig my nails into my skirt-clad thigh, feeling his playfully intense gaze burning the side of my face.

"What are you looking at?" I can't help but snap the next second and see him from the corner of my eye as he grins.

What is he now grinning at?

I get it. I am embarrassing myself in front of him.

Ugh, so much for having control over myself all these years.

"You look gorgeous."

I swear I redden a little after he says that.

Keying the car, the engine roars to life as he puts the car in reverse and backs out of the driveway.

He smacks his lips and asks, "So, do you like rap?"

And with that, our conversation begins with that simple question as he drives off.

***

We pull into a crowded parking lot an hour and a half later. Thanks to the traffic and Tacobell and Dunkin Donuts take-out, we cover almost all the basic getting-to-know questions and share fist-bumps, laughter, and much more teasing and blushing. But I can now say I fairly know him, and vice versa.

His birthday is April 1st, he likes rap which I don't get why because rap is repetitive and aggressive, his favourite movie is Forrest Gump, his favourite season is summer, and he doesn't read much prose and poetry — Sebastian immediately climbs out of the car.

I watch him jog over to open the car door for me.

I am completely opposite him. Born in the coldest month of the year, I like country and jazz, my favourite movie is the Lord of the Ring series, and I like William Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson.

But it doesn't matter.

Yup, it doesn't.

I faintly smile and look over at him as he walks beside me, holding my hand the whole way until we reach a magnificent white glass building. I abruptly stop and raise my eyebrow as I scoff, "An aquarium, really?"

His face brightens up, and he states, as a matter of factly, "Believe it or not, but yes."

He then opens the door for me and follows me inside. I am instantly blasted with the cold air through the AC vents and shiver. His arms casually snake around me, and I turn my head to look at him. If the building is white and made of glass, the inside walls are shades of blue to match the giant tanks with the marine creatures living in it, or more like captured ones.

"Wait here. I will bring tickets."

His voice brings me back to him.

I blink, "Huh?"

He says, "Oh, I need to go."

"Where?" I frown.

He looks playfully at me. "Restroom."

"Oh."

I purse my lips tight when I catch a mischievous flicker in his eyes, and he smirks, "But you are more than welcome to join."

I give him a deadpan expression and roll my eyes, "No, thank you."

Sebastian then leans closer to whisper to me, "I said I am going to get the tickets, so wait for me here, okay?"

Flushed up, I press my lips in a non-existent thin line, and noticing it, he throws his head back and laughs as he leaves a peck on the side of my head and walks away.

Ugh! I clench my fist and growl as I watch him go.

I don't know if I should swoon at him like my wolf or slap him for annoying me. But I find it in myself to wait for him. My heart is pounding in my chest. I feel giddy, and I don't mind at all. Is this what it feels like to like someone? Is this what being happy feels like? Because if it is, I don't want anything to ruin our moods or this day.

Impatiently, I look around and begin to pace back and forth when suddenly, I bump into a person coming from the other direction.

I stumble and gasp, "Oh, sorry—" as a large hand grabs around my wrist and pulls me to steady me. I slowly raise my gaze and notice this person is wearing a long dark overcoat and a hat hiding almost half face, but our eyes lock. I suddenly feel a weird sensation coursing through my body, and it isn't feeling good.

I feel cold and shudder, but before I can step away, a sentence out of this stranger's mouth takes me by surprise, "You grew up to look just like her."

It forces me to blurt out, "Huh, what?"

"You grew up to look just like her."

What does he mean by that? I tilt and lean closer to see his face as I cough up, "Excuse me? I don't understand—"

"Ember!" a familiar voice intervenes.

I briefly turn my head to look.

"Huh?"

That's when the stranger lets go of my hand. I look back at him, and he leans in with no warning, only to whisper into my ear, "You indeed turn out to be exquisitely beautiful, just like her. I can't wait any longer." my frown deepens. I pout, but before I can say anything else, he turns around and walks away.

What the heck! When Sebastian appears at my side, I lift my hand to run through my hair but put it down, remembering I can't ruin my hair today and look over at him. His fingers graze my elbow for several seconds before he pulls away and worriedly asks, "You okay? What happened? You look confused."

I take a deep breath and sigh, "I don't know what happened. Some guy collided with me and said something confusing. I don't know what to think of it. I was about to ask, but he just walked away, and then you, anyway, it was so suspicious. He was covering his face, and I wanted to have a look—" right then, a low growl interrupts me.

Back to reality, I look over to find Sebastian with glowing eyes and a deadpan expression, and I blurt out, "What is it?"

He doesn't respond to me, but he crosses his arms and turns around with his back to me. Wait, is he pouting? I try to suppress my smile, move to face him and say, "Don't tell me you're jealous? Because there wasn't a reason for you to be, you know." when he takes me by surprise almost immediately and snarls, "Of course not. I am not jealous. I am territorial. Jealousy is when you want something that's not yours. Territorial is protecting what's already yours."

Okay, what? I raise my eyebrows and then frown, no longer feeling the urge to tease him or be playful, but right now, I tighten my jaw and scowl, "I am not yours."

Anger flashes in those eyes of his as he steps closer and grits, "Yes, you are." My heart acts up erratically to have him so close to me when he lifts his hand to grab mine, but I slap it away and snap, "Just because we are mates, I am not yours. So, try not to be jealous or territorial with me. It's toxic."

Taking in his surprised stance, I narrow my eyes as I glare at him and then roll my eyes before I stomp in. I walk in the aquarium walkway through a glass tunnel. The more I wander around, the slower I take my steps as I leisurely soak in the magical yet captured sea creatures and can feel my anger evaporating.

I don't even know or want to know if Sebastian's following me, but Rayne whimpers at his absence.

However, I wonder if he is still around or if we ruined the date.

I shake my head and refocus my attention on the fishes and other creatures like alligator fishes, puffer fishes, moray eels, and jellyfish. I then come across a whale shark and gape in awe.

You know what time it is.

I take my phone out.

Whale shark-fie time!

I beam and am about to turn for a picture when I feel a presence.

His presence.

And my heart skips a beat.

I stop and stare at the cluster of clownfish swimming by, clenching my phone tightly in my grip. I don't know how long this silence between us is going to last. I know he couldn't help but be jealous because, trust me, if a girl bumped into him or even batted her eyes at him, I would have brought my claws out.

I know I am being a hypocrite here, but it pisses me off.

That's when something startles me, and I almost jump and gasp.

Am I imagining things, or did his fingertips actually linger to caress my hand?

I peek at him from the corner of my eye and see him with his eyes closed as if taking a moment with himself, but why does he look sad? It makes me sad, and I want to comfort him. I want him to share with me what's troubling him. I bite my tongue to stop myself from saying anything that might cause this uncomfortable silence to continue until I hear Sebastian sigh.

"I don't know if you will believe me if I say it's the first time I am actually inside here."

He breaks the silence first.

Amazed, I look over at him but frown as I calmly state, "Well, coming to an aquarium isn't hard, is it?"

He stares at the glass tank in the front as he nods and then says, "I know it isn't hard to be here, but I never had the courage to walk inside." why not? I want to ask, but I wait. Because he looks like he wants to tell me on his own, but instead, he scoffs, "I mean, can you believe it that someone who is feared all over the community isn't brave enough to be in a place with sea creatures we eat."

This time, I blurt out, "You must have a reason."

Sebastian tilts his head and gives me a brief glance before he looks back at the tank and then sighs, "I was six."

"I had this crazy obsession with sea creatures. Sea lions, sharks, whales, you name it, and I was obsessed. One day there was a dolphin show in the aquarium. I wanted to see it so badly that I begged and pleaded with my parents for about a week. They finally agreed to take me to the show on the weekend."

I stay mum and watch him gulp as if stifling the pain in his voice.

He coughs up, "But my grandfather passed away. A car hit my old man who was crossing the road with trees on either side."

I manage to blurt out, "Oh."

His eyes glisten, and his voice then actually chokes, "The next time I had made plans with my mother," he glances at me and slumps down with a depressing shrug, "— but you know what happened to her."

His mother was abducted and later assumed dead, which makes me wonder. Who would dare to abduct a Luna of a pack? Who is the psychotic patient to go after someone's wife and mother?

Sebastian straightens up and huffs, "And I was sixteen when the school organized a field trip, but my father passed away, leaving me with the responsibilities of being the Alpha."

His father went insane and died a year later after he was forced to declare the search for his Luna off. That's right. It's not only me who did go through the heartbreak of losing my family. He went through it too. I clench my fist and bite my lip. We both endured the pain and regret of living when the ones who loved us unconditionally left us so painfully.

I have so much to say. I can taste the words on the tip of my tongue, but I only say, "And you're here. Do you have a specific reason you wanted to come here as our date?"

Stupid Ember! I mentally reprimand myself instead of letting Rayne sigh disappointedly.

Sebastian looks over at me and locks his eyes with mine when he subtly nods and faintly smiles, "Yeah. It's quiet here and peaceful."

I can't help but smile back as I agree, "Oh, yeah, that it is."

The two of us stare at each other for a few seconds until I believe I feel the tension between us, making us check out a curious and cute otter.

"Check out that one. It looks just like you!" I lean over to point at it and grin at him.

"No, it's not." he pouts.

I grin wider and turn around to face him to make my point when he slips his hand into mine. My eyes widen, and I gasp.

Sebastian steps closer, slipping his other hand around her waist, pulls me gently against and exclaims, "And now I am here with you."

I can feel the warmth of the blush as it crawls up my neck. I subconsciously scoot closer to him, frightened and yet intrigued.

Yet I manage to make a mental remark.

He smells good!

"It is crazy that I have started to worship you."

I pull away and frown, "Huh?"

I keep my gaze steady, my heart pounding.

He nods and clicks his tongue, "I want to be honest with you." about what? "I am a very stubborn and jealous man, and I get what I want." oh, never mind.

"Ha, more like you're a pain in the ass." I can't help teasing him.

Instead of no response or a deadpan expression, I receive an eye roll and a soft chuckle from him before he clears his throat and smiles, "Yeah, I can be that. However, right now, I'm serious about the fact that not only do I like you, but I also worship you."

I remain silent and, honestly, so flustered when he ardently declares, "Instead of letting and creating problems due to me, I want to cheer you on, to feel whole with you, and all I need to do is worship you."

I don't know what to say to that as I fold my lips momentarily. "Then I think we're stuck together."

Sebastian raises his gaze and meets mine as he murmurs, "Yes, we are."

His eyes are warm and calming, and I smile back at him. His index finger skims down the length of my pinkie. It's the smallest, most tender move, but it makes my heart flip. I lift my head to look at his face in the LED blue lights, our lips only inches away. The silence lasts for about a minute when I notice his eyes settle on my lips for a beat.

His pout melts into a sweet animated smile before his lips close over mine. I do what he's doing and start to move my lips like he is — kissing him back.

***

I don't know how long we kissed.

A long time.

So long that my mouth started to hurt and my eyes couldn't stay open.

We resumed and finished our tour an hour ago with no trouble. We have been laughing, talking and giggling all evening, but we have been kissing this time. Or he feels like surprising me with a peck or a deep kiss. I don't mind, though.

We have been walking hand in hand inside the mall after a nice Burger King snack time when something catches my attention.

It's a big box at the corner of the fourth floor when I tug Sebastian's arm. "Hey!"

"Yeah?" he casually raises his eyebrow and looks at me.

Letting go of his hand, I jump on my toes to grab his shoulder and push him slightly down. He gasps. I look at his face and exclaim, "There is something I want to do."

"There is? What is it?" he curiously asks.

"That." As I click my tongue, I stretch my arm and point a finger, "It's a photo booth."

His eyes follow mine before he looks back at me, and I grin, "I want us to take pictures together. It would be a fun souvenir to remember."

"Okay!" he carefreely says immediately after, and I beam. I grab his arm, tug on it, and pull him with me toward the booth. We push inside past the soft curtain and take a seat on a bench across from a camera and props underneath it on the table.

"Oh, my!" I clap and grab the props, "Oh, you wrap this pink boa around your neck and take this fedora hat."

I shove the props into his hands as Sebastian eyes them disgustingly, but it looks funny that I let out a giggle. "Ugh, fine!" he groans and then looks up as he asks, "What about you?" I study the remaining ones and grab the ones I want to try the most. I smack my lips, "I will have on this oversized sunglass and purple wig."

I excitedly wear them and look at him for a review. I can tell he looks in awe before he bursts out laughing. I don't feel offended or insulted, and I chuckle.

"Let's get it done!"

Snap— the camera makes a sound and continues to click pictures of us in all kinds of poses.

After our pictures are clicked in sweet, funny, and cute poses, we leave the booth. I absentmindedly study them and pout, exclaiming, "Oh, no! This one came out blurry."

"Because you were moving too much too fast." he asserts, walking beside me with his hands shoved inside his pockets this time.

I roll my eyes and groan, "Ugh!" I stop and complain, "— and look at this one. I have such an unflattering pout. I am never pouting again."

Sebastian blurts out, "Oh."

I scoff, "What? It's ugly, right?"

I feel him stop, and his presence hovers over me.

I tighten my grip, but not enough to ruin the photographs.

"No, it's cute," he says.

Amazed, I look up. "What?"

Sebastian looks at my face and casually shrugs, "Yeah, you look cute."

Speechless, he then surprises me with a peck on my lips, and I suddenly hiccup. "Oops—"

He laughs softly, which reaches my ears and then leans forward to leave a kiss on the side of my head this time. The two of us smile and resume our steps until he abruptly stops walking, and I feel him stiffen.

Before I can ask him what's wrong, a trembling voice reaches me through the mind link. Ember... Luna... Flora. Flora and Clayton were attacked.

What?

I frown and look up as I call out, "Sebastian?"

He looks back at me, horrified.

***

S E B A S T I A N

There is an emergency.

What is it?

It's Clayton.

He was attacked.

And there is a message — for Luna.

I look at her, completely stunned and confused.