Dear Diary,

Sometimes surprises come in unexpected ways.

When we pulled up to Growlers the parking lot was full of motorcycles. That wasn't exactly unexpected but I was hoping the bar wouldn't be as busy as usual. The front of the little wooden building was covered in road signs and old license plates. It had a couple of old wooden chairs sitting in the front in case the patrons needed some fresh air. The building was set right up against the road. The parking lot was tiny to make more room for the woods that surround the place.

I was the first one to exit my old beat-up Toyota. I didn't really want to spare any time for the flirting duo that both chose to sit in the back seat. I adjusted the straps on my backpack making sure it sat snuggly against my back. Angel looked up when I walked into his bar.

"Livvy," he said.

"Angel," I replied with a nod to my head.

I took notice of the bar as I made my way to Angel. It was longer than it was wide. More in the shape of a trailer. Most things seem to be made out of wood and were decorated the same as the outside with street signs and such. The air was heavy with thick smoke since Angel allowed smoking in his bar. All the more reasons to need the few chairs sitting outside.

"I see you dressed down today," Angel said as he carelessly perused my outfit. "I thought you tended to wear leather."

I sat down at one of the remaining stools that were pushed up against the bar and glanced down at my faded jeans and thin black tanktop.

"Came straight from work," I told him with a shrug.

At that moment I heard the door push open and one of Summer Lynn's giggles. The air seemed to electrify and get thick all at the same time. I looked up and Angel's gaze was placed steadily at the door. Apparently, Angel's pack felt it too because with a quick glance around I noticed that they were staring at their alpha.

The wolves began whispering and I caught the word luna from their lips. Oh shit. NO. Just no. I turned around to see Summer Lynn and Atticus make their way to a semi-empty table and ask if they could sit there.

I immediately stood up flinging the stool back and to the ground in the process.

I held my arm out in Angel's direction and pointed at him.

"No! she's not for you, Angel! Back away!" I yelled.

That only caused a growl to come from Angel's throat. He raised his heavily tattooed arm and ran a hand through his gelled back hair-mussing it up in the process.

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With barely a tip to the corner of his mouth, he growled, "Mine."

Angel pushed me to the side and began stalking toward Summer Lynn. All the wolves in the bar watched on with avid fascination. The few human patrons didn't even seem to notice the shift in the air.

I didn't know if I should try to stop Angel or if I should run to Summer Lynn and push her out of the bar. Things like this were why I kept my world a secret! I decided it would be faster to try to stop Angel. I grabbed onto his biker vest and tried to pull him back. The only progress I made with that was to get all the wolves to their feet. I was minutes away from being in the center of a very large, very dirty fight-or eaten alive. Whichever comes first.

Atticus was next to me in a second, pulling me away from Angel. "Livvy, you can't stop this. They would have met somehow eventually," he said.

"The hell I can't stop this!" I yelled in his face.

Atticus wrapped both his arms around me efficiently trapping my arms down in the process. This act made me go wild. I started bucking and kicking out, trying my best to loosen up Atticus' grip.

"Let me go Atticus or so help me!" I yelled.

"She's bound to feel the pull, Livvy," came Atticus's response.

"Not if I get her out! Not if I keep her away from this world!"

"It's too late," he whispered in my ear. "Just look," with those words he let go of my arms and pointed in Summer Lynn's direction.

Angel had made it to Summer Lynn's side. He had his hand placed gently on her cheek. Summer Lynn's mouth was opened in a little "o" of shock. They were in their own little bubble. No one else in the building existed to them at this moment in time. They would be a mated pair now. I was pissed. The one person I wanted to protect from this crazy world was Summer Lynn and now, thanks to Atticus, I couldn't do that. There is no way Angel would let her go.

The night was a giant mess. I didn't even accomplish what I set out to do. I slung my backpack around and began unzipping the thing. I knew I had a stake in there. Atticus would feel my wrath.

I began marching toward Atticus, stake in hand. Backpack forgotten and dropped on the ground.

"Hold up, Livvy," he says as he slowly backed up. "You don't want to do that here. After all, it wasn't my fault."

"Not your fault!" I yelled. "It's all your fault! If it wasn't for you she would never be here!"

"He would have found her. Use your brain, Livvy. They are destined."

I was about to show Atticus destiny. This would be the last time I get caught up in his tangle of trouble. I clenched the stake in my hand tightly, raised my arm, and got pulled backwards?

His cold hand was wrapped firmly around my wrist, just waiting to apply a little pressure so my stake would drop. I felt his breath on my neck before I heard his words.

"He's not worth this. Not here. Are you trying to make hunters unwelcome at Growlers?" It was Caden's voice. How'd he even know I was here?

He applied pressure to my wrist, effectively making my stake drop to the floor. Within a blink, he scooped up the rejected stake and the forgotten backpack. Caden tossed the stake into the bag, zipped it shut, then made his way back to me.

He grabbed me by the shoulders and said, "Let's get out of here."

"What about Summer Lynn?" I whispered.

"The best thing you can do for her is cover for her at work while the mating ritual takes place."

All I could do was slowly nod my head. Caden reached up and started wiping something away from my cheek. I reached up to see what it was. My hand came back wet. I was crying and didn't even realize it.

"Come here, love," Caden whispered and pulled me into his chest. "Just close your eyes and hold onto me. You could get dizzy."

I numbly listened to Caden, vaguely aware that I had made a scene and had a whole werewolf pack for an audience. I wrapped my arms around his torso and then pressed my face into the hollow at his neck closing my eyes at the same time. The next thing I was aware of was a temperature drop, a slight gust of wind, and I felt drunk.