Chapter 5
“What's meant to be will always find a way.” ― Trisha Yearwood
Approximately two years later…
Rose’s POV
I walked out of my academic counselor’s office on an unusually sunny January afternoon, clutching my papers as I stepped into the bustling hallway.
It was my last year at the local university, near pack territory, and I had just finalized my schedule for the upcoming spring semester.
I was now in a special program where I was training to be a pack doctor.
I would be qualified to work as an assistant to my pack’s doctor come spring and it would count as college credits.
I would only have one class in the spring.
And next fall, I would be able to do a proper rotational residency to become a fully certified pack physician assistant!
It was all so exciting! Of course to become a fully certified pack doctor, I would have to train further and undergo a rigorous four years of further med school.
And I fully intended on pursuing that opportunity when the time came.
I couldn’t help but beam as I looked down at my academic progress report.
Maybe it was because of what happened with my mother, or maybe it was because I wanted to give back to the people of my pack—the ones who would lay down their lives to protect me—but I had decided to become a doctor for my pack.
Dr. Danvers was getting older and had mentioned more than once that he was ready to retire, but without a replacement, he kept pushing forward. That’s when I decided to step up.
Still folding my papers and preoccupied with thoughts of the scholarships my advisor had recommended, I wasn’t paying attention when I bumped into someone. Startled, I opened my mouth to apologize, then froze when I looked up into a familiar pair of striking blue eyes and sandy blond hair.
“Jake?” I gasped, my eyes widening in surprise. What was he doing here? If anything, he’d somehow gotten even cuter than before.
“R…Rose?” Jake stuttered, his expression mirroring my own disbelief. He gave me a quick once-over before breaking into a grin. “Rose!” he exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug.
I barely had time to react before he buried his nose into the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. My heart hammered. If I wasn’t already giddy from the unexpected embrace, I might have found the action a little too personal.
Jake pulled back quickly, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry,” he mumbled, looking slightly confused. “It’s just that you…you smell different.”
I let out a small laugh, teasing, “Wow, that’s a first, Jake. Why don’t you just say it? You didn’t recognize me. Erica didn’t recognize me either when we met up before she left for London.”
We had stayed in touch through video calls and message.. After all her hard work—and plenty of encouragement—Erica had earned a full-ride scholarship to study photography in London.
Jake tilted his head, studying me. “Well…now that you mention it, you do look different.” His appreciative gaze flicked over me again, and I felt my cheeks heat up.
I did a little happy dance in my head. He liked what he saw.
An entire year of training with the Bloodfire Phoenix pack, combined with the effects of my approaching shift in eight months, had changed my body.
I still had my curves, but exercise had made me healthier.
I wasn’t embarrassed anymore about my body type.
I embraced my curves with confidence. Though my ire over my short height remained unchanged.
Jake suddenly took a step back, as if something had just dawned on him. Then, without warning, he leaned in.
“You’re a werewolf,” he murmured softly.
My breath caught. My almond-shaped eyes widened in shock. How did he know?
Jake let out a quiet huff of laughter, triumphant. I glanced around anxiously, my gaze flitting to the students walking by the academic building. The university had plenty of werewolves from different packs, but humans attended as well.
“How come I didn’t sense it before?” Jake asked, confusion lacing his tone. “Did you have some kind of spell on you or—”
“Shhh.” I cut him off sharply, scanning the crowd again. “Can we…talk about this somewhere private?”
Jake grinned mischievously. “You want to come to my apartment? It’s right on the edge of campus.”
A little voice in my head warned me not to agree, but fifteen minutes later, I found myself sitting on his dark brown couch, clutching a bottle of peach malt.
“So,” I started once he had settled into the chair across from me. “You’re a werewolf?”
Jake nodded. “My parents and I… Well, we’re lone wolves. We don’t belong to any pack. I would have my first turn at nineteen, like most do.” His brows furrowed. “Why couldn’t I sense you back in high school?”
I hesitated. “I…I’m part-wolf,” I admitted, clearing my throat. Aiden’s warning echoed in my mind.
Be on your guard.
Telling Jake I was a hybrid wasn’t exactly dangerous, was it? Could he be trusted? He wasn’t really a friend back then—more like a guy I had a massive crush on.
“Ahh,” Jake mused, his expression thoughtful. “That explains it. So you don’t turn until…twenty-one?”
I nodded, tilting my head back to take a sip of my drink. When I lowered the bottle, I caught Jake staring—his eyes locked onto the exposed skin of my neck, on my marking spot.
He looked away quickly when he realized I had noticed.
“That means you’ll be finding your mate soon, too,” he remarked casually.
“The closer you get to your turn, the stronger the mate pull will be. If your mate is full-wolf, he’ll know right away.
Do you know who he is?” He was watching me intently.
I shrugged nonchalantly. “Not yet.” It was best to keep things vague for now. “So,” I changed the subject. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be at some Ivy League school. You were always so smart.”
Jake scoffed. “I was never the smart one between the two of us.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his muscular thighs.
“I did community college for a semester before transferring here for spring. It was one of the few colleges that accepted me. I got in on the minority quota for werewolves. Guess without you to help, my grades went downhill.” He smirked.
I laughed. “I didn’t know there was a werewolf box to check on college applications.”
“There is if you know the right people.” A small smile played on his lips. “My mom used to be part of a pack before she left to be with my dad. She knew this college catered to our kind.”
“Which pack?” I asked curiously.
“Bloodfire Phoenix.”
My whole body went rigid.
“She’s the sister of the previous alpha,” Jake continued, unaware of my reaction.
“He died a while ago. Mom doesn’t like to talk about it much, like she’s hiding something.
We went to his funeral. His son, Alpha Aiden, even visited us once.
That was around the time you…” He trailed off, realization dawning in his eyes.
I gave him a small, guilty smile. “My father was Beta of Bloodfire Phoenix. They came to bring me home.”
Jake nodded. “Makes sense. Half-human werewolves usually don’t develop until their first shift.” His gaze darkened. “And you’ve developed,” he murmured.
I cleared my throat, shifting uncomfortably.
I crossed my legs, and thought back to how my body was still adjusting to all the changes—the speed, the sharper vision, the rapid healing.
Every day, I felt more and more like a wolf.
Less like a human. And my instincts were telling me it was time to leave.
“Well,” I stood, eager to leave. “It was nice seeing you. I should get home.”
“Wait.” He smiled. “Want to grab a bite this weekend? I’ve heard good things about EC Diner.”
The old me would have said no. Leaving pack territory was a risk. But…it was time to live a little. Besides, I adored their milkshakes.
“Sure,” I said quickly, before I could change my mind.
Aiden’s POV
I walked into my hometown, hand-in-hand with Lexia.
Her blonde hair tickled my neck as she rested her head against my shoulder, burrowing deeper into me for warmth.
The cold January air made our breath visible as we walked.
I had spent the past few years studying abroad while representing the four aligned packs within the region.
We had made serious progress in forming alliances overseas, strengthening our collective power.
After spending Christmas in England with one of our newly aligned packs, Lexia and I finally made our way home.
Werewolves didn’t celebrate Christmas the same way humans did.
For those of us living in the West, where it was a national holiday, it was more of a time to take a break and be with loved ones.
Excited to return to my alpha duties while finishing college, I decided to stop by my favorite diner for dinner before diving back into my responsibilities—responsibilities I had never truly wanted but had no choice but to accept after my father’s passing.
Lexia had helped me come to terms with the fact that taking up my birthright wasn’t about benefiting from his death; it was about honoring his memory.
For that, I was endlessly grateful to her.
Mother would be happy to see me. She always tried to mention Rose, and I always quickly changed the subject.
Honestly, I couldn’t care less about Rose.
But sometimes, when I closed my eyes, I could see those deep emerald eyes, hear her soft yet determined voice saying those words I had never quite forgotten.
"I want to fall in love."
I idly wondered if she had changed since the last time I saw her. Maybe it was because she was now part of my pack, but I felt a sense of protectiveness toward her. I wanted her to remain unharmed. A small part of me hoped she was still as unwavering in her ideals as back then.
Shaking off thoughts of Rose, I stepped into the downtown diner, eager for the cheeseburger I had been craving for months.
But the moment I entered Eddy’s Corner Diner, all thoughts of food disappeared.
I barely paid attention to Eddy, the elderly owner who rushed to greet me before leaving to get my usual order ready.
Fuck cheeseburgers. Something was wrong.
The scent hit me like a tidal wave, overtaking every one of my senses. It was addicting, battling against my reason, overwhelming me completely. I had never felt this way before.
My nostrils flared, and my wolf instantly perked up inside me. A low growl threatened to slip from my throat as I instinctively sniffed the air again. The alluring floral scent was so powerful, so undeniably familiar, that it nearly sent me to my knees.