"Just a little bit further," Jeremy calls out. I look towards him, far from me and near the top of the hill. He adjusts the backpack on his shoulders as he looks down at me, smiling all the while.

I want to smack the smile off his face.

I'm by no means unfit. But, the downside is that that doesn't mean I am fit. I can keep up just fine, I'd imagine, with humans. But now, with Jeremy the Werewolf Boy, I'm finding that my stamina might have been greatly overestimated.

I put my hands on my hips and take a couple of deep breaths. My forehead is coated in a layer of sweat that I can feel beading and dripping down the sides of my face. Similarly, the tank top I'm wearing is clinging to my back, and I fidget uncomfortably at the feeling. Besides that, Jeremy instructed me to wear a bathing suit underneath, and it certainly doesn't work as nicely as underwear as I would have hoped.

We've been hiking for over an hour now, my only respite being the times we get to go downhill. Jeremy promised me the hill we currently stand on is the last one we will have to clamber, and while I'm thanking my lucky stars, I wish I could just lay on the ground and sleep. A strange feeling, considering I've never slept a day in my life.

Wiping my forehead on the back of my hand, I decide it would be better to get this over quickly and put all my strength into clearing the hill. My legs burn in protest, but I remind myself that a break awaits us at the top.

"I was wondering if you'd make it," Jeremy says, a teasing smile on his lips as I finally make it next to him.

"You're really trying to make this a bad date, huh?" I mutter bitterly, glaring at his pleased smile. He's standing in the sun, out of the comforting shade of the trees, and I feel the heat on my cheeks, burning them and I'm sure giving new color to my face. It's a scalding hot day, and Jeremy mentioned it was somewhere in the upper 80's.

"Great things are worth the struggle," he says, taking my hand in his. "Besides, we're almost to where I wanted to take you."

"If it's too much further you're going to have to drag my corpse," I whine as he begins pulling me forward with him. He just laughs at me, assuring me it's just over the crest of the hill.

As he pulls me forward, I selfishly take his strength and let him be most of the driving force behind my movements. I take a moment to view my surroundings. After a while, the forest all started looking the same--trees, rocks, dirt, some more trees and dirt--but now it's beginning to thin out and give way to more rocky terrain. I would be completely and utterly lost without Jeremy, who seems to know where we are with perfect precision.

The woods are lovely, but as I look at Jeremy, I realize they couldn't compare. The sun is high in the sky, giving a new brilliance to the color of his hair and the smoothness of his skin. He's wearing a form-fitting shirt, and sweat causes it to cling to him further and reveal what's underneath--every curve, every angle of his toned physique.

I never expected myself to care much about these types of things, but it seems every piece of him is something to care about. The way the muscles in his back flex, his calves strain, everything about him is magnificent and beautiful. And when he looks back at me, the sunlight hits his eyes just right and makes them turn into pure, molten oceans of golden brown.

"We're here," he says as I stare at him in awe, effectively snapping me out of my admiration.

I look forward, my breath catching in my throat as I look out to the vast expanse of water in front of me. We're high above it, nearing the edge of a cliff. The water churns gently, a dark blue color that looks so refreshing to my heated skin. Jeremy guides me over a fallen tree, and then we are mere feet from the edge. I chance a look down, realizing how high above the body of water we are. 30 feet easily, maybe closer to 50. It fills me with equal parts awe and terror.

Jeremy releases my hand, causing me to scramble backward away from the edge. He takes a seat on the log, and after admiring the sheer size of the body of water, I join him. He digs through his backpack, pulling out a bottle of water. He offers it to me, to which I shake my head.

"Right, you don't eat or drink," he reminds himself. "That's going to take a little bit to get used to." He rummages further in the backpack, taking out some bars wrapped in brightly colored foil. "You don't mind if I eat, do you?"

"Of course not," I say, looking away from him to relish the view. There isn't a single cloud in the sky, and the water reflects the sun's light like a million tiny diamonds float on its surface. Now that we have reached the top, a warm breeze blows steadily, cooling my skin and blowing the loose pieces of hair from my ponytail around.

As he finishes up, shoving the trash back into the backpack, I turn towards him with a bright smile. "I love it here." It reminds me of his secret place he took me to, but it has a different kind of magic to it. There, it felt like the world couldn't touch us. Here, it feels like we're in control of the world, and nothing could surprise us.

His smile matches mine. "I'm glad you like it. But it's only partly what we're here for."

"Oh?" I look around, trying to find something else hidden from my sight. I go to question him, but find that he has stood and is working to remove his clothes. My cheeks flame immediately. "Jeremy!"

He pauses, shirt halfway pulled up, partially revealing his torso in all its defined glory. "What?"

"I--Uh, you--what are you doing?" I stutter.

He has a wicked glint in his expression as he fully removes his shirt, tossing it on the fallen log in the spot he once sat. My eyes, traitorous and out of control, take a moment to rake up and down his body and the newly revealed parts of him. My cheeks, red as they are, only heat up further as I realize that he definitely notices my oogling.

Clearing my throat, I cast my eyes down at my feet. "You didn't answer my question."

A deep, low chuckle bubbles from his chest, and I see his pants land on top of his shirt. "We're going cliff diving."

"What?!" I look up at him in aversion. Surely he doesn't mean we're going to jump off--

He's down to only a pair of shorts, heading towards the edge of the cliff. He looks back at me and smirks before he takes off running and launches himself off the cliff.

"Jeremy!" I scream, rushing to grab him, but I'm too late. I scramble on all fours to the edge, watching as his body falls, headfirst towards the water. I scream again as he hits the water, causing a loud splash as he disappears from view. He doesn't resurface, and my eyes scan the water fervently as I try to locate him. The water is just a bit too murky, and panic blooms in my chest after he still doesn't surface.

Just as I think I'm going to have to go down there and find him, the water breaks and he comes up, hair hanging in his eyes. He runs a hand through his hair to push it back, looking up at me with that smile of his that puts his dimples on display, even from this distance. "The waters great!"

I release my breath, closing my eyes for a second as relief floods me. "Come up here so I can kill you real quick," I call out to him. He swims back towards the rocky cliff, going to the right where he disappears. I assume there's a path there that will bring him back, and I wait patiently to wring his neck.

My patience pays off as he steps through the trees, dripping wet as he pushes his hair back again. I'm sure I have murder on my face, but he just smiles like he's the most innocent person in the world.

"Wanna give it a go?" he asks me.

"You're kidding, right?" I shrill. "First of all, you're certifiably insane. Second of all, you know I don't know how to swim, right? And thirdly--"

He approaches me, one arm snaking around my waist and pulling me against him. Whatever my third point was escapes my mind then as I feel him flush against me. I'm not sure my poor little heart can handle it after all she's been through these past five minutes.

"I'll hold onto you the entire time," he assures, his voice light and quiet. "I said I was going to show you this crazy world. Gotta start with the crazy part."

"I think there are a lot of other things you could show me that don't involve your potential death."

"No one's died from this," he chuckles. "This is a hot spot in the pack. The only reason it isn't crawling with people is because I made sure we'd be alone."

I look towards the edge. "Well, I've never been much of a bandwagoner."

It takes what feels like hours for him to convince me to try. I was persistent at first, but he somehow knew how to break through all my reservations and eventually, I decided once couldn't hurt, as long as I had him next to me the whole time. Still, I couldn't calm the trembling in my hands as I took off my clothes to reveal the bathing suit underneath.

I put my clothes neatly on the log, readjusting all the straps that had become twisted during our hike. The bathing suit itself was simple. A light pink color, thin straps tied around my neck and back on the top, and the bottoms tied on the sides in cute little bows. It only covered the essentials. I had another suit I debated on wearing, one which covered most everything that was now being exposed, but Laney felt it would be much less comfortable under my hiking clothes, and recommended the one I currently wear. Besides, it's only Jeremy I would be seeing.

As I turn around to face him, I find he's not looking at me--not my face, at least. I burn under his slow, trailing gaze as he appraises me from head to toe. Part of me hates it, while another...

"Laney picked it out," I blurt, feeling the need to justify wearing it.

"It was definitely a good choice," he murmurs, eyes still taking me in. I cross my arms over my chest, feeling a heat rising in strange places.

"We better hurry before I talk myself out of this," I say. His eyes snap to attention and he holds out his hand.

"Wouldn't want that." I take his hand gingerly and he pulls me to the edge of the cliff, so close our toes were nearly hanging off the edge. My grip on his hand tightens, and I feel like I've already chickened out. But he looks at me with a smile that has just the right amount of brilliance and playfulness in it that to deprive him of this moment seems selfish. I don't know why he cares so much, but I don't question it further.

And I don't get to, because before I know it he's counting backward from three, bending his knees in preparation.

"Keep your legs and back straight!" he instructs, quickly, as he leaps once, taking me down with him.

I scream as we plummet faster than I did the last time I fell from such heights, and without thinking I pull myself as close as possible to Jeremy and pinch my nose, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes.

He's laughing on the way down, drowned out a bit by the sound of the wind rushing past us. I feel like my stomach is beside me, falling as well, the adrenaline and excitement shotgunning through my veins. It's a thrilling feeling I haven't experienced before, and soon enough I feel the water hit my feet before it swallows us whole. I never once let go of Jeremy, even as my body jerks from the sudden stop.

I can feel us sinking slowly, though I don't dare open my eyes. Everything underwater sounds muffled and serene, and I think how lovely it might be to stay here for a while longer.

If only I didn't need to breathe.

I don't know how to swim, exactly, but I figure it's a matter of kicking my feet and staying afloat. I don't get nearly as far as I do when Jeremy takes control, propelling us forward. I feel the currents hit me as he pushes upwards.

We break the surface of the water and only then do I open my eyes, gasping for some fresh oxygen in my lungs. My hair is covering my face, and I use the hand that isn't currently holding on to Jeremy to push it back. When I can finally see his face, all bright smiles and dimpled cheeks, I can't help the giggle that rises in my chest. Soon, turned to full-blown laughter.

"Oh my god!" I cry, howling with uncontrollable laughter. "Oh my god!"

"See, that wasn't so bad was it?" he asks, humor evident in his voice.

"I can't believe I did that!" I wrap my arms around his neck, feeling pure joy. His arms encircle my waist, and I'm reminded we're only being kept afloat by him when I feel his legs kicking. "Oh! Sorry." I go to pull away, but he holds me in place.

"Let's get back up there," he says. "Want to give it another go?"

I nod excitedly.

*

We lay together on the rocks, basking in the sun in an effort to dry off. We jumped off about a dozen more times, spending the moments in between learning how to swim. My muscles still ache from all the exertion of the day, but with the sun starting its descent and the breeze blowing, I feel completely at ease.

I flip over to my stomach, feeling as my front has dried completely. My shoulder brushes Jeremy's as I turn, causing him to let out a small groan. He had been dozing off. I lay my head on my folded arms, studying his profile.

He's laying down, one arm behind his head, the other slung lazily across his stomach. His cheeks show the slightest bit of redness due to exposure from the sun. I watch him a little longer, committing every aspect of his face to my memory. I'm sure at this point I've studied him a hundred times, but it's like a new point of view each time. His hair has mostly dried, falling on his forehead in stringy waves.

As if he sensed me staring, he slowly opens his eyes and turns his head towards me, the softest of smiles playing on his lips. I nearly sigh dreamily but manage to hold it in. "Do I have something on my face?" he asks.

I roll my eyes playfully, ignoring his question. "When do we have to head back?" I know Jeremy has been squeezing in stuff these past three days to afford himself some time to have brought me here, but I don't know exactly how much time he was able to buy.

He sighs deeply, and I watch his chest rise and fall with the movement. He looks up, a frown on his face. "If I had it my way, whenever we wanted."

"But?" I probe.

"But, we should probably head back soon. Dad wants to discuss some things tonight."

I frown, not wanting this to end so soon, but knowing it's selfish to keep him away from his responsibilities. We've been doing as he says--dating like normal teens. He's been extremely occupied with his Alpha duties though, and while he's off doing that, I'm with Laney or Caleb. Laney has been training though, and Arianna is just as busy--apparently, as I discovered, she's next in line for the Beta position, and will be taking over the title at the same time as Jeremy takes on the Alpha title--so it's mostly Caleb and me, or me and a book. When Jeremy is done, we spend time together in his room. He insists on it, in fact, even at the cost of sleep. I think he only got a good two hours last night.

While it has been wonderful to get to know him better, and for him to tell me all these things about the Earth and about his pack, I'm starting to think we might need a better plan. Granted, it's only been three days, but at this rate, he's going to be consistently running on hardly any sleep. He insists that he's always been able to get the bare minimum amount of sleep and function at peak performance, but I rather not see him do it on my account.

"Did you at least have a good time?" he asks, raising up on his arms and looking down at me.

I shrug, closing my eyes and snuggling further into my own arms. "It was ok."

He smiles, knowing I'm just teasing him. "Well, that's a real shame. I guess I'll have to take you on another date and try to make it better."

I sigh dramatically, rolling onto my back and looking up into the sky. "I'll have to think about it."

Suddenly, a shadow looms over me and my breath catches in my throat as Jeremy hovers above me, his face mere inches from my own. My heart nearly jumps out of my chest with how hard it starts beating.

"Think hard," he says, and then I feel it. I scream at first, which is quickly followed by a traitorous laugh as Jeremy grabs my side and starts tickling me. I'm lost somewhere between crying and laughing, begging him to stop. He just keeps on laughing at my suffering, switching sides as I try to squirm away.

"I've thought about it!" I gasp out, wanting this suffering to end. "Another date, great idea."

He finally stops and I work to catch my breath, him watching me with that playful smile on his lips. He is still hovering above me, his arms on either side of me bracing himself. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement."

I scowl at him, pushing on his chest to get him away from me. He doesn't budge and only smirks at my feeble attempts. Huffing, I let my arms fall to my side. "I'm really going to make you work for it next time though," I warn.

"As I said before, great things are worth the struggle." There's an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes, and as quickly as I notice it, it's gone. I don't think too much about it, because at that moment my eyes flicker to his lips, so full and so close to mine, tempting me.

Just as I think he's inching closer, he stops and looks ahead, eyebrows knitting together.

Mumbling quiet curses to himself, he moves away from me, leaving me only slightly dazed. "We have to head back now."

I whine, causing Jeremy to laugh. "I know, I know. But Caleb is apparently asking for you and my dad and I still need to talk."

"Caleb is asking for me?" I question. I haven't even seen him today, as we left in the early morning hours to head out here. But maybe that's why he's asking.

Jeremy nods, a suspicious look on his face. "I've been meaning to ask, have you done some sort of angel magic on my brother?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's just that he's been attached at the hip to you ever since you met him."

I shrug, not having a suitable explanation. "People are drawn to angels naturally, I can only assume it's because of that."

I hadn't mentioned the morning when Caleb was having his nightmare and what I saw. I could come up with no explanation, so I finally convinced myself it was just a weird trick of my mind. Caleb never said a word about it, almost as if it had never happened, so I could only further assume I had just made it up on my own.

In the back of my mind, I knew it wasn't true, but quite frankly I was tired of all the mysteries. Besides, it resolved itself, putting it on the back burner for a later time. Besides, I worry bringing it up will only serve to make Jeremy worry more about something he has little to no control over.

But he is right, Caleb has been very attached to me since we met. I can't say I'm any different though--there's still that constant, nagging feeling in the back of my mind imploring me to check up on him and spend time with him. It just breaks my heart, knowing his story, and I want to help in any way I can. He's good company, anyways.

Then there's the matter of what Nicholas had said, and I start to think I'm missing the bigger picture, but I'm only being allowed to look at it through the narrowest of lenses.

Jeremy gets up, seeming to be satisfied with my answer, and grabs his clothes off the fallen tree. I follow suit, grabbing my own.

"Well whatever it is, keep doing it," he says. "I haven't seen him so alive since our mom died."

Nodding, I slip my shirt on over my head, watching as