"Come oonnnnnn!" Seren groaned, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she looked up at the distrustful beta. 

"Liam said you would need to work for it. We know exactly what you plan to do with the car," Derrick said, crossing his tree trunks for arms over his wide chest. 

"Well, fine. I didn't want to drive his stupid flashy crap anyway," she muttered, brushing past him, or rather, was deflected off to the side when her shoulder check did nothing to move him. She stomped into the kitchen. However, as soon as she was out of sight, she darted to the pantry, grabbed the gallon jug of Canola oil and dumped it all over the black tile. 

"Hey, what are you doing in there?" Derrick asked, sounding suspicious. 

"Oh, you know. I really wanted to go, and now that I can't I'm just going to cut myself. Too many emotions flowing through me," she said, leaning against the wall, smirking.

She heard his footsteps getting louder as he hurried to investigate, even though he doubted she was telling the truth. It was his obligation to make sure that no harm befell his Luna.

He took two steps into the kitchen, and started scrambling for footing like a professional tapdancer. "What the-" His arms waved madly and with a loud yell, he flipped onto his back. Immediately, he tried to get up, but his hands slipped out from beneath him. "SEREN!" he roared.

Seren watching him, giggling, before nimbly avoiding the oil and his angry swipes to grab her, and snatched up the keys that he had dangled over her head. "Shouldn't have messed with me, Derrick. One day you will learn," she grinned down at him. 

"Ser-...s***...don't you dare move," he snarled, still wiggling around in the slick like a bug with all of his limbs flailing about. "I'm going to kill you with my bare-...GOD DAMN IT!"

Seren laughed hard, her insides hurting with the effort to breathe as she watched the mighty beta struggle to stand. 

"What's so funny?" Kate asked, walking into the room. She took one look at Derrick and gasped. "What happened?"

"KATE! DO NOT LET- F***..." His hands and feet slid away from his body and he landed on his stomach.

"Oh," Seren said, nonchalantly. "It's some weird fettish. I found him like this. Come on, let's go." She grabbed Kate's arm and pulled her toward the back door to the garage. 

"I DID NOT! IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! HELP ME!" Derrick roared behind them.

"People and their deviant sex habits. Gross," Seren snickered, clicking the unlock button and watching for the flashing headlights on the nicest car.

They climbed into the leather interior, that smelled wonderfully of a certain man that didn't need to be thought of at the moment, and it purred to life. Seren groaned in appreciation, petting the shifter.

"You set him up, didn't you?" Kate asked, one eyebrow raised. 

"Yes. Yes I did," Seren confirmed. "But let's not think of that anymore. You tell me where we are headed. Apparently, I'm supposed to get some stupid dress to wear to this party?"

"Well, most girls wear dresses. Alpha said that I'm supposed to make sure you have a good time, but I don't think that will be a problem. He didn't say anything about making you look pretty...I'm sure he already thinks you are perfect, so you don't have to worry about that! Turn right."

"I'm totally going to wear a gorilla suit," Seren muttered quietly.

"What?"

"That's cute," she said a little louder. I'll even sew on a big fuzzy penis. How do you like me now, Alpha? Don't want any gorilla penis? No? Your loss.

They made small talk as Seren drove south to a bigger town with more stores. Nothing in Marblemount would sell anything like what Kate would be searching for (which Seren was sure would be pink and fluffy). Kate directed her to a parking lot, where Seren parked her new favorite car and lead her to a neat clothing shop that fit Seren's style to the T. 

"How did you know I liked this stuff?" She asked Kate.

"Haha. This is where I shop for myself," she grinned. 

Seren was liking Kate more and more every day. They moved around the racks, pulling out dresses and trying them on. Kate even got her to laugh at some of them, which was a feat in itself. 

"You are being so picky! You are supposed to just like a handful and then have a favorite, not hate every single one!" Kate groaned, draped across a bench. She had a veritable mountain of cloth towered on her body, so much so, that she was almost disguised as the rare and elusive shopping turtle.

"I don't hate every one. I like a lot of them, but I'm not going to have constant reasons to wear dresses," she argued back. "It's just this one time."

"No," Kate corrected, as though she had been insulted. "There are parties every other week! You know if he is making you go to one, you will have to go to the rest so you might as well pick out a bunch."

 Seren rolled her eyes and dragged her feet back into the dressing room, scanning all the dresses hanging up. There was one left to try on- a slimming black number with a fall out back. With a huge sigh, she went to work wiggling into it, quickly satisfied when it offered nice support in the boob department. With a grin, she shoved the door open and sashayed out to where Kate was...and stopped dead when she saw the giant frame of a man in her place, too big for the store, leaning casually back with an ankle on one knee. His bored eyes turned stormy as they fell down her body, a muscle twitching in his jaw. 

"L-Liam," Seren choked out, suddenly trying to hide herself, her throat tight as heat flooded beneath her skin. Saying his name only made him more intense as his nostrils flared and his shoulders tensed. As she scuttled backward, he stood up to his full height so that, even a few feet away, her head was tilted up to see him, his muscles straining against the soft black cotton shirt he wore. 

The powerful alpha looked dangerously close to losing himself and began to lean forward, intending to follow her right back into the dressing room.

"What did you say?" Kate's door smacked open, tearing Liam's gaze from his prey and she stopped abruptly as Seren had. "Alpha," she quipped, surprised, before nodding respectfully. 

Seren fled back into the safety of the tiny cubicle. Instantly, she was yanking the dress over her head and pulling her jeans on, hopping as knuckled rapped loudly on the door. She couldn't tell if he was angry or if he was just feeling a different kind of emotion due to the clothes she had just been wearing...or rather, not wearing.

"Open up," he commanded, his voice husky and gravelly. 

She felt the order tugging at her body and hurriedly finished dressing as the frame of the door groaned under his strength. He was going to pull until it broke. 

"Alright, alright!" Seren turned the lock and with a snap it jerked open, the already small space now filled with over six and a half feet of hard muscle. 

His smoldering eyes had her leaning into the wall to make more room around her. Then, he was stepping inside and closing the door behind him. He glanced around at the different dresses, spotting the one she had just had on and picked it up, feeling the heat fading at his fingertips. Liam lifted it closer to his nose and inhaled, drinking in her scent, and had to battle himself all the harder when the action made her squirm against the wall. 

"What are you doing here?" Seren finally found the courage to speak. "I...I didn't do anything wrong. We were shopping like we said we would be. A-and I d-didn't run off or anything." Her trembling voice sounded like she was trying to convince him of her innocence. 

"No," he replied. "You have done nothing wrong, except wound my beta's pride." The ghost of a handsome smile passed across his face. "I came because..." he set the dress aside and closed the small space between them in a slow movement, pushing his hand into her hair, to cup her neck. He brushed his lips carefully over hers, making her breath catch. "I wanted to ask if you would have lunch with me?"

Liam pressed his lips into hers gently, as though she would become more inclined to oblige him. Truthfully, she was immediately disoriented and captivated by the current streaming down her stomach and beyond, gripping his forearm tightly. Leisurely, he kissed down her chin and her throat as if trying to memorize her skin. 

She groaned in frustration and it vibrated against his lips. "You followed me here, didn't you? You don't trust me. Admit it."

His rumble was more of an unwillingness to follow her blatant order than of an admittance of guilt. He held either side of her face and brought his gaze up to level with hers. He exhaled through his nose, his eyes narrowed. 

"That's what I thought," she muttered.

"Well?" Liam was an impatient and tempermental man. "I asked you a question."

"You caaaaan't be asking me on a date," she grumbled.

"Why not? We are mates. I have given you a month to pick your time just as you have promised to give me and my pack a chance. What is stopping you from eating a simple meal with me. Hmm? Whatever you want," he said, inhaling. 

"Just for kicks and giggles...what if I say no?"

"I will put you over my shoulder and take you to the restaurant of your choice. If you don't tell me where you want to go, I will select the nearest establishment," he answered stonily and deadly serious.

Seren couldn't stop the laugh that burst from her, but ended it with a sigh and a shake of her head. "You don't know the first thing about dating, do you?"

Those piercing eyes narrowed even further. "And you would?"

She had been on a few dates with humans, just to get pizza or walk through the park. It had never been serious, but she would never tell him that. Watching him get all puffed up was too funny. She shrugged nonchalantly, keeping an eye on that twitching jaw muscle. 

Seren opened her mouth to say something snarky when a loud howl from her stomach stopped her short and set her face on fire. A slow grin crept up the sides of his face, pure mirth. His long arm stretched out and scooped up the pile of dresses on the bench and he was out the door before she could stop him. 

"Wait! I haven't decided!"

"I'm getting all of them. You can decide later, but I know which one you will be wearing," he muttered.

"Oh, no," she growled, stomping after him and waggling a finger at his back as he approached the sales counter. "You DO NOT get to tell me what I can and cannot wear!"

Liam stopped abruptly, making Seren skid to a halt to avoid running into him, and slowly turned his head just enough so that one eye could see her. "Oh, really?"

"Well...yeah!"

"Then, instead of telling you what shows too much of what is mine, I'll just dress you myself," he said darkly. He continued to march to the front of the store and Seren ran after him, latching onto his giant bicep with both hands.

"Stop! I would never let you do that to me. I said stop you possessive pri-"

He shifted the outfits onto one forearm at the same time as he tore his muscles from her grip and used that hand to grasp her wrist firmly. "Seren," he growled, plopping the load of clothes down onto the counter and nodding for the cashier to begin ringing it all up.

"What?! Wait, stop, I cannot afford all of this!"L

Liam tossed his credit card onto the pile, pinching the bridge of his nose after. "You don't have to. I'm buying it," he sighed.

"You aren't dressing me!"

He growled again and struck her with his blue flames for eyes- she knew what was going to happen. "You will not say another word until we leave this store," he commanded.

Seren's mouth opened in disbelief and she felt the rage flushing acrossed her face. She tried to swear at him, but all that came out was an angry groan. She then attempted to tear her arm away from his giant hand that had octopus-ed itself to her wrist, but it was like she was chained to a post- a big stupid post that was trying to control her life in every way. 

And she got angrier. When we get out of here, I'm giving him the worst and most filthiest bitch out ever. I hope his ears bleed from it. Then, I will so kick his ass. Then, I will pants him and when he tries to run, I'll hit him in his stupid nuts and he can just waddle himself straight home. I HATE ALPHAS!

Liam sighed boredly, watching her flailing her arm around like it was made of rubber, though it was clear she was going nowhere. "I can hear you," he said aloud. The cashier looked at them both like they were insane, but because she was a werewolf, continued to hurriedly bag up the merchandise. 

Seren squinted her eyes hatefully at him, promising him a slow and painful death once they left. He paid with a swift swipe of the card, such a small act in exchange for a load of plastic bags that were easily scooped up in one giant hand, the other dutifully dragging his small mate out of the shop.

The second her foot hit the pavement outside, Seren started shouting. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU USED YOUR ALPHA COMMAND ON ME TO MAKE ME BE QUIET! I KNEW YOU WOULD PULL THIS SHI-"

"Seren," he sighed, opening the trunk of the SUV he must have driven that was parked on the street and tossing the bags in- all one handed. "I'm not going to let go until you calm down and behave."

"Behave!? BEHAVE!? I. AM. NOT. GOING TO BE SOME COMPLACENT LITTLE HOUSEWI- HOUSEMATE...HOUSEWOLF THAT DOES WHATEVER YOU WANT!!!! If I want to open my mouth and yell at you, I will! LET GO! I'm going to f-"

Liam roughly tugged her towards him, grabbing her free arm and hauled her into his chest, putting his mouth against hers. The waves of tingling pleasure rocketed through her skull, both silencing and stunning her. Her shoulders drooped, her muscles went slack and then he finally gave her back both of her arms. 

She inhaled weakly, about to start right back up again, if not a little bit more subdued this time, but Kate suddenly rushed up.  "Hey! I didn't know you guys had left. What were you yelling about?"

Seren realized that she was, in fact, in public and had been screaming quite loudly. Perhaps Liam had actually been trying to save both of them a bit of embarassment by telling her to shut her big mouth- not that she would ever admit that of course. She glanced at the towering male sheepishly. "It was a misunderstanding," Seren muttered. 

"Oh, alright!" Kate chirped. 

"Seren and I are going to go get lunch. Would you care to joi-"

Kate gasped. "Oh my gosh. You...you guys are going on a date! I...uh...I totally forgot that I promised Mayline I would help her set up for the party! Got to go!" She finished, practically yelling. 

Seren opened her mouth to stop her, but Liam nudged her closer with one hand, grinning as she sprinted away like her butt was on fire. She slowly tipped her head up to look at the smug man and sighed. "Well? What are you looking at?"

With a deep, and undeniably sexy chuckle, Liam thrust his hands into his pockets and spun, striding off down the sidewalk, Seren trotting behind at his heels. He led her to a very small and quaint little pub- not dark and dingy like most, stained with cigarette smoke and the scent of a thousand spilled beers- but cheerily lit with old fashioned lanterns and touched with curling wrought iron decorations. 

The hostess ogled at Liam for a moment before quickly leading them to a small booth near the back, apparently the alpha's regular table. Seren could easily picture him sulking back there with a pitcher of beer. After taking their drinks, she departed reluctantly, leaving Liam's chilly eyes to find their way back to the small female sitting across from him and to watch her readjust herself in her seat as his emotions spilled through the mate bond. 

She hid herself behind her menu until his long fingers pushed it down. "No, no," he said. "You are too beautiful to be doing that."

Her face became as hot as the fire burning in the hearth not too far away. "I need to ask you something," she said, forcing her voice to sound confident. 

His eyes sparkled, daring her to ask something that would cause the calm waters to become turbulent, but otherwise did not smile or give her a go ahead.

Taking a deep breath, she looked right at him, to best tell if he was lying. "Why did you make the...uh...deadline on the full moon?"

Liam leaned back and assessed her cooly. 

"The full moon makes us all crazy," she said quietly. "I don't understand."

"It is when our other side becomes strongest, our instincts more primal. With as strong as our connection is already, I did not think that I would be able to control myself when that night comes and I still do not. That is why I hoped you would choose a day before then. But, if not, that will be the night that you will not be able to resist me. Deep down, as much as you don't want to admit it, there is a part of you that wants to be Marked as much as I want to Mark you."

Seren gulped, watching him carefully. Yes, deep down, she knew he was totally right. There was a safety and a security that would come with a mark, not to mention that stomach flipping feeling of knowing that he was totally hers. No hostesses would gawk at him them. 

"Do you guys know what you want to eat?" Speak of the devil.

"Erm...I'll...uh..." Seren glanced down at the menu. "Lasagna. Sure. Lasagna."

"I'll have the herb rubbed steak. Rare, please. Rice for the side," he told her without so much as glancing at her.

Dissapointed, she disappeared with their menus. Neither spoke until their food had been brought out and they were half way through it. 

"So there is really no other alternat-"

"No," he said, cutting into the meat effortlessly. 

That small whirring picked up in her chest- both excitement and fear. "What about if we made a deal?"

"Seren," he said, his voice low, carefully setting down his silverware and folding his hands on the table. His eyes were slightly luminescent, warning her. "I have told you that enough is enough. This is long overdue when I wanted it done the night I first had you at the pack house. I've been very patient, more so than I have really been able to stand, but I am trying to do what is best for you. Now, no more of this. You decide the time, or wait until there will no longer be a decision to make. You. Are. Mine," he ended with a growl.

Her heart went into overtime, but she tried not to let it show, by picking at the remainder of her salad. She felt the sparks before the pressure of his fingers on her chin tilted her face up to meet his eyes, immersing her in the burning intensity of them. "You will like it," he murmured, almost purred, in that deep and rumbling voice. "Being mine."

Her breath caught in her throat as she watched his gaze fall to her lips before she mimicked him. The air grew thick between them, hazy, heavy. 

"Are you ready for your- Oops! I'm sorry!" The waitress seemed quite flustered about intruding on their moment. 

Seren pulled away and began shredding her napkin, feeling her face heat again as Liam straightened with an irritated sigh. "Yes, Lynn, we are ready for the check," he bit out.

Seren waited awkwardly while he paid in cash and denied any change, before meekly following him out. The ride back was silent and tense, so much so, that Seren was sinking deeper and deeper into her seat to avoid the awkwardness in the air. It was more that Liam was tired of being interrupted and also