The next day I could tell Elise still didn't want me going out with another guy as she voiced her opinion in class.

"Mariah are you sure you want to go through with this." She asked as we walked to our third afternoon class.

"Look I already told you, Jon said that Patrick was cool with us going out tonight." I said.

Mariah shook her head, "it just doesn't make sense, you're his mate."

"Ugh please stop." I sounded frustrated "I know I'm still new to this whole Werewolf lifestyle, but honestly Elise, how can someone claim that I'm his everything and then turn around and just hand me off to another guy?"

"That's what doesn't make sense...Weres, especially Males...they just don't just hand off their mates to another guy willingly."

I shook my head, "even if he hadn't done that, how do you explain his actions...I mean after you had slipped up back in Cali." I said cautiously, "you were torn up about it until you came back and you worked things out with Vance...well Patrick's messed around over and over again with random girls and it doesn't even seem like it phases him...like, well, what if he only thought I was his mate, is there a chance he could've been wrong about it?"

She pulled her eyebrows together, "I don't think so, but to be honest Mariah I don't know everything there is to know about our people."

I nodded, it was understandable.

"But seriously, what makes someone a mate in the first place?"

"I-it's hard to explain...like for us, we feel things more than a humans in general." She said before emphasizing what she meant. "Y'all are happy we are elated, y'all are mad we're furious, when we love we love deeply, but not nearly as deeply as when we find our mates because when it comes to our mates...well, basically our mates are our whole world."

It always sounded so romantic when Ellie spoke about how magical mates were.

"Our mates are our hearts, we do everything we can to protect them, because when they hurt, we hurt in return. Their happiness is our happiness, mates are two people that sort of become one...when you find your mate, well for me at least, when Vance was around everything seems perfect... every touch was damn near magic."

"And it's not like that anymore?" I asked confused.

The night after Ellie and Vance's Rehearsal dinner, despite Harper taking me home I had seen and heard enough to know that they had gotten their wolves back...something that Ellie herself had confirmed for me the next day.

I knew she was so thankful to get her wolf back and she told me how she and Vance were still trying to figure out if their old wolves had come back fully, and if they'd stay or if they would have adverse effects from whatever poison they were exposed to when they were taken.

"Well as you know after that night when Vance and I got into the car accident those same sensations came back and more as we know what it's like to lose that...we don't ever want to take for granted something so special ever again."

"Well then you'd think Patrick would want the same thing...I know for me every time he's around me despite my trying to bury my feelings for him deep down to forget about him, I can't help but feel weirdly antsy and excited and if he gets super close I can almost feel those electrical tingles like I had when we were on the road together." I admitted then sighed, "which makes what he's still doing all the worse."

"Hmmm, I hadn't realized your Mates pull was as strong as I originally anticipated."

"What's that suppose to mean?" I asked confused now.

"Well remember how I explained the mates pull to you as an invisible rope, and everything you two do together strengthens that rope...It's just, well I originally imagined your rope with Patrick as more of a strand of twine or something...because you had met each other and he'd acknowledged you were his mate."

I nodded along.

"But it makes sense it would be a thicker or stronger rope as you both didn't just talk, you began opening up to one another, bonding...and obviously there was a physical connection as you know about the tingles."

I blushed now, "Well hugs and hand holding...as unfathomable as it may seem given his currently man-whore ways, he was always a gentlman with me."

Ellie smiled and nodded, "Weres respect their mate...which brings me back to my main point, it doesn't make any sense he'd let another guy take you out...I mean you told me he stalked you down for talking to a guy in class."

I knew she was right, and to be honest something felt off but I sighed, "It's just one date...a friendly outing if you will."

"Just be careful please." She said. "...As charming as Jon is, don't get too drawn in...remember he is a Were so he has a mate somewhere out there."She sighed, "this whole thing gives me a headache...what if, what if he genuinely does want to be with you...but maybe he doesn't think he deserves you."

"He doesn't." I said, I knew it sounded conceited but he doesn't deserve even the attention I'm giving him. Too bad I couldn't help but think about him constantly.

For the briefest moment she looked like she wanted to say something but didn't.

"Whatever...I'm so sick of overthinking things, Patrick has clearly moved on and I'm going to do the same thing...and before you say anothing about dating other guys, I'm not...rightnow I just want to survive my first year of college" I said before my emotions got the better of me. "As for tonight I just want to go out and have fun."

"Look at the end of the day I can't tell you what to do Ry, just be careful okay, I understand that you just want a 'normal' relationship but I can assure you that if you go out with Jon, or Patrick, or any Were... you're only welcoming more drama into your life."

We attended our last class together and the hour flew by and soon I found myself back at home standing right in front of my closet trying to figure out what I should wear.

I need an outfit that looks nice, but one that doesn't say I'm trying too hard to look good, but also something that isn't too low key and casual...I mean Jon seems cool, but like I told Ellie, I just want a fun night out with and I'd laid everything out with Jon too so he shouldn't read too much into tonight.

I gave up searching for just a moment and decided to do my hair and makeup.

Afterward I ended up just putting on whatever was most comfortable as I had made it more than clear to Jon that we were just hanging out as friends tonight...so no need to go all out and try to impress him.

I carefully sprayed perfume on myself just as my cellphone began to ring, of course it was Jon saying he was outside.

I collected my purse and happily left the house, once outside Jon greeted me with a full one dimpled smile and opened the passenger side door for me.

"You ready to have some fun?" He asked playfully.

"Fun is EXACTLY what I need right now...so I'm leaving my fun in your hands tonight Jonny."

"I think I can manage that" he agreed and soon he drove off.

I had to admit that I was a little nervous, and strangely I found that I didn't quite know how to act around him, I mean sure he's just a guy...but most guys I dated always went out with me with one goal in mind...not that I gave in, suffice it to say I haven't had sex since meeting Patrick.

Maybe if I took a page out of his book and just screwed someone I could get over him easier.

"You cool Mariah?" Jon asked picking up on my silence.

I smiled and nodded, "Just thinking about a bunch of B.S...but I don't want to think about that tonight."

He nodded and drove on.

It didn't take us long to pull up to the party and it was already in full swing.

Everyone seemed to be having a great time as people laughed and talked, drank and danced.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Jon asked.

I shook my head, "I'm not much of a drinker." I admitted.

Every since coming back from California I had stopped drinking...in truth I knew I was using alcohol as a crutch...it's sort of help me dull the pain of being away from both Patrick and my Mom.

But with mom gone I knew she wouldn't be proud to know I'd been turning myself into an alcoholic instead of facing my problems.

"I can respect that, I'll find something for you." He sounded before politely excusing himself from my side.

I was standing there and slightly moving along with the music when the feeling of someone looking at me hit me... I ignored it as best as I could as I closed my eyes and dance to the music playing.

Not long after, that familiar feeling of anxious giddiness crept forward and as I turned I found the source.

I found myself mere inches away from Patrick.

He looked down at me and smirked, "hey there Duchess."