Viviana's POV

"The place is for you. You'll need a place—a home—to stay until you go off to college."

For the entire afternoon, Nolan's gentle blue eyes and his softly spoken words lingered in my mind, playing over and over like a melody I couldn't silence.

My job wasn't particularly complicated—mostly proofreading documents for collaborative projects between the wolf packs. But my lack of experience meant I made more than a few mistakes.

By the time my shift ended, Nolan had stood by my desk, his expression tinged with a resigned sort of helplessness.

"Come on," he said. "I'll take you to see your new place."

I followed him out of the office building, my heart lifting with anticipation.

But my good mood didn't last long. It shattered the moment I saw her—Jane.

She was leaning casually against Nolan's motorcycle, her fingers idly tapping the pink helmet—the very one I had worn that morning.

Her hair had been freshly styled, soft and voluminous. Her eyes were different from this morning. Darker, deeper. Probably her wolf's influence seeping through.

"Hey! I've been waiting for you," she called as soon as she caught sight of us.

Her dark green eyes brightened, softening to a lighter shade as she waved—though the gesture was clearly aimed at Nolan, not me.

Only afterward did she seem to notice my presence. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I thought you'd already gone home," she said.

I wasn't naive. I could recognize insincerity when I heard it.

Just as I disliked her, it was obvious she harbored no fondness for me, either.

"Lan, you promised me you'd come to my birthday party tonight," Jane cooed, effortlessly redirecting the conversation in a way that placed her squarely in the center of it.

She clung to his arm like a koala to a tree and shook it. That was when I swore I saw the barest twitch at the corner of his expression, like an involuntary grimace. I wondered if I was seeing things.

Then, something she said clicked.

Birthday party. Tonight.

It turned out that we shared the same birthday.

"Well, congratulations. Happy birthday," I offered, forcing a smile that felt painfully tight. The muscles in my face strained as though every part of me resisted the movement.

Jane, however, responded with a disturbingly radiant grin. "Thank you. I hope your birthday is filled with just as many blessings as mine."

Her every word felt like a deliberate jab, though I had no proof.

Nolan hadn't shaken her off. Despite the awkwardness, despite everything, two unbearable minutes had passed, and he still hadn't shrugged her away.

"Viviana." Just as my rage was about to hit max capacity, Nolan's voice cut through. "Put this on. We're leaving."

"Don't be late! I'll be waiting for you!" Jane called after us as I reluctantly strapped the black helmet on, her laughter ringing loud and clear behind us.

I hated helmets. It didn't matter if it was pink or black—I loathed them all.

***

"Turn off your phone tonight. If you're bored, just watch some TV. But don't go outside."

I nodded mutely, but my gaze was busy scanning the small villa in front of me, holding me momentarily speechless.

I hadn't anticipated this—not at all. I had no idea Vino Designs' employee benefits were so extravagant. This wasn't just a dormitory. It was an entire standalone villa, compact and elegant, with a convenient location to boot. Just a twenty-minute commute to our office.

It couldn't be more convenient to go anywhere.

Nolan had clearly intended to drop me off and leave, but before he could, I blocked his path, stepping directly in front of the motorcycle.

"I didn't bring anything with me, Nolan," I said, my toe idly tracing circles on the ground. "And I didn't bring a wallet, either."

That wasn't the full truth. My wallet was in the left pocket of my jeans—and though it didn't contain much, it was enough to cover three days' worth of living expenses. But I wasn't about to cut my time with Nolan short.

Nolan stayed quiet for a few seconds and swung his left leg off the motorcycle in one smooth motion.

He had long legs—watching him dismount was like watching some kind of action-movie slow-mo. Especially when his hair, that perfect mid-length mess, flew back from his forehead like a shampoo commercial.

"I remember seeing a store just ahead," Nolan said. "Go in and get what you need. Just start with the basics."

For a second, I thought he meant for me to go alone. But then he locked the motorcycle in place, right there on the lawn in front of the villa where I was supposed to stay.

Before I could even process it, he turned back to me, his blue eyes narrowed in mild confusion.

"What? Do you dislike stores?" he asked, pausing briefly before adding, "If you're thinking of a shopping mall, that's in the opposite direction. It'll take more time. But if that's what you prefer—"

I realized he'd misunderstood me. "Just regular stores are fine," I cut in quickly. "I actually love browsing small shops."

The shop wasn't far—just a ten-minute walk from the villa.

I shifted from Nolan's side to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him as we stepped through the store's automatic doors together.

Nolan handled the shopping cart while I tossed stuff in—we moved in sync like some kind of well-oiled machine. For a second, I let myself imagine if my wildest wish came true, would this be our everyday? Just us, laughing over groceries, acting like some cute couple who actually belonged to each other.

Two men smoking cigarettes walked toward us, and before I could react, Nolan wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close to his side.

I only needed to tilt my head up to brush his chin. Suddenly impulsive, I spoke—my voice came out rough, raw.

"Nolan, why don't we—"

But before I could finish saying "live together," his stubbled chin dipped suddenly, brushing against my forehead in a feather-light graze. The words caught in my throat and died there.