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When I stepped out of the hotel bathroom, Jasmine was busy packing her beach bag, muttering to herself as she stuffed things inside—sunscreen, beach towels, books, snacks. Treyvon and Aaliyah were in charge of the pails, shovels, and other beach stuff. I grabbed my towel, slinging it over my shoulder. Jasmine gave me a once-over, her eyes lingering before she said, "Oh, you're wearing a bikini?"
I shrugged. "Why not?"
She leaned against the bed, eyeing me with a playful smirk. "You just don't seem like the bikini type."
I raised an eyebrow. "And what type do I look like?"
"My type." She winked at me.
I laughed, louder than I meant to. But when I glanced back, Jasmine wasn't laughing with me. She was dead serious. I faked a cough, trying to play it off. "You're hilarious. Now grab your bag. Treyvon and Aaliyah are waiting."
By the time we got down to the lobby, Treyvon and Aaliyah were slouched in the chairs. Treyvon sat with his legs sprawled, glued to his phone, probably in the middle of some game. When Jasmine's friend noticed us, she stood up, throwing us an exaggerated look. "Finally, you hoes show up."
"Okay girl, me and Dominic were having a moment," Jasmine said.
"What kind of moment?" Aaliyah asked standing up.
"There was no damn moment. Don't listen to your friend." I said. "Let's hit the beach for all the good spots are taken."
The girls walked ahead, while Treyvon and I trailed a few steps behind them. He threw an arm over my shoulder, pulling me into his side as we fell into step together. The rhythm of our flip-flops mixed with the distant sound of crashing waves and the girls' laughter. We weren't far from the beach now.
"You should invite Jasmine to the Moon Goddess Festival," Treyvon said casually. "I'm taking Aaliyah."
I hesitated. "I don't know, man. I'm not ready to bring Jasmine into that part of my life yet."
"How long you gonna wait?"
"Long enough," I muttered. "It's just... I'm scared."
Treyvon stopped walking, so I slowed down too, turning to face him. "Being scared is a part of life, Dominic. But you don't wanna let that stop you from bringing your mate into the important parts of your life. It's not long 'til you take over as Alpha, and you're gonna want your mate by your side, especially since she's our future Luna."
His words hit hard, but it wasn't easy. Telling Jasmine I'm a wolf-shifter—that I'm not just the girl she's been spending time with. It could go either way. She could handle it, or she could freak out, like her friend did when Treyvon told Aaliyah. But deep down, I didn't want to pull Jasmine into this part of my life, fearing it might be too much for her.
