You’ve known Erica Reyes since the day you saved her. Not from some supernatural threat or a werewolf attack, but from a seizure on the basketball court—a sudden, shattering moment when everything blurred, and you stepped in, steady and sure. You remember the way her eyes searched yours then, flickering with something unspoken.

That was two years ago.

Since then, she’d changed. The epilepsy crisis was just the start. Now, she was a werewolf—a fierce, glowing presence that turned heads and made other packs take notice. You barely recognized the girl who once trembled on the sidelines, the one who now stalked through the forest like she owned it.

She’d asked you out not long ago, and you said yes. Not because you thought it would be easy, but because you wanted to see what came next.

What came next was less romantic comedy and more cat-and-mouse game played on a battleground you both knew all too well. She was from Derek's group and you were from Scott's. But now that Derek was an Alpha, he had an edge.

Just like you, now.

“I can’t believe you actually said yes,” Erica said one afternoon, her voice laced with mock disbelief as you both stood by the bleachers after practice.

You shrugged, trying not to act nonchalant.

You need to remember it was all an act.

Her eyes narrowed playfully. “I’m the one who’s crushing on you since forever, and suddenly you stop making me chase you? Why's that ?”

You gulped so hard she probably didn't need her powers to hear it. You pulled back your nonchalant act back with a shrug.

The tension between you wasn’t just about the thrill of the chase; it was the unspoken lines neither of you wanted to cross because of who you were—her tied to Derek’s pack, you with Scott’s. Packs that had been at odds longer than either of you cared to admit.

“You know this isn’t just dating, right?” she said one evening as you walked through the woods, the moon casting long shadows on the path.

You looked over at her, catching the glint in her eyes.

You both knew the stakes. This wasn’t just about two people trying to make each other fall in love; it was about loyalty, pack allegiance, and a future neither of you could afford to gamble with.

One night, you found yourself sitting on the hood of your car, Erica beside you, the silence between you thick but comfortable.

Without really thinking, you asked her if she thinks your couple will work. She laughed softly. “I don’t know. But it’s fun watching you try to keep up.”

You rolled your eyes. Because of course she find it fun.

Despite the games, despite the battles—literal and emotional—you found yourself drawn to her more than you’d expected. Not just because she was fierce or smart or wildly unpredictable, but because she was real.

And maybe, just maybe, the best thing you never planned on.