Library. Coffee. A date.

The only reason why Seth decided to address Luciano by his title was to annoy him. Of course, since he pointed out that she should know her place, she had to point out that he stood higher than she did.

Well, for as far Luciano knew. Seth had no intention of spilling the beans and telling the man who she was or point out that she held the same title as he did.

Plus, his reaction to her sudden change of behavior was simply priceless; Seth would repeat it over and over again if only she got to see the same facial expression.

She thought about heading back to her cabin, but she didn't feel like staying around there. The weird experience, lucid dreams, and overall feeling in that place didn't seem like something she needed now.

Perhaps, if she found any guard about to leave his daily duties, she might talk someone into taking her to the city. Seth didn’t want to approach the Council and ask for where she could find her car and the old bastards were probably too busy to be bothered by her.

Besides, it was about the time to cash out the checks - Seth wouldn't risk keeping them hidden. Of course, it would assure her that the pieces of paper wouldn't go missing, but she didn't trust the Council as much - it was easier to get her money and hide it. Risking getting into an argument with any Council member and getting the checks annulled wasn't part of her plan.

Seth walked back to the main buildings, silently singing a song from her childhood to distract herself. Within a few minutes, Seth reached the cabin and quickly dropped her bag off.

She grabbed her purse, the checks and headed out on the mission. Surprisingly enough, a guard stood by the cabin, offering her a ride to the city.

“Like a gift from the Goddess herself,” Seth giggled, gladly taking the kind offer.

She felt a little suspicious about why the guard appeared as soon as she thought about looking for one, but he answered the question before Seth asked it. “I was sent by the Council to give the weekly check and take Miss to the city if needed. A few members noticed that you hadn't had any time to get your money, so it's my task to make sure you do. Shall we?” The guard smiled and gestured towards his car, inviting Seth to follow him.

She had forgotten how polite some men could be. The guard opened and closed the car door for her, getting into the driver's seat only after Seth was done settling in.

During the drive, they had a small talk about things such as his family and experience so far working under the Council. The male took her to the local bank, parked in front of it, and patiently sat in the car until she left it.

He offered her a ride back to the territory, but Seth decided to explore the city a little. She handed the guard a couple of bills and thanked him for his kindness. The man refused her money until Seth suggested he could buy a couple of new toys for his kids.

She watched how the guard drove away, a smile appearing on her lips - at times, Seth fantasized about how her life would be if she had children of her own.

She decided to head to the local library - a good book might take her mind off the weird things that have been happening. Especially the issue with her greedy father. Seth had to ask around for directions, but she felt rather proud of herself after finding the place faster than she thought.

To her surprise, the library was nearly empty. Aside from the librarian and a figure in the furthest corner, there was no one. The middle-aged woman working there was kind enough to lead Seth to the section of her interest, leaving soon after.

If there was a heaven on the face of the Earth - it had to be this library.

Seth took a few photos of the books that had caught her interest. As she was about to put those back, a hand landed on her shoulder. She nearly screamed out, startled by the stranger suddenly approaching her.

“Holy shit, didn't your mom tell you not to sneak up on strangers?” Seth angrily whispered to the male, turning around to face him. She was taken aback by the reaction - a warm smile spread on his lips.

“Didn't your mom tell you that taking photos in the library is forbidden?” The stranger replied smugly.

Seth bit onto her lower lip, wondering if the male was worth being honored by another answer. She took a deep breath and whispered: “Nope, died before she could teach me such things.” As the words left her lips, Seth turned around, slid the book back in its place between the others, and attempted to escape him.

“Shit, sorry, I didn't know. I didn't intend to come across as an asshole; please let me redeem the mistake. Anything you would want.” The stranger sounded genuinely upset. Under any other circumstances, she would flip him off and leave, but since she met the man in the library - he instantly fell under the category of men Seth had never hung around. She smiled and nodded her head, mouthing “coffee.”

They left the library hand in hand, without knowing each other's names or simple facts. He led her to a small cafe right around the corner - it had comfortable looking separate booths, providing everyone a sense of privacy.

Once they sat down, a waitress approached them, asking what the duo would like to order.

“I'm Ryder; nice to meet you, creepy library girl,” the male chuckled and offered Seth a handshake as soon as their waitress left.

His words nearly made her burst out in laughter. No man before had ever acted so freely around her, let alone called her creepy. Seth smiled at his remark, shook his hand, and returned the favor. “Nice to meet you, library guard. My name is Seth.”

The conversation didn't continue much since their waitress returned with two cups of steaming coffee. Once the woman left again, they could enjoy some time in privacy and get to know each other.

Seth noticed that he was a werewolf as soon as their eyes met in the library, but there was more to that. He, the same as any other man around her, was an Alpha. Deep down, she hoped to meet a warrior or Beta for a change.

The constant company of Alphas was suffocating her, making her feel as if her freedom was limited.

“So, what brings a little creep such as yourself to this God forgotten city?” Ryder chuckled, stirring his coffee, eyes set on the spoon. Perhaps it was paranoia in Seth, but she felt as if he avoided her gaze intentionally.

All she could do was silently hope that Luciano's scent wasn't lingering all around her - making others think that she might be claimed.

“I could ask the same, but I'd replace little with massive. I'm working near the city, and decided to use the weekend for something more productive than hiding away. Everyone needs brain food from time to time, but you're pretty aware of that. Let me take a wild guess and say that you're here for the Alpha games.” Seth took a sip of coffee and closed her eyes in delight.

“That is correct. My uncle is the current King; thanks to that, I didn't need to attend the games for the first few steps. I will join the competition starting next week. Are you one of the staff there? I don't believe I've seen you around here before, not that cats come here often, but still.” Unlike any other Alpha, Ryder didn't seem ashamed of speaking the truth.

If any other man faced Seth now, he would lie about having outstanding skills and skipping the rounds because of them. Ryder was like an open book - speaking the truth without second-guessing the decision.

“Yeah, you could say so. I am working in the Council territory if that's the main question. Anyway, why don't we drop the boring work topic and speak about something else? We're two strangers, sitting in a cozy cafe, sipping coffee - this is an experience to enjoy,” Seth smiled at him.

It was a weird feeling to face him - whenever Ryder's eyes met hers, she felt how blush crept on her cheeks, and an awkward smile spread on her lips. He managed to make Seth feel like a schoolgirl, entirely unaware of the world out there.

“Sounds amazing. Is there anything in particular that you would like to hold a conversation about, or could we talk about nothing and everything at the same time? You know, we could get some coffee to go and head to the park; it's breathtaking at this hour,” Ryder glanced at his wristwatch.

His voice became a little high-pitched, making him sound like an excited child. Now, Seth knew that this Alpha loved books, small cafes, and parks. The man was so approachable; it made her wonder if he was real or just another product of her imagination.

“I would gladly take a walk around the park; the only places I have been to thus far have been the club, bank, and library.” Seth quickly stood up and grabbed her purse, eager to leave the cafe.

She did enjoy the calm feeling indoors, especially in such a hidden place, but she wanted to see as much as she could.

As a true gentleman Ryder paid their bill, left a tip for their waitress, and opened the door for Seth. The Alpha held her by the hand as they walked down the street, laughing at a couple of jokes he cracked.

Seth felt like her life turned into a fairytale as soon as Ryder approached her in the library. Men didn't tend to be as kind and generous as he was, mostly because Alphas had a social image to maintain at all costs. And technically a relative of a King, Ryder could have been a prince. There, a whole book-worthy scenario.

“Were the photos such an issue?” Seth blurted out the question without thinking. She didn't expect him to understand what she meant since even she, herself, couldn't fully get the thought behind it.

“You mean the ones you took at the library?” Ryder chuckled.

“Yeah, those,” Seth blushed, averting her gaze.

The only thought running through her mind was how she managed to embarrass herself once again. At times, she wished for nothing more than having a filter for her mouth.

It was better to think before speaking her mind, but Seth was who she was - a woman who was way too outspoken for her own good.

“Well, they do have a no photos policy, but no one follows that. The librarian doesn't care since most of the time she's alone there. You could see one or two people walking in there occasionally. People around here aren't the biggest book fans. Would you expect something different from a town filled with shifters? Even though that policy isn't important - it was a great reason to use it when I approached you. I thought you were pretty and wanted to invite you for a cup of coffee. I guess it worked since I'm the one who's holding you by the hand now.” Ryder squeezed her hand gently and stopped by a small gate.

He opened it and invited Seth to get inside. She understood why he mentioned that he hadn't seen her around - only a local would know their way around the city as well.

Ryder motioned towards a bench not so far from them. For a while, both sat in silence, watching their surroundings. “You're right; the view is breathtaking,” Seth whispered, afraid to be too loud. She felt as if speaking loudly might ruin the moment both shared.

“Indeed, it is,” Ryder agreed with her, but unlike her - his eyes were focused on Seth. While she admired the lake's view, the Alpha admired the view right next to him.

Seth didn't speak, avoiding asking awkward questions about why he would stare at her so intensely.

Ryder wondered what was so special about the woman sitting next to him. It has been years since the last time a woman could catch his interest without doing a thing. Perhaps it was the fact that she was the forbidden fruit - an absolutely stunning woman from a species that wasn't his own. Maybe, the faint scent of another Alpha awakened the interest.

Women didn't walk around the streets, surrounded by the scent of a high-rank wolf, without a mark on their necks. Ryder assumed that her beauty wasn't the only thing that made him want to stay as close as possible.

Another Alpha stood close by Seth - he could use the chance to join a competition of his own. Of course, becoming the next King would be a big deal, but who was a King without a Queen by his side?

His eyes traveled over her form once again. Ryder sat a little closer to Seth and took her hand in his. “Would you like to repeat this? I don't mean running into each other in the library and ending up by going for a walk. I would like to take you out on a date. Would you agree to take the risk and join this hopeless bookworm for dinner?” Ryder chuckled, his words amused even him.

Usually, he didn't have a problem approaching women and asking them out, but this was the first time he tried to ask a cat.

“Don't you think it sounds kind of silly? An Alpha, asking out a cat?” Seth didn't try to look at Ryder.

He was quite lovely, polite, and very much a gentleman, but she had a problem with Alphas already. Her life turned upside down - from avoiding them at all costs to sleeping with them, and now, getting asked out on dates. Could her life become any weirder than it was?

“Yeah, why not? You seem to be a wonderful woman; I don't think that I need to point out how drop-dead gorgeous you are. I was an ass back in the library, yet you gave me a chance to fix that. It proved how amazing of a person you are, and I would love to get to know you better. You don't have to sleep with me unless you suddenly find yourself falling madly in love with this Alpha,” Ryder tried to joke around to ease the tension between them.

Seth kept quiet for a while, but the Alpha didn't pressure her to answer right away. Ryder knew that she needed some time to make a decision. It had to be quite surprising for her - meeting a man and suddenly getting asked out by the arrogant bastard.

Such things happened in books and movies, not in real life. Finally, she cleared her throat, and her lips parted.

“I-”

“I dare you to fucking agree going out with him. I fucking dare you!”