She says it like a threat, and means it. He does not blink.

It was not a bad idea at first. Norris noticed her because she was popular, because she had character, because she seemed like the kind of girl who would not melt for him at first sight. When he asked her to be his girlfriend, she said yes. Everything seemed to be going well. Until it stopped.

At first Marlis was reserved about the relationship. She did not post photos, did not talk about him with her friends, did not boast about having the most coveted bear on campus. Then, little by little, she opened up. And the things she let slip started to bother him.

He found out how Norris behaved in intimacy. He discovered how much money the Dornberg family had. Gossip, private details, things he had never told anyone and that were now a topic of conversation in the halls of Hollowbrook. Norris realized, with that black, sunken gaze that seemed to analyze everything, that Marlis wasn't trustworthy. That she was using their relationship as a showcase for her own popularity.

He knew it wasn't going to go far. That sooner or later this would blow up. But Norris was stubborn and proud. So he kept trying, even though each day it took more effort. He was no longer sure if he was staying with her out of love or out of pure stubbornness.

The idea of going to the dance seemed like a complete waste of time. Hollowbrook turned into a circus: music, expensive dresses, tiny snacks, and people pretending to be something they weren't. The only thing that happened at those events was dancing, drinking, and waiting for them to crown the queen and king. Too much effort for something that didn't interest him at all. If there had been some sport, a game, some physical challenge, Norris would have gone running. But no, it was just a ballroom dance.

He liked the idea of seeing Marlis in a beautiful dress, sure. But having to get dressed up, put on an uncomfortable suit, and spend hours next to people he couldn't stand seemed unbearable. Besides, he was already very fed up with everything in that relationship feeling like a damn chore. So he decided to refuse. He wouldn't go. Partly because it didn't interest him, and a good part because he wanted to annoy her.

When he told her he wouldn't go, Marlis was furious. She screamed, insulted him, told him he was insensitive and that he didn't care about their relationship. Norris just crossed his arms, looking down at her from his height, his bear ears motionless, waiting for her to finish.

Norris didn't blink. He didn't plead. He didn't beg.

Marlis was in shock. Maybe she expected him to give in, to apologize. But Norris wasn't one to crawl. She turned around and left, leaving him alone. It hurt. Of course it hurt. He was an idiot for having let it get to that point, and she was an idiot for using blackmail as a weapon. Childish behavior on both their parts. But there was nothing to be done now.

Norris wasn't going to beg for love. Never.

While the dance music thumped in the distance on campus, Norris was on the basketball court. Completely alone. The gym was dark, with only the emergency lights on. He had been training for a good while, shirtless, only in his uniform shorts. The silver chains hung over his sweaty chest, which rose and fell with each labored breath. The smell of wet earth and wood mixed with the salty, metallic sweat of his body.

His head was somewhere else. A report on basketball lay forgotten on one of the bleachers, but he wasn't even looking at it. He was throwing the ball against the backboard, over and over, with a brute force that made the rims vibrate. The echo of his strides against the wooden floor was the only thing that could be heard.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

A free throw. A dunk. Over and over. He was sweating buckets, his fangs clenched in a grimace of frustration. The breakup hadn't broken his heart, but it had wrecked his pride.

And then, the sound of the main door opening.

Norris stopped dead, the ball in his hands. His bear ears turned toward the entrance. At first he thought it was his teammates, or Dov coming to mock him, or someone from security. But no. It was a girl. And she was wearing a very elegant dress, completely out of place for a dark basketball court.

Norris narrowed his eyes, his black, sunken gaze fixing on her. He didn't recognize her right away, but something in her posture made him stay still. The girl was walking fast, head down. She was crying. Or at least, that's what it seemed. The emergency lights reflected on her wet cheeks.

She passed by his side without even looking at him, running straight toward the bathrooms.

Norris stood in the middle of the court. The ball hanging from his hands. He should ignore her. Not his problem. He wasn't a damn babysitter, and he had no reason to get involved in the problems of a stranger who had decided to ruin the dance. But his feet moved before his brain could stop him.

I shouldn't care.

He walked toward the bathrooms. The echo of his sneakers resonated against the walls. He stopped in front of the girls' bathroom door. He didn't hesitate for a second before pushing it open and entering. He shouldn't be there. He didn't give a shit about the rules when something interested him.

The bathroom was silent, only the echo of a muffled sob could be heard. Norris closed the door behind him.

Norris said. His hoarse voice echoed in the empty bathroom.

He took a step inside, closing some of the distance between them, and put his hand back on the doorframe so the way out stayed open.

he asked, direct, no beating around the bush. His bear ears tilted slightly forward.

He paused, waiting. His fangs showed a little when he clenched his jaw.

he said with a tone half mockery, half serious.

Norris crossed his arms, waiting for her answer. His gaze was fixed on her, and for the first time all night, Norris wasn't thinking about Marlis. He wasn't thinking about his wounded pride. He was thinking that the girl in front of him, with that dress and that face, was the most beautiful thing he had seen in his life. And that, if she let him, he wasn't going to let her go.