Seth was the one who decided I shouldn't spend the night. I was more than ready, but he told me he had to get up for work early in the morning and that he was afraid we wouldn't get any sleep if I stayed. He was probably right. I've just woken up and am still in my bed when I stretch my arms out over my head as I yawn. A big grin covers my face as I think about what my sexy werebear did to my body last night. I don't think I could ever get enough of that.

"You awake?" asks Sammy as she pushes her way into my room. She rushes over to my closet wearing a pair of dress slacks and a bra. "Where's your white shirt with the three-quarter sleeves and French cuffs?"

"Uh…" I sit up, and the pain from my frown reminds me of the huge goose egg on my forehead. "Ow. It's on the right."

"Got it." A hanger rattles as she yanks it off and turns to look at me. "You got in—oh my god! What happened?"

I give her a wry smile. "Seth and I bumped heads."

"Jeez. What does he look like?" Her face drops as she buttons the shirt. "Oh no, you didn't give him a black eye with your magic like that rugby player? What was his name? Dumb? Dumber?"

"Dirk." I chuckle because he was not the brightest bulb in the pack. We only went out twice because on our second date, when we were making out in his car, I managed to elbow him hard in the groin. When he got mad because of the pain, so did I, and my magic exploded out of me in a fireball that hit him hard enough to give him a black eye. And it singed his eyebrow too. You'd think for a rugby player he'd have been okay with the pain and temporary disfigurement, but I guess his ego couldn't take the hit. He couldn't get over how I burned his eyebrow off. "Thanks for reminding me. I'd almost forgotten."

She chuckles as she tucks the shirt into her pants. "Hey, his loss. Did you have a good time with Seth last night?"

A silly grin covers my face as I hug my knees. "Yup."

"Awww. It's so nice to see you happy, Nina." She leans in close and scowls as she checks out my bump. "Ouch." Sammy steps back and straightens up as she lets out a rush of air. "So? Do I look professional and commanding?"

I take in her tall, slender frame and dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. "Very. But I think first graders just like nice."

"Good point." She gives me a sly smile. "This is for the hot principal."

I laugh. "Got it. Have a good day."

"Thanks," she calls out as she breezes through the door.

I climb out of bed to start my day. I have a little Bichon named Jack to deal with this morning. The poor guy is terrified of pretty much everything and bites anyone who comes near him except his owner and me.

Coffee dribbles into a pot as I grab bread to make toast. I think about how I can communicate telepathically with Seth and probably all werebear if I want to. It's still just as terrifying to me as it was last night, because I imagine it makes me a powerful asset for a clan… one that they'll likely want to use to their advantage. Typically, it's just the alpha who can talk to their clan telepathically, and I know the ability doesn't span across all clans other than their own. But I bet mine can.

My toast pops up, and it's hot on my fingers when I grab it to drop on a plate. I'm going to have to talk to Sammy and Elise about this because I think my power is something I should be careful to protect. I take my breakfast to the table and let my thoughts turn to the dog I have to work with this morning. As I eat, my phone rings, and when I see it's Sammy, I answer with a mouthful of food. "Hey."

"Please tell me you're still home."

"Yes. What's up?"

"I forgot an important folder. Do you see it on the counter?"

I get up and find one. "Blue?"

"Yes." She lets out a sigh of relief. "Any chance you could drop it by the school on your way to work?"

"Sure. I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

"Thanks, Nina. You're saving my life."

"You got it," I say as I get up and put my plate in the sink. I rush through the rest of my morning routine so that I have time to bring Sammy her folder, and I'm out the door ahead of schedule.

I pull into the elementary school, which is on the way to my client's house, and when I get out of my car, I take a moment to look at the playground. It occurs to me that I could have children on those swings someday, and it makes my heart fill with joy.

After I get buzzed into the building, I walk over to speak to the woman behind a partition of clear glass. I recognize her right away. "Nancy! Hi."

"My gosh. Nina." She turns to another woman. "Cheryl, this is the girl who turned Pixie into the sweetest dog ever."

Cheryl smiles at me. "She talks about you a lot."

Nancy asks, "So how can I help you?"

"I'm here to drop something off for Sammy Newton. She's working in the first-grade testing today."

"Your roommate. I met her this morning, and she's a lovely girl. You can go peek in on the children if you'd like. The classroom is down on the right past the kindergarten. Room 103."

Considering I can't get the idea of having kids off my mind, I say, "Sure."

I make my way down the hall. The walls are covered with artwork in bright colors, and the floor shines, making it feel like a happy place. When I get to the kindergarten door, which is clearly marked as such, I pause to look inside. Kids are sitting on the floor in a circle as a large man holds up a book to show them pictures. Something about him… he turns just enough I can see his profile. Oh my god. It's Seth! My jaw drops.

I stand for a moment as I wonder if he's substituting. He did say that he worked at the school. But how does he do this and work as a warrior too? I shake off my shock because I remember Sammy needs her folder, and I continue on to the first-grade classroom. When I knock on the door, the teacher sees me and comes over to let me in. The children are all sitting at their desks but turn around to watch what's going on.

"I'm Sammy's roommate and here to give this to her," I say as I hold out the folder.

"I'll make sure she gets it," the woman says as she takes it from me. When I leave, I walk slowly and stop again at the door to Seth's classroom. He's still reading the kids a book, and his animated movements make me smile. The children are focused on him, and they all look so sweet. I notice Stuart too. Seth must do this often.

I continue on, and when I get back to where Nancy is, I decide to ask her about Seth.

"Find everything okay?" she asks when she sees me.

"I did." I step closer to the window. "Is Seth Brewster a substitute here?"

"Seth? Goodness no. He's the kindergarten teacher. Do you know him?"

I nod.

Nancy says, "Then I'm sure you can imagine how amazing he is with the children. Some teachers are truly gifted, and we're lucky to have him."

Did he lie to me? I step back to leave. When Nancy gives me a strange look, I say, "I'm late," and rush out of the building. My chest tightens as I struggle to breathe when I jog to my car. I'm so distraught that when I pull out of the parking lot, a horn blares, and I realize I didn't even look to see if cars were coming. I wave my hand as an apology to the driver I just cut off and try to focus on driving.

I take a deep breath and grip the wheel so hard my knuckles turn white. I'm not an expert on warriors, but I know that it's a serious job and not something you can do part-time. There's no way Seth could be both a teacher and a warrior, which means he definitely lied to me. I shake my head at myself, because the first thing I need to do is get to my appointment without causing an accident. And Jack, the bichon, deserves my complete attention when I get there. I need to put this situation in perspective.

"Okay." I let out a rush of air as I slow down to pull into my client's driveway. I'm making the assumption Seth, the man who is supposed to be my soul mate, lied to me and it's for a terrible reason. But maybe there's a really good reason why he did. So even though the knot in my stomach makes it hard for me to believe that's true, I know I shouldn't jump to any conclusions until he has a chance to explain. At least that's what I tell myself as I put on my game face and get out of my car to go deal with an anxious dog.