Love Bites:Guide to Dating a vampire and werewolf

Caleb's Struggles.

Caleb Wolfe leaned back in his office chair, rubbing his tired eyes as the computer screen's glow began to blur. Another late night in the office, with the hum of fluorescent lights overhead doing little to soothe his nerves. His desk was a mess, cluttered with reports, sticky notes, and half-empty coffee cups—evidence of how much he had on his plate.

He glanced at his phone sitting next to his keyboard. The screen was dark, but looking at it filled him with guilt. He should've called Lila.

It had been over twenty-four hours since her graduation, and he still hadn't done what any decent boyfriend would have—congratulate her properly. He hadn't been there to celebrate, hadn't seen the proud smile that surely lit up her face when she walked across that stage. Worse, he hadn't even sent her a follow-up text to check in.She deserved so much more.

Caleb ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. He hated himself for letting work take over his life, but he couldn't stop now. Not when he was so close to achieving the career stability he'd been working toward for years. Every late night, every canceled date, every missed call—it was all for a reason.

For her. For them.At least, that's what he told himself.

"Call her," he muttered under his breath, picking up the phone. His thumb hovered over her name in his contacts. He could already picture her face when she saw his name light up on her screen. She'd probably answer with that half-annoyed, half-sarcastic tone she used when she was mad at him but trying not to show it.

And honestly? She had every right to be mad.

He sighed and set the phone back down. Not because he didn't want to call her—he needed to. But the words he wanted to say were all tangled up inside him, and he didn't know how to explain himself in a way that made sense.

The truth was, Caleb was afraid. Not of her, but of what she didn't know about him. Of what she might think if she found out.

Because he wasn't just another overachieving boyfriend working late nights to build a future. He was something else entirely.

A werewolf.

And not just any werewolf. Caleb wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it from her—the fact that she wasn't just his girlfriend. She was his mate.

That word carried so much weight in his world. Mates weren't just partners; they were soul-bound, connected on a level that defied explanation. From the moment he'd met her, something inside him had recognized her as his. It was why he'd fallen so hard, so fast.

But she didn't know.

And how could she? Caleb had spent his entire life hiding what he was, blending in, pretending to be normal. For the most part, he was good at it. His strength, his heightened senses, his ability to heal quickly—he'd learned to keep it all under wraps.

But Lila made that harder. She made him want to be honest, to let her see every part of him.

And that was terrifying.

The thought of her rejecting him,walking away because she couldn't accept what he was,made him scared. How could he tell her the truth when he didn't know if she would leave him?

Caleb leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. His head ached from the constant push and pull between his work responsibilities and his desire to be with her. He loved her. He loved her so much it sometimes scared him, and yet here he was, letting his job get in the way of what really mattered.

His phone buzzed suddenly, jolting him out of his thoughts. He grabbed it, his heart skipping a beat as he saw her name flash across the screen. But it wasn't a call,it was a text.

Lila: Hey. Hope you're okay. Guessing you're busy. Just wanted to say I missed you today.

Caleb stared at the message, his chest tightening. She didn't even sound mad. If anything, she sounded… resigned. And that was worse.

He typed out a quick reply:

Caleb: I miss you too. I'll call you soon, I promise.

It felt hollow, even as he hit send. He wanted to say more. To tell her how much she meant to him, how everything he was doing was for her—for their future. But as the words formed in his mind, his office door creaked open, and he turned to see his boss standing there, a thick file in hand.

"Wolfe," Mr. Connors said, not even bothering with a greeting. "I need you to go over this before tomorrow morning. The numbers for the Dalverton project aren't adding up, and we need it ready for the board presentation."

Caleb clenched his jaw, fighting back a wave of frustration. He nodded. "Got it."

Connors dropped the file on the desk and left without another word, leaving Caleb staring at the pile of work that only seemed to grow with each passing hour.

He picked up his phone again, his finger hovering over the call button. He could still call her. Just a quick minute to hear her voice, to remind her that he cared. But the weight of the file on his desk was a reminder of everything he had to get done and he knew immediately he heard her voice he wouldn't be able to get any work done and he might not even be able to restrain himself from packing up to run to her.

"This is for her," he muttered to himself, setting the phone down. "She'll understand."

He hoped she would, anyway.

Caleb opened the file and forced himself to focus, but his thoughts kept wandering back to her. To the way she laughed, the way she crinkled her nose when she was annoyed, the way she always seemed to know exactly how to make him feel grounded, even when his world felt like it was spinning out of control.

She was his anchor. His mate.

And yet, he couldn't shake the fear that he was failing her.

What if all the late nights and missed moments weren't enough? What if, by the time he finally had the courage to tell her the truth, she wasn't there to hear it?

Caleb clenched his fists, the edges of his claws pressing lightly against his palms. He took a deep breath, forcing the shift back, but the tension in his chest didn't ease.

 ran a hand through his hair, his frustration mounting. This wasn't working. He couldn't keep going like this—balancing work, his secret, and the relationship that meant everything to him.

Grabbing his keys, Caleb headed to the cabinet in the corner of the room. He opened it and pulled out a small, locked box. Inside was a silver bracelet—a gift he'd had made for Lila months ago. It wasn't just any bracelet. It was enchanted, a token from his world, meant to protect her and mark her as part of his pack.

He'd planned to give it to her the night he told her the truth. But every time he thought about it, fear held him back.

Now, as he held the bracelet in his hand, he felt a renewed sense of determination. He couldn't keep running from this. Lila deserved to know the truth—not just about him, but about how much she meant to him.

Sliding the bracelet back into the box, he locked it and tucked it into his bag. He didn't have a plan yet, but he knew one thing for sure: he couldn't keep living like this.

The weight of his secret had been crushing him for years, but it wasn't just his burden anymore. If he wanted a real future with Lila, he had to trust her with the truth.

And he had to hope she wouldn't walk away when she heard it.

As Caleb left the office, stepping into the cool night air, he felt a flicker of hope. It wasn't much, but it was enough to remind him why he was fighting so hard—for her, for them, for the life they could build together.

Tomorrow, he would call her. Tomorrow, he would take the first step toward being honest.

Because if there was one thing he knew with absolute certainty, it was this that Lila Collin was his future. And he would do whatever it took to keep her.

He loved her more than anything, but love wasn't always enough. And the sooner he found the courage to face his fears both at work and with her,the better for him.He knew he'd keep walking this tightrope, hoping he didn't fall until he was honest with her.