The silence stretched for several heartbeats.
Then Raphaël nodded slowly, his gray eyes warm with approval.
"Do it," he said simply. "Take her on the date. Plan it properly. Show her what it feels like to be pursued by someone who sees her value."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"And if you need anything, money-wise, I can help. I am more than financially secure. The years in Europe were good to my investments and my salary. Whatever you need to make this date special, consider it covered."
Cal blinked. "Seriously? You would just... give us money? Why? What do you get out of it?"
Raphaël's expression shifted into something patient, the look of someone explaining a concept that should be obvious but apparently needs articulation.
"Being a pack does not mean every action has to benefit you directly. You do things for your packmates because their happiness matters. Because when one person thrives, the entire dynamic improves."
He gestured toward me.
"If Etienne is satisfied and thriving, if he feels confident and fulfilled in his personal life, he will perform better on the ice. His focus will be sharper. His confidence will carry into his game. The team benefits from his wellbeing, which means everyone benefits."
His gaze moved to an invisible point in the middle distance, thoughtful.
"Same with Mae Rose. If she is thriving, if she feels valued and supported, she will get to discover more of herself. The figure skating she is clearly passionate about. The academic pursuits she is working toward. The person she might become if someone gives her the space and resources to grow."
Finally, he looked at Cal.
"And maybe you will start to be more independent. Realize that you have far more to offer than you give yourself credit for. Stop hiding in the shadows of leaders when you have the potential to lead yourself."
Cal said nothing for a long moment.
Then he nodded slowly, something shifting behind his amber eyes.
"Take her on the date," Raphaël concluded, returning his attention to me. "Let us take this dating thing seriously and see how it develops. If it works out, then we have helped build something meaningful. If it does not, we have not lost anything, and we will make sure Mae Rose finds a pack that is truly deserving of her."
The agreement settled between us like a pact, unspoken but binding.
I nodded, my chest lighter than it had been in weeks.
"Friday," I confirmed. "I will plan everything and ask her on Friday."
The bell rings.
The sound shatters my memory like glass, pulling me back to the present moment with jarring abruptness. Around me, students are rising from their seats, gathering notebooks and laptops, conversations starting to buzz as the lecture hall empties.
Friday is here.
Mae is still seated beside me, tucking her pen into her bag with the focused precision of someone whose mind is alreadymoving to the next task. She does not look nervous. Does not look like she is anticipating anything unusual about this afternoon. Why would she? As far as she knows, this is just another day with an unexpectedly free schedule.
I rise from my seat, slinging my bag over my shoulder, and turn to face her.
"Mae."
She looks up, hazel eyes meeting mine with the easy warmth that I have started to crave like oxygen.
"Hey, what's up?" She finishes zipping her bag and stands, slinging it over her shoulder. "Crazy that we get the whole afternoon off. I was going to see if Sage and them wanted to hang out, but I never got a text back or anything. Maybe they are busy, or maybe my phone is struggling with signal again because it is held together by spite and hope at this point."
She smiles, self-deprecating, and the expression does something complicated to my chest.
"Why?" she asks, tilting her head. "Did you have something in mind?"
