by JJ King
“I see the way you and Bash are around each other,” Rory said in a small voice. She didn’t look at me when she spoke and, instead, focused on peeling off the remains of her navy-blue nail polish. “Even with the shit between you two since the Connor fiasco, there’s still a bond between you that anyone with half a brain can see.”
“It’s the mate bond,” I said, wondering where she was going with this.
“Exactly. It’s something real and,” she chewed on her lip, “not measurable, but perceivable.” Rory lifted her gaze and I saw deep grief and confusion in her dark eyes. “Darius and I,” she swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. A tear leaked from the inner corner and traced down her cheek. “He’s not my mate, Elena.”
I shook my head immediately. “No, Rory, you can’t judge your relationship on mine and Bash’s. Besides,” I quickly did the math in my head, “our bond didn’t even solidify until we were together almost six months. It’s different for everyone. Even Katherine told me that she and Quinn didn’t bond right away and they’re the epitome of relationship goals.”
Rory wiped her face with the back of her hand and sniffed. “It’s not the same. I don’t know how to explain it, I just know. I’m in love with Darius, but it’s never going to happen for us. He’s not my mate.”
My heart sunk for her as memories of love without that all-important bond resurfaced for the millionth time lately. I’d loved Connor with the innocence that you only give a first love and he’d crushed me. If it weren’t for this soul-deep mysterious bond between Bash and I, I didn’t know if I’d be able to love him with the same abandon.
Even before the bond had somehow magically become this tangible thing between us, I’d known. A part of my soul had leaped from me and into him the moment we’d crashed into one another outside the auditorium on my first day at AWA. I’d looked into his emerald eyes and had sunk.
I didn’t know what to say to help Rory through this. I’d questioned the reality of soulmates my entire life until I’d literally bumped headfirst into mine, but I knew she’d always believed. Her parents were soulmates and there was no way she’d settle for anything less.
I knew now was not the time to tell her about the new layer of connection between me and Bash. It would only make this worse. So, I did the only thing I knew how to do and crawled into the chair with her.
“You’re a giant,” Rory mumbled as I settled in beside her, smushing her for a moment.
“You love it,” I said with a grin and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. I’d never truly been a girly girl, but I’d sat with Sara and Bethany through more than one dramatic heart break and they’d helped me through mine. Just being there for her and listening would help the most.
She curled into me once I’d folded my long legs into the chair. “I’ve been waiting and praying for something to shift between us, but it hasn’t happened. I love him, I adore him, but there’s something missing. I can feel it in here,” she touched her chest and rubbed. “Like an emptiness.”
I nodded slowly and measured my response, not wanting to say the wrong thing. If she decided to stay with Darius, even without the bond, and I said something negative about him, she’d always remember that.
“What do you want to do?” I asked, figuring simple questions were safe.
Rory sighed and it rolled through her like a wave of grief. I felt it as surely as I felt her petite frame nestled up against me. “I’ve been going over it again and again, and I think,” her voice broke on a sob, “I think we need to break up.”
My eyebrows lifted in surprise and shame. She’d been dealing with this while I was off on spring vacation, and I’d had no idea. I bit down on my lip and ignored the guilt building in my chest. This was about her feelings, not mine. Still, I needed her to know I was sorry. “I’m so sorry you had to go through this alone. I’ve been caught up in my head and should have realized you were going through something.”
She shifted her head and smiled up at me. “I kept it pretty close to the chest but it’s just getting too big to ignore anymore. I can barely sleep. I just don’t think it’s fair, to him or me, to stay together when we’re not fated.” She squeezed her eyes shut again and looked away.
“Oh, Rory,” I pulled her in closer and hugged tightly until she wheezed for breath and struggled to be let free. I didn’t let her free. Instead, I pressed a loud kiss to the top of her head. “I’m here, all the time, and I love you.” The words of friendship that I’d only ever said to Sara and Bethany flowed straight from my heart. They felt right. I might not have known Rory from birth, but she was as much a part of my heart as my family and best friends.
Her lips quirked and her eyelids lifted to reveal dark eyes shiny with tears. “I love you, too, weirdo,” she murmured then rested her head in the crook of my arm and sighed. “I don’t think I should go to the party. I’m a mess and need to talk to Darius before I can show my face.”
“Is he going to be there?” I asked.
“No, he’s still not back from his parent’s place.”
I rubbed her arm and shifted my body until I got enough traction to pull myself out of the chair. When I reached back and pulled Rory to her feet, she grumbled, “What are you doing?”
“I’m getting you dressed and ready for the party,” I said with a grin. Before she could flop back in the chair, I placed the blue pants and white shirt in her arms and pointed to the bathroom. “Go. Get ready and have a fun night with me, no boys, no expectations, no heartbreak. Let’s drink and dance until we’re exhausted and come back here to eat Cheetos and pass out.”
She stared blankly at me for a moment before the corners of her mouth quirked up and a familiar light lit her dark eyes. “Yeah,” she nodded and bounced a little, grinning now. I could still see the strain of emotion hiding just behind the light, but it was dimmer now. “That sounds perfect.” Rory threw her arms around me and squeezed then disappeared into the bathroom humming a top forty song about feeling good as hell.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up my phone to text Bash. After our little sexually charged interlude earlier, we were both looking forward to spending the night together. But, as much as I wanted to rip his clothes off with my teeth and bite him all over his delectable body, my girl needed me, and raging hormones could wait. We had the rest of our lives together, after all. My fingers flew across the keys.
Hey, so Rory’s in a bit of a funk and needs a girl’s night tonight. Party’s still on but she’s my date. Think you’ll recover from the shock and loss?
I grinned as I hit send and he started typing back immediately.
If my balls get any bluer, they’re going to fall off and then where will we be? The fate of our future children depends on what you do next.
I snorted as amused tears wet my eyes and my heart stretched a fraction more for my mate. Then his words sunk in and a wave of warmth flowed over me. Our future children. I typed my response quickly.
Consider tonight a lesson in tantric foreplay, then. Pain is pleasure, or so I’ve heard.
I pressed my legs together and thought about his hands on me earlier, his mouth pressed between my thighs. “Fuck,” I murmured to myself, wondering if I’d be able to make it through the party.
What about bros before hos? :(
My laughter echoed through the room, startlingly loud. Rory pulled the bathroom door open and stuck her head out. “You say something?”
“No, just laughing at something Bash texted.” I eyed her smokey liner and nodded in approval. “Love the eyes.”
Rory beamed and went back to getting ready. I turned back to my sexy text wars.
Sorry. Tonight, it’s sisters before misters. And if Rory finds out you called her a ho, she’s going to destroy you. Xoxo
I hit send just as the bathroom door opened again and Rory darted out to root through her closet. “I’m not in the mood for that outfit,” she mumbled, pushing hangers aside. With a triumphant cheer, she pulled something
long and black from her closet and disappeared back into the bathroom, calling over her shoulder, “I won’t be much longer.”
It had been a good idea, girl’s night, even if it meant I was left with an uncomfortable pressure between my legs and Bash’s balls were as blue as my eyes.
The bathroom door opened slowly, and Rory stepped out, shocking every uncomfortable thought out of my mind and leaving me gaping. She grinned at my expression and did a full turn with hands on hips to give me the full effect.
She wore a black one piece that was tight on her petite frame, highlighting every curve she had to perfection. The halter top was barely there in the front, cutting deep between her breasts, almost to her navel, and non-existent in the back. As I sat, stunned, and wondering if I could pull off something like that, she bent and pulled on black wedge booties that finished the look to perfection.
When she looked up, Rory’s eyes were lit with fire and a determination I hadn’t seen in a while. Her lips turned up in a saucy grin that made me laugh.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Let’s go get into trouble.”
Chapter 4
“I might die from frostbite tonight, but at least I’ll look good when I meet the Old Ones,” Rory said with a happy grin as we picked our way through the forest surrounding Alpha Wolf Academy.
The moon was just a sliver in the night sky, giving the shadows around us an ominous depth. Our lupine eyes saw more than a human could, but that darkness was so nearly complete that it made me a little antsy. I glanced nervously at the long shadows and saw Viktor behind every tree.
“So, I never asked since I was kind of wrapped up in my own misery,” Rory reached out a hand and touched my arm. “Did you and Bash get a chance to talk yet?”
I pulled my attention back from the spooky forest and blinked. I’d been complaining to her just last night that Bash had been avoiding me for too long and that I would track him down and force him to talk today if I had to sit on him. It felt like a lifetime had passed since Bash and I had touched one another’s minds, but it had been just a few hours ago.
The silence stretched out between us until it became too obvious to ignore. “Why are you being weird?” Rory asked with furrowed brows.
“It’s my turn,” I mumbled, not really wanting to tell her in case it ruined her good mood but not wanting to lie, either.
She chuckled. “Touché, asshole. Now tell me what’s up.”
She was a bossy little wench, I thought. Good thing I loved her.
“We talked this morning.” I started the confession slowly, working up to the real news. Part of me wanted to hold it back, not for Rory, but because it was so special, so new, that I wanted to hold it like a promise, close to my heart for just Bash and I. But she was my girl, so I spilled the beans. “It wasn’t going well, at first. Bash was upset that I didn’t tell him about me and Connor, and he’s totally right to be mad,” I said in a rush when Rory opened her mouth to comment. I knew she was of the opinion that I’d made a giant oops in that situation.
She snapped her mouth shut and just kept walking. Since I knew she was dying to ask me what happened, I finished the story.
“I was trying to push my emotions into him, to share how sorry I am and how afraid, and then,” I smiled remembering it and ran a hand through my hair. “Then he heard my thoughts.”
“Huh?” Rory came to an abrupt stop and tugged my arm until I turned to face her in the dim light. Her eyes, always wide, were wider than usual and as dark as the shadows that still concerned me. “What do you mean? Like, heard you, heard you?”
I nodded, still not sure my brain fully accepted what had happened. My heart did, though, I realized, and so did my soul. It had practically leaped when I’d heard his whispered question in my mind.
“Yeah, I heard his thoughts and he heard mine.” I arched an eyebrow and grinned wickedly. “His thoughts are disgusting, by the way.”
Rory’s arms wrapped around me a second later and squeezed the air from my lungs. “I’ve heard of that happening, but I’ve never known anyone who had it. I’m so fucking happy for you guys.” She buried her face in my jacket and just held me for a long moment. I wondered if it was to hide tears and give herself a moment.
I gave her the time she needed then turned away and kept walking, figuring if she was tearing up, I would just make it worse by noticing.
“I’ve decided to use this new power to bring Sebastian Reeves to his knees, of course,” I said glibly, waving a hand in the air as if he were just one boy toy of many.
“Of course,” Rory agreed, catching up to me. “He might have his own tricks, though. So, you better watch out.”
I thought of the pressure between my legs that hadn’t quite gone away since this morning and sighed. “Old Ones, I hope so.”
I could hear the music now, blasting from speakers to fill the surrounding woods with sexy, casual, cheer. The students at AWA held regular parties in the same clearing for the same occasions for as long as anyone could remember. The staff ignored the gatherings. We were all over twenty, after all. Wolves started school later than humans. We took extra years at home with family to learn our place in the pack.
Fairy lights had been strung around the clearing and were hooked up to a generator that sat tucked into the trees, barely making a sound. A makeshift bar was set up at one end of what would be a meadow once the grass started growing again. It was stocked with every kind of alcohol known to man, only high end, of course. Several kegs had been tapped already and were in full swing. It was amazing what you could do when your family had endless amounts of money and influence. I had no first-hand knowledge of such behavior.
I felt Bash before I saw him. His thoughts and emotions were like a warm embrace at the back of my mind, teasing me into turning to catch his gaze. His smile was knowing and a little frustrated, which made me bite back a laugh.
I’ll agree to play fair if you do, too. I murmured through our bond.
He nodded, just the barest movement of his head, never moving his gaze from mine. The light of the bonfire flashed in his eyes, making the emerald green dance. My heart swelled with love for him, so thick and heavy it ached.
He swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment as a rush of emotion took him over. I love you. He thought the words and felt them, and the enormity of it was staggering.
“Drinks!” Rory reached out and grabbed my hand without looking and dragged me toward the bar and away from Bash. He shot me a half grin and a shrug and turned back to his friends.
Rory’s hips swayed as she mixed two white Russians, heavy on the Russian, light on the white. I eyed the cup for a moment and told myself it wasn’t going to attack. Not all Russians were bad. I had to come to terms with that if I was ever going to vie for my rightful place in the Russian pack.
It was sweet with the sting of vodka and I drank it quickly under Rory’s watchful eye. There was no point sipping booze as wolves, our metabolisms were too quick, even at our age, to allow us to get drunk on limited alcohol. I’d rarely been truly drunk in my twenty-two years, but I was primed to get there tonight. With a grin, I finished my drink and slammed the plastic cup down on the bar top.
“Another, bar wench!” I demanded with a laugh.
“I’ll bar wench you,” Rory replied. She danced her fingers over various bottles of liquor and stopped on a short rounded bottle.
“No.” I stepped back, eyes wide and hands help up.
“Yes.” Rory nabbed the bottle of Patrón and two shot glasses, then darted away without looking to see if I was following. I did, swaying my own hips to the music pouring out of the speakers.
By my sixth shot, I felt pretty good. Whenever I moved my head quickly, the world seemed to blur in a magical way. I dipped my head and closed my eyes, undulating my body to the beat of the latest hits.
“We need to go to Greece!” Rory said with a giggle. “I want to lie in the sun.” She leaned forward and whispered, �
��nude.”
Her eyes were soft and so pretty, I thought as I shook my head and gripped her arm. “No.” I shook my head, liking the way it made me float. “We can’t leave, or you know who will find me and…” I lifted my thumb to my neck and mimed slitting my throat.
“Shhh,” Rory pressed a finger to her lips and leaned so close I felt her lips on my ear. “Voldemort might hear you.”
We burst into giggles. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged, feeling overcome with love for her. “I love you, do you know that?” I asked, slurring my words.
She nodded, eyes wide. “I do. I feel it in here.” She pointed to her boob.
“Das your boob,” I said chuckling. “I like your boobs, too.”
“Awww,” she said, nodding as if I’d said something wise, which I was pretty sure was true. “Thank you. You have great boobs, too.” She reached out and cupped my breast. “They’re so perky.” She smiled crookedly and grabbed her own chest. “Mine are too small.”
I shook my head adamantly. “That’s not true at all. Your boobs are perfect. Aren’t her boobs perfect?” I asked a guy I kind of recognized who just happened to be walking.
He grinned enthusiastically and said, “Yeah, they are!” making Rory turn bright pink. When the guy stumbled as he turned away, we burst into teary laughter and clutched at each other’s arms for support.
“Old Ones,” Rory held up the near empty bottle of tequila. “I think I’m drunk.” She frowned and looked around the clearing then nodded. “Yup, I’m drunk! Are you drunk, too?” She stared at me as if she’d be able to tell just by looking.
I nodded slowly, suddenly not liking the way my head felt when I moved. “I’m spinning,” I murmured as I searched out the solid trunk of the tree we were sitting on. I set my feet firmly on the ground and held onto the rough bark and felt the world right itself. “I might need to stop for a bit.”
“Pfft!” Rory made a dismissive gesture and stood up. She swayed for a moment before extending a hand. “Come on. Time to dance!”
