by Leigh, Ellis
Oh. Teacher-student role play. I could be down for that. “I’m sorry, professor. I couldn’t stand the thought of someone else’s hands being where they shouldn’t.”
“She’s just a student.”
“Then what am I?”
“You’re my little fox.” He tugged me close, his hands coming to grip my ass. “I’ve missed you so much, Misty. More than you know.”
If only that were true. It wasn’t, though—he wouldn’t miss a research partner like he would a mate. Still, the thought was nice. I pushed aside all the feelings of what I was missing out on, shoved them into the farthest, darkest closet in my mind to deal with later. Research time, sexy time. I needed to sink into the moment, so I sank to my knees.
“Come on, teach. Let me show you how much I want to earn that A grade on my research project. I’m a diligent student and quite detailed with my experiments.” I looked up at him, grinning, holding on to his cock as he stared down at me with fire burning behind those blue eyes. “You can spank me if I didn’t take thorough enough notes from our last lecture, professor.”
10
Misty
Waking up with Clark after a night of naughtiness should have been sweet. It should have brought me comfort. Instead, all I got was pain. Not physical pain, but emotional. My heart ached, and even my fox’s hopeful chattering wasn’t enough to stop it. I had thought I could stay casual, teach him about mates and mating, keep the relationship physical. I had thought I had it in me to deny the mating pull. I was wrong. So very wrong. The need to complete the bond, to let him bite me and to link us together forever, was too strong to resist. Doing so made me ache in ways I never had before. Made me want things I could never have.
It didn’t help that the man was so sweet at times. Attentive. Sure, our first meeting had been a train wreck, but since then? He’d been caring and concerned. He’d been attentive. He’d even bought a few bottles of a wine I’d mentioned I liked to have on hand for me to drink. The man didn’t drink, so that was all for my benefit. That’s not something you do for a research subject, not that I’d ever been one before. Still, it seemed too far over the line of casual. His sweet words, his gentle hands, the wine, the laughs—too much. It was all too much—exactly what I’d always wanted and nothing that I could really have. The bastard had teased me with perfection but wouldn’t give it to me. I was his research subject. Nothing more.
It was time for me to escape.
While Clark slept, I slipped out of bed, quickly picking up my clothes and tugging them back on. I had no intention of stopping once I got on the road to Kinship Cove, so no one would see my walk of shame. They wouldn’t notice my leftover eye makeup or the mussed hair that told the story of Clark’s hands tugging, pulling, and fisting the long strands. No one would see any of that—just my car speeding away from the college and back to the safety of the cove. A fox alone once more.
A quick glance around the room to make sure I hadn’t left anything behind, and I was ready to go.
“Where are you going?”
Busted.
I turned, taking in the sight before me. Clark, completely rumpled and groggy, slowly sitting up on the bed with the sheet around his waist. So hot, this man. Why couldn’t he be the least bit unattractive? That might make things easier.
Okay, fine. Nothing would make this easier. “I need to go home.”
He frowned. “Why?”
Might as well be honest. “I can’t do this research project anymore.”
His brow tightened, and he reached to put on his glasses as if he needed to see what I was saying. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s too hard, Clark. My feelings are too hard to control.”
“Misty, I—”
I shushed him, needing him to stop talking. Needing him to go back to sleep so I could leave without feeling as if my heart were being ripped from my chest. “I get it. You don’t want a mate in the true sense of the word. I do, though—so just being your research subject won’t work for me. I thought it would, but I was so very wrong about that. I can’t bond with you physically and hold back the emotional tie. I’m just not strong enough to do that.” I took a breath, backing toward the door as I straightened my shoulders. Time to rip that bandage off. “It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll figure out some sort of arrangement that keeps our beasts sane and our lives separate. I’m sure somewhere there are others who have been in this same situation. Not all matings end up with two people in love forever, you know? We’ll research that—how they handled it. How often they had to meet. We’ll make this arrangement more…contractual. No extras, no emotions.”
I couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t bear to see whatever expression was on his face. Disappointment? Irritation? Anger? Nothing? The options were endlessly awful. I grabbed my bag, rushing for the door, every second spent with him as he sat and said nothing digging a bigger hole in my heart.
He’s not stopping you.
And he wouldn’t. I knew that because I was just a research subject. I might disappoint the student within him, but I wouldn’t be doing much to the man. A fact that half killed me. Humiliation burned in my veins as I headed through the bedroom and into the living area. Clark had taken me back to his apartment just off campus—a cute place with lots of comfy furniture and books and cozy nooks. A place I never wanted to be in again.
Not long now. Just one more door. I can do this. I can—
“Hey,” Clark said from behind me. “Wait for a minute.”
I yanked the front door open, unable to follow his command. Knowing if I stopped, I’d stay. And I’d hurt more when I finally left Clark’s research facility. “Can’t. I’m late already. I’ll see you around, teach.”
“Misty, wait—”
But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I may have been an idiot about how I’d handled this whole thing, but I refused to stand there and give him time to tell me how he wanted to keep up with the research. How he’d never give me more, but he would give me this. This wasn’t ever going to be enough, and the longer I waited to put my detachment plan into motion, the harder it would be to complete. Let him deal with his need for knowledge elsewhere. I was done.
* * *
Clark
Stunned stupid.
For the first time in my life, I finally understood such a statement. I’d been stunned stupid by Misty’s sudden need to escape. Unable to find the words to get her to pause or to calm the situation. I’d woken up in the middle of a fire and had thrown gasoline on it instead of water with my inability to speak. See? Stupid.
I might not have been able to think of what words to say to Misty to calm her down, I still might not know them when I saw her again, but I could at least try. And that was what I was going to do—try. As soon as I caught up with her. Because biweekly wasn’t going to be enough. Waiting two more weeks to see her wouldn’t be enough. Nothing would ever be enough when it came to that woman.
I drove over the mountain road linking the college town to Kinship Cove, speeding through curves and over rises at a pace far too fast for the conditions. It would be worth it, though. She’d gotten a bit of a head start on me, but I’d track her down. Catch up with her. I had to. I needed to find her. Needed to tell her that the research project was off. I was an ignorant asshole for even suggesting such a thing and had no qualms about admitting my mistake. I wanted my mate. Not to research, but to love. To take care of. To bond with. I wanted Misty, and I’d do anything to make her want me too. She was perfect for me. I could try to be perfect for her—starting with telling her how much I didn’t deserve her.
As soon as I rolled into Kinship Cove, I headed for the bakery. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed as if she might be there. I felt a tug in that direction as well, my wolf guiding me that way. I’d trust his guidance at this point—he definitely knew more than I did.
Sadly, when I walked inside, it wasn’t Misty at the counter. It was the one sister—Ginger—and her dragon shifter mate.
And th
ey were obviously not happy with me.
I couldn’t blame them, but I also couldn’t take the time to explain. “I need to find Misty.”
Ginger huffed a snort that was a clear fuck off, wiping down the counter as if the world weren’t ending right there in front of her. My world—not hers.
“If it’s so important to you, use your mating bond. You’ll feel her.”
The dragon eyed me like prey, staring hard. Distracting me. My inner wolf growled and snarled at the man, but I held him back. Needing the dragon’s help. “I get slight tugs, but otherwise I don’t feel her. It’s more…static.”
It was the dragon who replied. “You’re not so good at this whole shifter thing, are you?”
“No,” I admitted. “Not at all. But I’m willing to learn. For her.”
He shot a quick glance at Ginger, who still looked ready to murder me where I stood, then directed those hard eyes back to mine. “Go wolf.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You might suck at this shifter thing, but your wolf knows what to do. He’ll also know where to find Misty. Go wolf.”
“But…it’s the middle of the day, and there are people.”
He shrugged. “It’s a shifter town—they’re all used to seeing animals walking the streets. Bring out your wolf. He’ll take you to Misty. You just have to trust him.”
Trust the beast inside of me. Trust the animal instincts that seemed to be overtaking my life. Trust…fate.
“Thanks,” I said, hoping like hell I was strong enough to let go. My wolf practically snickered. He was definitely ready.
“Oh, and Clark?” The dragon called just before I opened the door.
“Yeah?”
“You fuck with Misty again, and I’ll spit roast you.” He glared my way, his expression deadly. “That girl is family to us, and we defend our family at all costs. Understand?”
I looked him dead in the eye. “Completely. I have no intention of messing this up.”
I raced outside, taking a deep breath before handing over the reins of my mind to my inner wolf. He surged forward, not at all timid, and landed on his paws in a full run. Yeah, he knew where to go. He also knew how much we had to hurry. The ache in our chest was not my own. He knew it, and so did I.
We sped up as we hit the alley running behind the businesses on the main street through town. Running faster without fear of things like cars and people and being out in the world on four paws instead of two feet. We needed more speed, though. I couldn’t allow my mate to hurt like this for long. I could feel her pain inside of me, rebounding through me. Our bond pulling us together even as I berated myself for being such an idiot. I’d put all my energy into building that bond, caring for it, if it meant I got Misty in my life. I’d do anything.
My wolf veered back toward town and headed straight into a small restaurant at the end of the street, bypassing the humans waiting in line for a table. An older woman eyed me as I passed, tutting.
“Human forms only, sir.”
I stayed wolf, though. Ignoring her request. The place smelled like Misty. She was here. Somewhere. I just had to find her. Thankfully, the wolf knew exactly where to go. We beelined it for the doors to the kitchen and shoved our way through them. It took me about two seconds to find Misty in the melee of the space. In the chaos of a busy kitchen in full serving mode. So many people. Only one mattered.
We stopped right next to her, sitting down. Waiting.
“Clark?” She looked confused. She also looked as if she’d been crying. I couldn’t have that. I wanted to shift—to hold her and talk to her—but there were a lot of people there. Her family, I assumed. If I shifted, I’d be naked—an obvious flaw in the dragon’s idea of going wolf to find Misty.
What to do?
My decision was made for me by Misty herself. Her surprised look turned sad, the light in her eyes when she’d seen my wolf dimming as I didn’t shift. As I didn't do anything but sit and stare. I needed to push my human ideals aside, bite the bullet, and deal with my nakedness like any shifter would. These people were shifters—they’d understand the lack of clothes. And if not, well…at least I worked out.
A few seconds, and I was human once more. Standing before the woman who had somehow stolen my heart, whom I had an unexplainable connection to, and whom I needed more than anything else in the world. Time to get to work.
“Misty, I was so wrong.”
She glanced down my body, her eyebrows rising. “I’ll get you a—”
“No, wait.” I grabbed her hand, needing a connection. “I was wrong. Being mated is the most consuming thing that’s ever happened to me, and I believe it now. I think of you all day long and dream of you at night. I want to know what you’re doing and if you’re okay. I want to hang out with you and simply watch you be you. I want more than just research. I’m sorry I started our relationship that way.”
She did not look convinced. “So now you want a mate?”
“Not just a mate. You. Even if the fates hadn’t brought us together, I’d want you. I need your laugh in my apartment and your hand in mine. I need you, Misty.”
“Are you sure? I come with a lot of—” she looked over my shoulder, likely at all the people standing around staring at my backside “—baggage.”
Before I could answer, other voices chimed in.
“Hey, what’s up, skins?”
“How’s it hanging?”
“You know there’s grease back here? You might want to put that thing away.”
I ignored them all, though Misty’s cheeks reddened a bit. I’d take her family’s teasing so long as she never let go of my hand.
“If I get you, the baggage is worth it.”
“Me.”
As if she couldn’t believe me. I wasn’t trying hard enough, apparently. “You. Not some generic mate, not some random woman to put up with—you, Misty. Your smile, your joy, your sexiness, your sweetness. Your ridiculous laugh when you’ve had a bottle of wine and your love for the stinky seals at the cove. All of it. I want every bit, because I love you.”
She was going to cry. Shit—had I messed up? Had I been too late? Why would she cry? I didn’t know what to do to make her stop. I didn’t know—
Misty kissed me, and suddenly, everything was right with the world. I had my mate in my arms, her lips on mine as I tugged her against me. Right there, in that moment, I had every single thing I could want.
Except for a pair of pants.
Misty broke the kiss, leaning in to whisper, “You realize you’re naked in front of my entire family, right?”
I did. I totally did. There was no way to deny that. “You’re worth it.”
She stared up at me, all sweetness and smiles. “How about I get you a cloak to cover up what's mine?”
Oh, thank the fates. “Please. I’d prefer only to be naked when we’re alone.”
She ran a finger down my chest, making the blood flow south. “That can be arranged.”
“Can it be arranged after I have the cloak? Because standing in front of your family naked is bad enough. Getting hard with them only a few feet away might be too much for me to bear.”
She nodded, looking over my shoulder. “Tilly.”
“On it.”
A moment later, cloth covered my shoulders, and I tugged the cloak around me. “Thank you.”
“Oh no,” a warm voice said, likely this Tilly. “Thank you. That’s the best show I’ve seen in months.”
I grabbed Misty around the waist and pulled her back into me, smiling. “Our reconciliation was the best show she’s seen in months. That’s good, right?”
“It’s good, Clark. You’re good.”
“You’re better.”
“No doubt there. Let’s get out of here. I’d like to get you naked again. Without an audience this time.”
Sold. “Lead the way, mate. I’ll follow you anywhere.”
Epilogue
Misty
Mated life was pretty cool. Mated life wi
th a man like Clark—one who loved making me happy and put his impressive intellect and research experience behind doing so—was even better. Especially when he walked into a room with a box wrapped like a present. I loved presents.
“You bought me a gift.”
Clark grinned and set the pretty, pink box on the table. His table, technically. Because of his job and mine, we lived in two different cities. Not apart—no, no. We’d tried being apart for a night—it had ended with Clark’s wolf practically jumping through my bedroom window. Hot…but not conducive to a good night’s sleep. We lived together in two different towns, shuttling back and forth depending on our schedules so I could continue working at the bakery—which I loved—and he could continue teaching. I also put in a few hours a week at my family’s diner, though only when Clark was working and I had nothing better to do. My siblings were a little salty about that, but my mom had told them I needed time to be with my mate and to leave me alone. Way to go, Mom.
So, yeah—the biweekly research team had become the everyday couple living in two different towns depending on the day. It wasn’t the norm or easy, but the chaos worked for us. So long as we were together, never spending a night alone, the back-and-forth was worth it.
“I saw it in the student center and thought you’d like it.” He hung up his coat—ever the neat and tidy professor—then joined me at the table. “Open it.”
I did as I was told, grinning while I carefully popped the tape holding the paper in place. A plain, brown cardboard box lay underneath, so I opened that as well. Inside of that…well.
“It’s pretty.”
I carefully lifted the triangular object from inside the box, inspecting it. It was a beaker, one of those glass containers people used in chemistry labs. It had a lid and a wooden base, though, and inside of it was what looked like…smoke. Fiery red smoke dancing in nothing, never dissipating, never lessening.
