“You don’t now. But you will. And if you try to make a life for yourself, that’ll happen sooner rather than later. That crater in your heart, the one you think will swallow you whole if you look into it, it’ll start to close if you let it.” He checked his watch. “I have to go, but you need to take care of yourself.”
He headed to the door and then paused. “For the record, I’m not pretending to be anything. Neither is Cara. We want to help.” He left without another word.
Natasha stared after him and her heart squeezed. Maybe he wasn’t just being nice because of the money.
She glanced out the window to the icy blue sky. The two phones lying on the other side of the bed caught her attention. She tried to resist them, but they were like flies buzzing in her ear. She just couldn’t leave them alone. She crawled over to the other side of the bed, picked them up and checked for messages.
There weren’t any.
Chapter Three
Two days after Liam’s visit to get Asha up and moving, Cara called to say she was still staring at her phones. He left his mechanic shop and went straight over. This time he didn’t give her a chance. He stuffed her phones into the dresser, slung her bag over his shoulder and hefted her down to her car. Jumping in the driver’s side, he drove to the mall for clothes.
She talked very little, picking things off the rack of Ralph Lauren without even trying them on, setting them on the counter and paying with cash. Then she went into the cosmetic store and bought one of about everything, though she didn’t need any of it. At the grocery store, she got staples and toiletries. The entire endeavor took only an hour and a half. It wasn’t enough time to keep her moving forward, so he drove down the coast and stopped at his favorite fish taco place. He ordered her food and then they sat at a corner booth. She stared out the window at the ocean. The swell of her collarbone peeked over the edge of her blouse and then dipped in sharply. He licked his lips at the thought of running his tongue over the beautiful U shape her collarbone made at the base of her throat.
Her heavy blue gaze traveled back to him, and he cleared his throat.
“So did you go to college after high school?” he asked.
“I went for a year before…I had to come home.” She sipped her soda.
She’d been shut down for too long. He remembered the loneliness that could settle in when you left your family and pack and moved to a new place, even if your dad was a bastard and your pack cowards. No matter what they were, family was family.
“What did you study?” He picked a piece of cabbage off his taco and munched on it.
For the first time her eyes lit up. “I wanted to be a nurse. I’d been accepted into the program early because my grades were good and I was one of the few freshmen who was more dedicated to my studies than making friends and partying.”
He stared at her for a minute. A girl with her looks and obvious means, he’d expected her to be more of a sorority sister than a book nerd.
“Impressive,” he finally said.
She shrugged. “Not really. My parents—” she cleared her throat, “—raised me to value education and working hard to get what I want. What are you studying?”
“This and that. I don’t really have a major this time. I’m just staying in school to watch over everyone. I have my own garage. I work on motorcycles, cars, whatever people need. I might be able to squeeze another year or so out of the school. I already have three associates degrees and at twenty-four I’m already looking too old for a two-year school.”
“Three degrees? In what?”
“One in graphic design, another in business and a third in automotive technology.”
Her eyebrows drew together and a smirk slid past her lips.
“What?”
She shook her head. “You don’t look like the business type.”
“What type do I look like, then?” He needed to keep her talking.
“A musician, if I had to guess. A guitarist, or possibly a drummer. Drummers are always bad boys.”
He laughed. “And you would know this how? Is that your type? You like the bad boys?”
Her smile fell and she gazed out at the water. “What a beautiful view.”
Her blonde hair was highlighted the way fake starlets in Hollywood envied but couldn’t manage to get their hairdressers to do right. It lay beautifully against her peachy tanned skin. He coughed and looked out over the water. “Yeah, it is.”
“How long have you lived here?” she asked.
Memories of the day he’d run from his father hit him. The brute chasing him into the yard spewing slurred curse words like venom.
“I’ve been here about five years.”
“Did you run too?”
He pursed his lips and nodded. “A couple of shifters found me on the streets in Los Angeles, brought me here and set me up. They connected me with Tate and Donovan over at Night Shift, and I’ve been paying it forward ever since.” He spun his soda glass in a circle on the table. “So is there anything you didn’t pick up today that you need to?”
She snorted and chuckled. “Probably not. I feel like I bought one of everything I saw. Which isn’t really like me. I’m not used to overspending.”
Her small laugh warmed him and his wolf approved. Knock it off! “Well you sure didn’t need to spend all that money in the makeup store.”
Her eyebrows knitted together. “What do you mean? You think I’m being unwise with my money?”
“No. I just meant… You don’t need it, is all.”
The peach of her cheeks deepened several shades and her gaze dropped to the table. “So that bike you were riding. Is it yours?”
“Bought and paid for.”
“I’ve never been on one like that before.”
“Like what?”
“Real-looking. I’ve only ever been on a bullet bike. Flashy and brightly colored. The ones that come from a factory and have no real soul.”
He stared at her, and a smile crept over his lips without warning. Frugal, intelligent and a motorcycle enthusiast. Asha wasn’t at all what he’d first thought.
“What?”
“I’ve never met a girl before who thought motorcycles had souls.”
“Only some. The ones that are bought for the love of the bike and not because you want to show up your friends or you’re trying to prove yourself.”
“Man, if my bike could hear you talk she’d roll home with you and leave me flat.”
“Nah. I prefer a ride with doors, thanks.”
He picked up their plates and threw the leftovers in the trash. “I should get you back so you can unpack those groceries.”
She grabbed her purse and looked inside.
She couldn’t even go a couple of hours without that phone. Cell phone addiction was something he’d never understand.
Chapter Four
Liam waited at the fountain in the middle of campus, helmet in hand, messenger bag over his shoulder. Being on campus helped him look after his relocatees. He currently only had three on campus right now with Asha, and watching over three girls kept him mildly busy. The slight ocean breeze caressed his face, and he breathed in deep. The scents from a hundred different students and professors filled his nostrils. Sounds of campus life permeated the air. It was the first week of the fall semester, and all the clubs were out in force trying to drum up new recruits. Everywhere you went there were colorful banners, booths, flyers and people gathered. For a community college, they had a lot of clubs.
The scent of jasmine made him turn. Across the courtyard, Cara and Asha walked through the crowd toward him. He’d gotten a text from Cara the day after their excursion saying Asha was doing better and was ready to sign up for classes.
Dressed in a white, flowy skirt and light-blue T-shirt that he’d seen her pick out, Asha looked better than when he’d seen her last,
though her expression remained blank. Her face had healed and her blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail, revealing her slender neck. He waved and Cara spotted him.
“Ladies,” he said as they approached.
“Hey, Liam.” Cara waved.
Natasha glanced from building to building, taking everything in.
“What class do you have first?” he asked.
“I’m in the science building,” said Cara. “Asha has language arts.”
Liam nodded. “Cool. I’m headed that way. I can take her.”
“All right.” She turned to Asha. “You have my number. I’ll meet you for lunch at noon.”
“Okay.”
Cara squeezed her arm. “If you need anything—”
Asha took a deep breath. “I’ll be fine. Thanks.” She gave Cara a smile.
“Come on, I don’t want you to be late.” Liam hefted his bag and started off in the opposite direction. Asha fell into step beside him. “I never heard from you after going for tacos. Are you settling in?”
“I’m good.”
“So you’re gonna stay for a while, then?”
“I guess. There’s a bunch of good nursing colleges in Los Angeles, but since I have no papers I need to go in as a transfer student. This is as good a college as any to do that at.”
She sighed. “Man, I’ve been cooped up with my parents for so many months I’d forgotten how many people are at colleges. It’s not like high school where you’re pretty much with the same thousand kids day in and day out until they all start to smell the same.”
“It can be hard at first with all the new smells,” he said.
“I’ve caught scents from all over the world here. I don’t think I’ll ever eat again.”
He snickered. “You’ll learn to tune it out, just like you did before. You should go to downtown Los Angeles where there are a million more people and everyone is stuffed together. It’s no fun being a shifter downtown.”
“Back home when I needed to get away from everything—the sight, sounds and smells of people—I could go out in our woods and run.”
“You have to be more careful out here, I’m afraid.”
She nodded.
Liam pressed his lips together and he tried to think of something else to say. She was putting up a good front, but he knew the turmoil she was going through. Losing a pack and parents all at the same time was the worst kind of loneliness for a wolf. And a new place with new sights, sounds and scents could be bombarding to the senses.
They reached the building, and he opened the door for her. “I can help you go to the bookstore and get the books you need if you want.”
“Okay.” She stopped and glanced up at him. “Thank you, once again. You’ve gone far beyond what you were paid to do, I’m sure.”
His gut compressed into his spine. It was true that Night Shift paid him a fee to help relocate shifters, but not enough to be nice to some of them. “No problem.”
They walked the rest of the way in silence. Males from every direction turned their heads as she passed. The lingering stares made Liam strain to hold his temper in check. He was supposed to be protecting her. She was in a fragile place. Being out on her own for the first time could make her go one of two ways. And one of those wasn’t a good path. He knew, because he’d gone down the wrong one when he first hit California.
They reached her classroom and he touched her arm. “This is you.”
Her gaze traveled over the door, but she didn’t move to open it.
“Do you want me to go in with you?”
“Nah, I can do it.”
“I’ll meet you here afterward.”
“I’m sure you have other things to do. I’m going to meet Cara for lunch anyway.”
“I’ll check in at lunch.”
She tucked a few strands of her bangs behind her ear. They fell out again instantly. His fingers twitched at the thought of brushing them back for her.
Not good. This was not good.
* * * * *
Natasha scanned the large crescent-shaped auditorium classroom for a place to sit. Only a third of the red plastic seats were taken. She walked down several rows and slid into the seat on the end.
She’d been about to start her second year of college before everything had happened. Without her transcripts, she had to begin again. Setting her bag on the floor between her feet, she unzipped it. There were no messages on her phone. Her heart squeezed, but it didn’t hurt quite as much as before. Messages were something she no longer expected.
She found a notebook and pen in her bag and pushed her phone inside.
Her thoughts turned to Liam. His large, muscular frame clad in a worn leather jacket was exactly what she expected a real biker to look like. Unlike Daniel, who only owned a bullet bike for show.
Liam’s emerald-green eyes always seemed to see right through her. Her pain, her loneliness; it made her wonder what his story was. He also talked to her like a real person. Daniel had given up caring what she wanted a long time ago. As much as she tried to resist, Liam and Cara were helping her feel at home in California, and she found their company soothing.
When Daniel had finally come into his own, he’d used money and fists to win friends and get what he wanted. If Liam was being paid to help her, how much money would it take for him to tell the truth about her?
She swallowed hard, pushing the thought from her mind.
She sat back in her chair. The hairs on her neck prickled as a musky male scent hit her. She spun around to find a good-looking blond hanging over her seat. His hazel eyes sparkled with mischief, and a wide grin spread across his face. Natasha swallowed hard as his gaze roamed from the top of her head down to her chest.
“Well, hello, beautiful.” His gaze jumped back to hers.
“Hi,” she managed. A niggling of fear trickled down her spine at his nearness.
He gave a hearty, full laugh that made her smile despite herself.
“I’m sorry. Where are my manners? I’m Clint.” He held out his hand. She looked at it for a minute before taking it.
“I’m N—Asha.”
“N—Asha, it’s nice to meet you.”
She slid her hand out of his warm grip. “Asha. Just Asha.”
“Asha. Got it. You new here?”
“Yeah…I—”
“Ooohhh a new girl!” said another male.
Clint leaned back, and two large guys walked down the row of seats behind him and jumped into his row next to him. Clint rolled his eyes.
“Leave her alone, Rock.”
A dark-haired, broad-shouldered guy with a heavyset brow and a wide, lopsided grin plopped into the seat next to Clint, making it creak. His eyebrows rose. “I wasn’t doing nothin’.”
“I’m Buck,” said the last guy. He wasn’t as large as Rock, but his coloring was the same. He offered his hand. “Please excuse my lug-head of a brother. He was raised by wolves.”
Natasha shook hands with Buck. He leaned in slightly and sniffed her skin. She jerked her hand away. Clint punched Buck on the shoulder.
“Sorry about him.” Clint stared down Buck. “He has a thing for scents.”
Clint’s eyes flashed ice blue and then hazel again. A chill raced through her at the sight. She turned in her seat, facing forward once more. Her hands shook, and she shoved them in her lap.
Clint was an Alpha-in-waiting.
* * * * *
Natasha tried paying attention to the professor, but between Clint and his buddies questioning her and her nervousness, she only caught the homework assignment.
First day on campus and wolves had already found her. How was she supposed to stay safe on a campus full of wolves? Maybe that was the purpose of being relocated here. Packs rarely intermingled. They carved out their territories and kept to themselves. Usually. W
hich was what had started the turf feud between her pack and Daniel’s years before.
If she were able to secure a place in a new pack, they’d protect her at all costs. Maybe that was why Liam had suggested she get into school. To keep her safe within a pack. But what about him and his pack? Liam probably didn’t need her in his pack. Maybe it would make him feel even more responsible for her.
Her brain traveled from one scenario to the next. Clint was an Alpha-in-waiting, which meant he had a senior male relative still alive, and he’d be the next in line to command. Most Alphas-in-waiting had something to prove, since they didn’t have the loyalty of the pack yet. They were more dangerous than Alphas. Daniel had been an Alpha-in-waiting. She was to be his mate upon her twentieth birthday. But that date had passed two and a half weeks ago.
“Are you adjusting okay?” Clint leaned over her shoulder. The scent of his shampoo filled her nostrils.
Her gaze whipped up to meet his. “I’m sorry?”
“You’ve been through a lot. Leaving your pack. Coming here to a school where you don’t know anyone. It’s tough.” He searched her face.
Her throat clenched. “It is,” she croaked.
“Were your parents okay with you going away? Mine weren’t. Which is why I’m here. Local school.”
“My parents wanted me to go.”
“Wow. You must not be close. They didn’t even call us to let us know you were coming. Where ya from?”
So Clint and Liam weren’t in the same pack.
“That’s it for today,” the professor said.
A collective sigh escaped the class. Natasha shoved her things into her bag and headed down toward the other door. Clint called her name, but she didn’t turn. Pushing through the crowded hallway, she headed for the outside. How many packs were in Malibu? The very thought of going through more feuds made her stomach flop around like a dying fish.
She burst into the sunlight as if being in the building would suffocate her. How in the world had she ended up in a town full of the nosiest shifters in the US?
Promised at the Moon: Shifter Rising, Book 1 Page 3
