by JJ King
I loved running. Most wolves did, by nature, unless they were hoity-toity assholes who denied that part of themselves. After spending a lifetime locked inside an underground bunker, being allowed to shift only when the need was too strong to deny, the ability to run was liberating. It also allowed me to clear my mind and emotions and help me cope with the darkness that was always trying to sneak up on me, like a shadow, always on my heels.
It would also be nice to work off some of the excess sexual energy I’d stocked up on last night with Lucian. I couldn’t imagine how wound up I would be if I’d have run into Dimitri.
As if the very thought of his intense eyes and bad attitude had called him from the depths of Hell or my steamiest dreams, Dimitri’s laugh burned my ears as I rounded the library and stepped onto the back lawn. Awareness of him hit me like a wave of heat and seemed to drag me forward.
Bad boy or not, I wanted to see him. I moved forward stealthily, staying behind the large bushes that lined the walkway that threaded through campus, and peeked out at the guy I shouldn’t be crushing on.
He was playing basketball with two other guys and was wearing nothing but a pair of long shorts and sneakers. I exhaled an involuntary whistle, then slapped a hand over my mouth, terrified that he’d heard me and would turn and see me lurking like a stalker.
My gaze locked in on him and devoured every inch of his glistening chest and the sharp line of muscle that cut straight down to disappear beneath the waistband of his shorts from the privacy of my hiding place. I swallowed and almost wiped the corners of my lips.
Old Ones, Lexi, I chided myself. Get a hold of yourself!
He laughed, not the derisive chuckle I’d last heard from him, but an amused burst of sound that filled my heart so much it expanded and pushed against my ribs painfully. I rubbed the skin over my heart and wondered how the sound of a laugh could fill me with so much joy.
Dimitri threw the basketball to one of the other guys, an easy toss that had his biceps contracting beneath his beautiful skin. I tracked the ball as it bounced and ricocheted up into waiting hands, then gaped in surprise when I saw who he was playing with.
Lucian caught the ball easily, dribbled it between his legs, pivoted, and leaped into the air. The ball sailed out of his hands in a perfect arc and swished through the net. He threw his arms into the air and shouted in victory.
I slow blinked, my mind moving as if through mud, as I tried to understand what I was seeing. The sweet, gorgeous guy who’d been there for me during a panic attack and a run in with a drunk asshole, and the hot bad boy, who’d saved me from breaking my neck, were laughing and playing basketball together like old friends.
It didn’t make sense.
I’d spent my entire life mostly surrounded by other women, my half-sisters, and their mothers. The only boys and men I’d known were the brainwashed male children, whom Raphael had taken under his wing and trained to be as insane as he was.
They hadn’t exactly been the best role models for normal male-female interaction.
My life in the mountain had been anything but normal. I’d been created in a laboratory by Raphael, an insane genius with plans to force a prophecy by creating children, sired by Pierre LaFlamme without his knowledge, each of whom had a small chance of being the woman from the prophecy. The woman the Old Ones had foreseen would save the fabled Guardians; a race of near immortal wolves most regular wolves hadn’t thought existed. I’d known, of course, since Raphael had been a Guardian and had made sure we all knew he was higher on the evolutionary scale than we were.
Raphael’s plan had failed, and he was, thank the Old Ones, dead. The only thing we’d been chosen for was imprisonment and torture.
Not quite the best start to life.
After we’d been set free from that prison by Rose, the bravest of my sisters, and her friends, and given a new life, my world had opened up somewhat. I’d met guys, some of whom were attractive, but none of whom had sparked my interest, let alone my obsession.
So, how the hell had I met two guys who both made my heart race, and my legs go weak in the run of a few days on campus in the middle of summer? And how by the Old Ones were they friends?
My bafflement turned to anxiety that twisted in my stomach.
I didn’t know how to handle something like this. I was barely able to handle myself most days. Yes, I was getting better at it; last night was proof of that. With every passing achievement, no matter how small or big, I was becoming stronger. So, why did my hormones decide that now was a good time to throw a wrench into my progress?
One thing was for certain: I wasn’t going to find answers to my deep psychological questions while hidden behind a bush. That sounded too much like what a scared little girl would do.
I’d stood up for myself last night against a drunken asshole and had would keep standing up, no matter how hard it was. I was done letting men control where I could or could not go.
Even these men.
I pulled my earbuds out of my pocket, slipped them in, and flipped through my playlists until I found my kickass girl songs. Bolstered by an old Bif Naked song that always gave me Buffy vibes, I took a deep breath, set my sight on the mouth of the path, and started forward, making sure to keep my pace even and casual.
The forest path was empty but for a few joggers. I kept my gaze forward but took deep breaths, checking to see if I’d been noticed and followed by anyone. When I scented only the damp earth and plants, I let myself relax and enjoy the run.
By the time I’d completed the longest path, choosing the off-road options to boost my heart rate and work off some steam, the tension that had crept up in my shoulders was gone. The guys probably hadn’t even noticed me run by. There was no reason to think they’d notice me exiting at the far end of the open field and circling back around to start the route again.
I broke from the tree line and squinted as the brilliance of the sun blinded me. As my vision cleared, I fought against the urge to look at the basketball court, to check if they were still there.
But I didn’t need to look. I could hear them, still laughing and razzing each other. I could hear the slap of the basketball on the court and in their palms and it made me think of sweat dripping down their firm chests to glisten in the sun. My mouth filled with saliva and I dared a glance as I started to cut back into the woods. Relief broke through when I saw only a glint of sunshine and wavy blond hair.
Then I was back on the path, surrounded by nature and the calm I so often longed for. I wished the path were longer, so I could pretend I was outside the fence, free to shift and run whenever I wanted. But campus rules existed for a reason, I supposed. We were encouraged not to shift whenever we felt like it, but to wait for campus runs, which were held every full moon. The next one was less than a week away. I wondered if I could make it till then.
I thought about talking to Headmaster Gabriel about arranging more frequent runs. After all, he was apparently savvy to my life story and would probably be amenable. Then again, Dimitri had already accused me of favoritism and with eyes as sharp as his, I doubted I could arrange something extra without his notice and subsequent snarky comments.
Even as I scowled at the thought of his smartass commentary, I longed for it, which made me scowl even harder. I didn’t understand what was going on inside me. It was like my body and my brain were at war, and over what? Boys?
Well, one boy, really. I understood my attraction to Lucian, even if it was more acute than I’d ever thought possible. He was thoughtful, and intelligent, and a bit of a hero in my eyes. But I wasn’t quite sure why my head agreed with my body over Dimitri. He was a bit of an asshole, albeit a gorgeous one with a rough edge that somewhere, deep down inside, I wanted to rub up against.
I leaped over a log and grinned, enjoying the impact of my body over the rougher terrain. Blood pumped through my veins, making me feel grounded and free.
I was free, damnit. Whatever happened with Dimitri and Lucian, I was free to explore it a
nd make my own decisions.
My smile grew wider. I’d grown up thinking I would live and die in that place. Now I could make my own mistakes and live with the consequences.
I broke from the forest path again, once more blinded by the brilliant light, and slammed straight into someone.
Chapter 7
Before I could fall on my ass, hands shot out and grabbed me, pulling me upright. I raised my hand to my eyes, shielding them from the sun and blinking rapidly to clear my vision so I could see who I’d just run into.
The sudden realization that it could be Dimitri or Lucian had the blood draining from my face then returning with a fierce wave of heat. I gasped in a breath, inhaling the scent around me, and frowned. I could smell both Dimitri and Lucian, but this guy wasn’t either of them.
His scent hit me in the gut, contracting my stomach muscles and shooting a wave of desire straight down between my legs. I stiffened and pulled away, more confused than I’d ever been in my life. This wasn’t either of the guys I was insanely attracted to, which meant—
“Are you all right? I didn’t mean to get in your way.” His voice was lazy, with a soft southern drawl that made me think of gardenias and long, hot summers. He touched my shoulders and shifted me so that the sun was behind me and I could see again.
He looked like an angel, that was all I could think, and I wondered if maybe I’d hit my head on his chest a little too hard. Then, the absurdity of that thought filtered through my addled brain, and my lips turned up.
“No, I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I just got a little blinded by the sun.”
I tried not to breathe through my nose, since his scent, mixed with Dimitri’s and Lucian’s, was making me weak in the knees.
I was chemically imbalanced, that’s what it was, or I was having a stroke. My head went fuzzy and light, like it was filled with helium, and I swayed.
His hand moved to my waist and held me there. I tilted my chin up and looked into his eyes, which I noticed with pleasure were a vivid gold.
Beneath the pressure of his palm, my skin tingled and trembled.
“Hey,” a familiar voice called out, a split second before Lucian appeared and caught sight of me. The grin disappeared from his face, replaced by worry. “Lexi, are you okay?”
He stepped forward, which forced the golden haired, golden eyed angel back a step. The loss of his hand made me sad.
But I didn’t stay sad for long. My heart leaped at the concern on Lucian’s face, and I reached out to touch his forearm, as much to steady him as myself.
I looked up into his beautiful dark eyes.
“I’m alright. I just got a little blinded by the light and slammed into your friend here.” I turned my head to smile at the angel. “I’m Lexi.”
I offered my hand and nearly sighed when his palm met mine.
Pleasure warmed my body. I looked down at the connection between us and then at the connection between me and Lucian. It was strange but touching both of them, at the same time, seemed to amplify everything good in life. I wasn’t afraid around them, wasn’t concerned about acting normal. I felt alive and perfect.
“I’m Chase Parker,” the new guy drawled. “And I’m very pleased to meet you, Lexi.”
He gently squeezed my hand and inhaled.
“What the fuck is taking you assholes so long?” Dimitri’s voice cut through my perfect moment and made my heart stutter.
I pulled my hands back and let them fall to my sides.
Then Dimitri was there, right in front of me, stepping between his friends to complete the most perfect grouping I’d ever seen in my life. His dark eyebrows winged up in surprise at the sight of me and his eyes, too clever for their own good, shifted back and forth between Lucian, Chase, and me, then went dark. His lips, previously wide with a smile, went thin with disapproval and annoyance, making my stomach clench.
“Alexis,” he said in that accent I wished he would stop using since it made all reason evacuate my brain. “What are you doing here?”
I swallowed, wishing I had a better answer than I was going for a run, or I smacked into your friend here because I’m a klutz. At least both of those were better answers than Baby’s in Dirty Dancing. The words I carried a watermelon ran through my head.
“What does it look like I was doing?” I said, cocking an eyebrow at him and waving a hand to indicate my running gear. The fact that this was exactly how we’d met in almost this exact location didn’t escape me.
It didn’t escape him either. His gaze lowered to my feet and then rose slowly, what felt like inch by inch, over my body until he looked straight into my eyes.
“It looks like you’re interrupting our game,” he said in a tone so flat anyone would have assumed it was a dismissal, except I could see the same intense lust I’d felt for him reflected back in his eyes.
Sheer spite filled my veins. I didn’t know why he brought it out of me, but I wasn’t about to back down. I lifted my chin even further and stepped closer, crowding him. As expected, he didn’t budge.
“Then I guess I’ll be on my way,” I said as politely as I could muster and smiled sweetly in what I hoped he understood was a giant fuck you.
I glanced over at Lucian and Chase, who were both watching our exchange with wide eyes, and wiggled my fingers at them in my best imitation of flirting.
“Bye, boys,” I practically purred. “I’ll see you later.”
I popped my earbuds back in, grinned, then jogged away without ever looking back, praying my heart wouldn’t literally explode in my chest. I needed to get back to my room, to privacy, and figure out what the hell was going on with me.
When a hand touched my arm, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
I whirled, fists rising automatically in defense, and released a rush of air when I saw it was Chase.
“Old Ones,” I gasped, lowering my fists. “You nearly scared me to death.”
I inhaled sharply, then remembered why I’d refrained from breathing in his scent earlier. I wondered how he could still smell so distinctly of the South but also completely male, with tantalizing traces of both Lucian and Dimitri. My fingers twitched to reach out and touch.
His smile was slow and hot, like a Mississippi morning, and I wondered where he was from. Everything I knew about the southern states had been learned from movies and books. Fried Green Tomatoes came to mind and brought a smile to my lips.
“While I’m sorry to have scared you,” he drawled, and reached out a hand to tug the earbuds I’d forgotten were still in my ears free, “I’m not sorry to get another moment alone with you.”
He slid his palm against mine, enveloping my hand, and rubbed my skin.
I nearly lost the ability to breathe.
“We barely had a moment together, but I could tell there’s something very interesting between us.” He pulled my hand closer to his body, tugging me forward gently, and I went, unable to do anything but move into him. My mind buzzed like a million bees were in there, filling me up, chasing away all rational thought. My body hummed, responding to his nearness and astounding sex appeal. “So, I was wondering if perhaps you would agree to come with me, as my date, to tonight’s little party at Soren House.”
I blinked, registering his words and his request, a second too slowly.
“A date,” I murmured, picturing all the naughty things I’d read about that happened on dates, especially ones on hot summer nights. Heat raced up my spine and burned the back of my neck. There was nothing in this world I wanted more at this moment than to go on a date with this man.
But something held me back. I chewed on my lower lip and tried to focus my overstimulated brain to answer the question of why I was feeling so conflicted over a request that clearly made me happy. Then a breeze skimmed through the air, ruffling Chase’s beautiful hair, resurrecting the trace scents he carried on him from his two friends.
Dimitri and Lucian, they were the source of my angst. It was insane that after finding myself so completely att
racted to both of them that I would fall into yet another sexual trap, especially with someone they knew. A friend, a good friend by the way they’d been acting together. It didn’t make sense, none of it.
It should be driving me crazy. The uncertainty and confusion, the unnaturalness of my reactions—I should be a neurotic mess by now. But when I was with them, each of them alone or together, all my worries and fears fell away.
Still, I needed to think it over, to give myself at least a bit of time to figure out what the hell was going on with me.
I reluctantly made up my mind and steeled myself for the disappointment I knew would come when I told him thank you, but not tonight. He still held my hand, and his eyes, Old Ones, his eyes gazed down at me with endless suggestions dancing in their golden irises. I opened my mouth to speak and caught a flash of movement just past Chase’s arm.
Dimitri stood there, his posture rigid, glaring at us. Renewed spite blew through me at the sight of him, fists balled at his sides and Adam’s apple working in his throat as if he were barely holding back his temper. He was acting like a possessive predator, and it pissed me off.
I shifted my gaze back to Chase and nodded. “I’d love to go with you to the party. I’ll meet you there at 10:00 p.m., okay?”
I flashed him a confident smile that surprisingly wasn’t forced and reached for the cell phone peeking from his shorts pocket.
I pretended not to notice when Dimitri’s face turned a dark purple as I programmed my number into Chase’s phone then tucked it back into his pocket.
“See you later.” I turned and, this time, I walked away, overly aware of the sway of my hips and two pairs of eyes on my ass as I rounded the corner of the building.
The moment they were gone, and I was alone with my thoughts again, my mouth went dry in shock. I could still smell all three of them in the air and on my skin. I wondered if anything in the world would ever smell as good ever again.
I headed towards my dorm room, mind racing, skin tingling, thighs squeezing together. I needed a shower, a cold one, to calm the successive waves of heat that kept washing over me every single time I was with one of them.
