Wolf Mated (Beta Wolf Academy Book 1)

by JJ King

  I stopped in my tracks and gaped as a new thought pushed aside all thoughts of sexy guys and basketball shorts with tantalizing scents. My eyes went wide as I considered this new idea, turning it over and seeing the instant possibilities.

  My feet hit the ground running as I raced back to my room, anxious to see if I was right.

  I needed to get to my laptop so I could access the Wolf Net and find out the specifics of what it felt like to go through your first heat.

  Chapter 8

  I tugged at the hem of my jean shorts for the hundredth time and forced my legs to bring me one step closer to the dorm party at Soren House, which was apparently poppin’.

  Music poured from the large basement rec room and was accompanied by flashes of lights in blues, purples, and pinks. I descended the long stairs, trailing my hand down the rail, excited for my first academy party and terrified half to death.

  I’d changed my clothes six times before finally peeking out my dorm window at my fellow students who were already leaving for the party to see what they were wearing. Tank tops and shorts, summer dresses, or capris with cute heels seemed to be popular choices, so I’d rummaged through my shorts, tossing pair after pair on the floor, until I’d found my favorite ones and decided to just go with comfort, rather than perfection. Might as well be physically comfortable because, Old Ones knew, I wouldn’t be emotionally or mentally comfortable.

  Still, I forged ahead, treating this party like a rite of passage or a hero quest. My utter geekiness didn’t escape my notice.

  My eyes adjusted to the dim light. I took a moment to scan the large room, which was nearly blocked solid with students. I recognized a few of them, from classes or from the cafeteria, and a few even smiled at me. I kept looking, though, searching for a familiar face, or two, or three.

  “Lexi!” a feminine voice squealed just behind me, making my pulse jump. I spun around, wondering who would possibly be excited to see me, and saw Emily, the chatty girl from my philosophy class.

  “Hey,” I said with an automatic smile that widened authentically when I noticed she was wearing an almost identical version of my outfit. “Nice shorts.”

  I floated a hand down by my side to indicate our twin status.

  She laughed and did a quick curtsy that I found utterly endearing. All the anxiety I’d worked up before coming here melted away. I’d spent my life surrounded by women, my sisters and their mothers, so it wasn’t shocking that I would find comfort in a female friend.

  “I never know what to wear to these things,” Emily said with a shrug. “You’re always going to get those girls who dress up like they’re going to an after-hours club like—”

  She shifted to stand beside me and casually tilted her chin towards a small group of giggling girls with wine glasses, all wearing tight, short dresses that hugged every curve, paired with dangerously high heels and perfectly curled hair. I self-consciously tugged at the end of my hair, which I’d curled earlier, then brushed out when I’d ended up looking like Curly Sue.

  Emily leaned in closer, keeping her voice low. “The girls who dress like that are usually freshmen. They're still trying to impress everyone. The seniors, now—”

  She turned her head and subtly pointed to a few girls, dressed in jeans or shorts, with band logo T-shirts, or tank tops, who were sitting, cross legged on the deep sofas, drinking from bottles of beer. Their hair, unlike the freshmen, was most often pulled up into messy buns that spilled unkempt curls over their necks. They looked as if they were home in their own living rooms and not surrounded by their fellow students. I wondered if I would ever feel that comfortable here or anywhere.

  I frowned, thinking about Emily’s class distinctions between the females of Beta Wolf Academy. I was as fresh as any freshman could be. Those giggling girls were in at least their third semester, while I was just finishing up my second week. Yet, I looked more like the seniors. Did that mean I didn’t care? Or did it mean that my naïveté about social norms really was as blatant as I feared?

  “So.” Emily returned her attention to me with a grin. “I haven’t seen you around before this semester. Did you transfer here?”

  I knew she was being friendly, asking questions like normal people did when they first meet, but there was nothing normal about my life, so the anxiety she’d helped chase away, came flooding back. But I prepared for this moment, on Dr. Bennett’s advice, and had an answer ready to go.

  “Yeah,” I replied, nodding. “I spent the last year in Europe with some friends and just wanted to get started on classes while things were slower than in the fall.”

  I kept my gaze on hers, long enough to appear confident and as if I were telling the truth, then glanced away.

  I wasn’t lying. I had spent the last year in Europe with friends. Like Dr. Bennett had said, I didn’t owe anyone I’d just met the stark truth of my life story. Besides, the story wasn’t just mine. The world wasn’t aware of what Raphael had been doing in the mountain stronghold. Even if I was comfortable sharing such intimate details with strangers, others weren’t, and it was their truth as much as mine.

  “Cool,” Emily said, not noticing my dancing nerves. “I did a three-month backpack last summer with—” She broke off, licked her lips, then frowned. “With my ex.”

  The way she said it slammed the door on that conversation. I might not feel completely normal in social situations but even I could read that signal.

  I scanned the crowd again, my stomach muscles bunching with anticipation of seeing any one of my crushes. I was excited for my date with Chase. I would be happy to see Lucian, and I was nervous that Dimitri would show up and confuse me even more with his hot and cold games.

  “So.” Emily bumped against me as if we were old friends. “Are you looking for someone in particular or will any hottie do?”

  She wagged her eyebrows at me.

  It caught me off guard and I laughed. A blush worked its way up my neck, heating my skin until it reached my cheeks.

  “I may have a date tonight,” I said, with a bit of a sly shrug.

  “Oh,” she said, eyes going wide. “Spill.”

  “Chase Parker.” I played with the end of my hair and glanced over her head, wondering if he was here already. At her shocked gasp, I wrenched my gaze back to Emily and asked, “Do you know him?”

  She grabbed my hand. “Do I know him? Lexi, every single girl on campus knows who Chase Parker is.” She made a whistling sound. “That boy is beyond delicious.”

  She hesitated, as if she were about to say something but had thought better of it.

  “What?” I asked. “Tell me.”

  I arched an eyebrow and waited for her to fess up.

  “I don’t like gossip,” she said quietly. “But it’s hard to ignore his reputation. He can be a little bit of a…”

  She trailed off.

  I arched my brow higher.

  “Playboy?” I surmised, not in the least bit shocked. “I kind of guessed as much. Don’t worry,” I assured my new and only friend on campus. “I don’t want to marry him or anything. It’s just a date.”

  I repeated the words in my mind and told my vagina, which had flushed at the mere mention of his name, to give it up.

  “Okay.” Emily drew out the word. “Just don’t get sucked in by his southern boy accent. Half the girls at Beta Wolf Academy are pining for him. The other half are drooling over Dimitri Baskin. Have you met him yet?”

  I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. Emily tilted her head to the side in question.

  “I may have run into him,” I murmured, wondering what shade of red my cheeks were now, since they were blazing hot. “You know, once or twice.”

  I shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

  Emily stared at me, as she chewed thoughtfully on her lip. Her gaze swept down my body then back up again, taking in every detail. Her long sigh as she finished the perusal, was slightly defeatist. “Well, I shouldn’t be surprised. You are quite possibly the hottest gir
l I’ve ever seen in real life.”

  My mouth dropped open as my brain scrambled for something to say.

  I knew I was pretty. But hot? I blinked several times, still unsure of what to say, and frowned when Emily just laughed at my expression.

  “Not used to being hit on by a woman?” she asked, chuckling warmly.

  “No, sorry, I just didn’t—” I shook my head. “I’m not very good at this stuff.”

  She patted me on the arm. “Then you really do need to be careful with Chase Parker. And don’t worry.” She shot me a wink. “I’ve got enough game for both of us, with men and women. Speaking of men—”

  She lifted her chin in a subtle signal.

  I turned, following her gaze, and my body temperature rose at least five degrees. Unlike a lot of the guys who had dressed for the heat, Chase wore a pair of worn blue jeans that fit him like a second skin with a black T-shirt that made my imagination dance back through my literary favorites to dub him Soda Pop Curtis.

  My lips turned up in welcome as a feeling of raw feminine power and sexuality bolstered my uncertain heart. There was just something about him that made me feel strong and sexy, like I could command him to fulfill my every want and need, and he would obey without question. It was a heady feeling and I liked it.

  I wasn’t stupid. I knew he was a playboy, too gorgeous for his own good, but I didn’t care. I was going through something right now, something hormonal that affected wolves on a deeply physical level. This was my first heat, something most female wolves experienced by now but, as I was learning, there was a lot about me and the other girls who were in the mountain that wasn’t quite usual.

  My research had been thorough and had lasted most of the night. What I’d found was evidence that the way I was reacting to Dimitri and Chase was completely natural and that there was no shame in exploring my sexuality during this time. I’ve given it a lot of thought and didn’t want to lump Lucian in with Dimitri and Chase. My attraction to them wasn’t something I understood, something my body and primal nature desired, but neither of them was my type. Not that I knew what my type was.

  It just seemed to me that Lucian, with his intelligent dark eyes and kind words, was the sort of guy I could see myself with. Then again, my physical reaction to him hadn’t been mild. I just understood it more than I did with the others.

  Looking at Chase as he sauntered towards me, his golden eyes catching the lights as they watched me back, I understood that my attraction to him was purely physical. I didn’t know enough about him to want him for any other reason.

  My thoughts flicked to Dimitri, the bad boy Russian himself. I couldn’t stand him half the time, could barely stop myself from mouthing off, or wanting to slap that stupid half-grin off his face. I wasn’t even sure if I liked him, but it didn’t seem to matter. When I was with him, I felt seen, and real, and almost whole. He challenged me and it let loose this inner warrior in me that enjoyed the challenge and rose to the occasion.

  “Hey,” Chase drawled and reached out to run the tips of his fingers up the length of my arm, sending shivers over my entire body. It was a highly effective move.

  “Hey,” I said, glancing down in what I’d read was step one in the flirting process. Step two was looking up through your lashes, so I did that and added a little step three, a flirtatious smile with step four, a lower lip bite.

  I wasn’t prepared for his reaction. I’d read up on flirting in preparation for tonight and had even practiced in front of my mirror, but I hadn’t expected it to be so fucking effective. Chase’s golden irises darkened to a deep molten color and his lips parted to expel a shaky breath. His scent changed, deepened, and seeped through his pores to infuse the air around us. I breathed it in and began to ache.

  “Well,” Emily said, in a tone that was clearly amused. “I’ll see you later, Lexi. See you, Chase.”

  “See you, Emily,” Chase murmured, never once taking his gaze off me.

  I felt like we were locked together, drawn by centrifugal forces that wouldn’t allow us to break apart even if we tried. He stepped closer and skimmed his hand back down my arm, then slid his fingers through mine, rubbing our heated skin together.

  Neither of us spoke as the rest of the room faded away, leaving us in a cloud of hormones and lust. The rational part of my brain knew that we were exuding enough pheromones to drive half the population of Beta Wolf Academy into a sex craze and that we should probably slip away and find somewhere private to explore these feelings. The irrational part of my brain, which was now located between my thighs, couldn’t give two flying fucks if the entire world scented our attraction. I leaned into him and inhaled deeply.

  He tugged me forward, pressing our bodies together, then turned, surprising me, and pulled me towards where a bunch of students were dancing. I followed and linked my arms around his neck as his hands moved to my hips.

  I knew how to dance. We might not have had much in the mountain, but we’d always had music and where there was music, there was dancing. We hadn’t always felt like dancing, or singing, but it had often been the one thing to keep us from going insane, so we persevered and sang anyway, even when the beatings increased, and they cut our rations. I swallowed and pushed the dark memories down deep and focused solely on the buzz filling my body.

  Chase’s hands skimmed over my waist, trailing high up my back then moving low to dip over my curves. I hummed softly, and pressed into him, grinding my hips against his.

  His body responded fiercely and a growl, low and so fucking hot it nearly destroyed me, slipped from his throat.

  “Old Ones, Lexi,” he groaned into my ear. “You’re going to kill me.”

  That feminine power he’d awoken in me roared to life.

  I lifted my face to his and let my lips quirk up in a knowing smile. “Don’t die on me yet, Chase. I’ve got big plans for you.”

  He swallowed hard and opened and closed his mouth several times, then just linked his hand through mine again and pulled me off the dance floor, toward the darkest corner of the room, not that it would do anything to hide our situation.

  It turned out that the darkest corner of the room was a small alcove hidden around a corner that led to the laundry room of this building. My dorm was laid out slightly different and didn’t have the same alcove. Chase moved with me into the dip, turning me until my back pressed up against the wall.

  Alarms rang in my head, alarms that warned me we might just lose all sense of time and place and end up doing something a little too risqué in public, but they faded into the background as the pleasant buzz intensified and swept me under.

  I went willingly, thrusting my fingers into his thick golden curls to pull his mouth down, down, until it covered mine in a searing kiss. I opened to him, parting my lips. I needed to taste him, to breathe him in, more than I needed to breathe myself.

  Our breaths came in gasps and our hands moved like lightning over and under clothes that felt cumbersome and binding.

  I arched my neck to give his lips better access and moaned when he grazed his teeth over my jaw and down the line of my neck to my collarbone. Soft, incoherent mewls of desperate need escaped my mouth, and were swallowed up by his lips, returning to my mouth for more.

  His hands delved beneath my tank top, sliding over my stomach and up. When his fingers traced the contour of my breast, through the lacy bra I picked out to entice and feel sexy, my eyes rolled back and, for a moment, I saw stars.

  Cold air rushed over my naked flesh, exposed by his curious hands. I opened my eyes, confused, in time to see Chase’s body fly back, yanked by a hand I somehow recognized. The same hand that balled into a fist a moment later and slammed into Chase’s face.

  Chapter 9

  The sound of flesh hitting flesh assaulted my ears and yanked me out of the state of sexual bliss I’d embraced. An involuntary scream erupted from my throat as I watched my date be slammed into the adjacent wall with enough force to crack the drywall.

  “Dimitri!
” I shouted his name but saw no sign of recognition in his rage-filled eyes that were locked on Chase’s face, which was swelling and turning blue already. “Stop!”

  The world spun in a chaotic maelstrom. I heard the ongoing sounds of music in the background mixed with shouts of “fight!”

  I pressed my back against the still warm wall and tried to catch my breath. It was too hot in here, too closed in. I couldn’t seem to fill my lungs. Party lights stung my retinas, and I closed my eyes to block it out.

  But the sounds couldn’t be blocked out. The grunts and growls of men fighting, throwing their fists into each other, grabbing and pushing until there was nothing but madness. Flashes of blood filled my mind, images of red, then darkness encroached and dragged me under.

  My eyes flew open. I wouldn’t go! I wouldn’t let them put me in the dark anymore!

  My heart thundered and the sound of it blissfully drowned out the shouting. I dragged in oxygen, over and over until my heart began to slow, just a bit, but enough to help me stay in the moment and not slip away.

  I was safe now. I was at Beta Wolf Academy and safe.

  Anger bubbled up from deep inside me, the place where I’d stuffed the darkness down so deep it had to fight to resurface. It came fast and hot and took me over like the need had earlier. Like the need, it chased away the fear, so I welcomed it and pushed off the wall.

  A growl ripped from my chest, loud enough to breathe through the primal instincts pumping through Chase’s and Dimitri’s veins. I lowered my center of gravity, training my gaze on them as they grappled and punched, and waited for an opening.

  When I saw it, I leaped forward, shoving myself between them so fast they each pushed into me then fell back with shock and confusion ripping through their anger.

  Chase recovered quicker than Dimitri and reached for me to pull me to safety, away from his supposed friend’s rage. Dimitri darted out his hand and grabbed my other arm, locking me between them.