He stared at her for several seconds, trying to decide how to respond to her absurd statement. After licking his lips, he spoke again. “First of all, you know that’s crap. Even though not every single grizzly shifter is easily aware of their mate—and certainly not at such a young age—but it happens.”
She pursed her lips.
He continued, leaning closer to her. “And don’t even try to make light of the passion between us as if a one-night stand would put an end to the curiosity and mystery. If you truly believe we could walk away after having sex, then let’s put it to the test.” He lifted a brow, challenging her.
She flinched. “Not a chance in hell, Alton. You’ve lost your mind.”
“Afraid you might be wrong?”
“What difference would it make? Our families would both flip their lids and explode if they ever caught wind of the fact that we’d been in communication at all, let alone slept together.”
At least she didn’t refer to their joining as fucking again. That really got on his nerves. He stepped closer, closing the gap between them.
She retreated, shuffling backward farther than he’d approached. She held out a hand. “Stop. You promised.”
He nodded. “I did. And I’ll keep that promise for as long as you insist, but I’m growing weary, Jos.”
“Then you shouldn’t track me then. You’re the one who made things worse today by hunting me down.”
He nodded again, slowly. “You’re right. But come on. We used to at least be friends, civil toward each other. Now you won’t even take my calls.”
He’d stop trying months ago when she stopped responding to even his texts. A man could only endure so much rejection.
She lowered her gaze again, her fingers reaching to tuck that same errant lock of hair behind her ear. It immediately bounced free again.
“Jos, it’s simple. We have no choice but to explore this thing. You know it as well as I do.”
She didn’t acknowledge him.
“Been dating a lot lately?” he asked, knowing the answer. Silvertip, Alberta, wasn’t large enough for anyone to keep their dating habits a secret.
She flinched. “Of course not,” she told the ground. And then, as if realizing how odd she’d worded that statement, she rushed to cover it up, “I’ve been busy at work. There’s a lot going on.”
He knew that was true. She worked hard. Always had. Even when they’d been away at the University of Calgary she’d been a workaholic. He wasn’t entirely sure her work ethic back then and still to this day had anything to do with an actual desire to be an overachiever so much as a deep-seated need to avoid the truth. About him. About them. About their future.
“I’m never going to give up, Jos,” he whispered. “I can’t. We’ve been back in Silvertip over a year. I miss seeing you. Talking to you.” They’d both gone to U of C at the same time, though he’d started a year before her. He knew it wasn’t a coincidence they’d both dragged out their education so that he took six years and she took five.
“I know,” she conceded. She licked her lips, staring intently at his before jerking her gaze back to meet his. “It’s hard.”
“What’s hard? Life in general, or denying your mate?”
She winced. “You can’t know for sure we are meant to bind together.”
He didn’t answer her. The only way he could respond would have been denial, and doing so would infuriate her. Instead, he tried another tactic. “I miss you, Jos. First and foremost, you’re my best friend. Please, take my calls. Answer my texts.”
She swallowed hard. “Okay.”
Finally. Headway.
He lifted a brow. Would she? Or was she simply saying what she knew he wanted to hear?
All through university they’d been in contact. Like a forbidden fruit, they’d skirted the truth. Ignored the facts. Intentionally.
When they’d been younger, he’d agreed with her. His family would have wigged out if he’d made any overtures of intending to bind to a member of the Arthur pack. The feud between their families was over a century in the making and ran so deep that many of the older generation harbored a grudge so absurd it made Alton’s skin crawl.
When they’d gotten away from Silvertip, they’d at least started speaking. After all, to ignore each other on campus would have been awkward at best. Besides, few grizzly shifters from either of their packs were around to question their friendship.
Alton took things incredibly slow with her. For one thing, he agreed. They couldn’t possibly end up together. However, he’d been drawn enough to ensure they ran into each other often. They met up in the library for months when she was a freshman to study together. It was his second year. He’d moved into an apartment. Alone. Intentionally? Perhaps deep inside he’d always wanted the door to be open to the possibility she would one day be his. And he certainly didn’t want to have to contend with a roommate if and when that day came.
But it didn’t. Joselyn was serious about her convictions from the beginning. She insisted he never touch her, and she held on to that persistence the entire five years.
He sighed. “Okay?” Hope.
She nodded. “I don’t have many friends. I could use one. No one has to know.”
So much hope.
He missed her laughter. The way her hair fell around her face the few times she wore it down. The way she tucked her feet under her when she concentrated on her homework. He’d never had more than a strict friendship with her, taking what she would offer and not complaining. At least not often.
He hated that she didn’t have friends, but who was he kidding? He didn’t have many closer relationships either. His sibling and parents, but not many outside friends.
He knew the reason why too. His world as consumed with Joselyn. He had few other thoughts. If he couldn’t share this thing with her, what else was there to discuss? Besides, any close friend would wonder why he chose not to date or turned down offers to go out for a beer.
Alton Tarben spent his days in his own family’s rival brewery, Mountain Peak Brewing. He worked long hours, and when he wasn’t at the office, he filled his time running in the mountains in bear form or working out in human form. He did anything and everything to avoid thinking about Joselyn.
Her life mirrored his. He was sure of it. And she’d just admitted she didn’t have close friends either.
“I’ll call. You’ll answer. We’ll talk.”
She nodded.
He fought the urge to reach out and touch her. It was stronger than ever. This futile attempt to deny him by avoiding skin-on-skin contact was driving him mad.
She stepped back, her hands shaking with nervousness. “I gotta go.” Without another word, she shifted into her grizzly form and dashed off into the trees, leaving him standing there unable to move.
Hope. Was this a good thing? Or would renewed contact with her simply drive him more insane than he already was?
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Grizzly Beginning (Arcadian Bears Book 2) Page 22
