“Sorry. Gotta go.” She turned on her heel and fled out the door before the professor could say anything about it.
The cold air hit her hard, and if she’d been human, she would have needed a jacket. The thought jarred her. She and Kieran had stood together on a cold night and stared up at the Lambda House together. Demon or no demon, when they’d stood there together in the wind, she’d been connected to him, drawn to his presence, and not because he was some kind of creature from another place, but because when he’d looked at her, he had seen her. Kieran had really known who she was.
And then, in bed, she’d felt it again, as if their bodies had made a promise in those moments her soul had to find a way to keep.
“Oh, damn it.” She stomped her foot, knowing it was childish. She hadn’t behaved so badly since she’d actually been a kid, but this felt as if it was the perfect time to start.
The truth was Kieran could act like a complete douche bag. He had a bad temper, and the things he said when he got mad clearly left something to be desired. But, pathetic imbecile that she was, she’d gone and fallen for him. She was in love with a fucking demon.
Her pledging duties called to her, but when they were done, she would find the son of one of the most powerful demons in hell—after she determined exactly what it meant to have that pedigree—and she would figure out how this could work because it had to. She loved him. Damn it.
***
“Listen up, bitches,” Mellee called out to the group of girls, and Alex had to bite her tongue. She’d gotten more than a little tired of being called a bitch. She gritted her teeth and tried to listen to the rest of what Mellee said.
“We don’t like you yet. Someday, we might call you our sisters. Someday, we might even encourage our pack leaders to make you our family. Today, you are maggots. You are nasty nothings I have to put up with.”
The sisterhood stood behind her, all dressed in black and holding various food items. They were on a dark field with only flashlights illuminating the evening. The light had to be for show. They were all werewolves. They didn’t need it. But there was nothing like drama, and the longer pledging went on, the more the sisters seemed to be digging deep for ways to terrify the pledges.
Only, Alex wasn’t scared. Not even a little bit. She yawned. This had become boring. She itched to check her cell phone. Maybe her demon boyfriend had texted her to say he was sorry for being such an idiot. Probably not, but she still needed to check.
Instead, she knew she was about to get schmegged. It was a ridiculous word, a made up one, but it still meant the same result in the end. The sisters would dump food all over her and the other pledges. The whole experience was, of course, completely illegal, but then again, all of the hazing Lambda did could get the entire sisterhood thrown in jail as well as have their national charter revoked. All of that had been explained to them moments after they’d signed their pledge cards agreeing to tell the university if any of this ever went on.
She wouldn’t, of course. If she did, if any of them ever spoke of the secrets of Lambda, then their chances to be sisters would end. As well as any future thoughts of joining the sought-after packs.
Presumably, since Kieran wore Greek letters of his own, he had endured his own pledging rituals. Or at least his body had. When exactly had Kieran become the Kieran she knew? Had he been demonically possessed for decades?
“I think I know which one of you I’ll egg first,” Mellee continued.
Of course, she did. It would be Alex. Mellee skipped over as if it was Christmas morning. The thought made Alex smile.
“Something funny, bitch?” Her cousin snarled. Mellee looked at her and stared silently for a second. Mellee didn’t move, her nostrils flaring.
“Do you actually need me to answer?”
“Would I have asked you if I didn’t expect you to answer?” Mellee shouted, and it raised Alex’s temper.
She wanted pack, but she didn’t know if she desired it this much. Assuming her deal with the demon had ended, and she had to guess it had since he’d named her an enemy, she had no reason to keep quiet around Mellee anymore.
“I’m not sure, cousin. You made a point of saying no one could talk to me. I assumed you meant you, too.”
Mellee opened and closed her mouth. The whole crowd could hear every word they said. Werewolves had fantastic hearing. If anyone hadn’t been aware of their family tie, they’d know. Alex hadn’t stopped to consider if disclosing their relationship was good or bad. At this point, she had to react purely on instinct.
“Oh, yes, I know you’re my cousin, and I guess I can even understand why you hate my mother so much. She followed her heart, and it screwed up your life.” Alex shook where she knelt on the ground. “But it’s nothing to do with me. I am not my mother. Never have been; never will be. Her decision took something from me as well, so if it makes you feel better, drench me in food. Schmeg me until my eyes burn and my hair falls out of my head. Cover me in it, Mellee. It’ll never change the fact that I’m your cousin, and I will have pack. You won’t take it from me, no matter how many eggs you break on my head.”
The first egg smacked into her scalp with enough force Alex saw stars. Maybe she had spoken too soon. Taunting Mellee couldn’t have been a worse idea. The shaving cream they shoved in her face burned her eyes. She raised her hands to block the onslaught, but two of Mellee’s cronies grabbed them to stop her.
“You think you can talk to me like that? You can’t ever speak to me as if you know me. I’m everything, and for the remainder of your existence, I’ll make sure you know pain.”
***
It hadn’t been the remainder of her existence, but the few minutes she had stood there while Mellee and her friends covered her with disgusting, old food felt as if they would never end. Eventually, they’d moved on and assaulted some of the other pledges. But she’d taken the brunt of the pain.
Standing outside of Kieran’s fraternity had to be the stupidest move ever. Filthy and disgusting was not the way to approach a guy who had declared her an enemy. Particularly one who was a demon.
So what the hell was she doing there?
She sniffed. Truth was she had nowhere else to go other than back to her dorm room all by herself. And the idea seemed too depressing for words.
“Alexandra?” She jumped and turned around. He’d been downwind; she hadn’t scented him, but there he stood, Kieran, in all his dark hotness. He looked her up and down, and she wished she could melt into the ground. “Ah. The schmegging. The sororities’ answer to tough hazing. Can’t have you ladies doing pushups all day long like we do, so they cover you with food. Nothing like a good egging to make people bond.”
“Well.” She rubbed her cheek and got more cream on her hand. “I think this one might have been more personally directed.”
“I bet.” He held up a plastic coffee cup she’d not noticed before. “Don’t worry. I won’t pour it on you.”
“Right. Look, I don’t know what I’m doing here. I’ll just go.”
“No.” He grabbed her arm and must have gotten food all over himself. He didn’t react at all. “Come in. We’ll get you cleaned up.”
Even though she wanted to be clean with him more than anything, she had to add one last statement. If she went inside and discovered he hated her, she’d explode into a thousand pieces. “I thought I was the enemy.”
“Are you?” He raised his dark eyebrows. “I guess we’ll have to work things out. Some elements have changed in the last few hours. I’ll explain it later. If you’re an enemy, I’ll know it soon enough.”
“Okay.” His words didn’t make a lot of sense, but being close to him made her feel warm, and she’d been freezing cold since the first egg came down on her head.
They walked through the halls, and she kept her eyes down. It was hard enough being disgusting without having to meet the stares of Kieran’s frat brothers. It was likely they all knew what had happened. Kieran certainly had recognized her condition ri
ght away.
He opened the door to his room, and she walked in. The last time she’d been in there, they’d been naked. Her cheeks heated with the memories. It had been the hottest encounter of her life.
“What are you thinking?” He took off his coat and set it on the bed. “You have a weird, scrunched up look on your face.”
“I was thinking it was really…hot…between us in here. But maybe sex is always smoking for you? Is it a demon thing?”
“Nope.” Kieran tugged at her shirt.
She gasped. “What are you doing?”
“We’re getting you cleaned up. That’s going to mean we have to take off your clothes, sweetheart.” He winked at her. “Why? Did you have something dirty in mind? I’m being totally innocent here.”
Chapter Five
He pulled her shirt over her head. The poor girl was covered in the most disgusting smelling food he’d ever encountered. If it bothered his half-breed nose, it had to be making her crazy.
“Kieran.” She covered up her breasts with her arms.
He would have to make her easy again. Re-win her affection. It might take some time. But his demon side didn’t wish to wait. Between werewolves and demonic inclinations, he’d be a bit of a mess for a while.
“Don’t be nervous.” He pulled her against him. “I promise I have no intention of hurting you. Just breathe.”
She’d never had pack, so she didn’t know how important this was to her well-being. Werewolves needed to be held often. It released the necessary serotonin to make shifting easier, made it simpler for them to control their rage. No way could her mother have handled the touch need all by herself.
Alexandra shuddered in his arms and rested her head against his chest. “You seem different.”
“You’re putting it mildly.” He kissed a clean place on her shoulder. “Trust me enough to get you cleaned up. I promise not to do anything you don’t desire.” Although he might try to convince her she wanted something. He couldn’t be blamed for trying.
He tugged at her pants, and she took them off. Alexandra had the longest legs of any woman he’d ever seen naked. Not that there had been many of them, and if his wolf instincts told him anything, Alexandra would be the only woman he saw nude for the rest of his life.
But mating was something he’d deal with later. He had to get her clean so she smelled more like his Alexandra and less the schmeged pledge who was being downright abused by her potential sorority sisters. And he’d be doing something about her treatment very shortly, too. His girl didn’t need to know anything about his plans.
He carried her to his bathroom. It wasn’t much of a bathing area, but it was his, and he only had to share it with one other brother in his fraternity. He locked the other entrance to give them privacy and turned on the shower.
“I can’t believe you get your own. I have to share with forty other women. There are five stalls.”
“I did the same thing, only it was guys, my freshman year. We all put in our time.”
He carried her into the shower, not caring if his clothes got soaked. They could dry. She needed to know he’d stay fully dressed to make his point. She was safe with him. The rest of the world would not be if they continued to give her a hard time. He’d slash and burn. And he’d even enjoy it.
Kieran let the hot water warm her while he soaped her body and hair. The stench of food slowly drained away, replaced by the scent of soap and Alexandra.
She stared up at him, and he knew he’d never forget, for the rest of his life, how lovely she looked with the water dripping down her face in his small shower. She never looked lovelier.
Alexandra narrowed her eyes. “Tell me why you’re so different. You’re the same, and yet there are big differences. Even the way you run your hand through your hair has altered. You’re using more of your fist.”
“Really?” He hadn’t noticed, but then the battle for survival had ended very differently than either part had wanted. “I’ll explain. Come on. Let’s get you dry.”
He dried her off, and then took off his own wet clothing, discarding it on the floor. She stared at the pile. “You’re usually so neat.”
“I’ll get to it eventually. I’m still not a total pig. Here.” He handed her a pair of his boxers and a t-shirt to put on. She sat down on the bed and stared up at him, chewing on her lower lip.
He smiled before he spoke. She was too cute for words, and his cock craved to be deep inside her pussy right then and there. They had to talk. He needed it clear between them before he convinced her he was exactly what she couldn’t do without.
And then there was Mellee to destroy. One way or another.
“You asked a question earlier, and you got an answer. This body had been taken over by a demon. What you don’t know is it was not a complete possession. The person who had lived inside of it for twenty-two years was not at all interested in relinquishing his spot. You see, he wasn’t a pure human. He was only half. His mother was a werewolf.”
She gasped. “You’re a half-breed?”
“We prefer hybrid, but you’re forgiven for not knowing. Yes, it’s unusual, but we do exist. I am one. No one here in this fraternity knows anything about it. I’ve never shifted, but I feel my wolf inside me. It wouldn’t let itself be pushed aside by a demon. Even a powerful one.”
She pulled his cover over her. He liked her movement. His sheets would smell like her. “So, you beat the demon?” Her breath hitched.
“Not exactly.”
Her eyes lit up, and her gaze confirmed what he already suspected. Alexandra had liked the demon. She would have liked the half-were he had been before the possession. And she would love the new version of him. He would devote himself to seeing she did.
“Then what?”
“We fought. One soul against another. Fire, flames, claws.” He shook his head. It might have lasted a year for all the pain he endured. But it had only been ten minutes. “And when it was over, rather than just being either of the people we were before, instead we were one being. Me. I’m just one person, and I have part of both of them. I know it must seem very weird to you. I get it, and take all the time you need to process.” Well, not all the time. At some point, he’d intervene. “But I both am and am not someone new.”
She grabbed her head. “This is so weird.”
He shrugged. “It’s totally normal to me.”
“My head hurts.”
Kieran walked over to her and stroked her back. “It’ll all work out very soon. Here, lay down. Rest. I have something to do.”
“You’re leaving.”
“For a few minutes. Mellee and I are going to have words. I’m not interested in making money off her information anymore, but I am very invested in getting her under control. She and I are going to…talk.”
“Oh,” she groaned, “it’s a helpless cause. I’m dropping out of pledging. The idea of having pack was ridiculous.”
He knelt down in front of her. “No, it’s not. You’ll have a pack if you want one. My pack. My mother has a pack of outcasts. They’ll love you.”
She blinked rapidly. “Really?”
“Yes. But before you join, you’re getting into Lambda because you wish to.”
“Mellee’s my cousin. She’s never going to let me in. Or she’ll make it so hellish it’s not worth it.”
He smiled. She’d given him a present, and he knew just how to use it. “Get some sleep. I’ve got this.”
***
“Mellee.” He caught her attention when she stepped out of her car. Technically, students were not supposed to have cars on campus, but girls as politically connected as Mellee always found a way around the rules. He didn’t resent her ability. He’d always been the same way. In both his previous incarnations.
“Kieran.” She walked over to him. “How are you?”
“Oh.” He smiled his most unassuming grin. “I’ve never been better, and that is actually the truth. I’m stronger, smarter, sharper, and more energetic than
I’ve ever been before.”
“Oh…good.” She looked left and right. “It’s really wonderful you’re feeling so well.”
“Here’s the thing, Mellee. You’re not feeling great.”
“Yes, I am.”
He shook his head. “Nope. You’re not. It’s really the only explanation for why you are making such poor decisions.”
“What—?”
He held up his hand. “Don’t interrupt me when I’m speaking to you. Here’s the deal. Your father is making political moves in Washington that are gaining a lot of attention from parties you’d rather not know about. Trust me. And those people are paying a lot of money to gain information to destroy your family.”
She gasped. Good. He had her attention.
“But they don’t really have to seek very far because I’ll tell them all about you. All about the fact that you’re a werewolf.” His demon self hadn’t thought it would work, had believed no one would take the idea of werewolves seriously. His new self knew better. It wouldn’t be such a well-guarded secret if the werewolves didn’t know it could all blow up in their faces.
“How do you know?” She actually growled at him, and he laughed at the way her cheeks puffed out.
“I’ve always known about you Lambda girls.”
“I could kill you. I’ll shift and kill you.”
He shook his head. “Is threatening a shift the best you can do? Full Moon is still a week away. I can promise you, between this moment and then, I will have made arrangements for the information to disseminate anywhere I wish it to go should anything happen to me.”
“What do you want?” Her nostrils flared.
“Leave.”
“Pardon me?”
“Something wrong with your ears? I told you to leave. Go inside, pack up your bags, and drop out of school. Get back in your car. Drive away and never, ever show your face here again.”
She paled, and he tried not to grin. She was so easy. “I can’t.”
“Oh, but you can because, remember what I told you, you’re not feeling well.”
Sorority Wolf Page 5
