“It’s English, that building right over there.” I point. Everyone we pass, shifter or human, watches us. Masen commands attention; not one male shifter dares look at us for longer than a moment. If the death glares aren’t enough warning, the low growls do the trick. Even the humans keep their distance.
The women are a different story. Their eyes linger on Masen. His menacing stare does little to deter them from ogling him. We make it to class, and I turn to ask, “do you know if Sniffer and Sam have the same schedule today as Monday?”
His head tilts. “I think so. Why?”
“I was just hoping to hang out with them during break, maybe grab lunch again. I don’t want to roam the campus alone for two hours,” I answer.
“I’ll be here for lunch. They can join us, but I’ll be here,” he says like I should already know this. “Let’s find you a seat,” he says while pulling me into the room.
“Masen,” I whisper. “Masen.” I try again this time pulling his arm so he’ll look down at me. “You said you wouldn’t follow me into class.”
He pulls me to an area that has tables and chairs instead of desks. “That was before,” he says while he sits and tries to put me on his lap.
“Before what?” I slap his hands away. “What are you doing?” I ask.
“If I knew you wouldn’t sit with me, I would have pulled your chair,” he pouts, really?
“You can’t be here. We’re going to get in trouble,” I whisper.
“I know Tate; it’s fine.” He sees my confusion. “Your teacher, Tate Daniels.” Oh that makes sense he’s a shifter.
I’m a little nervous with him in class next to me. The Professor walks in and notices him almost immediately. How can you not? His presence fills the room. The Professor dips his head to Masen and starts the lecture.
When class ends, Masen helps me from my chair and tucks my hand in the crook of his arm, but he doesn’t move to leave. He just stands there waiting. A few students approach Professors Daniels’ desk, but he dismisses them quickly making his way to us. When he’s right next to us, he dips his head even lower this time and says, “Alpha,” so low no one else would be able to hear. Masen turns taking me with him and leaves the room without even acknowledging him.
What was that? “Oh no, oh Masen, that was so mean. I’m so embarrassed for him. Why’d you do that?” My face is beet red.
When we’re outside, he stops, leans in close, and brings his large palms to my checks. His thumb brushes my lips. “Your cheeks are on fire,” he laughs, “don’t worry you’re not in trouble.”
“I’m not worried about being in trouble,” I say softly. “He must be so embarrassed.”
He shakes his head. “He’s not. I had a point to make that’s all. No hard feelings he’s fine.” He kisses my nose and asks, “what class do you have next?”
I point towards the science building. “Bio with Sam,” I sigh.
Masen leaves me at the door with a pat on the butt. “Freak,” I mutter.
“I heard that,” he yells while walking away.
I take the same seat from Monday and wait for Sam. I ignore the whispers of my name and bring out my book.
Sam struts in with a frozen french vanilla coffee and a smile. “Thought you could use this.”
I take the offering. “I could kiss you,” I say jokingly.
“Ahh please don’t! I like the living.” He laughs.
I shake my head. “He’s picking me up after class. You guys want to have lunch again?” I ask hopeful.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” He smiles.
When class ends, I see Masen leaning against the wall outside the door. He makes his way to us. The students part as he nears them. He grabs my hand and greets Sam. Walking out of the building, Sam says he and Sniffer are meeting in the union again at one o’clock. It’s only a little after twelve so they decide to sit in the quad for a little bit. I’m not sure how I feel about waiting here or eating in the cafe with all the attention we seem to receive. I’m tucked in between Masen’s legs, his arms resting on his bent knees talking with Sam. No one approaches us while we sit under a tree, so I start to relax. Maybe, I’m overthinking things; maybe, I’m just being self-conscious.
We find a seat in the union, thankfully, not in the middle this time. Within two minutes, I see Michael coming through the doors. He spots us and heads over. After saying hello, all three men began laughing and joking. I can tell they’re very comfortable with each other.
Soon, Sniffer joins us, and we head over to the cafe to get lunch. Masen and I head to a Mongolian grill, and the others head off in different directions. We all meet back at a large table we sat our bags on when we first arrived. Moments after sitting, I see the terrible trio heading our way. “Great, here comes my welcoming committee,” I utter. Masen’s turns and follows my line of sight to see Brittany and her crew standing at our table. Her fingers are tangled in her hair like toddler twirling away. I roll my eyes.
“Hi Mase, hey guys,” she waves, “can we sit with you? There aren’t any empty tables left,” she asks sweetly.
Michael looks around the room confirming there are indeed no empty tables. “You guys planning on eating?” Michael asks while noting their empty hands.
“Oh yeah, we just wanted to find a seat first,” she replies smoothly.
Michael looks at Masen; there seems to be silent commutation that passes between them. “Yeah that’s fine. We’re almost done anyway,” Michael answers. Masen hasn’t spoken at all, just watches. Huh, that’s strange.
When they return, each carrying a yogurt and small salad, I laugh to myself. Looking down at my stir fry, I think they could all three use a few good meals. Shaking my head, I keep eating. The conversation has been easy and light. All the men make sure to include me often asking for my opinion or input.
Now all conversation falls silent as they take their seats. Brittany takes a seat next to Michael who’s directly across from Masen. The blonde from English whose name I just learned is Lisa, sits next to Sam who’s straight in front of me, putting her across from Sniffer on my side. The last girl, Becca takes the seat next to Lisa. Brittany unsuccessfully tries to start several conversations with Masen. He doesn’t ignore her but gives one or two word replies and never looks in her direction. His behavior is so different from only moments ago when he was relaxed and playful.
Finally, she says something that gets his full attention. “Roxanne has your watch Mase. She said you must have forgotten it Saturday morning when you left.” Her smile is innocent, too innocent; she knows exactly what she just did.
Masen’s fist slams on the table so hard me and almost everyone in the cafe jump. “Leave,” he barks. She scurries away. Her friends follow, not even stopping to pick up their trash.
It doesn’t matter though; the damage is done. I’m successfully reminded he was with her less than a week ago. How I feel about it surprises me though. On one hand, I want to claw all three of their eyes out, but on the other hand, I want to mount him in front of every woman he’s ever been with and show them he’s mine. Yes snarls my wolf she like both ideas. She not just a hussy; she’s a violent one.
Truthfully, I know it was before me, but it still hurts. There’s nothing to been done for it now, and I won’t let her win by pushing Masen away. That’s exactly what they want.
I settle for rubbing my hand over Masen’s tense shoulder. “Calm down, Big Guy. I know what she was trying to do. The reminder sucks, but it’s not like I didn’t know about you and Roxanne.”
Masen’s body immediately relaxes, and he snatches me up from my seat and sits me in his lap. He shoves my face into his chest and drops his head to my ear. “Thank you,” he whispers.
Sniffer is staring at me with an open mouth. I reach over and lift his chin with my fingers. “Nobody wants to see your burrito Sniffer,” I admonish.
Masen lets out a full blown belly laugh. His head is thrown back as he roars. Now, it’s my turn to stare along with everyone else
in the room. A few chuckle with him. Most just watch, seeming to realize the rarity that they’re witnessing. He squeezes me tight and still laughing says “I’m a lucky fucker!”
Sniffer is still shocked. “What have you done with my brother? Do you have any sisters?” That earns him a swat to the back of the head from Masen. Lifting his hands defensively, he comments, “hey I was just asking.” I finish my lunch sitting in Masen’s lap, and I don’t even care if anyone watches.
He drops me at my photography class. When I turn to leave, he wraps me in his arms picking my feet up from the floor. “I’ll see you soon.” He promises; then he sets me down.
Class seems to drag on as I wait to be dismissed. Knowing he’ll be waiting has me excited. I’m one of the first from my seat when the teachers tells us she’ll see us next week. I rush out the door with a smile plastered to my face, but it falls when I don’t see him. Looking at my phone, I see it’s five minutes earlier than I told him we’d get out.
I make my way to the front of the building when I see him under a tree talking on his phone. I walk up behind him and hear “know it’s hard. It’s hard for me too.” He’s running his hands through his hair. “Well, I’m not sure. I have something to do tonight. Maybe, I can come by when I’m done or tomorrow.” There’s a stretch of silence. “I can’t answer that, just give me some time Roxy.”
Piss off are you kidding me? Here I was thinking all this bullshit with her is over, and now he’s on the phone consoling her. “I can’t. Not yet. She’s fragile.” Fragile is he talking about me?
I’ve heard enough. I turn to walk away, but before I can, Michael walks up, “Hey Luna, class get out early?” Masen turns around slowly when he hears Michael address me as the Luna. The guilty look on his face says it all. Michael realizing there’s something wrong stands next to me.
Masen’s face is hard when he says, “I’ll talk to you later.” The placating softness in his voice is replaced with anger. I wonder who he’s mad at, me for catching him, or himself for not paying better attention and getting caught.
Masen reaches out like he going to touch me; yeah, that’s not happening. I take one step back; Michael follows me. “I don’t think so, Buddy.” I sneer. His face falls “I’ll tell you this once and only once. You get your shit sorted before you ever come near me again. But know this, if you touch her or anyone else, I will never be your Mate. I survived losing you before. You better believe I could do it again.” I turn to Michael “I would like for you to give me a ride home and arrange for my jeep to be returned to me immediately. Please.” I add as an afterthought.
Michael looks to Masen for an answer. Masen again tries to close the distance between us; his mouth opens to speak. I hold my hand out. “I will not listen to any excuses you have. Nothing about what you were just doing is okay. No matter the reason! If you’re not willing to do it in front of me, then you should never do it behind my back. Sort your shit or walk. There is no other option!”
“Now Michael are you going to give me a ride or ask permission from your Alpha?”
Michael nods his head. “Yes Luna. I’ll drive you home, and your jeep will be there within the hour.”
Michael is quiet the short drive to my house. When we reach the lot in front of my condo, I mutter, “thank you for bringing me home, Michael. Drive carefully.”
I take my keys from my bag and exit his black truck. After unlocking my door, I lock the deadbolt, then throw my bags on the couch. I head to my master bath. A long, hot soak is just what I need. I start the water, add a little bubble bath, grab my bluetooth speaker, and set my Sunday morning playlist from my iPad.
My skin is pink, and my face is a little sweaty from the heat. But, I’m finally relaxed. My wrinkled fingers tell me it’s time to rinse off and wash my hair. I pull the plug and wait for some of the water to drain before standing and turning on the shower.
I’m singing along with Bruno’s When I Was Your Man, when the door crashes open. I screech, loud and long. I’m not proud of the girly wail that leaves my lips. I can just make out a large shape through my white, ruffled shower curtain. I can hear deep breathing, and I instantly know it Masen.
“What are you doing in here? How the hell did you even get in here?” I yell!
“You wouldn’t answer the door. I knew you were here,” he pants, “I panicked, I’ll...fix your door.” He’s still breathing heavy.
“Fix my door? My door...GET OUT! GET OUT! JUST GET OUT!.” I scream.
“I’m sorry,” he says softly before the door clicks closed gently.
I close my eyes and blow out a breath. Tony Bennett croons to Smile, while I try to calm myself. I finish my shower taking my time moisturizing and brushing my hair. I find a pair of yoga capris and my softest thinnest tee shirt. I want to be comfy; I’m exhausted. This day, that started out so wonderful, has quickly sapped my strength and left me hungry and tired.
He’s still here, though. I know he hasn’t left. I don’t know how to deal with him right now. I still feel conflicted. I want to forgive him for talking to her, and I want to punish him. There isn’t any point in punishing him, because unless he knows he’s wrong, none of it matters. He would just do it again.
When I walk out of my room, I see him trying to prop my cracked front door over the broken door frame, good lord. He turns when he hears my soft footfalls. Remorse clear on his face.
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.” He pushes his inky hair back from his now scruffy, handsome face. “I came here to explain; no excuses, no made up stories. Just the truth, and to apologize. When you didn’t answer the door, I freaked out.” His hands are at his narrow hips while his head hangs down. “My heads so fucked up right now. If I would have just paid attention, I would have heard you singing in the shower; I would have been able to smell your bath. Shit, I can tell you shaved your legs. But, everything keeps going off line. You’re all I see; you’re all I feel. I’m having a hard time dealing with you being so close but still so far away.” He looks up and meets my eyes “I want to Mark you! I don’t want any man near you. My wolf is making me crazy. I’m afraid if I shift he’ll mark you whether you’re ready or not.” He pulls a hand full of his hair “I’m not telling you this to rush you; I would never rush you. If you need a month, six months, you can have it. It’ll be a struggle, but I want you to want me. I want you to want us,” he implores. I can hear the honesty in his worn out voice. He’s just as screwed up as I am. It’s kind of a relief.
I walk over and tuck my arm into his elbow the way he likes and lead him to the kitchen to sit while I make us some dinner. “I’m gonna make us dinner, and we can talk, alright?” He sits and lets out a long sigh. “I need an explanation for earlier Masen. I know there’s a lot happening for both of us, but above all, I need honesty.” I start gathering ingredients for dinner, and he starts talking.
“I guess it started yesterday when I got up to get you water. I heard Cass yelling at Roxanne so I went to find out why she was still at the house.” He stands and moves closer to me as I start making dough for biscuits. “I found out she had been standing in the hallway, listening to me explain our situation to Cass. How you were only fourteen when we met.” He running his fingers through the spare flour on the board. “I didn’t, don’t want her telling anyone, and I’ll tell you why in a bit.”
Oh so there’s more to it than he lead me to believe this morning. He continues, “So to placate her, I let her believe she still had a chance, that I might still chose her. I’ve never heard of one Mate rejecting the other. She is just too self-absorbed to see that.” He tilts my chin with his fingers so I’m looking right at him. “I let her believe that; I encouraged her to believe that. I’m sorry, Little One. I should have told you from the beginning I was trying to keep her quiet. I won’t keep things from you in the future.” He leans down a presses a lingering kiss to my temple. I sigh.
“I get you feel like you had good reasons for letting her believe that,” I shake my head
, “but it stops now.”
He agrees with a simple ”I know.” The moves on quickly “Now, let’s talk about why I wanted to keep her quiet. I think there’s something different about you. I wasn’t lying this morning when I said I need to know a few things first.” Masen watches my hands while I knead the dough seemingly engrossed. “I still don’t know what it all means, but there are too many things to ignore like us knowing that we’re Mates before your first shift, the way unmated males respond to you.”
I hold up my hand that’s completely covered in biscuit dough. “What do you mean by that?” I ask.
He takes the towel and wipes my chin where he must have left flour from touching me. “When you drove through the pack houses, every unmated male came out to see who you were. People don’t stare at you at school because they think you’re a rogue; they stare at you because you smell really, really good.” He proves his point by sticking his nose behind my ear, drawing in a long breath, and opening his mouth to let it out slowly. When his hot breath hits my ear and fans my neck, I shiver; my neck automatically arches back. His hand falls to the outside flare of my hip squeezing as he brings his chest flush to my shoulder. His other hand travels up to my arched neck. Fingers thread into the hair at the nape of my neck while his thumb caresses my cheek. Mouth still at my ear, he says, “like warm vanilla and sex, Baby.”
His teeth nip the bottom of my earlobe, and I whimper. His body pushing mine against the counter is the only thing holding me up. Masen kisses his way down my throat and across my exposed collar bone. He turns me slightly and pulls me so my breasts push into his lower chest. He moans at the contact. “So soft for me baby.” My body molds to his.
He leans down with his forearm under my butt and his hand clenching my outer thigh and lifts me until my mouth is inches above his. I wrap my legs around his torso. My hands still covered in sticky dough bracket his head. I look down at him, and the tip of his tongue traces my bottom lip; my thighs squeeze him as my mouth falls open. The air in my lungs leaves in a long, hot pant. Watching him with his eyes hooded as he teases my mouth has me so worked up I start rolling my hips against his hard stomach to sooth the ache. “You need something baby?” He asks his voice is so low it’s almost a growl.
Becoming His Page 8
