For Bear Or For Worse (Pure Blood 1)

by Meredith Clarke

  When Michael reset and came back in he landed a punch that took the breath right out of me. I breathed deeply a few times, trying to reset myself.

  I pounded his body and then took a shot to the head but I reset immediately. I sent out a roundhouse kick and I heard the crack. Michael fell face down on the floor. I was pretty sure I cracked one of his ribs. He would be fine momentarily, however. We never worried about getting hurt. Unless it was a mortal wound we healed almost immediately. Us shifters healed within minutes; it was a handy skill to have. That's why our sparring was always so cutthroat—we could handle it. It was also fun to know that we could be brutal and still recover quickly. It was that power that shifters had over humans. Humans were so fragile, they broke so easily.

  Blood oozed from my body, leaking onto the canvas floor of the ring. I could feel my face was becoming swollen and I was panting for breath. I was sure Michael was down for the count, but then I watched as he planted one shaking hand on the ground, then the other. The room had grown completely silent as we watched Michael try to push himself back up. Dammit, I couldn't understand why he just wouldn't stay down. He was one tough mother...

  Michael pushed himself up and spit more blood on the ground. He used his arms to get back up on his feet only to catch a strong left hook to his temple that swung his head around. My corner was going crazy, they were loving every minute of the fight. It was probably one of the most exciting fights anyone had seen all year. That was why I needed to make sure that I won. I would not be brought down by my beta, not now, not ever.

  At this point Michael was hurting pretty bad. I walked over to him and helped him lay on his back so his bones could heal back properly.

  It was time well spent at the gym. It had distracted me from the real problems I had in life. I turned and rested myself against the ropes as I took in a deep breath, exhaling it out. I was completely gassed from the workout, but I felt invigorated. Every time I stopped working out though, I thought about Avery. I did not want to think about Avery ever again.

  Fuck. I couldn’t believe I slept with a human. How could I be such a fucking idiot? How did I not know? Her scent should have been obvious from the moment I met her. I couldn't figure out why I hadn't been able to pick up on it sooner. She should have reeked like a human. What the hell was wrong with me? We had rolled around in my bed all night for crying out loud, how did I not pick up on her scent?

  The chemistry between us had been so incredible, it was like nothing else mattered. The chemistry must have blocked out her scent. Crazy, crazy woman. I had been completely manipulated by her.

  I had been beating myself and Michael up all day trying to understand why I had got tangled up with Avery in the first place. What was worse was remembering every hot moment of our night together. It kept playing over and over inside my head like a delicious movie that I never wanted to forget. That sex...it was the kind of sex that made you want to repeat it every hour of every day for the rest of your life. It was just that good. But with a human! I was an idiot.

  If anyone found out...

  No, I couldn't even think it. I could not let anyone in the society know that I had slept with Avery. It would completely destroy me. It would destroy everything that I had spent my life working for. I couldn't allow a human to destroy me. Zoey had suspicions however, that was why she had called me like a maniac all night long. Seeing that message that morning, “she's human,” it had just about undone me. I would have to convince Zoey that nothing had happened between Avery and I.

  I hit the shower and got the grunge of the fight washed off me. I dressed quickly and sat on the bench in the locker room, thinking about my options. I would have to talk to Zoey, the sooner the better.

  I decided to make a quick call to Zoey. She answered with her usual bite.

  “Where the fuck have you been, Cole? I have only left like a dozen messages on your phone. I have been trying to get a hold of both you and Avery since you two mysteriously disappeared at the club. But neither of you are answering my calls, which leads me to believe the worst.”

  “I have no idea what happened to Avery that night. I went to go get a drink and I was called into work for an emergency. I told Avery goodnight and that was the end of it. She probably just went home.”

  “What? Are you sure? Why isn't she answering me then?” I was surprised that she genuinely sounded concerned.

  “I don't now. Maybe she is hung over. But nothing happened between Avery and I. So your crazy texts were for nothing.”

  “Wow, I really thought you guys went home together. It totally freaked me out.”

  I groaned inwardly, “Nope, it's all good.”

  “Well in that case I should be very worried about Avery. I assumed she was safely tucked away with you, but what if something happened to her at the bar or afterwards? She could be hurt.”

  “Oh, I'm sure she is fine, you're just overreacting. In fact, now that I think about it, when I left the club one of the bouncers mentioned to me that he saw her leave in a cab. So I'm sure she is just at home nursing a hangover. Those humans don't recover quite like we do, Zoey.”

  Zoey seemed to believe my story, although it was a flawed one. I knew that I would have to talk to Avery before Zoey did and convince her not to say anything to Zoey. After the way I treated her by just leaving without a word she didn't owe me any loyalty, but I was hoping she wouldn't rat me out anyways. That would go over real well.

  I made my next call to Avery and held my breath as the phone rang. The only play I had was to get her to hate me in order for her not to say anything, I wasn't thrilled about what I had to do, but it was my survival at stake.

  Chapter Eleven

  Avery

  I was lying on my bed with my eyes closed when my phone started ringing. Fucking phone calls. I was really in no mood to talk to anyone. Zoey had been blowing up my phone all day and I just couldn't even bear to talk to her. After waking up to find Cole gone, I had been in a pretty foul mood. All I could do was think about the night that I had with Cole and how he had ruined it for me. I thought things had been perfect between us and yet I couldn't have been more wrong. I rolled over and grabbed the phone off the bedside table. I glanced at the number and furrowed my brow. I didn't recognize the phone number, which probably meant that I wouldn't enjoy the phone call. Unknown numbers were usually people you didn't like or bill collectors. Either way, it was never a good thing. I considered for a moment the joys of just letting it go to voicemail but I thought that it might be important. I clicked on the button and said hello.

  “Hello Avery.”

  I froze at the sound of Cole 's voice. My jaw clenched and I wished I hadn't answered it at all. I was in no mood to talk to Cole, and I was still pretty disgusted with how he had treated me after sleeping with me. Why was he even calling me? He obviously cared nothing for me or he wouldn't have left that disgusting note for me in the first place. What could he possibly have to say to me?

  “What do you want, Cole?” I hissed.

  “I just wanted to say that I was sorry for leaving you the way I did without any explanation.”

  “Whatever, it's fine.” I said numbly. I was still very upset about the whole thing, but I had no intention of staying on the phone with Cole any longer than I had to. I wanted to be done with him.

  “Have you spoken to Zoey yet?”

  I bristled. “No Cole, why? Should I have spoken to her?” I snapped.

  There was a pause on the other end and I waited for an answer.

  “I think that we should keep what happened between us last night between just you and I. Zoey is an ex of mine and I don't want her to find out about us. It will start a whole new fight between us and I don't want to drag you in the middle of the whole thing. It's just best if we keep it between us.”

  I fucking knew it. I knew there was something between them.

  “Well, you didn't seem to care about keeping it a secret last night when you were rubbing my ass,” I spat.

&
nbsp; He chuckled, “Avery, I'm serious. No one saw us leave through the side exit, so just tell Zoey you left shortly after I said goodbye. It's no big deal.”

  My heart was beating in my chest and I fought back the tears in my eyes that wanted to spill down my cheeks. What a disappointment he turned out to be. I swallowed back my tears and my walls went up once again. I hung up the phone without another word to Cole.

  I flopped back down on the bed and closed my eyes once again. What a jerk. I couldn't get over his behavior, it was just so confusing and...mean. He obviously hadn't wanted anything but sex from me, and that was a crushing blow to my ego. I just didn't understand at all. How had this happened to me? I really thought that there was a connection between Cole and I, one that went beyond having sex. But I had been so very wrong.

  Flashes of memories from the night before kept coming to my mind, and it angered me even more. I couldn't seem to shake the thoughts of Cole and how he had touched me the night before. His hands had lingered on my body as if I was the most beautiful creature he had ever had his hands on. He had made me feel so beautiful before him. That's what made his behavior so confusing. How could you treat someone so good and then do the opposite when you were done with them? It was just so cruel. Why did he have to change? Why couldn't he have been beside me when I woke up? It seemed just too awful to think about. My heart felt like there was a slice in it. I felt the pain of it any time I moved. I hated that feeling. I was never one of those girls that let a guy hurt her. I never let them get under my skin enough for them to do so. I never had one-night stands, but I had taken a risk with Cole and it turned out it was the wrong kind of risk.

  That’s enough, I thought. I needed to get out of my apartment and explore the city. If I sat there any longer I felt like I would lose my mind. I needed to get some fresh air and maybe some wine. Yes, wine would help…and maybe chocolate.

  I only got partway down the street when my phone rang again. My jaw clenched again and I hoped it wasn't Cole calling me back. Looking at the phone I realized it was Zoey. Shit. I did not want to talk to Zoey.

  I clicked on it knowing I had to talk to her sooner rather than later. We did work together, after all. I couldn't avoid her forever. I didn't want there to be any bad blood between us, either.

  “Avery, thank God. I have been messaging you all day. I was starting to get worried about you.”

  “Ya, I'm sorry. I'm just not feeling very well.”

  “Oh, no problem. Look, do you want to meet for a few drinks? Hair of the dog will probably do you some good.”

  I paused and thought about my options. Ahh, what the hell. “Ya sure, where do you want to meet?”

  ***

  When I met up with Zoey I had to remind myself to stay calm. I felt awkward being around her at first because I essentially knew I was going to be lying to her. I really liked Zoey and I didn't feel it was fair for me to lie to her, but I also didn't want to cause a fight between Cole and her. Not to mention she probably wouldn't be very pleased with me either; if she had feelings for Cole she wouldn't like the fact that I slept with him. Cole had filled me in on what my back story was, and I was sticking to the fact that I left shortly after he did. He was certain that no one had seen us leave through the side exit, so we were fine with our alibis. I hated lying, but I felt it was my only option at that point. I would not be seeing Cole again, so there was no reason to make waves between the three of us.

  I saw Zoey at the bar and she waved me over. She had already ordered me a glass of wine and I thanked her as I sat down. The wine actually looked delicious in the midst of deception. I should drink it fast. If I got a good buzz going down then lying might become easier for me to do.

  I settled in my seat and took my first long sip. It went down deliciously and I grinned. It tasted fantastic, and the cool liquid made me feel so much better.

  Zoey giggled, “That bad, is it? So what happened to you last night? One minute you are going to the bathroom and the next you disappeared. I thought something may have happened to you.”

  I looked into my drink as I talked. “No. I think the booze got to my head quickly because when I left the bathroom I felt kind of dizzy. Cole saw me and said goodbye, he had work or something and I just left after. Got in a cab and headed home.” I was surprised how easily the lies came out. I should probably feel ashamed of myself for doing that to Zoey. But a few little white lies should be okay if it means you are trying to avoid hurting someone’s feelings, right? That's what I was going to tell myself, anyways.

  “Well, you should have at least told me, silly.”

  “Oh, I know. But I saw you with that guy and I didn't want to bother you or make you leave. I just got in a cab, really it was no big deal.”

  There was a rather long and awkward silence between us as Zoey stared at me. I was starting to think that she didn't believe me. I held my breath in and willed her to believe me. God, I did not want to be a part of Cole and Zoey's relationship drama. I don't know why he hit on me in the first place if he was worried about Zoey's feelings. It really didn't make any sense. Nervousness swelled inside my stomach as Zoey continued to stare at me. The girl was rather intimidating, and she made me feel like she could see straight down into my soul. I took another sip of my wine and I noticed my hands shaking. I willed them to stop shaking before Zoey noticed that I was shutting down right before her eyes. I took a few deep breaths and my hands stopped shaking.

  Finally Zoey nodded and said, “It's okay, don't worry about it. Next time just let me know if you are leaving without me so I don't worry about you. And that guy was nothing, you could have easily interrupted that.”

  “Oh. It didn't look like nothing. He's pretty good looking.”

  “Trust me, it was nothing.”

  I just nodded and continued to drink my wine. She followed suit and we sat in silence for a moment. I couldn't help myself, I just sat there brewing about Cole. Finally, I thought to hell with it. Against my better judgment I decided to ask Zoey about Cole. I needed to know for myself. Things had crashed and burned between us, and I wanted to know if it had anything to do with Zoey. Maybe I was just a one-night thing while Zoey was who he really wanted to spend his time with. It would explain all the bickering the night before.

  “So...what's up with you and Cole? I couldn't help but notice that you guys had some sort of connection between the two of you.” Though apparently having a connection with someone meant squat. At least in my case it did. Bitterness was killing me and I really needed to let it go.

  Zoey smiled slyly and I was beginning to regret asking. There was something in her expression that told me that Zoey very much still had feelings for Cole. Was it unrequited love or something more? How did Cole feel about her?

  “Well, Cole and I go way back...way, way back.”

  “Really?” My heart plummeted.

  “Oh yes. We have known each other since we were young, basically we grew up together. There were some close moments between him and I over the years where we could have become so much more, but it never really happened for us. We continued to get close over the years but we never got to the point where we really tried to be in a relationship. We sort of just hung in between this friends but not really friends stage for years. But something has been different lately between us, ya know?” She took a sip of wine and my stomach clenched in agony. I really didn't want to hear the story and yet I was willing to do just that. Torture was great, wasn't it?

  “Wow really?” I was at a loss for words to the point where I couldn't even give smart responses.

  “Ya, so you better back off, because Cole is mine,” she said while laughing.

  I laughed nervously along with her and wondered what the hell I just gotten myself into. Zoey was trying to joke with me but I could feel the threat behind her words. I knew no matter what I had to stay very far away from Cole. She wasn't about to let me get close to him again, and that was probably for the best.

  Chapter Twelve

&nb
sp; Cole

  I felt sluggish at work since I had virtually gotten zero sleep the night before. I had stayed up all night tossing and turning all because of Avery. I could not get the girl off my mind no matter what I did. Now I was losing sleep over her too. I should have been able to forget her completely by that point; I always forget my one-night stands. They were just for one night. I rarely thought about them again. But Avery, no, she was different. She had taken my mind hostage and there didn't seem to be a time when she was going to give it back. I thought I would be done with her and yet it just wasn't that easy. She possessed me, and I wasn't sure how to shake her off me.

  There was just something about her. I just loved the way her curves fit underneath my body; we had fit together like puzzle pieces. Sitting there at my desk I though about what it would be like to lay her down on top of it and have my way with her again. Feel that body against my skin. Her mouth had been red hot that night and she had put those lips against my body. She sizzled. We had lit on fire together and there was a part of me that wanted to taste her all over again. God, she felt so good. We had pleased each other on a whole new level. We had explored each other’s body as much as possible and I longed to do it again. It was impossible however, I needed to find a way to forget Avery. She was below me, and the elders would lose it if they found out I had slept with her.

  “Cole. Cole? Are you even listening to me?”

  I shook my head and realized I had totally blocked my beta Michael out as he was talking to me. I really needed to focus and get that girl out of my head for good. She was trouble. Normally I liked trouble, but she was the kind that could really put a kink into my lifestyle. Actually, she could ruin me completely, and that kind of thinking put a damper on my day.