Imperfect Mate

by Lia Davis

  Sam stood. “Thank you, Mrs. Brady. I will.”

  Outside the dean’s office, Sam released the breath she’d held since the dragon walked in the office. A dragon. She’d never meet one before, so she hadn’t been prepared for the amount of power she exuded. It had enveloped Sam like a heavy blanket.

  She shivered and pushed her feet to move toward her first class. Maybe she could get through a couple of classes before running into Gavin. Her tiger was on edge before she’d met with the dragon because his scent clung to her clothes from the night before. She’d even placed her clothes inside a plastic bag, but the cinnamon and spice fragrance lingered in her room, driving her crazy with need.

  With a glance at her schedule, she relaxed a little. General Physics would definitely help keep her mind off Gavin and mating. When she reached the classroom, she straightened her shoulders and forced her tiger down. Behave. We’ll go for a run later. She pushed the door open, and her heart dropped as she met Gavin’s stare from where he sat in the back row. Oh hell, this was going to be a long day.

  ***

  The classroom door opened, drawing Gavin’s attention. Every muscle in his body tightened as his heart hammered against his rib cage. Samira’s ice-blue gaze locked with his. His cock jerked to attention. What the hell was wrong with him?

  He could still feel her soft lips against his from last night’s kiss. His boldness had shocked the hell out of him. Women like Samira didn’t look at geeks like him. They especially didn’t allow him to kiss them. It was an unwritten rule somewhere. Yet, he hadn’t been able to stop himself. The urge to taste her had been too strong, an unseen force drawing them together like polar opposites.

  For a brief moment, she’d returned his kiss. Right before she fled inside her dorm. Who was he kidding? He’d been hurt once and didn’t care to repeat history. Popular girls like Sam only wanted what they could take then ditched him when they were done.

  Just like his high school sweetheart, Stacy. Once finals and college tests had been over, she’d left, telling him it wouldn’t ever work out long term. A few days after graduation, he’d overheard her best friend telling her boyfriend and a few others how Stacy had used him to get the grades she needed to get into Harvard.

  Somehow, Sam seemed different. For one, she was smart and didn’t need him to improve her grades. He hadn’t needed her to blurt out her IQ to tell him that. She possessed a confidence he hadn’t seen in many people he ran into.

  When Sam made her way toward him, his heartbeat went haywire, increasing at an alarming rate. His palms clammed up. God, he was pathetic.

  She sat in the seat next to him. “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  They had about ten minutes before class started. That was ten awkward minutes he’d have to endure. Hell, this was crazy. He’d been with girls before, even dated a few since Stacy. Why was it different now?

  “Look, I’m sorry about last night.”

  She turned to him, staring at him with her ice-blue eyes. “For what?”

  “Making you feel uncomfortable,” he whispered.

  Smiling, she leaned in closer and whispered back, “Oh. I’m sorry for freaking out. I guess I’m nervous because this is the first time I’ve been away from my family.”

  His muscles relaxed as relief washed over him. “I was afraid I’d scared you off.”

  “You’d have to do a lot more than that to scare me off.”

  Everything about her mesmerized him. She’d braided her blonde hair, and a few thick strands hung on either side of her face. The bright pink top she wore made her eyes stand out a little more. Or maybe it was the lighting in classroom opposed to the moonlight from the night before.

  “Want to have dinner with me tonight?”

  She snapped her attention back to him and stared for a moment. He feared she’d turn him down and almost told her to forget it before she rested her hand on his forearm. “I’d love to.”

  “Great. Where would like to go?”

  She shrugged. “Not sure. Surprise me.”

  Grinning, he ran through his mental list of favorite restaurants in the area. He needed to make sure it was comfortable and had great food. Something on the water since she loved it so much.

  He knew the perfect place.

  Chapter Four

  Gavin tugged a light blue polo from his drawer and pulled it over his head. Sam’s face popped into his thoughts as well as her scent and the softness of her lips. Damn, he longed to kiss her again.

  His stomach knotted like he was back in high school, going on his first date. Shaking his head, he sat on his bed, leaving his phone on speaker. He’d called, like he did every week, to talk to his parents, but they hadn’t been home. So, he’d called his sister.

  “I met someone.”

  “A girl?”

  He laughed at his sister’s shocked tone. “Yes. I do date you know.”

  Cassie had started state college two years before and was currently planning a wedding. He was happy for her and really liked his soon-to-be brother-in-law. “Not often, or at least you don’t call home to tell anyone. She must be special.”

  She is. “I just met her last night, but we have so much in common. It’s weird really.”

  “You know I’m a firm believer in love at first sight. You know, like me and Chad.”

  “How are Mom and Dad?”

  “They’re good. They regretted not seeing you off to school, though.”

  He shrugged. “They can’t control the airline any more than they can the weather.”

  Cas laughed. “That’s for sure. But they are going to be annoyed that you called and they weren’t home.”

  “I’ll send Mom a text.” He picked up his phone from the desk, switched the speaker off, and held it to his ear. “I have to go. Hot date and all.”

  “Oh, okay.” She laughed again. “I really am happy for you. It’s good to have friends and go out. Just don’t bore her to death with your geekiness.”

  He rolled his eyes even though she couldn’t see him. “Good-bye, Cassandra.”

  “Bye, geek. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, brat.”

  He ended to call with a smile, while still missing her. Being thirteen months younger, he’d spent every day with her growing up. They were best friends as well as siblings who loved to tease and taunt each other.

  Phone calls were all they had since she left for college. By the sounds of the wedding plans, he’d have to settle for weekly calls and holidays even after he graduated college.

  With a sigh, he grabbed his keys and left to pick up Sam for their date.

  ***

  Sam descended the stairs with her heart in her stomach. Gavin stood in the middle of foyer watching her. “Sorry if I kept you waiting.”

  He held out his hand, palm up. “You look beautiful.”

  Her cheeks heated, but she took his hand, trying to push away the desire rushing through her at the connection. “Thank you. You look great.”

  One side of his mouth lifted. “I hope you like Italian.”

  “I love it.”

  His posture sagged in relief. “Oh, good. There’s a little place just off campus. It’s small, but they have the best food.”

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  Oh, great. She’d reverted to short answers like she’d forgotten how to speak. Taking a deep breath and pushing her cat away from the surface, she allowed Gavin to tug her out of the house and to his car.

  The restaurant was indeed small and very busy. Good thing it was a beautiful night out and there weren’t many people outside on the patio. Not that she had a problem with people. She just wasn’t in the mood for large crowds. Especially with her emotions so raw, it was hard to block out others’ emotions.

  She took a deep breath as a breeze carried the scent of night jasmine. The heavenly fragrance reminded her of home. Her mother had several of the flowering vines around the yard. “It’s a pretty night.”

  “Yes, beautiful.” Gavin
took her hand, drawing her attention to him.

  The way he stared at her, she didn’t think he was talking about the night. Leaving her hand in his, she asked, “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “A sister, Cassie. She’s a year older than me.”

  “Are you close?”

  He smiled. “Yes. She graduated from Harmony two years ago. I took a year off after high school.”

  “Same here. Well, I actually took three. I finished school at sixteen. My dad and uncle thought I was too young to leave home. So, I took some college classes and finished my AA.” She shrugged then took a sip of water.

  “Sixteen?”

  “I was homeschooled, so I was able to skip grades.” She looked away, guilt wormed its way into her heart. While it wasn’t a full lie, she still felt bad for the half-truth. The Jasper Springs Pride had their own schools so their cubs wouldn’t have to leave the den. Because they had a private education license, she and a lot of others had been able to work at a fast pace.

  To her relief, Gavin seemed content with her answer, and she was glad when he changed the subject. “Do you have any siblings?”

  “Just me for now. My mom is eight months pregnant. I’m going to be a big sister.” She beamed. Sam couldn’t wait to spoil her new sister.

  “Wow. It’s a little late to have more kids. Shit, I mean…I’m sorry. That was rude.”

  Sam forced a smile. Crap. She didn’t think about the age thing. For shifters, it didn’t matter at what age they had children. Humans only lived about eighty-to-hundred years, whereas her kind lived a very long time, in many cases thousands of years.

  “No, it’s okay. They had me when they were very young.” Her tiger clawed at her from within, punishing her for lying to their mate.

  She frowned and averted her gaze from him. Why couldn’t this be easier? Why couldn’t she just tell him? Because he’ll freak out and leave. You’ll never see him again. Her chest ached, and her cat growled at the thought. No, she couldn’t allow that. She had to figure out how to break it to him gently. If that was even possible.

  “Are you okay?”

  The soft question made her heart ache even more. When she met his stare, she wanted to cry and shout to the heavens about the unfairness of it all. She cupped his face, and he instantly turned his mouth and kissed her palm. That was her undoing. There was no doubt he was her mate, and she wanted to keep him.

  “Gavin, there’s something I need to tell you….”

  “Well, well. Look what we have here. Love geeks.”

  Gavin groaned, sat back in his chair, and glared at the male who stood beside their table. “Go crawl back under your rock, Viktor.”

  The male stared at Sam, eyes narrowed as if searching for something. His scrutiny made her very uncomfortable to the point her skin tingled. Something wasn’t right about Viktor.

  “I think I like the view from here.”

  Gavin stood and faced the male. Sam’s heart dropped to the feet, and she glanced around the room. “Leave us alone. You have no business here.”

  Viktor reached out to grab Gavin’s shirt, but Sam caught his hand in a movement too quick for humans to track. “You will not touch him.” Bullies topped Sam’s no-tolerance list. “Do as he said and leave us.”

  A pained expression crinkled Viktor’s forehead, and Sam released his hand. His eyes narrowed as he cradled his hand to his chest. “I’m not done with you.”

  Bring it, human. She stared back at him, holding his glare and meeting his challenge. Only when he turned and stormed off did she sit back down. Her cat was pissed off and pacing under her skin.

  Gavin touched her arm, and she jumped. Releasing a sigh, she covered his hand and decided not to lie to him. She couldn’t tell him she was a tiger shifter at this moment, but she could offer another half-truth. “I have a little problem with aggression, especially when it comes to bullies. I can be a little possessive with my friends and family.”

  Instead of backing away and out right leaving her like she’d expected, he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. “Do you want to order our meals to go and get out of here?”

  Relief flooded her. Maybe he could handle the fact she could turn into a large Bengal tiger at will. “Yes, that sounds wonderful.”

  Sam was glad the restaurant was only a ten-minute drive from campus. The more distance between her and the Viktor jerk, the better she felt. The tiger continued to pace, longing to return and show him what it was like to be on the receiving end of the bullying.

  Drawing in a deep, calming breath, she pushed her tiger down. We can’t harm the human. No matter how cruel he seems.

  When they arrived at her dorm, she led Gavin to the formal dining room. “Thanks for offering to come here. I wasn’t sure how I would have refrained from hitting that guy if we stayed.”

  Gavin chuckled. “Viktor has that effect on people.”

  She laughed, her earlier irritation fading away. It was Gavin’s doing. He made her calm and anxious all at once. Because he’s my mate.

  They spent the next half hour eating and talking about their favorite movies, TV shows, and other favorites. Sam hadn’t met anyone who shared so much in common with her. Like neither of them were much on watching TV, but liked movies.

  After they finished their meal, they settled on the sofa in the living room, cuddled against each other watching a really bad old werewolf movie. No wonder people feared shape-shifters. “This movie is bad.”

  “Yeah.” He turned off the TV.

  Silence enveloped them in a quiet hum. It was like this most of the time. Two of her human dorm mates wouldn’t arrive until the second semester. The other had an opportunity to study abroad in France. That was fine by Sam.

  Only now the silence mocked her.

  Glancing up, she met Gavin’s brown-eyed stare. Her mate.

  She reached up and removed his glasses then set them on the coffee table. Rising to her knees, she straddled him, cupped his face, and kissed him. He gripped her hips and squeezed as he thrust his tongue inside her mouth. Hot desire exploded inside her, lighting up her nerve endings, and her skin became sensitive to every touch.

  Biting his lower lip, she sucked, drawing a moan from him. She rubbed her core against his thick, jean-covered erection. Her whole body ached for this male, needed him in a way she’d only read about in romance novels.

  He slipped his hand under her shirt, up her side to cup her breast over her bra. She gasped in surprise then moaned as he gently pinched her nipple.

  The clearing of a throat followed by a familiar giggle cleared Sam’s lust haze enough she glanced up to see Camile and Jesse standing in the foyer staring at them. Camile tapped the corner of one her eyes, indicating that Sam’s tiger was in hers.

  Shit. Sam scrambled off Gavin’s lap, lowering her lids to keep him from noticing the creepy glow of her irises. Rushing around the sofa, she turned her back to him and tried to gain control over her cat. She had to tell him, but she didn’t want him to freak out and leave. She’d just found him.

  He settled his hand on her shoulder. She tensed and met Camile’s stare. The wolf gave a short nod, and Sam relaxed and twisted in Gavin’s arms. “Sorry. I….”

  Gavin cut her off with a quick kiss. “I’m not sorry at all.”

  She felt her cheeks heat. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  “Yep.” He kissed her forehead. “Night, Sam.”

  When he released her and stepped away, she groaned at the loss. “Night.”

  She let out a sigh as she watched him walk out of the house. Camile laughed, looped her arm with Sam’s, and tugged her to the kitchen. “You can tell us all about mister hottie over ice cream.”

  “He’s my mate.”

  “Yes, we know. When are you going to tell him?”

  Sam sagged her shoulders. “I’m working on it. We just met. I want him to be sure he wants a relationship first.”

  “The sooner the better, dear. He has the right to know what he’
s getting into.”

  Sam glanced to Jesse, who shrugged and nodded. “I’ll tell him, soon.”

  Chapter Five

  “I’ve never been so pissed off or wanted to kill someone so badly in my life.” The thought of Viktor from the night before still simmered in Sam’s mind. The male needed to be taught some manners. Or just beaten.

  “Viktor has that effect on people. You must stay away from him. He’s crazy.” Camile lay across Sam’s bed, flipping through a Cosmo magazine.

  Jesse sat behind the wolf with her back against the wall. The sight made her smile through her irritation. She’d never had sisters. Sure, she had friends in the pride, but most of them were male.

  “Camile, what do you know about Gavin?”

  She shrugged then answered without making eye contact. “Not much. He’s quiet and top of his class. He’s never been into trouble, and the way you two lip-locked last night tells me he’s a good kisser.”

  Sam shot a hair band at her friend and smiled. He was a great kisser, and the way he’d jumped up at dinner to get into Viktor’s face told Sam her mate had a hidden bite. She’d love to feel that bite, all over her body. The room fell silent, making Sam glance over at the females. They stared at her with smirks. Jesse was actually blushing.

  Damn. “Sorry, guys. I’ll try to tamp down my hormones.”

  It was Gavin’s fault. The male was just too damn sexy for his own good.

  A low growl made her whirl around to the door. She growled back at her cousin. “What’s your problem?”

  “Who is the male you’ve been hanging around with?” He stepped inside the room and sniffed the air. When he reached for the light sweater she wore to dinner, she beat him to it, snatching it away from his reach.

  “I told you I’d meet you at the library.”

  “And you’re avoiding the question.”

  Well, wasn’t he Mr. Obvious. She held his stern glare with one of her own. They’d been in this same situation many times before. He should know better than to think she’d cave in front of others. However, it was Jesse’s slight whimper that made Sam drop her shoulders and roll her eyes.