Imperfect Mate

by Lia Davis

  “I’ll tell you at the library so you can’t yell.” She stuffed the sweater inside her top drawer and motioned for Dev to exit first.

  With a shake of the head, he left. Sam glanced at her new friends. Camile had a smirk on her lips like she’d enjoyed what she witnessed. Jesse, on the other hand, wouldn’t look at her, but the female didn’t look stressed. “You two free for lunch?”

  When they nodded, Sam smiled. “Great. I’ll fill you in then.”

  ***

  Fifteen minutes later, Sam entered the library and marched straight to the far back where she scented Dev. She set her books on the table, drawing his attention.

  “Where have you been?”

  “Checking in on my psych class. I failed the essay quiz from yesterday. Who the hell gives a test on the first day?” She dropped in the chair and folded her arms over her chest.

  He held out his hand. “Let me see it.”

  She pointed to the paper sticking out of the psychology book on top of the pile. He pulled it out and read. His lips pressed together in a line while the corners lifted. When he set it down, he met her stare and shook his head. “The human behavioral response for being attacked from behind is not to…let me quote it ‘…to flip the asshole over your shoulder and beat the shit out of him.’”

  She rolled her eyes. “It should be.”

  “You really need to get a handle over your aggression.”

  “I got it handled. Don’t piss me off and I’m good.”

  He laughed then leaned across the table as others looked their way in irritation. Apparently, they were being too loud. Whatever.

  Lowering his voice, he asked, “Tell me about your boyfriend.”

  She ground her molars together before answering. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell, she just didn’t want to tell him so soon after meeting Gavin. “We meet at the dorm party, went for a walk.” She paused and held up her hand in warning. “We have a few classes together and had dinner together last night.”

  “That was it.”

  “Yep.”

  “You’re lying.”

  Crud. She was always horrible at lying to him. Taking a deep breath, she braced for his reaction. “He’s my mate.”

  “Fuck. Damn it.”

  Yep, pretty much. Although she’d had a little longer to get used to the idea. Plus, she really liked Gavin.

  “What’s his name?”

  “Oh, no. I’m keeping that to myself for a little while longer. That way you have time to get used to the idea.”

  His jaw flexed as he narrowed his eyes. Then something from behind her caught his attention, and he started laughing. “Gavin Stone. This is fucked up, and for once, I’m going to sit back and watch you explain this to your father.”

  Glaring at him, she let out a low growl only he would hear. “How do you know him?”

  “He was in a few of my classes last year. Plus, he tutors most of the jocks on campus.”

  When Gavin stopped beside her, she turned to him and smiled. “Morning.”

  Smiling back, he bent and kissed her on the lips, shocking her. A tinge of jealousy lingered on his scent. Her tiger liked it, pawing at her where he brushed her arm. Linking their fingers together, she introduced him to Dev. “Gavin, this is my cousin, Devon.”

  Gavin sat in the seat next to her and held out his hand to Dev. “Hi. I’ve seen you around campus.”

  Dev gave a short nod. “Just started the graduate program.”

  “What are you studying?”

  “Business law.”

  Standing, Dev hesitated briefly as he glanced from Gavin to Sam. He shook his head. “I’ll be unreachable tonight through the weekend. I have something to take care of at home, and then I’m going camping with a few of the guys.”

  Translation: Dev was going hunting in tiger form with a few males from the pride. That meant no cell phone. So, she was on her own. Finally.

  “Have fun,” she said.

  Once he was out of earshot, she turned sideways in her chair to face Gavin. “Hi.”

  He smiled and pushed his glasses up. “Hi. Devon is pretty serious.”

  “He’s intense but means well. We grew up together, and he acts like my overprotective brother.”

  “That’s a good thing. He cares for you.”

  She shrugged. “A little too much. It’s annoying sometimes. So whatcha doing today?”

  “I have a few classes this morning then I promised Cas I’d meet her for lunch and hang out. She wants me to get to know my soon-to-be brother-in-law.” He sighed and crinkled his forehead.

  “You don’t like him?”

  Gavin shrugged. “Oh, no, I mean, I like him. It’s just there’s something odd about him.”

  “Odd how?”

  “I guess odd isn’t the right word. He’s very private and sometimes standoffish. Anyway, what’s your schedule for the day?”

  “I have to study this morning. Apparently, I need to pay better attention in my psych class.” She pointed to the paper on the table. “I’m meeting Jesse and Camile for lunch, then classes this afternoon.”

  He picked up the paper, read it, and started to smile—although he tried to hide it. “Go ahead laugh. I have issues. I know that.”

  His eyes brightened, and he reached out to cup her cheek. “I think I like your issues. Do you need help with studying?”

  She leaned into his touch and sighed. “No. I got it. Thanks, though.”

  With a gentle tug, he drew her closer and pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back, slipping her tongue in his mouth. Tingles of desire rushed over her skin. However, she didn’t dare touch him. If she did, the few people in the library would get a show.

  He broke the kiss and rested his forehead to hers. “I’ll call you later.”

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  Just as he stood, Sam’s phone dinged, indicating she’d received a text. It was from Dev.

  You have to tell him.

  Annoyed, she texted back, No shit.

  Chapter Six

  Every time she heard his voice, her heart skipped a beat and her cat purred inside her mind. They’d talked on the phone for over an hour about family and random things that had happened during the day.

  It was a little past midnight when they finally hung up, promising to meet for breakfast in the morning.

  When Camile passed by her door, Sam jumped up, stuck her head out into the hall, and called to her. “Have you seen Jesse?”

  Camile glanced to Jesse’s closed door, then back to Sam. “No. Is she not home yet?”

  “No. I’m worried.”

  Just then, the front door to the house opened and closed. They waited, listening. A long moment later, Jesse appeared at the top of the stares and froze when she saw them. Sam’s stomach soured, and her tiger roared and pawed at her. The right side of Jesse’s face was bruised and had started to swell. Her lip was busted, and Sam didn’t miss the way the female held onto her ribs with both arms.

  Sam instantly went to Jesse, wrapped her in her arms, and walked the female to her room. “Who did this?”

  She tried to keep the anger out of her tone but failed. Jesse whimpered, and Sam could sense the female’s leopard withdraw. Sam returned her attention to Camile and noticed how the female took slow, calculated breaths. Her anger reached out to Sam, fueling her own.

  Focusing on Jesse, she swiped a strand of hair from her forehead. “I’m sorry, hon. This is not your fault. Tell me who did this, and I’ll make sure they never hurt you or anyone again.”

  Once in the room, Sam helped Jesse change into her nightshirt and tucked her into bed while Camile grabbed some ice. “Please, Jess. As your dominant friend, I need to know.”

  With a shaky breathless voice, she said, “Viktor.”

  Sam fisted her hands but controlled the rage coursing through her. The jerk would pay for this. It was one thing if he wanted to pick on Sam, but to physically assault one of her friends was going too far.

&nbs
p; When Camile came in with a bag of ice, Sam straightened. “Can you stay with her until she falls asleep?”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Paying Viktor a visit.”

  Camile narrowed her eyes. “You can’t. Let Mrs. Brady deal with the human.”

  Sam shook her head. “This is personal, and he’s gone too far.”

  Not giving Camile time to argue any further, Sam left.

  It only took her about five minutes to track down the little shit outside his dorm. He saw her as she approached, a knowing smirk on his face. “Aren’t you out a little late? Don’t you know that it isn’t safe for girls to wonder the campus at night alone?”

  She walked right up to him and shoved. He staggered back a few steps, eyes large and mouth open in shock. “If you touch another female on this campus, it’ll be the last thing you do.”

  Straightening his T-shirt, he stepped closer and curled his upper lip. “Your threat doesn’t scare me.”

  “It should.” Her fury rose to the danger level, making her take a breath to calm her tiger. He is only human. We can’t kill him.

  His rage flowed off him, clogging her senses like a thick, dark fog. Slamming her metal shields in place, she focused on his body language. He raised his hand to backhand her, but she anticipated the move. She blocked his attempt by grabbing his forearm, twisting around, and throwing him over her shoulder. He landed on his back in the grass hard enough to bounce once. He let out a cry of pain. Grabbing his throat, she leaned over him and allowed her tiger to rise just enough so her power washed over him. “Think twice before you hurt another female.”

  She pushed him against the ground, turned, and left him wheezing and coughing on the lawn. She heard his friends rush out of the house to help him up.

  Only some of her anger had left her by the time she entered Jesse’s room. Camile glanced up from the chair where she read. “Did you find him?”

  “Yes. I gave him a warning.”

  Sam crawled in the bed with Jesse and smoothed her hair down. Instantly, Jesse snuggled closer. “Should we call ROAR for a local healer?”

  ROAR was a national hotline set up to assist young shifters like Sam who left the den to attend college. The hotline’s assistance could range from emergency situations to simply finding a safe place to hunt.

  “No. Nothing was broken, just some bruising. She’ll be okay by the morning.”

  Sam lifted her head to study Camile as she stood and stretched. Shaking her head, Camile added, “My mother is a healer. I don’t possess her healing powers, but I can sense injuries and ease some minor pain.” After a minute she asked, “Are you maternal?”

  “No. I’m training to be a sentinel.”

  “Ah. The born protector. That explains a lot. Good night, Sam. And try to sleep.”

  “I will, thanks.”

  ***

  Gavin stepped away from his window, disbelief whirling in his head. He must have been dreaming. Surely, he didn’t just see his girlfriend throw the largest guy on campus over her shoulder and get in his face.

  A smidge of twisted glee made him smile at the thought of Viktor having his ass handed to him by a girl. At the same time, he thought it weird that someone as small as Sam could do it. He could have been sleep hazed and making up shit. Yet, he didn’t believe that. Not after discovering what he had about his new brother-in-law and his family.

  David was a wolf shifter. If Gavin hadn’t witnessed the man turning into a large gray wolf, he’d thought the man was crazy. Hell, Gavin might be the crazy one.

  However, after seeing his girlfriend throw Viktor down and the light reflect off her eyes, he wondered if she too was a wolf. Maybe a different type of shifter. Cas had said there were other groups scattered around the world.

  What had pissed her off so bad?

  Cal, one of his dorm mates walked by and stuck his head in. “Hey, man. Can’t sleep?”

  Gavin shrugged. “I heard the commotion.”

  The other man ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, she was pretty pissed. Viktor roughed up a female earlier. I was about to go down myself and handle it until Samira cut across the yard with Viktor in her sights.”

  Dread burned his gut. Viktor wouldn’t let this go. Then Cal’s words sank in. The way he’d spoke was similar to the way David’s family had. Besides, why would Cal just let Sam “handle it”? Was he…? No, Gavin didn’t want to know how many shifters were on campus. He couldn’t out right ask him anyway without breaking his pact with David’s Pack.

  Cal twisted to leave, then said, “Just let your girl know that Mrs. Brady may be calling her in. I can almost guarantee someone from his dorm called her.”

  Gavin nodded. “Night, Cal.”

  After Cal left, Gavin picked up his cell and dialed.

  “Hello.” Sam’s soft whisper washed away some of his worry. She sounded calm, sleepy.

  “Hi. I saw you. My dorm is next to Viktor’s.”

  She sighed. “He hurt Jesse. Bad.”

  Gavin clamped his jaw down. Fury churned in his gut, and he wanted to go next door and beat the shit of Viktor. “Is she okay? Did he…?”

  “No. He didn’t rape her. She’ll be fine.”

  There was a long silence. He wondered how he could have so many feelings for a girl he didn’t know. She said she had temper, but he’d pushed it away. After what he’d witnessed, he was sure she was keeping her true nature from him. He didn’t blame her. It was dangerous for her and her family to let his kind know about them. He got it. He didn’t like being lied to, but he understood.

  Clearing his throat, he said, “I have questions I need to ask. I don’t know where this is going.”

  “I know. We can talk tomorrow, promise.”

  “I’ll meet you at the coffee shop at seven.”

  “Sounds great.” He could hear the smile in her voice.

  “Great. Good night, Sam.”

  “Night, Gavin.”

  He hung up and lay down on his bed. What had he gotten himself into? The screwed-up thing about all this was that no matter what, he couldn’t walk away from her. His heart had already made that decision for him.

  Chapter Seven

  Sam entered the coffee shop, dragging ass. She hadn’t slept well. Every hour she’d woke to check the house. Whether it was her guilty conscience or just paranoia, she wasn’t certain. Hunting down Viktor had been one of the stupidest things she’d done. This wasn’t the den, and she knew better than to react like it was.

  Back home, if someone hurt a submissive female like Viktor had, there would’ve been no protecting the idiot from the first dominant he ran into. They were allowed to challenge the abuser to a fight to the death. That was if the alpha himself didn’t outright kill the asshole.

  Scanning the small restaurant, she spied Gavin sitting in a corner. Her belly flipped. He must think she’s crazy. Damn it. Why couldn’t she have more control over her primal instincts?

  She slid into the chair across from him. He glanced up from his math book and smiled. She melted. “Hi.”

  Closing his book, he pushed a cup of coffee across the table to her. “Morning.”

  She frowned at the uncertainty in his voice. It was slight but noticeable. She’d picked up on the emotion when she sat down. Something was bothering him. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what.

  “Thanks for the coffee.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Studying her coffee like she was reading tea leaves, she gathered up her courage to hint to what she needed to make him understand her better. “When Jesse came home last night, I snapped. I already didn’t like Viktor before.”

  He covered her hand, halting her rambling. When she lifted her gaze to stare into his brown eyes, he smiled, melting her heart all over again. “I understand why you did it. I’m just having a difficult time with witnessing your strength.”

  Something in his tone told her he’d already knew. But how? Besides, he was too smart for her to tell him it wa
s an adrenaline rush. “I can’t tell you here.”

  “Then where and when? I can’t move forward unless you are completely honest with me.”

  She grabbed his hand in both hers. “Tonight, somewhere private.”

  Her vision blurred, and she closed her eyes. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Gavin swiped it away and cupped her cheek. “Hey, what is it?”

  Her hormones were running crazy, and her eyes were leaking. “I hope you will still want me after I reveal what I have to, to you.”

  Standing, he tugged her to her feet.

  Confused, she asked, “Where are we going?”

  “To my dorm.”

  “And ditch class?” She was surprised but intrigued at the same time. It would so be something she’d do, but she’d never thought of Gavin as the ditching-class type.

  A crooked smile formed as he glanced back at her when they reached the door of the coffee shop. “Yep. I can’t wait a whole day to hear your big secret after you say something like that.”

  Her heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her ears. “Wait.” She stopped. “What if…what if you don’t like what I have to say?”

  “Neither one of us will know if we don’t start talking.”

  With a tug, he started leading her toward his dorm a block away. Her stomach tightened and flipped so much on the way over she thought she’d be sick. Her tiger paced and rubbed against the inside of her skin where her arm brushed with Gavin’s.

  Once inside his room, she stood in the center, surveying the area. Clothes draped over the desk and chair. Socks lay on the floor at the foot of the bed. Gavin rushed forward and picked everything up, balled it up, and shoved the ball into a mesh bag. “I’m not normally this messy.”

  “Right,” she teased.

  He sat down on the bed and waited. She inhaled deeply and immediately realized it was a mistake. His scent filled the room and made her dizzy with desire. Meeting his patient stare, she sagged and backed up so she could lean against the wall.