“Dad,” I said into the phone, speaking in a low voice as I moved away from a crowd of students.
“Can’t say I think much of your choice of friends, son.” I’d already braced myself for the impact of his disapproval, but it slithered uncomfortably under my skin nonetheless. As both my father, and my Alpha, his judgment felt doubly harsh.
“She’s more of an acquaintance,” I muttered. Dad snorted and I could practically hear his eyes rolling.
“Is that what you’re calling them? Anyway, I didn’t call for an update on your bed buddies. I wanted to make sure you and Miles had got back to campus okay.”
Always the Alpha, forever checking on the pack.
“Fine, fine. How’s Mom?” I asked after a beat of silence, slipping around the side of the administration building where I didn’t have an audience.
There was a tantalizing hint of something on the breeze. It was like the subtlest, most angelic perfume, yet there was something incredibly sinful about it. Dad’s voice distracted me before I could investigate it.
“She’s in her fur again.”
Of course she is. For all I knew, my farewell to her a couple of hours ago where she’d stared at me vacantly would be the last time I saw her in her skin. My wolf was pushing for dominance, growing increasingly agitated as the seconds ticked by.
“I should come home-”
“Absolutely not, Arch. When your time comes, the weight of Audax will be on you. Let me shoulder it for now.”
“I could help with Mom. You spend half your day covering for her. I could help with that.” What I wanted to say was you’re spreading yourself too thin and you’re going to burn out. Telling an Alpha that he wasn’t coping was practically suicide though, so I bit my tongue.
“I’ve got it under control, son, and Flynn is here to help for now.” A hint of command laced his voice. “Focus on your education. You and Miles could change everything for this pack. Take it seriously. Less time with the acquaintances, Arch. I mean it.”
“I hear you,” I bit back, trying to keep the petulance out of my voice. I could never win with my dad.
There was a loud crash in the background followed by the snarl of an agitated wolf. “I have to go, son,” Dad said eventually, his voice tight. There was another painful sounding bang as the line went dead.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, striding back to where Miles was waiting for me. He was leaning against a tree, his dark eyes taking everything in like a good Beta should.
Miles was my opposite in many ways. Dark eyes and dark hair in contrast to my blonde hair and baby blues. Serious where I was playful. Intense where I was mellow. Romantic where I was not.
His ability to take everything seriously is what made him more suited to a Beta position than an Alpha. He lacked the confidence — heavily bordering on arrogance — that made the pack feel at ease with me. That made them trust in my ability to steer them in the right direction.
In that sense, my little brother Flynn was my only real competition for Alpha. It’s not something I liked to think too hard about. While Dad was around, I didn’t need to worry about challenging my baby brother.
Miles wasn’t an obvious choice of Alpha, but if the pack didn’t feel I was a suitable choice anymore and rallied around him... He was enough of a threat to my position for me to keep any news about Mom to myself. Which fucking sucked because he was my best friend.
“All good?” Miles asked, pushing off the tree and accepting the phone I was handing back to him.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” I replied truthfully. The last thing I needed was for him to scent a lie on me. With Mom’s condition being what it was, my credibility was more at risk than ever.
“Fancy a start-of-semester beer at Barson? Or several?” I called over my shoulder, already heading towards the edge of campus. Miles’ mouth curved, practically a full-blown grin by his standards, as he fell into step with me.
I’d offered to go home, to take on more responsibility, and Dad had said no. Why not make the most of the last couple of years I had to myself?
✽✽✽
This entire week had been a steaming pile of bullshit.
My wolf alternated between howling mournfully and pacing agitatedly, occasionally breaking up his pity party by shoving against my skin, trying to get out. He’d been like this since my call with Dad a few days ago, constantly fighting me for control. It was disconcerting to be so out of sync with him, and my temper was fucking foul because of it.
The first week of the semester had gone normally — boring introductory lectures, sorting out my books for the semester, awkward meet-your-classmates exercises — so I didn’t know what the fuck was wrong with him. I’d never felt so out of sorts.
“Man, do you need a run?” Miles asked, exasperated as I slammed my glass down on the counter, shattering it instantly.
“What I need is a better glass,” I growled, annoyed that I’d just made more work for myself.
“Let me,” Miles sighed, already reaching for the dustpan and brush. “Your wolf is agitated. It’s making my wolf agitated. Let’s go for a run.”
“Not tonight.” I was worried that if I shifted, my wolf would head straight to pack territory to see Mom. It was the only reason I could think of why he’d be so worked up, even though her extended shifts had done nothing more than make him whine in the past.
Miles looked at me dubiously. “There’s a start-of-semester party at Phi Kappa Iota. You down? Maybe it’ll break you out of this weird mood you’ve been in,” he commented lightly, glancing over at me. I could see the curiosity pouring off him, but he wisely didn’t ask.
I said nothing as I moved into the now clean kitchen and got myself another glass of water. Usually a party would be the perfect distraction, but I’d been thinking of driving home tonight for the weekend. Maybe seeing Mom would calm my wolf down.
“I was thinking of going home for the weekend. I want to check on Flynn.” And my parents.
“It’s only been a week,” Miles replied suspiciously. “Think about it, okay? I think a night out would do you some good.”
I impulsively bristled at his opinion, even though he was only acting concerned for my well being.
“I’ll consider it.”
“Cool. Well, I’m going to run now, my wolf needs it. You sure you don’t want to come?”
“Positive.” I nodded. “Go ahead though.”
I had a shower while Miles ran. I’d get ready and get on the road to pack territory before he came back, save me the awkwardness of answering — or not answering — his questions. I didn’t bother packing anything; I had plenty of clothes at home. I barely made it to the truck before my wolf started shredding my insides.
“What the fuck do you want?” I muttered under my breath, clambering awkwardly into the cab of my truck and gripping the steering wheel, breathing heavily. “We’re going to see Mom, I thought that would make you happy.”
I could barely focus on anything except the mournful howling echoing around my head.
“What?” I shouted, slamming my hand down on the steering wheel. “What do you want?”
I leaned back, tipping my head against the headrest and breathing hard. Fates, what the hell was going on? My wolf and I had always been on the same page. It was part of why I’d always been such a strong candidate for Alpha.
Pushing open the truck door, I practically fell out of the truck. The fresh air washed over my face and my wolf calmed instantly, satisfied that we weren’t going anywhere.
Fuck it. Maybe Miles was right. Maybe a party would help. I let myself back in the house to change into a nicer tee, before helping myself to a beer from the fridge. My head was screwed up and my wolf was wired. A little pre-gaming was definitely in order tonight.
Miles returned from his run looking a little disheveled. He raised a questioning brow at the beer in my hand and the three empties on the coffee table in front of me, but wisely said nothing.
“
I’ll shower, then we’ll go, yeah?” he asked cautiously. I nodded, and he almost smiled. Obviously, he thought going out tonight would be the cure to all my ills.
Miles got ready quickly, and we cut through the campus to get to the frat house. It was a decent walk for a human, but we didn’t break a sweat. Maybe the fresh air is what my wolf needed. He was far more relaxed now than he had been a couple of hours ago. I’d shift tomorrow and go for a run.
The lawn of the Phi Kappa Iota house was overflowing with people at various levels of drunk and naked, and it was only ten o’clock. Tonight would be a fucking good night. I was going to make it happen.
Miles and I pushed through the crowd, deflecting the humans who clamored to get close to us, wanting to be part of our “pack”. Their pushiness was the hardest part of attending a human college, but we’d gotten better at it over the past couple of years. Even humans seemed to recognize Miles as my Beta, so in a way he had it worse, they wanted to curry his favor to get my approval.
We made our way through the house to the kitchen, helping ourselves to drinks from the keg. We made ourselves comfortable, holding court with red solo cups in hand, while a group of girls hovered next to us, casting furtive glances in our direction. The one closest to me — a hot little blonde in a practically non-existent white dress — had her back to me under the guise of talking to her friend. I was guessing by the way her ass ground against my hip every few minutes that it was a ploy to get my attention.
Usually it worked. Archer, the man, liked a woman who went after what she wanted. Archer, the wolf, apparently disagreed. Tonight, anyway. I discreetly angled myself away from her before my wolf pushed through and took a chunk out of her.
Apparently my wolf didn’t want me to get laid, which was some serious bullshit. Shifters needed touch like we needed oxygen and while it didn’t have to be sexual, a cheeky make out with a more-than-willing girl was definitely my favorite kind. It had never bothered him in the past.
I turned to talk to the blonde, determined to show my wolf what the score was, when the most intoxicating, yet oddly familiar scent flooded my system. It smelled like jasmine and sin, the most dizzying, delicious temptation I’d ever scented. My cock perked up instantly.
It definitely was not the cloying perfume of the little blonde. This scent was all she-wolf.
I angled myself discreetly towards Miles. He’d be able to hear my low whisper, anyway. It was beyond human ears.
“Do you smell that?” I murmured, barely moving my lips. I continued to scan the room, looking for the source.
“No?” Miles’ brow furrowed in confusion, he’d always been a better tracking than me. “What have you picked up?”
“Wolf.”
Miles’ eyes widened. It was neutral territory, but we’d never picked up other shifters on campus before. After a minute, his nose twitched slightly.
“She-wolf?” he confirmed and a low growl rumbled out of my chest. I didn’t want him smelling her.
“Arch,” he admonished, eyebrows in his hairline. “You scented her before I did and now you’re growling at me? I think you’ve just found your fated mate.”
Dread pooled in my stomach, unfurling through my veins like ice. That’s why my wolf had been losing his shit. It had nothing to do with Mom. My wolf had recognized that the delicious smell I’d picked up traces of while I was on the phone with Dad belonged to the she-wolf who was destined for me. The other half of my soul.
This couldn’t be happening. Not at 20. Wolves mated for life. If we found our fated mate, all bets were off. Once we laid eyes on them, no one else would compare. Surely the fates wouldn’t throw the girl I was destined to mate with for life into my path now.
I mean, I liked that idea. Someday. In the far-off future. A mate would expect everything from me. That was her right. I wasn’t sure how much I had to give right now.
Didn’t I get to live a little?
I stood, rooted to the spot, waiting for… I don’t even know. Her? She must have scented me by now. Why wasn’t she coming closer?
Was she waiting for me to go to her? Fuck that. I wasn’t going to go chasing after a destiny I didn’t want.
Miles silently took my cup and poured me another beer from the keg. He said nothing, but I could sense his disapproval as I hovered indecisively in the kitchen. He’d have bitten his girl there and then if he’d found his mate. Ever the romantic.
I drank deeply from the cup, too distracted to taste the lukewarm beer as it poured down my throat.
Still, the scent didn’t grow any stronger. Minutes passed, and the girl hadn’t moved.
Maybe she wasn’t ready to meet her fated mate yet either?
“Let’s get out of here,” I murmured to Miles, setting my cup down next to the keg. He gave me a reproachful look but nodded, following me towards the exit at the back of the house. Away from the smell of jasmine and sex and temptation.
Fate would shackle me to this girl eventually, like it or not. But it wasn’t going to happen tonight.
Chapter 4
Wren
I’d had a long day at work, but the lack of physical touch I’d had recently was bothering me. That was why I was standing in the middle of a crowded frat house, surrounded by humans. It was kind of awful, but this was the first time I had hope that I could make friends and properly establish a life somewhere so, by the Fates, I had to at least try.
Derek was the one who had invited me along after stopping in at the coffee shop right before closing. He belonged to this fraternity and encouraged me to come to their party with him. I hadn’t even gone home to change. I was wearing the same jeans, white tennis shoes, and loose green t-shirt that I’d knotted at the side as I had worn to work under my apron. I’d pulled my hair up in a messy ponytail, with my bangs hanging low over my eyes, overdue for a trim.
Derek’s friends had instantly slipped into pack behavior the moment I stepped into the house.
I was kept in a constant supply of drinks and surrounded by bodies, brushing against my arms and invading my space. I didn’t even bother trying to fight them off or keep my distance. Nothing mattered except the presence of two other wolves somewhere in this house.
One of whom made my mouth water and my ovaries do backflips. And I hadn’t even seen him.
Mystery Sex Wolf was here. I breathed in his scent like I was starved for oxygen. How could anyone smell like they’d fuck you so hard into the mattress, you’d never get up again?
Because I hadn't gone home, I hadn't had time to reapply my lavender concoction, which had definitely worn off over the course of the day. Whoever those wolves were, they would know I was here.
I stood rooted to the spot, my common sense warring with my overly excited vagina. I didn’t like the idea of retreating now they knew I was here. It made me look weak. At the same time, my touch cravings had worsened considerably with the smell of Mystery Sex Wolf. Maybe I should just leave and drag Derek home with me for a quickie? I felt weirdly uncomfortable with the idea, and my wolf almost ripped through my skin in rage at the thought. It was a strange overreaction. She’d never objected to any of my sexual partners in the past.
“Wren! I got you another drink!” I barely paid attention to whichever one of Derek’s friends was pushing a refill into my hand.
After a few minutes, the scent had all but vanished and my libido with it.
So bizarre. I’d been worried that the two wolves I’d smelled around campus would try to scare me off, but it seemed like they were the ones running. Either my lavender scent mask was working, or I intimidated them. Or they were biding their time. Usually, shifters came right out and warned me away from their territory. The uncertainty of this situation was throwing me off. Maybe I was the big bad wolf on campus? I almost smiled. It was about damn time someone recognized what a badass I was.
What was it about that wolf that made him smell so mouthwatering? I’d smelled sandalwood before and it had never acted like an aphrodisiac for me. Maybe aft
er two years of not shifting and all but denying my wolf’s presence, my senses were playing tricks on me.
Carson was definitely neutral territory — I’d walked the whole perimeter of the town looking for scratch and scent marks — the wolf shifters that lived here didn’t seem inclined to claim it as their own. They also didn’t come near the coffee shop, and I couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
“Wren?” Derek asked concernedly, breaking me out of my reverie.
“What did I miss?” I asked with a smile, playing off my inattention.
“Jenna was just saying how her professor set a 3000-word essay due in the second week, isn’t that a joke?” One girl supplied helpfully. I nodded along, trying to get my head in the game and take part in the conversation.
Maybe a college party wasn’t the best place for me to make friends. Even though I was the same age as the other people here, they were all swapping stories about their summer vacations and complaining about their professors. I didn’t really feel like I had anything to add to the conversation.
My education had ended aged twelve, when my wolf emerged. I liked to think I was street-smart, but I wouldn’t be writing any 3000-word essays any time soon.
One of Derek’s female friends rubbed up against my arm again, subconsciously moving closer to me.
Why did humans wear so much perfume? And why was their music so loud? My wolf hated me right now.
“I must be more exhausted than I thought after my shift. I’m going to call it a night,” I told Derek in a sickly sweet voice that made my wolf bristle in irritation.
“Not at all, I’ll walk you home,” Derek replied, his voice filled with concern. He was so nice.
Fire & Gasoline: A Shifter Romance (Audax Pack Book 1) Page 4
