by Alisa Woods
The stormy look on Jupiter’s face jumped to Category Five Hurricane Level. She glared at the paltry amount of belongings Mia owned. Even the slim black skirt and yellow sweater she was wearing belonged to Jupiter. And her roommate knew it.
Suddenly Jupiter’s demeanor shifted to Sunny Day With No Chance of Clouds. “You know what? I’m in desperate need of a shower!” She gave a quick nod to Lucas. “Nice to meet you, Mr. SparkTech Man.” Then she turned and flounced in her tutu to the closet to dig through for some new clothes.
Mia sighed. She would have to explain later. If there was a later. She didn’t know when she would be back to her dorm and her roommate again—from what Lucas said, that might be never. She put her books and laptop in the box, with a bunch of pens and pencils, careful to keep her mom’s picture on top. Jupiter was still rummaging through the closet. Mia would wait until she was done to pick through and find the stuff that actually belonged to her.
Jupiter re-emerged with a whole rainbow of clothes clutched in her hands. She eyed Mia’s outfit. “Hey, wait a minute, sister! You’re not planning on walking out with my favorite sweater, are you?”
Mia’s gaze dropped to the classy yellow top, much nicer than anything she owned. “No, of course not. I’ll get it back to you, Jeeter, I promise—” She looked up to find Jupiter giving her a skeptical look.
“Yeah, sure you will. Come on.” Jupiter held up a t-shirt and some jeans that belonged to Mia. “Come to the shower with me. You can change while Mr. SparkTech packs up your stuff.”
Mia frowned. She had always returned Jupiter’s clothes before. And in good condition, too. She was careful that way. But by all rights, she should really dry clean the clothes she was wearing now, or at least wash them…
“Come on!” Jupiter said impatiently. “I’ve got stuff to do, too, you know!”
Mia checked with Lucas, but he just shrugged. So she strode over to her strange, temperamental little roommate, took the clothes from her outstretched hand, and led the way out of their room.
As soon as the door was closed behind them, and they were headed to the bathroom, Mia hoarse-whispered, “Geez, Jeeter! Impatient much?”
Jupiter whirled on her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to a stop in the middle of the living area. “Mia! What in the actual hell is going on here?” The rage-storm look was back.
Mia should have known it was all an act from her drama-major roommate.
“I’m just… moving out…” God, how was she going to explain this?
“With tall, dark, and sexy?” Her voice hiked up. “Mia, you’ve only been working there for a week! Is he forcing you into this? Is he one of those weird controlling types? Because I know some guys who could help with that, Mia. Big guys. They could beat the crap out of Mr. Sexy if you need them to! You just say the word.”
“No!” Mia backed up from her, agitation making her voice squeak. “It’s nothing like that! He’s just looking out for me.”
“Looking out for you.” The skepticism was back full force. “By making you move out of your dorm.”
“It’s not like that.” Although it kind of was… but not really. There were dangerous people out to use her against Lucas. She just couldn’t explain it to her roommate.
“Is he making you quit school?” Her focus was intense.
“What?” Mia said, genuinely shocked. “No, of course not.”
Her roommate’s gaze did a quick check over Mia. If she didn’t notice before, it was obvious now that Mia was also seriously bra-less under her sweater. If she was less endowed it might not have been so apparent, but as it stood, it was hard to miss.
Jupiter leaned in. “You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?”
Mia bit her lip. There wasn’t much point in lying. “It’s complicated.”
“Ye-ah.” Her roommate drew out the word, like that was obvious. “Sleeping with your boss can be that way. I mean, damn, I get it, girl. The boy is hot sex on a stick, but he’s your boss.”
“Okay, okay!” Mia threw up her hands. “Not necessarily my best choice.”
Jupiter’s look said, you got that right. “Is he at least good in bed?”
Mia huffed and gave her a you’ve got to be kidding look in return.
“Right. Stupid question.” Jupiter pursed her lips. “The real question is: is he worth it?”
Finally, a question she could actually answer. “Yeah. I think so, Jeeter.”
“So what’s the deal with this moving out thing?” She still seemed concerned, but it had stepped down several hurricane levels to slow, tropical storm.
“I think… I think I might be in love with him.” She hadn’t thought of it that way at all, but it was something that might make sense to her over-the-top drama roommate.
“Damn, girl, I didn’t think you had that in you.” But her voice wasn’t disapproving. “When you fall, you fall hard. And freaking fast.”
“We’re trying to keep it on the down-low in the office, though,” Mia said, making it up as she went now. “I’m moving in with him, but the cover story is that I’m just getting another place. If they even ask. Which I’m hoping they won’t.” She wished it was the reverse, but at least it was a story that should hold up for now.
Jupiter blew out a sigh. “I don’t know, Mia. It’s strange.”
“You’re the Queen of Strange.” Mia pointed a finger to her friend’s streaked mascara and general bed head. “Not to mention Party Queen and Boy of the Week Champion.”
“I’m not judging you,” Jupiter said, looking offended herself. Then the frown returned. “I’m just worried, Mia. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
That made her eyes prick. She threw her arms around her roommate, crazy lump of clothes and all. “You’re a good friend, Jeeter,” she said into her flyaway red hair.
Jupiter squeezed her back. “All right, all right,” she said releasing her. “I’m the emotional one, remember?”
Mia smiled.
“Let’s get you out of those clothes.” She dug through the armful of clothes and peeled away a pair of black slacks and a brilliant blue shirt that looked like silk. “Here. At least you’ll have one outfit to wear. Until you have time to shop.”
Mia held the lightweight clothes in her hands, tears threatening her eyes again. “I can’t take your clothes, Jeeter.”
“Take them?” She looked horrified, but Mia knew it was fake. “You totally have to bring those back! Whenever you come down from your New Boyfriend High and remember to come visit me.”
Mia couldn’t help it—she hugged her roommate again. When they broke apart, Jupiter rummaged in her pants and brought out her phone.
“I look like hell!” she proclaimed. “And you’re not much better, Miss Hot For New Boyfriend.” Her roommate held up the camera and hugged Mia to her. “What better time to take a selfie?”
Mia laughed but before she could even protest, Jupiter had already taken the picture. Checking her phone, she nodded approvingly and tucked it away.
“That’s going straight to Tumble, isn’t it?” Mia asked.
“Tumbler, you dork.” Jupiter grinned, then tugged her toward the bathroom. “A disastrous selfie is the perfect thing to remember you by.” More quietly, she added, “And those clothes will be a reminder for you that you can always come back.”
Mia shook her head. “Jupiter, I’m not—”
She held up her hands. “I’m just saying, in case you change your mind. It’s not like I’m getting a new roommate for the summer. Forget that noise. If you’re not here, I’m keeping this place all to myself!”
Mia half-laughed and ducked into the bathroom right behind her roommate. She didn’t know how temporary this move was going to be—her stay at the dorms at UDub was never going to be permanent anyway—but it was ever more clear that the only thing she would miss from McMahon Hall was Jupiter.
And it was sweet of her roommate to say Mia could come back, but she was a shifter living among humans. She never really felt
like she belonged among the drunken, bed-hopping college kids anyway—not with her drive to finish school and find a way to get her mom out of the slums. But now that Lucas had awakened her inner wolf, living in the dorms just felt like a badly fitting dress that she constantly had to tug to sit right and not flash some part of her that she didn’t want to reveal.
In fact, when it came to belonging somewhere, the only person who had ever made her feel that way was back in her room, packing her things and moving her away.
And when she thought of it that way, it felt exactly right.
There was exactly one box and one medium-sized duffle bag in the back of Lucas’s car. That was the sum total of Mia’s belongings. His wolf growled its disapproval, and Lucas had to agree: it wasn’t so much that she packed light, but that she had nothing of permanence. One photo of her mother, but no personal effects. Nothing of her past. No hint of her dreams for the future, beyond an armful of business textbooks.
It was far too much like his apartment. And it made him angry.
She should have more of a life than that. Maybe he was a train wreck after Tila’s death, but Mia still had everything ahead of her. Not with him, but with someone.
Until he dragged her into the mess that was his life.
After Lev had pulled him back out of not only the Olympic mountains, but the deep, dark forest of his despair, Lucas had torn out everything in his apartment that reminded him of Tila—her clothes, the photos, every memento of their brief and beautiful time together. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her—he would have given his life for hers. There were nights he would gladly have laid down in a cold grave, if it would have brought her back to life. He simply couldn’t bear the torment of having her all around him all the time. He nearly left the apartment altogether, but in the end, Lev packed her things and took them away… and Lucas could breathe again.
He gripped the steering wheel harder, wheeling onto Interstate 5 to head downtown. Mia sat quietly in the passenger seat, her new clothes a perfect complement to her features. The ink black pants matched her long, dark hair, now pulled back and clipped behind her neck. The sapphire blue silk top brought out the power of those mystical eyes… only her gaze was turned away from him, studying the skyscrapers of Seattle in the distance.
He had to wonder what she was thinking. It was the right thing to move her out of the dorm—she had to know that—but what of the rest of it? The sex… him pushing her away… his reluctance to tell her anything about why.
God, he was such an asshole.
He kept looking over at her periodically, but she didn’t give any hints as to the thoughts swirling through her mind. They were halfway to downtown before she looked at him in return.
“Is the hotel near the office?” she asked.
There was a fatigue in her voice that he didn’t like. At all. His wolf growled at him, and he agreed again: he had to do a better job of taking care of her. It was his fault she was in this situation. He needed to make it as easy as possible on her.
“Yes,” he replied, “but I need to stop by the office for a minute first. We kind of left in a hurry on Friday.”
She frowned, then seemed to figure it out. “The LoopSource reports.”
“I was just going to pick them up and bring them with us to the hotel. While you take a rest, maybe get some lunch, I’ll look over them. I need to have some kind of recommendation for my father on Monday.”
She shook her head. “I’m not tired. Maybe I can help with the reports?”
His first instinct was to say no. The dark circles under her eyes belied her claim of not being tired. Dammit, he was tired. They’d spent half the night exploring each other’s bodies. He couldn’t bring himself to regret that, but she had to be lying when she said it hadn’t drained her energy. Which meant she must really want to help with the reports. Or, more likely, find a way back into his arms. Which was definitely not something he could allow to happen again, no matter how much he wanted it. Or how much she did.
But that was on him to resist. Short of that, he would give her anything she wanted.
He looked forward again, studying the traffic and avoiding her gaze. “That would be great. I could really use someone to double check my analysis.” That much was true—he’d be lucky to form half a coherent thought this weekend with her nearby. “But Mia…” He glanced back, and her blue eyes were still trained on him. “We’re just working.”
“Right. No sex. Not even kissing.” The corner of her mouth lifted.
He looked back at the traffic. “I mean it, Mia.”
“I know.” This time her voice was soft, and when he glanced at her again, she was back to looking out the window.
Yeah, he was definitely an asshole.
Another ten tension-filled minutes later, they arrived at the parking garage for the Russell Building where SparkTech sat on the 32nd floor. There was no sign of last night’s attack by the Red wolves—the limo was gone, there was no blood on the floor of the garage—but he parked as close as he could to the elevator door, just in case.
“You need to come inside with me,” Lucas said as he turned off the car.
“Right behind you,” she said.
He hopped out of the car and came quickly around to her side. He got there before she managed to climb out of the car in her tall, black heels. He took her by the elbow to help, but she pulled away—not strongly, yet he felt the rebuke nonetheless. And she was right: he would have to watch his tendency to put his hands on her without thinking. Still, he kept by her side, scanning the nearly empty concrete spaces for any bad actors. Or lurking wolves. There was nothing but the sound of her heels clicking on the tiled entryway to the elevator.
The ride up was just as tense. He wanted to get in and out of the office as quickly as possible. Then maybe they would have a chance to talk. Sort things out.
As they emerged on the 32nd floor, Lucas said, “I think we left the reports in your office.”
“You don’t think Lena would have locked them up after us?” Mia asked.
He was about to answer, but his attention was drawn to the light coming from his father’s office. The other rooms were dark, the shades having been drawn for the night and not opened in the morning, but his father’s was occupied. Or somehow Lena forgot to close up shop last night. She was meticulous, so he doubted that very much.
Mia’s gaze was drawn to it as well. “Is your dad here?” she whispered.
He nodded. They paused at her office, halfway down the hall. “Go in and get the reports. I’ll wait.” He paused, then met her blue-eyed gaze. “I think it’s time to introduce you to my father.”
Her eyes went wide, but she scurried quickly into her office and returned with an armful of reports, both his copy and hers. He took them from her, then gently guided her toward his father’s office with a hand at the small of her back. Just before they reached it, he remembered he wasn’t supposed to be touching her. He dropped his hand and used it to open the door.
His father was bent over his own nest of papers spread on his desk. His head jerked up, and he was on his feet, claws out, before Lucas could say a word.
“It’s just Mia and me,” Lucas rushed out. He’d never seen his father so on edge, or so quick to shift. Things must be worse than he thought.
His father’s body immediately relaxed, and the claws disappeared. “Lucas. Good. I’m glad you’re here.” He frowned and dipped his head to Mia. “Sorry, to startle you, Ms. Fiore. I’m sure shifters are the last thing you’d like to see at the moment.”
A glance to Mia showed her rigid in the doorway, but he didn’t think it was fear that held her there. At least, not fear of his father’s claws. More like his father’s position in the company. Her boss’s boss, he supposed, although he hardly thought of the structure that way anymore, not since he left his father’s pack.
“Father, there’s something you should know about Mia.” When Lucas called his father last night to report the attack, he left out the a
ftermath—including the hot sex against the door and the fact that Mia was a shifter. He had no idea if the Red pack had managed to bug their phones or what, but he didn’t want to take any chances with that secret getting out. Yet now that they were in person… “Mia is a wolf.”
His father’s eyebrows flew up, and he did a double take of Mia before pinning Lucas with his gaze.
Lucas cut off the question he knew was on his father’s lips. “She doesn’t belong to any pack. She’s really only half blood, on her father’s side. And she’s not pack-raised. She’s been a recluse.”
“Um… excuse me?” Mia said. “I am not a recluse.”
He turned to her, an apologetic hand holding her off. “It’s just a term we use. For shifters who are hidden from everyone, even their pack. Or their families.”
“Kind of a pejorative term, don’t you think?” She frowned at him.
He really didn’t need this right now.
His father’s chuckle brought his attention back. “She’s right, you know.” His smile for Mia was kinder now, softer than any Lucas ever had directed at him. It was the kind of smile he saved for his daughter, Lucas’s sister, and the other females of his pack. Mia probably didn’t realize it, but she had already won his father over, simply by being wolf and not taking any flak from Lucas.
This wasn’t exactly a surprise. Lucas had long ago realized that all the alphas of his family—his father, his older brother Llyr, and not least, himself—liked their women strong. Alpha females in their own right. His inner beast growled its appreciation for something Lucas was just now figuring out: Mia was likely an alpha herself. Loner. Stubborn. Driven. She just didn’t realize it.
And somehow he had been blind to it until that moment. Still stunned by that thought, his father’s gruff voice brought him back out of his own head.
“After your call last night, Llyr and I and several members of our packs went to the parking garage right away.” His father shook his head. “The Red wolves were already gone.”
“I left one unconscious,” Lucas objected, but he winced as well. He had waited too long to call, too wrapped up in getting Mia to safety—which was excusable—and giving into his wolf’s craving for her—which was not.
