Chapter 7
Daya stretched her arms over her head glancing over at the phone and sighed staring down at the work on her bed. It had been two weeks since Garin, along with the others, went away on their mission and Daya found that she was missing him.
Her cell rung from the nightstand and she turned to it a flash of anticipation in her eyes before reason took over, and she sighed hoping that it wasn’t the hospital calling her to fill in for another grimacing slightly. Although she asked for extra hours especially with Garin gone, she didn’t think it was going to be almost every other night working third shift.
Picking up the phone, a smile started to cross her face reading the caller id.
“Hello,” she answered wincing at the breathlessness of her tone.
“Hi, Baby.” Garin’s warm voice made her shiver in delight even as disappointment followed soon after when she asked in a hopeful voice. “Are you home?”
“I wish,” he stated in a rough whisper. “If I was, then I wouldn’t be calling you, Daya, and you can be assured of that.”
“I will hold you to that assurance,” she teased feeling her face go warm knowing that she was blushing.
“What are doing right now?” He asked his tone softer.
“I was working on a paper for Professor Jansen’s class,” Daya explained settling back against the headboard of her bed. “But to be honest, I wasn’t getting much done since I was thinking about you.”
Garin chuckled huskily at her honesty. “Alpha Female Kala won’t be happy if you let your grades slip because of me,” he warned her, and Daya sighed closing her eyes.
“They won’t,” she promised. “But it won’t make me stop missing you although…”
Daya stopped not wanting to finish her sentence since she wasn’t sure how Garin would take it.
“Although you don’t understand why,” Garin finished for her making her mouth drop open. “Believe me I understand exactly because I’m missing you, too, and I still doesn’t understand why.”
Daya heard it in his voice that it was frustrating him not being able to decipher what was really going on between them, if anything.
“Daya,” he began only to stop, and Daya heard the pounding in the background.
“Garin, we will figure it out,” Daya assured in soft voice. “I’m confused also because I didn’t have any plans of getting involved with another shifter much less a pack, so this is a little nerve wrecking for me too.”
She heard him sigh over the phone and laughed lightly although there was twinge of worry threaded through it.
“We will take it slowly. Besides, I think being apart like this might be helpful,” she suggested giggling when Garin grunted over the phone. “We’ve spent the last few weeks together almost every day although we didn’t do much but talk…”
“Don’t forget the make out sessions,” Garin inputted in a rough, husky voice.
“Yes,” Daya admitted swallowing when her pulse increased remembering those sessions. “But neither of us our quite ready to take it to the next step, so maybe when you return…”
“Is that an invitation?”
Daya found herself moaning lowly at the seductive question, and Garin chuckled making her shiver again.
“Let’s just say, I’m missing you very much,” Daya admitted not able to keep the husky note out of her voice.
Almost two states away, Garin closed his eyes chastising his body from reacting to the mere sound of her voice.
“Don’t do that,” he ordered hoarsely readjusting himself even as the pounding on the door got louder, and he swore under his breath when a female voice started shouting his name.
“I’m sorry,” Daya’s soft voice echoed over the line making his wolf growl in contentment at the sound of her voice which he had been doing since she answered her cell.
Garin shook his head a rueful smile coming to his face while his eyes flashed darkly in a suddenly hard face.
“I need to get going, but I will call you later,” Garin promised turning a glare to the door even as the voice on the other side became demanding.
“Garin!” The woman on the other side yelled angrily. “I need to talk with you now.”
“I guess someone isn’t happy,” Daya remarked quietly, and Garin flinched opening his mouth to tell her the truth when his wolf intervened.
Not over the phone, he advised with a low growl.
“It is the Alpha Female we were assigned to protect,” Garin admitted not telling her everything. “I guess there is some problem…”
“Go,” Daya told him quietly. “Call me later, though, because I enjoy hearing your voice.”
Garin heard the shy note in her voice letting him know she was astonished at her own response, but he found it endearing while his wolf rumbled in delight.
“Will do,” Garin promised hearing her sigh softly.
“Bye and be careful,” she cautioned, and he smiled echoing her words before hanging up liking the fact she was worried about him.
I hope we go home soon, his wolf uttered when Garin got up turning off his phone and putting it under his mattress sensing someone had been in his guest room other than Jaime his roommate.
I’m surprised at you, Garin said thoughtfully heading for the door hearing Whitney tap her foot on the other side since she couldn’t get in because the door was locked. I figure you would be more excited to see our mate again.
Opening the door, Garin came face to face with his mate seeing her blue-gray eyes travel over him before she lifted her eyes back to his eyes a sultry smile lifting the corners of her mouth.
So did I, his wolf remarked even as Garin stood there staring at their ex-mate, the one who rejected them without a second thought.
“Is there a problem, Alpha Female Whitney?” Garin asked watching her eyes narrow slightly at his words while he closed his door behind him.
“I would like to go to the store,” she cooed taking a step toward him when another, rougher voice intervened.
“Garin, I need you on patrol.”
Garin shifted his gaze to Alec Winstead, Trevor’s right-hand man and one of the best fighter wolves’ Garin had ever met. He studied his friend from his spiky short black hair to the sharp green eyes that only softened when a certain someone came within in his vision.
Garin nodded his head even as Whitney glared at Alec. “I want to go the store,” she ordered in low growl which only earned her a hard look from Alec.
“Talk to your mate,” Alec stated indifferently turning back for the staircase waiting for Garin to fall in step with him. “Afterwards, he can set it up with me or Sebastian.”
With a brief nod of his head, he started back to the stairs and Garin followed without hesitation catching up with Alec’s long strides feeling Whitney glaring after them.
Thank you, Garin uttered using their pack link.
No problem, but I’ve been hearing some interesting things lately, Alec replied in a teasing note. Want to tell me about a certain woman?
Garin found himself chuckling slanting him a quick look which Alec intercepted with a wicked grin.
“I’m listening,” Alec encouraged, and Garin laughed before he started talking both aware that Whitney had started to follow them down the stairs.
Daya put the phone back down and lowered her head into her hands. “You are asking for trouble,” she moaned shaking her head.
Taking a couple of deep breaths, she forced herself to sit up and shaking her head one last time firmly she went back to working on her paper for class. She pushed her thoughts of Garin to the back knowing that she had already made her decision no matter what happened. A frown came to her mouth thinking about Garin’s mate, but she forced it away staring down at her work.
“Work, you have work to do,” she chided herself, and firming her mouth, she picked up the paper and pen. “Let’s get it finished.”
An hour later, Daya closed her eyes and put down her work so she could stretch before climbing off the
bed. Glancing at the beside clock, she frowned realizing that it was going on eight and she sighed heading for the bathroom to take a shower.
Once undressed, she stepped into the hot spray letting it tumble over her body soaking her head and she put her face up to catch the hot spray for a few minutes before she started to wash up including scrubbing her hair.
Never one to stay long in the shower, twenty minutes later with her hair hanging down her back still damp, she headed for the kitchen wondering what to make for dinner not really hungry.
She had just settled on a grilled cheese sandwich when her doorbell rang and frowning at the late hour, she went to answer surprised covering her face after looking through the peep hole.
“Kelsey, what are you doing here?” Daya greeted opening the door and ushering the other woman inside.
Kelsey stepped inside with a nervous smile running a hand through her hair. “We have that paper due in a few days and I was wondering if you would help me with it.”
Daya closed the door behind her before looking at her friend with a raised eyebrow, and Kelsey sighed.
“I miss Jaime,” she admitted walking over and sitting down on the couch putting her bookbag next to her on the floor.
“Would you like something to drink, Kelsey?” Daya asked softly knowing what she was going through a grim smile crossing her face.
Kelsey nodded her head and Daya went into the kitchen to pour two drinks ditching her plan for dinner now that she had a guest.
“I was just about to make dinner,” Day remarked walking out with two glasses of sweet tea. “I was going to make grill cheese, but how about splitting a pie with me?”
“Pineapple and pepperoni,” Kelsey suggested in a hopeful voice, and Daya laughed nodding her head at the suggestion.
“Normally, not what I get, but it doesn’t hurt to try something new once and awhile,” she teased handing the drink to Kelsey before excusing herself to go get her cell from the room.
Daya went back into the living room dialing the number for her favorite pizza place while Kelsey sighed closing her eyes and leaning back against the couch.
After she ordered and receiving their waiting time, she hung up and sat down in her only chair besides the couch.
“Kelsey,” Daya said softly getting the young woman’s attention. “Jaime has marked you, right, as his mate?”
Kelsey chuckled lightly nodding her head although her eyes were wide with shock. “Alpha Female Kala told us that you knew who we were, but I wasn’t expecting you to understand fully.”
“I had a mate,” Daya revealed catching Kelsey’s quick look. “He was part of my uncle’s pack and marked me because his Alpha suggested it would be a good idea.”
Kelsey’s face paled at her words. “I’m…”
Daya shook her head slowly. “It is in the past and I wasn’t attracted to him…not like with…”
“Garin.”
Daya opened her mouth to reply and then just closed it a dull flush covering her face.
Kelsey started to laugh and Daya merely grinned even though the flush didn’t fade from her face.
“So, you want help with the paper,” Daya asked with a raised eyebrow watching now Kelsey’s face turn bright eliciting laughter from Daya.
“Well, let’s eat dinner,” Daya stated tilting her head just as the door bell rung making Kelsey’s go wide until Daya turned her phone to see the app which alerted her to when her pizza would arrive.
Kelsey fall back against the couch laughing so hard tears were leaking from her eyes while Daya went to the door to pay for the pizza.
Coming back into the living room the box in her hand, Daya sat it on the table before disappearing back into the kitchen.
“Why don’t you spend the evening here,” Daya called out grabbing two plates. “Tomorrow, we can go shopping. Might as well be prepared for when the men come home.”
“I would like that,” Kelsey agreed taking the plate from Daya who opened the box and took out a slice.
“How about a movie?” Daya asked picking up the remote after taking a bite of her slice.
It was late when Daya yawned and Kelsey got up stretching, and yawning, herself.
“The first door way on the right is the guest bedroom and the bathroom is the next one,” Daya told her getting up from the couch and leading the way. “What time do you want to leave tomorrow?”
Kelsey followed her. “I don’t care although I do have an afternoon class.”
Daya nodded her head opening the guest bedroom before turning to indict the bathroom. “I’m going to go and do the dishes so go ahead and use the bathroom first.”
When Kelsey started to argue, she yawned instead and Daya laughed shaking her head before heading back down the hallway to the living room.
“Good night.” She called back hearing Kelsey mutter back sleepy before the quiet click of the door.
It didn’t take Daya long to clean the few dishes and clean up the living room, and then she headed to bed checking on Kelsey as she passed by the room.
Entering her room, she placed her phone on the nightstand next to the bed and climbed in only to stare up at the ceiling realizing sleep wouldn’t be so easy tonight.
The next day, Daya woke up early surprise coming to her face when stepping out in the living room she smelled bacon, and she headed for the kitchen where Kelsey was standing at the stove.
“Good morning,” Kelsey called out sending a smile over her shoulder. “I thought I would have to wake you up, but it seems you’re an early riser also.”
Daya laughed and walked over to pour a cup of coffee teasing Kelsey. “And you can cook, huh.”
Kelsey threw one of the pot holders that Daya had placed near the stove, and Daya chuckled fixing her coffee while Kelsey started whistling.
“Still up for that shopping,” Daya asked when they were seated and eating their breakfast watching Kelsey lift her head with a hint of devilment on her face.
“I saw the perfect outfit the other day and I think Jaime would love to see it on me,” Kelsey uttered with a wicked smile making Daya laugh.
Nodding her head, they ate their breakfast without much delay before Kelsey gathered her things, so she could go home and change planning to meet Daya at the one-story mall with the option to going to another later.
After Kelsey left, Daya got dressed and did a few things around the apartment before heading out first to make a stop where she paid a bill. Then she went to the mall to meet up with Kelsey.
Her eyebrows lifted when entering the food court where she was supposed to meet Kelsey, she found her with a few others noting absently that she saw them at Professor Kala’s house.
“They wanted to come along,” Kelsey explained when Daya joined them nodding her head to their greetings. “Brianna came too.”
At Daya’s questioning look, Maggie one of the other women answered. “She is the pack doctor having arrived last night after spending the last few weeks with her parents.”
“Yeah, they finally accepted Brianna will be fine,” Simone, another member, snorted getting looks from everyone.
“Well, parents worry,” Daya conveyed shifting her eyes around the crowded place. “It is what they do just like the Alpha and Alpha Female worry about their pack members who they view as their children.” Daya chuckled turning back to them. “Well, the good ones anyway.”
“Well said,” a voice chimed in getting their attention.
Daya nodded her head studying the newcomer admitting that she wasn’t what one would think of when asking for a doctor with her long honey blond hair and green eyes along with the face and body to match. She looked more like a model or actress, Daya concluded, although the look in her eyes was alert and wiser for an ordinary individual.
“She makes me envious,” Maggie stated on a long drawn out sigh eliciting chuckles around the group.
“Let’s get going,” Simone muttered heading away from the group, and Daya stared after her with a slight fr
own.
“She’s Sebastian mate,” Kelsey explained while Maggie hurried to catch up with her. “They had an argument before he left, and she’s worried about him but is too stubborn to breach the wall they’ve both put up.”
“One of them will breach it soon,” Brianna remarked confidently a sad look on her face. “The bond between them is too strong for either to ignore.”
Daya didn’t remark but stared after the two women studying the one called Simone more closely seeing the lines around her eyes and the tight smile she turned to Maggie.
“I hope you are right,” Kelsey replied when they caught up with the other two changing the subject when Simone turned to them with a frown. “Let’s go because I have some shopping to do.”
They all laughed and followed her with Daya and Brianna bringing up the rear not speaking merely listening to the three in front of them carry on while the tight smile on Simone’s face started to become more relaxed.
An hour later, they were sitting at one of the tables having something to drink when Maggie and Simone turned to Daya with identical smiles.
“What?” Daya asked putting down her drink.
“Garin,” they chorused together making the other two laugh at their excitement.
“He doesn’t rarely stick with one woman too long,” Simone uttered watching Daya frown. “So, it is surprising that he has with you.”
“Are you his second mate?” Maggie asked leaning over the table almost knocking over her drink.
Daya chuckled when Kelsey reached out to move it out of the way shaking her head and sharing a look with Brianna.
“No,” Daya replied after she stopped chuckling. “Besides, Garin doesn’t believe in the idea anyway.”
“True,” Simone confirmed sitting back in her seat. “And now that he is with his ex-mate, I don’t think the idea…”
Her words dropped off when everyone turned to her with looks of confusion.
“You mean no one told you that their mission was to protect an Alpha Female who happens to be Garin’s ex-mate,” Simone asked shifting her gaze around the table until it landed on Daya whose face went pale at the information. “I mean…”
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