Chapter 12: Chapter 12

EVERLEE

~

I shut my dorm room door, pressed my back against it, and inhaled deeply. The amount of conflicting emotions swarming me had a headache forming against the base of my skull.

The sad thing was that my wolf was excited, running circles and jumping as if she’d just won the lottery. Well, I had news for the tramp. This was not the lottery. She was creating my own personal hell.

I kissed another guy. He was technically my mate, but my mouth was on another wolf, when I’d already found the one I wanted. I opened my eyes and found Bryiar staring at me from her desk with a she-wolf gawking beside her.

“Oh, ~hey~,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck and kicking off my shoes. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were already back.”

“How did it go?” Bryiar shouted, turning to face me in her desk chair.

I glanced over at the she-wolf sitting beside her with big fairytale brown eyes and mousey blonde hair. “Sorry.”

“No,” I said, waving her off. “It’s no problem. Y’all keep studying. I need to take a shower. I’ll tell you about it later.”

Bryiar gave me a look, clearly insinuating she wanted to know now, but I grabbed my clothes and caddy and ignored it. I needed a cold shower, and a chance to wash off Rage’s scent. If I planned to have dinner with Harlan, I didn’t want him to smell any trace of Rage on me.

The shared bathroom was empty when I walked inside, and I picked the stall furthest from the door. I stripped, started the shower, and stepped in underneath the stream. The warm water relaxed me, washing away the icky feeling I had crawling over me like bugs.

I wasn’t ~this girl~. How could I make this decision? It made hot angry tears build in my eyes. The moment the bathroom door opened, I wiped away any trace of sadness on my face, knowing my tears were long gone down the drain.

The footsteps stopped close to my shower, and I inwardly groaned. I hated when people had the entire bathroom free and came to the shower right next to mine. When the curtain rungs rattled against the bars, a gust of wind slapped me, and I realized they’d stopped at mine.

I jerked my towel from the hanger by the door and tried to cover myself. “Excuse me!” I shouted, making eye contact with a brunette staring at me. The look of disgust on her face told me that she knew who I was and she didn’t like me. “Can I help you?” I barked.

“Don’t worry. I’m not interested in ~that~,” she gestured toward what my towel covered. “And neither is our pack.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked, feeling myself grow more irritated with each passing second. “And what pack would that be?”

She narrowed her dark eyes. “~The pack~, Everlee. The alpha king is my alpha, and we don’t need some hybrid slut being our new luna. You go ahead and choose the lycan, Harlan or whatever, because we don’t want you.”

~Seriously?~ Biting my tongue, I only stopped when I tasted blood. I squared my shoulders, daring her to hit me. “You think I’m afraid of some she-wolf from the alpha king’s pack? You’re wrong. And this little scare tactic won’t work. I suggest you take your jealousy and cram it down your throat. It’ll give the football team a break.”

Her eyes rounded, and she reached as if she wanted to shove my shoulder but thought better of it. “You’ll regret that. I’m not the only one that doesn’t want you near our pack, or our soon-to-be alpha.”

I smirked. “Why don’t you take that up with him? Because he seems to enjoy my company.”

She left me standing in the shower. I hurried to finish, so the water didn’t turn cold on me, and I stalked toward my dorm room. Bryiar’s friend was gone, so she nearly jumped me when I walked inside with my hair wrapped in a towel on my head.

“What happened? That was the longest shower, ever!”

I groaned and tossed my dirty clothes into the hamper. “I was just ambushed in the shower by a she-wolf from Rage’s pack. She told me to do myself a favor and pick Harlan, because they didn’t want me there.”

Bryiar’s mouth popped open. “Who do we need to fight? What’s her name?”

I chuckled humorlessly. “No one. Can you believe she didn’t tell me her name?”

“What a cunt,” she mumbled. “So, how did it go, besides your haters growing by the minute, how did it go with Rage?” She sat down on the edge of her bed and smiled.

I sat down on mine, staring at her cheesy grin. “It was…~perfect~,” I admitted. “We…”

“You kiss!” she asked, biting her nails. “Tell me you kissed, and it was everything you ever wanted?”

I closed my eyes and nodded.

She squealed. “Oh my goddess, I’m so jelly. He’s so hot, Ever! Was it good? Can he kiss like I think he can?”

“~Stop~,” I said, putting up my palm. “Just stop. He kisses just as well as Harlan, Bryiar. You don’t see Harlan that way because you were raised with him. But they both make me feel things a mate should. Hence the problem.”

“I know, Ever. I’m not dogging Harlan. He’s a good guy, even though I want to choke slam him sometimes.”

I smiled. “Speaking of, I’m supposed to meet him soon. You coming to supper with us?”

“Sure,” she said. “Are you going to tell Rage about that she-wolf?”

“No,” I said, drying my hair with my towel. “I don’t want to look weak. I can handle a few angry she-wolves.”

Bryiar smiled. “You really will make a great luna, ~ya know~. Whether it’s in the alpha king’s pack, or our own. You’ll do well.”

I smiled, though I didn’t feel like I would. This was the hardest decision I’d ever come across, and being a luna meant I’d have to make much harder ones, and that scared me.

“Maybe,” I said, grabbing a hair tie. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”

***

The cafeteria was packed when Bryiar and I made our way to the table Harlan saved for us. He’d already started eating, but I didn’t blame him. Bryiar decided to redo her makeup before we left, because ~you never know when you’ll run into your mate~, apparently.

“You couldn’t wait on your mate to eat?” Bryiar asked, tossing a roll at him. “I hope my mate has more manners than you.”

He dodged the roll and flicked a pea at her. “Right, because we both know your mate is going to be overjoyed to find you.”

She narrowed her gaze at him.

“Stop,” I said nervously taking another bite.

Harlan placed his palm on my thigh, and electricity jolted down my leg. “I can feel your nerves,” he whispered. “Calm down. There is no reason for you to be upset. Or nervous.”

I smiled at him and pressed a kiss to the side of his cheek. He turned quick and caught my mouth, winking when I blushed. We ate while we chatted about classes, but I knew the moment Rage walked into the cafeteria, because he was seething.

Bryiar looked over her shoulder with huge eyes. “Was the girl in the shower a brunette? Busty?”

“How do you know that?” I asked.

She pointed over my shoulder, and I saw Rage dragging her by the back of her neck toward my booth.

~Oh no…~

Harlan gripped my thigh harder, his finger curling over the inside. “Is there something you need to tell me? A girl and a shower?”

“Another time,” I mumbled, turning to face Rage.

His nostrils flared, his chest heaving with deep breaths. The entire cafeteria stared at us in shock. I didn’t miss the moment he noticed Harlan’s fingers on my thigh, and I hated the anger and jealousy on his face. My wolf seemed to love it. ~The tramp.~ “Did Samantha threaten you in the shower today, Everlee?”

I opened my mouth and then shut it. “Who told you that?”

He chuckled; it was deep and caused heat to pool in my stomach. “That’s not an answer. Did she? Yes or no?”

“Yes,” I said, lifting my chin. “She did.”

“Look at her,” he hissed.

Samantha glanced up with fear in her eyes. “You apologize to her right now.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered so low I hardly heard it.

“Louder,” he demanded.

“I’m sorry!” she said, a cry coming out with it. He pulled her back and braced both palms on each shoulder. “Don’t you ~ever~ say one word to her again, do you hear me? You don’t meddle in my affairs, or I’ll tell my father.”

“Don’t—”

“Quiet,” he hissed. “Go. I can’t stand the sight of you.”

She hurried out of the cafeteria and left everyone staring after her. I felt embarrassed for her. Rage turned toward me, his eyes still dilated, his anger hanging out on his sleeve. “Can I speak to you in private?”

My stomach churned. I didn’t want to leave Harlan. I didn’t want to walk away from him in front of a cafeteria full of people. “Can it wait?” I asked.

“No.”

His fingers curled into a fist, and his gaze moved toward Harlan who hadn’t said a word. “Just for a moment.”

His asking Harlan’s permission softened my heart. I didn’t know one alpha that would ask another man’s permission to speak to his mate. Rage trying so hard put me even further into this unruly position.

“Go,” Harlan said.

“I’ll be right back,” I said softly.

Walking out behind him, I felt everyone’s eyes on me, and Harlan’s hurt the worst.

Rage led me outside of the cafeteria, and around toward the back. He swirled around on his heel once we were out of earshot and pointed a finger in my face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Feeling defensive, I crossed my arms over my chest. “About?”

“About Samantha. She threatened my mate, and you didn’t tell me? I’m here to protect you, Ever.”

“I can protect myself,” I said. “I’m not a crybaby. I don’t go to my mate with every problem. I can stand on my own two feet.”

Rage studied my face, and his throat moved as he swallowed. “I won’t tolerate one of my pack members disrespecting you. I know you’re strong, and I appreciate that, but if someone from my pack hurts you, I’ll hurt them. Next time, tell me. She was bragging about it to other pack members that came and told me.”

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

~He wants to protect you~, my wolf said.

“Have you slept with her?” I asked before thinking about it.

Rage’s gaze danced a dark color, and I felt his anger rise at my question. “You think I’m some sort of playboy, do you?” he asked, stepping closer to me.

“It was just a question,” I replied, feeling the heat of my blush on my cheeks.

He hummed beneath his breath. “I will always respect you, Everlee. But I won’t tolerate you thinking things about me that aren’t true,” he whispered. “I’ve not had sex in years,” he whispered. “I’ve been waiting ~for you~.” With his mouth close to my ear, he chuckled. “Do you know how hard it’s been to keep my hands to myself? To see you over there with Harlan. Knowing he’s had his hands on you more than I have. And you think I’ve been sleeping around with other she-wolves in my pack? I’m not that kind of alpha.”

Guilt built in my stomach. “I’m sorry.”

He stepped back. “I’ve had so many girls toss themselves at me since I started this university. Hundreds, Everlee. And I’ve waited for you.”

~My God, kiss him~, my wolf begged. She seemed to love this dominant side of him. We both knew it was there, but he’d been showing me his soft side. This wasn’t that side.

“I’m a virgin,” I blurted out.

Rage looked as if he already knew that, but I felt his excitement. “I know, and it makes it harder to leave you around him.” He clutched his fingers into a fist. “I don’t want him to be your first.” His resolve slipped, and he pressed me against the brick wall. The desperation in his voice warmed my belly.

“I’m ~trying~…”

“I know you are. I am, too,” I said. “This is hard. So, so hard,” I said.

Rage closed his eyes and kissed the corner of my mouth. Unable to stop myself, I turned my mouth toward his, and he captured my mouth with his. It was irrational. Kissing him with Harlan on the other side of the brick wall, but all my wolf’s emotions tumbled out like a broken dam.

Rage slid his palm down my side and curled his palm around the globe of my ass, lifting me to his waist easily. I moaned into his mouth, feeling the hard bulge pressed in-between my thighs, which he returned by tangling his fingers into my hair.

“You taste like candy,” he whispered, taking my hair in his hand to control our kiss. “Promise me you won’t sleep with him. You won’t break our deal.”

Tears of need, of want, and confusion formed in my eyes. I blinked them back. ~I am a hybrid~. ~I don’t cry over a guy, even if it’s frustrated tears~. He pulled harder, opening my mouth to delve further into me. “Promise,” he whispered.

“I promise,” I whispered. “No marking or screwing until I choose.”

He nodded, giving no indication that he would let me go soon. His hips rolled into mine, and memories from his room surfaced. It’d been bliss on his lap, but out in the open like this, it sparked a piece of me that I didn’t know existed.

I wanted people to see.

Rage carefully wrapped his fingers around my neck, and I moaned loudly. So loud that I knew anyone passing by could hear. “We need to stop,” I pleaded.

“You’re right,” he said, but neither of us budged.

In-between my thighs throbbed for him. I knew he sensed it. There was no way he couldn’t tell how badly I wanted him. Rage untangled his fingers from my hair and slammed his fist against the wall. “God, I hope you choose me,” he whispered. “I can’t tell you how bad I want to rip your clothes off and pound you into the wall. Take everything you’ll give me.”

Heat flooded me. I wanted that, too.

But I promised. I broke my mouth away from his, and he kissed a hot path down my neck, biting and sucking my skin. “Dear Goddess, stop,” I begged, shoving against his shoulders. “I can’t take another minute.”

Rage carefully sat me down on the floor, and turned away from me, placing both hands on his knees he caught his breath. My wobbly legs gave out, and I sat on the ground with my back against the brick.

I closed my eyes, pleading with some way to escape this torture.

“Everlee,” he said. I opened my eyes. Seeing him undone in front of me, flooded me with need. “Remember. I’m already ready to see you again.”

I smiled. “Ditto.”

“Do you want me to walk you inside?”

I shook my head. “Being any closer to you is going to test me, too much.”

He nodded and left me sitting against the wall, heaving and on the verge of tears. What the hell have I gotten myself into? Why me?