Chapter 15: Chapter 15

EVIE

I found myself lost in thought as the professor droned on about Native American legends and their relevance to modern society. It was all basic stuff, things I’d already learned, seen, and read about. Instead of taking notes, I was doodling on my notepad while the professor clicked through her PowerPoint presentation.

The same slides were displayed on my laptop, which sat on my desk. It wasn’t until I finished that I realized what I’d been drawing: a pair of intense, olive-shaped eyes that sparkled just a bit when their owner smiled.

I brushed the graphite dust off the paper and admired the eyes of my so-called mate. I’m no Picasso, but I can handle a pencil or a paintbrush. I love drawing eyes; they’re like windows to the soul.

But since Sunday, Noah’s eyes had become my new inspiration. It was Tuesday, my last class of the day. I had three classes each day on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

I took Wednesdays off to catch up on work or just relax. Every morning, Noah would text me, wishing me a good day and saying he couldn’t wait to see me on Wednesday. He promised to text me the details of our first official date tonight.

He hadn’t actually called it a date, but that’s what I was calling it. The disasters at the bonfires definitely didn’t count, and I wouldn’t consider what happened at the bar to be anything official.

Being claimed as someone’s mate kind of made you skip the dating process and jump straight into forever. I needed things to slow down. I needed to get to know Noah and ~date~ him before I was ready to commit to anything else.

I was so engrossed in my sketch of Noah’s eyes that I didn’t hear the professor dismiss the class. The noise and movement of my classmates finally got my attention. I hurriedly packed up my things, stuffed them into my backpack, and rushed out of the room.

My haste to get home was pointless. The only things waiting for me there were my couch, blanket, and bad TV. But I knew that wasn’t entirely true. A text from Noah was waiting for me.

Every day when I got home from campus, I’d text Noah to let him know I was safe. It was our compromise. He felt better knowing where I was, and I felt better not having a werewolf babysitter.

Our texting didn’t stop there, though. We always found some reason to keep the conversation going until late into the night, when he’d finally wish me sweet dreams, and I’d drift off to sleep.

I was completely smitten with Noah Landry, and it scared the shit out of me. I’d only known this man for eleven days, and I was already head over heels for him. It was irrational, illogical, and reckless.

But it was also undeniable. Our bodies and minds meshed together like parts of a machine, small insignificant pieces coming together to create something miraculous. I couldn’t ignore the feelings welling up inside me any more than I could ignore my family’s weekly phone calls, my book report due on Monday, or the scars that marked my body.

Every moment of every day was a struggle to keep my emotions in check. More than that, it was a struggle to keep my thoughts and desires under control, to keep *me* under control. I wanted him to kiss me as much as those scars marked me.

I wanted him to surrender to the lust and desire I saw in his warm, olive-colored eyes. I wanted more than just a touch of his fingers on my skin. I wanted more than just his eyes undressing me.

I wanted him as much as I knew he wanted me. And that scared the shit out of me, too. My legs carried me across campus, onto the shuttle, and toward my apartment, all while my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of my mate.

Before I knew it, I was unlocking my door and stepping inside. I kicked off my shoes, hung up my keys, and dropped my backpack in their usual spots before heading to the kitchen. Even though I knew it was unnecessary, I always waited a few minutes before texting Noah.

I didn’t want him to think I texted him the second I walked through the door, even though that’s exactly what I wanted to do. I needed to maintain at least a shred of my dignity. I reached for a coffee mug, filling it with tap water before pouring it into the reserve tank of my Keurig.

I unscrewed the lid of the large mason jar that housed my K-cups and selected one: mint tea. I inserted the cup into the Keurig, hit the power button, and positioned my mug under the spout. I leaned against the kitchen counter, the comforting hum of the machine warming up in the background, and pulled out my phone.

I began to text Noah.

Evie

I’m home.

His response came in less than fifteen seconds. He didn’t seem concerned about appearing too eager.

Noah

How was your day, love?

I remember being taken aback the first time he used that term of endearment. We weren’t at the stage of our relationship where we used ~cute pet names~, and we certainly weren’t at the ~L-word~ stage—at least I wasn’t.

I had a hunch that Noah was already beyond those stages, rushing headlong into the “~let’s get married and have babies~” phase. I needed a lot more time to figure everything out.

Evie

Pretty boring, to be honest.

I sent my reply just as my tea began to trickle out of the Keurig. I fiddled with my cup, switched off the machine, and settled down on the couch.

Noah

That’s too bad. I promise tomorrow won’t be the least bit boring;)

I was wary of the winky face but decided to play along.

Evie

Do I get any details now???

Noah

So greedy, little mate.

Evie

I don’t like surprises, alpha.

Noah

No kidding, that’s pretty obvious.

Evie

Details…

Noah

Fine. Be ready by 5pm and dress comfortably.

Evie

You call those details???

Noah

That’s all you’re going to get.

Evie

What does ‘dress comfortably’ even mean to a guy?

Noah

You don’t want me to answer that, little mate.

I pressed my phone against my thigh, blushing at the implied meaning in his text. I could feel the heat creeping up my neck from our playful exchange. He knew exactly how to push my buttons and elicit the reaction he wanted.

I wasn’t someone who was confident in her appearance or her ability to be intimate. I had only been with a few guys, all of whom I had been in some sort of relationship with. My sex life could be described as very ~vanilla~.

Noah brought out a different side of me. He said and did things that made me feel simultaneously mortified and deeply admired. He made me feel bolder, more confident.

He made me unafraid and excited for what was to come. I might not always have the best retorts—a deep blush usually being my default response—but I couldn’t deny that I enjoyed the extra attention he was giving me.

I decided to make him wait a bit, to let him stew. I turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, finally settling on HGTV. My phone ~dinged~ again.

I smiled and unlocked it to read the message.

Noah

Did I upset you, love?

Evie

You think too much of yourself, Alpha.

Noah

Keep calling me that and I might not be able to think about anything else.

Evie

Calling you what? Alpha…

Noah

You tease me, little mate.

Evie

I can’t make it too easy on you.

Noah

No one in the history of the universe will ever call you easy, Everleigh.

I could almost hear Noah’s laughter in the background. The thought sent a warm sensation coursing through me, and I held the phone to my chest, trying to manage the intense emotions I was feeling.

I couldn’t articulate it in a way that made any sense. I was suddenly consumed with a desire to be ~with~ Noah. One thing was certain: I needed to get these hormones in check before I saw him tomorrow.

Before I could reply, my phone began to vibrate against my shirt. I pulled it away and saw Noah’s number on the screen.

“Hello?” I answered, puzzled.

“What’s wrong?” he asked urgently, his voice laced with panic.

“~N~…nothing?” I stuttered.

“I can feel that something’s wrong, little mate, just tell me.” He sighed, sounding exasperated.

I shook my head at the phone. “Noah, there’s nothing wrong. I’m just sitting here on my couch, watching TV and texting you. That’s all,” I tried to reassure him.

A heavy silence followed.

“I had this sudden panic in my chest, and I knew it wasn’t my own emotions I was feeling,” he confessed, his voice slow and measured.

~Perfect.~ He could sense my emotional turmoil from miles away. ~How utterly mortifying.~

“It wasn’t panic,” I muttered. “I was feeling…something else.”

“What was it you were feeling?” His voice was tinged with worry.

“~Something else,~ Noah. Let’s leave it at that,” I said, my voice edging toward a growl.

Another pause.

“Everleigh.” Noah’s voice was deeper, more intense than I’d ever heard it.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Noah.”

“Hold on! Everleigh…” Noah’s voice stopped me in my tracks, derailing my plan for a swift exit from this conversation. “Just listen to me for a moment,” he pleaded.

“What?” I grumbled.

“Okay, I know this is incredibly awkward, and Molly would probably be better at explaining this, but here goes. What you’re experiencing is a mate bond thing,” Noah started.

“I figured that much out myself, thanks,” I retorted, hoping this conversation would soon be over.

Noah chuckled softly.

“Mates are drawn to each other from the start with a specific purpose in mind, and that purpose is even more potent with an alpha pairing,” Noah elaborated.

I was almost too scared to ask what that ~purpose~ was.

“Okay…,” I responded, my voice filled with uncertainty.

“The mate bond is compelling us to come together to produce the next alpha,” he stated matter-of-factly.

I stared blankly at my TV, my mouth agape; I nearly dropped my phone.

“Everleigh?”

“Think again, wolf boy,” I retorted sharply.

“Ev, I’m not expecting anything from you, nor am I judging you. I just want you to understand that what you’re feeling is completely normal. Yes, you’re not a wolf, but you’re still profoundly influenced by the mate bond. You’re experiencing the same pull toward me as I am toward you. The more time we spend apart, the more unbearable it will become. It’s just another hurdle we’ll have to clear,” Noah responded, his voice soothing and gentle.

I cursed his irresistibly smooth and seductive voice. It only amplified my predicament.

“Evie…,” Noah murmured, causing me to blush yet again.

This whole mate bond enabling him to sense my emotions was ~extremely~ inconvenient.

“Thanks for the explanation. I need to go now,” I grumbled.

“And I need a cold shower.” Noah’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Goodbye, Noah.” I ended the conversation abruptly, leaving no room for further discussion.

I began fanning myself with my phone, trying to cool down. I couldn’t blame Noah for his lack of control anymore. I was as bad as a hormonal teenager.

~God help me.~