Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Luca and I chat the entire walk home.

us down

And though the walk takes us about five hours the terrains rougher than a flat road, which slows

the time passes in what feels like a blink. The three ahead of us are relatively quiet, trudging along the

miles and tripping on stones in the darkness, but Luca and I get lost in latighter.

God – he’s funny, and he laughs at my jokes too, all of which just twists my heart a little because as

each mile passes my crush on him grows bigger and bigger, inch by inch.

He tells me all about his childhood, raised in a big family like mine. How he was so angry as a kid after

his dad left, but how his mom’s brother took him into the gym and taught him to redirect that anger into

solid blows at a punching bag, teaching him the art of boxing and keeping him out of trouble. And

honestly, it should be a sad story, but the way he tells it – god, my cheeks ache for laughing so hard

and smiling so much.

“Honestly, Shrimp.” Luca says, smirking down at me as our final mile begins, “if any animals were

thinking about taking us out, they’d certainly shy away knowing we’ve got a hyena in our group,

shrieking into the night.”

“Shut up,” I laugh, swatting him in the stomach with the back of my hand. “It’s your fault –”

“It is not my fault that you keep making that shrill noise –”

I burst into laughter again as he teases me, unable to help it, shaking my head at him. “Stop making

me laugh, then,” I say, grinning up at him.

Luca doesn’t say anything for a moment, staring at me, connecting with me in that quiet way we’ve

been doing all day. “Stop making me want to make you laugh,” he murmurs, just the corner of his

mouth turning up. “Honestly it’s….weirdly rewarding, seeing you crack up like that.”

I blush a little, biting my lip, and I look ahead, wrapping my arms around myself to ward off the

goosebumps that are forming on my arms. I don’t bother to wonder if they’re a result of the growing

cold or the butterflies he’s sent looping around my stomach.

“You cold?” Luca murmurs, drawing close.

“Um,” I say, not knowing what to say. Because if I say yes, I feel like he’s going to…

“Here,” he sighs, slipping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close. I sharply draw in my breath

but… I don’t move away. Instead, I slowly exhale, leaning into him just a little bit.

Just for body heat, I tell myself, not letting myself consider that we’re both carrying backpacks filled with

extra jackets and blankets.

WHATEVER, my wolf says on a gleeful exhale, laying on her back and letting her tongue hang out of

her mouth in ecstasy.

Chapter 25

I scowl at her and turn my attention back to the task at hand: getting back to the barracks safely and

ignoring the tingling sensation that passes all along the side that’s pressed close to Luca, and across

my shoulders where his arm lightly rests.

We’re quiet for the rest of the walk, but when I glance up at Luca I see that there’s a smile on his face,

his eyes trained on the road ahead, both of us just ignoring the fact that he’s walking with his arm

draped around me. And I grin, and keep walking because…

Honestly, it should be more awkward, but it’s not. Everything in me just screams right.

Luca drops his arm from my shoulders as we come closer to the light of the barracks, letting his fingers

trail down my back before he moves away. We’ve dropped back far enough where our other three

teammates are unlikely to have seen us, but…well, we’re back in the real world now, aren’t we?

We step inside and I notice with surprise that our group is the only one that made it back this early.

“Wow,” I murmur. “I mean, I thought we were slow, but…”

“Maybe the other teams didn’t hate each other’s guts as much as ours did,” Luca says with a shrug,

walking slowly for his bunk. I follow.

“I don’t think Perry hated us,” I murmur, glancing towards the bathroom where the other three have

disappeared.

“Yeah, well. I don’t think we’ll be swapping recipes with him anytime soon,” Luca says, his voice dry.

“Not when he’s tied up with those two.”

I hum a little consideringly as Luca grabs his bathing things and then waits for me as I grab mine. We

head into the bathroom together, but I blush horribly when Luca heads for the showers, stripping off his

shirt.

“Are you coming?” he calls over his shoulder.

my

I mumble something awkward about it being late and how I’m tired, and Luca just shrugs. I turn

back, pressing my eyes shut as Luca drops his shirt on the bathroom floor and starts at the buckle of

his pants. I brush my teeth as fast as humanly possible then, congratulating myself for accomplishing

the monumental act of personal restraint it takes to not glance backwards when I hear the shower turn

on.

Instead, I scurry out of the bathroom, mentally scolding myself to respect my mate’s privacy, especially

when he thinks I’m a boy.

Then, denying my wolf’s near–constant urge to strip–down and climb into that shower alongside my

mate, I haul myself into my bed and flip back onto my pillow, pulling my cap down over my eyes so I

can get some sleep, or at least contain myself marginally.

My rest is interrupted, though, about fifteen minutes later when I hear Luca’s voice disturbingly close to

my ear.

“Hey,” he says, and I shriek and jump a little, spinning towards him, realizing that he’s standing on

Chapter 24

the edge of Rafe’s best his arms looped over the side of my own, the way Jesse usually stands when

he wants a spnet word Lanca grins instantly, laughing at me “Jumpy,” he comments.

“Tired.” I say, glaring at him a little but turning on my side, propping my head on my hand and gazing at

him “Why do you disturb my slumber, pretty boy?” I try to inject some teasing into my own voice then,

but honestly I think it fails. Because I mean with his dimples flaring like that–he really is just so pretty

“Brought you dinner,” Luca says, lifting one of the wrapped sandwiches I’m getting very sick of and

placing it by me on the bed. “I figured you forgot to go get one for yourself.”

“Why did you think I’d forget?” I say, smiling and taking the sandwich, pulling it close but not

unwrapping it.

“Because you always do.” he says softly. “Rafe always has to bring you food, remind you to eat.”

A little smile pulls at my mouth. “Have you been watching me, Grant?”

He stares at me for a long moment. “Can’t seem to help it,” he breathes, and my heart feels like it

completely stops as he reaches out a hand, his fingers drawing dangerously close to my cheek –

But at the last moment his eyes shift to his hand, and he clenches it into a fist, drawing his lips into a

tight line. “Good work today,” he says, nodding and shifting his eyes away from me. “Um. Yeah. Good

job.” He hops down from his spot and waves to me over his shoulder. “See you…tomorrow. Today.

When…whenever.”

“Night, Luca.” I say softly, though I know he hears me.

And I groan as I flop again back on my pillow, holding my sandwich against my stomach, wondering

how the hell I’m supposed to get to sleep while my heart is racing this fast.

But my doubts are soon proven wrong as I hastily eat my sandwich and rest my head back on the

pillow again, totally beat. I curl up in my blankets, at least content in the knowledge that I don’t have to

get up early, because candidates aren’t even expected back until dinner time.

—

Still, my last thoughts are inevitably – about Luca, wishing he’d stayed, wishing we’d had chance to talk

more – even for a few minutes or for a few more hours….

1

My dreams tonight are unusually vivid, and I feel more conscious in them than I usually do. I blink,

looking around at the hazy birch forest, which is somehow bright even though it’s edged with fog. I turn

my head, considering the pretty white trees with their leaves turning golden for autumn, pleased and

surprised. And then I run my hands down over my favorite white nightgown from home – relishing the

soft feel of it beneath my palms. Smiling, I next run my fingers through the long length of my hair, which

I never get to do anymore because it’s always tucked up under that

little cap –

“Hello?” a voice calls, and I go very still.

Who the who the hell is that?

Chapter 25

And suddenly, as I peer through the forest, I instantly recognize Luca, even though he’s standing far

away. I groan a little, because of course I can’t stop thinking about him even when I’m asleep – hell. I

fell asleep thinking about him, wanting to spend more time…

“Seriously, where the hell am I?” Luca mutters, his voice carrying through the trees.

And suddenly my eyes go wide because….

Because…

My mind flashes back to what my mom and Aunt Cora have told me before

About meeting their mates in the dream state-

Which they can only do once they’ve met, and invited them there –

I gasp. slapping my hands over my mouth as I realize that…

“Who’s there?” Luca calls, turning towards my gasp..

Frantic I dart away, hiding behind a tree. “F*ck, f**k!” I hiss, peeking out and seeing him walking closer.

My breath comes in fast pants as I panic – because he can’t see me here – he can’t see me like this –

even if he does figure out that this is just a dream, he’ll have seen me in a dress with long hair! And

he’s not stupid – he’ll remember it in real life and put the pieces together!

I clench my fists at my side, forcing myself to think

I press my eyes shut, willing the dream to end.

No, my wolf says, her voice echoing out loud now – because she’s in my head and so am I now.

“Let me out!” I hiss, looking around for her.”

No! she says, more cheerfully this time. Play with him! We need this!

Cursing, I listen carefully and panic when I hear Luca’s footsteps moving closer

“Hello?” he calls again. “Seriously, is there someone there?”

My heart starts to seriously pound when suddenly I realize that…that this is my dream, right?

And if it’s my dream…I have control.

I look down at myself, willing my nightgown to change….and suddenly, it’s gone, replaced by my grey

candidate uniform. I gasp and reach up, realizing that my hair has been tucked into my cap as it always

is.

And, slowly, I start to smile.

Sun, Tu Mar

Chapter 25

That’s my girl, my wolf says huffing a wolfy little laugh. Now got

And, smiling, cursing myself for being an idiot and taking needless risks…I step out from behind

the tree.

“Hey,” I say, and Luca turns to stare at me.