by Emilia Rose
Was I jealous? Yes. He was driving me crazy. I didn’t know what was going on between us, what to call it even. Were we fuck buddies? Friends with benefits?
I thought so, but then he brought me to the cave the other night. That wasn’t just any spot. That was our spot when we were younger and then all that talk about when we were younger and his mother liking me and letting me keep one of his mother’s most valuable possessions. It made me think—hope—that maybe there was something more because I was feeling all these weird feelings that I hadn’t felt. But… now… I didn’t know what to think.
A tree branch broke in the woods to our right. I gazed over to see a wolf with thick black fur shift into a human. Moonflower tattoos covered his forearms. A large scar ran down the side of his neck. The man had the natural aura of a warrior: strong, stoic, and stony. His eyes were cold, and his arms were crossed, and he was staring right at me. I sucked in a breath.
Roman growled lowly, glaring at him, then turned back to me. “I hope you’ll try a little harder today, Isabella. Try not to get on my nerves, try not to embarrass yourself… Just try.”
I snapped my head to his. “Get on your nerves? I think you need to re-evaluate yourself before you start telling m—”
“You should just leave,” he said suddenly. “If you don’t want to respect me, if you want to continue this little game that you’re playing with Cayden and not take this seriously, you should leave.”
Derek threw an arm around my shoulders and playfully placed his hand over my mouth to shut me up. “She will try today, Alpha. I’ll make sure of it.”
Roman gazed between us, then back at the naked man walking through the woods. Without another word, he turned and started toward him.
Derek smacked me on the arm. “Alright, listen. I don’t know what happened between you two, but you can’t go talking to him like that.” He shook his head. “Just please… control yourself today. Give it your all without hurting anyone, especially Vanessa.”
I pressed my lips together. “No promises.”
~~~
Roman didn’t practice with us. Instead, he and his annoying ass attitude watched from the side with that wolf. They barely looked at each other; Roman would just nod his head now and then.
The man lifted his hand to rub the stubble on his jaw. My eyes widened when I saw the silhouette of a werewolf tattooed on the back of it. It was a symbol of the Lycan Warriors.
The Lycan Warriors were a group of the best warriors from all packs. There was nothing physically different between a werewolf and a Lycan, but Lycans tended to be smarter and better in combat. They dedicated their lives to protecting werewolves from vicious rogues like the ones that killed Roman’s parents.
Cayden threw me onto the ground and landed on top of me, but I couldn’t stop gawking. Lycans were everything that I trained to be, but more. Since I was young, I had dreams of protecting my pack. I would even pray to the Moon Goddess that I could be as strong as a Lycan someday.
I pushed myself off of the ground and turned back to Cayden. Why was he here? Lycans rarely visited packs to oversee practices.
Whatever the reason, I wasn’t going to let him see Cayden push me around so easily. Even though I didn’t know him, I respected him. More than I respected Roman, at this point. I was going to show off my abilities to this Lycan, maybe even get him to recruit me.
Cayden lunged at me, but I sprawled back, curled an arm under his shoulder, and turned him onto his back, pinning him to the ground. He struggled underneath me, but I didn’t let him up. I continued to drive his shoulders into the ground until Roman growled at me and told me to stop.
Throughout practice, I took down Cayden over and over. Only letting him take me down twice during the whole two-hour period. I fought like my life was on the line and harder than any other students from my class.
When practice was over, Roman and the Lycan disappeared into the packhouse, arguing with each other, but not before gazing back at me and clenching his jaw, a conflicted expression on his face.
“Do you two want to join us?” Cayden asked, sitting next to Derek and me while rummaging through his bag for his clothes. “We’re all going out to The Night Raider’s Café for some drinks. It’s a tradition that the warriors and the trainees go out the night before Roman assigns positions.”
I gazed across the yard to see Vanessa grinning at a female warrior wolf. My hand tightened into a fist. “Is she going to be there?”
Cayden followed my gaze and sighed. “Unfortunately.” He turned back to me, lightly tapping my shoulder. “But, hey… last day she’ll be bothering you.”
“Last day?” Derek asked.
Cayden tugged on his shirt and looked around to make sure nobody was listening. “You think she’ll make the team? She can barely do a sit-up without complaining. Roman already can’t take her shit.” He smoothed out his shirt and slung his bag over his shoulder. “So, you coming?”
Chapter 10
Isabella
“So,” Vanessa said, sipping on her second Brawl Brew of the night. She leaned closer to me, her breasts brushing against my forearm. “What’s going on with you and Roman?”
I pressed my lips together. “Nothing,” I said. Not that it was any of her business.
The waiter came over, setting another drink down in front of her. “Isabella needs another one, too!” she said. The guy raised a brow at me, and I shook my head. Moon Goddess, I didn’t want to end up like Vanessa who had undid the top two buttons of her shirt and was nodding her head offbeat with the music.
She leaned closer to me, and I leaned against Derek’s arm—trying to put as much space between us as possible. I didn’t want to snap again and ruin my chances of becoming a warrior just because Vanessa got on my nerves.
After gazing at me, she dropped her gaze to my lips and frowned. “I know something’s going on.” She rested her arm on the table in front of us, sighing to herself. I glanced down at it, noticing the shiny scars on her skin.
“Come on,” I said quietly, grabbing Derek’s hand and pushing him to the edge of the booth, needing to get out of here as soon as possible. “We’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks for inviting us.”
As soon as Derek stood, I hopped up and tugged him to the door. Vanessa flirted with everyone she could tonight—even me. It was desperate, and a part of me felt bad for her. Hell, all of me felt bad for her, and I didn’t know why. I didn’t mind her flirting with people, but it was her flirting with Roman that made me and my wolf anxious.
“Bye, you guys!” Vanessa shouted from across the pub as I hurried to the door with Derek. “Bye, Isabella!”
“I don’t know how her parents deal with her,” Derek said when we walked toward his car. The sky was a dark blue, and the moon was blazing so brightly above us. I could just imagine how beautiful my Moonflowers were glowing on my windowsill.
“Me, either,” I said.
Derek opened his door and froze, staring behind me. “Alpha.”
I clutched the door handle, my knuckles turning white, and looked at him. He just had to ruin the night, didn’t he? Coming here looking like a fucking sex-god, probably going to flirt with Vanessa since he didn’t have time to earlier.
Roman walked up the sidewalk, jaw clenched, eyes dark as the night. “I’m taking Isabella home,” he said, his gaze not leaving mine.
“Derek’s taking me home.”
He stepped toward me and clenched his jaw. “Derek is going to get in his car and drive home by himself, aren’t you Derek?”
Sensing the tension, Derek gazed between us. Roman asked him again, this time in his alpha tone, and he bowed his head. Oh, hell no. I was not going home with Roman. No fucking way. I yanked on the door handle. “Derek, unlock the car.”
“Sorry, Izzy.”
“Derek, unlock it!”
He sat, shut his door, and started the car. I grumbled to myself, glaring as he sped out of his lot. He would get it later. Oh, boy, was he going to—
I narrowed my eyes at him, watching the moonlight hit his perfect damn skin. “What?” I said between clenched teeth.
“Come with me,” he said. He held out his hand, wanting me to take it, but I turned on my heel and walked in the opposite direction—right into the woods. This man had the nerve. Yes, I was still angry from before. Yes, I wanted to hurl my fist right into his pretty face. Yes, I wanted him to tie me to his bed and finally give me what he has been denying me for the past week.
I entered the woods toward my house. I couldn’t wait until my birthday. When I find my mate. When I leave this pack. When I finally get what I deserve. A man who’d lift me up instead of put me down. A man who wasn’t so confusing like Roman was. One moment he was taking me to our spot and telling me stories of his mother, the next he was shoving his dick down my throat and telling me I wasn’t shit.
“Isabella, I’m not in the mood for these games you play. Come with me,” he said sternly.
I stepped over some branches, fingers gliding against the bark on the trees in the woods. He could stand there all night and try to convince me to go with him for all I cared.
“For fuck’s sake.” He growled and followed me, snapping branches and breaking through vines to keep up. “Why don’t you listen to me?” He snatched my wrist, his whole hand enveloping it, and stopped me. I tried pulling away, but he just pushed me against the nearest tree and pinned both of my wrists above my head. “Stop fucking fighting me.”
I growled. Stupid fucking alpha, always thinking he could just tell me what to do and what to think and… and… He was so close. The scent of mint and wet bark was driving my wolf wild. She was jumping inside of me, running around in circles, so fucking excited. He trailed his nose up the side of my neck and inhaled, his lips grazing against my soft spot.
“Let me go, Roman,” I said through clenched teeth.
“No,” he said breathlessly. “I’ve been stressed out all fucking day.”
I pressed my lips together. Now wasn’t the time, nor place for this. “What’re you going to do?” I asked. “Force me onto my knees again, so I can relieve my dear alpha of all his stress?”
He grinded his hardness into me, and I pressed my knees together. Wishing away the wetness forming between my legs.
Stop it, Isabella. Stop him. I was mad at him. So fucking mad. Mad that he hadn’t undressed me already and touched me the way I had needed him to for weeks now.
“Is that what you want, Isabella?” he asked against my ear. “For me to force you onto your knees?” When I didn’t answer the question, he released one of my wrists and trailed his fingers down my body, slipping them into my pants. “It’s good that I don’t like giving you what you want, huh?”
He rubbed my clit in small, fast circles. Damn him. I squeezed my eyes closed, tried to steady my breathing, and cursed at him for always knowing exactly how to touch me.
“I give you what you need, Isabella. Not what you want.” He pressed his lips against my neck and sucked the skin into his mouth. My core tightened, and I grasped onto his bicep. “Is this what you need?”
I let out a small whimper.
“Use your words.” He lightly trailed his fingers across my nipple through my shirt and then tugged on it. “Is this what you need?”
A wave of pleasure washed through me, and I clenched my pussy. Oh, Moon Goddess. “Yes.”
His fingers moved faster. “Yes, what?”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Yes, Alpha.”
He pushed me further into the tree as his fingers entered me. They curled wildly inside of me, over and over and over and oh, Lord. Wave after wave of pleasure was coursing through my body, making my fingers tingle.
“Cum for me, Isabella.” He pinched my nipple hard between his fingers, and I bit my lip to stop myself from moaning out loud.
I threw my head back. “Yes, Alpha.” My body trembled, and I dug my fingernails into his shoulder, body trembling against him.
My breaths came out short and ragged. I rocked back and forth against the tree, feeling like I was walking on the clouds. It felt so good. He felt so good, and I hated myself for giving into him so easily and for letting him rile me up so easily.
I just couldn’t help it.
When I finished, Roman nodded to his truck sitting in the Night Raider’s parking lot. “Come on.” He grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the lot. “I’m taking you home.”
Without complaining to him for once, I sat in his car and inhaled his scent. It was impeccably organized inside—no empty bottles of water or failed math exams sitting on the seats like in Derek’s car. The dashboard was sleek, almost sparkling. He had a maroon journal sitting between us with a few sheets of paper sticking out of it. When he noticed me staring at it, he pushed the papers back into the journal.
“You don’t make things easy for me,” he said. His voice was soft despite the death grip he had on the steering wheel.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked. His eyes flickered back and forth between gold and green, and he stared out the windshield. Quiet. He was so damn quiet. I frowned and sat back. “Okay, don’t tell me.”
He parked in my driveway, and I opened the door. Wanting nothing more than to sink into my sheets and sleep for once. This week had wiped me out, and I was finally satisfied.
“Wait,” he said, tapping his fingers on his journal. I stared at him for a few moments, my heart racing. He parted his lips and looked down at his journal. “I…”
I waited for him to say something, for him to tell me to stay for a moment longer, for him to grasp my wrist and tug me into the forest until it was midnight. But he didn’t do any of those things.
He sighed through his nose and frowned down at his lap, looking defeated. He hadn’t had that expression since his parents died, and even then I never saw it up close. I never felt how I was feeling now for him.
“Have a good night, Isabella,” he said.
I stayed in the car for another moment, hoping that he would break, then—when I knew he wouldn’t—I shut the door and walked to the house, not looking back despite my wolf begging me to see him one last time.
Inside of me, my stomach turned. We were wrong. This—whatever it was—was wrong. We shouldn’t be getting close to each other. I shouldn’t be feeling like this. It was supposed to only be physical, purely physical.
An emotional connection would be frowned upon by my mate—whoever he was—because feeling this way about my alpha, well, that was beyond wrong.
When I reached my bedroom, I gazed out the window to see his car still in the driveway. He gazed up at me for a moment and gave me a small, trying smile.
Goodnight, Roman.
Chapter 11
Isabella
Thank the Moon Goddess it was Friday because I was done with Vanessa bouncing in the seat behind me. Her warm breath was on my neck again, making me shiver.
I ignored it and gazed at my warrior notebook. All the wrestling moves, punching combinations, types of kicks that Derek and I had practiced over and over were in this journal, to be remembered forever after tonight.
When my name rolled off Roman’s lips, followed by the word “warrior” after class, I would clutch this notebook close and be thankful for it all. Even all the nights we stayed up under the moon to improve our skills and all the times old man Mr. Beck stared over Derek’s backyard fence and tried telling us about the good ole times when he was a warrior while we practiced.
My gaze lifted to Dr. Jakkobs who sat at his desk, surfing through his phone and not even bothering to teach class. Seeing that it was the last day of school, he was probably just trying to end the year peacefully—without any disturbing comments from Vanessa about wanting to get naked in front of everyone.
Derek mouthed the words, “Three minutes,” to me from his desk, running a hand over his fade, his sponge twists bouncing ever so softly.
Three minutes until school was over forever. Three minutes until we headed over to the packhouse and finally joined the warriors. Three minutes until I didn’t have to listen to Vanessa’s high-pitched, over-the-top, nagging voice every single day.
Roman would probably assign her as a nurse in the hospital, make her take care of Mr. Beck. Or maybe he’d assign her some place worse. As long as she wasn’t with warriors, I’d be fine.
The bell rang, and everyone stood up. Cheering. Laughing. Racing out of the room. I tossed my journal into my backpack, butterflies fluttering around in my stomach, and walked to the door with Derek. I couldn’t wait any longer. Thirteen years had been long enough.
“Isabella!” Dr. Jakkobs said, standing. He smiled at me with his perfectly straight teeth and pushed his glasses up higher onto his face. “Can I speak to you for a moment?”
After reassuring Derek that I would meet him at the packhouse, I walked over to him. My wolf was itching to get out of here as soon as possible, so we could see Roman and become one of his warriors. “Yes, Dr. Jakkobs?”
“You’ve done phenomenal this year,” he said. All of my exams were spread across his desk. One hundred percent. One hundred one percent. Ninety seven percent. Ninety eight percent.
“Thank you.”
“I think you’d be a great fit at the pack hospital.”
I gnawed on the inside of my cheek. I should’ve known that this was what he wanted to tell me. While I worked hard for good grades in his class and while working in the hospital ran in my family, that path wasn’t for me. “Thank you for the compliment, Dr. Jakkobs. I really like anatomy, but I was born to fight.”
He smiled and nodded. “Your mother tells me all the time that being a warrior has been your goal since you were a girl, but if you figure that it isn’t for you anymore, you’re always welcome at the hospital. We could use someone like you there.” He patted me on the back, gathered my exams, and said, “Good luck at try-outs today.”
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