by Tamara White
Sebastian stares at me incredulously as we move between tables. “You really are oblivious to it, aren’t you?”
I ignore his question, refusing to even let myself think that Colby could have other reasons for protecting me. It’s just because of the baby. He knows we need to be kept safe, just in case something bad happens.
As we get to the table, I notice the four empty seats, but see absolutely no sign of Emily or Colby.
“Katie, you don’t get it. One day it’s going to smack you in the face, but for now I will try to spell it out. You’re stronger than most of the wolves in our pack. Colby knows that, we know that and so does Emily. So in her mind, she can’t figure out why Colby feels such a fierce need to protect you of all people.”
We’ve reached the table by the time he’s finished speaking, but I’m sure Kyle and Dwayne were able to hear us long before that. Joys of wolf hearing, I guess.
Kyle grins at me as I take my seat. "Personally, I think she’s jealous because you're awesome. And it’s not just Colby either. Whenever any of us is around you, we can sense how important you are. Everything in our instincts tells us you are meant to be here and for us to keep you safe. So even though Emily’s human, she knows that if it came down to it, we would all put you first because of this connection."
I bite my bottom lip nervously. Do they all really feel I'm that important? Why? I'm nobody. I'm barely even a wolf.
But before I have a chance to ask them any of the questions running through my head, Emily and Colby appear from the hallway leading to the bathrooms, their faces slightly flushed.
I smile at their matching looks of happiness, relieved to see things seem to be going better between them. But when I turn back, I see Kyle, Dwayne and Sebastian all looking enraged.
What the hell? Did I miss something while my attention was focused on the happy couple? Did I do something wrong?
Colby and Emily come over to the table, and Emily giggles as Colby pulls out a chair for her.
A sudden scent washes over me and I wrinkle my nose, the smell of sulphur and ash so overpowering it makes me gag a little. Covering my mouth to hide my reaction, I lean closer to Sebastian, hoping his buttered popcorn scent will help cover up the awful odor, but it barely does a thing.
Dwayne, Bas and Kyle are all watching Emily and Colby intently, their lips thinned in anger, but neither of them notice, too absorbed in their flirting touches.
Colby leans forward to kiss Emily on the lips gently. While they’re distracted, I lean over to Sebastian. “Do you smell ash and sulphur?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.
He nods sharply, his gaze still fixed on Emily and Colby, who seem completely oblivious to our presence.
Even so, I decide not to ask any more questions because I don't want to interrupt what seems to be a good moment with Emily. So instead, I sit back and look at my menu, deciding what to order. The other guys follow my lead and then we place our orders with a passing waiter.
The rest of the night goes by rather quickly. Emily and Colby seem to be in their own little la la land, but Sebastian, Kyle, Dwayne and I spend time talking, mainly about classes. The conversation is light, but I can’t help but feel the tension radiating through the three of them. They keep glancing over at Emily and Colby with concerned looks.
Before long, we've all finished our food. After a moment spent debating whether we should stay for dessert, Emily tells us that she has an early class and has to get back to her dorm. Colby, being the nice guy he is, offers to walk her back. Then the two of them leave, without so much as a goodbye to the rest of us.
The moment the restaurant door closes behind them, all three of my guards are on their feet. The waiter rushes over, seeming to sense our urgency to leave. They hand over our check and Sebastian pulls out a couple of bills before giving it back.
Then he grabs me by the hand and pulls me out of the steak house while Kyle and Dwayne bring up the rear. Dwayne is on his phone before the door has even shut behind us. He’s muttering furiously to someone, pacing back and forth as he does. Kyle and Sebastian watch him intently, seeming incredibly tense.
"You don't understand, Alpha.” Dwayne runs a hand through his hair in frustration. “We smelled it. Sulphur and ash. One minute Colby was arguing with her, then they walked away to the bathroom for a bit of privacy. When they came back, they looked like a pair of lovesick teenagers. And then when Colby left, he left us with Katie without saying a word. He wouldn't do that. Especially not when we're this far from the campus."
Dwayne goes silent, obviously listening to whatever his Alpha is saying. He starts walking away from us while I just stand here, thoroughly confused. "Yes, Alpha. Katie smelled it too."
Their Alpha knows about me? Although, now that I think about it, I imagine they would have to tell their Alpha about me, considering I am mated to two of his pack members now.
I continue to watch as Dwayne nods, listening intently to his Alpha's next words. "I understand, Alpha." Then he ends the call and turns to look at me. He opens his mouth to speak, then immediately slams it shut.
As one, all three of the guys suddenly stiffen, and their eyes glaze over for a second before they all relax again.
Dwayne lets out a shaky breath and makes his way back over to us. "Come on, we have to get back to campus. One of us needs to stay with Katie, and the other two will go find Colby. We’re to tail him, and if he and Emily split up for any reason, one of us is to stay with him, and the other with Emily.”
The others nod and the three of them start walking back the way we came, with Sebastian pulling me after them. I keep waiting for them to say something, but after two minutes of nothing but silence, I can’t take it anymore. I need answers.
"Alright, someone needs to tell me what's going on because this is driving me insane. Why did you call your Alpha? Why is he demanding that you keep an eye on Emily and Colby? And what does the scent of sulphur and ash have to do with any of this?” I fire out all of my questions and then look at them pointedly, waiting for some answers.
Sebastian looks off in the distance, his eyes filled with pain. "How much do you know about the rest of our world, Katie? You know about wolves, but what about everything else that’s out there?”
What’s really out there? Is he talking about other kinds of supernaturals?
When I remain silent, he continues. "Wolves aren't the only real monsters out there. Witches, vampires, shapeshifters, necromancers. They all exist. There are probably more I'm forgetting about, but you get the gist. Anyway, each species gives off a distinct scent. Wolves for example, smell like popcorn to most, and vampires tend to smell like caramel.
“Witches on the other hand, have a very distinct smell: ash. When they’ve used magic, though, that ashy smell becomes tinged with sulphur. While most of the races out there get along pretty harmoniously, witches are to be avoided at all cost.”
I listen quietly as we walk, too enraptured by his tale to interrupt. It’s mind boggling. I never really believed there could be more out there other than werewolves. Sure, I wondered, but I never really thought anything else could exist.
“Katie, what you have to understand about witches is that they’re murderers, each and every one of them. All of them are raised to kill, and to use their magic with no remorse. I’ve watched a witch kill a human by burning them from within. Many of them become paid assassins because they’re so good at killing.
“The reason we had to call our Alpha is because we suspect Emily is a witch who’s manipulating Colby. Either that, or there’s another witch out there and she or he is manipulating both of them."
“How can you even say that? She’s his mate…” I trail off at the glares sent my way. Okay, I guess that was somehow the wrong thing to say.
Kyle is the one to speak this time. "Witches aren’t above using their magic to trick other races into thinking they’ve found their mates. It would be child’s play for Emily if she is in fact a witch. The only thing that can br
eak that kind of hold over a supernatural is if they find their true mate. But, that's not the only reason for concern. If Colby finds out she's a witch, he will kill her."
Maybe that’s why Emily is so threatened by the fact Colby has found his true mate?
"Why would he kill her?" I ask in confusion. I know messing with someone’s emotions is fucked up, but surely that’s not a reason to kill someone?
Sebastian wraps an arm around my shoulders as we step through the wrought iron gates on the edge of campus. "Because, Katie, when Colby was only ten, witches attacked his pack, where his father ruled as Alpha. They used magic to force the whole pack to watch as they murdered his father in front of them."
Holy shit...
"So what do we do?" My eyes prick with tears at the pain he must have gone through. To see that happen, especially at such a young age… God, I can't even imagine.
Dwayne looks over at me, frowning sadly. "There’s nothing we can do, at least not right now. The only thing we can do is bide our time and look for anything that could be a sign of her using magic. But we also have to keep an eye on anyone hanging around them, in case the witch is someone else nearby manipulating the both of them," Dwayne says, glancing around us as we walk across the grass, as if expecting someone to jump out of nowhere.
"That's it? We just wait and see what happens? What if she is using him? Manipulating him? Don’t you think that’s something he should know? What about Kaden and Alex? Shouldn't we at least tell them too?"
Kyle is shaking his head even before I finish. "No, we can't tell them. Our Alpha already commanded us through the bond to keep this to ourselves. We can't defy that order even if we wanted to. So for now, we do what he said until he gets back, which should be in just over a week. Until then, we gather proof. Then when our Alpha gets here, he will confront her or whoever it is that’s using magic in his territory."
Damn, it sucks they can’t say anything to Colby about this. And there is no way I’m going to say something, not when I have no clue whether any of it’s true or not. I already seem to be an issue for Emily and don’t want to be the cause of any more problems.
By the time I’ve reached the decision not to tell Colby, we’ve arrived at the door to my dorm building. I turn to the three guys with me, knowing that when they said one of them would be with me at all times, they even meant while I was sleeping. I'm starting to figure out just how protective these wolves really are.
"Right then, no telling Colby unless he absolutely has to know just in case Emily isn’t the witch we’re looking for. Now, who's staying tonight?" I ask, glancing between the three of them.
Sebastian playfully pinches my side, making me giggle. Damn, stupid ticklish spot. "You seriously have to ask? I am wounded you think I would be capable of leaving your side, even for a second,” he says, faking hurt, but the amusement in his eyes tells me he’s just messing with me.
I stick my tongue out at him and wink at the other two, who are watching us with warm smiles. "Fine," I sigh dramatically. "You can stay in my room, but if you snore, I will strangle you. I need all the beauty sleep I can get."
Sebastian growls low in my ear, making my breath hitch. "You don't need beauty sleep. You are fucking fantastic even without it. But yeah, if you want to have a good day tomorrow, you probably better rest."
I nod, and then extract myself from his arm so I can give Dwayne and Kyle each a hug. "Please be careful." I murmur as I go from one set of arms to the next. "I don't want any of you guys to get hurt."
Dwayne grins down at me. "Don't worry, Katie. We can defend ourselves well enough. Although, maybe if you taught us all your kick ass moves, you wouldn’t worry as much.”
I roll my eyes in amusement, "Fine. If you want me to teach you what I know, I am more than happy to show you guys."
Kyle and Dwayne look at me with hopeful expressions. “You’d really teach us?”
I shrug my shoulders, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the intensity of their gazes. “Well, yeah. I can’t guarantee I can teach you all that much, but I’m happy to show you everything I was taught.”
"Excellent, it's a date then." Kyle grins at me, but then his expression shifts to a frown. "Now, go and get some rest. You look dead on your feet."
“Okay, I’ll see you guys tomorrow then. Just… please be safe.”
Their eyes soften at my concern and they both wave before turning to walk away. Sebastian keeps his arm around me, for which I’m thankful. The guys were absolutely right. I am extremely exhausted right now. Ugh, I wonder if I’ll feel like this throughout the whole pregnancy?
Together, we walk into my building, going straight to the stairwell. But before I can take the first step up the stairs, Sebastian has scooped me up into his arms. “Sorry, Katie. You look too tired to handle the stairs right now. Just let me carry you to your room, then I will set you back down.”
I sigh in acquiescence and rest my head on his chest as he carries me up the stairs. Then, as promised, he puts me down on my feet just outside of my door.
I unlock and open the door, waiting for him to come in before closing it behind us and flipping the lock. Sure, Frannie has a key and can get in if she needs to, but this will at least give me a little heads up.
Feeling a little nervous, I turn to Bas. “I’m just going to take a quick shower before bed. Feel free to make yourself comfortable.” Then I move over to my dresser, pulling out a tank top and boyshorts.
I rush through my shower, getting ready for bed much faster than I would normally. When I exit the bathroom, I pause at the sight of a shirtless Sebastian sprawled across my bed, taking up all the space.
As I walk towards the bed in question, I can’t help but stare at the pure masculine specimen lying on my bed, with his head propped in his hand and dressed in nothing more than his satin boxers.
"You coming to bed, Katie? I won't bite... unless you ask me to, that is." Even though I know he’s teasing, I can see the heat in his eyes.
I have to admit, it feels weird having a guy stay with me overnight. I’m used to Frannie bringing every man under the sun up here for a night of fun, but I’m not like that. Not that I plan on sleeping with Sebastian, but still. I kicked up a big stink about her bringing back random guys, so for me to now have one sleeping in my bed?
"What if Frannie comes in during the middle of the night? I would rather not have her gloat about the fact that I have a guy in my bed.”
Sebastian just grins and gets out of the bed, heading over to my desk. He grabs the chair, dragging it across the floor. I watch as he wedges it under the door handle at an angle, enough to block anyone from being able to open it.
"There,” he says in satisfaction. “Now no one can get in. So if she comes back, she’ll just have to knock if she wants in. That will give you plenty of time to hide me."
Bas seems hesitant as he walks over to me. While his tone is playful, I can see the hurt in his eyes. "I'll crawl under the bed, or I can just jump out the window. Whatever you want. But I won't be leaving you alone. Especially not with a witch wandering around on campus."
I step into his arms, twining my hands behind his neck. "You know I’m not ashamed of you, right?"
He grimaces at that, averting his gaze. "Not really, no. I can’t help but wonder if it was Kaden, Alex or hell, even Colby here with you instead, if you would even care about your roommate finding out? I can't help but feel like some dirty secret."
Shit. "Bas, I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you feel that way, I'm just still processing everything. Kaden and Alex, everything happening with Colby, and then the baby. It's just all so overwhelming and I don't want to make a mistake and screw everything-" My mouth snaps shut at the wide-eyed expression Sebastian is giving me and I realize what I just accidentally revealed. "Fuck."
"Did you say ‘baby?’ Are you pregnant?"
"Uh, maybe?" I shrug uncomfortably and drop my gaze to the ground, unable to meet his eyes. My mind is racing, thinking that I just made ever
ything worse. Colby and Emily were the first to know about the baby. And now Sebastian. But I still haven't even told Kaden and Alex. Shit. How am I going to explain this to them? They’re going to be hurt I didn’t tell them right away, especially once they learned I told some of their pack mates first.
Tears start to fall as I feel everything in my life falling apart.
Sebastian tilts my chin up, making me meet his gaze. "Hey, don't worry. I'm not upset about it, just surprised. Shit, it all makes so much more sense now." He pulls me to his chest, hugging me tightly. "That’s why Colby wanted us to protect you, isn't it?"
I nod against his chest, unable to stop the tears, which are now falling freely.
"Kaden and Alex are going to hate me, aren't they?" I murmur into his chest.
For a minute, I don't think he heard me, but then he pulls away, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "No, they won't. I get that you think there is going to be some backlash over Colby and I knowing before them, but I promise they won't be upset. If anything, they will be happy you told someone in the pack who could give you the support and protection you needed until you were ready to tell them yourself."
Hope begins to well in my heart at the confidence in his words. Maybe the guys won’t be freaked I told the others, after all. Well technically, I didn’t tell Colby, Emily did. And Emily knew before I did, but still. To be fair, I did tell Sebastian, even if it was by accident.
"Do you really think so?" I ask, looking up at him.
"Are you kidding me? Most of us are ready for children shortly after we turn sixteen. Although the Alphas have changed the minimum age to eighteen, since times have changed in the last hundred years or so. It isn't as accepted to have a child so young as it used to be.
“There is nothing more fulfilling you can do for your pack or your mates than to have a child and help ensure the continuation of our species. And as for your child, he or she will be cherished and protected by the whole pack. We will treat you like the queen you are and no one will ever lay a hand on you or your child."