by Jen L. Grey
Damn, she might be tiny, but she was scary sometimes. “I got it, ma’am.” I understood her concern. Every time I came back from one of my sessions with Damien, I was a hot mess. Sweat poured from my every orifice, and my hair looked like I had stuck my finger in an electric socket.
In less than a minute, I was outside, heading to the area Damien had alluded to. Soon, I caught Damien’s scent and hurried in his direction.
Apparently, I was the last to show. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, but Professor Shaw might have figured out the main reason for your issue.” Damien’s face was unreadable, but his right eye twitched now and then. I’d learned a while ago it was his tell when he got stressed.
“One of the things I’ve noticed, Ms. Wright, is that you always wear that necklace.” His eyes went straight to the crescent moon that laid on my chest. “When you are working hard on your studies or stressed, you tend to play with it.”
This wasn’t brand new information. “Okay?”
“Mr. Weston, here,” Professor Shaw placed his hand on Damien’s shoulder, “informed me that you’ve had your particular separation ever since you were sixteen, which is when wolf shifters begin to grow strong. When did you receive that necklace?”
My breath caught. “My mother gave it to me when I turned sixteen.”
“I hate to say this, but I’m wondering if it might be spelled.” He held out one of his hands. “I did some research and found that a simple touch by a wizard could lift it.”
“Are you sure?” That sounded way too easy. All he had to do was touch it, and I’d be whole.
“Yes, wizards are not a common supernatural found in this world.” He glanced around the woods and grinned. “See, we aren’t at our strongest on Earth. Fae lands are where we prefer to dwell. Although there are a handful that will visit from time to time and others like me who hold important jobs here.”
I glanced at Damien. I wasn’t sure what to do. Wizards weren’t known for their pure intentions or helping others.
He nodded his head yes.
This was one of those times when I had to make a decision. Only, this one seemed so innocent. Trusting Damien and my gut, I removed my necklace. I could see Mom cursing at me in my head, but she’d never have to know. I dropped the necklace into his extended hand.
It felt as though everything was happening in slow motion. The necklace sparkled from the reflecting moonlight as it dropped into the wizard’s hand. When it touched his skin, a loud roar echoed in my ear. The sound pierced deep inside of me, and I fell to my knees.
Flashbacks began to play in my head. The time when my wolf didn’t like how Greg treated me, various times when I should’ve stood my ground, and lastly, the night I attacked Damien. I had charged him and sunk my teeth into his neck. I tore at it despite Cole and Rage’s screams of protest. The bear was going to hurt me; that was his goal, and I had to stop him. Then, something hard slammed into me, and I blacked out.
My wolf then began to blend with me and take its rightful place inside. Now I understood what they meant by not synced. We weren’t two beings in the same body; we were always meant to be one.
Damien was on his knees beside me. “Are you okay?”
I opened my eyes and smiled. I could feel the glow in them begin to subside. “I’m more than okay.”
The professor’s face was a shade paler as he stood above me, looking down. “I can’t believe it. It’s true.”
“Thank you for helping me.” I still didn’t trust him, but maybe he deserved a break.
His shock morphed into a huge grin. “Of course. I can’t wait to see what you’ll become now.”
Okay, that was strange. What did he mean?
“Come on, let’s get you back to the dorm.” Damien helped me stand and wrapped an arm around my waist. His hand was large and hot. It felt so damn good.
“You know I can walk?” I needed distance. It felt like I had become another person. My emotions and senses were heightened.
“She’ll be fine in the next few minutes.” Professor Shaw began strolling deeper into the woods. “They had been two beings, and now they are one. She’s just getting acclimated. I’m going to keep this necklace to ensure there are no residual effects.”
We walked in silence back in the direction of the dorms. That wasn’t unusual for us. Damien wasn’t a big talker, and we’d grown comfortable with one another.
As we approached my dorm, he gave me a smile. “You look beautiful tonight. I hope you have a great time.”
“Are you not going?” Cole and Rage were going, so I figured he would as well.
“No, they aren’t really my thing.” He kicked at the ground and then chuckled. “Honestly, I’ll probably wind up there because of Cole. Though I’ll sneak out really early.”
“I think it’ll be fun. Maybe you need to loosen up and stick around?”
“Raven?” Greg’s voice appeared from behind me.
“What are you doing out here?” It surprised me to see him come out from the deeper part of the woods. Professor Shaw should’ve passed him, and I couldn’t imagine he’d be okay with a random person this close to the university.
“Oh, I was traipsing around the grounds.” His eyes fell on Damien. “This is the second time today I find my girlfriend talking to another guy. However, this time it’s in the woods. Maybe I should be the one asking why you’re out here.”
A growl escaped my lips. “Maybe you should be asking yourself why you’re so insecure.”
Damien took a step closer to me and glared at Greg.
“Don’t get so high and mighty.” Greg’s breathing became ragged. He hated feeling like he was being talked down to. “When you come back, I’ll be your alpha. Don’t fucking forget that.”
This was the problem with little man syndrome. “If that was the case, then why am I the one here?”
A deep chuckle escaped Damien, and something that looked a little like pride reflected in his eyes. “Look, if you’re going to the dance, you better get back. I’m sure Jess is pissed.”
“She’s going to kill me.” I didn’t even bother talking to Greg again as I turned and hurried back to the apartment. Within two minutes, I entered through our door.
When I opened the door, Jess stopped pacing, and it felt like her eyes were shooting daggers. “Where the hell have you been?” She was gorgeous. Her eyeshadow nearly matched her dress color and was mere perfection.
“I’m sorry. But we figured out what was wrong with me and my wolf.” I walked past her, making my way into her room. My black dress was hanging on the door’s hook. I unbuttoned my shirt and removed the jeans I’d been wearing.
“First, we get dressed, then you fill me in.” She unzipped the dress and carefully put it over my head. Once it was in place, she zipped it up. “Damn, girl. You look amazing.”
I turned to the mirror once again and took a quick breath. I almost didn’t recognize myself.
The main door opened and slammed shut. Greg’s musky scent hit me hard, and his footsteps stomped down the hallway toward my room and bathroom.
“What’s his problem?” Jess placed a hand on her hip.
“He found me with Damien.” I guess it did look bad in hindsight, but he was being an asshole. “In the middle of the woods. Alone.”
“I bet that hurt his ego.” Jess huffed and rolled her eyes. “He must be overcompensating for his little dick.”
“Oh my God.” I died laughing, which caused my eyes to water.
“No, none of that.” Jess pointed her finger in my face. “You will not mess up my masterpiece.”
“Okay. Damn.” If I didn’t stop myself, she might hurt me. I waved my hand in front of my face, letting the air hit my eyes. “See, drying them up right now.”
“Good, now let’s go.” Jess opened her door and marched like a soldier into the den. “We’re leaving, Greg.”
There was shuffling in the bathroom, and then the door to my bedroom opened. “Okay, sor
ry. I didn’t expect to be gone for so long.”
Was he bipolar? His face was calm, and he gave me his usual grin. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks?” I hadn’t meant for it to come out as a question, but he’d thrown me off with his sudden niceness. It was like we hadn’t just run into each other in the woods.
“Okay, let’s go.” Jess grabbed her bag and opened the door.
It didn’t take us long to get to the dance. It was held in the school’s main entrance, but someone had hung lights and a disco ball in the center. The lights were low, and there was a DJ in the corner. The room had been emptied of all furniture, and against the wall near the front doors were two tables of drinks. One was labeled blood, and the other was labeled water.
The room didn’t even feel like the same one I walked through every day. “This is amazing.”
“I know.” Jess grinned and seemed to be taking in the room as well.
“This is so much cooler than our dances back at school.” Greg watched the dance floor as some of the kids were already out there and grinding on one another.
An earthy smell hit my nose, and I turned, seeking the source. When my eyes landed on Rage, my world seemed to shift, and it felt like I couldn’t breathe. He apparently had just gotten here, and his suit hugged his body in all the right places. I couldn’t help the arousal that coursed through me.
Soon, his gaze landed on mine, and he began to head in my direction.
“Earth to Rage,” Cole called behind him and glanced at Damien. “It’s like he’s not listening to me. How is that possible?”
“Maybe because you’re annoying as hell sometimes.” Damien adjusted his tie and groaned.
“You wanna dance?” Greg asked from behind me, but I was at the mercy of Rage’s and my connection.
It only took him seconds to finally reach me, but it was like time had stopped.
“You feel it too?” He stopped just a few inches away from me. “It’s so damn much stronger than before.”
Words were impossible, and all I could do was find the control to nod. If I did anything more, all of my self-control would snap, and I’d be climbing up his chest.
A hand reached from behind grabbed me around the waist to pull me away from Rage.
“Don’t fucking touch her.” Rage growled and shoved Greg.
“Are you serious?” Greg puffed out his chest and stood his ground.
No matter what happened next, there wasn’t going to be a good outcome.
Chapter Fifteen
The music stopped, and the room was filled with silence. We were making a scene. “Come on, let’s go outside.”
Both guys were staring at each other, neither one wanting to make the first move.
I raised my voice so it was loud and direct. “Outside. Now.” I focused on the front doors and made my way through them. I refused to make more of a scene inside.
“This is kind of exciting,” Jess whispered as she followed me. “I mean, I have front row seats to this.”
“Seriously?” I wanted Greg gone and now. It took tonight for me to finally see how much of an ass he truly was and how he had treated me. I was a piece of property to him and nothing more.
“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to see you hurt.” Jess wrapped an arm around me. “But Rage fighting over a girl was something no one ever thought would happen. There’ve been so many who tried and hoped for that.”
“Stop that sentence right there.” It was insane for me to get angry, thinking of other girls with him. He belonged to me—only me.
The front doors slammed shut as Greg and Rage made their way outside.
Greg’s cheap-ass suit was tearing at the seams, and pure hate was written across his face. “Tell him that you’re mine.”
“I can’t do that.” I had wanted to give him respect with this inevitable conversation, but he didn’t deserve it.
“Raven, tell him that you’re mine.” Greg’s eyes glowed, forcing the alpha power on me.
Whatever he expected, it wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t see him as my alpha or someone I needed to listen to. Besides, what kind of pathetic person tries to force the alpha connection when it came to claiming a mate?
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I was tired of always taking his shit and living in his shadow. “Don’t even try that alpha shit on me.”
Cole and Damien appeared beside us. I wasn’t sure how they got here, but at the moment, that wasn’t my concern.
“Is that dickhead really trying to control her?” Damien took off his suit jacket and placed it in the grass.
The last thing I needed was more people trying to get involved. “You know things aren’t working out between us.”
“I come down here for a surprise visit, and you pull this shit?” Greg took a step closer to me, and Rage growled deep.
“First off, had I known you were coming, I would’ve told you not to bother.” This is what he did, made himself the victim in every circumstance. “You know why I wasn’t coming home, so this was just your excuse to get down here.”
“You aren’t allowed to break up with me.” His hands clenched into fists, and his face took on a red hue.
“The hell she’s not.” Rage forced the words out, visibly trying to maintain some sort of control.
“Yes, I am.” I wouldn’t stay tied to this damn asshole.
“When did you become such a …”
A loud, evil laugh escaped from Cole. “Amazing? Strong? Independent? You better be careful choosing the word you use to complete that sentence.” Damien stood next to me on the right and Cole on my left.
“If that was true,” Greg snarled and glanced at each of them, “then why are you all protecting her?”
“That’s the thing. We aren’t.” Jess lifted her head high and looked down her nose at him. “We are her friends and will do anything to help her.”
It was kinda funny. It took her saying that for me to realize she was right. Even Damien was willing to stand by my side.
“This is bullshit.” Greg glanced around, and it must have sunk in that he was greatly outnumbered. “I’m out of here, but expect a call from your parents.”
“Looking forward to it.” A blatant lie, but I couldn’t let him know that. Then it hit me. My parents gave me the necklace that was spelled. I wondered if they knew about that. Surely they didn’t. My parents wouldn’t want to cause me to be imbalanced.
“You will regret this.” Greg stomped off and headed toward the parking lot.
As soon as he was out of sight, my shoulders felt a little bit lighter. I hadn’t realized the toll he had put on me.
“Thank the gods he’s gone.” Jess clapped her hands and grabbed my arm. “Let’s go and have fun. We haven’t missed much of the dance.”
“It’s time to put our boogie shoes on.” Cole did a cheesy two-step.
“You do realize that’s a country dance, right?” They were in there blaring the cha-cha, and he was out here line dancing.
“It’s the only respectable dance anyone can do.” Cole arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms, practically daring me to argue. “We are in the south and must dance as though we are.”
Sometimes, I couldn’t help but wonder what his parents were like. Sometimes, there was no reasoning with him.
Damien took a step closer to me and whispered in my ear, “See what I was saying earlier.”
In his defense, Cole was a bundle of life on his own despite being a vampire. He could be a handful at times. “Yeah.” So with the quiet, he could be overwhelming.
“Yeah, you all go on in.” Rage frowned at how close Damien was to me. “I need to talk to Raven alone before we go back in.”
“Of course.” Jess’s eyes lit, and she grabbed Cole’s arm. “Come on, go two-step with me.”
“Hell, yeah.” He lifted an arm in celebration. “Finally, someone who understands.”
“Are you guys really going to make me go back in with those two?” Da
mien scowled and huffed.
Poor guy, he looked completely miserable. “Now is that chance you’ve been looking for to sneak away.”
“You’re right.” He grinned as the door shut behind Cole and Jess. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Alright, bright and early.” Even though it was technically a break day and I’d finally connected with my wolf, I still felt a little volatile and didn’t want to go home after what had just happened with Greg.
“Yup, our normal place.” He turned quickly and disappeared into the woods, leaving Rage and me alone.
“You’re different tonight.” Rage still stood where he’d been since we got outside.
“Damien didn’t tell you?” I was sure he’d already know.
“No, what?” Rage took a step closer to me. Our connection was like a magnet. It was physically hard not to just wrap my arms around him.
However, I had to stay grounded. I couldn’t be jumping him. We had to meet in the middle. “Professor Shaw determined what was causing my wolf and me to be so … separate.”
“Really?” His eyes scanned over me.
“It was my necklace.” It still hadn’t completely registered with me yet. “He broke the spell, and now we’re one.”
“Why would someone spell you?” A look of concern crossed his face.
“I … I don’t know.” I still didn’t understand that part myself. “My mother gave it to me when I was sixteen.”
“You think it was her?” He watched me with a guarded expression.
“No, no I don’t.” My parents wouldn’t ever do anything like that. “Mom said she’d found it at a local market, and it reminded her of me.” I hoped my voice sounded confident. Honestly, I was kind of wondered if there could be more to the necklace. But my mother wouldn’t hide something like that from me… would she?
“Well, I’m damn glad you figured it out.” Now he was only a breath away. “It’s been driving me crazy.” He reached out and touched my face, which caused a warm buzzing sensation. “There it is, finally.”
Not able to resist, I placed my hand on his. “What is this?”
“We’re true mates.” His breath smelled of mint, and my hormones kicked into overdrive.