Confusing Hearts (Westin Pack Book 4)

by Julie Trettel

  There were definitely benefits to being an identical twin, at least for Tessa. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. The only class I almost flunked was PE in the ninth grade. I wasn’t really the athletic type, but that was Tessa’s department. She was great at all sports, but especially volleyball. I didn’t really envy her. I had my art, and loved seeing the world through a camera lens, but unfortunately physical education was still mandatory in high school.

  You’d think that a panther, sleek in movements with great agility would excel in sports, but not me. I could dance. That was about the closest thing to an actual sport as I got, and that wasn’t offered as a high school course alternative to gym class. The funny part was, while Tessa was extremely athletic, she had no rhythm and couldn’t dance to save her life.

  At that time, Tess had been failing algebra, and fortunately for us, the classes were on the same block. So she would pose as me and downplay her athletic skills just enough to get me a passing grade, and I attended her algebra class to do the same for her. It had been beneficial to the both of us.

  It wasn’t the only time we had changed places over the years, either. Our own parents had a hard time telling us apart, so it had always worked in our favor.

  “Okay, you’re right. Why didn’t I think of this before? We can’t both be in the class. I’m going to go over and see about transferring. Same classes, different schedules, and no one ever has to know, especially Daddy. He’ll just see that we had the same classes and assume we were in them together. Right?”

  “I guess so,” I said doubtfully. We were nineteen years old, sophomores in college, and hundreds of miles away from the man. Why did we still care so much?

  “Okay, have fun, take good notes for us,” she said, giving me a quick hug as she headed off to student resources in the hopes of changing her class schedule.

  I looked around me. Alone. I was alone, or as alone as a person could possibly be on a campus of eight hundred students. I couldn’t stop the smile spreading across my face as I walked to class.

  “Tessa, over here.” I saw my friend Anita waving near the door to my class.

  “It’s Jenna,” I told her.

  “Oh, sorry. I thought Tessa said she was going to be in this class.”

  I tried not to laugh. “Tessa? In calculus?”

  Anita laughed along with me. “Yeah, it sounded like a long shot to me too. I should have known.”

  “She actually did sign up, and then realized I couldn’t do her work for her if she was in the same class with me, so now she’s working on getting her schedule changed.”

  “Okay, that sounds much more like Tessa,” Anita said.

  I followed her into the classroom to empty seats at the front of the room as she chatted on. Anita was a true friend. I had always liked her, unlike her sister, Ayanna, who came across as condescending. I didn’t have it in me to be as mean and calculating as Ayanna. She would definitely make a far better princess, and if I could give her the job, I would in a heartbeat. Who was I kidding? I just wanted to be left alone.

  As the teacher entered and called the class to order, I took in a deep breath. It was something I always did to calm myself before class, but as I inhaled, I was assaulted by an unfamiliar woodsy scent. No, I had smelled it before at the party we hosted over the weekend. It had caused such a tingling sensation across my skin that I had retreated to my room and locked myself in for the night.

  I had heard of such a feeling. It was very much like my mother had described as the call of true mates. No, no, no, no, no, that couldn’t happen here. I knew for a fact there were no male black panthers attending Archibald Reynolds. It was one of the things that had attracted me most. There were some male jaguars, though. I said a quick prayer under my breath that my true mate was not a jaguar.

  Daddy was very insistent on the purity of the family line. Black panthers were rare enough without polluting the gene pool. I had always assumed my one true mate would be a panther, just like me, but technically there were several species of compatible cats to my kind. I sunk down in my seat, hoping the sensations I was feeling were nothing more than first-day jitters.

  As we were settling into class, Anita turned and waved to someone at the back of the room. I wasn’t surprised to find she was already making friends. Most panther shifters were loners. We didn’t naturally run in groups like other shifters. Anita was somewhat of an exception. She loved people and was a quirky sort of extrovert.

  “Did you know Matt Williams is in Delta Omega Gamma? The D.O.G. frat. Seriously, I’m not even kidding. I met one of his brothers yesterday and I couldn’t believe it. I mean he was cute and all, but I just assumed he was a jag. Imagine my shock when I went running with a wolf.”

  “A wolf? Anita, they’re dangerous, you can’t be hanging out with their kind,” I reminded her.

  She just rolled her eyes at me. “Jenna, we’re at the ARC. Why else are we here if not to mingle with all sorts of shifters?”

  Because they have the best photography program of any college Daddy would approve, I thought honestly. I wouldn’t dare confess it, though.

  The teacher started class before I could answer her, and I got out of there quickly the moment class ended. The scent had continued to haunt me throughout class until it became uncomfortable to just sit there. It had taken everything in my power not to turn around and search out the source of that delicious smell that caused goosebumps to rise on my skin. I just couldn’t do it, though. If my true mate was nearby, and he wasn’t a black panther, it would be best if we just never met at all, because Daddy would never approve.

  Keeping our family line pure was more important to him than the bond of true mates. I had always known it, but until that moment, I had never given any thought to how that could affect me. I even briefly considered switching classes. One thing was certain: I needed to stay as far away from that smell as possible.

  Chase

  Chapter 3

  The last thing I had expected when coming back to college for a new semester was to find my one true mate. Walking into calculus, I was paralyzed by the overwhelming urge to go to her. But who was she?

  I sat at the back of the room. My skin was pebbled in goosebumps and my heart thumped hard in my chest. My hands were clammy, and I didn’t hear a damn word the professor said.

  I scoured the room, looking for any sign of reciprocation. Nothing. There were plenty of females that made eye contact and checked me out, but none were her. Still, I knew she was close. I waited in the hall outside the room as it cleared, closely watching every female as she exited. Still nothing. Walking back into the empty room, I slumped back down in the chair. She had been there. I was certain of it, and suddenly I was consumed with a need to find her.

  I couldn’t sulk for long. My graphics design class was starting in fifteen minutes. With a sigh of frustration, I headed out and walked two buildings down to Wagner Hall.

  The remainder of the day passed in a blur, as did the rest of the week. My senses stayed on high alert, but there had been no further signs of my mate, and I soon began wondering if I had just imagined it. Calc on Monday morning would be the final test to that theory, because she hadn’t been there on Wednesday and I didn’t sense her in class that morning either.

  Matt knocked on my door as I lay there after my classes were done for the week, thinking through what to do for the weekend. He didn’t wait for me to answer before opening the door. He never did.

  “Hey, man, the panthers are having another party this weekend. Want to go?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Didn’t we have enough of them last week?”

  “What? They’re hot. And what do you know? You could barely remember the party last weekend you were so wasted.”

  “Touché. I guess Anita will be there at least. She seems cool.”

  He quietly observed me with interest. “Anita? You’ve been talking to Anita?”

  I shrugged. “We went running together last weekend, you know that day I met up with y
ou guys in the woods? She took off as you approached. She seemed cool. Easy to talk to.”

  Matt sat down on the foot of my bed. “Look, Chase, panthers are off limits. Even to me, if I’m being honest. They are mostly loners, but governed by a dictator who insists on keeping their line pure. Jags and panthers are really the same breed, just different colorings, and my kind isn’t good enough for them, if you get what I’m saying. They are beautiful and fun to party with, but absolutely hands off.”

  I laughed. “Dude, they’re cats. I mean, no offense, but hardly my type.”

  “Okay, just checking. I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt.”

  I shook my head. “I’m interested in having a good time. Nothing more.”

  “That’s what I’m saying. Party, dance, even flirt with them, but that’s it.”

  “I got you. Don’t mess around with the panthers. So, why are we still going to party there?” He grinned and shrugged. “Dude, am I getting this lecture as a way of reminding yourself?”

  He shoved me off the bed and grumbled. “Just get dressed already.”

  Before long we were on our way to the panther sorority house. Ayanna was working the door. She rolled her eyes but let us pass anyways. Once inside I immediately spotted Anita and waved. She was with a striking woman who had straight, jet-black hair and a sleekness to her moves. She had to be panther. It was literally like watching the large cat move in human form. I had never been so mesmerized in all my life, and found myself drawn to her.

  “Hey, Chase.” Anita’s voice cut through the haze induced by the beautiful creature.

  “Hey, Anita,” I said, giving her the nod. I looked around, but the woman was gone. She just vanished before my eyes like a mirage. “I could really use a drink.”

  She laughed and took my arm to guide me to another room with a fully stocked bar. All I wanted was a beer, but she gave me a whiskey on the rocks instead. Who was I to argue? I shot it back and slammed it down for another round.

  “Last one for a while. You were pretty messed up last weekend. You are far too pretty to look at to be a drunk.”

  “I’m not a drunk. That was one time.”

  “And well on your way to round two.” She nodded towards my glass.

  “Alright, I’ll savor this one, just for you.” I winked at her and she blushed and giggled. She was fun to flirt with and easy to talk to. I knew I should heed Matt’s warning and not get involved beyond that, but I was curious to see where the night would lead us.

  We sat and talked for a bit and she seemed a little distracted, looking around.

  “Is everything okay?” I finally asked.

  “Um, yeah. I was just hanging out with a friend and she sort of disappeared on me. I just hope everything’s okay. I wanted to introduce you. She’s about the closest thing to a sane panther as they come, especially for a princess.”

  “Is that panther code for bitch?”

  Anita laughed. “No, she really is a princess.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Oh, there she is,” Anita said, jumping up and waving.

  I turned just in time to see the beautiful creature I’d been watching, wave back. She was in the middle of the dance floor and her movements weren’t quite as sleek this time. I was grateful to find that her hold over me seemed to be a one-time thing.

  “Never mind, that’s just Tessa . . .”

  I nodded, but kept my thoughts to myself.

  “So, looks like calculus is the only class we have together this semester,” I said, changing the subject. I didn’t want to think about the girl who had put a spell on me. No, not a girl, she was all woman.

  “Yeah, Tessa’s in that class too. At least I think she still is. She was trying to get her schedule changed, so I’m not sure. Her sister Jenna is, though. You should sit with us. Jenna’s cool, you’ll like her. She’s not like some of the others.”

  “So not a pampered princess?”

  She laughed. “No, definitely not.”

  As the night wore on, I considered my options for hooking up with Anita. Matt’s warning wasn’t what was holding me back, though; it was the memory of smelling my mate. I had convinced myself it was only in my mind, but my wolf did not seem onboard with moving on. Then again, I had never chased a cat before, so maybe it was just that.

  Before I could even make my decision, Anita shot me down. Even though we were both verging on drunk, and had been dancing close and flirting much of the night, nothing was going to happen.

  “I’m calling it a night, pup. And no, that’s not an invitation to join me. Honestly, I’m going to catch enough crap just from hanging out with you. Friends?”

  She offered me her hand, and I smiled, flashing her my dimples as I accepted. “Friends.”

  I hadn’t realized the party had died down until Anita had left. I found Matt and told him I was heading home. He was wrapped up in some chick I recognized as one of his regular hookups, but couldn’t remember her name.

  Stepping outside, I took a deep breath of fresh air, letting it fill my lungs. Goosebumps popped up across my arms and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

  Mate.

  She was near. I could smell her, and this time I was certain. With the sweet aroma surrounding me, I realized I had smelled it the previous weekend, too. I suddenly remembered the reason behind my extreme intoxication. I had smelled my mate and it had freaked me out.

  Looking around, I saw no one. I let my wolf come to the surface just enough to channel my full smell capabilities and walked around the building. There was a window open to one of the bedrooms and I could hear laughter coming from inside. Feeling like a perverted stalker, I peeked into the window. Anita. A shiver ran down my spine and my wolf tried to surge, but not in a positive way.

  I knew Anita wasn’t my mate. I had just spent most of the night with her. I would know. My wolf had clearly not been pleased with my new friend.

  “Hey, is someone out there?” I heard her yell from the window. I took off at a full sprint, not wanting her to see me. “Pervert!” she yelled at my retreating shadow.

  Jenna

  Chapter 4

  Anita had waltzed into the room smelling exactly like my mate. I didn’t understand why. Panthers weren’t exactly known for a keen sense of smell, but I’d know that scent anywhere. I had tried everything to erase it from my memory, permanently, but the second he had walked into the house, I knew it. I had been dancing, lost in all coherent thought and swaying to the music, and that scent had hit me like a ton of bricks. I freaked and spent the rest of the night in my room.

  One thing I learned from extensive research that week, there was definitely not even one male, black, panther at Archibald Reynolds. Not one. I had triple-checked. That could only mean one thing: my mate was not a panther. And if he wasn’t a panther, he couldn’t be my mate. Daddy would never approve. I had sulked, cried, and mourned all week the loss of a true mate, but it didn’t seem to matter when his delicious woodsy fragrance hit me.

  I had also spent the week trying to rearrange my schedule, even skipping calculus on Wednesday and again on Friday, which was not like me. Knowing my mate was not a panther meant it was best if we tried not to cross paths, but he was in my calculus class. Unfortunately, it was the only one that fit my schedule and was a requirement for most majors I was considering, so I would have to endure it and brace myself for an inevitable face-to-face with him.

  The only positive of the week for me was that two classes I had desperately wanted came open after dropouts. I had successfully gotten into both advanced graphic designs and a photography class I had been praying for. They met Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and along with calculus would make for a full morning on those days, but I was ready and excited for the new challenges.

  Daddy wasn’t going to be happy. Neither would Tessa when she found out that after all her scheming and course changes, we still wouldn’t be taking the exact same classes this semester. I hadn’t found the courage to tell eit
her of them when Daddy had called to check how our first week had gone. This was my time, and selfishly, I wasn’t ready to explain myself. I was doing something I loved, something that made me happy for a change, consequences be damned.

  My new feeling of empowerment had me flying high and not even concerned with the whole true mate thing, until I walked into calculus Monday morning and froze. Taking a deep breath, I let his scent envelope me, but didn’t dare look left or right for the source of that delicious smell. I walked to the front and took a seat next to Anita.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” I assured her.

  A pleasant tingle shot up my spine just as Anita jumped up from her seat and threw her arms around the source of said tingle. I bit back a hiss, swallowing hard to grasp some kind of hold on reality.

  Mate. The word kept playing on repeat, echoing in my ears.

  “Chase, this is . . .” Anita was cut off before she could finish the introductions as the professor called the class to order.

  I knew I was being rude, but I was just so shocked I didn’t know what to do. Chase. His name was Chase. The last thing I needed was a mental image of what my mate would have looked like, but I stiffened, stood tall, and pulled my shoulders back, not thinking of what it would do to my breasts until I heard his sharp intake and somehow knew he had noticed.

  I slowly turned to meet chocolate-brown eyes shining with confusion. I heard him sniff the air around him and saw his forehead crinkle. Dark eyes searched mine for any sign of . . . recognition? Answers? I wasn’t sure what he was hoping to find, but it felt as though he could see all the way to my soul. My palms began to sweat and I knew my heart rate increased, no matter how much I willed it not to.

  “Chase Westin,” the professor called, and it seemed to jolt us both back to the present.

  “Yes, sir,” said a deep voice that rumbled through my entire body. It wasn’t until the edges of my vision began to darken that I remembered to breathe.