by Leia Stone
Be cool. Maybe he really does like photography.
The professor turned to start lecturing on the board, then Sawyer’s hand slipped a note onto my desk.
How very 1990. If he didn’t do social media, he probably didn’t know you could message in Intsa, and we hadn’t exchanged phone numbers yet.
I tried to keep the grin off my face as I peeled open the note.
We need to talk about last night. Maybe after the gala?
-Sawyer
My stomach sank. And here I was hoping he’d let that go. Was that why he joined this class, to babysit me? To send me covert notes and make sure no one knew my freaky secret? I nodded in case he was watching for a reaction, and then sank into my seat for the rest of the hour.
I watched the clock like a hawk. I just wanted to be out of this class, away from Sawyer’s eyes on the back of my neck. I felt … like something was wrong with me, like I should be ashamed of what happened last night, and I just wanted to disappear. The clock was about to strike 12:05, signaling the end of the hour, when a deep loud siren blared down the hallway and a light that I hadn’t realized was over the doorway started to flash red.
Stupid fire alar—
Before I could process what was happening, Sawyer yanked me from my seat, tucking me into his chest, as Eugene burst into the room. Brandon and Walsh were right behind him, armed to the teeth.
“Sawyer, code red,” Eugene said, and I peered up at Sawyer from where I was smooshed to his chest to see the color drain from his face. Everything happened so quickly then; Sawyer moved with the speed of a leopard, darting across the room, dragging me firmly along with him.
“What’s happening? What’s code red?” I asked as we burst out into the hallway.
Sawyer spun, looking down on me with yellow eyes, hands grasped protectively around my shoulders. “Vampires.”
His warm breath washed over me at the same time terror struck my heart.
Vampires? It had been six years since my attack, but the thought of seeing those death walkers again made my fight-or-flight instinct kick in.
Brandon handed Sawyer a leg harness with three silver stakes, which he clipped onto his thigh.
“Can I have one?” I asked.
Sawyer paused a second, before pulling one of the stakes out and handing it to me.
“So, are we under attack?” My wolf rose to the surface as my canines descended.
Eugene pulled out a large crossbow, loading it with silver arrows. “They’d be stupid to try it.”
Sawyer frowned, a low growl ripping from his throat. “If they wanted to talk, they’d have called.”
The double doors at the end of the hall opened and I felt alpha power wash over me as Curt Hudson strode down the hallway with two dozen guards at his back.
“Hello, son.” He looked at Sawyer and then at me, eyes widening a little. “You look just like your mother,” he breathed.
Whoa. I’d forgotten he knew her. I just gulped, clutching the silver stake in my fist.
“What do they want?” Sawyer asked. “How many are there?” He rocked on his heels as if ready to go into battle.
The alpha continued to look at me quizzically. “There are only two and they want a private word with our newest student, Demi.”
A stone sank in my gut. “Uh … what?” I gulped, blinking rapidly and wondering if I heard him correctly.
Sawyer frowned, looking at me. “How do they know you?”
My heart was beating so loudly in my ears that I barely heard his question. Why the fuck did they want to talk to me? The case was closed. I dropped the rape case and they dropped their murder case. What happened to me was private and I would only share it with people when I saw fit. This was not something I wanted to share with Sawyer or his father right now.
“I dunno,” I lied.
Seeming happy with my answer, Sawyer turned to his father. “You can tell them to fuck off. They aren’t going near her.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline at the same time his father’s did.
“Sawyer, you’re training to be my replacement, remember?” His voice was stern. “You can’t tell diplomats from other cities to fuck off.”
Sawyer nodded. “You’re right, Father. I’ll tell them myself.” Then he strode off down the hallway.
I stood there shocked as his father and the two dozen guards trailed after him. When I made a move to follow, Eugene’s hand snaked out and gently grabbed my wrist. “Best to stay out of that one.”
Eugene and the rest of Sawyer’s guards went after him as I stood there with a silver stake in my hand, completely and totally confused.
Why would the vampires take an interest in me after so long? How did they even know I was here?
I mean, there was the matter of the three dead vampire bodies…
The vampire coven leader had said that it looked like a wolf had attacked them. When my parents threatened to go to the Council of Supernatural Creatures about the rape, they let it go. I should be happy that some savior had crashed into that room when I blacked out and killed three of my four attackers … but all I could think about was the fourth.
Vicon Drake lived on to tell the tale, and would inherit the royal crown when he came of age.
Meanwhile, I was left behind to live with my demons, demons he put inside of me.
I couldn’t think all through lunch. I didn’t want to see Sage, or Sawyer, or anyone, so I used my handy tablet and had food delivered to the library, where I was hiding out. After munching on chicken fingers, truffle fries, and chocolate cake, I went to the rest of my classes, lacking my previous enthusiasm.
Why would the vampires say they wanted to talk to me? How the hell did they know I was here? I mean, they knew my name, so I guess if they kept tabs on the admissions department here they would see that Demi Calloway had enrolled … but why care? Six years had gone by since I’d had to speak to the vampire council about the incident and my coming here wouldn’t have changed any of that…
Right?
I’d nearly eaten a hole in my stomach with anxiety by the time the gala rolled around. I’d stayed out all day, avoiding seeing Sage or Sawyer until I absolutely had to. And now that the gala was an hour away, I made my way into the dorm to find a gift box on my doorstep. With a grin, I picked it up and looked at the dry-erase note board that hung on my front door. Sage had scrawled a note.
Knock when you get home. – Sage
I sighed, not wanting her to ask questions about the vampire thing. Hopefully news hadn’t spread that they came looking for me. Somehow the alpha and Sawyer didn’t strike me as the gossiping type, but still, his guards might…
Reaching out, I knocked on her door and she yanked it open. “Where the hell have you been?” she questioned.
Before I could answer, her eyes flew to the gift in my arms. “Is that from my cousin?”
I jumped at the topic change. “I think so. Wanna help me open it?”
She nodded and then followed me into my room. “So I got this new eyeshadow palette that I think would look bomb tonight with that gown you bought. Want me to do your make-up?”
I nodded. “Sure, that would be great.”
She frowned as I set the gift on the coffee table.
“Hey, you okay? Was it the vampire thing? I mean, that shook us all up. I haven’t heard the war sirens in … forever. It was kind of scary.”
Okay … she didn’t seem like she knew they were here for me, that was more of a general statement.
I nodded. “Yeah, kinda crazy.”
She reached out and slung an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, they know we change alphas every twenty or so years. They are just fucking with Sawyer. Keeping him on his game.”
Yeah, that wasn’t it at all, but I played along.
She pulled her arm from my shoulders and plucked the note from the top of the box, reading aloud.
“Can you really even call yourself a photographer without a fancy camera? Sawyer.”
>
Camera?
He didn’t…?
I tore open the box and gasped at the Canon Rebel DSLR. It had four different lenses, a lighting kit and tripod, all in a nice clean black carrying bag.
“Holy shit,” I breathed.
This was like … a casual one-thousand-dollar gift. But aside from the money … it was a camera I’d always wanted. Thus far I’d only been taking pictures on my old-ass iPhone with a cracked screen. I bought a set of click-on lenses for it on Amazon for twenty bucks that worked surprisingly well, but this … this was next level.
Sage shook her head. “He’s totally smitten.”
I snorted. “Look around, I’m living in an episode of Werewolf Bachelor. He probably sends all the girls gifts right before the first gala. His calling card.”
But even as I said it, I knew it wasn’t true.
Sage frowned. “Werewolf what?”
Human TV, they probably didn’t watch The Bachelor. “Never mind. Help me get dressed, I don’t want to be late.”
Pushing the drama of the day from my mind, I focused on getting ready for the Welcome Gala.
While Sage curled my hair into an elaborate curled up do, I read the bylaws. Well, not all of them, but the ones that pertained to the mating year.
Bylaw 24.1: The longest an Alpha may rule the pack is twenty-five years.
Bylaw 24.2: When the eldest son of the Alpha gets to his senior year of college, he enters his mating year, and may not graduate without choosing a mate.
I nearly choked on my own spit. Sawyer had to pick a wife within the next nine months or they wouldn’t let him graduate!
Bylaw 24.3: The Alpha’s son may not take over the pack until engaged.
Okay, well, that was obvious. It was clear they cared so much about having a mate and marriage.
Bylaw 25.3: The prospective female mate must have no obvious breeding issues. It is also desired that she be a virgin.
Breeding issues?
I scoffed, “That’s fucked up.”
Sage looked over my shoulder. “Eww, the bylaws. Written like a thousand years ago by my ancestors. They make me cringe to read. They really need to update those things.”
Relief washed over me. “So they don’t take this stuff seriously?”
“Oh, no they do. Everyone knows they are outdated, but they go along with it.”
I closed the tablet and set it on the table, taking a deep breath.
What the hell was I doing? Getting ready for a party where I would corral like sheep with God knows how many women all for a chance to have something I didn’t even want. I didn’t want to get married! I was twenty-one. And kids! Holy crap. The bylaws said Sawyer could only be alpha for twenty-five years max. That meant once he took over for his dad, he’d have to start pumping out babies pretty much right away.
I held up a hand for Sage to pause curling my hair. “I don’t know if I can do this.” I stood and paced to the other side of the room.
I liked him, but so did half the school. This was crazy, I’d become my worst nightmare. I was some boy-crazy girl. Why else would I do this?
I liked him.
There, I admitted it to myself. The way he yanked me from my seat today during the vampire attack and tucked me to his chest, it was like he’d instinctually gone into protector mode. The entire school could have been under a zombie level attack and he, the second most important person in Wolf City, had saved me … I was the first item he’d grabbed in a house fire.
He also changed his class from what was no doubt a full schedule of pre-med classes to have a stupid photography class with me. He bought me a camera because he knew I’d love it, not because it was a flashy gift.
“You okay?” Sage frowned, curling iron in midair as I paced before her.
I sighed. “I like your cousin. I do. It’s just … this isn’t my thing. Fighting for a guy … it feels icky.”
She nodded, setting down the curling iron, and walked over to me.
With a sigh, she looked up at me with a haunted expression. “This summer … for an entire week, right before school started, Sawyer ran away.”
My eyes widened. Sawyer didn’t seem like a rule breaker to me.
Sage continued. “My uncle went nuts, thought he may have been kidnapped, until he found a note from Sawyer. ‘I can’t do it,’ the note said. It was about his mating year.”
My heart tightened in my chest and then skipped a beat. Never for one second did I even think that he might not like this as well.
My mouth dropped open as the story pulled me in. “What happened?”
Sage chewed her lip. “My uncle sent half the pack out to look for him. Brandon, Welsh, and I scoured the entire state until he finally called me on the seventh day and said to come get him.”
When I didn’t speak, she went on: “He was in an off-grid cabin in Montana. Hadn’t shaved, was living off the land. I’d never seen him so depressed, and I’ve seen him through a lot of shit.”
“Fuck.” I couldn’t imagine the pressure he must feel to be alpha of the largest pack in the world, to be forced into a set of rules he never signed up for.
“I’ll never forget what he said to me when I got there.” Sage looked out through my window into the dark woods that lay beyond my dorm.
I leaned forward, my mouth going dry as I hung on her every word. “What did he say?”
Sage chewed at her bottom lip. “This is private family shit, okay? You promise never to tell that I told you this story?”
My heart practically leapt out of my chest with anticipation. “Yes.”
Sage nodded. “He looked me right in the eyes and said, ‘What if I never find anyone to love me for me?’”
And just like that my heart broke in two. He wasn’t worried about finding love … he was worried about being loved in return. Being the alpha’s rich son, it must have fucked with his head. Now he wasn’t sure who wanted him for him and not just his status or money.
A tear fell down my cheek and I quickly wiped at it before I straightened. “Okay, we’re going to be late. Are you almost done with my hair?”
I made a decision then. Sawyer was a decent fucking guy, the only decent guy I’d met in a long time, and I was going to fight for a chance to date him.
“This is so fucking weird,” I whispered to Sage as we entered the giant ballroom. Five circular tables that sat ten girls each were laid with white linen tablecloths and fancy dinnerware. At the head of the room was one small table, where I assumed Sawyer would sit.
“So weird, but tradition is tradition.” She shrugged and snagged two appetizers from a passing waiter. She was wearing a long black cocktail dress with a slit up the thigh, and her red hair was twisted up into a sleek high bun.
“Should you even be here?” I walked to the table with only a few girls at it. I didn’t know them, so it seemed safe. “You’re related.”
She grinned. “I’m a spy. Gonna sniff out the bitches that just want his money.”
I grinned as we took a seat. “You’re totally here for my moral support, aren’t you?”
Sage just winked and handed me a tablet that was on the table.
“What’s this?” I hit the home button to turn it on.
Welcome to your compatibility quiz, flashed across the screen.
“No way,” I groaned.
Sage gave me a full-toothed smile. “My aunt’s idea. I heard some of the questions are heinous, but all of the girls have to fill them out.”
“Well, we have to check it out.” I giggled.
“I thought it was good. Will help him weed out the trash,” a voice came from beside me, and I looked up to find Meredith wearing a tight teal dress and glaring down at me.
“Table’s full, babe. Sorry.” Sage gave Meredith her back and I heard her growl before stalking off. The table was super empty.
“Thank you,” I whispered to Sage.
Ignoring what was likely eye daggers being shot into my back, I started the quiz.
1. How many children do you want?
Sage burst into laughter. “Wow, going right for the kill.”
I chuckled, thinking about the question. It was an open answer so I wrote in, Twin girls. Because that’s what I’d always wanted.
2. When you get angry, how do you react? (Please be honest)
Now it was my turn to laugh.
I wrote, Wolf out, as a joke and went to delete it when Sage hit send.
“Bitch!” I growled playfully.
“Hey, Auntie said to be honest.”
3. What is your idea of a perfect date?
Video games and pizza, I answered.
Sage nodded. “This makes sense. Your lack of fashion is because you are a closet gamer nerd.”
I swatted her away and went to the next question.
4. Would you sign a prenuptial agreement?
Holy shit.
Yep, not my money, don’t want it.
5. Would you be happy to let Sawyer be the career focused one while you stay at home with the children and manage the household?
A low growl revved in my throat.
“Down, girl. My aunt can be a bit 1950s but she’s cool,” Sage assured me.
Hell no, I answered, and pressed the button with more force than needed.
Sage winced. “I could have finessed that answer a bit for you.”
6. Last question, why are you here?
She probably was looking for me to say, “To find true love” or some shit like that, but that wasn’t true. I mean yeah, I wanted to see what this whole “fight for the alpha’s son thing” was all about, but truly I was here because Sawyer asked me to be, because there was a spark there, an undeniable attraction and I wanted to see it through.
Because … I wanted to be free.
It was an honest answer but wasn’t the full truth. So I added one more line.
And good guys are in short supply, and Sawyer seems to be one of the good ones.
I hit enter and a thank-you note popped up just in time for the entire room to quiet as the lights dimmed.
“Very theatrical,” Sage muttered.