by Quell T Fox
I ignore the last part of what he says. Hunter is always trying to get a rise out of me, and I stopped giving in long ago. He isn’t worth a fight. Besides, I’d end up hurting him and then I would feel like the asshole. “Maybe it hasn’t come to her yet?”
“Maybe it… what?” He is utterly dumbfounded by my statement. “She’s almost eighteen. That’s next to impossible. Castor, please knock some sense into this guy before I lose it.” He clenches his fist and lets out a frustrated growl. He’s dramatic at the best of times.
Hunter walks away, leaving the room and closing the door behind him—a little harder than necessary. Him and I have never gotten along well. We’re opposites, but at the end of the day, he’s still my coterie mate and I love him. Even if I don’t want to.
“He’s right, you know,” Castor says after a long moment of silence. No emotion, just words.
“What else do you want me to do?” I ask, defeated over this situation.
“Try harder.” He pats me on the shoulder and leaves the room. Leaving me alone with my thoughts. The ones that want to betray my coterie mates. At first, I was all about this plan—getting close to Leona to find out why she was lying to us. We knew she was our mate from the first time we saw her, but she didn’t react to us the way she should have. So of course our first instinct is to think she’s lying.
Trying to keep away what is rightfully ours, is what Hunter said.
Julian is probably in on this, is what Castor had to say.
And yeah, at first, I did think they were right. I thought it possible Leona was working with Julian because it wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world. Julian has gone to great heights to make sure we knew our status in the pack—bottom of the barrel because we don’t have a mate. It would only make sense he would find out who she was and keep her from us, just so he could stay on top.
It makes sense.
But she’s our mate. I know she is. How Hunter and Castor can push their feelings aside and let their hatred overcome their natural instincts is beyond me. I tried. I tried so hard, but it isn’t working. How can they go every day without talking to her? Especially after taking her out, spending one on one time with her. From what I hear, the date with Hunter was a mess. It wasn’t purposeful, Hunter just sucks at life. I don’t blame her for wanting nothing to do with him, but doesn’t he feel the pull towards her? Doesn’t he still want to go to her? To touch her? Feel her?
And Castor, well that date went okay as far as I know. But then he traipses about in the halls showing Cassidy off like she’s a trophy, when he can’t even stand the girl. He’d hoped jealousy would bring out anger in Leona, making her spill her guts about lying, and then we would have the upper hand against Julian. But Leona did no such thing. I saw her face as she watched Cassidy with Castor. There was jealousy, but no anger. Her feelings are true. She is not lying to us.
The more time I spend with her, the more I want to be with her. It’s getting harder to stay away and I want to tell her everything. Spill my guts to her about Hunter and Castor and Julian, but I can’t betray my other mates. If only they would spend more time with her instead of ignoring her, they would see it. They would feel it. I know they would.
Castor, Hunter, and I have known we were in a coterie—a smaller branch of the pack—since we were little. Some Supernaturals call it a Circle, but wolves like to be fancy and have to use a word like coterie. Our pack is run by wolves so we follow wolf rules, as annoying and pretentious as they are.
Our parents, along with us, were umbrellaed under the same pack when our own was torn apart by rogue wolves. That is only one of the many reasons we aren’t wolf fans. Our leaders were slaughtered, and we were left with nothing. Pack life was the only thing we knew, and thankfully we were taken into the Snow Moon pack. Us three were too young to know the difference, but our parents were lost without their leader. It took a long time for them to adjust, and I’m still not sure they have yet. Not entirely.
The Snow Moon pack lost their leader two years ago, and it should have been ours. It’s not common for such young shifters to be pack leaders, but it also isn’t unheard of. We are the strongest coterie within the pack, but because we didn’t have our mate yet, we were forbidden to enter the tournament. Julian won. His coterie is now at the top, with him being the newest leader—the Alpha. He’s strong, but he’s an idiot. All he cares about is power, which is a problem. Even though he has the top spot, he is terrified we will take it. He knows it’s a possibility. He knows we are stronger than him and his mates. I’m pissed he won. Of all people, it had to be him. A small part of me is happy he’s worried. Maybe he goes to sleep at night wondering if we will sneak in and slit his throat. We could do it, and we’d get away with it too.
The majority of our pack are elders; they don’t care who is in charge as long as they are kept safe. Julian does keep them safe; I’ll give him that. His pack is made up entirely of wolves, which is rare in our community. Most wolf packs belong with other wolf packs.
Wolves are the most common to stay within their species. It’s rare to see a coterie of the same kind of shifter—most are made of different species. Like the guys and me. Then there is Leona. We think she is a wolf—another thing that makes Hunter believe she is working with Julian. Wolves stick together. You know this. They can’t be trusted. He’s not wrong. Not entirely. Most wolves do stick together. Most think they are better than others, especially when they are mated to other wolves. Like that’s supposed to mean they’re better than anyone else.
Some shifters are mated to other shifters. Some are mated to vampires or gargoyles or mermaids. There is no rhyme or reason to this. It’s just what the universe wants. Shifter packs have a set of rules they live by which don’t apply to shifters who have non-shifter mates. A lot of it is confusing mumbo jumbo, information we learn from our families as we grow up.
It’s most easily explained to humans like this: different packs, coteries, and circles have different cultural guidelines they follow, just like humans. Vegans don’t eat anything which comes from an animal. Some cultures will only eat certain animals, while others will eat anything except a specific type. Different culture, different rules. Different pack, different rules. It’s really that simple.
It’s also a reason why, if Leona is our mate, we need to know sooner rather than later. There are certain things that need to be completed for our bond. There are rules we have to follow; rules her and her family will not be happy about.
About Leona being a wolf, it’s just a feeling. We cannot sense her animal, but we can sense something about her that is familiar. There are also hints of complexity, carefulness, playfulness, and devotion. They are all remarkable qualities to have, and they scream wolf. I truly believe she doesn’t know about her animal—whatever it is. How it is possible, I don’t know, but it’s what I feel in my soul. No matter what her animal is, I don’t care. She is my mate and that’s all that matters to me.
Hunter and Castor are convinced her uncle figured out a way to hide her animal. He is 100% capable of doing it. Similar to the way we mask our scent with a special lotion, only that doesn’t work with your mate—he would know that. Callan is a knowledge manipulator; he’s smart as hell. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was able to figure something out. The thing that gets me is he would know she had mates. He would know we would figure it out, he wouldn’t miss something like that. Hunter and Castor don’t want to hear it, convinced it was a small oversight. I’ve been watching Callan. He would not have a small oversight.
It also doesn’t explain why Leona doesn’t know.
Because she doesn’t.
Hunter did a lot of digging on her family. It’s why they both keep asking her questions about them. They want to know if she’ll lie about anything else. And so far, she hasn’t. She hasn’t kept any information from them or from me. The only thing she keeps denying is the fact she is a shifter. After getting to know her, all I can think is she doesn’t know. Something is going on here, something serious,
and if Julian is involved, then this will be the last thing he does to us.
Castor opens the door, sticking his head in. “Let’s go. We have pack business.”
I get to my feet and follow him out the door and into the car. I get in the back and don’t say a word. I’m pissed at them for acting like jackasses. I miss Leona. I stare at my phone in my hand, wishing I were there with her now, fingers deep in her pussy. Instead, I’m here with these two cock blockers. They’re really going to owe me one when they realize I know what the fuck I’m talking about.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Leona
I skip breakfast Tuesday morning, even after being scolded by Callan. I just can’t see myself eating anything. I woke up feeling worse than I did yesterday. I’ve done my best with trying to fall back into my normal routine, but nothing feels right. What I need to do is find something to keep my mind busy. Or someone.
Thorne has offered to pick me up for school this morning—since Lina won’t be doing that anymore. It’s really sweet of him because it’s completely out of his way. The nice part of me wanted to say no, but I couldn’t do it. I want to see him too badly. I want to spend as much time with him as I can. The butterflies in my belly have lost their minds over it, which is another reason why I can’t stomach food right now.
I keep replaying the conversation we had last night and how much I want it to become a reality. At the same time, it’s made me so nervous to see him. What if I get into the car and he acts like nothing has changed? For me, something did change. We crossed an imaginary line, and I don’t want to cross back over; I want to keep moving forward.
Or worse... what if he jumps on me and won’t take no for an answer? A girl is allowed to change her mind, right? Absolutely! I mean, I definitely haven’t changed my mind but taking things semi-slow would be nice. What if he doesn’t understand that?
“Leona?” Callan’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Money. For lunch. Do you have any?”
“Uh, yeah. I do. Thanks.”
“Here, take this with you.” He places a banana on the table in front of me. The phallic shaped object only makes my stomach turn more. “Please eat a little something before lunch and be sure to actually eat lunch. I’ll be checking.”
I nod my head but don’t make any promises. I can’t be sure my appetite will be back by then. Thorne will be here any minute, and I’m hoping after I see him those butterflies will chill the fuck out. I shove the banana into my backpack, unable to look at it any longer because it’s giving me weird thoughts.
Learning how to exist without my best friend is like learning how to walk all over again. Lina has been a staple since I moved here, as much as my family has been. She’s been here since the beginning and now she’s gone. Just gone. I have my family, sure, but Lina was my person; the one I went to for everything. The one I talked to when I had no one, and now I really do have no one.
It’s just me.
My phone dings, lighting up with a notification of a new text. I click on it and find it’s Thorne telling me he’s at the gate. I open the app on my phone to let him in and text him back that I’ll be out in a few minutes.
I dash upstairs to grab my jacket because if I don’t, Callan will scold me for that too. I say bye to everyone I pass and head out the door, trying to be as casual as possible. Feeling eyes on me, I look up and find Maddox shamelessly watching me through the upstairs window. I pause, flip him off, and his eyes widen in shock, his head jerking back. I laugh to myself at the fact I got a reaction out of him. I’ll probably get hell for it later, but I don’t even care. His face was worth it if I get punished, which I honestly don’t think I will. Knowing everyone else in this house, I’ll probably get praised.
Thorne gets out of the Jeep and rounds the front, coming around to open the door for me. I don’t miss the heat in his eyes, but I look away immediately, my face pinkening at his look. It’s almost too much to handle. I realize my worries about him ignoring the conversation last night were well uncalled for. He hasn’t forgotten it any more than I have.
He looks up to the window, giving a small wave and then moves around to get into the driver’s side. He puts the car in drive and off we go. The ride is silent, but the tension is thick. So thick I’m not sure Callan’s Dalstrong knives could cut through it. I can smell nothing other than him and it’s so fucking distracting, intoxicating in the best possible way.
His knuckles are pale as he grips the steering wheel and I have a feeling he’s struggling as much as I am. Whatever is here between us, it’s strong and undeniable. My heart has been thundering in my chest since I got in the car, not letting up for even a second. My cheeks are still pink, I can feel the warmth.
We’re driving down a long stretch of road which has nothing but trees on either side. We haven’t passed another car in at least two miles. It isn’t busy in the mornings, especially at this time. Out of nowhere, Thorne swerves to the right, turning down a dirt road which doesn’t look like it’s meant to be driven on by non-officials. He’s out of his seatbelt and on me so fast I don’t have time to think about it. His tongue dives into my mouth, clashing with mine. He tastes as delicious as he smells but I don’t get enough because he’s pulling away all too soon. His eyes stare into mine, a darker shade of green than normal, almost matching the color of his Jeep exactly. His large palm is resting on my thigh, it’s weight heavy and burning my skin even through my pants.
I involuntarily thrust my hips up into his hand, he lets out a groan, digging his nails into my thigh. He then leans over me, bringing his face close, his lips barely brushing against mine. My breath catches in my throat. He pulls the latch on the side of the seat and I fall back, lying almost flat. He pulls his leg up, resting his knee on the seat, pressed firmly between my legs. I grind on his thigh like a dog in heat and I’m slightly embarrassed, but the satisfied groan that comes out of his mouth tells me it’s okay. He ducks his head down, his lips finding mine in a kiss so demanding I almost can’t keep up.
He slides his hand up my side slowly, finding my breast and squeezing. My nipple hardens as his thumb brushes over it. I reach out in search of him, needing to run my hands along something. I find his chest and run my hands down his abs, my stomach tightening at the feel of him all over me. I slip my hand under his shirt and run my fingers underneath his pants line. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I don’t care. All I know is I want to touch him and I want more of whatever it is he’s doing to me.
“You drive me fucking crazy. You know that?” he whispers into my lips. He looks down, his hand snaking over my belly and finding the thin material of my leggings that’s keeping him away from the only spot I want to feel him right now. He’s so large he’s taking up the entire front seat, his legs split over the middle console. I can’t imagine us having sex like this; I don’t think we would fit, but I have a feeling it isn’t what he’s after.
A smirk slowly crosses his lips as his hand dips below my pants. My hips thrust up again and he laughs huskily. “You want me to touch you, baby?” he asks. Leaning forward, his arm tenses, my eyes catching on the lines of muscles running up his arm.
“Yes. Please…” I manage to say, pulling my eyes from his arm and back to his eyes.
“Please, what?”
“Please touch me, Thorne. Please.” I’m shamelessly begging. I’m so close to grabbing his hand and plunging it inside of me myself. He slips his hand down further, and groans at the realization I am not wearing panties. He bites his bottom lip as if he’s truly in pain over this. I don’t ever wear panties with leggings. I don’t like the lines they leave.
His fingers find their way between my legs and I freeze, my heart thundering behind my rib cage. Thorne lets out a hiss at whatever it is he’s feeling.
“Fuck, you are wet for me, aren’t you?”
I nod my head before pushing up to take his mouth to mine. He pulls back, smirking. Pulling his hand out of
my leggings he brings his fingers to his lips, licking the wetness from them. He moans as his lips wrap around his fingers, not leaving even a drop behind, and I’m a fucking puddle in this car.
I reach my hand down ready to take care of business myself because I cannot take this. I need something. Anything. I just want this ache to go away. It has to, it’s driving me crazy but Thorne won’t allow it. He grabs my wrist, lifting it above my head and pressing it firmly into the cushion of the seat.
“Oh no, baby girl. This,” he brings his hand down to cup me between my legs. “This right here belongs to me. You understand that?” His voice is deep, on the verge of a growl and it causes me to shiver.
“Yes,” I say. “But please touch me.”
He leans forward pressing a kiss to my nose before grabbing my leggings and tugging them all the way down. A tearing sound has me worried he’s torn them, but I don’t care. He lets one leg free and guides it outward towards the door, putting me on full display for him to see.
It should be awkward. It should. No one has ever seen these intimate parts of me before. So it should be awkward, but it’s not. Everything about this feels right. I look into his eyes as he stares down at me, running his tongue along his bottom lip, and I know he likes what he sees and I have never, ever in my entire life felt more turned on than I do right in this moment.
“So beautiful,” he whispers, flicking his eyes towards my bared pussy.
I can see I made the right choice in grooming.
His fingers find my center once again, swirling one finger over my swollen clit and I swear I’ve entered another dimension. I jump at the sensation because it’s almost too much to bear, my eyes rolling in the back of my head at how good it feels to be touched. I have no idea what to expect from this, but I want more. I moan and thrust my hips into him, needing more. My heart beats wildly behind my rib cage as he circles my clit slowly. My hands search for something to grab onto. I find Thorne’s shirt and grab a fist full, tangling it between my fingers. My body moves on its own accord, doing its natural thing, writhing under his touch.