Savage One: Born Wild Book Two

by Augustine, Donna

  Why weren’t they laughing or looking at me like I was ridiculous? Why did Hess look nervous? Why did Callon look at Hess and nod toward the door, as if we were going to need some privacy?

  He had.

  Hess kept his eyes on the floor as he walked past me, as if I had a headful of snakes and he’d turn to stone if he so much as peeked at me. It was a smart move. At that moment, anything was possible.

  I heard the door shut behind me. I took two ragged breaths before asking, “You marked me, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.” He stood there calmly. The calmer he was, the more I wanted to march over there and beat him silly. The only thing that stopped me was fear that I’d accidentally suck his life from him in my anger. I wasn’t at that point—yet. Maybe later, though.

  I nearly fell back into the wall as the full scope of it hit me. The way he never actually asked me to go somewhere but always touched me. How he sometimes “cuddled” and spooned me when we slept together. He’d been marking me with his scent. I’d made a joke of them being like dogs, but that was exactly what he’d been doing. The joke was on me.

  “You rub your scent on me all day long, don’t you? You don’t touch me all the time because you’re bossy. You do it to mark me as yours.” I stayed with my back against the wall.

  “After what you went through, I thought you needed time, and I was making sure you got it. I was helping you.” He waved his hand in the air as if what he’d done were nothing.

  “You act like you hate me. I offered to have sex with you and you ignored me. And yet you marked me as your mate?”

  That was it—I was going to kill him. It was official.

  “I’m protecting you,” he said as if he had the right to get annoyed.

  “You’re not protecting me. I’m not a girl. I might not have slept with anyone, but my innocence is long gone. I’m not looking for someone to come save me and build me a castle. I didn’t ask for a savior, and I don’t need one. Go find someone else to protect.” I walked closer to him, my hands fisted because I wanted to hit him so badly.

  I screamed instead, turning and walking from the room because I might actually commit murder in this moment.

  “Teddy,” he called after me.

  “No.” I left his room and didn’t look back. When I walked into my room, Tuesday was sitting on my bed, shaking her head.

  “You don’t need to tell me. First Hess came down looking rattled. I came up here to see what happened, and even I could hear you.”

  I sat on the bed beside her and leaned forward, hands still fisted, head shaking.

  “You need to do something drastic. You can’t let him get away with this. He’s acting like he owns you.” It was clear by her expression that if she didn’t have to whisper because of all the ears, she would’ve been pacing and screaming herself.

  “Like what?” Easier said than done.

  “Flirt with someone else. Show him he doesn’t get to corral you.”

  I huffed. “I don’t know how to flirt. I know how to avoid.”

  “You can do it.”

  “I’m glad you believe that.” It was good that someone did.

  Tuesday grabbed my arm, trying to impart the seriousness with which she took this matter. “You have to do this and you need to do it where everyone can see. It must be done. Callon needs to know he doesn’t own you. He’s walking all over you, and not even like they do on the good rug in the front hall that people feel bad wiping their feet on. He’s stamping all over you like that banged-up mat in the kitchen.”

  I sucked in a breath. That thing was a mess. It couldn’t be that bad, could it? “Really? The kitchen mat?”

  She gave me a knowing smile. “Yep. That filthy thing that people use when they don’t want to mess up the other floors. That’s what you are, and all the guys probably know it.”

  “I refuse to be the kitchen mat.” Fuck Callon and his protection.

  “Don’t be the kitchen mat.”

  Twenty-Seven

  The night of the roast was warmer than usual, as if the lodge and the weather had decided they wanted to give me as good a send-off as possible. Tuesday was by my side as we walked out to the large gathering. Everyone in the nearby cabins had come out for the roast.

  Callon was already there, across the field. We’d been avoiding each other since last night, and I planned on continuing tonight. He looked across the gathering, and I turned without so much as a nod.

  “Good,” Tuesday said from beside me. “He can’t have it both ways just because you love him.”

  “What? I don’t love Callon. Don’t even say that.” I glanced around, hoping no one had heard her crazy talk.

  “No, of course you don’t,” she said with a shake of her head. “I was confusing you with me and Koz. You two hate each other.”

  “By the way, did you know Koz was marking you?” It hadn’t occurred to me to ask yesterday.

  “I suspected. It’s the only reason I don’t care that he hasn’t said that other thing yet. If he cared enough to do that, then I figure it’s only a matter of time.”

  Koz had better say it before I had to leave. It was going to be hard enough to disappear on Tuesday. I needed to know she had someone committed by her side.

  We skirted the crowd, avoiding people I hadn’t come in close contact with before. It was easier than expected, since there was a chunk of people giving me the cold shoulder.

  “There’s my girl!” Issy said. She’d told me people got drunk at these things, and it looked like she’d started earlier than most. She gave me a big hug that I tried to not shrink away from, before she was on the move again.

  Tuesday was still scouting the men. “Well? Anyone catch your eye?”

  Even with a lot of them snubbing me, there were still quite a few eligible bachelors, men who didn’t seem hostile. Maybe they didn’t believe what they’d heard or didn’t think I should be blamed for something out of my control? Didn’t matter. I’d take it. And it had to be a normal man. It couldn’t be a beast that might’ve picked up on Callon’s marks. I knew there were a few more of them lingering around the lodge. I hadn’t met most of them, though, and now I knew why. They’d been steering clear.

  I scanned the crowd, and the top of a blond, curly head caught my eye. His name was Timmy and he was a man, mostly. In his early twenties, he didn’t have that same filled-out look that Callon had, but he was still fit. He might not carry the same air about him either, but he was human. You couldn’t expect him to have the same presence as a beast. His jaw didn’t have any stubble, but he was blond—maybe it was hard to see? Either way, none of that mattered. He’d always been friendly and kind. I could do worse. I’d feel him out, maybe start with a kiss and see where it went from there. After all, this might be my last chance to be with someone in any normal capacity.

  “Timmy?” Tuesday whispered as she followed my line of sight.

  “He’s nice enough, don’t you think?” I asked.

  “Oh yeah, he’ll do. He won’t push. You’ll be able to set the pace. It’s a solid pick.” She gave me a literal pat on the back.

  Timmy looked our way, as if he’d felt the two sets of eyes measuring him up.

  “Smile a little,” Tuesday said under her breath.

  I did. He smiled back. He turned to the guy he was talking to, said a couple of words, and then got up and began walking over toward us.

  Wait, what had happened? Was he coming over because I’d smiled?

  “That was so easy. Is that how it’s supposed to work?” I asked.

  “Normally, yeah.” She nudged me with her elbow. “I’m going to bail over to Koz. Good luck, but you won’t need it. He’s already putty. I can smell it on him.”

  “Do you have to leave…” She was already ten feet away from me.

  Oh no. I guessed I was flying solo on this. I would prefer he were approaching to fight with me. I knew how to do that. This? Flirting? Hooking up? I had no experience in this arena.

  He
walked over and then stopped a couple feet from me. “Hey.”

  “Hi.”

  We nodded. We stared. We looked elsewhere and then back at each other. We were the picture of awkwardness.

  “Want a sip?” he asked, holding out his bottle.

  “Sure—”

  I reached to take it, but before I could, an arm wrapped around my waist. I was tugged away from a gaping Timmy. I didn’t have to look at my assaulter. There was only one person who felt they owned me and would pull a move like this.

  “Did you not hear me last night? You are not allowed to touch me anymore. No marking. No scent. Nothing.” I tried to pull his arm from my waist without making a scene. It stubbornly wouldn’t move.

  I was pulled up to a wide tree, thick enough to offer a small amount of privacy.

  My back against it, Callon leaned a hand beside my shoulder. “Are you trying to prove a point? Don’t use that boy to get back at me, and don’t pretend for a second you want him.”

  “Not everything I do is about you.” This might be a little about him, but I’d cut out my tongue before I admitted it. Mostly, this was about filling my life with as much normal stuff as I could before I had to walk away from here and live the rest of eternity alone. I had no future, so I was damned well going to have a present.

  He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

  “At least admit what you’re doing, and it’s not about protecting me.” I shoved at his chest.

  “I am protecting you.”

  “From big, bad Timmy? Would his kiss be lethal to me? Maybe I’d have sex. Would that be the end of the world? Would I die? The only thing you’re trying to protect is you and your interests. I’m sure another man in the picture would fuck that up royally, so you’re putting me on a shelf, whether I want to be there or not. Guess what? I won’t allow it.”

  He straightened and had the nerve to smile. “Really? I think I’ve been doing pretty well.”

  “So no denying it? That’s who you are and you’re fine with it?”

  “You’re the reason you’re stuck with me in the first place. I don’t care if it’s fucked up. You did it to yourself.”

  I had done it, but I’d also undone it. It cost me all the control I had in me to not tell him that, too. But I wouldn’t. That knowledge needed to remain a secret. When I left, I didn’t want anyone knowing. It would be a clean break.

  But I wasn’t leaving right now, and he’d find out he wasn’t going to control me, not now, not ever.

  “We’ll see how stuck I am.” I walked past him, not sure if he’d try to stop me. He didn’t, but he did follow me. There was something about the way he walked past me with a determination in his stride that gave me an unsettling feeling in my belly, as if I’d bluffed my last game, and he was about to call in an IOU I couldn’t afford.

  As soon as we hit the outer perimeter of the group, I made a right in Timmy’s direction. Callon made a left. Good. Maybe he was going to have a drink on the other side with his pack of dogs. He was going to have to accept that I could do as I wanted. He couldn’t put me in a box and save me for later.

  Timmy had been lingering on the outskirts of a group. It was obvious he’d been hoping I’d return by the way he turned back to me the second I approached.

  “Timmy, do you have a minute?”

  He wasn’t Callon. He couldn’t turn into a beast or rip someone apart in seconds, but he might be able to punch. Lack of fangs shouldn’t be a deal breaker. Right?

  Right. Yeah, definitely. Callon was wrong. I could be into Timmy. He didn’t know me.

  “I’m sorry about that. We were having a little argument that carried over from yesterday. He didn’t mean to interrupt. I was hoping you might want to still share that drink with me?”

  “Of course I would.” He held out his bottle with the hint of a grin as his eyes flickered across the way, toward Callon.

  “It’s okay. We don’t have anything romantic going on. You don’t need to worry.” I took a nice, long swig of whatever the acid in the bottle was and then handed it back, coughing a bit.

  “You’re sure?” His eyes kept flickering back and forth between Callon and me.

  “Positive. I’d know, right?” I shot him a grin so big that my cheeks hurt.

  His lips hinted at a tentative smile. His fingers brushed my wrist and then he wrapped his hand around mine, pulling me forward a bit. “Want to come grab a seat with me?” He nodded toward one of the logs that had been rolled out and was unoccupied. It sat off by itself a bit, with a tree giving it a little coverage.

  “Sure,” I said, letting him continue to hold my hand as we walked over.

  I took a seat on the log and tried to ignore Tuesday giving me a thumbs-up from her vantage point, about thirty feet away. Then she held up a hand and pointed toward Callon behind it. She scrunched her nose and made a stabbing gesture. Koz, who was standing beside her, grabbed her hands and stopped her.

  I didn’t see what happened next because I was startled as Timmy decided to move in a little too close.

  No, not too close. If the side of his leg brushed mine, that was a good thing. That was what I’d been planning. This was living, right?

  “I wanted to tell you before—you look absolutely stunning tonight.”

  I had a harder time forcing my lips to form some imitation of a smile this time, even as my stomach clenched. He didn’t know any better. He probably thought I wanted to hear that. Most girls would, right? Unfortunately, I hated it. I wasn’t pretty, not really.

  “Thanks,” I said, sounding stiff.

  “I mean, not that you don’t always.” He must have picked up on my tone. He was trying to fix something he couldn’t understand. I should’ve felt bad for him. A small part of me did.

  “I mean come on, you’re too beautiful to ever look bad.” He laughed, thinking his flattery would win me over.

  It was getting harder to smile when all I wanted to do was run from him. I didn’t want him to look at me anymore, and I didn’t want to hear another word about how beautiful I was. It made me want to drag my fingers across my skin and scar it again. He didn’t see me at all.

  “You must know I’ve wanted to talk to you from the first moment I saw you.”

  I got to my feet, and he followed me. I felt his hand reflexively tighten around mine, trying to stop my departure. It made me want to run even farther and faster.

  And then all eyes were drawn to Callon as he said loudly, “I need everyone’s attention.”

  I used the moment to yank my hand from Timmy’s. I tucked my arms around my waist to avoid him grabbing me again.

  While I was at it, I might as well use Callon’s distraction to take a few more steps away. Tuesday and I were going to have to regroup. I wasn’t sure this was going to work out.

  I edged away even farther. If Timmy’s hand made any sudden movements, I didn’t care how bad it looked—I was bolting.

  “You all know Teddy by now,” Callon said, his deep voice crisp and clear, even where I stood all the way on the other side. My eyes jerked to his, Timmy no longer a concern.

  What was Callon up to? That bad feeling I’d gotten in my gut when he followed me was back; it was laughing at me now for being a dumbass and not listening. Telling me I should’ve followed Callon and that Timmy wasn’t the priority right now.

  Callon stared at me with a look that said he’d be getting the last word. Now what? Could I ram into him, take him down, and stop whatever he was planning? Yes, it might work, or I might make it worse. I was going to have to stand down and wait out whatever was about to happen.

  “So we’re all clear, she’s off-limits. I don’t care who you are or what she says. That’s all.” Callon gave me a last look that said, Now what do you plan on doing? Callon’s gaze shifted to Timmy. The guy scrambled away from me as fast as he could. Real nice.

  Callon smiled and walked back into the lodge. Koz’s forehead fell into his palm, hiding the grimace that had started. He looked the
way I felt, except I didn’t have the luxury of squirming with all the attention on me, and other than Zink’s, they were all on me.

  Did I (A) run after Callon like a ninny, (B) give my own speech, declaring his speech to be bullshit, or (C) do absolutely nothing until they got bored of watching me?

  Giving my own speech to counter his would never work. I sucked at public speeches. Waiting the stares out wouldn’t work either. Even Tuesday was gaping, frozen in her spot beside Koz. She took a step forward as she started to come out of her shock. I gave her a shake of the head, telling her to not run over to me. It would only add to the spectacle, and these people were waiting for part two and seemed quite convinced they were going to get it.

  I had only one choice. Run after him like a ninny. That was too hard to swallow. I’d march off like a woman to be reckoned with and see if I could pull it off.

  I cleared my throat, something similar to Callon but a few octaves higher, and a little squeaky. “If you’ll excuse me. I have something I need to handle.”

  I didn’t walk away immediately, as if the crowd would give me some response. I’d lost it. It was confirmed.

  Tuesday stepped forward. “Sure. You go handle your business,” she said, trying to cover the silence.

  A few pairs of eyes shifted her way, but not enough to call her a supporting cast.

  I walked away, leaving a chorus of whispers that were growing louder as I went.

  Callon wasn’t in the great room or his office. I took the stairs two at a time until I was down the hall and pushing open his door. He was standing by the window, his hands on his hips, and turned to look at me as if I’d wronged him.

  I shut the door behind me, a mask of calm merely coating the surface. Shutting the door wouldn’t keep our words private from any of the shifters, but it gave me an illusion of privacy. That would have to be good enough for now, because what I needed to do couldn’t wait.