By the time, Jordan and Bryan were home Daya had all her things laid out on the bed just waiting to be packed away.
Biting her lip, Daya went through the closet and finding some black trash bags, she decided to go ahead and throw everything in them. Once at Grandma Ana’s, she would pack everything in the luggage Grandma Ana said she could use.
An hour later, a knock sounded on the door getting Daya’s attention where she was sitting on the floor working on her laptop.
“Yes,” she called warily setting her laptop off to the side and got to her feet.
“Daya, sweetie,” Jordan uttered through the door, and Daya smiled going over to unlock the door.
Opening it, she grinned at the man who stood outside his hazel eyes alert while his body relaxed slightly against the doorframe.
Studying his expression, Daya sighed and shook her head turning back to her to where her laptop sat. “I’m guessing Jared has already talked with you.”
“He has,” Jordan replied watching her closely eyes narrowing at the bruises that could be seen on Daya’s arms. “I’m assuming that he had a talk with you too.”
Daya caught the direction of his stare and looked down at the bruises on her arms. “He did,” she admitted without going into to detail.
“Those bruises,” Jordan asked his tone light, but with a rough undercurrent that Daya heard.
“He wasn’t the only one to grab my arm hard, but it’s nothing to worry about, Uncle Jordan,” Daya remarked bending to pack up her laptop.
Standing up, she turned to her uncle who was glancing around the room a sad look shifting across his face.
“I was going to ask if you had some luggage to pack up my things, but I called Grandma Ana…” Daya revealed, and Jordan turned back to her with a raised eyebrow although a brief smile settled on his face. “I called Grandma Ana to see if I could stay for the night before I head off for college.”
Daya gave him an apologetic look, but Jordan merely sighed going over to hug her.
“I had a feeling you would call her,” Jordan muttered in her dark hair before pulling back to stare in her dark brown eyes. “I’m sorry, sweetie, I really thought he would see what I, and a few others, can see.”
Daya laughed shaking her head. “No such luck,” she teased backing away from her uncle to begin gathering her things.
“I’ll help you,” Jordan offered picking up some bags and turning for the door. “We will come back for the rest in a few minutes.”
Daya nodded her head and followed him lifting the two bags she carried without much trouble.
They took the back stairs to the outside where Jordan’s car sat waiting along with Bryan, Tobias and Bethea.
“We will go get the rest of Daya’s things.” Bryan asked heading inside followed by Tobias while Jordan opened the trunk placing the bags inside.
Bethea was crying, and Daya sighed walking over to wrap her arms around the other woman.
“Hey, you can call me anytime,” Daya promised patting her back sharing a look with Jordan who chuckled quietly.
Bryan and Tobias came back down with the rest of Daya’s bags.
“Thank you.”
“It’s the least we can do,” Bryan admitted walking over and putting a big hand on Daya’s head, and she flushed with embarrassment since it had been something he had done when she was small.
“I’m not a child anymore, Uncle Bryan,” Daya remarked watching him laugh before taking his hand away.
“Maybe not, but I think I’m always going to think of you of as my youngest daughter,” Bryan said giving her a hug which broke the contact with Bethea who sniffled turning to Tobias.
“We’re going to miss you.” Tobias hugged Bethea to him while giving Daya a soft smile. “We are always here if you need us.”
“I know.” Daya walked over and gave him a brief hug.
She stepped back and gave him a steady glare. “You take care of my friend, Tobias.”
“Without question,” Tobias saluted earning him a narrowed look which only made him chuckle.
Daya turned to Bryan and Jordan who was just closing the trunk before turning to her. She gave Bryan another hug and he gave her a grin placing an envelope in her hand when she pulled back.
“Don’t say anything, just take it,” Bryan ordered when Daya started to protest. “Call it an early birthday gift.”
“All right,” Daya replied folding up the envelope and putting it in her pocket just as others joined them including Jasmine and Jared arms wrapped around each other.
Daya turned away seeing the anger that flashed across Tobias’ face and she gave a single shake of her head.
“Bryan, I’m leaving the pack in your care for the evening,” Jordan replied opening the passenger door for Daya. “I’m taking Daya out to dinner.”
“But, Alpha,” one of the members protested a frown on their face. “I know you adopted her, but why waste time on one human…?”
The rest of the sentence never left their mouth when Jordan turned a hard glare in their direction.
“I’ll be back later.” Jordan walked around and got into the driver’s side, and he drove off a second later.
“Why is he even bothering when his next in line has already broke their mating bond?” Another voice uttered, and Bryan turned to them.
“Jared hasn’t broken it yet,” Bryan confirmed sending a glare to Jared who merely dismissed it. “Besides, you don’t have to worry about Daya since she is leaving after this weekend. She had been nominated for early admission into college and she accepted it today. So, starting Monday, she won’t be coming back here.” Bryan turned to go inside remarking over his shoulder. “I hope you are all satisfied.”
The grins that broke out around the members made Tobias and Bethea shake their head before following Bryan inside who stood just stood in the doorway watching them.
“With Daya gone, Jordan won’t be as nice as he has been,” Bryan remarked shifting a glance to Tobias and Bethea who grinned. “As for Jared, Daya was too good for him and it is his lost.”
Tobias nodded his head in agreement while Bethea laughed nestling her head against him repeating Bryan’s words from earlier that day.
“From a woman’s perspective, I think the man who finally gets Daya will be a very lucky man.”
Chapter 1
Five years later
Professor Kala Jansen finished making the sandwiches when her mate and husband walked into the kitchen with his easy stride.
“Hi, honey,” he greeted eyes glinting at the plate of sandwiches and he reached out for one hand hesitating over the plate when Kala glanced over at him.
“Touch it and you will be sleeping on the floor tonight,” Kala warned him turning back to what she was doing. “They are for my students who are coming over this afternoon for a study session.”
Trevor Jansen glared at her while the members coming into the kitchen, catching her words, laughed. “Woman, do not be threatening me in my own home,” Trevor scowled at her although there was no heat in his words.
Kala looked over at him and seeing the laughter in his eyes along with a hint of concern before he strolled over to him lifting her up into his arms.
Trying to maintain her stern façade, but unable to feeling his strong arms around her, Kala laughed wrapping her arms around his neck. She flinched slightly though when she added, “It was a last-minute request and I couldn’t book a study room in time.”
Trevor nodded his head leaning down to kiss her and they both heard the excited voices of the unmated males at the news that there would be females coming over to the house.
Kala broke the kiss to glance over her mate’s shoulder seeing their excited faces, but it was the masked face of Garin Monroe that held her attention his cold blue eyes watching them with an unreadable expression leaning against the doorframe. He was the oldest of the unmated males at the age of 28 and she worried about him since he seemed to be drifting through women, a new one each we
ek.
Kala sighed leaning against her mate the concern for her pack member filtering through their mate link.
He will be okay.
I hope so although I wish he would stop going through women as if they were going extinct, Kala replied feeling Trevor’s chest vibrate with laughter at her thoughts.
She closed her eyes, but still could see the coldness of Garin’s eyes and her mouth tightened in anger at why.
“I want you all on your best behavior this afternoon,” Trevor’s voice echoed around the room eliciting groans, but no one would ignore an order from their Alpha of the Crimson Moon Pack.
They were one of the strongest packs in the world although they were also one of the smallest packs. They mostly consisted of males which was the reason for their excitement about the young women coming over today each one waiting to meet their mates except those who were already mated and of course, Garin.
The pack was growing as each member found their mate adding to their pack with each new addition.
“So, how many students are coming over Alpha Female?” Jaime Andrews asked eyes bright with anticipation along with a few others.
“Six,” Kala replied kissing Trevor before finishing up the snacks she made. “And no Alpha Female while they are here.”
“Yes, Professor,” they chorused getting a glare from her while Trevor laughed folding his arms over his chest.
“Best behavior,” Kala warned giving each of them a steady look. “Or there will be a penalty to pay.”
Groans lingered out into the hallway and Kala grinned getting a wink from Trevor who turned dismissing them with a nod.
Kala sighed turning back to the food, but she knew this afternoon wasn’t going to go smooth no matter what she said to them.
An hour later, all the young women were there, and Kala looked around at them with a frown on her face. She shook her head not liking the feeling that had settled in her gut. “We will study on the patio.”
She winced even as she said it knowing that the dining room would be better, but right now the dining room table was littered with pack information that Trevor couldn’t get cleared in time for the session.
Kala showed the way praying to the Luna goddess that her members would be wise and not outside at this time.
Her prayers went on unanswered when they stepped outside, and Kala’s mouth turned down at the corners seeing about five to six of the unmated males playing football out on the lawn.
Kala’s eyes narrowed at the scene especially when almost all of them had their shirts off revealing their muscular, and lean on some cases, physique.
She turned to her students and immediately the scent of lust drifted off the women standing there making the knot in her stomach tighten even more. She led the way over to the table which she had already placed the snacks with covers over them to keep the flies away.
“I made snacks for this session,” Kala uttered waving her hand to the table. “So, let’s get stared.”
Turning to the women, she noted that they were more interested in what was happening on the lawn then in her words. She studied each of them intently suddenly understanding what this is all about, and her eyes glinted with anger when her eyes met the dark brown eyes of Daya Stevens.
Daya had glanced over at the men before she shifted her gaze back to the table, and Kala watched while she took a seat along with the petite redhead, Kelsey Saunders, who had been standing behind her.
“Can we get started, Professor?” Daya’s soft voice caught the attention of the other students who glared at her before they sauntered over to the table.
Kala studied Daya while the others got settled and realized she couldn’t read the look in the young woman’s eyes compared to the other young ladies’ present. Kala frowned slightly because although she had Daya in her class since the beginning of the year, she knew nothing about the young woman. In fact, the only think Kala knew for sure was that Daya was human but stayed to herself and out of trouble.
“Now, we will be going over our notes along with some material I’ve made for the test,” Kala said loudly opening her notebook where she kept all class notes along with copies of the slides she used.
Daya and Kelsey had their books opened and waiting while the others took their sweet time eyes flickering often to the men on the lawn.
Finally, after ten minutes, Kala got started going over material and answering any questions although most of them came from Daya and Kelsey who were paying attention to what Kala had to say.
Then the men started coming up on the patio getting something to drink and although the cooler for them was on the other side, it distracted Kala’s students.
Kala glared at them watching them smile ruefully before darting back down to the lawn, and yet they kept coming up onto the patio knowing that they were igniting Kala’s anger but also knowing she wasn’t going to do anything in front of her students.
Kala tried her best to keep the groups attention on the material, but every time one of the men came up her students would start whispering and giggling disrupting the session.
Kala opened her mouth about to say something when Daya slammed her book closed getting everyone’s attention, and she started gathering her things putting them in her bookbag.
“This is ridiculous,” she uttered under her breath, and Kala gave her a thoughtful look noting Kelsey staring at her too.
Standing up and slinging the shoulder strap over one shoulder, Daya turned brown eyes to Kala. “Thank you, Professor, but I think it would be better if I study on my own,” Daya conveyed turning to the door. “See you in class tomorrow.”
“Daya,” Kala called out getting up from her chair watching the young woman turn wary brown eyes to her. “I’m sorry. If you have any questions, catch me before the exam tomorrow.”
Daya nodded her head, and then headed into the house heading for the front door.
Kala worried that she wouldn’t remember the way, but her eyes widened briefly when the sound of a car starting up echoed from the front yard driving away a second later.
“So uptight,” one of the other young women said tossing wavy blond hair over her shoulder just as Garin stepped out onto the patio.
Kala saw the heated glance of the young woman and turned her head to see Garin respond to the look a smile drifting across his face, a smile that broke Kala’s heart every time she saw it.
“Study time is over. I wish you the best on tomorrow’s exam,” Kala stated grabbing her things glancing over at Kelsey with an apologetic look only to still seeing the look in the woman’s green eyes who was staring out at the men.
Following her gaze, Kala noted how still Jaime was and the darkness of his eyes which alerted her to the fact his wolf was close to the surface. It was the expression on his face that made Kala relax, and she grinned shaking her head turning to go inside. “Jaime, can you show the ladies out to their vehicles?”
Why are you all the way over there? Kala asked heading for the door passing Garin who was talking with the young woman who caught his attention, and Kala felt a stab of pain but unable to stop Garin from doing what he wanted since it didn’t hurt the pack.
Kala went inside heading upstairs relaxing when she smelled Trevor’s scent coming from the dining room and entering their room a few minutes later, she tossed her things on the bed. She started toward the bathroom when an overly sweet smell drifted past her room, and she stilled listening to the sound of footsteps as they continued up to the third floor where Garin and a few of the other unmated males stayed.
She frowned closing her eyes and shaking her head. She hoped Garin knew what he was doing because in the end someone was going to get hurt, and she just hoped it wouldn’t come back to bite Garin later.
Letting herself in her apartment almost thirty minutes after leaving her professor’s house, Daya sighed shutting the door behind her a frown on her face.
“Well, I hate it when my gut is right,” Daya muttered in the silence of the room w
alking over to the couch where she put her bag.
She had been in the professor’s class since the beginning of the semester, and yet she never thought anything of it until last week when they were talking about the exam.
If Daya hadn’t been paying attention, she wouldn’t have seen the way Professor Jansen’s eyes darkened when one of the students made a teasing remark that she hadn’t found funny.
It was a look she remembered often from her aunt when she had been upset with something especially with Daya although that wasn’t often. Yet, it left an impression so when she saw that look on the Professor’s face, the idea started to grow and when the Professor said she was holding a study session at her house, reluctantly Daya realized, then she knew it would be the best way to terminate the suspicion she had.
Until she saw the house, Daya still held hope that she was imagining what she saw that day. Then the house came into view although turning off the road had already turned her suspicion up more, and when they entered, it was like walking into her uncle’s house. It wasn’t as huge, and Daya surmised that the pack wasn’t as big as her uncle’s, but the overall feeling that it gave her was similar to the one she got when she entered her uncle’s house for the first time.
She had been in this area for almost five years now, and she never realized that a pack house wasn’t too far from the city limits. They intermingled with the people of that town everyday if she wasn’t mistaken, and yet there was no news of any trouble remembering the fires her uncle had to put out when she was younger.
A frown came to her face leaning against the back of the couch, she had five more months to go before she graduated and remembering how her uncle’s pack treated her, she believed that the Professor’s pack wouldn’t be any different.
“Staying away from that pack house would be in my best interest,” Daya reminded herself straightening up. Sighing softly, she shook her head. “I liked her, too.”
She went into the kitchen remembering the remarks, and words, of the individuals of her uncle’s pack which reinforced her determination to stay away from this pack.
His Wolf's Choice Page 2