Focusing on her own work, the class ended quickly, and Kala nodded her head when the students turned in their work before heading out.
Most of the students were gone, and Kala was gathering her own things when Tammie walked over biting her lip.
“Can I help you, Tammie?” Kala asked looking up at her.
“Do you know where Garin is? I’ve been calling but he is not returning my calls,” Tammie said in a sugary voice, and Kala raised an eyebrow at that information.
She knew that Garin had his phone because she talked to him yesterday to get some information for Trevor. If Garin wasn’t taking her calls or calling her back, then either he was done with her or something else was on his mind.
“He is out of town right now,” Kala revealed seeing the way Tammie’s eyes lit up at her words.
Tammie was like a few of the other girls who had come out to the pack house, Kala realized sitting back in her seat while she studied the young woman in front of her. They figured if they could get one of the men into their bed, then they could stay there permanently living comfortably as they believed with holidays out of town and expensive shopping trips. Unfortunately, they had no clue about the real reason behind the trips out of town and although Kala would admit that they weren’t broke, they didn’t have the money for constant shopping or vacations.
“I’m sure when he gets back, he will give me a call,” Tammie boasted in a confident voice before striding out of the room.
Kala watched her leave before she shook her head and finished gathering her own things before exiting the room herself.
She stopped off at her office finding a note on her desk about the deadline for withdrawals, and her eyes narrowed wondering if Daya knew about it.
Arriving home an hour later after some research, she was surprised when Garin stepped out of the kitchen a small smile on his face.
“Hi Garin,” she greeted. “How did the mission go?”
“No problem,” he stated with a touch of arrogance nodding his head before running upstairs.
“Tammie was asking about you,” she called out heading for the kitchen.
Thank you, he called back through the pack link since he was heading for his room.
She entered the kitchen with a frown on her face absently saying ‘hello’ to Trevor who was standing at the stove.
Everyone took turns cooking even the Alpha who was actually an incredibly good cook, Kala gave him a soft smile putting her things down on the counter.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Trevor asked wiping his hands on a towel after he stirred whatever was in the pot and covered it.
Remembering how she couldn’t hide anything from her mate, Kala grinned softly. “Just worried about one of my students,” she answered wrapping her arms around his waist. “She hasn’t been in my class for the last two classes.”
“Kala, honey,” he cajoled, “she is probably working.”
Sitting down at the table, Kala admitted in a low concerned voice. “I think she might be doing it on purpose, so she can request a withdrawal from my class.”
Trevor walked over and covered her hand with his own. “I’m surprised since most students like your class.”
Kala nodded her head pursing her lips while thoughts ran through her head, and Trevor sighed squeezing her hand before he walked over picking up the cordless phone.
“Why don’t you call her if you are that worried about her?” He suggested walking back over to the table handing her the cordless. “I’m sure you have her number.”
Kala gave him a narrowed look, but he winked at her walking back over to the stove while she made the call.
She dialed the number waiting for the phone to be answered when Garin stepped back into the kitchen just as the phone was picked up on the other end.
“Hey, Daya,” Kala greeted when Daya answered in a weary tone. “Are you okay? You’ve missed two days of my class.”
There was a moment of silence, which Kala found telling, even when Daya answered. “I’ve been working, Professor Jansen, and once I get home I’ve been going to sleep. In fact, I was thinking about asking for a withdrawal from…”
“Daya, you’ve worked so hard,” Kala interrupted turning to face Trevor who shifted a look over his shoulder at her. “Besides, you need this class in order to graduate.”
“Damn,” Daya muttered, and Kala knew she had gotten through to her. “All right, I will be in the next class.”
Kala grinned giving Trevor a nod when her eyes shifted to Garin seeing he was still blue eyes alert and listening to every word of her conversation, and she had a sudden thought.
“We had an assignment today that counts against your grade, and since you’ve missed two classes, you might have to take a zero for it,” Kala stated tapping a finger against her lips.
“Can I do the assignment on Monday?” Daya asked hesitatingly as if she already knew the answer.
“I have to have the grades in by Monday morning,” Kala said honestly. “But if you can make it to my house around two tomorrow, then I can let you take it before I record and calculate the grades.”
“Professor,” Daya began a slight worried note in her voice.
“Daya, you can call me Kala outside of class,” Kala interrupted unaware of both Trevor and Garin staring at her in shock.
“Are you okay, Professor,” Daya asked slowly. “You are acting a little strange.”
Kala laughed tilting her head to the side. “I like you, Daya,” she confided with a single nod of her head. “Besides, you also a good student and I hate to see you withdraw messing up your chances of graduating this semester.”
There was another brief pause of silence before Daya sighed. “Thank you for thinking about me, so I guess I shouldn’t mess with the opportunity you are giving me. What time did you say you wanted me to show up?”
“Around two,” Kala repeated shifting a look to Garin. “I’ll leave you in Garin’s capable hands while you are here so there will be no problems. Garin?”
“I don’t have a problem with it,” Garin replied nodding his head feeling his wolf growl with anticipation of seeing her again.
“So we will see you around two tomorrow, Daya,” Kala repeated smiling when Daya answered with an affirmative. “See you tomorrow and have a good evening.”
“You, too, Professor.”
Daya hung up before Kala could chide her on calling her Professor and hung up putting the phone on the counter.
“Honey, I have a lot of questions but there is one thing I’m curious about,” Trevor stepped over to the counter and placed a hip against it. “Did you forget we are throwing a party tomorrow for Jaime and Kelsey celebrating the new couple of our pack?”
Kala’s eyes widened putting a hand to her mouth. “I did forget. I guess I should call her later and change the day.”
At her words, Garin made his excuses and headed out of the kitchen unaware of Trevor’s narrowed look or the fact he hadn’t forgotten what he had gone down for while emotions churned through him along with the disappointment of his wolf. He pulled his cell out of his pocket and called Tammie even though he realized after she picked up, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with her, but he was a gentleman, so he went ahead and invited her to the party tomorrow.
“You forgot my ass,” Trevor remarked bluntly once Garin slipped away from the kitchen.
Kala sent him a smug smile. “As I told her on the phone, I like her for some reason and besides…”
“Garin was showing an interest that is rare for him,” Trevor injected watching her smile widen. “Well, I have to meet this young woman who you like and Garin is interested in.”
He walked around the counter and swept Kala into his arms. “Well, hopefully it has the outcome you were looking for.”
“I hope it does, too,” Kala admitted nibbling on her bottom lip. “Or did I just make a huge mistake?”
“We shall see tomorrow,” he stated giving her a kiss not going to tell her what he saw on
Garin’s face while she talked on the phone with her student.
Although Kala had seen his interest first, Trevor had seen a lot more like lust, possessiveness, and then disappointment when Kala mentioned she would call to reschedule the day for her visit.
Breaking the kiss, he whispered. “So, just for my information before tomorrow, what is this young woman’s name?”
“Daya Stevens,” Kala answered a little breathlessly her eyes glazed over, and Trevor laughed leaning down for another kiss pushing his friend’s issue to the side, but he would be do some checking of his own.
The next day, Kala was finishing preparations for the party when Garin walked out of the house with Tammie glued to his side.
“Well, I wasn’t suspecting that,” she muttered turning and almost bumping into Trevor who walked up behind her catching Garin walking out of the house with Tammie.
“I need to find another partner for Daya when she gets here,” Kala stated eyes searching the other members.
Trevor smiled an unreadable expression crossing his face. “Let’s not worry about it yet until she arrives.”
Kala looked at him in confusion but nodded her head and finished the last of the preparations just as the rest of the guests started arriving.
The party was in full swing and it was past two when Kala looked up spotting a bewildered Daya standing on the patio searching the crowd around her.
Making her excuses to the group around her, Kala started over to her. “Daya, I’m so glad that you could make it.”
“Um…” Daya replied eyes shifting over the crowd. “It looks like you are in the middle of a party, so why don’t I come back later to do the assignment, Professor?”
“Kala, dear, remember,” Kala chided hooking an arm with Daya before turning to scan the crowd until she spotted Garin, and seeing the look on his face, she took a chance heading in his direction with a confused Daya following behind her.
Garin was getting a massive headache from Tammie’s constant chatter when his wolf sighed in contentment, and then he smelled it; the scent which his wolf was finding contentment in, strawberries and mint. The weirdest combination, Garin thought, but he found it pleasing and arousing all at the same time.
“Garin,” Kala called out getting his attention walking over with an arm through Daya’s arm. “I was going to try and find another partner for her, but they are all taken. Do you think you can…?”
Daya interrupted her. “Ma’am, let me come back later and do the assignment. I don’t want to be in the way, and it looks like…Garin already has a partner.”
There was a slight hesitation before she said his name, but only Garin and Kala caught it while Tammie glared at her.
Garin reacted quickly getting a growl of approval from his wolf when he grabbed Daya’s arm sliding his hand down until he interlocked their fingers. He held her hand in a tight grip even as he replied to Kala. “You asked me to watch out for her, so I will.”
Tugging slightly on hand, he pulled Daya over to side causing her to bump his shoulder and he felt her tense while heat coursed through him at the mere touch of their bodies. The hand engulfed in his was much smaller than his own, but he felt the light jump of her pulse when his fingers caressed the inside of her wrist. Shifting a glance in her direction, he found himself grinning in approval at the blank mask showing nothing of what he could feel racing through her body and he wondered what it would take to dissolve that mask.
“Thank you, Garin,” Kala uttered getting his attention, and he nodded his head watching her disappear into the crowd.
“She set me up,” Daya muttered next to him, and Garin squeezed her hand hearing her words although Tammie had snagged his attention pouting her overly made up lips at him the second Kala walked away.
He listened to Tammie, but he could feel Daya standing next to him the heat from her body coming off in waves onto him. She tugged at her hand a few times, but he merely tightened his grip.
Finally, she spoke drawing his attention without hesitation. “I was wondering if I could get something to drink. Since I don’t know when Kala will have time to give me the assignment, I guess I should enjoy the party.”
Garin started to say something when Tammie uttered snidely, “The table for refreshments is over there. Do we need to walk you over?”
Daya opened her mouth about to comment to the snide question when Garin intervened grabbing Tammie lightly by the arm.
“Why don’t we all get something to drink?”
Tammie gave him a narrowed look before she turned and stormed off to the table by herself.
“All you had to do was let go of my hand,” Daya murmured loud enough for him to hear her with his sensitive hearing.
Garin smiled squeezing her hand again a little tighter wondering what she would say if she knew he could hear her.
Reaching the table, Tammie was standing by the table with a glass of wine in her hand while Daya opted for a Pepsi along with Garin.
“I have to drive home,” Daya explained seeing the mocking look on Tammie’s face with a shrug of her shoulders opening the can with he r free hand since Garin still held her other one.
Tammie stared her hard before her eyes drifted down noticing their clasped hands, and her mouth tightened before she pushed up against Garin whispering in his ear.
Garin swallowed the sip of Pepsi he took a second before Tammie pushed up against him and started muttering dirty things into his ear to get his blood going, but he found the discomfort of the woman standing next to him more alluring especially since she could hear everything Tammie was saying.
Letting his blue eyes shift around the crowd, he knew that it wasn’t only Daya who could hear her, and he found to his amusement that many of his fellow pack members didn’t seem to be so interested in the woman.
Now that I find telling, his wolf replied with a gruff growl which Garin took for a laugh.
He felt another tug on his hand to loosen his grip, but he didn’t let go tilting his head to the side as if listening intently to what Tammie was telling him.
Daya forced herself to stand still sipping her soda knowing her face was flushed with embarrassment while Garin tilted his head towards Tammie.
After a few more minutes, Daya finally couldn’t stand there any longer shifting uneasily. “Maybe I should go, so you two can be alone,” she offered quietly tugging on her hand again in attempt to get Garin to release her.
Tammie smiled with satisfaction. “Why thank you, Daya. We would really appreciate it.”
Daya nodded her head turning to Garin and her mouth opened to ask him to release her when he spoke, but it wasn’t to her.
“Excuse us will you, Tammie,” Garin replied putting down his soda while Daya blinked putting hers next to his on the table. “I should take Daya to Kala, so she can go ahead and do that assignment for class.”
Tammie smiled demurely at him her eyes inviting him to hurry back to her.
Garin nodded his head before walking off taking a startled, and bewildered, Daya with him.
“What…” she began only to hear him growl at her which made Daya’s eyes widen.
“Shut up.”
She didn’t say another word while he stalked over to Kala who noticed them coming and Daya saw the thoughtful look that flashed across her face.
“Where would you like Daya to do that assignment?” Garin asked his tone rough with emotion shocking both women.
“Take her to the small library,” Kala replied giving Daya a smile. “The article along with the assignment directions are sitting on the desk.”
Garin nodded his head turning back and heading for the house pulling Daya with him, and she gave Kala a bewildered look.
“Don’t worry, Daya, Garin will take care of you,” Kala called out giving her a wink.
Daya sighed nodding her head before she fell into step with Garin after realizing he matched his step with hers.
They passed Tammie on the way into the house, and her mouth drop
ped slightly but Garin didn’t say anything to her neither did he stop.
“She was trying to tell you something,” Daya told him surprised when he grunted in response.
Walking into the house, he threaded his way through the kitchen and into a hallway turning in the opposite direction of the front door.
The hallway was dimly lit, but Daya was able to make out the few doors that lingered along it.
Garin stopped at the last one and opened the door ushering Daya inside, and she caught the built-in bookcase hearing the door behind her shut.
Before she could make a sound, though, Garin had spun her around and a gasp escaped her lips a second before Garin gripped her hips lifting and pinning her to the door.
Daya couldn’t speak her wide brown eyes focused on Garin trying to read him, but the only thing she saw before he took her lips in a passionate kiss, was blue eyes dark with emotion racing over her.
Chapter 3
“Garin,” Daya moaned out her mind whirling with emotion while Garin’s hot kiss made her stomach clench a strange heat coursing through her body.
In response to her muttering of his name, Garin lifted her up off her feet using his body to press her against the door never breaking the kiss.
Having never been kissed like this before, Daya was stunned but she found herself responding back to his wild and hot kiss while her arms lifted to tangle into the hair at the base of his neck.
His hands tightened around her waist making her gasp, and he took advantage of it by plunging his tongue into her mouth stroking her tongue.
Daya reciprocated his movement much to her embarrassment, but it felt so good that she didn’t want to stop.
Breathing became difficult, but neither wanted to break it until finally Daya pulled back leaning her head against the door gasping for breath.
“What are you doing to me?” The words came out in a slow uneven breath, and Daya took a deep breath to steady her racing heart from Garin’s kiss.
His Wolf's Choice Page 4