My father stood, the look on his face anything but forgiving, but I didn’t stick around. I grabbed Slade by the wrist and led him up the stairs to my bathroom to clean up.
“Haven’t been in here in years,” he said as we passed through my room. “Your décor hasn’t gotten any better.”
I rolled my eyes and shoved him through the bathroom door. Once inside, I clasped his shoulder and pushed him onto the edge of the tub. “Neither have your manners.”
“How was I supposed to know the damn thing was still alive?”
“It wasn’t.” I ran a towel under the water, then rang it out. “It was dead.”
“Beg to differ. It moved. It fucking started moshing on my plate.”
I knelt in front of him then paused. This wasn’t going to work while he was still wearing the shirt. “It was the salt in the soy sauce. The muscles in the squid were reacting to it. Take your shirt off.”
He waggled his brows. “Finally.”
I sighed and grabbed the back of his collar then gave a hard yank. The material caught on his chin for a second before coming over his head. “Says the guy who insisted I was a horrible kisser.”
He snorted. “That was years ago. Like I said, you’ve gotten a little bit better.”
He leaned back, and I didn’t miss the way he flexed, the hard planes of his chest moving in an almost mesmerizing way. I also didn’t—couldn’t—miss the scattered assortment of marks and scars.
“They’re not pretty, are they?” His voice was low and calm, but the look in his eyes was anything but.
“Gavin?” The scars were a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and left very little skin unmarred.
“For the most part.” He shifted, almost like he was uncomfortable with my scrutiny.
I cleared my throat and turned away. “Ya know, scars are a sign of honor in the wolf community.”
“Yeah?” There was a twinge of amusement in his voice, and I was glad. “Then pick one. I’ll let you honor it with a kiss.”
I turned back to him and leaned down, falling just short of brushing my lips to his cheek. “What if I said I had no desire whatsoever to kiss you?”
He feigned horror and followed me to the sink. I laid the shirt down and started blotting out the stain. “Are you saying you’re never going to kiss your boyfriend again?”
He was close. Standing right behind me. The warmth from his breath and the almost electric charge in the air I found to be standard whenever he walked into a room left me breathless. The scent of the forest still clung to him. Earthy and raw and smelling like freedom. I sucked in a breath, held it for several seconds, then said…nothing. All of a sudden, my mind was blank. I dabbed the shirt a little harder, the water from the towel saturating the thin material.
His arms circled my waist as he leaned forward, resting his chin against my shoulder. I probably would have pushed him away—I would have—but I heard the sound of footsteps just outside the bathroom.
“What’s going on in here?” my father demanded. Even though I’d heard him coming, I still jumped a mile into the air. The action dislodged Slade, who was grinning like he’d just stolen the last chocolate chip cookie.
“Shirt,” I said, snatching the soaked material from the counter. I held it up and gave it a shake, sending droplets of water flicking outward. “Trying to get the stains out.”
He looked from me to Slade. When his gaze caught on Slade’s bare chest, on the scars that decorated it, there was a moment of shock. Less than a moment. An instant. Still, it was a waterfall of emotion coming from a wolf like my father. He recovered and narrowed his eyes. “How long are you going to carry on like this?”
Slade stepped out from behind me and slung an arm over my shoulder. With a grin that was 100 percent McAlister smarm, he said, “Carry on? Forever, man. Kensey is my soulmate. You’re just going to have to get used to having me around, Sam. I’m not going anywhere.” Then, without missing a beat, Slade tipped me sideways and planted a scorcher that left my toes tingling and my lips numb.
I guess he showed me…
My father stood very still for a moment. Our eyes locked as I righted myself, and a chill raced up my spine. He said nothing as he turned on his heel and left the room, but a bubble formed in the pit of my stomach. I had no doubt he was going to make this Courting hard on Slade, but I had a feeling he’d just made things a thousand times worse.
You didn’t mess with Sam Deaton…
Chapter Sixteen
Slade
After my not-so-stunning display at Deaton’s dinner, things were quiet. Too quiet. I picked Kensey up each morning for school, then dropped her off at the end of the day. Even Aden seemed to have backed off. The snide comments and pointed whispers when we crossed paths at school had stopped, as well as having his friends follow me around when I wasn’t with his sister.
Yep. If I didn’t know Sam Deaton the way I did, I would have thought things were perfectly fine.
They weren’t, though.
“I can’t do this.” The wind whipped around us, and I smelled rain in the air. Kensey’s family and some friends of the pack had gathered in the small clearing at the back of her property, a few yards away from where we’d entered to woods to play tag seek what seemed like ages ago.
She sighed and slipped her hand into mine. “We’ve got this. We practiced. You did great!”
Great? Had she been there? If it hadn’t been for her, I would have turned Carter into a chew toy. I had to give the girl credit. She actually sounded convinced. Then again, she didn’t know the true extent of my issues. Sam Deaton did, though. As an alpha, it was his job to know what went on in his territory and the areas surrounding it. I was sure that was why he was making us do this.
Everyone was starting to scatter. The Deaton pack changed in private—which I was supremely thankful for in that moment. The more time I spent with Kensey, the more I remembered why I’d liked her so much when we were younger. I was getting attached again, which I was going to have to curb.
“Just stay close to me. We’ll be okay if we present a united front.” She handed me a plastic bag, then turned and disappeared into the woods.
I found a spot not far from the clearing and pulled off my boots. The rest of my clothes went with it, along with the thick silver chain my mother had left me. I piled everything in a ball and shoved it into the plastic bag, then sank to the ground.
Getting my change started was the hardest part. I supposed it was the anticipation of what was ahead, of the pain. Part of it was my own fault. Kensey was right. The more a wolf fought their nature, the harder it was on them. The harder it was, the more they fought. It was a vicious cycle—one I hadn’t figured out how to break free from.
By the time I rose onto my paws and stretched, I heard the others in the woods. There were eighteen of us here today. This was a disaster waiting to happen.
I shook out the last remnants of the change and followed Kensey’s scent. She lay stretched out on a rock a few feet from where I’d changed. Her wolf form was just as wild and fierce as her human one. Rusty red fun, her two front paws were tipped with snow-white, like they’d been dipped in paint. The very top tip of her right ear was the same. Like someone had taken a paint brush and flicked it in her general direction. I was just as mesmerized by the sight of her now as I’d been the other day in the woods behind the school.
As I approached, she picked up her head and let out a snort. Behind her, Carter—invited with his dad to be the Deaton’s special guests—sat and kept watch. No doubt he’d weaseled an invite as a result of our meeting in the woods. His way of proving to me that he was untouchable. Our eyes met. His muzzle furrowed, and his lips lifted high. He bared his teeth, tucking his tongue out of sight as he took a single, menacing step toward us.
Kensey whirled around and snapped at the air. Carter snarled, a low sound that reverberated, but backed off a bit. In human form, she was a wolf, but in wolf form, she technically outranked him.
&n
bsp; She turned back to me and hopped down from the rock, then nudged me with her muzzle. Her tail hung in a natural, low-slung position as it wagged gently from side to side.
This was her element. Kensey was completely at ease with her wolf side. She wore it as effortlessly as she did her human skin. She lowered her front end to the ground, lifting her hind quarter into the air. An enthusiastic shake and a taunting bark, and she was off and running.
The human in me wanted to back away and leave the woods. In our wolf forms, we were normally completely self-aware, while at the same time, a slave to some extent. We could see, hear, and feel what was going on around us, but if the wolf in us wanted to do something our human side didn’t? Like, for example, follow a beautiful red wolf deeper into the dark woods? We had no say in the matter.
I bounded after her, and it wasn’t long until I picked up her scent, as well as several of the others. There was something else, too. A delicious smell that made my belly rumble and mouth water.
Rabbit…
I veered left and picked up my pace. A few yards in and I realized the scent was weaker and backtracked. Our prey was on the move. I tasted its fear in the air; the exhilaration it tugged to the surface was nothing short of euphoric.
Kensey burst from the brush with a bark and kept my pace. We raced ahead, me in the lead for several feet, then her. I felt her excitement and, despite the fact that I hadn’t wanted to be here, mirrored the sentiment. Kensey was wild and she was free and her enthusiasm was contagious.
About a mile into the woods, we came upon our prey. The others were closing in, but we beat them to it. Crouching low, we crept along the ground toward the unsuspecting creature. A soft whimper escaped Kensey’s muzzle, and I stopped, nudging her forward. My gift to you. Take the kill…
She chuffed softly then pounced. It was over before the rabbit knew what was happening. I stayed on the fringe for a few minutes, hanging back while she enjoyed the spoils. It wasn’t until she lifted her head and nudged the half-eaten carcass in my direction that I slowly crept forward and lay down in the grass beside her.
My belly wasn’t full, but my wolf was content. Normally my changes were forced and hurried. I would shift, run around to get the itch out of my system, then change back as fast as I could. This time was different. The nagging voice telling me to move myself back to the human world was still there, but it was faint. Like a whisper in the middle of a crowded train station.
I stretched and rolled onto my side, shimmying until my back pressed up against Kensey. In return, she snorted and lay her head across my middle. My eyes were just starting to drift closed when I heard the approach of another wolf. I didn’t need to see who it was to know. I could smell the bastard a mile away.
My hackles rose, and I pulled my lips back, greeting Carter with a warning snarl. He ignored it and circled closer, eyes trained on the remains of the rabbit. Kensey didn’t seem concerned. It was her kill and she was the alpha female of the pack. No one would dare take it from her.
He circled again, this time dangerously close to both Kensey and the rabbit. She growled and met his stare, daring him to make a move.
He did.
With a snap, he lunged forward, stopping just short of making contact. Instantly after, he lunged for the rabbit remains. Instead of running off with them, though, he tossed them into the woods and turned to me.
It was all the challenge my wolf needed. The feeling of contentment, of relaxed calm, evaporated, replaced by the white-hot fury always lingering just beneath the surface. I sprang to my feet and lunged for him. He danced out of reach and snapped again, this time catching a section of my hind quarters.
The rage took over, blood pumping in my ears, and I went for the throat. I struck. He struck. We were a tangle of limbs, fur, and blood. We probably would have killed each other if someone hadn’t intervened.
Several someones.
A commanding howl split the air, and both Carter and I froze. Sam Deaton stood on the hill above the clearing, hunched down and ready to pounce. Flanking him were the others, all slowly making their way toward us. But there was someone else. The air shifted, and I picked up Kensey’s scent. Not her wolf, but her human scent.
“Easy, Slade.” From the corner of my eye, I saw her. She wore Sam’s T-shirt and approached slowly, taking small steps and keeping her movements calm and measured. She spoke softly to me but held Carter’s gaze with challenge.
His hackles rose, and he pulled his attention from me to focus on her. Human or not, Carter Pennington wasn’t the kind of guy who’d let a female challenge him.
A few feet away, Sam growled. Kensey’s lip twitched. The barest hint of a grin. “Go ahead,” she said, still staring at Carter. “I dare you.”
He was a guest on this run. An outsider in the house of another alpha. As much of a dick as Carter was, he’d never attack Kensey in front of Sam and her pack. Me on the other hand…
He snapped at the air twice then lunged. It was fast and it was violent, and I had no idea where the parts of me ended and the parts of him began. Suddenly Kensey was there—trying to wedge herself between two fighting wolves.
My wolf admired her bravery. My human side questioned her sanity.
Another snap.
Another snarl.
The taste of unfamiliar blood on my tongue.
A familiar scream and a rush of human blood.
It was all topped with an unearthly howl and the entire world tilting sideways at violent speed.
…
After an hour of yelling at Kensey for trying to step between Carter and me, Sam sent me home with a warning. The only reason I didn’t get worse was because Kensey swore it was Carter who bit her. I knew better, though. It was my teeth, my lack of control, that resulted in her injury. As much as I would have loved to pin it on Carter, I was the culprit. We said our goodbyes under Aden’s supervision, and I limped home with my tail between my legs.
School dragged the next day. I’d intended to skip out as soon as I dropped Kensey off, but she seemed jittery when I’d picked her up. She wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, but whatever it was, it had her on edge. I’d decided to stick around—just in case.
I kicked at a wadded piece of paper on the floor by my feet. It fluttered up then rolled a few inches before stopping in the middle of the hallway. We’d been working this scam for almost a month now, and it was weird how natural it had all started to feel. I attributed it to our previous relationship. She was, for all intents and purposes, my best friend. I just hadn’t realized how much I’d missed her until now.
The first bell sounded, and the hall flooded with students. I waited, watching as they trudged through the hall. The second bell rang, and the halls cleared out.
No Kensey.
I leaned back against the wall, slipping my hand into my right pocket. My fingers brushed the small flask, and I found it hard to remember the peace it used to bring me just to feel the cool metal against my skin. I’d been using it less and less. Hell, this morning I’d forgotten to fill it before leaving the house. Gavin had left me alone for the last few weeks—there hadn’t been any new favors that needed to be chased away. Maybe Kensey was some kind of good luck charm.
Or maybe you’re just happy for once in your miserable life…
…which would suck since this was fake…
I wasn’t the right guy for a girl like Kensey. She was too positive. Too good. She was full of life and had so much to give the world. Where the hell would someone like me fit into her universe? No. This was a very temporary gig played out with the intention of breaking my ties to Gavin. Nothing more than that.
So why did the idea of ending this thing make me want to reach for the flask again?
I hesitated for a few seconds more before ducking around the corner and creeping to the edge of the girl’s locker room. “Kensey?”
No answer.
I glanced behind me. The coast was clear—for the moment. Getting caught skulking into the girl’s
locker room wasn’t going to win me favor with the faculty. My half-brother didn’t have the same problem. Merrick simply flipped his wolfy switch when trouble came knocking. 90 percent of the faculty here was female, so they never stood a chance. I refused to sink to that level.
“Oh, come on, Kens,” a guy’s voice said with a laugh. “It’ll be fun.”
There was a snort—definitely Kensey—followed by a short laugh. My sense of smell while in human form was shit, but my hearing? It was nearly as good as when I shifted. I didn’t need to know who the asshole was in there with her. The sound of her increased heartbeat was enough.
“Is there a reason you’re bugging my girl?” A few feet away, Carter leaned against a row of lockers, blocking Kensey’s path. He stood close to her. Close enough to touch her. The thought had me curling my fingers and preparing to strike.
“According to Sam Deaton, she’s not quite your girl yet, McAlister.” Carter laughed. “I was just trying to talk some sense into her. You know, make her see that I’m the better choice.”
It was my turn to snort. “Good luck with that, jackass.”
“Never know. I might just change her mind when we go out.” He shrugged and stepped to the side, and some of my fury faded. The farther he moved away from her, the better I felt.
Go out? He was fucking delusional. “You got a better chance of finding gold in your own shit.”
“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” With a smug grin and a wink in Kensey’s direction, he disappeared around the corner row of lockers. A minute later, the door slammed closed. His footsteps faded. Just the sound of them made me want to storm out and rip his damn head off.
I took a deep breath and held it for three ticks. “You okay?”
She shook her head and faced away from me, busying herself by fidgeting with the lock on her locker. Her heart was still hammering. He was gone, but she was still upset…