Chapter 13
Aiden
“Meet for lunch?”
Julian’s brow rises as he glances at me over the roof of the car. “Will you actually come this time?”
“Ouch.” I chuckle, placing a hand over my heart before falling against the car with a grunt. “You’re out for blood today, Jewels.”
Julian’s unrelenting scowl weans slightly. “I’m always out for blood.”
My canines ache behind my smile, struggling to stay tucked away and concealed, like the emotions roaring inside me.
“I know I don’t have the best track record right now, but I’ll be there,” I promise as I cross a finger over my heart and raise my hand. “Scouts honour.”
That gets me a full smile and a groan.
“Alright,” he concedes, and I beam as I watch him back away, heading towards the pair waiting for him at the bottom of the steps. “We usually eat in the cafeteria. Find us there.”
“I will.”
Julian’s eyes linger on me for a moment longer, glowing behind his contacts with that same fire that scorched his eyes at breakfast. It tempts me to do something that’ll likely demolish the concept of appropriate PDA.
I’m fully contemplating doing it anyway, but then Emitt steps into the space at my side, drawing Julian’s focus.
The flame is immediately snuffed out as Julian’s lips flatten into a firm line. He turns on his heel and marches inside his beloved school with all the priss of a late nun.
My smile follows suit. I’d been hoping to tease him a little—maybe circle the car and do something to bring that blush back—but he’d stomped off before I’d had the chance, taking with him the more playful version of my mate who’d made me pop wood in a public diner.
Goddess, just thinking about it has my cock stirring.
Maybe school makes him pissy? Or maybe it’s just people in general? Julian was an introvert, after all. Also just… Julian.
Tossing the thought away for my future self to deal with, I head towards the cement building for youth torture with Emitt at my side. I don’t give two shits about this place and usually survive it with the help of Emitt’s rambling, but today he’s quiet. Which is beyond strange.
Emitt never stops talking—ever. Half the time, he’s like a Pomeranian on crack. I mean, even when he’s upset or sad, the words still manage to flow.
“What’s up with you?” I ask.
Emitt jerks at my voice. “Nothing,” he says, but I see the way his grip tightens on his bag straps.
“Don’t bullshit me. You know I can tell when you’re lying,” I give him a nudge. “What’s wrong?”
He sighs, all heavy and dejected. This time when he looks at me, there’s fear in his eyes. “I think … I think Julian hates me,” he whispers, looking around as if Julian will pop out just from uttering his name.
“What? No, he doesn’t,” I scoff, almost laughing at the idea. “Julian only hates me, or he used to. He just doesn’t like most people. Don’t take it personally.”
“No, Aiden. Julian really hates me,” Emitt insists as we head towards English, the subject was surprisingly hard, given we speak the fucking language.
That or we’re just dumb, Max interjects.
Or that.
“He was glaring at me the entire drive to school. Every time I checked the mirror, he was there, just staring at me.”
“Maybe it was one of those things where you looked at the same time he did, and it was awkward.”
“Or maybe he wants to skin me alive.”
I roll my eyes. “Sure, Emitt.”
But then he grabs me by my shirt collar and shakes me like a fucking lunatic.
“Do you know how fucking scary it is to see a guy like Julian just staring at you?” he asks, eyes bulging. “He’s fucking scary, Aiden!”
“Stop overreacting.” I palm his face and shove him away. I fix my shirt as we head into the slowly filling classroom. “He looks at everyone that way. That’s just Julian. Trust me.”
Julian is just a little weirdo. I know that better than anyone after spending a literal lifetime at war with the guy.
Before we were mates, I’d always found it disturbing that he could switch his face off and walk around with that blank expression, but that was before I got a glimpse of what he kept behind that mask.
When he let it fall, like he did when it was just the two of us, he had sweet smiles, shy eyes, and warm cheeks that had a way of making me forget myself. He might act like a hardass—which he one hundred per cent was—but he’s secretly also a very cute wolf.
Tugging me away from my favourite memories, Emitt makes a pitiful whining sound as he all but stomps his feet on the ground.
“I can’t believe you’re my beta,” I whisper, watching the show with disgust before I sink into my seat.
“He’s going to be my alpha, and he already hates me,” he says, still whining.
“Goddess, Emitt, calm down,” I rock back in my seat. “Why don’t you come to lunch with us and—”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Emitt,” I start, but he shakes his head so hard his brown curls go flying everywhere.
“No, I’m not fucking suicidal.”
“No, you’re just dramatic,” I counter. “Come to lunch with us, and you’ll see for yourself that the cold shit is just how he is with everyone. It’s nothing personal.”
“I don’t think he’d like me just showing up,” Emitt argues, but I can see his resolve flagging. “He’s expecting some time with just you.”
“If that were the case, then it would be just us, but his friends will be there too,” I remind him. “Don’t you want to get to know them, maybe talk to his beta more? It’ll make things easier when we join the packs if you guys are already friendly.”
Emitt gulps, but he mumbles, “I guess.”
“Then stop whining like a little bitch and say that you’re coming.”
Snorting, he nods. “Fine. I’ll be there.”
With that settled, Emitt finally sits. I stare out at the football field, turning it over.
I’m not admitting this to Emitt, but Julian actually had been acting kind of strange earlier.
He’d been closed off and a bit moody, but I’m pretty sure that’s because Emitt had just shown up this morning, and Julian hates surprises.
Sure, Emitt said he looked like he wanted to kill him, but that’s just Julian’s face.
Even with his friends, he looks like he’d rather be lying down in traffic.
He barely speaks to them, not even his beta.
When I think about it, he’s really only talkative around me … bold, too.
My thoughts shift to that moment in the diner, to the look he gave me when he’d sucked his thumb between his lips, his eyes never leaving mine. I knew Julian wasn’t the most experienced wolf in the woods, and I’d assumed that would hold him back, but fuck was I wrong.
When he wants to be, he was confident and forward—and it was stupid hot.
While I’ve never been attracted to Julian or men in general, the bond changed that because I am very attracted to Julian Heil.
He lingers in my mind, refusing to leave as the bond thrums between us. I already want to see him and after a full day, I know I’ll be itching to kiss him again.
I’m smiling when the bell rings, already planning all the things I can do to Jewels.
Lunch couldn’t come soon enough.
Turns out it really couldn’t.
I pace the three feet available in the tiny broom closet where I’d stupidly chosen to wait for Julian. My fingers twitch at my sides, from impatience or claustrophobia, I’m not sure, but I know I’m slowly losing my mind.
Following the absolute shitfest that was our first day at school being mates, we agreed to ignore the insistent pull of the bond as much as possible, but if we really couldn’t stand it, we’d meet up.
It would’ve been much easier if we had the same classes, but we only share Biology.
He does all the hard shit, and I do the ones that don’t fry my last neuron.
I’d only made it through two classes before reaching the end of my wire.
I’d had Emitt find Beckett to pass the message along—I need to see my mate.
Nerves course through me as I crack my knuckles. Sure, we had an agreement, but that nerd reveres this human mind-prison, and I’m disturbing his class. But he’d also asked me to be honest with him about what I was feeling. So here I am … trying.
On my fifteenth lap of the small closet, the door cracks open, and a head of golden hair pokes in. The sight of him knocks the weight off my chest.
“Hi,” he says, eyes bright.
“Hi.” I step back. “Get in here.”
Slipping in easily enough, Julian closes the door behind him and glances disapprovingly around the room of cleaning supplies and toilet paper. His nose crinkles.
“Why did you pick somewhere with such strong—” He pauses when I pull him so close that not a single breath we take isn’t shared. “—scents.”
“I wasn’t really thinking about location,” I admit as Max settles inside me, the ache of the bond finally dulls with Julian in my arms. “I just wanted to see you.”
“Oh,” Julian whispers, and I would bet an arm and a leg that he’s blushing. He hides it by rubbing his cheek against mine. “I wanted to see you too.” He starts down my throat, but barely reaches my collar before his entire body goes rigid.
“What is it?” I ask—a second before he shoves me back hard enough to rattle the shelving behind me. His frown this morning is nothing compared to the hateful thing I face now, something I haven’t seen since the coronation.
“What the hell was that for?” I ask while I try to bite back my own temper. Maybe I did something he hadn’t liked? The thought has Max whining pitifully before Julian’s agitated expression clears, but only for a split second before his walls are up again.
“Nothing. I’m going to be late for class,” he mumbles, squeezing out the door before I can stop him.
I stand there, mouth agape, lost like a fish out of water.
I replay the last few minutes, but even with a close eye, I can’t see what I’d done to make Julian so angry. Wasn’t he the one who wanted us to try and be honest with each other? He said we were doing this together, but he’d just acted like I was harassing him.