Chapter 13 #2
Tate waited for me outside the classroom, his eyes on mine the moment he saw me. I barely registered the rest of the students walking by as he took my hand.
My insides buzzed with anticipation, eager to have his hands and mouth on me again. Tate led me through the school and back to the commons. We’d barely sat down on the couch before his mouth was on mine.
The others hanging around the commons barely existed in my head as I laid half across the couch, Tate flush between my jean-clad legs, as he plundered my mouth like he couldn’t get enough. My fingers searched beneath his shirt, needing skin, needing more.
I broke the kiss with a gasp. “Let’s go to our room.”
Tate kissed along my jaw, tilting my head to the side before his mouth found the side of my neck.
I moaned and arched into him, my nipples hard and sensitive as they rubbed against his chest. “Please, Tate.”
“Oh, I do so love hearing you beg.” He sucked my flesh between his teeth and hummed. “But I’ve got to get to class.”
I shook my head, my feet hooking around his calves. “No, you don’t. It’s… ah… mmm… almost dinner time.”
“Oh, then.” Tate lifted his head, his lip quirked up on one side casually, nor matching the heat in his eyes or the hardness pressed against my core. “I’m supposed to meet Kyren.”
“What? Now? But you… I… you can’t be serious.” I gaped at him, hands holding him to me.
“Sorry, princess.” Tate pecked my nose and disentangled himself from me. His dark eyes slid over my sprawled-out form, his nostrils flaring with each inhale. “I’ll see you later.”
Before I could protest any further, he was gone, leaving me a quivering mess of desire.
Huffing, I glared at anyone who looked my way on my way to the bathroom. I shoved through the door and slapped my hands down on the counter. I flicked the water on, splashing my face and neck. My breath came out in short pants, trying to calm my racing pulse and aching core.
The fucking werewolf was driving me wild. Every kiss set my skin on fire. Every touch made my insides slicken and tighten in need. This was what he did. He’d drive me into a frenzy, desperate for him to fuck me, and then he’d make some excuse and bail.
The rational part of my mind was telling me that I shouldn’t be worried about Tate and whether or not he was even attracted to me. With the hardness I’d felt, that clearly wasn’t the issue.
What I should be thinking about was my mission.
I’d been here almost a week now, and I had nothing to show for it. Well, not nothing. I grimaced at the hickey on my neck.
Julian had tried to catch me after class twice this week. He’d blown up my phone every day, asking for updates, wanting to meet.
I wasn’t avoiding him for personal reasons. I just didn’t have anything to report, and I knew Julian would give me shit about it. He didn’t think I should be doing this. I was too rash, too emotional. I always went in for the big kill rather than working as a team. At least, that’s how he said it.
Curiously, I hadn’t had the urge to hunt lately. Any time things got a bit too real, a bit too much, or the nightmares got too bad — though strangely enough those hadn’t happened since I’d arrived, strangely enough — I’d find myself running to Tristen, begging him to give me something to hunt.
He’d indulged me for now, putting me with a team, trying to keep me safe, but it wasn’t healthy. I knew it. My mom wasn’t wrong in that aspect. I was running from something alright. Myself.
Thinking of my mom, I pulled my phone out of my pocket.
I hated to ask her, but it wasn’t like I had many friends I could talk to about this thing with Tate.
It was just too embarrassing to think of asking Xinyi.
What was I going to say to her? My boyfriend or whatever Tate was liked kissing me well enough but wouldn’t take it further? What did that say about me?
Blowing out a breath, I leaned against the counter, ignoring the others milling about the bathroom.
Me: hey mom how did you let my dads know you were interested in more?
Mom: more?
Mom: In what context?
Mom: Like dating?
Mom: Cause we didn’t really do the traditional dating thing. It was more of a ‘I licked it so it’s mine’ scenario.
My nose curled up in a grimace. Way more information than I wanted to know about my parents.
Me: First, gross.
Me: Second, ew.
Me: Thirdly… uh… so I met this guy and we've been... kissing. A lot.
I paused and stared down at my phone. How much did I tell her? Did normal children talk to their parents about sex or the lack there of? I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like we were a typical family.
Deciding to just go for it, I texted her again.
Me: He won’t go any further. Every time I try to shift us in that direction, he bolts. So how do I get him to… you know?
I dropped my face into my hands with a groan. My face heated tenfold. This was the most embarrassing thing I’d ever had to do. I wasn’t sure I’d survive it to even use her advice.
When my phone dinged her response, I took a deep breath and glanced down at it, half in terror of what she would say.
Mom: ooooh. You mean how to let him know you want to go to pound town.
Me: Mom. Please don't make me regret asking you this.
Mom: sorry. sorry.
Mom: Um... well if he's a vampire or werewolf he's gonna already know.
Me: what do you mean?
Mom: like they can smell you.
I frowned. I knew we all had heightened senses, but what did wanting to have sex have to do with smelling someone? I said as much to her.
Me: smell me? I don't get it.
Mom: they can smell your arousal, Jack!
Mom: Never thought I’d be having the birds and the fangs talk with you this late in life but here we are.
I blinked down at my phone. It made sense. Blood had a scent. Fear and sweat had a scent. Of course, arousal would have a scent. I’d just never thought about it before. Never needed to.
The only person I’d ever been interested in was Julian, and I didn’t particularly have to worry about him smelling me. His senses were set for hunting supernaturals, not sniffing out arousal.
Or were they?
Fuck. Now I was going to be worried that he’d been able to smell me before. I had been drooling after him for months before we finally sealed the deal.
Turning my attention back to the phone, I typed the few words that I hoped were a lie.
Me: he can smell me?!?!
Mom: Yes. So if he's not taking that as a sign to go for it, then maybe he's waiting for you to show him it's okay. Some supes are old-fashioned like that.
Mom: Me. I'd rather not be asked and thrown up against a wall or bent over the counter for a good old tumble.
Me: oh God, mom, stop please, I'm begging you.
I ignored her follow-up text that was sure to make me regret living in lieu of the one I just got from my dad, Rayne.
Rayne: What's this about a boy?
That first message started an onslaught from every single one of my dads. I knew my mom couldn't keep her mouth shut for very long. That. or Rayne read her mind just now. Which meant he also knew what I asked her about.
God, fucking kill me now.