Chapter 11 #2
Then everything apparently went to shit for Mave between our first class together and when I saw her again at lunch.
I'd already identified most of the wolf pack in the senior class, and I could tell that Knox Monroe was likely from the Alpha's bloodline, given what I could sense about his power.
I could get a read on Hayes, James, and Parker as well, but they did not match Monroe.
The only match for Monroe was Mave and maybe her brother, Ben.
So you can imagine my extreme confusion when I heard Parker refer to Mave as "omega trash.
" Not in a million fucking years was Mave or Ben an omega wolf.
But I also knew that unlike me, wolves couldn't really sense that sort of innate power in others unless a wolf purposefully exerted it onto another wolf.
Mave never bothered to dispute it, so I knew something was up.
I tried to ignore the nonsense bullying being lobbed at her all during lunch.
I mean, I'd been to prep school and this wasn't new, but it was pretty intense on the very first day for someone no one had known until two hours prior.
Tyson told me that the "Elites," as Monroe and his crew were known, ran the school, and that Parker and the other girls that hovered around them were pretty possessive.
One of the other guys at our table theorized that the girls were threatened by Mave since she was such a looker—fuck off, man—and that it would die down eventually.
I was clued into what actually was going on when I'd overheard Harriet screeching at Mave after their human friends had vacated their table. She'd yelled something about "the most precious gift the Moon can bestow on a shifter" and the fact that Monroe had said “no.”
After watching Monroe watching Mave the rest of the week with equal parts hatred and hunger, combined with Parker's desperate bullying and Hayes' weak attempts to bring Mave into the fold, I'd figured it out.
So I'd tried to keep it respectful with Mave the rest of the week—you know, be a supportive friend-like person and not continue the hard press to get into her pants. If my suspicions were correct, that was not at all what she needed.
But then my resolve crumbled to dust on Friday afternoon when I spotted Ben and her in the parking lot, dressed for their shift at Marilynn's.
Just getting a glimpse of her long, toned legs in those short cut-off denim shorts reminded me how much I regretted not asking her out that night back in July, so I decided to just go for it.
Worst case, I got to see her for a little while at the bar away from the bullshit of school. Best case...
The best case was exactly what went down.
She came to the party with me, looking like casual sex-on-a-stick, and we danced, and then she let me put my hands all over her fucking delicious body.
Just thinking about the way her bare ass felt in my hands, the way I was able to make her come with my fingers, the way she was reaching for my belt afterwards. ...
Shit. Don’t get a boner at breakfast with Ian.
And then Knox fucking Monroe charged in on us like a jealous boyfriend, ruining the best moment I'd had since I moved to this swamp.
So, if I hadn't figured out what was going on by then, that whole thing was like a giant neon sign that was flashing “FUCKED UP WOLF MATE SHIT” right over the top of Monroe's head.
He’d done a pretty good job all week of fighting and ignoring the situation, but he was very clearly starting to lose his grip on reality if he thought he could control Mave while also continuing to just shit all over their supposed mate bond.
Mave was keeping it together like a champ, though. I knew I'd only just met her, and who knew if there would ever be anything serious between us, but I was both fascinated and horrified by the situation she'd been thrust into, and I wanted to try help her out of it if there was ever a way.
"Ian," I said to him as he was shoveling his own pancakes into his mouth. "What do you know about fated mate bonds between wolf shifters?"
He paused his chewing and eyed me curiously. "Where's this coming from?"
I sighed. I needed Ian's help, so I figured honesty was the best policy. I hoped Mave wouldn't kill me for telling others about her problems—though, she'd probably kill me for a lot of things I was keeping from her.
"Remember the hot wolf girl from the bar? The one I told you was actually a classmate?"
"Sure."
"I'm ninety-nine percent sure she met her fated mate in Knox Monroe on the first day of school. And he rejected her. Publicly."
"Wow," Ian said slowly. "That's... pretty fucking stupid of him. The Alpha's son, too. He should know better."
"It's been hell for her, Ian," I explained. I briefly summarized the bullying, Monroe's bipolar behavior toward Mave, and the shitshow that was the end of last night.
He smirked at me for a second. "I'm sure this is where I'm supposed to give you a sex talk or warn you off of a girl with this much baggage, but I know you wouldn't listen to me, and honestly, I think she needs you."
"Don't need a sex talk, dude," I muttered. "I found the condoms you left in the bathroom."
"Hey, those could've been for me."
"Sure, man."
Ian sighed then. "In all seriousness, Blake, it sounds like Mave is having to deal with the physical manifestation of the taint in the mate bond.
The rejection would be the immediate cause, but then Monroe's behavior throughout the week just adds to it.
The magic is literally decaying inside of her.
Has she seemed like she's been feeling sick? "
She definitely had. I hadn't missed it when she'd turned green and darted out of Study Hall with Ben a few days ago. "Yes, I think it's making her feel sick a lot. And she had a sudden wave of sickness hit her last night while we were dancing. She'd been fine until then."
"Likely Monroe was ... tainting the magic at that moment."
"What the fuck does that mean?" I asked warily.
"He was having sex with someone who isn't his mate. She can probably feel it."
Oh, what the fuck.
"Goddammit. Poor Mave," I said, dropping my head into my hands. Then it dawned on me, and I had to laugh. "Well, it makes sense now how he knew to come... interrupt what we were doing. He was getting a taste of his own medicine, and he did not like it."
Ian chuckled, then he became thoughtful for a second.
"This is all pretty fascinating. I'd love to do a little more research.
I have a few friends who are members of the Pack that are on faculty at the college, but I've certainly never met a fated mate pair or learned much about the way the bond works.
I could chat with them a bit about resources—I told them I had a wolf great-grandfather, so it wouldn't be weird for me to bring up shifter culture to them. "
"Yeah, thanks man," I said. "I know I just met this girl, but I thought it couldn't hurt to do a little research to see if there was anything I could do to help her get free of this thing.
It's been pretty awful to watch, so I can't imagine how it was for her to live it.
" I paused, a little smile creeping across my face.
"But you should see her, Ian. She's been bashing heads with all of these supposedly top Pack kids, and they are so confused by her. "
He smiled. "Bring her over here sometime. I'd love to meet her."
I deflated a bit, the memories of how the night ended trickling back into my mind.
"I have a feeling she's decided she doesn't want to drag me into her mess. Monroe made some threats last night, and I don't really know how to tell her not to worry about me. I still want to help her, though. If anything it'll just be something we can add to my studies."
"Not a bad idea, Blake," Ian replied. "You're mine this afternoon, so be ready to work."
I would be. But first: a nap.