Chapter 12 #4
Aaren, right? I think that had been his name.
He was the one that had been inside our room yesterday.
Two of the men were deep in conversation as they passed, but Aaren looked up and offered me a flash of a smile and head nod.
The last looked at the side entrance of the building Ruby had disappeared through, seeming confused, before shaking it off.
They walked ahead and the odd moment was gone, leaving me with just Aanya and a ton of questions.
“Why did she run?”
“She’s running from fate, and somehow, impossibly, it hasn’t caught up to her after a full semester,” Aanya said mysteriously. I wanted to ask more, but I got the feeling that it was very much not my business, so I resisted.
“This is the library.” She crossed the street, pulling me along, as I examined the modern glass building that contrasted the frozen lake and winter wilderness of the land around campus.
“It’s beautiful,” I offered as we walked into the main foyer.
There was an instant ease between the two of us that I didn’t fully understand, but for once I felt comforted and safe around a girl my own age.
Maybe it wouldn’t be impossible to be friends.
Although, I still missed the guys. I just wish I had a way to get in contact with them.
“They will be here sooner than later probably,” she mused. I looked at her in surprise as we entered a warmly lit area.
“How did you know—”
“All over your face, plus, everyone knows that you have your mates.” She shrugged easily, seeming pleased with the information. “I am hoping that you can prove to everyone that this blood-bonded pack is a good idea. Ruby isn’t sold on it, and she… well, she needs to be.”
Instead of commenting on Ruby and her clear dilemma, I frowned. “I don’t understand why they wouldn’t have told me. I have been with them since yesterday.”
“Honey, finding your mate is a lot, and as a bitten wolf? Mate to four men? Goddess, I have two mates, and it’s way too much sometimes.” She flashed a smile, her eyes lighting up with something that made me think it was very much not ‘too much.’
“You have two mates?”
“Yes, my brother and I are kitsune shifters. We shouldn’t have mates, by all technicality, but that was clearly some bullshit we were told to get into arranged marriages.
My mom apparently knew that because she sent us here and boom!
Within two days I had found my mates. I’ll introduce you soon.
” She wiggled her brows and flashed a smile. “They are twins.”
I had so many questions, including what kitsune shifters were, but Aanya was already ten steps ahead of me, tugging me towards a table like she was hooked up to a battery.
Immediately, she sat down, and I slowly lowered myself into the seat across from her, watching as she unzipped her bag and pulled out a smooth, expensive laptop.
I briefly looked around, frowning at the lack of a computer bank, and I considered getting up to look around, but I didn’t want to admit to my new friend I didn’t have a computer. I felt like everyone had one.
How much did one even cost? Maybe I could rent one from the bookstore, I know I’d seen them there. Before I could question if that was a possibility, a group of large shadows passed us, making me shiver as an odd sense of dread ran over me.
I looked down after catching a glimpse of hard, cold features as Aanya kept her eyes down as well, her entire body going tense.
Something no one would have noticed if they hadn’t been paying attention.
I held my breath, hoping they wouldn’t pause or talk to us.
I didn’t think they knew my new friend, even.
When they finally passed, I let out a relieved exhale, not understanding my instinctual negative reaction to a group of people I didn’t know. Although, in some ways, I was more comfortable with it, because being scared of a group of intimidating men was nothing new.
“Fuck.” Aanya shook her head. “Whatever you do, stay away from those assholes. In fact, just avoid the two other blood-bonded packs. The group living above you is fine, but they are the ones Ruby is avoiding, so try not to mention her around them. They are decent guys, but the other two groups are such fucking assholes.” I jumped at her cursing, which made it clear that she felt very strongly about that concept.
“Good to know,” I muttered, wanting to know why Ruby was avoiding the other group. I had a feeling if I asked her she would tell me, but I also didn’t want to overstep any unspoken boundaries.
“Okay, so,” Aanya said, opening up something on her computer, “it looks like we are starting with a chapter on lycan wolves on Wednesday. Not my favorite, but oh well. Then bitten, fenrir, and totemic. You will be partners with Ruby and I, right? The class is uneven, so we should be the group of three.”
“Sounds fun.” I offered a soft smile as she nodded astutely and typed something down.
I had a feeling that she was someone who really had her life together.
I envied that, truly. I also had a feeling that she would know the difference between all the wolves and maybe be able to explain it to me quickly.
Before I could ask her, though, we were once again interrupted, this time by a soothing, familiar dark energy that surrounded me.
Aanya’s eyes widened at someone behind me as I tilted my jaw back to find Dakota looking down at me, his warm, rough hands touching my shoulders in a firm grip. I shivered under the heat of it.
“You left without me,” he accused, a hand running up my throat and jaw. My breathing hitched as his eyes flared with something that had my entire center tightening.
“Sorry Dakota.” I flushed slightly, leaning into his hand. “Aanya mentioned coming to the library, and I figured it was a good chance to check it out.”
“Nice to meet you!” my new friend chirped, scanning over her laptop after a polite nod.
I wasn’t positive, but I almost felt like she was purposefully avoiding looking at Dakota too much, and my wolf offered a pleased sound, clearly happy at that concept.
Were we really that possessive? Yeah, it was possible that was the case.
Dakota nodded in greeting before sitting down right next to me, his gaze still centered completely on me.
It was overwhelming having someone like him give you their full attention.
Even right now, his wolf was circling mine in a possessive way through our connection, making chills break out on my skin.
“Oh, be right back!” Aanya hopped up, and I looked at her only briefly before meeting Dakota’s gaze again.
I couldn’t help but be completely focused on…
my mate? Was that true? The concept had scared me so much before coming to Silver Falls, but hadn’t I been extremely comfortable with these men since first meeting them?
This connection seemed far different than any of the mating bonds that women in the pack at home had chosen.
There was such a vast jump between the two, besides one being chosen and one seeming natural and almost instinctual to me.
“Dakota?” I asked softly.
“Yeah, little wolf?” He intertwined our fingers, bringing them to his lips as he brushed them gently in a compelling and sweet way.
I let out a soft worried noise, giving into the urge. “Are we mates?”
The question was simple, and there was really no way to misinterpret it.
Yet his eyes glinted dangerously as he appeared to be slightly surprised, maybe even unprepared for my question, his grip tightening on my hand.
Instead of responding right away, he leaned forward, cupping my jaw and seeming to gauge my emotions before pressing our foreheads together.
The movement had me sighing happily, but I didn’t forget that he had yet to answer my question.
My other hand slipped up his chest and my eyes darted down to his lips, wondering if he would be okay with me kissing him.
I still wanted his answer, but being this close together? It was hard to resist the urge to have his lips against mine. Needing them on mine. Then, either reading my mind, or on the same wavelength… he did exactly that.
Dakota kissed me.
A small whimper escaped my lips as his large hand tightened on my jaw while brushing my lips, pulling back slightly for just a moment before he took my mouth in a hard, demanding kiss.
I leaned into him, feeling inexperienced but unable to help myself when it came to exploring his mouth.
My tongue hesitantly darted out to run against his bottom lip as he groaned, my head tilting back slightly as he deepened the kiss.
I wanted to crawl on his lap, but I managed to restrain myself, gripping his shirt tight enough that when he began to pull back, my wolf let out a whine of frustration.
Before I could stop myself, I nipped his bottom lip, and a vicious growl broke from his throat, making my entire body tremble with need.
“Fuck, you are so goddamn beautiful.” His voice was rough and low as he ran his thumbs along my cheekbones in an oddly gentle motion. I pressed forward again, brushing our lips once more, as blood pressed between us. He tasted… amazing.
“The mate thing?” I finally asked softly. See? I could be focused when needed.
His throat produced a rumble. “Yes, I am one of your mates.”
“One of them?” I echoed, my breathing halting slightly.
Dakota nodded sharply. “It’s why I would suggest we wait to talk about this until later… specifically back at the dorms.”
Oh.
I blinked, a small urge of overwhelmed excitement running through me as I nibbled my bottom lip. Mates? The notion had me feeling both elated and cautious. It seemed far too good to be true. I didn’t deserve one mate, let alone multiple mates.