Chapter 13
Dakota Claymore
“Ryder!” My voice was filled with authority and command that I didn’t usually bother with or need to use. Effie shifted next to me, her lips popping open and eyes dilating.
A groan nearly broke from my throat. I could scent how turned on she was and had been since I pulled her onto my lap.
It was causing me to not only be impossibly hard but extremely unfocused, something I would have normally loved.
.. but unfortunately, we had a lot larger of an issue to deal with.
I could deal with my unrestrained and unchecked lust later when I was alone with her under me in bed.
I offered Aanya a nod in passing as she watched us cross the library in confusion, Effie’s backpack over my shoulder as I led her forward.
I could tell my little mate was out of it, because she didn’t even bother saying goodbye to her friend, her face flushed as she clung to me.
The librarian offered me a scowl, probably at my yelling, that I ignored as I increased my pace, needing to get us the hell out of here.
Not only because the sky was darkening, making me know the storm was about to get worse once again, but also because I wasn’t about to let Ryder leave without a goddamn explanation. Fucking bastard. What the hell did he think he was doing?
My eyes flashed down to her wrist, attempting to look at the mark he left on her again.
A sense of possessiveness roared through me, along with annoyance at Ryder, clearly having hurt her feelings by just walking away.
He was probably smart to run the fuck away, because I had little patience, and that was on a good day.
I couldn’t believe he had marked her. I actually had trouble fucking believing it.
“Dakota,” she whispered, her face paling slightly. “I don’t feel good.”
Fuck. I had no idea what this meant. I had no idea what type of magic kitsune had, and more so, I didn’t know what it meant that he had marked my fucking mate with whatever bullshit was on her soft skin.
Of course she wasn’t feeling good. That shit wasn’t natural to her, so I’m sure it was causing her wolf and magic to freak the fuck out.
My wolf growled savagely in my ear, extremely frustrated we had yet to mark her and furious that another man had managed to do so before us.
I did understand his frustration, but there wasn’t a damn thing we could do about it right now, and honestly, depending on how our magic interacted with hers, it could make her feel worse right now. My wolf didn’t agree in the least.
Ryder came to a stop as we exited the library, making me wonder how much of him walking away had been a forced attempt to distance himself. I nearly rolled my eyes at that. If he had spent more than five minutes around Effie, he knew it would be a pointless and stupid endeavor.
“What?” His voice was harsh and dark. Effie immediately shrank against me, as I watched her complexion pale even more as her breathing went harsh.
Panic hit me in the chest as I ran my fingers over her cheek, tucking her partly into my side, feeling more protective over her than anything else. I still wanted to hit the motherfucker for speaking in that tone around her, but it could wait.
Ryder registered her reaction and stepped closer, but he stilled at the growl that broke through my clenched jaw.
His hand came up to run through his hair, looking clueless on how to handle or talk to her.
I was almost amused by that, but the cautious, almost fearful edge running through Effie had me more annoyed than anything, and after a moment of no one speaking, Ryder let out an exhale of frustration.
“What is on her wrist?” I demanded, not bothering to bullshit.
I cared about her health more than anything, and if she wasn’t feeling well, then I needed to know what was causing it.
Today was going to be hard enough, considering we had to deal with explaining to her that she was our mate without scaring the hell out of her.
The only thing that actually concerned me was the notion of losing my little wolf, and it was a weakness that I wasn’t good at dealing with.
Hell, I wasn’t good at dealing with any weaknesses, but up until this point, I didn’t really have any.
“I don’t know.” Guilt marred his features as he looked away.
“Yes you do,” Effie said softly. “I can tell.”
Ryder’s expression was almost desperate as he hesitantly met her gaze again, and I found myself almost feeling bad for the man. Almost.
I’d known Ryder for some time. Not only from him teaching here the past few years, but because his family had come to visit our pack back in Arizona.
Aside from his sister, I had never known him to give a fuck about anyone, let alone a student.
So whatever he thought Effie was to him, it was clear enough that he was feeling emotional turmoil over it.
I didn’t care what turmoil it caused, though, if it hurt Effie or if he hurt Effie. That was my only concern right now. Although, I had a feeling—something his reaction supported—of what the marking meant.
Oddly, despite my extremely territorial behavior over Effie, his interest didn’t bother me as much as I would assume.
Maybe because I was secure in her reactions to me and our connection, one that I could feel down in my bones and very soul.
Maybe because I had become so used to the notion of one day sharing my mate that the idea of another man marking her didn’t…
no, that wasn’t accurate. I had nearly killed Guy last night.
I was extremely fucking possessive over Effie, and the idea of anyone taking my place as her mate made me irrationally furious.
Our blood-bonded pack worked because each of our versions of being alpha were different.
I didn’t know how that worked for kitsune shifters, but I knew I couldn’t handle another wolf, especially if they were a totemic like me.
My fingers tightened on her as she seemed to relax into my touch, something that still surprised me a bit because I think she was the only person ever to relax around me.
Well, at least, since I slaughtered a fair amount of the rival pack that had attacked our own the summer before college.
That had earned me a reputation, to say the least, and it had won me a one-way trip out of there to SFU.
I had yet to go back to my packlands since then, and I hoped my father had realized the mistake he made, because the next Alpha of his pack was never coming back.
It wasn’t my fault that he didn’t recognize that sometimes things needed to be handled more violently. Would that bother Effie? I tilted my head, considering the flash of relief in her eyes from yesterday. No, she hadn’t been scared in the least. Of Guy? Yes. Of me? Oddly not.
My eyes darted down to where the woman was currently nibbling her lip, and I resisted the urge to distract her from the standoff with Ryder, wanting her fruity taste back on my mouth.
I wanted to be covered in the woman’s scent and to cover her in bite marks from head to toe.
I had absolutely never found interest in mating besides the fact that it would create a power pack, and that was why I had taken the blood-bonded pack offer.
Sure, it would mean a mate, but I had figured it would not only be a long time before we found them, but a fated mate ensured that I could ignore all of the pack princesses on campus.
What I hadn’t counted on? Someone like Effie being our mate.
She had changed the game, and suddenly the politics of mating didn’t fucking matter to me at all.
No, when I had walked in and found my little wolf in our kitchenette, looking perfectly at home, I knew my entire world was about to shift directions.
“Breathe,” I reminded her through our connection, sensing not only some of her thoughts, but mostly how upset she was currently. Upset, confused, and somewhat in pain. She let out a shaky exhale.
“We need to talk,” Ryder admitted finally. “I have a class later today and a faculty meeting in a bit, but tonight would work. Where are you guys living this year?”
“Eclipse Three, level five,” I offered evenly.
He looked at me before moving his gaze back to Effie, looking more torn and alarmed than ever.
Without a word, he turned on his heel and practically ran away, leaving me with a shaken mate that I could tell was reaching her breaking point with all of this change.
Honestly, a lesser person probably would have reached it sooner than this.
I was proud of how she was taking everything in stride, especially considering it was obvious her home life had been very different from anything she was experiencing here.
New school. Mates. Ryder being an asshole.
She was going to have a full panic attack, and I didn’t blame her a bit. I wasn’t good with emotions, but if she needed to get angry or cry, I would hold her against me until she felt better. I had all the time in the world for Effie.
I pulled out my phone, quickly sending off a message to the others before turning towards her and cupping her face gently. My thumbs stroked her cheeks in a soothing pattern as color began to flood her face once again.
“How do you feel about going on a run?” I asked, hoping to clear her mind a bit.
“A run?” She winced slightly, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Shifted,” I amended.
“Oh.” Her eyes lit up with interest before her mouth opened and then closed, frowning as if not knowing what to say. “Where?”
“Behind the Eclipse dorms, there is forest land that runs along the lake.” I intertwined our fingers as I led her towards the door and we stepped outside. “It won’t be super long. The snow is going to get bad again, but it may be enough to keep your mind off all this shit.”
“I am more confused than ever,” she whispered as her eyes fluttered slightly. “Dakota, I just don’t know what to do.”