15. Shane
Chapter 15
Shane
S tretching in the morning sunlight I roll toward the side of the bed where Kaycia slept last night. The scent of her perfume lingers along with the smell of sex, but she’s nowhere to be seen. Listening, I can make out the sound of music playing softly through the shared wall and my chest tightens with apprehension, realizing that she already left. I hope I didn’t come on too strong last night. I practically begged her to stay with me.
My phone isn’t on the nightstand where it usually charges, and after digging around in my discarded clothes, I find it in my jeans pocket. Kaycia’s name at the top of the notifications melts the worry away. The flirty text to come over for breakfast is a good sign.
The rest of the messages aren’t.
My smile drops a little when I see the other texts, beginning last night after we left the bar and continuing through this morning, both from Max and Raquel. I send a response to Kaycia first.
You little tease, you should have woken me up. I’ll be over in a few.
Then I parse through the messages from Max and Quel.
Max
Did you two fuck in the BATHROOM? Hot damn, buddy!
Raquel
I hope you two had fun, but we need to talk.
Max
Did you catch a whiff of the guy Quel was worried about? Or were you too distracted by your girl?
Raquel
Seriously, Shane. You need to call me. There was a guy I’m worried about at the bar.
Raquel
Are you still asleep? Call me.
Max
Hey man, call me or Quel when you get out from between your girl’s legs.
Raquel
CALL. ME.
My heart hammers as I read through the messages. The last one is from just fifteen minutes ago. I hit the call button next to Raquel’s name and she answers on the first ring.
“For fuck’s sake, Shane. Did you finally come up for air?” Raquel greets me.
“Good morning to you, too. What the hell is going on?” I ask, pulling a tee off a hanger in my wardrobe.
“Look, I’m glad you and Kaycia hit it off. I could smell the sex wafting off you from the bar. But Max and I both zeroed in on a stranger last night. He was a wolf, Shane. Didn’t you smell him?”
“What?” I pause, dropping my tee where I stand. “What are you talking about?”
“These two guys were at a table on the other side of the bar. I got a couple of whiffs of a strange shifter while you and Kaycia were dancing, I think he came in after you were already out there, but he was very focused on the two of you. You seriously didn’t notice him? Big guy, shaved head, older? He smelled like a wolf.” Raquel’s voice barely hides a hint of panic as she explains.
“No,” I admit. “I didn’t notice.”
How could I? I was so overwhelmed by the scent of Kaycia on my hands, my lips, and then on getting out of the bar and back to the apartment to even think about an unknown shifter.
“He was with another guy I’d never seen. Jamila says they hadn’t been in before either, but I know how you feel about other wolves. I was worried. Sorry for blowing up your phone. Hope I didn’t ruin your morning sex.”
“Ha!” I laugh, snagging my shirt from the floor. “She’s already at home, no morning sex for me.”
“Bummer. Are you so bad in bed that you scared her off already?”
“Fuck off, Quel,” I joke.
“You too, buddy.”
“Thanks for the heads up.”
“Anytime. See ya tomorrow.”
Ending the call, I pick up my shirt in a daze, letting it dangle from my fingers as I sort through my thoughts.
Fuck.
Two strangers. A strange wolf. I’m furious with myself for not being more vigilant. Hopefully, it’s nothing and the guy’s just passing through. It happens from time to time. The Cameron and Ross packs aren’t the only wolves in the country, even if there aren’t many packs in territories near the city. It could be a coincidence.
I’m not ready to explain my past or the shift to Kaycia. I like her—gods, do I like her—I don’t want to scare her off. Rage begins in my chest, blurring my vision for a minute while I try to breathe through it. The tang of blood and fear coat my mouth as memories of the night that sparked my exile claw into the forefront of my mind. When I look down my shirt is shredded between my shaking hands.
“ Fuck! ” I snarl in the silence of my apartment, running my fingers through my hair and tossing the ruined shirt aside. I’ve got to get myself under control before I go next door.
And I have to go next door.
I can’t let Kaycia think I’m just some asshole who fucked her last night and didn’t come over the next morning. Even if she’s the one who left at dawn.
Pulling on another tee and a pair of jeans, I shove my phone in my pocket and take a couple deep breaths before I head next door.
All the tension falls away when Kaycia opens her door, revealing her messy blonde bun and broad smile. The sight of her still wearing one of my tees and boxers makes my wolf tingle under my skin, pride and possession swelling in my chest at how beautiful she is.
How she wears my scent now.
How much I want to claim her again.
But now isn’t the time.
I need to at least give her an idea of what she’s getting involved with before we take this any further. Before I can speak, she’s pulled me inside the door and is kissing me, her lips curling into a smile as she sinks against me and runs her hands through the short hair at my nape.
“Good morning,” she whispers against my lips. I can’t help but smile in return, even if I’m torn with worry. This is the first time in a long time I’ve wanted to share my past, my secrets, with someone who isn’t a fellow shifter. I shiver a little at the thought of letting her in completely.
“Good morning, beautiful,” I answer against her hair, memorizing her scent.
“What’s wrong?” she asks suddenly, stepping back and studying my face. Her smile drops. “Oh shit, you regret it don’t you?”
“ What? ” I take a step of my own, toward her though, not away. “What are you talking about?”
“I heard you on the phone through the wall. Not what you were saying exactly, but you didn’t sound happy.” Kaycia looks remorseful as she explains. I feel like a total asshole.
“No. Kaycia, fuck no. That phone call had nothing to do with what happened between us last night. Not directly, at least. Certainly nothing to do with you .” I snag her hand and pull her close again, tilting her chin up to look at me. “I mean it. I need to talk to you though. About my past. Before this goes any further you need to know some things.”
She looks wary, almost shrinking away from me, and guilt aches in my chest at ruining what should be a pleasant morning. But when she shrugs out of my embrace, she simply heads to the kitchen to grab a second mug, pouring me a cup of coffee and asking, “How do you take your coffee? We can’t possibly have a serious discussion without some caffeine courage, right?”