Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
RIANN
I pace back and forth across the hotel room in nothing but an oversized T-shirt and a pair of shorts. From the bathroom to the far wall, I’ve walked the length of the space at least a hundred times, nerves eating through me with every minute that passes.
Checking the time on my phone yet again, I groan with impatience. It’s almost seven o’clock. Skylar said she was leaving her house an hour ago and, even though I don’t know where she lives, I feel like she should have been here by now.
I don’t know how much longer I can wait before I shatter apart from anticipation.
After filling Ziel in on everything I’ve failed to update him on—from my exam room romp to my unbelievable test results that had him whooping and hollering in my ear—I broke down and looked up flights to Georgia.
I thought about extending my stay, at least a few more days.
Since the ticket is already paid for, it doesn’t technically matter when I choose to redeem it as long as there’s a flight available.
But I need to get back to the academy. I’ve already missed a week of work; two weeks would be asking too much.
Not to mention, I’m already on thin ice. I don’t want to push my luck.
The only flight that puts me back in Woodside at a decent time is tomorrow afternoon. It isn’t ideal, but leaving is inevitable. Whether it’s two days or two weeks from now, I know I won’t want to go home. In fact, the academy feels less like home than it ever has.
That’s probably why I gave up trying to repack my duffel bag, leaving it gaping open on the floor with my clothes strewn around it. Every time I zip up the bag, it feels completely wrong. Like someone has gone into my nest and rearranged everything.
They’re all my things, but they aren’t in the right place, and no amount of repacking will fix that. They don’t belong balled up inside a bag or in this room. They don’t even belong in my nest at the academy.
They belong somewhere else, wherever Skylar is.
I pause and stare at the mess all over the floor, my insides twisting in knots as I realize why it’s been so impossible to put everything in the bag.
I can’t pack when I know leaving is the biggest mistake of my life. When I’m leaving my mate behind.
No, we aren’t bonded. And no, we aren’t a scent match. But there’s no way we would share this insane chemistry if it wasn’t meant to be. There’s no reason why everything about Skylar should feel so right, why every part of me already belongs to her.
And we could easily make it official tonight.
All I need is her mark.
I lock my hands behind my neck and tilt my head back, staring up at the ceiling while my conflicting emotions rage. A pathetic whine escapes me, and I blow out a heavy breath.
All I have to do is convince her to bite me. How hard could it be?
Through the window curtains, I can see a sliver of the night sky. It’s dark enough that the street lamps are glowing yellow, and the busy noise of rush hour traffic has come and gone.
Maybe she changed her mind and didn’t tell me?
Maybe something happened?
I don’t even have a chance to consider that possibility before a knock at the door makes me jump. My heart shoots into my throat as I hurry across the room, nearly tripping over my boots to get there.
My hand shakes as I reach for the handle, and the second I crack the door, her scent swirls around me.
It soothes my mind, my scattered thoughts calmly gathering.
I wrench open the door expecting to see her standing there in her slacks and a button-up shirt, the way I’m used to seeing her, but my jaw drops when my eyes land on her.
She’s standing there in jeans and a black hoodie, a backward ball cap on her head. She's holding a bouquet of white and purple chrysanthemums in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other.
“Hey,” I breathe, drinking her in.
Fuck, she can pull off anything and still be the hottest woman I’ve ever seen.
Her gaze slowly drops to my bare legs, lingering there for a moment before climbing back up.
“Hey yourself,” she says, offering me the bouquet. “Sorry I took so long. I wasn’t sure what kind you liked.”
I take it, bringing the flowers to my nose. “No one's ever bought me flowers before,” I say softly, loving how they brush over my skin.
“Really? Well, I’m glad I got to be the first.” She grins, pressing a kiss to my forehead as she enters the room.
The mild floral scent is swept away as her scent pours into my hotel room. Closing the door behind her, I turn around in time to see her pulling two champagne flutes out of her back pockets and setting them on the table.
She catches me staring and grins. “I ran out of hands.”
I set the flowers down next to the champagne just as her eyes shift to the disaster on the floor.
“What happened here?” She cocks a brow at me.
“I was trying to pack and… well, it didn't go well.”
“Packing?” She pauses for a beat, a muscle in her jaw ticking. “Does that mean you booked your flight?”
I nod.
The corners of her mouth curve downward. “How soon?”
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
She nods and works her mouth, taking a step closer to grab me by the hand. She pulls me against her, and I bury my face in the front of her hoodie, inhaling deeply.
My nerves from earlier dissolve, replaced by complete contentment as Skylar holds me. Her chin rests on top of my head, her arms wrapped tightly around me, her quick heartbeat racing against my ear.
To finally have what I've been so desperately craving and know I have to say goodbye in such a short time has tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.
“Riann?” Skylar says, one of her hands rubbing my back. “Are you okay?”
Am I okay?
Such a loaded question…
I can smile at her and tell her it’s fine, that this was a fling, that we just had some good sex—fucking fantastic sex—and that maybe we’ll see each other if I come back for more tests.
But I can’t lie to myself, and I can’t lie to her either.
I came here to do what I needed to do; I know what’s wrong with me, and I’ve been given a solution to my problem. She’s standing right in front of me with her arms wrapped around me, feeling like everything I’ve ever wanted.
I don’t want to leave.
I don’t want to get on that plane filled with regrets.
But I also don’t want to ruin our last night together before it’s even started.
“Talk to me,” she says, her voice almost a purr.
I pull back to look up at her and my eyes burn more. I blink and a tear slips down my cheek, but she brushes it away.
“It's okay,” she says. “I'm here. Just tell me what you need.”
I swallow over the emotion in my throat. “Make me forget, Skylar. Help me forget I have to leave.”
One second, I’m in Skylar's arms, relieved to finally touch her again. The next, she grabs me by the thighs and lifts me off the ground. My legs lock around her instinctively, my arms wrapping around her neck.
“Anything for you, preciosa,” she growls as her fingers squeeze me tighter. She leans in to brush her lips over mine, feather-soft. “Let me make you feel good.”