Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Adam is standing in front of my door when I return from work the next day, his arms crossed over his chest and a deep-set frown marring his features.
“Why did you tell Knox that we were intimate?”
“Because I wanted to make him angry.” I gesture for Adam to step aside, then unlock my front door. “And because I don’t like you.”
Adam follows me inside. “I gave you valuable information, and you betrayed me.”
I kick off my shoes and retreat into my living room. Adam makes himself comfortable in my apartment, pulling out a kitchen barstool and plopping down on it. For as much as he’s whining about the way I used him to taunt Caleb, he clearly isn’t intimidated.
Caleb knew I was lying, anyway.
“I don’t appreciate you going to Caleb with our disputes,” I say.
“I wouldn’t feel the need to if you were a respectful neighbor.”
“It’s no wonder this apartment was available on such short notice,” I say. “You’re annoying. Nobody wants to live beside you.”
Adam shakes his head, pulling open my fridge.
“This apartment wasn’t empty. Your mate offered the previous tenants an excessive amount of money to break their lease and move out.
This building has a great security system, and it’s only a few minutes’ run from Knox’s office.
” Adam shuts the fridge, evidently not finding anything of his liking inside.
“Your mate tried making me move out, too, so he could tear down our connecting wall and turn the entire floor into one unit.”
“You should’ve accepted his offer.”
Adam nods. “You’re telling me. I didn’t realize just how miserable living beside you would be.”
I’m not offended by his insults. He can talk about hating me all he wants, but he’s the one sauntering around my apartment like he owns the damned place. I don’t understand why.
“Isn’t there somebody else for you to bother?” I ask.
“No.” Adam pushes open one of my windows. “My friends have all found their mates and started popping out babies. I need a break from them.”
“Where’s your mate?”
Adam shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine. I haven’t met her yet.”
“Maybe she’s dead.”
“And maybe you should shut the fuck up.”
I raise my eyebrows but don’t respond. Adam leans over my windowsill, letting the chilly, winter air blow his hair out of his face. He stares blankly out of it, his face slack. Can’t he do this in his own apartment? I’m sure he has windows, too.
“Can I borrow one of your books?” he finally asks.
“Of course not,” I say. “I don’t trust you with it. You can check it out of the library once I’m finished.”
The corners of Adam’s lips twitch, almost curling into a smile. “I like you, Evelyn.”
I can’t fathom why.
“There’s a bonfire tonight,” he continues. “We’re going.”
Adam surely thinks highly of himself if he believes I’ll willingly go anywhere with him. I trust him about as far as I could throw him and, judging by his sheer size and the amount of muscle he keeps hidden under his ratty clothing, I doubt I could so much as lift him off the floor.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I say.
An icy gust of wind comes through my open window, hitting me square in the face. I wince, stepping out of the way.
Adam pulls the window shut. “Well, that’s just not true because you’re coming to the bonfire with me tonight.”
“And why would I do that?”
Adam shrugs. “Because this thing happening between you and Knox has gone on too long. Knox told you what was happening with HPAW, and it’s caused a lot of uncertainty and fear. We need stability. You, Miss Evelyn, will provide said stability.”
“Caleb is a grown man,” I argue. “And he’s been leading the pack without a mate by his side for years. I’m sure he’s perfectly capable.”
Adam grabs my jacket and shoes. “He’s a shifter with a broken bond.
Your mate is an incredible leader, but he’s distracted.
You’re a distraction.” He shoves my things into my hands.
“You will go to the bonfire tonight, and you’ll stake your claim.
You will clarify for everybody your position within this pack and within our alpha’s life. ”
“How do you even know Caleb will be there tonight?” I ask.
I’m not agreeing to anything. Caleb gave me a lot to think about yesterday, and I don’t yet have my answer. If he had come to me with his proposal two weeks ago, I would’ve accepted it without a second thought. I wanted nothing more than for things to go back to the way they used to be.
But now I have a job with direct deposit and a library card I’m making good use of. I’m sure Caleb will still find time to take me to the library, but it won’t be at my leisure. And I’ll have to quit my job. There’s no way around that.
The truth is that I don’t want to give those things up. I’m independent for the first time in my life, and it feels incredible.
Besides, what if Caleb and I aren’t able to work? There’s so much bad blood between us, and I’m scared it has permanently altered our relationship. He’ll never fully trust me again.
Adam groans. “Look, I overheard your conversation last night—I appreciate your compliments on my cock, by the way—and I get that you’re dealing with a lot, but let’s be honest with ourselves here. You’re going to choose Knox. We both know that, and all you’re doing is prolonging the inevitable.”
“I—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Adam continues. “You don’t want to give up your independence and freedom and all that, but it’s not like you’re losing it forever.
Your mate wants you to stick by him for a few weeks, maybe for a few months, until everything with HPAW is smoothed over. You’ll be bored, but you’ll survive.”
I glare at Adam but don’t argue. I don’t like how much he overhears. He knows too much about my personal relationships, and it’s not appreciated.
Adam quirks a brow. “Every day that you procrastinate is another day that unmated women are rubbing up against your mate. They can tell how…frustrated he is. They run alongside him, nipping at his ankles and trying to start a fight. They want to play with him.”
I clench my fists but otherwise don’t give Adam the satisfaction of a reaction. That doesn’t seem to bother him in the slightest.
“He can’t exactly tell them off without sharing it’s because you two have decided to patch things up,” Adam continues. “They’re on him every fucking night.”
Anger has my face flushing. “Shut up.”
“Don’t be a coward, Evelyn.”
I’m not a fucking coward.