Chapter 36
Tessa
It’s so cold. I shiver and try to find Slater’s shirt, but I can’t seem to find it.
“Keep going,” that voice urges; and I make myself move faster.
There’s danger behind me. I have to get away from it.
I hear a growl coming from the trees, and fear rushes through me.
I know I have to keep moving. I hear that growl again, and suddenly, the trees part.
A horrible creature launches from the trees, baring its teeth at me.
Its eyes are red, and its fangs drip with blood.
I scream and try to move, but it’s like my feet are stuck to the ground.
The harder I try to move, the more I can’t.
A scream rises in my throat; I can’t get away from it.
It comes closer and closer. It opens it’s terrible mouth and—
“Tessa!” My eyes jolt open. I whirl around, trying to find the terrible beast. But it’s not there. “Tessa.”
I turn back around as awareness starts to set in. “Slater?” I take in my surroundings and shiver. Confusion turns to fear. “What’s going on? Why am I outside?” There’s very real fear in my voice. “Slater?” Fear pours through me.
“Hey, easy. It’s okay,” he says. “Let’s get you back inside where it’s warm.” I’m completely numb and more confused than I’ve ever been. As soon as we’re inside my dorm, I turn to him.
“What’s going on?”
He glances around the lobby and seems satisfied that we’re alone for now. “I don’t know. I was keeping watch when I saw you come out of the building. I knew something was wrong because you were barefoot. I called your name several times before you heard me.”
Panic is still coursing through my body. “Was I sleepwalking?”
He studies my face. “Have you ever sleepwalked before?”
“No. Never.” I shake my head. “My dream was so real.” I swallow as that same fear surrounds me.
“Hey,” he steps closer but doesn't touch me. “You’re safe, Tess.”
“I don’t feel safe,” I whisper.
“Do you remember your dream?”
“I was running from that...that creature. It was all black and hideous. It had red eyes and blood on its fangs. It was coming for me. It was gaining on me. Right before I woke up, it jumped at me with its mouth opened—” My words end on a strangled sob.
“Tess.” His face is full of frustration. I watch as he lifts his hand as if to touch me but drops it again. “I’ll keep watch. If for some reason it happens again, I’ll wake you.”
Guilt rises up. “Slater, you need sleep.”
“No. I need to know you’re safe.”
“You can’t stay out there all night,” I whisper.
“Watch me.”
I study his face and know I’m not going to move him on this. “I’m sorry,” I start.
“Don’t you dare apologize for any of this.”
I take in the anger on his face and don’t push. Weariness flows over me. “I’m going to head back upstairs.”
“I’ll walk you.”
We’re both silent as we walk up the stairs and down the hallway to my room. “What time is it?”
“Around two in the morning.”
No wonder it’s so quiet. I stop when I get to my room. “Are you sure you can’t get some sleep?”
“I’ll keep watch and wake you if it happens again.”
I sigh. “Okay. Thank you. Night, Slater.”
“Night, Tessa.”
I open my door quietly and slip inside, being careful not to wake Stephanie.
I lean against the closed door and take in my room.
I try to calm my racing heart as I study the room, trying to note if anything is different.
But I don’t notice anything. My mind’s a tumbled mess.
How did I end up outside? I don’t remember any of it, and that’s terrifying.
I make my way over to my bed and sit on the edge for a few minutes, but I cave all too soon.
I crawl under my blankets and blink, trying to stay awake.
Just before I drift off to sleep again, I send out a prayer that I wake up in my own bed and not outside again.
When my alarm wakes me several hours later, I sit up in bed and turn it off.
Relief flows through me at the fact that it didn’t happen again.
By the time I’ve showered and gotten dressed for the day, I’m convinced that it was a total fluke, one I have no intention of ever repeating again.
I pull my FMU sweatshirt tightly around me and head downstairs to meet Slater.
Part of me hopes to see him, but the other part of me hopes I won’t see him because he’s asleep in his bed.
But when I do see him, I can’t help the relief that fills me.
Then I see the iced coffee in his hand, and a smile forms on my face.
“Morning, Handsome,” I say before I’ve even thought about it.
His lips tug up slightly in the corners. “Hey, Gorgeous. Coffee?”
“Yes. Please!” I take a drink and nearly cry.
“Oh, that’s so good. I needed that this morning.
Thank you, Slater.” I step forward, prepared to hug him.
But he takes a giant step back, alarm in his eyes.
“Oh, shoot. I forgot. Sorry.” I blow out a breath of frustration and meet his gaze. “I hate this.”
He stares down at me. “Me too. We’ll figure it out.”
“What are we going to do, though? Nothing worked.”
“We have another idea to try.”
I look up at him with hope. “Really? What is it?” He doesn’t answer right away, and that worries me. “Slater?”
“We’re still working on it.”
I take in his words and think about what Alpha Blackwood asked me last night. “Does it have anything to do with bonding or mating?”
He turns to me in surprise. “You know about that?”
“No. Zane’s dad said you would explain it to me, but would that be the answer?”
He runs a hand over his head. “I don’t know.”
I watch him a moment and can feel his distress. “What’s bonding, Slater?” I ask softly.
He looks around us and nods over at a picnic table that’s empty. “I won’t keep you long; I know you have to get to work.”
“I have a few minutes.” We sit across from each other, and I prepare myself for whatever it is he’s going to tell me. When he doesn’t say anything, I prompt him. “So bonding is,” I pause and wait for him to take over.
He meets my gaze, and I get lost in those gray eyes.
“Wolves have only one mate, and we mate for life. You are the only female for me. Ever. If something were to happen to you before we were mated, there would never be someone else for me. I’d be single forever.
” My eyes widen at that, but he continues.
“Once we’re mated, our souls become connected.
If one of us were to die, the other would as well. ”
I gasp. “Seriously?” He nods. I take all this in. “How do you mate? I mean, I would assume it’s...you know.”
He nods. “During intimacy. The first time we come together, our souls will unite and forever bind us together.”
I feel my face turn red but force myself to ask what I need to. “I get mating. What is bonding?”
“Bonding is the precursor to mating. Bonding will happen when I bite you with my claiming mark. It’s permanent and marks you as mine.
When other wolves scent you, they’ll smell me.
When they see my mark on your shoulder, they’ll know you’re mine.
” His words are fierce, and there’s an intensity radiating off him.
“Does it hurt?” I ask.
He pauses. “Some. I’m not sure if it’s more painful for humans; we’ll have to ask Evie.”
“So, once you bite me, we’re bonded?”
He nods, his eyes locked on mine. “Yes. It’s only slightly less permanent than mating. And once we’re bonded, we’ll be connected telepathically. We’ll be able to communicate without words through our mind link.”
“Can Evie and Zane do that?” I ask in awe.
He nods. “Any wolf pairs that are bonded.”
“That’s so cool.” The tense expression on his face eases the slightest bit. “So, when do we do it?”
His face goes blank. “Do what?”
“The bonding thing? When do you bite me?”
He stares at me. “Tess, once I do it, it can never be undone. We will forever be bonded.” I nod. “You can never be with another male. Only me. Ever.”
“Okay.”
“You’ll be tying yourself to me forever.”
I cock my head to the side. “I get the idea that you don’t want to do this with me.”
His eyes widen in shock. “What? No!”
“Well, then why are you trying to talk me out of it? Do you not want to tie yourself to me forever? I mean, I get that one hundred percent.”
He stares at me, thunderstruck. “Tess, you’re my mate. Of course I want to tie myself to you.”
“Okay, then why are you trying to talk me out of it?”
“I’m not trying to talk you out of it; I’m just trying to make sure you fully understand what all you’re getting into.”
I pretend to think about it. “Tying myself to you forever? Got it.”
“It can’t be that easy, Tess.”
“Can’t it?”
“No.”
I stare at him. “Is it simple for you? Or is it complicated?”
“It’s simple. I want you.”
“Are you sure?” I question.
“Tessa Parker,” he growls. “You are my mate. I want you today; I wanted you yesterday; and I will want you tomorrow and forever.”
I meet his gaze, even as warmth flows through me at his words. “Slater Thorne, I want you today. I wanted you yesterday, and I will want you tomorrow and forever. There is no other male for me. There never has been.”
He cocks his head to the side. “Wait, what do you mean?”
I stare up at him and fight my growing embarrassment. “Let’s just say this. Don’t be surprised when you see posters of you on my wall when you come to visit me.”
His smile is slow. “You have posters of me on your wall?”
“Well, not just you. Your team.”
He leans closer. “You have pictures of me on your walls?” His voice is deep and low.
“Maybe?” I squeak out.
He leans even closer. “I can’t wait to get that stupid bracelet off, so I can kiss you.”
I draw in a shuddery breath. “We’d better work on that then,” I whisper. “Is that what you’re thinking? That bonding will take care of it?”
He blinks, coming out of his trance. He pulls back slightly, and I already miss his closeness. He’s all business now. “We don’t know. Alpha thinks it could work. He thinks that if we could bond, it would break the dark magic that powers the bracelet that keeps me from touching you.”
“Then let’s do it.”
“But until the power is broken, it will hurt, Tess. It could hurt really, really badly.”
I swallow. “Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t want to go through that pain again, but if we could break it?
Break the power of the bracelet? And then we could touch each other again?
That would be worth it, Slater.” I study his face.
“You’re not second-guessing bonding with me, are you? ”
He scowls. “Never. But I want you to have time to think about this. This decision is for life, Tess. There’s no changing your mind.”
I stare up at him. I could explain once again that I’m not going to change my mind, but I can see that his mind is made up, at least for now. “Okay. Let’s sit on it and try all other options first.”
He nods. “Yeah. Come on; let’s get you to work.”
We get to the security hut in record time.
“Slater.” His complete attention is on me.
“Listen, I know there’s a lot going on right now, but I don’t want you to lose focus of what’s important.
” He looks at me like he doesn’t understand what I’m saying.
“This weekend is everything. The semifinals and then the finals.”
“Soccer? That‘s what you think is important?” he asks.
I frown. “Slater, you’ve worked so hard this season, and you guys are almost there. You just—”
“Soccer means nothing to me if I don’t have you.”