Page 56 of Never His Mate

Call me a fucking coward because, well, I am.

Because it’s a choice between walking through Muncie naked or being a wolf, of course my wolf wins out. I take back alleys, trying to avoid getting spotted by any vamps or humans. I don’t want to have to explain what a one-hundred-and-fifty-pound is doing stalking her way through the Fang City, especially since I smell more like Ryker than I do myself.

The first few blocks, I throw looks over my shoulder, checking to see if Ryker’s following me. I tell myself that it’s a good thing that he isn’t. He’s giving me the choice, just like he’s said for days that he would, and right now I choose to be alone.

Unfortunately, when my wolf scrabbles all the way up the fire escape, I realize that that isn’t possible. Though I’d hoped that Roman put Aleks back on the patrol and I’d be returning to an empty apartment, I can feel his powerful aura prickling at my fur even when I’m still a block away.

I’ve never really noticed how easily I was able to sense Aleks until the one time I don’t want to see him. Isn’t that just my luck?

Well. Walk of shame, here I come.

He’s not in the living room. For all of about two seconds, I hope I was wrong. That I only picked up on the scent lingering from before he left.

And then I enter the hall, trying to make it to my room, and Aleks steps out of his.

One sniff. That’s all it takes. One sniff and he knows where I’ve been and what I’ve done.

Who I’ve done.

“Oh, Gem.”

I refuse to apologize. Mainly because I’m still a wolf, but also because I never let him think that I wanted him like this. And maybe Aleks was right the other night. Maybe some part of me did crave Ryker’s attention, but I’ve hand it now and, hopefully, I was right when I said that we got it out of our system.

Claws crossed again.

Still, just because I never promised him anything, that doesn’t mean that I wanted to hurt Aleks. And he is hurt. I can see it on his face, taste it on the way his icy scent changes. Somehow, he goes even colder, which is such a contrast to the heat of an alpha shifter, it makes my whine let out a soft whine.

Then, purposely looking away from him, I pad the rest of the way to my room. I push on the door, walking in as a wolf, before shifting back to my skin.

I stick my head out. I probably have grass in my hair, dirt on my skin, but I don’t give a shit.

“If he comes here, don't let him in. I don’t want to see him.”

That’s all I have to say. It doesn’t matter that Aleks clearly knows that I’ve been with Ryker. It’s my choice. Even my vampire roommate is always saying that.

And now I choose to pretend it never happened.

He nods, still frowning though I notice his eyes have bled over to red, almost as if he relishes the idea of standing between Ryker and me.

“Whatever you want, Gem.”

I close the door and, putting my back against it, turn the lock.

It won’t keep either supe out, but I feel better for it anyway.

It’s a start.

* * *

My first thoughtis to hop in the shower. If it’s not bad enough that I can still the ghost of Ryker’s hand on my skin, the fact that his scent is embedded in every pore has me wondering if I overreacted. But then my wolf snaps at me, warning me against showering off her mate, and I don’t have the strength to fight my other half.

Staying naked isn’t working for me, though. With a sigh, I push off of the door and shuffled toward my dresser. I’m reaching for my underwear drawer when I notice Aleks’s fang attached to the golden chain stretched out on the top of the dresser.

During my walk of shame before, I also noticed that he had repaired the splintered glass coffee table in the time since I left.

Peace offerings from my vamp roommate. That’s got to be what they are.

Lovely.

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