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Lo:I really can’t tonight. I’m already in bed, and I’m not alone.
Wait. What the fuck?
My heart beats faster, a wave of feral rage and possessiveness andmine mine minecrashing down on me as my fingers hover over the keyboard on my screen, at a loss for how to respond.
I mean, we never said we were exclusive, but I sort of assumed that my mate wouldn’t go hopping into bed with another dude. I mean, seriously, what the fuck?!
Lo:Andie’s staying over.
The breath I didn’t even realize I was holding leaves my lungs on a heavy exhale.
Javi:You were trying to freak me out, weren’t you?
Lo:;)
I chuckle to myself, shaking my head. This girl has no idea how crazy she makes me.
Javi:How about tomorrow then? Meet me at the cabin, I’ll bring dinner.
Lo:Are you shooting for a second date?
Javi:Well it’s a little hard to date you when I can’t set foot in your territory unless invited and can’t act like I know you in public. You’ve gotta work with me, here.
Lo:Okay, Romeo. Tomorrow.
I grin as I tuck my phone away, shifting the gear into drive and pulling out of the parking lot. Though it’s a letdown to be heading home rather than meeting up with Lo, at least I’ve got tomorrow night to look forward to. And letting the anticipation build will only make it that much sweeter when I have her in my arms again.
I carefully drive the dark, forested road that winds through the six-pack territory, more than a little tempted to veer off course to explore and get a feel for the layout of the smaller territories and towns within. I know better than to risk it on my first invitation here, though. There’s a good chance they’re keeping tabs on me- hell, it’s what I’d do if I were in their shoes- and the last thing I want is to unnecessarily raise suspicion.
It’s best to bide my time and play this right. I can be patient.
The Twilight Grove Motel is quiet when I pull up out front, the darkened windows of the rooms indicating that most of my pack is already asleep. We’re usually wary about lights when we’re squatting somewhere, but a title search of this place revealed that the owner lives all the way in upstate New York, so the chances that he’s keeping tabs on a property he abandoned years ago are pretty slim. That, and the location is so remote that even random passerby are unlikely. We’re basically off the grid here, which is how I prefer it.
I park my truck and climb out, making a beeline for my room and aiming to slip inside as quickly as possible. It’s late, so I’ll probably just jerk off and go to sleep. If there’s any new pack business, it can wait until the morning.
The room is dark when I enter, though something immediately feels off, my hackles raising. And as soon as I flip on the light to see my mother poised at the end of the bed, waiting there for me like a phantom, I flinch in surprise.
“Mierda,” I growl as I kick the door closed behind me. “You startled me, Ma.”
She just raises a brow, as eerily calm as ever. “Where have you been, Javier?”
“Out,” I answer, stabbing my fingers through my hair and pacing into the room, kicking off my boots along the way.
She purses her lips, watching my every move like a vulture waiting for a wounded animal to give up the fight. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you’ve been coming in late every night.”
I put my back to her as I pull open the top drawer of my dresser, emptying the contents of my pockets inside. “Yeah, and?” I ask, dropping my wallet and keys into the drawer. “You know I’ve been scouting.”
“You smell like you’ve been drinking.”
I wince, though with my back to her, she can’t see it. I’d rather not divulge the details of my night so that she can pick it apart and try to spin it to her advantage. But I know my mother, and the more I evade her, the more suspicious she’ll become. If I don’t give her something, she won’t let it go.
I spin around with a heavy sigh, gripping the lip of the dresser on either side of my hips. “I was in the six-pack territory.”
“Why?” she presses.
“I was invited.”
Her brow ticks up, interest sparking in her dark eyes. “You were? By who?”
