AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t know about that,” I chuckle uncomfortably, shrugging his arm away.
Ares’ eager expression falls. “Why not? You’re single, aren’t you?”
His question gives me pause. I know I should lie, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to sweep Lo under the rug like some dirty little secret. And the last thing I need is Ares thinking we’re going to go trolling for women together. I’ll just keep it vague, let them assume it’s someone in my own pack.
“Actually, I’m seeing someone,” I reply coolly.
My attempt at making that statement sound casual immediately backfires. Ares looks personally offended by my admission, and Maddox snaps his head in my direction, brows shooting up.
“Really?” he asks, looking me over with renewed interest. “You should bring her with you next time. I’m sure my girl would love to meet her. We could do a double date or whatever the fuck it is people do these days.”
Mierda.
“Oh I don’t know, she’s kinda shy…” I mumble, backpedaling.
Maddox picks up on my hesitation, lips spreading into a wicked grin. “I mean, if you guys stick around, we’ll all get to know one another at some point, right? Might as well get a jump on it. That is, if you guys still want to stay.”
I grind my molars, not missing the thinly veiled threat behind his words. He’s just looking for a reason to turn us away, and if I start acting cagey now, all the progress I’ve made thus far will be for nothing.
“Of course we do,” I grit out.
“Cool,” Madd breathes, clapping a hand down firmly on my shoulder. “We’ll get together sometime this week, then. I’ll talk to Sloane about it and shoot you a text.”
I’m already mentally scrambling for a way to try to get out of this, but I suppose that’s a problem to worry about later. For now, I decide to just blow past it, keeping my cool demeanor as I glance over at the mats where Archer is helping Tristan to his feet.
“You guys ready to call it a day?” Iver asks, guzzling a sip from his metal water bottle and re-capping it with a loud snap.
“Yeah, I should probably get home and check in with my beta on pack business,” Maddox sighs, turning to me. “I’ll walk you out.”
“Thanks,” I nod, and we all split off to collect our things. I told Lo I’d be up here today, but there’s no message from her waiting for me on my phone when I check it. I know work keeps her busy, so I try not to be too disappointed as I pocket my phone and sling my gym bag over my shoulder, turning toward Madd as he approaches me while tugging the hem of his t-shirt down.
“Ready?”
I nod, waving goodbye to the other guys as Maddox escorts me out of the gym and through the squad complex, just as he did when I arrived today and he met me in the parking lot. We pass by my pal Luke when we’re walking out of the building and he goes white as a sheet when he sees me, looking away quickly and hustling past us. Madd doesn’t notice, but I can’t help but chuckle under my breath in amusement.
Rather than walking me all the way to my truck, Maddox stops short at the gate this time, swiveling to face me and sticking out his fist. “You got it from here?”
“Yeah, thanks man,” I say, knocking my knuckles into his.
He gives me a curt nod, turning around and starting toward a Jeep parked right by the gate. I turn the other way to continue around the building to the parking lot, fishing around in my gym bag for my keys along the way. I left my truck unlocked, but I won’t get far without them.
I locate my keys right as I approach the drivers’ side door, pulling it open and tossing my gym bag over the center console onto the passenger seat. Something immediately feelsoff, my hackles raising, and as soon as I climb in, I realize why.
I’m hit with the familiar scent of floral and citrus, my wolf perking up and practically doing a happy dance. There’s only one thing that smells like that.My mate.
Grinning to myself, I close the door, eyes darting up to the rear-view mirror.
“You gonna ride back there, stalker girl, or do you wanna climb up front?”
20
I’m not sure what I was thinking when I snuck into the back seat of Javi’s truck. The awareness that he was here at the complex made it impossible to focus on work in the IT hub, and it’s not like I could pop by the gym to see him or have him stop by my dorm room after his workout. So naturally, I resorted to slinking around like some sort of criminal, creeping out to the parking lot to wait for him by his truck.
I didn’t exactly think that part through, either- because what was I gonna do, try to hang out with him here in the parking lot? There are eyes all over the squad complex; I can’t think of anywheremoreconspicuous for a secret meet-up. I’m clearly terrible at this cloak and dagger stuff, and that fact was only proven further when I heard another car pull into the lot and chose to dive into the footwell of his back seat in my panic that I’d be spotted loitering by his truck.
At least the doors were unlocked. Though I’m not sure if that’s actually a good thing, because now here I am, holding my breath as Javi climbs into his truck, wondering how the hell I’m going to explain myself.
Before I can figure out how to go about making my presence known, he beats me to it.
