AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She was sick to her stomach and pissed at herself all at once. Angry she had given in, angry she couldn’t just do what she wanted, angry everything was so complicated.
This. This was exactly what she didn’t want. This feeling of being trapped was why she didn’t want to officially meet her mate. It’s exactly why she disguised her scent, and it’s why she avoided going back home, and even seeing her own best friend. Immersing herself in her work and the tour meant she could avoid him longer, hopefully indefinitely. It had been the only thing she’d thought of since the day, almost five months ago, when she’d scented him in the wind.
The day she’d run inside her friend’s house, begging Ava to use her magic to disguise her scent. The day she’d been tooafraid to meet her mate face to face. Afraid for a future where she was trapped in the virtual prison of the Tuisa pack. Afraid for a life that would be drastically different than the freedoms she had always dreamed of.
Mate life wasn’t for her.
But her beast didn’t let her forget. Her wolf howled for the mate she’d scented every night in her dreams, every time another shifter touched her, and every day that she refused to go to him. The scent of oak and rain was burned into her brain, and even though she didn’t know his face or his name, she couldn’t trick her wolf into pretending.
Chapter 2
Monday, November 1
12:42 a.m.
Rushing up the three flights of stairs, tears of frustration threatening to spill over, she ducked her head, avoiding late-night partiers in the hall, open doorways, and hoped no one stopped her.
Since the Alliance, the new supernatural coalition of wolf shifters, witches, and fae, enacted the new safety regulations, hotels were shut down exclusively for wolves and approved witches. Shifters replaced the human staff, and they assigned every room to party-goers. Shifter warrior security guarded every entrance like a hawk. There had been too many problems with vampires in the past, and with relations so volatile, parties were now closed and safer. Normally, she was grateful for the security measures put in place by her best friend and leaders of the new Alliance. But right now, she wished she could get lost among strangers, or even among humans in a normal hotel. She wished she didn’t have to constantly be on display, to be known by everyone.
But now, a few more feet, and she would be safe in her room, behind a door where she could have a good cry and work on the next segment for her news channel. That always distracted her,reminding her of why she was doing this, allowing her to focus on what she loved.
So, after she pulled her clutch around to rummage through it for her room key, she froze mid-swipe. Right in front of her face, a small note was taped to her door with one word in that same familiar writing.
Tonight…
He knew her room.
She backed away slowly at first, panicked thoughts screaming in her mind. But then, in three steps, she was at the door next to hers, pounding furiously.
“Keoni! Gio! Open the door. Keoni!”
By the time the door swung open, she was sobbing and gasping for air. Keoni stood there naked and confused, but she didn’t care. She pushed past him, closing the door and locking it. Then she leaned back against it, sliding down to the floor with her eyes closed. She tried to control her breathing, telling herself to get it together.
Keoni, the second born son of the Tuisa Alpha, and the only person Axel had allowed to attend the mate tour on a trial basis, stood in front of her nervously, not knowing what to say, so when she had caught her breath and opened her eyes, he was crouched in front of her with some basketball shorts on, and a worried look on his face.
“Bailey? What’s going on?”
Where did she even start?
“I…I may have a stalker I’ve been ignoring.”
“One? That’s it? I figured your news channel would have tons.”
“One who probably knows my true identity. He calls me by name, sends communication through my personal email, and now…is here.” She took a breath before continuing. “He sent mea note at the bar telling me he would see me soon. Then I found this next to one of my cameras.” She handed him the note, still crumbled in her hand.
He frowned as he read it, his emerald eyes bright when he turned his gaze on her. But before he could say anything, she spoke again.
“And now there’s a note taped to my door. I panicked because he knew what room I was in, and I came over here. I haven’t gone in yet. He can’t get in my room, can he?”
“No, there’s no way. Only you and Travis have a keycard. I’m sure he’s just another shifter trying to fuck with your head, a prank or something. I’ll go over there and check your room. In the meantime, you stay here, get comfortable. Go say hi to the girls if you want. If you’re too scared to go to your room, you can stay here with us. Gio can crash over there with whatever chick he’s hooking up with.”
“Just, no …I want to go to my room, just please go check inside. I need a second to get it together. I’m sure you’re right, and I am just overreacting.” She shakily handed her keycard to him and moved to a chair across from the couch bed that was already made and waiting for Gio.
Keoni moved out into the hallway, and as her heart slowed and she calmed, she could hear the giggles and moans coming from the bedroom. She sighed and buried her head in her hands, but when one girl poked her head out of the door, she looked up.
“Did Keoni leave? We weren’t finished with him.”
“He’ll be right back. Don’t worry.”
