🖤🖤

As the next few weeks of school dragged on, I never do find out how Klayton deals with all his energy.

Our lives have fallen into an almost too normal pattern. My newfound friends would joke around when I stayed after class to talk to their Alpha, saying that I was trying to earn 'extra credit'.

In most cases I was; I would approach him with my eyes fluttering, hope filling me every time. And every time I was disappointed by the sound of a sigh as he would pull away from my needy kiss.

Each time he did this my need for him deepened.

I would go home after with a fire burning hotter in me. Today was no different. In fact, the kiss felt shorter than normal. Klayton turned and continued packing his stuff. My eyebrows scrunched and my eyes bore a hole into his back, glaring. I knew he must be able to feel a bit of my anger.

I could see his back muscles flex and straighten as he stood straight up.

"Are you going to say anything?" I grumble out. The words did not come out as strong as I intended, more of a whisper.

I was hurt.

When he turned around, I could see the struggle in his eyes. He did want me.

This only made me more confused. Thoughts crashed into my brain sooner than I could stop them. Was it me or was it him? Is it physical? Mental? None of these thoughts were new but I was viewing them this time from a new perspective. Instead of seeing him as the problem, I was trying to find what was stopping him. I searched his eyes for more information but came up with nothing— his eyes had gone flat.

"What aren't you telling me?" I pout as I take a step towards him.

Klayton is pinned between his desk and me. Our closeness led to a shift in my stomach; a heat, erupting. It didn't take me by surprise anymore. It was an uncomfortable feeling that I had learned to suppress, but I didn't want to anymore.

"Klay—"

I am cut off by his sudden movement.

He pushes past my shoulder, and now it was me between him and the desk. He bends down and I feel a sigh release from me as his mouth brushes against my neck ever so lightly. Instead of connecting with my skin, he brought his lips to my ear.

"Not here," he whispers in my ear and I shiver at the sound of his voice.

I slump back onto the desk, letting the wood bare my weight. I close my eyes and breathe, before looking back at him. He was still hovering closely over me. and his eyes looked like they had never left my face.

He was analyzing, trying to get a hint of how I was feeling. I decided not to let him in as I stood back up and brushed him off.

"Fine, where? Let's go now."

He looks frustrated but gives in as he takes my hand and walks in front of me. I am led back to the packhouse.

I knew now that this was the frat house that I first thought.

I had been spending a lot of time here in the past weeks; hanging out with Isaac and Lenna. Despite them being werewolves, they seemed to be the only normal consistency in my life.

But in all my time at the house, I rarely saw Klayton here. He just preferred I hang out here rather than out in public. When the front door swings open, I see Isaac in his normal spot on the couch but Lenna was absent.

"Addy!" He jumps up from the couch. He knew I was coming.

Of course, he did.

Klayton must have told him through the pack mind link. He follows us to the bottom of the stairs like a puppy.

Isaac was sort of like a puppy, but in the best way; he was always there when you needed him. He dropped off at my heels quickly though when Klayton sent back a look at which abruptly halted his actions from continuing.

It didn't seem to faze him much.

"I'll see you later okay," Isaac chirps as he takes his spot again back on the couch.

In all of this, Klayton was his normal quiet self. I wanted to question him at this moment, but I knew better. I wanted to get as much information out of him as possible, so I decided to be patient. I lose track of where he takes me, but I find myself beside him finally as he pulls out a set of keys from his pocket. He swiftly finds the one he is looking for and the door swings open.

The room is clearly an office and very Klayon.

It's clean and minimal. A large desk with a chair on either side. One chair is significantly bigger than the other, although I could picture him sitting behind the desk's large frame.

Grading paperwork, filling out pack forms, I could see him being at peace here.

Klayton ignores the seats and chooses to instead begin to pace. I can't suppress my multitude of questions anymore.

I blurt out— the words tumbling out of me like word vomit.

"So, it this where you spend all of your time when you're avoiding me?" I instantly regret my harsh tone.

I was jealous—it wasn't like me. But I wanted to be the center of his attention, and I almost felt neglected.

I knew deep down that isn't what he was trying to do, but it still irritated me.

"Well Adira, I do also live here."

"Oh," the word pops out of my mouth and my head hangs slightly.

I felt like I knew nothing about him.

How could I not know that he lived in the house where I spent most of my time?

It made sense why he wanted me here, so he could keep an eye on me. Sometimes it felt like he was my babysitter rather than my.... my what? Boyfriend?

I don't think werewolves really do the dating thing.

I'm silently lost in my own train of thought, and I don't realize that Klayton has stopped pacing and now is leaning back against the desk. I internally chastise myself; I need to focus.

I gaze at him and I find myself walking toward him.

I want him all over me, and the flame builds in my stomach which quickly is spreading to my arms and legs. I don't choke it down, this time, and rather I let it consume me.

I only see one thing.

Him.

He holds me at arm's length, and I can tell it's hard for him to not take me on this desk right now.

I lean forward, trying to get him to snap. It was when my lips connect with his jaw tenderly that I finally get what I wanted from him.

The truth.

"I can't," he turns his back to me and grips the desk.

I hear the wood give way as splinters fall to the ground, leaving imprints in the desk where his hands once were clutching.

I'm a little shaken by his outburst, but his rage only makes me want to be closer to him. I recognize my feelings for what they are; the mate bond.

I was getting good as distinguishing what it made me feel. It was almost as if the bond was a separate part of me, it freaked me out.

"Tell me why?"

His back still faces me, and my arm extends towards him before falling back down. I didn't want to make this harder than it was meant to be, but I wasn't sure what to do next.

"It wasn't just the necklace," he sighs. "Adira, I think you are cursed too."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Even though you can feel the mate bond, I can still feel magic on you. I'm not sure why— I mean, you're supposed to be a human. If I mate with you, there is no telling what might happen. There is no way to know what this spell is trying to hide," Klayton tells me in frustration.

For the first time in a long time, I feel myself willingly retreating from him. I feel broken to my core. What does that mean? I feel lost, as if I'm not sure of my own feelings anymore. Has my life been a lie?

When was I cursed—by who?

Why?

"I'm working on it. We are going to figure this out,"

His voice hushes my mind but something in the back of my head tells me that it's just the mate bond.

What if that's a lie too?

No, it can't be.

If anything is real, it's what I feel when my skin connects with him.

The unmistakable sparks— they run across my skin as his hand touches my face.

Yes, that is real.