Wolf Girl

That night I was fully prepared to just sit around and eat ice cream all night, but Sage had other plans.

“You just need to dance your way out of your funk. Let’s go to Moonies tonight?” she asked.

Moonies was the campus dance club and bar. I’d walked past it a bunch of times and written it off. But I did like to dance … Raven and I took a hip-hop class all through high school that was offered at Delphi and it was something I was good at. Getting lost in the music, moving your body to the beat, there was a therapeutic nature to dancing.

“Maybe for like one dance,” I told her, and she squealed.

After dressing me in quite possibly the shortest black dress I’d ever worn, we walked to Moonies with Walsh and Brandon trailing behind us.

“I can’t believe you’re still wearing those fucking white tennis shoes.” She scowled at my feet, causing me to grin.

“First of all, Converse are not tennis shoes. At least I don’t think they are. And second, I can’t believe you care so much about my attire.”

She laughed, hooking her arm through mine and looking over her shoulder at Brandon and Walsh. She’d been doing that a lot lately, sneaking glances at the two men.

I lowered my voice, leaning into her. “Which one do you like?”

Her eyes went wide and she swallowed hard. “Is it that obvious?”

I shrugged. “Just to me.”

She chewed her lip. “Walsh, but he’s Sawyer’s best friend and would never…”

I yanked her arm, pulling her closer to me. “You don’t know that.”

She nodded. “I do. He told me this summer when we kissed.”

Oh. Well, shit.

“Just one kiss? Or was there repeated kissing?” I questioned, raising one eyebrow.

She chuckled. “Just one, amazing, Earth-shattering kiss.”

A frown pulled at my lips. “I’m sorry.”

She gave a casual shrug, but I could see how much it bothered her. “I’m one of the guys, ya know. Girls like that don’t get dated. Anyway, enough about me, did you know that Werewolf City drinking age is eighteen?”

I smiled. “I did. My mom has a really funny story of getting hammered on her eighteenth birthday and my grandma making her sleep it off in the barn with the goats because she kept vomiting.”

Sage burst into peals of laughter, but before we could say any more, we’d reached the door. I slipped my hand into my purse, prepared to show ID, when the bouncer just winked at Sage and opened the door.

“Miss Hudson.” He nodded, and let us in.

Sometimes I forgot her dad was the alpha’s little brother—until someone said her last name.

The flashing lights and deep bass music filtered out to us as we crossed the threshold.

A young woman in her twenties with bright pink hair stood behind a hostess stand and handed us two free drink tickets. “It’s ladies’ night,” she told us with a wink.

Sweet.

I surveyed the club, taking it all in. Moonies was cute, not a huge place; it wasn’t sure whether it wanted to be a college bar or a high-tech dance club, but it had a special something, a vibe. The walls were all, surprise, glass, and the floors were stamped concrete, but the bar which took up the entire right side of the space was deep rich wood and had stacks of schoolbooks in shelves near the ceiling as decoration. I kind of dug it. I was scanning for two seats at the bar since the place was packed, when my gaze landed on two searing blue eyes.

Fuck.

“Sawyer’s here,” I mumbled to Sage. “Let’s go.” I yanked her arm.

“I can’t hear you!” she shouted over the loud music.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of his, he was just … watching me, drinking me in while a familiar blond hung on his arm, talking to her friends.

Darth Vader.

Oh my God, was this their date night? Of course he chose her first.

“Shit, Sawyer’s here with Meredith!” Sage screamed into my ear and I nodded.

Sawyer stood, shaking Meredith off of his arm as she continued to talk to her friends, and he just … stared at me.

“Who goes to a bar for a date?” I yelled in Sage’s ear.

She grinned. “Meredith. She’s a lush who loves attention. This is like her favorite place.”

“We should go!” I told Sage, yanking her arm again.

She pulled me on the dance floor with surprising force, ignoring my plea. “Don’t worry! He’s faking that he is into all these girls because he has to. Trust me,” Sage said.

She had no idea. No idea what went down with the vamps, and no idea what I was or that he’d dropped his class to escape me.

Fuck it.

Sage was right. Screw planning my every minute around Sawyer. I was here to have fun and I wasn’t going to let him being on a date with another chick bother me. Turning my back to him, I started to dance. I mean, full-on pelvic thrusting, rolling my body with the music as I threw my arms up in the air to music and let my hair whip around.

“Yes, girl!” Sage screamed in laughter as I gestured to her and shook my boobs at her, causing her to laugh. Dancing with girlfriends was always the best, you didn’t have to worry about them hitting on you, and you didn’t have to worry about being an idiot. I just let go of everything, let go of what I might be, of Sawyer, of all my stress. I moved my body to the music and owned that dance floor, rubbing up against Sage with my butt as she smacked it and laughed.

Zero. Fucks. Given.

A bunch of guys had started to form a circle around us, cheering us on and ogling like the stupid assholes they were, but we didn’t care, we just kept on dancing. This music was my jam and I was living my best life.

When I spun in the air, I risked a glance behind me, searching for Sawyer, and my wolf rose to the surface when I noticed two yellow eyes standing twelve inches from me.

I skidded to a stop, heart pounding in my chest either from dancing or the fact that Sawyer was a mere foot away from me.

“Uh … hey,” I huffed, panting.

He blinked, eyes flashing from yellow to blue. His gaze flicked to the guys standing in a circle watching us and his jaw clenched. He leaned into me, pressing a hand at my lower back and pulling me into him. When his lips grazed my ear, heat traveled down my spine and settled between my legs. “Please go home,” he said. “Don’t make me rip their eyes out.” He gestured to the men who were now watching Sage dance.

My blood went cold.

Sawyer Hudson was jealous. I would smile, but there was no humor in his voice and I thought he might actually be serious. Alpha males were known for being territorial with women they were dating, but this was next level. I couldn’t even be looked at? Just because I was one of fifty women he was dating?

Anger flared inside of me and I pulled away from him. “Why did you drop photography?” I yelled.

Regret crossed his face. “My mother made me. Said it would interfere with getting into med school.” He looked embarrassed and I actually laughed at that a little.

“Future alpha lets his mom tell him what classes to take?” I winked playfully.

He normally liked my humor, but right now he wasn’t smiling, he was watching the men in the circle around us and then looking back at my dress, his gaze bouncing to my thighs, my cleavage, my neck. His eyes flashed yellow again and he pressed in on me one more time.

“Please … go home, Demi.” His voice was thick with his wolf and I frowned, crossing my arms in defiance.

“Why?”

He took a deep breath, leaning into my ear, his lip caressing the lobe. “Because you’re mine, and if I have to watch these guys look like they want to fuck you any longer, I will go insane.”

Shock ripped through me.

You’re mine.

Okay, that was normally such an annoying male wolf thing to say, but on Sawyer’s lips it was hot as fuck.

I swallowed hard and nodded, genuinely afraid he would hurt someone now. His wolf was close, I could smell it.

“Sawyer, what the hell!” Meredith’s shrill voice cut into the song and I turned away from him, from her, from all of it. I just grabbed Sage’s hand and left the bar more confused than when I’d gotten there.

The next three weeks and six days passed by painfully slow. Sawyer had quite literally gone on a date with every single eligible female here at school but me. I would say he was ignoring me, but every time I saw him he went out of his way to walk over and say hi. When I was eating alone or in the library, he plopped right down next to me and asked how my day was going. He also left comments on all of my Instagram photos and genuinely seemed interested in my art. It was … infuriating. Why couldn’t he just be an asshole so I could get over him? Instead, he was traipsing around campus with the entire female school body. Every single girl wore full-on clubbing attire until Sawyer picked them for a date. Then they went back to their regular Barbie clothes, which were just a step down from clubbing attire.

Me? Oh, I’d had Raven mail me my prized custom t-shirt collection, and currently I was wearing Single but not interested. It matched my fishnets and jean shorts look.

I didn’t give a fuck anymore. Sawyer could pick me tonight for dinner, as it was the last slot open, and I wouldn’t even change. That’s how much I didn’t care. But seeing as though it was 4:30pm and I was in the developing lab, processing my negatives, I might not even say yes. I clipped the 8×10 pictures I’d taken of Sage up on the drying line with more force than was necessary and checked my phone for the twentieth time.

Obviously it was too late! He was going to skip over me like an asshole and cut me from the top twenty without even giving me a chance.

What a hot and cold asshole. One second he’s all possessive and the next he isn’t into me.

I was so mad, I barely registered the knock at the door.

“Room’s taken!” I growled.

They knocked again.

Ugh. Taking off my apron, I crossed the room and pulled the blackout curtains closed before opening the door.

My tongue went dry when I saw Sawyer holding a dozen red roses and wearing a black suit and tie.

“Hey,” I said stupidly.

His eyes roamed my body, starting at my Doc Martens, up my fishnets and then resting on my shirt, where he grinned.

“I hope that’s not a message for me?”

Fuck. Why did I wear this?

I crossed my arms. “Saving the best for last again?” There was more hurt in my voice than I intended and I regretted it, because his playful demeanor changed. Eugene and two other guards I didn’t know were at the far end of the hallway waiting for him.

He shook his head, looking at the flowers before handing them to me. “This time it’s different.”

This time it’s different? What the hell did that mean?

I took the flowers as an awkward silence descended upon us.

“Demi?” Sawyer’s voice was rough, his eyes hooded.

“Yeah?”

“Would you do me the honor of being my date for dinner tonight?”

He was so serious, and also so charming. Dammit. “Extra carbs, extra gluten?” I raised one eyebrow.

He grinned, and fuck me he had a dimple in his cheek that I didn’t realize was there before. “Extra whatever you want.” His voice was deep and I’m pretty sure my cheeks went bright red.

I really wanted to whore out in this moment and say, “Whatever I want?” in a sultry voice, but I decided playing hard to get was better.

I looked at my bare wrist, which didn’t have a watch on it. “I dunno, I mean it’s getting late and you’re all dressed up. I’m not sure I have time to get ready.”

His eyes flashed yellow for the slightest second as his wolf came to the surface. “I think you look amazing.”

Dammit, he was so sweet.

“Alright, well, I guess I could run home and change. Where are we going?”

He grinned. “Eugene will bring you. Just be ready by six?”

I nodded and he lingered for a second, looking down at the flowers in my hands. “Are you happy here, Demi? I know it’s probably a lot different from Delphi … but my intention was to bring you here for a better life. You’re happy, right?” He frowned and I found myself mystified by his genuine goodness.

Hah! Yes, this place was different from the reject magic school. He had no idea. Banishing a wolf was the cruelest thing you could do. Being the only wolf at Delphi had plagued me from kindergarten.

“I miss my parents and my best friend Raven … but other than that … I’m happy.” I gave him a small smile.

He nodded, seeming relieved. “Good. I’ll see you tonight.” When he turned to walk away, I found myself wondering if Sawyer was happy. No one probably asked him that. I decided to do just that tonight on our date.

“Holy shit you look hot.” Sage admired me from where she sat on my couch eating Oreos.

“Really? It’s not too … revealing?”

Sage snorted. “Have you seen the other girls on their date nights?”

Yeah, I had, they fucking advertised it to everyone and made sure we all got a peek of what they were wearing: short dresses, cleavage, six-inch-high heels. I was modest, so this was a bit much for me. Sage had let me borrow a baby blue lace tube top that ended just below my breasts, and then I wore a high-waisted black silk skirt with a bow in the center. That all looked too Barbie for me, so I threw on some black fishnets and my Doc Marten boots and I was ready to go. I showered in like four minutes, managing to shave and not cut myself, but there was no time to do my hair, so I let it airdry in beachy waves.

The clock struck six p.m. and Sage jumped from the couch. “Okay, you have to kiss him tonight. I’m sure the other girls have and he needs to know you have chemistry.”

I frowned. “Eww, you think he’s been kissing all the other girls?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, not all of them, but I’m sure some are trying. Look, just be your amazing self and let him know you’re interested, that’s all.”

Was I interested in a guy who might have potentially kissed forty-nine other girls?

Gross.

But my thoughts went back to what Sage had told me when she’d found him in Montana.

About wondering if anyone would ever love him back.

Walking over to the door, I threw it open to find Eugene and Walsh both dressed in suits. “Hey.” I hadn’t really seen Eugene much since that night with the vampire attack.

Walsh’s gaze flicked behind me to Sage. He nodded once at her and then focused back on me.

Poor Sage.

“Good evening, Miss Calloway.” Eugene gestured for me to walk with him and I did, letting the door close behind me. Sage would find her way back to her dorm eventually. Or not and she’d be there waiting to hear every word when I got back.

Either way, I wasn’t worried about it.

One by one, the girls came out of the dorms to glare me down as I passed. As we strode by Meredith and her evil clan, who were playing pool, they all stopped what they were doing and stared.

“Assassin,” I heard one whisper loudly.

Oh God, are you serious? Nearly a month later and this assassin thing was sticking?

Great, just freaking great.

When we stepped outside the dorm, I paused, my breath catching in my throat. A long sleek black limousine was waiting for me, with a driver opening the back door.

As far as I knew, Sawyer didn’t send limos for the other girls … but maybe he did and I just didn’t watch. I mean, I saw like five girls go out to dinner with him before it made me sick and I stopped watching. He could have…

Before I could overanalyze it, I stepped inside and expected Eugene and Walsh to follow me in, but they didn’t. I was so used to having a shadow now, being without them was weird.

“Wow,” Sawyer said from deep inside the limo and I jumped a little. “You look…” He paused, seemingly at a loss for words. In the dark car, all I could see were two amber eyes staring at me from the black depths.

“Beautiful?” I offered nervously.

The shadows moved as he crawled along the bench seat, making his way over to me slowly. When he reached me, the seat dipped with his weight as I leaned into him and he met my gaze. “Ravishing.”

Heat flared to life inside of me, like an inferno that would never be cooled but by one thing. I swallowed hard.

“I mean … you look okay,” I joked.

He grinned, a soft chuckle emanating from his throat. “God, I love your sense of humor.”

Shit, I didn’t do real emotions, I mean I could, but I sucked at it. Being sarcastic was an easier shield for me to hide behind, but being with Sawyer felt so deep, like an endless ocean.

“It makes up for my terrible looks,” I joked. I couldn’t stop, they just kept fumbling out of me.

Before he could respond, the car stopped.

“That was short,” I mused.

The door opened and Eugene helped me step out. What the…? Did he ride up front? Man, these guys were good at being seen when they wanted to be and scarce when needed. I took the guard’s offered hand and stepped out onto…

A boat dock.

“Why are we—?” I started when a woman’s shrill voice cut me off.

“Sawyer!” she screamed in excitement.

There were tons of people here. A red carpet had been set up and dozens of black limousines were waiting to drop more people off. I scanned the end of the red carpet and my eyebrows hit my hairline.

There was a cruise ship, or a yacht, or whatever the fuck rich people called those giant boats. It was docked and had the most beautiful white twinkling Christmas lights wrapped around the railing.

“Good evening, Mrs. Pepper.” Sawyer nodded to the woman approaching us, but I could hear a hint of annoyance in his tone.

Pepper. As in Meredith Pepper?

Sawyer slipped his hand into mine and interlaced our fingers together, like it was no big deal. The brown-haired woman with way too much make-up on noticed we were holding hands and lifted a brow.

“I trust you’ve already got the list of top twenty? I’m sure Meredith is on it, no?” the woman said with a conspiratorial wink.

Sawyer gave a nervous laugh. “Should we really discuss these things at my father’s birthday party?” He winked back.

She gave a short burst of nervous laughter and patted his chest. “You’re right. Have fun at the party, dear.”

When she walked away, I looked up at Sawyer, who stared down at me behind those thick black eyelashes. “You brought me as a date to the alpha’s birthday party?”

Sawyer grinned. “He’s just my dad, but yeah I wanted you here with me tonight.”

That was … really sweet. Oh Lord, help me, I was falling hard. There was no way out of this unscathed. Not now.

I smiled. “And to think I almost didn’t change. What if I’d worn that ‘single but not interested’ shirt?” I scolded him as we started to walk the ridiculous red carpet.

Sawyer grinned, showcasing that damn sexy dimple and chin butt. “It would have been talked about for years to come.”

We followed the throngs of people while I processed the fact that not only was I going on a yacht to the alpha’s birthday party, I was doing so wearing a tube top, and with the alpha’s son as my date.

I paused mid-walk. “I feel like I should change.” People were wearing legit ballgowns.

Sawyer looked down at me, eyes hooded and shook his head. “You’re perfect.”

My cheeks reddened as he squeezed my hand and we continued to walk hand in hand onto the boat.

A piano was playing somewhere in the distance as we stepped on board, the sound setting the stage for what I was sure was a classy and expensive evening.

A man wearing a black suit bowed to us. “Sir Hudson.”

Sawyer gave the man a genuine smile. “Roland, I’d like you to meet Demi Calloway.”

He gestured to me and I smiled at the older man.

He bowed his head. “Good evening, Miss Calloway.”

“Roland is our family butler. I’ve known him since before I could walk.” Sawyer smiled warmly at the man.

“Hi.” I waved shyly. “I left my butler at home.”

Roland’s calm façade broke as he chuckled and my gaze went to Sawyer, unsure if my joke was well received. He was grinning ear to ear, chin butt and dimple on full display.

Whew.

“Demi has a healthy sense of humor,” Sawyer told his butler with a wink.

Roland nodded. “You’ve never brought a girl home with one of those. It’s a nice change.”

Oh snap.

Sawyer chortled and then someone pulled his arm and we were moving into the crowd and away from Roland. It was his mother, pulling us through the throng of people with a bright smile on her face. Well, pulling Sawyer and Sawyer pulling me. Leaning into my ear, Sawyer whispered, “Did my butler just totally burn me?”

I grinned. “Yep. Looks like you have horrible taste in women. Until me of course.”

He smirked. “Of course.”

After we were pulled into an opening, I noticed a stage set up at the back of the boat. To the right of it was a live piano player, and in the center was a giant white cake with blue piping around the edges.

Mrs. Hudson was wearing a floor-length black ballgown, and now that we had the space to face each other she gave her son a big hug. I dropped his hand, feeling awkward about holding hands in front of his mom, and he wrapped his arms around her.

“Good evening, Mother.”

When she pulled back, her gaze went to me and I prepared for the scowl or a salacious scan of my dress, but to my surprise she pulled me in for a hug next.

“Oh.” I was caught off guard, my arms coming up behind her back and she squeezed me.

When she pulled back, she was beaming. “Your father will be so delighted to see you both.”

Sawyer slipped his hand back into mine and my stomach did flip flops.

Okay…

Maybe it wasn’t a big deal, him bringing me to his dad’s birthday party … but it felt like a big deal to me. Meeting his parents like this, holding hands in front of all the big mucky mucks of Werewolf City … it was … a lot.

But it felt so right. Sawyer had a way of making me feel like I belonged here, with him. I found myself wondering if he acted this way with all the girls, but somehow I didn’t think so.

The next thing I knew, Curt Hudson was standing before me. His size and stature gave Eugene a run for his money. Dressed in a sleek black suit, he was the spitting image of his son, just with a few gray hairs at his temple, and a thick dark beard.

I’d sort of met him in the hallway when the vampires first attacked but not really, not like this.

“Demi, it’s so lovely to officially meet the woman my son won’t shut up about,” the alpha said, and Sawyer coughed loudly, shaking his head at his father.

I grinned, but when the alpha extended his hand to me, I froze.

Did I shake it? Kiss it? Curtsy?

Fuck, those etiquette classes were boring. I nodded off in them half the time. Deciding to go for a shake, I took his hand in mine and gave him a good hard squeeze.

“It’s nice to formally meet you, sir. Happy Birthday.”

He smiled, appraising me as we shook hands. A low buzz worked its way between our palms until it became a deep vibration and I yanked my hand back, giving my palm a curious look. He did the same, eyebrows drawn together.

“The man. The myth. The legend. The alpha!” a deep voice yelled over the PA system. Everyone started to clap and cheer as a spotlight shone on Sawyer’s dad. The thunderous applause reached a crescendo and then a loud horn cut into the night as the boat left the dock. I swayed a little and Sawyer reached out to catch me by the waist. The clapping died down as his father took the stage to hug whoever the announcer guy was, and the piano started up again.

“Dance with me?” Sawyer asked, his hands still on my hips, blue eyes boring into my soul.

I just nodded. “Full disclosure, I’ve been napping in etiquette class, so if you want to waltz or anything, I’ll just step on your feet.”

A halfcocked grin pulled at the corner of his mouth and he chuckled. “There’s no one quite like you, is there, Demi?”

Slowly, he pressed my body into his, as one of his arms slid around my back, the other taking my hand.

My body ached with need as I found my breath coming out in shuddered gasps. Being this close to him, to an unmated male wolf that I was very attracted to … it made my wolf absolutely pine. A carnal need washed over me and my mouth went dry. His scent, the heat from his body, the tight muscles under his arms, it made me want him in a way I’d never wanted a man before.

“I’m sorry I had to pick you last again, but tonight is special for my family and I wanted you here with me.”

Aaaand he was fucking perfect.

I looked up at him and my gaze dropped to his lips. “I’m surprised your family is so nice to me. Poor banished girl comes from outside Magic City to assassinate son. It’s not a good look for me.”

Tipping his head back, he full-on laughed; the rumble of his chest against mine made my heart swell. His laugh was deep and hearty and contagious. When he brought his head back down to me, I was smiling.

He grinned. “You heard that rumor? I was hoping you wouldn’t.”

I snorted. “Why? I’m a big girl, I can handle it.”

His face grew somber and he leaned into my ear: “Because…” his breath washed over my neck, “everything I do now is to protect you.”

Whoa.

Somehow I felt there was more to that comment than just protecting me from the rumor.

This was literally the best date I’d ever been on and it had only just begun, but there was an elephant in the room, something we still needed to talk about. Reaching up on my tippy toes, I pressed my lips to his ear. “Do you know what I am?”

His arms flexed, palm pressing firmly into my back, a clear physical reaction to my question, but when I met his gaze he just shook his head and looked back out over the lake.

Lie. I could tell.

Great. He was almost perfect. I mean, if my potential future wife could catch bullets and heal her hands seconds later, I would probably be in denial too, but we couldn’t ignore this forever.

Whatever hopes I had that he was going to share with me what he knew were dashed. From now on I’d have to do some digging of my own to find out what knowledge there might be about split shifting or whatever it was I did when my wolf came out.

“Sawyer, dear!” his mother called across the boat, and we broke apart, my body yearning for the heat and closeness of his. “Come greet Prime Minister Locke.”

We turned, and I wasn’t expecting the seven-foot-tall light fey who stood next to Sawyer’s dad. Inhaling sharply through my nose, I recognized the woody scent that all fey carried, but this one had an undertone of some seriously powerful magic. Magic smelled like electricity to me, almost like burned wires, but only faintly. This dude smelled of woods on fire, a very powerful fey, which explained why he was the prime minister of Fey City. The fey had a war ages ago and broke into two factions, dark fey and light fey. He was one of the good ones, although all fey were terrifyingly powerful, and no one was one-hundred-percent good.

The man greeted Sawyer, touching his palm to his own forehead and closing his eyes, as was custom with their kind. The few fey I knew from Delphi were total asshats, but I’d learned enough from them not to get myself into hot water with this one.

Hopefully.

Sawyer returned the greeting and then extended his hand, which the Prime Minister shook.

Interesting. They both honored each other’s custom.

Mental note taken.

“It’s good to see you, sir. This is my date, Demi Calloway.”

The fey’s eyes were so pale they were almost white—almost. They were a milk green that wasn’t really of this world. Mixed with his silver hair and cream suit, he looked wholly out of place. His ears were sharply pointed and there was a glistening sheen to his skin that made him look like he was wearing highlighter make-up all over. His gaze raked over my face, and for the slightest second his brows drew together before a bright smile pulled at his lips.

“Greetings, Prime Minister.” I placed my palm to my forehead and closed my eyes as he did the same.

When he extended his hand to shake mine, my wolf surged to the surface.

‘Don’t,’ a voice said. My own voice, her voice, the voice of my wolf?

What the fuck? I was going crazy.

Reaching out, I took his hand and a shockwave of electricity bolted up my arm. I hissed, trying to yank my arm back, when his palm clamped down on mine like a vise. Yanking, he pulled me closer and I stumbled forward into him.

“Hey!” Sawyer shouted as I crashed into the fey’s chest. His nose went into my hair and he inhaled deeply, moaning the slightest bit in my ear like a horny old man.

Before I could process what was happening, I was yanked backward against Sawyer’s chest.

“What the fuck was that!” Sawyer yelled, and some people nearby paused their champagne flutes midair.

The alpha stared at the prime minister accusingly, while the fey’s eyes pulsed from minty white to black.

“I’m feeling unwell suddenly. Mind if I lie down?” Locke asked, his voice a guttural sound that made my skin crawl.

“Certainly,” Mrs. Hudson said, ever the good hostess, as she escorted him around the crowd and into the lower deck with worried glances back my way.

When he was out of earshot, Sawyer’s father clicked his tongue. “I’m sorry about that, Demi. Prime Minister Locke is known for his obsession with young beautiful women, but that was not appropriate. Are you okay?”

I didn’t realize my hands were shaking until I looked down at them. I was still smooshed with my back against Sawyer’s chest, my breath coming out in ragged gasps.

Being held against my will was a huge trigger for me. I just needed a moment to get my bearings.

I nodded. “Just shook me up. If you’ll excuse me.” I pulled out of Sawyer’s grasp and gave his father a weak smile before walking away from the noise and lights and crowd. Being yanked into an old man and smelled was my worst fucking nightmare. I’d frozen in the moment. All of my self-defense training left me and I just … froze. Now that I was able to process it, I was pissed. How fucking dare he! Why would he do that? In public, at the party of a diplomat? According to my mother, the fey, wolves, and witches had a very thin peace treaty. The slightest thing could shake it up and throw us all into the dark ages again. My mother said the balance between the races was an ever-present dance. The vampires, trolls and dark fey formed an alliance shortly after, and the only thing that held it together was that if one broke away and went to the other side, it would be uneven and start a war that one side would most definitely win.

I held the railing as the cold wind whipped across my face.

Maybe I overreacted … I mean, Sawyer’s dad had said that fey were known for being sleazy with women. Maybe it was his custom…

But what about the buzzing through our hands? What was that?

“Did he hurt you?” a barely human growl called from behind me. I spun around, and upon seeing Sawyer with yellow eyes and pelts of dark gray fur rolling down his neck, I gulped.

I shook my head. “Just spooked me.”

His brow furrowed, eyes going molten lava, absent of any blue. His wolf was fully in charge now.

“What did he whisper to you?” His voice was so freaky, I’d never heard anything like it before. It was like talking to a bear, if that were possible.

I shook my head. “Nothing … just smelled me and moaned.”

Sawyer’s canines descended, pressing onto his bottom lip. “That motherfucker, I’ll kill him.”

Oh shit.

Reaching out, I grasped the lapels of his jacket. “It’s all good, I’m totally fine.”

The boat suddenly stopped with a slight jerk and I frowned.

Sawyer held out his hand to me, which had lengthened to claws. “We’re leaving. Eugene is lowering the row boat.”

My eyes widened. “No. Oh my God, Sawyer I’m fine. We don’t—”

“I’m not fine.” His jaw was so tight I thought he might break his teeth. “If we stay, my wolf will shift and rip out the prime minister’s throat.”

Holy fucking shit.

“Okay … I mean, when you put it that way. We should probably go.” He took a shuddering breath as I grasped his hand, and then we were moving to the back of the boat.

“But your dad’s birthday—”

“He understands,” Sawyer growled.

Before I knew it, Sawyer and I had crawled down a ladder and into a rowboat with Eugene at the helm.

“Get us the hell out of here,” Sawyer snarled.

Eugene looked at me, perplexed, but nodded.

When we were about fifty yards away, the yacht started up again and sailed away as the sun set on the horizon.

Sawyer held my hand so tightly it almost hurt, but I didn’t think he realized it. It was like he was afraid of letting me go, and it touched my heart that seeing another man mistreat me wound him up so badly.

“Sawyer?” I called to him, and he looked over at me, eyes still orange. “I’m okay.” I placed a hand on his chest and his eyes flickered blue. “I’m okay,” I repeated again.

His breath shuddered, and then he leaned forward, touching his forehead to mine. His eyes slowly faded from orange to blue. “Demi, I will never let anyone hurt you. Ever.”

My throat went dry. I believed him.

Could you fall in love with someone who you hadn’t even kissed? Because I was falling for Sawyer Hudson, hard.

But was he falling for me? Or did I have too much baggage already?

***

By the time our limo stopped in front of my dorm, Sawyer was fully human again, but had stayed quiet throughout the entire drive. I was so used to the silence that I startled when he spoke. “Have you had any trouble keeping your wolf down?”

Okay, so were we finally going to go there … talk about my little freako split shifter problem?

I chuckled. “I was forced to keep my wolf down for over twenty years. What’s another little while?”

He frowned. “Full moon is tomorrow night. The entire school goes for a pack run.”

Oh … so that’s why he was bringing it up.

Great.

I shrugged. “I’ll say I’m sick.”

He chewed his lip. “You’ve never been on a pack run during full moon. The collective magic that we use to shift is so strong … you won’t be able to fight it.”

“Oh … well…”

“I have an idea.” He rubbed circles in the center of my palm. “You shift inside your dorm, early, and I’ll come get you and walk your wolf over to the run site while your … other form stays in your dorm.”

A grin broke out onto my face. “So I could run with you? With everyone?”

He nodded, looking hopeful. “Assuming there aren’t any issues…”

I frowned. “Issues?”

He shrugged. “How far away can you be from your wolf? Does it hurt if you get too far? Things like that.”

My eyes widened. “Oh … and if there are issues?”

He placed a possessive hand on my thigh. “Then I’ll bring you right back to your dorm and say you are sick.”

I nodded. It was worth a try, especially since I couldn’t fake sickness and hide every month for the rest of the school year.

The door opened then and I saw a flash of Eugene before he was gone. Sawyer stepped out, pulling me up, but he didn’t back away as I stood right up against his body. “I’m sorry tonight was a bust. I wanted you to have a really special date with me.”

His warm body, pressed against mine, made me ache with need.

Please fucking kiss me.

“It was special.” My breath was ragged as his hands came up to cup my face. I reached out and raked my fingers along his shirt, pressing into the hard muscles there, trying to communicate to him I wanted this.

Bad.

Mama needs some action.

He licked his lips and grinned, leaning forward.

“Sawyer!” a familiar female screamed right behind us, and his entire body tensed as he pulled away from me and faced Meredith.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were on a date,” she said with a conspiratorial grin.

She looked pretty fucking pleased with herself for someone who didn’t realize we were on a date.

“Well, I am.” You could hear the annoyance in his voice.

“How was your dad’s party? You know what, carry on, I’ll just text you. See you tomorrow!” She waved us both off and then left.

For a split second I’d forgotten that I was competing for this man. I’d thought I was just over here falling in love with Prince Charming, and ignored that he was dating forty-nine other fucking women.

“Night, Sawyer.” There was a growl in my voice as I stepped away from him.

I thought he would let me go, like a sensible man, but instead he jumped out in front of me.

“Are you mad at me?” He looked sad.

I sighed. “I’m just not into this multiple women dating one guy thing. It’s not for me. I also don’t appreciate when I’m about to have a first kiss with a guy I like and his ex-girlfriend interrupts us.”

He chewed on his bottom lip as if tempting me to give it another go. “You’re right, she fucked that up and the mood is gone.” Stepping closer to me, he leaned down and brushed his lips against my cheek. “I guess I’ll just have to surprise you with the next one.”

My eyelids fluttered closed as his breath washed over me.

Yes please.

I was about to tell him fuck it, the mood was back, when he pulled away and walked toward the limo, leaving me confused as all shit.