Page 2 of Heartless

Was he really going to..?

In the privacy of his room, he could do as he pleased, but not when I was trapped in his bed. And not when my hand was attached to the fingers sliding over his groin…

“I swear to God, Callum..!”

“Chill, Tilly,” he muttered, cupping the swelling front of his pants as his body rolled my way. “I know you want yours, but I’m sleepy. How about you lend me a hand instead?”

I went rigid, the whole scene so far from my comfort zone, the only thing I could think to do was feign sleep. Gritting my teeth, I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for him to settle back down. His arm was now hooked over my hip, but at least I was in a sweatshirt and jeans. And he was back to dribbling on his pillow instead of mistaking me for Tilly, his den mother and regular hook-up.

When his breathing finally settled into a soft purr, I opened my eyes and looked around. When we’d come in here last night, I’d been too freaked out to pay much attention to my surroundings. No surprises, it was as dark and depressing as Callum Sawyer’s soul. Unlike the other alpha dorms I’d been in, it had charcoal walls and heavy mahogany furniture that looked like generations of Sawyers had lived – and died – in it. The bed itself was an over-the-top four-poster, shrouded in a black comforter and velvet drapes the color of old blood. It gave the room a funeral parlor vibe and if I didn’t know we were in the middle of a shifter school, I’d be checking his closet for a black cloak and stocks of O-negative.

And what I wouldn’t give for a pointy stake or a silver bullet right now.

A soft tap on the door had my heart leaping in my chest, but it took a nose-dive as a voluptuous blonde stepped into the room. Tilly wore a silky nightgown, her hair perfectly ruffled and her lips bright with gloss. But they had nothing on the sparkle in her eye as she sashayed towards the bed. “Move over,” she whispered. When I just gaped at her, she clicked her tongue and walked around to the other side. Sliding next to Callum, she ran her long nails down his spine. “You called me, Alpha?” She shot me a look over his sleeping body. “He’s always like this after a big night. So, did you two…?”

I gaped at her. “No!” When she frowned – because after all, I was meant to be a recently claimed wolf, who couldn’t keep my hands off his furry ass – I spluttered, “I- I mean, it’s none of your business.”

“Oh, I assure you, everything to do with the alphason is my business.”

Callum chose that moment to crack an eye, not at all surprised to find two females in his bed. He gave Tilly a heated smirk, then hooked a brow in my direction. “You finally awake, Little Freak?”

Little Freak. The latest in unimaginative insults from Alphadouche Sawyer.

“You’re kidding, right?” I tugged on the cuff hard enough to pull his hand from his pants. “I’ve been trying to wake you for an hour while you’ve been…” I choked and waved a hand at him. “Drooling on your pillow!”

“Can’t blame me for being hungry,” he murmured, his hooded gaze drifting back to Tilly.

“I can blame you for putting me in cuffs.”

He grunted and pulled an old-fashioned letter opener from under his pillow. “Just couldn’t have you wandering off in the night.” He cut his own cuff, then tossed the knife at me. “Your first shift can be screwy. Shifters have been known to sleep-walk, especially if their beast’s been trying to get out for a while.”

I swallowed hard, my hand shaking a little as I cut the cuff. He’d chosen his words with care, and I didn’t miss the message. He couldn’t have me wandering around in my sleep, not when he’d just found the perfect way to blackmail me.

Because I’m not a wolf.

The pain that gripped my chest was so intense, I had to take a deep breath. To my dismay, it flooded my nose with his black pepper smell. It was sharp, and unlike other alpha smells, almost repellent. I’d always assumed it was because my wolf was too smart to be attracted to the cruelest of the school’s alphas. But maybe it wasn’t good judgement. Maybe it was just the old cliché about cats and dogs…

An image of the black wolf with green eyes flashed through my mind. I’d become so used to seeing glimpses of her, I’d assumed she was my other half. My wolf. Buried or trapped, but somewhere inside, just waiting to find her way out. But now I couldn’t tell if it was a real connection, or if the little flashes were just wishful thinking. Because how could she exist, if I was also a cat?

I’m a cat. I’m a cat. I’m some kind of freaky shifter cat…

Which is exactly what his den mother looked like, as she climbed her way up Callum’s body. I was off the bed so fast, I got a static shock from his comforter. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” Callum murmured as Tilly dropped nipping kisses across his chest. He watched her for a moment, then slanted a taunting glance my way. “You want to join us, mate?”

I assumed from the wicked glint in his eye he hadn’t told Tilly how we’d come to be mated. And that this was some kind of test. Not a sex one – since I was fairly certain Callum only wanted to screw with my mind – but both a challenge and a threat. If I didn’t play along with the mating ruse, he’d tell his den mother I knew what a cat looked like climbing a tree – intimately.

I clenched my teeth. “Can I talk to you first, Callum?”

He had been stroking Tilly’s head while she meandered down his torso, but now he gave her blonde locks a little tug. “Mate business, babe.”

When Tilly pouted in my direction, I rolled my eyes. “It won’t take long. I promise.”

She went with a huff, but seemed to enjoy her slinky stride to the door, especially since Callum couldn’t tear his eyes from her ass. When she was finally gone, I crossed my arms and glared at him. “This was a massive mistake.”

He didn’t bother answering, dragging himself off the bed and sauntering over to his dresser. When he pulled out a creased school shirt and started buttoning it, I glanced at the window. Thick clouds were rolling across a sky that was struggling to shake off the night. The Packball Cup was Saturday, which meant it was Sunday morning. Only, Callum was dressing for class…. “How long did I sleep?”

“Like I said, you’ve got some lazy bones, Little Freak.”

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