Page 14 of Make Me

Year 1, Semester 1

A few months in

“That’s it. I can’t read anymore,” Cody complained dramatically, throwing himself onto his back on the couch he was lying on. “My eyes are crossing!”

Bethany’s and Holly’s eyes met, and Holly giggled at Bethany’s eye roll. The four friends were in various studying positions around a low table in the library. Cody had claimed the couch, while Holly curled up in an overstuffed chair. Bethany and Zack had ended up on the floor going over their history reading together.

Bethany was trying to ignore the heat of Zack’s body pressed against hers as they read about the Realm. That was hard to do as her cat purred so loudly she was worried that someone was going to hear it. She had shoved her cat down so deep inside her after the events of this summer she scarcely felt the animal for a few months. But something about the wizard had her cat climbing back to the surface. But she brushed off her cat’s reaction to the wizard next to her. Shifters were usually tactile creatures and being without her pride for the last few months had Bethany realizing how much she missed it. Her cat was determined to form a new pride with her new friends here, and that’s why she was resurfacing now. The four of them just fit so well, even when she and Cody fought like cats and dogs.

Since their tentative truce, she and Cody had stopped avoiding each other, but that didn’t mean Bethany had forgiven him for abandoning her. She still poked at him all the time, and he poked right back. They took turns riling each other up until Holly or Zack intervened. Holly was usually more direct about it, but Zack had taken to just placing himself between the two of them until they stopped picking at each other. And that hadn’t helped Bethany get over her crush on him.

The wizard was just so kind and quiet and understanding. He was an excellent listener and was always doing small things that had her cat purring and wanting to curl up and take a nap next to him. For her animal to be that drawn to him when she had a mate… She flicked her eyes over to Cody before bringing them back to the book in front of her. Was it possible to have two mates? Ugh. Why was love so complicated? Woah, wait, not love. Attraction? Men? Life. Why was life so complicated?

She allowed herself a brief moment to think about what life would be like if she weren’t the Alpha Heir. If she was just a regular shifter. Maybe she could have claimed Cody, and they would be living in the shifter territory. Maybe with the pride or maybe with the pack. As she thought about the cottage they would have, her brain put Zack into the mix. He was there, eating with them and tending the small garden they would have.

Zack bumped her shoulder gently to draw her attention. She turned her head, and he blushed at how close their faces were. He pushed up his glasses nervously and tilted his head towards Holly, who was speaking.

“Sorry, say that again. All this reading is scrambling my brain.”

Holly laughed. “I was saying that Cody and I were going to raid the dining hall for snacks. Do you want to come?”

“No, I’ll stay here,” Bethany said. “I only have a little bit left of this chapter, and I want to finish it.”

“I’ll stay with you,” Zack volunteered.

“Okay. Come on, Cody, let’s give your crossing eyes a break.” Holly tugged on his arm playfully, and Bethany stifled a growl from her cat. Even though Holly was fast becoming one of her closest friends, her cat still didn’t like other females touching Cody.

Holly quickly let go of Cody as he rolled to his feet, and Bethany’s cat calmed. Zack gave her a quizzical look, but she ignored it and looked back down at the book as Holly and Cody left the room. In the empty library, Bethany became hyper-focused on the heat emanating from Zack’s body against her own. Her breath hitched as his hip brushed hers. This crush was really getting out of control.

She turned her head, and her breath caught in her throat again. Zack’s face was inches from hers, and he looked at her with a furrowed brow.

“Is everything okay?” he asked quietly.

Bethany was distracted from the question when her eyes dropped down to his pale pink lips. Zack’s breath stuttered this time. She wasn’t sure who leaned forward first, but suddenly their lips were touching. His lips were warm as they tentatively moved against hers. One of his hands came up and touched her cheek gingerly, and the soft touch sent a bolt of heat all the way down to her toes.

Her cat came scrambling up to the surface. Mate!

No, that wasn’t possible. She had a mate already. Her cat was just confused. She couldn’t have two mates, could she?

After only a few moments, though, Zack pulled back suddenly and dropped his hand like she was on fire. She opened her eyes, not sure when she closed them, to see his eyes wide and panic lighting his face. Shit. She must have misread his intent and basically mauled him all because her cat wanted a mate.

“I’m so sorry.” Bethany ducked her chin. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No… I’m sorry…” Zack stammered. “It’s not that. Not the kiss, I mean… I’m… I just… I don’t do that,” he blurted out.

“I…” Bethany stopped when Holly and Cody entered the room, their arms filled with snacks.

She glanced at Zack, but his gaze snapped down to his textbook, his glasses slightly askew on his nose. Shit, she had fucked this up. She kissed him without his permission because of her cat, and he didn’t have the same feelings at all. Plus, she’d jeopardized their budding friendship and not just hers and Zack’s but also hers and Holly’s, since Zack was Holly’s friend first. Her shoulders slumped. Fuck, she needed to apologize.

“Hellcat.” Cody waved a bag of crispy bread sticks in front of her. His tone made her realize that he had been trying to get her attention for a while.

“Thanks,” she said distractedly as she took the bag, sneaking a glance at Cody as a wave of guilt slammed into her. She hadn’t just fucked things up with Zack, but she’d also cheated on her mate.

But had she? She couldn’t ever have Cody as a mate. The pride would never allow it. And they would never accept Zack either, even if her cat was right. The only way they would be happy is if she mated another cat in the pride. Now she felt doubly guilty about leading Zack on. Fuck, her mom was right; emotions made you vulnerable, and vulnerability sucked.

She must have zoned out, staring at her textbook. Shuffling around her got her attention. Everyone was packing up for tonight. Zack was very studiously not looking at her, his cheeks still dusted red, and Bethany bit the side of her lip. She needed to apologize. She waited until Cody and Holly were packing up the snacks and distracted before she touched his arm softly.

“I’m sorry. I won’t ever do that again.” She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked to the door to wait for Holly there. Holly must have picked up on her urgency as she finished up and looped her arm through Bethany’s as they silently exited the library.

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