Page 87 of Alpha Varsity

“I love you.” I can’t say the words enough. Every time I say them or hear them, a new wick is lit inside me. The flames grow stronger. Brighter.

Asher flashes me that dimpled smile that makes my knees weak as he loops an arm behind my back and pulls me up against him. “Say it again.”

“I love you.”

“One more time.”

“I love you.”

His kiss is soft and giving. “I want to turn the world inside out for you.”

The wings around my heart beat faster.

He turns off the water and pulls open the shower curtain. “And that starts with getting you to your job on time.” He grabs a towel from the rack and wraps me in it. “And while I will hate pretending at school, I can’t fucking wait for every shifter in Wolf Ridge to know you belong to me.”

I laugh. “You’re crazy.”

“Yep. Crazy for you.”

Asher

There’s a fuck-ton of whispering about me when I walk into the school. Which makes sense because I’m sure the entire town heard by now that I threw a guy out of the art studio window.

I had to do the same sneak-of-shame out of Carlotta’s place and drive separately on my motorcycle, which I hated, but that doesn’t dampen my pride. I marked my mate. Lotta belongs to me in the eyes of the pack. Every shifter will know she’s been claimed.

Of course, no one can tell by my scent anything has changed.

Maybe they will by my swagger. By my smile. By the lift of my sternum and the openness of my chest.

My inner pack–Abe, J. J., Markley and Seb–is all over me, crowding around my locker.

“What the fuck, bro?” Abe gives me a friendly shove. “I literally lit up your phone last night. You couldn’t just text me back to let me know you’re still in the fucking pack?”

“Yeah, dude,” Seb says. “Asshole. We even went over to see your mom last night, and she didn’t know anything.”

Right. My poor mom. I did call her after the council meeting to give her the news, so she didn’t suffer all night like my friends.

“You no-showed to school and practice then drove upand threw a guy through a window yesterday. What is going on with you?” J. J. demands.

I grin. “Yeah, sorry. I was, uh, kinda busy.”

“Busy doing what?” Abe demands.

“Marking my mate.”

A slow smile spreads across Abe’s face. “No shit.”

“What mate?” J. J. demands. Abe obviously kept my secret, even after what happened yesterday.

“Carlotta James,” Abe can’t help himself now. He offers me a fist to bump.

“Hottie Lottie,” Markley says.

“Call her that again, and I’ll rip your tongue out,” I say, but I’m too happy to sound like I mean it.

The insane jealousy and possessiveness has been soothed by the knowledge that she’s mine now.

“What, it’s true. You’re lucky, bruh. So lucky. You found your fated mate. Both of you did. While still in high school. What are the fucking chances?” Markley says.

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