Page 38 of Wolf Mate

“I don’t know—” she started.

“It wasn’t a request.” His eyes glowed. “Go with the others to the student center, and I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

She scowled and looked at me. “I’m sorry.” Then she left Raffe and me alone.

The room closed in on me, and my mouth went dry. I didn’t know what he wanted, but my hormones were going wild while my brain screamed a loud warning.

As soon as the door shut, his face twisted in apology. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you’re a prisoner. It’s just … we’re worried you could expose the supernatural world.”

I placed my hands on my hips, needing to do something with them so I didn’t reach for him. The soft look on his face had my resolve crumbling, and theyankin my chest made me want to close the distance between us. “Maybe you didn’t mean to, but you did.” I had to stand my ground and not be a pushover. I’d been one my entire life, and it had to end sometime. Right? “I’m not trying to cause problems. I just want to find somewhere to belong. I’ve never had that before, and evenhere, among supernaturals and humans, I still don’t belong. You alienating me like that earlier made things harder on me.”

He rubbed his temples. “I was a jackass, and I’m sorry. I saw an opportunity and took it.”

“If Slade doesn’t mind training me on how to control my magic, then I’m doing it.” I lifted my chin, drawing my first boundary ever. “I think he can help me, given the chance.”

“Be careful with him.” He scowled. “He’s not known for his generous nature.”

I snorted. “He’s been nice, trying to help me, and he hasn’t publicly embarrassed me. So…”

Raffe hung his head. “Fair, but Ihavesaved you. That counts for something.” He smiled, now overly bright.

My stupid heart fluttered. When he was like this, it was hard to remember he was a jackass. “Why do you act so differently when we’re alone?” The question came out before I could stop it.

His smile fell, and I swore his irises darkened with regret. We stared at one another, each searching for something in the other.

“It’s best if we keep our distance.” His voice was deep and raspy. “For both our sakes. I don’t want to keep upsetting you.”

I almost wished my magic was fritzing so I could read his emotions. He looked so conflicted, but knowing better than to ask why, I nodded. “That would be for the best.” The words might as well have been a knife to the chest.

“Okay.” He huffed and took a step toward the door. He grimaced as if in pain. “But the offer always stands, Skylar. If you need me, you’ve got my number. And I’ll stop being a jerk to you in public.”

At least there was that.

“I’ll have Lucy bring you back something to eat.” He opened the door. “See you around.”

He shut the door, and a piece of my heart walked out with him.

A little overtwo weeks later, I hadn’t gotten very far with training. I could get my blood swirling, but the little bit of control I’d gotten that first time had vanished, and I couldn’t get the power to dissipate.

Slade and I spent almost every day together. He was still searching for more information about my heritage—apparently, the priestess’s book hadn’t been fruitful.

At night, Lucy and I would watch a few episodes ofCriminal Mindsbefore we retired to bed. We were forming a friendship in our own right, though it was a slow process.

On Saturday, I got a call from the animal shelter. They had a volunteer class scheduled for the following Saturday morning that I could take. Having that to look forward to was the only thing that got me rolling out of bed this early Tuesday morning as I dreaded seeing Raffe in class.

True to his word, we hadn’t spoken since that night, but even without speaking to him for over two weeks, I felt the same damn pull, my body begging me to eliminate any distance between us. At least Slade was in the class I had with Raffe.That was a blessing, especially since it was the one Raffe had embarrassed me in.

“Earth to Skylar,” Slade said from my side.

The two of us were heading into Evergreen after having a quick biscuit and grabbing a latte, but my stomach gurgled more with each step I took closer to Raffe.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought.” He’d helped me so much that I should have been hanging on to his every word, but I couldn’t get Raffe off my mind. “What’s up?”

“I asked if you wanted to go to the football game with me and a few otherpeopleSaturday night.” He waggled his brows. “You know, my friends who you haven’t wanted to meet yet. You came all this way—at least, get a proper student experience.”

He was right. If we weren’t in the woods practicing magic, I was holed up in my room, apart from very short trips to the student center to eat. But Raffe had asked me to hang out only with people I knew, and I’d been trying to respect that. “Raffe said—”

“Fuck him.” Slade rolled his eyes. “Too many people hang on his every word. Besides, he hasn’t spoken to you in weeks. I’ll be there to make sure nothing happens, and if it does, we leave. It’s that simple.”

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