Page 48 of Shadow Wolf
Clare
Ihad the best day.
Just that small glimpse into Frankie's life had made a difference on how he was around me. He seemed more open with me at Taco Bell. He shared stories without me asking, he took me to the park that he spent his childhood at. It wasn’t the safest park for kids, broken bottles and stuff were everywhere. But he pushed me on the swing until the stars came out and it got too dark to be there.
Frankie drove me back to the dorms. He walked me back to my dorm. It was late but I didn’t want the day to end.
“Seamus.” Frankie nodded toward the trees outside our window.
“Frankie boy, Clare.” I heard the vampire call out. My mouth dropped at the mention of my name but I didn’t stop. I wanted to ask if they were friends now… but I think it was pretty clear they were. I still didn’t get why he hung around here. I think he had a crush on Vicki, but I didn’t tell her that. I wasn’t sure if she had guessed that already and that was why she taunted him. Especially with how many guys she had brought back over the summer break.
We got to the main doors and he stopped, holding my hand still he looked down at me. The streetlamp glowed behind his head, I reached up and rubbed my free hand over his shaved head. I loved the feel of it.
“Can I see you again?” He asked, his eyes watching me in a way I knew too well. I didn’t want this to end, I wanted to see him again, I wanted what we had before… but now that he had given more of himself, I knew this could work. But I also knew I had two guys waiting for me back in Kiba. I needed to sort that out before this got too complicated. But today… it was just us.
“Did you want to come up?”
His brows rose at that; he wasn’t expecting me to ask that. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “You don’t have to, I just—”
He took my hand and brought it to his chest. I could feel the purring before I heard it. “That is a yes, I was just surprised. I didn’t want this night to end. It was going to be hard walking away from you.”
With my hand pressed to his chest, I stretched up on my toes and leaned into him.
“Then don’t.” I pulled his tee and captured his lips with mine. It was soft and gentle at first, but then his hand twisted around my braid, pulling me tight to his body and he really kissed me. My heart raced as my body tingled all over just from that kiss. I could feel it in my toes and the tips of my hair.
He pulled away and looked over to the trees and chuckled. I narrowed my eyes, I couldn't see Seamus, but he must have said something to Frankie that made him laugh.
“Come on, let’s go in. It’s getting cold out and Seamus is whispering sweet nothings to me.” My mouth dropped open, Seamus was saying what?
“Am no’,” Seamus called out. I held my hand over my mouth to stop the giggles as we raced up the stairs, hand in hand..
We got back to my room and Vicki already had the door open for us. She wiggled her brows at us and my cheeks heated like I was caught doing something naughty.
“I like this, you're both smiling and giggling like teenagers.”
I laughed, “I am a teenager.” Well, I still was. I would be twenty soon enough.
“Don’t mind me, I’ll sit over here with headphones on, and you too love birds can do whatever you want. I won’t even look.” She winked.
I rolled my eyes, but she just laughed.
“Actually, could you maybe leave? I want to ask Frankie something.”
She stood up and looked at him. “Are you going to make love?”
Frankie coughed and I could feel my cheeks were beat red, God Vicki was making this hard. I threw my hands up at her.
“No, oh my God, Vicki. I was going to ask to see his panther.”
Then she doubled over in laughter. I looked at Frankie who held his fist to his mouth, but he was going to burst out laughing too. What did I say?
“I would like to see hispanthertoo.” Vicki started laughing again and I realized why they were laughing, and I joined in. I guess it did sound kind of dirty when you put it like that.
“You want to meet my panther? You want me to shift in here?” I nodded, he could shift in the room, right? Like, I knew he was going to be a huge panther, but I remember the size of Jett and Mekhi in their wolf forms, he wouldn’t be bigger than them. Wolves were bigger than panthers. I knew that at least.
I looked over to Vicki, I narrowed my eyes at her and she cocked her head. Ugh, I wanted her to give us a little space. But she stood there with her arm crossed over her chest.
“I’ll stay, to make sure you're safe.”
