Page 30 of Just One Bite
A flash blinds me on my right.
“What a cute couple. Has Parker Owens found a mate?” Cherry is the onlyone in Noxx House who works for the school newspaper. I was hoping she’d be here.
“Yeah, I have.” I kiss Olivia’s cheek for good measure, and she looks at me with a lethal stare.
“Will you give me a quote for the paper?”
“Do I have to? I already gave an interview,” Olivia says, and I quietly back up and leave her there to grab our drinks.
With a little distance and air, it’s better. I just got carried away for a second. That’s all it is. The alpha blood is messing with my head again. Is this why I couldn’t “mind my fucking business and eat my food” like Zant had so lovingly put it that day I'd told him about what happened in the dining hall?
I’d been eavesdropping, staring a little, but everyone noticed when Aster and Barrett walked over to Olivia and her sisters. Her expression stayed calm, but her heart was hammering, screaming for help. She needed someone in her corner, and even if I didn’t understand why, I wanted to be that person.
“Parker.” Gavin steps beside me as I pour some alcohol into a cup.Oh, shit.
“Hello, Alpha.” I sip my drink and meet his glare.
“I know your game.”
“There is no game.”
“Tell me right now. That’s an order.”
I grit my teeth. “I’m taking Olivia as my mate.”
“I don’t believe you. We just talked about this—”
“Things changed. This thing with Olivia is real.”
“This has nothing to do with what happened in the dining hall a few days ago?” His brow furrows as he takes another drink.
“Nope.”
I don’t like lying to Gavin. I shouldn’t be able to, technically. Once you’re linked in a pack, doing anything to oppose the Alpha is supposed to be nearly impossible. I still have a hard time sensing anything pack related even while bonded to Gavin. For packmates, it’s visceral. When the Alpha feels something, they all do internally in some way. Since I have alpha blood, the most I can sense is a mildly uncomfortable stomachache.
“Hope I’m not interrupting.” The thud of Cane’s thick-soled shoes accompanies his voice.
“No,” Gavin says.
“Aster is wanting to talk with you, Gavin.”
“I wonder what about.”
I pretend not to notice Gavin’s tone.
“Have to get back to the Mrs. anyway. Catch up later?”
I don’t look in Cane’s direction. The last thing I want is to make more problems for Gavin, but I don’t have many other options. Aster and Barrett respect Gavin, or at the very least, they’re willing to be civil and settle disputes without fights or antics.
It still feels like the right thing to do. It’s not fair Olivia’s father sent them here with no protection, thinking he was sending them to some type of safe haven. They need me more than I care about ruffling feathers on campus. Aster and Barrett have never liked me anyway.
Olivia is hiding in a corner, nearly blending into the curtains when I find her.
“You weren’t supposed to kiss me like that.” Olivia looks really cute when she’s pissed off at me. There’s a trickling of rain hitting the stained-glass window as she leans against it.
“You’re the one who shoved your tongue in my mouth,” I say, handing her a drink.
“You’re saying that was all me?”
