Page 3 of Tempting Frey
“A lot of shifter omegas study later in life.”
“Oliver, for the last time, I’m not having sex with you. I don’t want to. Go home, or I’ll call your dad to pick you up.”
Finally, he got it. He spun around and reached for the shirt. Of course he flashed me his butt in the process. The lace parted over his crease.Fucking hell and all the demons.The kid came here to ask me to punch his V-card wearing assless panties.
I looked at the ceiling as he dressed.
When he turned back to me, his cheeks were stained with tears, and his jaw was set in anger. The sight was a gut punch, but what did he expect?
“I’m sorry, Oliver. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But soon you’re off to school, and you’ll forget about me in a few weeks.”
“You can’t forget your fated mate.” His voice broke on the word mate.
Then he ran out. The entry door banged shut behind him.
I filled my whiskey glass with a shaking hand and gulped half of it in one go. If Sheriff Hawke “Chickie” Klondike ever heard of this, he’d skin me alive and use my fur as a doormat.
Luckily, by August 15, Oliver would be gone.
2
OLIVER
Four years later
“C’mon, Dex will be there,” Kit said. “He’s totally hung up on you. You could relieve him of his agony.”
“Oliver is saving himself for Mr. Perfect,” Jake recited with his hand on his heart.
“Sorry, guys, but I’m tired. We’ve been to four parties in three days. Besides, Dad is picking me up at ten tomorrow, and I need to finish packing.”
Kit grabbed my hands in his. “It’s the last day. Youhave tocome.”
“I really can’t.”
“Let him be,” Jake said. “With Oliver out of the picture, maybe Dex will accept my ass as a consolation prize.” He patted his round butt and winked at me.
I gave him a thumbs-up. “Go for it.”
“I don’t understand,” Kit said. “Are all bear shifters like this? You don’t date at all until you meet the one?”
“They fuck around just like we do,” Jake replied. “This is just Oliver being a prude.”
I didn’t contradict him. I’d never told my roommates about Frey. In fact, I’d never told anyone. “Have fun, guys. Say hi to everyone from me.”
A few minutes later, my roommates left, and I looked around at the chaos in my room. At least the laundry was now done. I started pairing my socks, throwing them into the bottom of my largest suitcase.
I was going home, back to the mountains. And this time, it was for good.
During college, I’d visited home every summer and every Christmas. Each time, Frey had avoided our house like I had brought the plague. He’d gone on long work trips and visited distant family during most of the weeks I’d been in Beauville—almost as if he’d planned his calendar based on my breaks. And so, I hadn’t spent more than a few minutes in a room with him for the entire four years. We’d never been alone again.
I hadn’t given him any reason to worry I’d renew my advances. I’d had enough humiliation to last me a lifetime. If he thought of me as just an immature kid, my behavior that night had only confirmed that. I’d been so stupid.
I hoped I’d changed since. I’d only made responsible choices—for the most part, anyway. I’d finished my education and made my parents proud.
Would he see me differently now?
Mismatched socks in my hands, I stared at my slouched form in the mirror. I still looked like jailbait, dammit.
