His voice fades."Baby? C'mon!"Teague protests. A second later, he comes back on the phone. "I can put trackers in your phones and clothing, but I can't put a security detail on you," he grumbles. He mumbles something else under his breath.
I silently thank my other brother-by-mating, Blu. He's good at talking the crazy down.
Teague clears his throat. "I'll come to visit soon, Mattie."
"You were just here," I remind him. "I'm alright, T." Liar, liar, pants on fire. "I'll keep visiting Cass, and we'll both be fine."
A grunt is his only response.
I hang up, my hands shaking. Just before I pocket my phone, I see text after text from Dylan. Swallowing, I slowly get out of the car.
"There you are, Matthew. Where the fuck did you go?" Dylan has me by the nape just a heartbeat after I step out of the car.
"Visiting my sister at school," I explain miserably.
He's shaking when he pulls me into his chest. "Sorry, baby," he murmurs. "I was worried."
I let myself be tugged along, wishing I had just told Teague the truth.
---
9 - Mi Vida Por Mi Reina
Cassidy
I run as fast as my ridiculously short legs can move. It's slow, let me tell you. In my hand, the roll of toilet paper is coming undone, the end trailing behind me like a flag of victory... or defeat. I know, I know; I should get rid of the evidence, but I just can't bring myself to litter.
T.P.ing the Alpha Ups house wasn't precisely earth-friendly, but I can stomach turning their lawn into a giant toilet bowl. Jerks.
I am a she-wolf. Fast and Strong, gosh-dang-it!
So why is my chest literally heaving, my lungs about to explode from my chest? I stop behind the Science Building Annex, my hands on my knees, toilet paper trail blowing in the breeze, to suck in great drafts of air back into my burning lungs.
I am in awful shape. It's embarrassing. Did I put on the freshmen-fifteen? Or maybe the freshmen-fifty? I pinch my waist. No, maybe five pounds. Five pounds from donuts and coffee. I should cut out the coffee...
"Straighten up,Conejita." Warm hands gently force my waist to unbend. "Hands up on your head, just like that. Now, breathe. Nice and slow."
I feel dizzy, leaning onto that muscular chest as he rubs my back slowly. The pain in my lungs fades bit by bit. I open my eyes, blinking away the pretty dots dancing in front of my eyes. "So...out...of shape," I gape at him as I pull away from his chest. He's only wearing a pair of faded blue jeans. I'm mesmerized. Dazed, I trace the tribal wolf tattooed on his chest with my eyes.
White-blue eyes are fixed on my head. "Did you have to take a shit,Conejita?"
I would gasp in surprise, but I can't breathe. Slowly, I lower my hands. I'm still clutching the toilet paper. "No," I defend myself. Then I just stare at those pretty eyes in silence.
His mouth quirks. "You know, TP'ing is considered vandalism, right?"
I straighten a little more, glad that my lungs are beginning to feel normal again. "I don't know..." gasp, "what you're talking about," air, "I had an emergency and desperately..." inhale, Cassie! "...needed toilet paper."
The quirk on his lips grows, the tiniest bit, into a minuscule smirk. "The Alpha Ups house is on GChat, which you know. I've been looking for the tiny, curvy, little blonde captured tossing the toilet paper on the garbage cans." He shakes his head, clucking his tongue, "Naughty, naughty, girl."
"I was captured on camera?" I ask him faintly. Oh, my goddess.
He hums in his throat. "On the garbage cans, Cassidy Morgana Daschel. You're supposed to aim for the trees."
I stare at him in horror. "How would they ever get it all down?"
The quirk of his lips grows into a slight smirk.
"The toilet paper is conspicuous,Conejita." He flicks the roll still clutched tightly in my hand.