Page 16 of Haze

“Yes, Kathleen.” I turn to her.

“Lena,” she corrects me with a stern look before continuing. “Cade wants to see you on Friday evening. Seven p.m. Nonnegotiable.”

Turning on the ball of her feet, she walks away.

“Kathleen.” I beckon while standing to put my jacket on. “I’m taking you to dinner.”

A laugh floats in from the hallway, but it’s cut short. Her footfalls halt instead of fading away.

Trouble. My wolf hums.

I agree. Nothing good is coming from that. I pull my gun out of the desk drawer before following. Once I reach the threshold, I find out what stalled her escape.

“Hey, Lena. Do you think you could help me with O-Chem tonight? We could get a bite beforehand. My treat.” A male’s voice is talking to my mate.

His words, meant to drip like honey, set me on edge. Absolutely not.

It would be foolish to believe she doesn’t have others vying for intention. But I’m here now. They’ll fall into line.

Lena’s lack of response indicates her desires on the subject. I tuck my gun into the holster in my jacket and continue unhurriedly walking around the doorframe to see him. He’s human and, from the look of him, harmless. Not that humans aren’t dangerous, but this one, God help him.

Somehow, despite being closer in height to Lena than myself, he finds a way to be spindly and lanky, as if he hasn’t quite grown into himself. By the looks of it, he never will.

Though, I can guarantee he won’t if he doesn’t stop looking at my mate like he intends to fuck her.

Leaning against the doorframe, arms folded over my chest, I call to her, “Kathleen. You ready?”

She looks over her shoulder at me, and a sly smile crosses her face while she casts me a devious glance.

Turning to the human male, she releases the words, dripping with defiance. “Yeah, Brayden, I can make the time tonight.”

“Really?!” Brayden’s voice all but cracks like the pup he is. “I mean, awesome, I brought my books, want to go to the library or to Mike’s Bar?”

“Mike’s Bar would be fine.” Lena nods. “Let me grab my bag, we can walk together.” She turns to walk back to her lab, which puts her on a path past me.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I growl as she passes, letting my disapproval hang in the air.

I follow behind her into the lab and toward her office.

Chapter 6

Lena

His disapproving tone puts me on edge. Despite how hard I fight to appear relaxed, my body tenses. I enter my office and close the door to swap my lab coat for my jacket and purse. With a few seconds to myself, I draw a deep breath and exhale, forcing my shoulders down from where they keep creeping up. All day, I’ve been on alert, just waiting for him to fuck everything up.

After grabbing my bag from the back of the door, I open it again to leave, only to find Finn blocking the exit. I flick off the light in my office, indicating that he should move. My office gets the light of the morning sun. Without the sun or the awful fluorescent, we’re cloaked in darkness.

Even in the shadows, his face is painted with dark and deep brooding anger. Finn completely cuts off my path to the outside world.

My wolf lowers herself down within me, wanting to curl into him and kiss his neck to apologize. She urges me to make it right with him.

That won’t happen. Taking a mate would only serve to unravel the years I’ve spent keeping myself hidden from the world. It can’t happen. I push through her outrageous desire to appease him.

With a smile, I respond with the obvious answer, “I’m helping Brayden with his organic chemistry because if he fails again this semester, he won’t be able to continue with his degree.”

“You knew I was taking you to dinner.” His tone is scolding, and he tilts his head down toward me. But then his next words are spoken with a lighter quality. “And I’m not sure much can help Brayden in life, especially organic chemistry.”

It’s not fucking fair he can sound so sexy while scolding me. Wanting to misbehave just to hear someone speak more is not in my normal repertoire.

---