Page 13

Liam

N o matter what I do I can’t seem to escape her. She’s fucking everywhere and has been since the first day of classes. I scented her the moment I walked into Film Studies and even though my wolf is definitely not in agreement, I decided right then to stay as far away from her as possible. Imagine my dismay to find her in both my English and my Math class as well. I can’t fucking escape her. She’s everywhere I turn.

That’s why I’m not surprised that even now, when all I’m trying to do is give my wolf some time to run, her scent is invading my space. I try to avoid her, but my wolf has no such qualms. He stays locked on her forest and lavender scent, always managing to stay close enough that the smell of her invades my mind, no matter where she runs. Even when I refuse to look, I see her in flashes. She shifts back to two feet, all soft curves and delicate beauty. That long obsidian hair, that always looks like it was made to be tangled in someone’s hands, blowing in the breeze. Her eyes are the worst. They don’t just look at you, they see you. And I hate how much I want her to see me.

I prowl just beyond the treeline, watching as she makes her way towards her dorm. The pungent smell of her terror has us reacting on instinct. I don’t even hesitate, jumping from the tree line and attacking that fuckhead, Trent.

The things he said to her. He’s lucky I have such strong control over my wolf. He wanted to tear that stupid kangaroo to shreds instead of simply scaring him away. I’ll have to keep a close eye on him from now on. I’ve seen the way he leers at her in class. I thought learning she’s Lucas’s mate would deter him from whatever sick game he’s playing. Apparently, I was wrong.

After he scurries away from my mate like the fucking coward he is, I take a moment to assure myself that Rachel is unharmed then bound away to prowl the edge of the woods making sure Trent goes back to the dorms. The back door opens and my happy-go-lucky twin walks out, chipper as fucking ever. He even says hi to the kangaroo fuck who just threatened his mate.

I snarl at the thought and his eyes snap to mine. When he sees it’s me and not some other predator, he smiles and jogs towards me, shifting when he’s only a few feet away.

We may be identical twins, but we’re opposites in almost every way. Our polarity is so soul deep it even manifests itself in our wolves. Most identical twins and even our siblings who are identical triplets are identical in both forms. You can’t tell them apart in wolf form. But Lucas’s stark white fur is the yang to my pitch black pelt.

Our wolves chase each other through the trees, nipping at each other’s tails as we play. It’s the first time I’ve felt so free in weeks. Lucas’s white coat gleams silver in the moonlight, sleek and fast. While mine is shadow black and built thicker through the shoulders. We’ve always been opposites, even in wolf form. It’s like fate wanted to make sure no one ever confused us.

We come to the end of the tree line and arrive at the huge lake with a white sandy beach surrounding it. It reminds me of the lake house we used to spend summers at before Kurt and Bishop were born.

Before we became miniature parents to our siblings we did all sorts of things as a family. I’ve wished often in life that my parents had stopped after Kurt and Bishop, I mean there were already Lucas and I and the triplets. Surely they didn’t need more than the seven kids they already had. But then I think about my younger siblings and how much I love them and feel like shit for feeling the way I do. I just wish my parents had been able to spend time with us like they did back at the beach house. I shift back to ask Lucas if he remembers our summers there.

My twin was clearly not on the same page as me, because when I shift and turn around, his wolf plows into me. The big oaf knocks me off my feet and onto the sandy ground. He yips and licks my face while I try in vain to shove him off of me.

“Gross! No licking the face!” I groan as I shove his snout away from me.

He jumps off, yipping some more as he bounces around before he too shifts back laughing at me.

When Lucas shifts back, he’s already grinning like the smug idiot he is. Our faces may be the same, same chiseled jaw, same stormy blue eyes, but somehow he’s always the one that looks more approachable. Maybe it’s the stupid dimples or the way his hair always looks windswept, even when we haven’t been outside. I’m the serious twin. It shows, even when we’re laughing.

“Aw man. That was awesome!” He crows. “It’s been way too long since we’ve played. I forgot how much fun it is to take you down.”

“You were only able to take me down because I wasn’t expecting it. And if we’re comparing take downs, mine from earlier was way cooler. My mark damn near pissed his pants,” I gloat.

“What? You attacked someone? Who?” he gasps.

“Don’t get all defensive of the jerk. If you were there, you would have jumped him too. Hell, I was protecting your mate.” My mood instantly shifts when I remember what that prick said to her.

“Rachel?! What happened?” He looks ready to run back to the dorms to check on her.

“Your favorite outfielder,” I growl out.

“Hopper? What the hell did he do this time?” he snarls.

“He cornered your mate at the treeline,” the low growl that laces my voice is impossible to get rid of at this point. “The asshole said some pretty disgusting shit to her. I scared him off before he could do anything. You’re welcome.”

“Fuck! Bastian’s gotta get control of that piece of shit. Either he needs to or Coach does because if he comes near my mate again, I won’t be held responsible for what I do.” It’s not often that my brother's wolf is visible in his eyes but right now I can see the wolf’s rage simmering in Lucas’s stormy blue eyes.

This girl has him and his wolf all tied up. No wonder he was so distracted last game. She’s gonna ruin his career.

“Good. You take care of it next time. Leave me out of your mate’s drama.” My words come out harsher than I intend and I see him flinch.

“What the fuck is your problem? You’ve been a dick ever since classes started.”

“I wasn’t ready,” I grumble as I pace along the shoreline.

“Ready for what?” His plea is enough to snap my control.

“Her,” I bite out, swirling around to face him. “I didn’t come here to meet my fated fucking mate. I came here to play ball and become a travel photographer for a famous magazine. Yet she’s everywhere I fucking go all of the time. She’s like a shadow I can’t escape.”

“Oh, so you admit she’s your mate now, huh?” he snarks back at me.

“Of course, she’s my fucking mate. I knew it the moment I smelled her in Film Studies the first day of classes,” I’m rambling now but I don’t care, I’m so tired of being alone in my thoughts. “But I’m not ready. I have dreams. I don’t want to be tied down and end up like our parents. I wanna travel the world. Take pictures of everything I see. Be free .”

“And you don’t think you can do all that with a mate? You’re not the only one who has dreams you know. I don’t think we have to give up our dreams just because we found our mate young. It just means we have someone to experience them with.”

“Yeah. You think she’s going to be okay traveling the world and being out in nature? Or going from ballpark to ballpark? Girls aren’t like that, Lucas. Once they find their mates it’s like some biological clock starts ticking. She’s going to want to build a burrow or some shit. Settle down and pop out a bunch of fucking pups like mom did.” I finally sit next to him on the beach too worn out to continue my pacing.

“I don’t think she will. I don’t think she was looking for mates either. You didn’t see the way she ran from me when I accidentally mated her. I think she’s scared. Maybe she thinks we’re going to tie her down like you think she’s gonna tie us down,” he tries to reason with me.

“Yeah, right,” I scoff.

“There’s only one way to know for sure.” He shrugs. “Bas invited her for a date tomorrow. Why don’t you come? You don’t have to bond with her. Just get to know her before you ruin your life rejecting her.” I physically recoil at his assumption that I would reject her.

I may not be ready for a mate, but I would never reject her.

“I don’t think so, Luc, I’m not ready.”

“Look… I know you’re scared. But you can’t keep being an ass and taking your issues out on her. She hasn’t done anything to you. She doesn’t deserve that.”

I run my hand through my hair, pulling at the roots. “I know. You’re right. If I should be mad at anyone, it’s Mom, not Rachel. Look… I won’t make any promises, ok? But give me some time. I need to come to terms with this on my own. I don’t want to hurt her or reject her. I just…”

“I know. You’re not ready.” He rolls his eyes. “No one’s saying you have to complete the bond like I did. Just stop being an ass. Give her a chance. You may be surprised.”

“Yeah… I’ll try.”

“And next time, talk to me. We’re supposed to be best friends. You’ve always been able to tell me anything. That’s not changing just because we’ve met our mate. Hell, if anything, we’re gonna need to communicate more . You know how Pops, Da, and Dad work like a team. If we’ve got any shot at making this mate thing work, we’re going to have to use our strengths to our advantage. And our biggest one is our ability to work like a cohesive team. On and off the field.”

I reach over and pull my brother into a quick hug. Shame on me for not talking to him like I should have. Just because I’m not ready for a mate doesn’t mean I get to treat him like shit because he is. Maybe he’s right. If I give Rachel a chance that doesn’t mean I have to bond her right away. I could just get to know her and see what she’s like. Apparently I’ve already decided I’m not going to reject her, so there’s really only one other option. But what if she hates me already? It’s not like I’ve been super receptive or even friendly. I must have voiced that concern out loud because Lucas answers.

“She won’t hate you, bro. She doesn’t seem the type to hate anyone really, but she won’t blame you for running from her especially since she’s been known to be a runner herself.” He shoots me a wink before hopping up off the ground. “Now wanna race back to the dorms?”

He’s shifted and running before I have a chance to answer so I do the only thing possible, shift and chase after him.