Page 31 of Just One Bite

Chapter Twenty-Four

Parker

“What’s wrong?” Her hand lands on mine.

Neither of us are on the swing. We’re together but younger, sitting in the flowers.

I wipe the wetness from my face. “She’s gone.”

I don’t tell her who. She just knows like she always knows and wraps her arms around me, and I cry in her lap.

I’ve gotten used to waking up to Olivia in my bed over the last week. There’s no sex involved, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to sneak out in the morning like I’m a one-night stand. Since she got her role in the Doxlothia company, she’s gotten up even earlier than before.

“Will you at least call me later?” I joke as she puts her things into her bag in the dim light coming from underneath my door.

She smiles. “I’ll see you later.”

I sit up on my elbows, wiping the sleep from my eyes. “You need to sleep more.”

“You’re telling me?”

“Yeah, I’m telling. You’re not going to show up at my doorstep at one a.m., and then sleep till five a.m. again. You’re coming over early, and we’re going to bed together so you can get a full night of sleep.”

Every night like clockwork, she appears at my door looking groggy and telling me she can’t sleep. I’ve started to wait for her. My bed is small, but I miss her when she isn’t there pushing me off the side and stealing the blanket.

“Okay.”

I had no idea it would be that easy.

“Good. I’ll see you later, then.”

Once she leaves in the morning, I can’t sleep anymore, so I go to the rink to practice. The stars above know I need it, anyway. Olivia is the best thing I have going in my life, and everything else continues to be a shitshow, including getting the team ready for the season.

That’s not the worst part.

There’s still the issue of the council. It's been over a week since the nomination and we still aren't sure who put my name in. None of the werewolves on the council were happy with the announcement, except for Gavin, who got more excited at the thought of me joining the more we talked about it. Luckily, Gavin didn’t take much convincing about the smear campaign with Olivia’s sisters being bullshit.

Man doesn’t really care about rumors. He’s used to it because of his father’s work, and he was a big help in keeping the packs calm with the politics of it all.

He told me what to say if any of the news people ask.

I’ve been dodging dirty looks from Cane my whole life, but now things are on another level with the nomination. Regardless of who did it, I still have to deal with the consequences. That’s why after practice I put my suit on and stand among at least ten people trying to talk to me at the same time.

“Don’t you clean up well,” Zant says, and I straighten my tie. “Big smile for the camera.”

He motions to the row of people with cameras. Some are from the newspaper, and others are a few journalists from the city. Doxlothia news is the Vviveren’s news, considering it houses the kids of the biggest leaders in the world.

“Mr. Owens, with your new step toward leadership, do you think you’ll participate in this year’s Hunt?”

“No.” I have no intentions of leaving Gavin’s pack, and I’m still trying to convince Olivia to let me mark her.

“What do you think your mom would think about your nomination for the council?” a blonde reporter asks me.

I expect questions about her, but my chest tightens at the mention .

“She’d be proud, I think.” Just as proud as when I brought her mud pies.

It’s really sunny, so I have to shield my eyes. Sunny days remind me of her, and we used to sit outside all day long when I was a kid, but now is a bad time to think about it.

“What are your plans for your path into leadership? Do you have any thoughts on starting your own pack or continuing your mother’s work?” Autumn, from the university newspaper, is holding a recorder to my mouth.

The flash blinds me, and I open my mouth to speak, but my throat is dry.

My mother was a Doxlothia legacy and a mate advocate. She’s the reason for at least twenty percent of the laws we have around protecting mated couples, and she did a lot of casework too. Matchmaking. That was her favorite part. Working with real people.

“That’s enough questions for today. We will present a full list of initiatives by Monday morning,” Zant says, wrapping an arm around me and moving me to a quiet place on the Central Lawn.

“You did great,” he says.

My relief is short-lived.

“We’re going to be late to team practice.”

I’ve already gone for the day, but I have energy left to burn.

I roll my shoulders to loosen the stress knot gathering there.

I can’t be late to practice. The team needs me to be one hundred percent.

Things have only slightly improved in our practices, and any absence from me is sure to set us back.

“We’ll make it. Stop stressing.”

“Easy for you to say. I’ve got a lot of things in my brain right now, and this council stuff is just adding weight.”

“You mean Olivia.”

“Yeah, she’s part of it.”

“You’re so fucked.” Zant chuckles.

“You’re supposed to be my encourager.”

“I encourage you to stop messing around and ask Olivia to be your girlfriend for real before she decides she’s done and wants someone else to hold her at night.”

I didn’t tell him, he just knew as soon as I walked up.

Olivia was in my bed again last night. Zant grinned as soon as he saw me and raised his eyebrows.

It was her smell. Sleeping in the same bed saturates me with her scent.

The only downside is her scent lingers in my sheets after and makes me miss her.

It’s a habit for us that’s working its way into a well-worn path.

“She barely wants me to, let alone some other guy.”

“Really? You don’t see her wanting to fuck her dance partner or, I don’t know, any of the other monster dicks in this place? You’re not the only one strong enough to protect her.”

“Okay, now you’re actually making me mad.” I breathe through my flared nostrils and try to get that image out of my head. I can’t think of it without my skin itching.

“That’s the point. I worry for you. If Olivia goes rogue on your plan, I’m afraid you might actually kill someone at this point, and I hate to tell you this, but my dad won’t let me be seen visiting you in prison. He loves you, but it’s bad for my image.”

“Comforting.”

“I’m serious. You like her. You don’t want anyone else touching her. You need to ask her for real.”

He’s right. I just hate it when he’s right.

Zant loves thinking he’s helping me by telling me obvious things out loud.

I do want to ask her, but there’s this nagging little voice reminding me she might say no.

And that reminds me that there might be a day when she won’t want to sleep in my bed.

Then all of this will be for nothing, and I’ll, what?

Find a different mate so I can stay in Gavin’s pack?

I’m the one who just had to make the point that this is casual.

“I am serious about her. I’m … fucking obsessed with her.”

“Tell me something I don’t know, brother.”

Aster brings a drove of photographers onto the lawn. His scowl and bored expression are nowhere to be seen. He finally matches his smiling face on the posters in the hall, fluffing his red hair, flirting, and laughing through his questions.

“Just the guy I wanted to see,” I say.

It’s a split decision that feels right. My body moves on its own.

“What are you doing?” Zant says slowly.

“Playing the game.”

I’m already across the lawn when I hear Zant cry out.

“Wait— ”

“Hi!” I put an arm around Aster’s wide frame.

He smells like danger and blood as he bites his tongue, but he smiles.

“Owens.”

“Are you two friends?” a reporter asks.

“Definitely,” I say. “He’s graciously decided to back my nomination.”

“I thought he was backing Cane Archibald for the nomination?” another asks.

“That was before he knew I wanted to join. We go way back. Right?”

“Of course. What an honor to support Doxlothia’s Rage captain in his endeavor for success.” There’s no hesitation in Aster's words as they roll off his tongue. “Could you all give us one moment?”

Aster maintains his smile until we’re out of hearing range, and his fingers turn to claws as he fists my arm.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he hisses through clenched teeth.

“Sending a message. I know you’re fucking with Olivia and her sisters. Now my image is your image.”

“You think I wrote that blog post?”

“If it wasn’t you, I can only think of one other person.”

He scoffs, dusting off his pants and fixing his hair. “Or maybe you’re wrong. Maybe … the same person that got you nominated is the one who ran the Osborne sisters’ names in the dirt. Or maybe they just got what they deserved.”

“Careful.”

“Fine. You want to play the game. We’ll play. Careful what you wish for.” He spits on the ground before walking headfirst back into the swarm of paparazzi with a smile.

I nod. My blood sings with that challenge. The natural fight of his inner wolf against mine.