Page 37 of Quarterback Sneak

“Jace happened.” Reid’s words are clipped.

“What’d he do?” my words are little more than a growl. I feel my wolf rising inside me at the threat to our mate.

Reid must pick up on it as well. “Evie’s safe,” he assures me. “I made sure she got back to campus safely.” His words hit me hard.

“Yougot her back to campus?” My words are low.

Reid meets my gaze head-on. “I drove her here because there was no other option. I didn’t touch her. She’s your mate, and I know that.”

I hear his words, but I’m still having a hard time knowing my mate was in the car alone with my best friend. I try to remember the alternative—alone in a car with Jace. That’s a much worse thought. I take a deep breath, knowing I’m not going to like what Reid tells me. “What happened?”

Reid eyes me. “Keep your cool.” His words do nothing to help my growing anger. “The long and short of it. He got mad, left her with a bill she couldn’t pay, and left her alone at the restaurant.” He pauses. “It was bad. The bill was over three hundred with tax. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t even like seafood. Her plate was untouched. She was really embarrassed. She wouldn’t look me in the eye, and she kept telling me she’d pay me back.”

“She won’t pay you back. I will,” I snap at him.

“I know.” Anger burns through me. “There’s more.”

“Tell me.” I am aware that I’m leaking Alpha power right now, but I can’t bother to hold it back.

“He was waiting when we got back.”

“Did he approach her?” I ask through clenched teeth.

“No, but he watched her go in. He knows I brought her back.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

He nods. “She was dressed like him tonight.”

“What?”

He shakes his head and blows out a sigh. “She was in a short black dress with a black leather jacket and black boots with heels. She looked—”

“Stop talking,” I say in a strangled voice. I really don’t want to kill my best friend.

“I just mean she looked uncomfortable,” he says quietly. “She kept tugging her dress down on the drive home.”

I run a hand through my hair. “I need to see her. I just need to see that she’s okay.”

“Did you get her number yet?” Quint asks.

“No.”

“You know we can get it, right?”

I know we can. We have several tech guys in the pack that could very easily get her number for me. “I know, but I'm trying to do this right. I’m trying to earn her trust. Who’s on for watching her dorm tonight?”

“I am,” Quint says.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take tonight’s shift,” I tell him.

“You took last night’s shift too,” Reid reminds me.

“And?” My voice is challenging, but Reid doesn’t back away. “You need to get sleep too; you’re not invincible.”

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you slip out a lot of nights,” I tell him without any anger in my voice. Reid doesn’t say anything, and I wonder once again where it is he goes at night. But I know that he’ll tell me when he wants to. “I’m taking tonight.” We’ve been on rotation for security around her dorm. She has no idea that one of us watches over her building every single night. Not only is she too important to me to leave unprotected; she’s too valuable to our pack. She’ll be our pack Luna one day, and that role is incredibly important. The alpha gives authority and strength to the pack; he keeps everybody in line. But it’s the luna that makes everyone feel loved andaccepted and cared for. It’s an important role. I’m not exactly sure how it’s going to work with her being human, but there’s no doubt in my mind that it will work and she will be so good as our luna someday. To keep the pack strong, the alpha rules the pack until he has a son or daughter that grows up and can take the pack. My father’s ready to hand the reins over to me. I think he’s only been waiting for my mate, and now, here she is. The pack will be mine sooner than later.

I’m snapped from my thoughts when I see her roommate approach the building. “Sam,” I call out before I even think about it. She turns, and I can see her surprise. I jog towards her. “I was wondering if you could ask Evie to come out here, or if she’s too tired, she can just text me. Here’s my number.” I grab the small piece of paper with my number on it that I’ve been hanging on to since I met Evie. I’ve been waiting for her to accept it and add it to her phone.