Obsession: A Rejected Mate Shifter Romance (The Mate Games #1)(67)

“Well, I’m not interested.”

“Liar. I can smell how much you want me right now. But that’s all right. We’ll get there. Once we free your wolf, you won’t be able to resist the urge to present for your Alpha.”

Her eyes flared wide as her breath hitched. Fuck, the sounds she made, even small like that, got to me. “Fuck you, Kingston.”

“Patience. Like I said, we’ll get there. Now come on. We have work to do.”

Two hours later, we were both sweaty, out of breath, and more than a little dirty. Other than scratching the hell out of my shirt and chest with her claws, Sunday was no closer to fully shifting. I could sense her wolf, far closer to the surface than ever before, but there was still something caging her. Until we figured out just what that was, Sunday wouldn’t be able to break free.

I was hard and aching, exhausted from using so much control and fighting my beast’s natural instinct to mark my mate. But my job was far from over. More than that, with every passing moment I spent with Sunday, my desire to protect her grew stronger. I didn’t just have to be with her; I fucking wanted to.

It was a hell of a revelation, especially after so many years of forcing myself to hate her.

Even as the need to claim her roared in my veins, there was no denying spending time with her also soothed something wild and broken inside me. It was right.

She was right.

We were meant to be. I just needed to make her see it too.

I followed close beside her as we walked through the courtyard, filled with students studying, chatting together, and laughing. I hadn’t really laughed in far too long. I’d been too busy trying to drown my sorrows in booze and women who didn’t matter. Or, if I wasn’t doing that, I was in the music hall purging my pain on the keys of a piano.

She was so focused on getting away from me, she clearly didn’t see the stepladder in her path as she made a beeline for the door that led inside. My hand twitched as I reached on instinct to press my palm to the small of her back and steer her toward safety.

“What are you doing?” she snapped, slapping my hand away.

Her vitriol instantly soured my mood. “Trying to keep you from eating shit in front of the entire campus. My bad. It won’t happen again.”

Glancing from me to the ladder in her way, then back again, her expression softened. “Oh. Thanks.”

I immediately craned my neck up and scanned the sky.

“What are you looking for?”

“Checking to see if pigs randomly started to fly or if the world is coming to a sudden and fiery end. Because, as far as I know, those are the only two scenarios where you’d ever willingly thank me for anything.”

Her lips twitched into a slight smile. “I’m not that bad.”

“Yeah, you are. But I’ve earned it.”

“No shit.”

The words might have been harsh, but her tone wasn’t. She was warming to me. I pointed to the posters recently affixed to the wall of the courtyard. “Did you see this?”

She glanced at the sign announcing the upcoming Midnight Masquerade with a frown. “Really? A ball? Aren’t we a little . . . old for school dances?”

“This isn’t just a dance. It’s our first foray into political niceties. It’s a test.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s the first time everyone in attendance will have full access to their power without any limitations. We’re . . . taken off our leashes, so to speak.” I shrugged. “And if we make it through without killing each other, we get to continue through the remainder of the year.”

Sunday’s brows flew up. “Is that safe?”

“Not remotely. But life in our world rarely is.” I smirked. “So far, only a handful of creatures have died.”

“That’s comforting.” The sarcasm in her tone was impossible to miss.

I took a sharp breath and prepared myself to step out on a ledge I hadn’t braved since she’d rejected me. “Sunday, would you—”

“There you are, dove,” Thorne called from the other side of the courtyard, the bastard looking like he stepped out of the pages of motherfucking GQ magazine. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“I bet you have,” I muttered. The vampire had clearly fed, his eyes bright and no longer ringed by purple bruise-like circles. I hated that he could turn her head so easily. Like I didn’t even exist to her anymore.

She went to him, nestling against his chest with a relieved smile on her lovely face. I wanted to make her smile like that.

Fuck.

“You’re looking well,” she murmured, pressing an innocent kiss to his cheek. A fucking brush of lips had jealousy gnawing on my insides. Any hope or wishful thinking I’d been nurturing died a swift death.

“I’m feeling well. I’m sorry I had to leave to feed. It’s the nature of the beast, I’m afraid.”

“You shouldn’t go so long without. Especially not because of me.”

Their display of togetherness had me barely resisting the urge to dry heave. Or start punching things. I needed to get the fuck out of here. Turning on my heel, I intended to do just that. My shift was over. The package transferred. Job done.

“Wait, Kingston. You were about to ask me something . . .”