Making his way down the hall, he followed the scent trail his mate had left in her
wake. He hit the stairs at the other end of the hallway, rushing down and outside
where he lost her trail again.
“I have to give it to her; she’s pretty good at evading you. What in the hell did
you do to scare her off so damn bad? I mean, if she really is your mate, wouldn’t
she be waiting for you with arms wide open?” Mark breathed harshly, having rushed
behind him in an attempt to keep up.
“I didn’t do shit. That’s the problem. She’s my mate. I feel it in my bones. In my
soul. I’m going to hunt her down, claim her, and never let her out of my sight again,”
he growled.
“Hey, Dec?” Mark said with a bit of humor bleeding through.
“Yeah,” he gritted out.
“Rein it in some. Your fangs are showing and scaring the co-eds.”
Declan ran his tongue along his teeth and, sure enough, his canines poked through.
A glance at his hands showed fur and claw tipped hands. His lion broke free more than
he imagined he would.
A couple of girls, eyes wide with fear, skittered around him, keeping as much distance
from him as possible without running into the wall.
They had the same look in their eyes as Avery had—fear, and he didn’t know why. What
erroneous thoughts spun through her mind as she stared down at him? Did she think
he hated her? Didn’t want her? Or could it be something entirely different. He wouldn’t
know until he had her firmly in his grasp.
There would be no more running from him. Even if he had to park his ass on her front
porch and wait for her to come home. They would sort this out one way or the other.
He was getting his damn mate.
Chapter Seven
Avery flopped down onto her bed and checked her phone again. And, like the fifty million
times before, a wave of disappointment washed over her. Still no response from ROAR,
and she wondered if there ever would. Maybe there was no help for rejected mates.
“I refuse to believe that’s true,” she said into the silent room. “Maybe they’re taking
their time figuring out what to say. Maybe they need to research my situation before
they can get back to me.”
Avery chewed on her bottom lip, thinking it through. “Yeah. That has to be it. They
just need a little time to figure out where to point me. I’m sure not too many people
have this problem. At least, I hope they don’t.”
Sitting up, she placed her phone on the charger. She needed to practice the out of sight, out of mind mantra. Maybe if she didn’t stare at it 24/7, it would actually ring or ding or chime.
Whatever she had text messages set to.
Pushing up off the bed, she wandered into her living room. A sense of boredom swamped
her as she realized she had nothing to do.
Busy with the sorority and new pledges, Reese wouldn’t be able to get together.
The other girls in the townhouse were probably all busy, plus she didn’t know them
well enough to hang out with them.
Since her schedule change the first day, she had no actual schoolwork to do yet. The
professors at Shifter U preferring to wait a week before letting the real work begin.
It gave everyone time to readjust to having a new workload, and it wasn’t only aimed
at the students. Most teachers needed to get on track, too.
Avery walked to her little kitchen area. Pulling open the fridge, she didn’t find
anything in there she wanted to eat. Not that there was much in there to begin with.
She had yet to go grocery shopping—something she loathed. Her stomach growled, and
she frowned in response.
Food. She needed to eat.
Going to her room, she snatched up her phone and shot a text off to Reese.
Heading to Chugs. Join me if you can.
Avery grabbed a light jacket and her purse before trudging downstairs. She checked
in on Blaire, Tess, and Riley, wanting to let them know she would be heading out and
where to find her if need be. The girls were
wake. He hit the stairs at the other end of the hallway, rushing down and outside
where he lost her trail again.
“I have to give it to her; she’s pretty good at evading you. What in the hell did
you do to scare her off so damn bad? I mean, if she really is your mate, wouldn’t
she be waiting for you with arms wide open?” Mark breathed harshly, having rushed
behind him in an attempt to keep up.
“I didn’t do shit. That’s the problem. She’s my mate. I feel it in my bones. In my
soul. I’m going to hunt her down, claim her, and never let her out of my sight again,”
he growled.
“Hey, Dec?” Mark said with a bit of humor bleeding through.
“Yeah,” he gritted out.
“Rein it in some. Your fangs are showing and scaring the co-eds.”
Declan ran his tongue along his teeth and, sure enough, his canines poked through.
A glance at his hands showed fur and claw tipped hands. His lion broke free more than
he imagined he would.
A couple of girls, eyes wide with fear, skittered around him, keeping as much distance
from him as possible without running into the wall.
They had the same look in their eyes as Avery had—fear, and he didn’t know why. What
erroneous thoughts spun through her mind as she stared down at him? Did she think
he hated her? Didn’t want her? Or could it be something entirely different. He wouldn’t
know until he had her firmly in his grasp.
There would be no more running from him. Even if he had to park his ass on her front
porch and wait for her to come home. They would sort this out one way or the other.
He was getting his damn mate.
Chapter Seven
Avery flopped down onto her bed and checked her phone again. And, like the fifty million
times before, a wave of disappointment washed over her. Still no response from ROAR,
and she wondered if there ever would. Maybe there was no help for rejected mates.
“I refuse to believe that’s true,” she said into the silent room. “Maybe they’re taking
their time figuring out what to say. Maybe they need to research my situation before
they can get back to me.”
Avery chewed on her bottom lip, thinking it through. “Yeah. That has to be it. They
just need a little time to figure out where to point me. I’m sure not too many people
have this problem. At least, I hope they don’t.”
Sitting up, she placed her phone on the charger. She needed to practice the out of sight, out of mind mantra. Maybe if she didn’t stare at it 24/7, it would actually ring or ding or chime.
Whatever she had text messages set to.
Pushing up off the bed, she wandered into her living room. A sense of boredom swamped
her as she realized she had nothing to do.
Busy with the sorority and new pledges, Reese wouldn’t be able to get together.
The other girls in the townhouse were probably all busy, plus she didn’t know them
well enough to hang out with them.
Since her schedule change the first day, she had no actual schoolwork to do yet. The
professors at Shifter U preferring to wait a week before letting the real work begin.
It gave everyone time to readjust to having a new workload, and it wasn’t only aimed
at the students. Most teachers needed to get on track, too.
Avery walked to her little kitchen area. Pulling open the fridge, she didn’t find
anything in there she wanted to eat. Not that there was much in there to begin with.
She had yet to go grocery shopping—something she loathed. Her stomach growled, and
she frowned in response.
Food. She needed to eat.
Going to her room, she snatched up her phone and shot a text off to Reese.
Heading to Chugs. Join me if you can.
Avery grabbed a light jacket and her purse before trudging downstairs. She checked
in on Blaire, Tess, and Riley, wanting to let them know she would be heading out and
where to find her if need be. The girls were
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