Werewolf University Book 2
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Brittany Carter
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281K
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43
Chapter 1
Book 2: Torn Between Mates
EVERLEE
âLook at that donk.â
I swirled around, my ebony hair spinning a tornado around me, my fingers numb from curling them over the edge of my balcony, while the autumn breeze chilled my flushed skin.
My best friend, Bryiar, wiggled her blonde brows up and down, looking over the edge of the balcony where I watched him. Bryiar may have been blonde, but she wasnât a fool. I hated myself for being so obvious, but the pull I felt for him was uncharacteristically strong.
Like those bicepsâŠ
Stop it.
âDonât call it that.â
I gave Bryiar a look as she made a semicircle around me to the other side and wedged her elbow on the edge. âThat dirty-blond hair, and those deep-brown eyes,â she whispered. âThe way he looks at you when no one else is lookingâŠâ
âHe doesnât look at me,â I hissed, turning my back to the ledge of the balcony.
She followed my motion and folded her arms over her chest. âHeâs looking now,â she said.
I glanced over my shoulder to see him jogging off into the distance, not paying me any attention. âYou suck,â I said, ramming my elbow into her ribs.
She howled with laughter and followed me into my room. âYouâre just so obvious, Ever. I love you, girl, but you need to seriously man up and tell the boy how you feel. Itâs getting a bit pathetic,â she said, hopping onto my bed, shuffling through one of my magazines with her feet in the air.
I sat down at my vanity mirror and stared back at myself. It was unrealistic to go after Harlan. Especially with my eighteenth birthday around the corner and college starting in a week. However, my body craved him, and I wasnât sure why.
Could he be my mate?
The thought formed shivers along my skin, and made my thighs clutch in anticipation. Harlan was three years older than me and on his last year at Werewolf University, while I was starting my first. Although he wasnât a werewolf, Dad, since heâd been raised in a werewolf/lycan pack, had pulled some strings to get him in.
Like my father when he started his senior year, Harlan hadnât found his mate yet. âI can smell your excitement, Everlee. Calm your tits, sister. Iâd hate to have to go get the water hose.â
I chunked a makeup brush at her head and laughed when she dodged it. âIâm tired of you interrupting my daydreams and harassing me. Donât you have anything better to do with your time?â
Bryiar swung her feet to the floor and walked over. âI meant to tell you that your mother wants to speak with you. Sheâs downstairs waiting on you in her room.â
âNow you tell me,â I mumbled, opening the large wooden door of my room. The smell of food wafted up the stairs and stirred the hunger inside my stomach. Bryiar followed me to the foyer and disappeared into the kitchen, while I made my way to my parentsâ room.
My parents ruled the kingdom, which was a hybrid kingdom of my fatherâs pack and the lycan kingdom that had reigned there before them. My mother, being mixed blood, had taken over when she overtook the lycan king.
Harlanâs father.
Which made him full lycan and me a hybrid.
Weâd been raised in the same castle, down the hallway from each other like siblings. Yet things made a one-eighty for me recently. Harlan didnât feel like my brother anymore. Any sibling emotion vanished weeks ago.
My motherâs scent warmed me when I opened her door and found her sitting on her bed with a wooden box full of notes.
She looked up from her lap with a smile on her face. Her dark hair was twisted into an up do, and she wore casual jeans and a T-shirt with bare feet. For being the queen, she didnât dress like a queen.
However, Mother wasnât raised in a pack and hadnât had any knowledge of the supernatural. So her roots stemmed from a normal human life. I liked that about her. She wasnât uppity, but down to earth. âBryiar said you needed me?â I asked.
She motioned toward the door. âShut the door, love. I want to talk to you.â
I shut the door with my foot and walked over. Their canopy bed was whimsical, and the beige furniture complimented the gray decor mother loved so much.
I sat in front of her, eyeing the letters splayed out between us. She glanced up and grinned. âThis is how I found out I was attending Werewolf University,â she chuckled, shaking her head. âTo say I was pissed is an understatement. I didnât want to leaveâŠâ She trailed off, leaving half of her sentence to my imagination. âIt doesnât matter,â she said, shoving the box out of the way, cupping my face. âIâm thankful Iâm here to see you enjoy this experience. Youâre going to learn how to run in a pack, which depends on your position. If itâs a luna. Warrior. Nurse. Iâll be happy as long as you are.â
I smiled. âThanks, Mama.â
She lowered her hands to mine and squeezed tightly. âI have an awesome surprise for you, Everlee. Youâre turning eighteen this weekend, and I want to throw you one last shindig before you go. Maybe your mate will reveal himself.â
I chuckled. âOr at the alpha party? Following in your footsteps.â
She grinned. âYour father and I went through the ringer. Letâs hope that doesnât happen to you.â
âYouâre right. I donât want all that drama. When is the party?â
Mama stood up and gathered her letters into her box before putting them underneath the bed. âFriday night. I bought you a dress. Weâll convert the dining hall into a party spot for all the pack. Itâs all planned,â she said, smiling. âNow, dinner is ready. Iâll be there in just a bit. Go fix you a plate.â
I found myself floating on air on the way to the kitchen. An eighteenth birthday party. Dancing. Music. Food. A cake. My mother knew how to throw a party. I rounded the corner of the hallway and ran smack into someoneâs chest.
The smell⊠Iâd never forget it. It rooted itself so deep inside of me, imprinted my soul, and Iâd know it anywhere. It was more than that âboyâ smell that girls fawned over. It was freshly cut grass and the promise of rain.
Strong hands wrapped around my biceps, steadying me with such ease that it sent a flood of adrenaline down my spine. My gaze swept from those worn combat boots, up his torn jeans and to a solid gray shirt.
Harlanâs dark gaze met mine, and I felt a wave of warmth surge me. He smirked, his famous lazy one, and steadied me on my feet. âAlways in a hurry, Everlee.â
The memories of us growing up together, running the woods and hills, raced in my thoughts. Heâd been like a brother to me, and now those large biceps and plush lips did more to me than ever before.
Harlan titled his head to the side, studying me as if he could see right through me. I prayed he couldnât detect the thoughts playing bumper cars in my mind.
âSorry, I, uhââ
I tried to sidestep him, but he blocked me, placing his arm in my way. âDo we need to talk?â he asked, his voice gravely and deep. It caused goosebumps to form along my arms.
Do we?
There were so many things I wantedâneededâto say to him, but I couldnât imagine how. Weâd grown up together. It was the only way I knew how to talk myself down. Bryiar was ridiculous. I couldnât tell him how I felt.
âWhy are you nervous?â he asked.
I scoffed, trying to play it off, tapping his chest playfully. âIâm not nervous. Just hungry.â
He didnât buy it. The narrowed slits for eyes and the way he slid his tongue across his teeth showed me. Harlan searched my face for what seemed like forever until the kitchen door swung open, and my dad walked out.
Dad looked at us annoyingly. âHello. Sometime today? Iâm starving.â
Harlan lowered his arm, keeping his gaze on me for far too long, before jabbing my dad in the stomach. âToo slow, old man.â
Dad caught him in a choke hold and dragged him into the dining hall. I let out the breath Iâd been holding and closed my eyes. The sound of chatter and laughter spilled from the swinging kitchen door as I pushed through it. I made my way past the island and into the dining area where everyone sat around the table eating.
Bryiar waved me over toward an empty seat beside her, which happened to be inconspicuously across the way from Harlan. I kept Bryiarâs attention turned toward college starting in a few days, while we ate. It was easy since weâd both been waiting for the moment to attend the university since birth.
Dad abruptly stood when my mother walked into the room, and I felt my heart swell for them. He reached for her hand and kissed her cheek when she made it to her seat. âSavannah has an announcement,â Dad said.
Mom beamed, winking at me. She cleared her throat. âIn honor of Everleeâs eighteenth birthday, weâre going to host a birthday and farewell party for the wolves leaving to attend Werewolf U this Friday.â
Babble erupted over the room, and I felt everyoneâs excitement. My gaze landed on Harlan, whose hard eyes were turned toward mine. I tried my best to hide my stupid girlish blush, but I wasnât sure it worked.
âItâll be fancy, so dress up and plan to have fun!â Mom said. âIâm having someone cater the event, so letâs wait until after they leave to do any shifting. I donât want anyone to have a heart attack. I personally know how easy it is for a human to faint when they encounter someone shifting into a huge wolf.â
Bryiar laughed and shoved her elbow into my rib. âMaybe you can declare your unfailing love forââ
âStop it,â I whispered, pinching her thigh underneath the table.
She pinched me back, and I slammed the heel of my foot against her toe, making her howl. âGirls,â Mom said, giving us both the eye. âHarlan has agreed to take the wolves attending Werewolf U for a tour this Sunday. I want you both to be there. Youâre going to have the time of your lives.â
My eyes involuntarily shifted toward Harlan, who sat back against his chair, his gaze settled over mine, the tips of his fingers tapping against the table between us. âOkay,â I said softly, avoiding his gaze again.
Mom caught my stare, and I prayed she couldnât see through me as I figured she could. Everyone knew falling for a boy before being mated was stupid. Foolish. It wasnât in anyoneâs best interest.
But I couldnât push past the ache in my chest or the need to taste his mouth.
âWho is ready for dessert?â my dad shouted, completely oblivious that my insides felt like a racetrack, and there was something unspoken between Harlan and me that felt uncontrollable.
Maybe Bryiar was right, I should tell Harlan.
