Masked

CHAPTER 16 | another piece of the puzzle

Parker took uneven breaths when Daniel left, and focused on keeping her pulse in check. It allowed her a reprieve from having to acknowledge what had happened between them. Her stomach twisted. How could her defenses have crumbled so quickly and without reservation? She was mortified—just the memory of how she had reacted to that kiss had her mind reeling.

If you could call it a kiss.

She had been kissed before, and what she had experienced with Daniel was on an entirely different plane. The skills that this one man possessed had made the others seem like mere boys. Goosebumps erupted across her skin. She had lost all self-control, all ability to think beyond that moment. His touch. His mouth. Her desire.

Heat flooded through her as she relived those brief moments. How his body pressed up against hers felt and his powerful arms as they skillfully played with each and every nerve ending along her back.

She closed her eyes and absently touched her lips. The taste of him still lingered on her tongue.

Parker groaned. Oh God, how can I face him again? We don't even like each other. He is an overbearing, critical tyrant who doesn't trust Humans—especially me.

She would take the coward's approach and made sure she did not bump into him when she returned to her room. For now, avoidance was the best policy.

In the morning, Parker skulked down to Tech House and breathed a sigh of relief when she made it out the door without running into Daniel. He had either already left, or was not yet up. Either way, she wasn't sticking around to find out.

By the time she arrived at Tech House she had convinced herself to ignore the fact she was acting like a child and only putting off the inevitable.

Zeke and Jay were already at work, talking to Alice and Gail.

She caught the tail end of the conversation. "What's romantic?"

Gail let out a wistful sigh.

Jay threw the teenager a look of despair. "After our run last night, a few of us went into Boulder, and Kyle recognized his mate—a Human. Long story short, we had a bit of a problem keeping him from leaping across the bar to claim her. In the end, it took all of us to get him out of there before they called the police. It fucked up our night."

"Is that normal?" Parker said. "Do Werewolves normally get that aggressive when they find their mate?"

Alice tilted her head, and her lips pursed as she thought about the question. "Depends. Some Werewolves become over-protective, but eventually calm down. Others try and fight the pull, which never turns out well for either of them. And there are the rare occasions when a mate is rejected."

"What's going to happen to Kyle?" Parker said.

Jay shrugged. "Considering she'll probably have him arrested if he steps foot back in her bar, it ought to be interesting." He snorted, then turned back to his monitor. "What a clusterfuck."

"Alpha Locke has commanded him to not say anything to the woman until we can work out what to do. Human mates don't occur very often, but when they do, it's always a bit complicated," Alice said.

Parker was already aware of the panic that set in each time a Human was turned without their permission, or it was discovered they were someone's mate. With each interaction, the Werewolves increased their chances of exposure to the world.

"When did a Werewolf last take a Human mate in this pack?" she said.

Alice bit her lip and stared at a blank space on the nearest wall. "About twenty years ago. Some of the other packs have a higher rate, others less."