Bite Me, Wolfy. (Rated R)

Eighteen

The date is awkward between Harlan and I, yet I distract them both by telling him embarrassing stories about Link, anything to keep the attention off the both of us. Every now and then, Dominic's hand would slide onto my thigh to help me feel comfortable. By the end of the date I had successfully caused Link to be the most embarrassed that I had seen him since I met him, and Dominic was chuckling at my side when Link stutters over his words.

At the fourth yawn that I give, Dominic clears his throat. "Well, we have to be off. Lia's tired."

I stand and give Link a hug, hearing him give me a small thanks for coming out with him. We both wave goodbye before Dom's fingers lace with mine and he pulls me to his side protectively, whispering soft words in my ear to make me laugh. When we're outside, the air is chilly and I shiver, thankful for the sweater. I toss Dominic the keys when I yawn once more, both of us settling into silence when we get into my Jeep. The emotions that were traveling from him to me came off in waves, and I move my hand over to take his.

"I'm sure you're curious," I tell him.

"Only a bit, but I trust you. I'm sure you will tell me when the time is right."

I groan as I throw my head back, staring at the road in front of us. "It's complicated. I'm worried you'll get mad."

"Try me."

Remembering back after Jamie's rejection, I look at Dominic's face while he drives. "It happened a few days after Jamie rejected me. Harlan had graduated two years before me, but he had a sister in the same grade as me. He heard what had happened and offered to help me get revenge."

"I see."

I take a deep breath. "It didn't mean anything to me, nor him, but both of us began dating after that. He courted me in front of the school and for a while we acted like the perfect couple. We went on dates, met the parents, everything."

Dominic, suddenly jealous, growls. "Seriously? Where the fuck was I while this was going on?"

I snicker. "You came around, but I always told Harlan to not visit when you did. I knew you'd strangle him."

"So that's why you occasionally smelt weird."

I blush. "Not necessarily. I began to smell like that after we slept together."

Dominic, usually calm, slams on the breaks and pulls us over. I stay quiet while he calms down, hands slowly letting go of the steering wheel, and he looks over at me.

"You said it didn't mean anything to you?" he forces out.

"Yes. It didn't mean anything to either of us."

He slides his hands down his face, groaning. "I don't even know why I'm mad. We weren't even together so you're obviously free to do as you please."

I twirl my thumbs and look at my lap. "Were you ever this possessive with Elizabeth?"

"No. I was protective because we were mates, but you are the first and last girl I'll ever be possessive over."

"Good," I breathe.

"Who is Harlan's mate?"

I hum. "Don't know. I only know she rejected him when he admitted he wasn't straight."

"You know," Dominic starts, "if they work out, Link will have to be introduced to our kind."

Pain sears through me the moment we reach the pack house's driveway. I struggle to breathe, unable to hear Dominic's voice, and the sound of my wolf whimpering sends a shiver straight through me. All I think about is Jamie. His voice and face floods my head, bringing a pained cry out of my lips, and I stumble out of the car just as my wolf forces us to start moving.

I run, using her guidance, and hear the pack link flood with voices. I hear Dominic telling guards to follow me, I hear pack members worried about what was happening, yet all I can focus on are the screams that I knew were coming from Jamie. I skid and take a right when she tells me to, vision red, and I immediately smell the blood.

Up ahead, Jamie was lying on the ground, gasping for breath while blood seeps out of the wound on his neck. My eyes travel to the rogue that stood there, grinning, and tosses a needle in my direction.

"Wolfs bane. Won't let him heal while it's in his system." He snickers, crossing his arms over his chest. "I knew the only way to lure you out was to hurt your mate."

My vision darkens, the rage that I was feeling bubbling over, and I walk in his direction. There was fear that briefly crosses over his face, but he quickly masks it, looking bored.

"You might want to hear what I have to say before you decide to kill me."

I halt for just a second, voice dark. "Say it quick. I don't have patience for you today."

He grins, darting his eyes down to Jamie, and then back up to me. "He's coming, and your pack is in danger. They know you're still mated to Dominic. It'll be any day now that you lose everything you love."

"Is that so?" I muse.

"You have just a few days to get everything in order, princess. Hope you're ready."

My wolf takes over, rage boiling at this point, and I watch as she lashes out to grip his neck. He struggles in her grip, blood pooling around her fingers, but she squeezes harder before ripping it out. To our feet, he falls dead, eyes glazed over while he stares at the sky. My pack falls in behind me just as she wipes the blood on the sweater, kneeling to look at the wound on Jamie's neck.

He flinches underneath her touch, gasping, and I faintly hear the soft words that she tells him. When someone falls in behind us, she lowers her face to the wound, the immediate taste of the wolfs bane flooding my senses. While everyone grows quiet around us, she spits the blood out and does it again until she knew for certain it was tolerable. At the last time, she lets me take back over, and I sway on my feet when I stand and wipe the blood off my face.

"Take him to the infirmary. He needs to be treated as soon as possible and needs to be seen about the wolfs bane," Dominic orders.

His hand slides to my lower back and I curl into him, shaking in his arms. "Don't be mad, please."

"Why would I be mad, sweetheart?" he whispers. His voice was soft in my ear, too gentle, and I start crying. "I'm glad you still have that small connection with Jamie as much as I hate it. You saved him."

His words make me cry harder and I grip his jacket. "I don't want any ties with him. That makes me worried that you're going to leave me because of it, and I don't want that. I don't want Jamie to think he will ever have a chance and ruin this when I've waited nearly all my life for it."

He chuckles low in my ear, rubbing my back. "Sweetheart, quit overthinking."

"I can't help it."

"What did the rogue say to you to make you so upset?"

"Someone is coming," I start. "He said my pack is in danger and I will lose everything that I love because we are still mated. He said we have a few days to get everything in order."

"Is that so?" His muscles tense when he pulls me to his chest, holding me bridal style. Looking up at him, his fingers brush my cheek affectionately before he walks us back to the pack house. "We can have a necessary meeting tomorrow. I will discuss this with the pack, and we will make a plan to get as many as we can to safety."

"Okay," I whisper.