Not to Claim

Chapter 9

I couldn't sleep, and I definitely needed it. But I just couldn't. Rowan, the bastard, was stuck in my head, and I couldn't get him out. He was where the scent, that wonderful, mouthwatering, damning scent was coming from. 

He couldn't be my Mate. No way in hell could he be my Mate. Jerome and I were sharing a room since we had been as long as I could remember when we were kids, not because we were together, Gods no, but because we loved each other, he was my best friend, my brother, my protector. He was what I needed when I shifted the first time at 8, when he was only 10. And ever since then he'd been as protective as any Mate would be, if not worse.

I got up from the bed we were sharing and walked over to the French doors that opened to a balcony. I stepped outside and sighed, leaning against the railing and closed my eyes, letting the wind and moonlight sooth me. There was a growl from somewhere below me but I didn't look down, I just ignored it and looked up, to the moon that would be full in three days, on my birthday. 

"Why are you doing this to me?" I whispered to the Moon Goddess. "I can't be his, I can't be." I didn't even realize I was crying until the tears ran down to my chin and dropped onto the marble of the balcony with a soft sound. 

The growling from below was louder now, and I looked down, about to chew someone's head off, but no words came out as a huge black wolf sat under the balcony, watching me with curious eyes as I quickly wiped away the tears and bared my teeth at it. 

"Go away." The wolf just shook its head and bared it's teeth right back, a low growl making my hair stand on end. "Go. Away." I said again, a little louder this time. But the wolf didn't move. 

"Males. You're all impossible." I almost yelled, throwing my hands up in the air and going back inside. I could hear the whining as I closed the French doors and after sitting around for another hour, I fell asleep.