SKIN (WATTYS UNDISCOVERED GEM)

Chapter Four: The Danger is I'm Dangerous

"Man, what's going on with you, Len?" Again with the nicknames.

"Nothing," his voice came out strained as he leaned on the edge of balcony.

Beneath them, the view of the yard had strings of people, both human and wolf, sitting with red solo cups.

"If it's Schuyler, I'll just say you weren't feeling good and left so it won't make her fee-"

"It is Schuyler," Lennox cut, bottle-green eyes turning to his friend. "I want you to stay away from her."

"Wait- what, why the hel-"

"She's mine, Giles," he was saying it in the nicest way he could manage, his voice trying to stay steady and his more primal side growling at Giles. If he had more time to think, he would've knitted together a sentence that expressed him better. Right now, the only thing he knew was mine, mate, keep safe.

"Yours? Whaddya mean, you're talking like she's your mate, man-" Giles cut himself off. "She's your mate, Lennox she's human- honest to God, she won't understand!"

"I know. I know that!" He said, voice frustrated when all he wanted was to slip into the tongue of wolves, but to do that, he'd have to let his other side take control. And if he let his wolf take control, no doubt would he race to the girl and drag her off to the woods to never be seen again. "I'm not going to...kidnap her or anything...just, keep an eye on her for a while," Lennox growled out, growing impatient of how much his brain wouldn't let him think with his new mate in the next room over.

"What are you going to do, Lennox?" Giles wondered out loud to his Alpha.

"I can't, I'll say my goodbyes, but I have to go- it's...the full moon, tomorrow night, I won't be able to rein him in," I'll do something I regret.

"Shit, Len," Shut up with the names. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought her-"

"No, no you did the right thing," he murmured, putting his face in his hands. "I would've sensed her either way, moon or by meeting, and if that happened...." The college campus would've had a giant wolf dragging a freshman out of her dorms.

"Then time to say goodbye, for now, Lennox," Giles told his friend, giving a small grin to him as he propelled them back into the pack house.

*

"It was nice to meet you," Lennox told Schuyler, giving her a smile and he prayed to any god out there that if his canines were showing, the dim light would cover them in shadows.

"Thanks, I'm just happy I didn't have to use my taser tonight," it was obvious the girl was trying to make conversation, her eyes wide when she didn't understand why she didn't want him to leave so soon.

"Taser?" He was supposed to say goodbye and leave.

"Yeah," her blue eyes lit up as she dug in the bag that hung on her shoulder, "a taser." She took it out, happy that she had tranced him for another minute longer.

"What... does it do?" Lennox asked, curiosity getting the better of him; finding himself grinning when she practically jumped into a story of where she bought it and with who. If Lennox was a writer, he'd describe her like autumn, her hair the color of the leaves just as they begin to fall, and her eyes a cool blue that promised an icy winter.

"See, if I press this," she began, her words began tumble to off as she spun the taser to face Lennox, the small device in her hands clearly off, but she still kept her finger off of the trigger. She was careful, Lennox thought to himself. "It'll shoot electricity into them, but only if I'm close enough."