Chapter TWELVE
__________________
A growl could be heard echoing around my house as Tommy stormed into my room, shaking. "Why didn't you tell me?"
I sat up, my eyes still filled with the tears that I had to let out. Colin came in behind Tommy staring at me with concern.
"Why wouldn't you tell me that he was back and stalking you?" He asked, his voice rough and not his own. "Katrina." He warned stepping closer to me.
"Hey." Colin stepped in front of me, protecting me from the angry half wolf in front of me. "Tommy, you're too close."
Sliding off the bed I stepped behind Colin, gripping his shirt for comfort. "I'm going to kill him." Tommy growled sending me a glare before he was running out the door and down the stairs.
A second later I was pushing past Colin and running after my brother. "Tommy, no!" I shouted as I saw him shift into his black wolf and dart into the forest. "No!" I shrieked chasing after him.
Colin grabbed my arm before I could even make it a step into the wooded area, "Let him blow off some steam. He won't kill your friend." He muttered sadly.
I blinked. He thought I was trying to protect Shane? Hell no, Tommy was my little brother, I didn't want him to get hurt, I didn't want him to get killed.
"I could careless about Shane." I told him angrily, "If he finds Tommy alone.." I trailed off.
"I'm on it." Colin started for the forest and my heart ached painfully in my chest. I can't imagine Colin getting hurt either, painful images flashed across my mind and I grabbed his hand to stop him.
"Colin." My voice broke slightly as the pictures grew gruesome.
He gave me a crooked smile of reassurance, "Go inside, I'll bring Tommy home safe." And then he leaned down and kissed my cheek. My skin burned brightly while my face tingled where his lips had just been. I saw his breathtaking smile for a second before he was taking off into the woods.
I made my way back to the house, my hand still tracing the tingling on my cheek. "Kat?" Chris asked when I was on the porch, I looked around at him. My mind was a hazy and I'm sure my eyes were a little unfocused, which he noticed. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Chris grabbed my arm and led me into the house, pulling me into the living room he made me sit on the couch. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"
"He's back." I whispered in a defeated voice. "He's back and Tommy's out there, he went after him!"
Chris growled and jumped off the couch next to me. "You stay here." He hissed running out of the room and outside. I felt myself shake with fear of being alone. Now that I know that he's found me I've been a little off. I don't like knowing that he is so close.
Making my way upstairs I felt my hand tremble as it continued the touching of my cheek, the feeling was still there even if it was only a distant echo of before. I hoped helplessly that Colin wouldn't get hurt, that none of them would get hurt.
I was pacing my room when I heard the front door open. Running down the stairs I stopped midway down and smiled. Tommy and Chris came in, untouched. "Tommy!" I cried and jumped into his arms, "You scared me! Please don't do that again."
Chris laughed, "No love for the Elder brother."
"Chris!" I flung my arms around him.
"You're over reacting Kat." Tommy rolled his eyes but he was still agitated, they both were Chris was just better at hiding it from me.
I shrugged, "You're my family, I think I have a pass."
_____________
My books were around me as I struggled to keep my eyes open. I was beyond tired tonight but nothing was more important than staying awake as it was now. He was here and I wasn't safe.
A light knock on my door told me that one of my brothers were checking on me. I gave a sigh as I went to open the door but was surprised when Colin stood there, his backpack over his shoulder.
"I thought you could use a study partner." He smirked.
Automatically my face heated up and I wanted to touch my cheek again as the echo continued from his lips on my cheek. I opened the door so he could make his way into my room. It was late at night but I'm assuming my brothers had let him in, to distract me knowing that my homework had been done for hours.
He sat on the chair across the room while I resumed my seat on the bed. Everything was different with him in the room. I found myself more relaxed and completely distracted from my books. And for once since the call I wasn't thinking about Shane at all.
I yawned closing my eyes briefly, it was dark, everything was dark. My heartbeat accelerated in my chest and I jerked myself awake. My eyes found Colin's who was staring at me with concern.
"You seem tired Kitty." He mumbled as he set his books down on the desk.
"A little." I yawned, "But I can't sleep. I'll see him and I don't.."
Colin stood up and began picking up the books around me, handing me one he smiled, "Read one." He set the books on the ground beside the bed before grabbing one of his textbooks and coming back over to the bed. "Or help me figure out this math review."
Rolling my eyes I scooted over so he could sit beside me on the tiny bed. "Only because I did promise to help before."
He gave me a brilliant smile and plopped on the bed. The questions weren't hard, in fact, I'd already finished this exact sheet days ago the hardest part was getting distracted but Colin's closeness. A few times I caught him staring at me while I was trying to explain a problem but after hours I finally got him to understand and to start working on the few problems he had left on his own.
His smell wafted through my nose and I felt safe with him beside me, something that'd I'd never felt. It was a strong feeling and one that caused me to be overcome with exhaustion. I soon found myself closing my eyes into the first dreamless sleep in what felt like forever.
Waking up I felt refreshed and warm. Lifting my head from Colin's shoulder slowly I realized what I had done. I had slept through the night, with no nightmares. I stared at Colin, who was still asleep, in amazement. He helped me, he could give me sleep and peace.
Colin stirred and grinned sleepily at me, "Morning Kitty Kat."
I couldn't move, I couldn't say anything. I knew he couldn't spend every night with me but maybe if I explained it to him he would come over once a week so I could sleep.. Maybe..
"Hey?" Colin sat up, his face twisting with confusing and concern as he studied my face, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I slept through the night." I mumbled.
He laughed, "I noticed." His fingers trailed under my eyes and I backed away slightly, "You don't look as tired as before but you do look like you could use some more."
I shrugged and whispered without meeting his searching eyes, "Last night was the first real sleep I've had in awhile."
He was quiet for a moment and then seemed to notice where he was. He stood up and began packing up his school things, "I'm sorry. I've gotta go." He muttered as he nearly ran out the door.
Feeling tears spring to my eyes I fell back onto the pillows, burying my face in them. I was confused, why did he run out so fast? Did I scare him? After a moment I collected myself and slid off the bed to get ready for school.
All during the test in our first class Colin kept looking at me from across the room. He was nervous, I could tell, he wasn't his cool confident self. He tapped his pencil again before scribbling things on his paper, I watched him stare into the wall straight on as he tapped his pencil some more.
I'd finish my test already so I didn't really have anything else to do but watch him. He fidgeted in his seat and then looked over his shoulder at me. With a shake of his head he wrote on his paper again. He was guessing.
So much for all the studying we tried to do yesterday and I thought he was getting it so well.
____________
Colin's POV
Fuck. She's beautiful. How can she just sit there looking like some kind of Goddess while I'm just trying to make it through the day? Honestly, I can still smell her scent on me from this morning and it was driving me insane!
Who could concentrate on this stupid math test when she was in the room? I'm dead, done for. I let out a sigh as I leaned back in my seat. Spencer, who sits behind me sniffed loudly.
"Dude." He laughed quietly, "You slept with her."
I growled lowly and glared at him from over my shoulder. He was smirking, all knowingly like he seemed to be doing even more these days, it infuriated me.
If he could smell her scent on me then that means that the others can too. That Via can. Shit.
Via has been my best friend for as long as I could remember and I was pretty much in love with her for that long as well. I couldn't remember a time that I didn't which is weird to think about because you think I'd be happier to be her's.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy she's mine but I get this feeling in my stomach every time she tries something, like the other day when we were kissing in my bedroom. I hated being in there with her like that, the place that I only want my mate to be.
You see I'm saving things for my mate, most werewolves do but not all and I want her to be special. Sleeping in Kat's bed went over the line as far as I'm concerned not only for me and my mate but for her and her...mate.
I had a hard time swallowing that one as well. Her being perfect for someone else, her opening up the way she does for me sometimes, basically her being someone else's bothers me.
Something else I'm saving for my mate was my Virginity. Which yes, isn't 'hip' anymore, but I want her to know that I waited for her, that she was special enough, worthy enough for me to wait for her.
Looking over at Kat again I felt a burning in the pit of my stomach, temptation was hard but it would be worth it in the end. She was reading a book like she always did, her head tilted slightly so some of her hair fell in her face.
The bell rang loudly through the small classroom and I handed my paper into the teacher at the back of the room. When I passed her to see her still reading as if nothing happened I smiled at her concentration.
Spencer stopped in front of me and grabbed Kat's test of the desk, "This looks like an A, what do you say Colin?"
Kat dropped the book into her bag and grabbed the test from Spencer's hands. She brushed past me and I watched her hand her test to the teacher. I was momentarily mesmerized by her beauty when she turned back to us. Once I was out of the trance she was already out the door.
Spencer laughed and shoved me, "You're an idiot."
"Shut up." I growled and made my way to English.
__________
I didn't see Via till lunch and she grinned brightly when I sat next to her. Her scent couldn't still be on me, could it? I mean I've been at school all morning, I could have ran into her in the hallway. That was the excuse anyway.
"Did you finish the episode last night?" V asked as we started eating. "I don't know how they could kill him off. He was the hottest one."
"Yeah, but he's a dick." One of her friends told her.
I searched the tables for her and smiled to myself when I found her safely at a table across the room doing what she was always doing reading with her friend Teegan. Spencer stood from the table to my right and winked at me before striding across the room, straight for her.
I growled and Via jumped, "Don't worry, you're way hotter than him, plus you're already mine." She kissed my cheek and I dropped my gaze to the tray in front of me. I'm going to kill him.
"Spencer." I growled to Chris, who was sitting at our table. Chris looked around the table before his eyes narrowed in on his sister, which is where Spencer was sitting too close to her as he tried to capture her attention.
She seemed surprised of his sudden appearance and I watched as she scooted away. She was nervous and it showed in her facial expression. Chris stood up quickly with Tommy right behind him and I found myself founding after them.
"...After school." Spencer smirked to Kat. She looked slightly more relaxed and nodded her head, in agreeance with Spencer's comment. After school?
"What's going on?" Chris asked slightly annoyed, just like I felt.
"She's coming over to my house after school to hang out." Spencer shrugged.
Tommy growled which was echoed by Chris and I bit my lip just in time to stop myself from letting mine out too. "She's not going anywhere without us, she's not safe." Tommy hissed.
Spencer cocked his head in confusion and looked to me, I nodded once and he sighed. "Fine." He growled, "I'll see you later than Kat." I watched him walk away before looking back at Kat who's face was bright red as she went back to her book.
"You know the rules Kat, just like before." Chris reassured her, "He's not going to get through. Alright?" He kissed the top of her head and went back to the table.
"Hey cheer up, I'll buy you a few books to keep you company." Tommy smirked and with a wave he left too. I was still staring at Kat as I took a seat beside her.
"Hey." I whispered and her eyes sparkled with unleased tears as she looked over at me. "It's going to be okay."
She looked so vulnerable right now and it scared me as I was hit with a sudden thought. Why was I so worried for her, why couldn't I stay away from her? Maybe she was my mate?
I've had the thought multiple times already but I couldn't get close to her until I know for sure. I didn't want to hurt her. But I found myself always looking for ways to be around her, to talk to her, to know her. She needed someone to protect her and although her brothers are great at it, I wanted too even more.
"I'll come over tonight, we can study. Or read." I tried to smile, "Anything you want."
Kat shook her head, "I'm alright Colin. Don't do anything you don't want to do. My brothers are right."
"I want to Kitty." I smirked, my hand reaching up to her face but before I was close I pulled back. "Bye." I stood up and saw Via glaring in my direction. Shit.