Lancelot had had a bad day. He knew that as soon as he went home his mother would catch on and question him, so he was seated at the front porch of the pack house putting off going to his house as much as possible. For some reason that he could not understand the words she had said earlier bothered him to no end.
His day brightened a little when he saw her car. He walked down to her, but before he could finish greeting her, the smell of another male werewolf hit his nose. It was not any other werewolf; It was another Alpha who had kissed her in the park that once. His smell enveloped her completely.
He commanded her to get out of the car. Jolene considered driving away to avoid the drama. However, she opted for doing just the opposite. She remembered all the times she had found him with other girls and concluded there was no reason for her to feel guilty. She stepped out of her car.
“Need something from me?” She asked smirking.
Lancelot’s hands balled into fists but he took deep breaths to calm himself down enough to not snap at her. “I did not tell you before because it was none of my business but now that I know you are my mate you need to know; That guy is dangerous. He will only hurt you.”
She chuckled. “Aren’t you talking about yourself? You have hurt me far more than him.”
Lancelot sighed. “But it is different.”
Jolene crossed her arms. “How are you different from him?”
Lancelot hands opened and closed repetitively and his nostrils flared up. “Everything I did and said was before knowing my mate was right in front of me!”
Jolene rolled her eyes. “That only shows how little you care about me as a person. And you said you would reject me on the spot if I was your mate!”
Lancelot groaned. “I was not…” He stopped talking and shook his head. “Come with me to the woods”
She took a step backwards. “I have nothing to talk about with you.”
Lancelot held his breath as he approached her. “Samuel just mindlinked me. People can hear this conversation, which is fine, but I thought you would rather talk elsewhere.”
She opened her car’s door. “Or I can just leave.” He closed the door and grabbed her wrist.
She flinched but instead of the forceful grip she expected, his fingers barely grazed her skin making her relax and almost forget all the problems.
He raised her chin and looked deep into my eyes. “You have been crying. Just talk to me. Allow me to be a friend at least.”
She stared at his face and wondered how someone so beautiful and innocent looking could be so bad for her.
He let go of her chin and covered his mouth. “Stop looking at me like that or I will have to overstep your boundaries.”
Jolene looked down. He caressed the top of her head and ran a hand through her hair. She closed her eyes.
“Come with me?” he said.
She nodded and he began walking. She kept three feet of distance as they silently walked into the woods.
When they arrived at a clearing, Lancelot stopped and talked without turning to look at her. “Are you with him now? Is that why you keep rejecting my advances?”
Jolene sighed and stood next to him. “We were never official or anything. And today I found out how he really is. But he did…” She hesitated.
Lancelot turned and looked her in the eye. “He did what?” She took a sharp intake of breath. “He asked me to be his Luna if you rejected me.”
Lancelot turned around and began walking. He walked until the trees and bushes hid him. “Wait a moment here, please,” he whispered.
She heard a loud bang from were he had gone followed by another and another one.
She flinched and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath wondering if she had done the right thing. She had every intention of hurting him, but the look on his face before he walked away was not something that could be faked; He looked almost devastated. It was like he cared.
“Yeah… right,” she whispered remembering her conversation with Matt and Kathe. “It is only because of the power.” She kicked a rock.
“That is what I believed too…” Lancelot said.
She stared at him as he walked back to her side. His knuckles were dripping blood.
“Are you okay?” She rushed to his side and tried to take his hand but he pulled away and lowered his head.
“That guy’s family has been trying to take over our territory for generations, and now he wants to take my mate as well.” He shook his head and let out a chuckle. “I cannot even be mad. I kind of deserve it. I am not surprised you would prefer him over me.”
Guilt washed over Jolene as she saw the pained expression on her mate’s face. Lancelot looked at her, his eyes meeting hers again.
“I am not going to reject you. Are you still going to go with him?”
“I am here because of you, as long as you want me for real.” she looked up to the sky. She had not noticed how beautiful it looked that day, the stars shone the brightest she had ever seen.
He walked until he was towering over her. “That is what I have been trying to prove.”
She took a step back. “No, you like me because you think that I am strong. You want power.”
He averted his gaze. “You knew that?”
“I am not an idiot, Lancelot.” She took a step toward him, put her hand on his cheek, and made him look at her. “But I will give you time. I also want to get to know you, but only if you stop saying things you do not mean.”
Lancelot sighed. “Just one thing. Wait for me for real. Do not go around playing like you have been doing so far.”
His words took her aback. “I have not been…”
He stared at her with a serious expression. “I am young, not stupid.”
She looked away and he kept talking.
“I stopped sleeping around. Will you stop fooling around now?”
Jolene looked at his face. He seemed different, almost grown up. She nodded and he smiled. Lancelot cupped her cheek and she took a step back.
“I am still your teacher Lancelot, and I would rather not go to jail,” she said.
“But… we…” he stopped talking and the corner of his lips arched in a small smile. “I suppose that a rough couple of months await me.”
She grinned. “You are not the only one in that boat.”
He sat on a fallen trunk and motioned her to sit by his side. “So, what happened tonight? Did you and him… you know?” He did not meet her eyes.
“No, we just kissed.”
He turned to her. “Is it possible to be relieved and pissed off simultaneously?” She chuckled and he smirked. “I thought you disliked me because of how I acted. Why would you go to the grown up version of me?”
She cleared her throat. “I discovered that only today. He was sweet and caring toward me before, and even now.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, really? I know that guy’s reputation.”
She pulled out her cellphone from her pocket and showed him the text messages from Xander. He read a couple of them.
“Are you trying to hurt me right now?” he asked as he returned her phone. “My favorite one is the one from Sunday night by the way.”
She rolled her eyes. “I am not surprised. The point is that I did not know who he was before that happened.”
Lancelot took a lock of her dark hair and brought it close to him. He took a deep breath. “It is amazing…” he said.
“What?” she asked.
“The bond.” He let go of her hair.
“Oh, now you feel it.”
“Only briefly when I touch you. Before I did not realize this before but now my birthday is closer; Almost one month away.”
Jolene giggled. “Did you really think that I will change only because a girl smells nice and shit?” she said.
He frowned. “I was young and stupid.”
She laughed again. “That was three months ago.”
He looked at her, his expression severe again. “I know I have been a complete douche; I am not oblivious. And you would rather have a different mate, so if you decide to leave with Alexander or any other guy at any point, I will not stop you. That is the least I can do after everything I have put you through.”
She forced herself to remain blank as she felt his lip curl down. “So, you would not fight for me?”
“I would, unless you had already made up your mind.”
She gave him a crooked smile. “You are more like myself than I thought. I guess I should warn you: sleep with another girl one more time and you will lose your mate forever.”
He grinned. “Are you jealous?”
She scoffed. “Of cour-” She stopped talking, sprinted and tackled a person hiding in the bushes.