Scarlett

I was still half asleep when I pulled my robe on and tied it around my waist. I slipped my feet into my slippers, thankful Gary had remembered to pack them. Coffee was the only thing I could think about as I left my room in search of my first caffeine fix.

The rich aroma hit me and I followed it to the kitchen.

"Morning," Cade greeted me cheerfully from the counter he was sitting at.

"Morning," I muttered, trying to stop myself from killing him with my death glare. I was grumpy as hell until I had caffeine running through my veins.

"Aren't you just a ray of sunshine first thing in the morning," he observed as I just turned and let my ice cold gaze sweep over him. He didn't get the message because he kept smiling.

I wanted to smack the smile off his face, but that would involve touching him, which I was avoiding at the moment. Would he find it strange if I covered my hand with a glove to slap him? It sounded so appealing, it made me smile secretly to myself.

A stronger whiff of the coffee pulled me out of my planning and I shuffled to the machine. I took one of the cups beside the machine and poured myself some.

I took a deep sniff of it and sighed before I took a tentative sip.

Yummy.

I turned to face Cade and leaned against the counter.

He didn't have a shirt on again. What was with this guy and going shirtless? Most girls wouldn't complain, they would just enjoy the view, but seeing him half naked just set off that familiar feeling inside my stomach. I liked to be in control and around him, I wasn't. My body's reaction went against any logical reasoning I could muster.

Then there was that other problem that he was my mate, he was meant to be my life-long partner. I couldn't help but wonder if my attraction to him had anything to do with him being my mate, even though we hadn't touched yet?

"Don't you own enough shirts?" I asked as I took another sip of my coffee.

"Does it make you uncomfortable? Most girls don't complain," he said with a smirk.

Can't slap him, I kept chanting in my head as I felt my temper start to rise.

"I'm not most girls," I muttered as I held his gaze.

I had to remember to try and be nice to him as hard as it was going to be. He was helping me by letting me stay at his house and I needed to appreciate it no matter how much I wanted to slap him or bring him down a peg or two.

He got up and walked to the coffee machine beside me. As much as I wanted to stay where I was, I moved away because I couldn't chance him touching me by accident. I wasn't ready to deal with a possessive mate just yet. Deep down I knew I couldn't avoid it for long, but I needed some time to get my head around it.

He smiled at the action. He probably thought I moved because he made me feel uncomfortable and he liked the fact that his presence affected me.

"You scared I'm going to bite you?" he said in a seductive tone as his eyes traveled over me appreciatively. I bet he used that line a lot.

"Who says I won't bite back?" I retorted.

"I don't mind," he teased with a smile as his eyes held mine.

"Does that line ever work?" I asked, annoyed.

"I don't have to use lines," he assured me with a satisfied grin.

He was probably right. I could see the girls falling at his feet without him having to utter a word. I was pretty sure one look from him would do it.

Can't slap him, I told myself again. It was going to be harder than I'd first thought as I clutched the coffee mug tightly in my hands to stop me from doing something I would regret.

"Morning," Gary greeted as he entered the kitchen. He was already dressed.

"Morning," Cade and I greeted at the same time.

I was relieved to have another person around and it seemed to ease the tension that had been building between Cade and me.

"How are you feeling?" Gary asked with concern as he checked the cut I was still sporting on my forehead. At least the swelling had gone down. He was in 'concerned parent' mode.

"I feel better. My ribs are still a little tender," I confessed. I wasn't one to complain, but I wanted him to know I was healing. It was only when I made sudden movements that I felt the pain.

"It's a werewolf thing," Cade commented, watching the two of us.

"What is?" I asked, turning to face him.

"We heal fast. You'll heal faster once you shift," he informed us.

That was a good thing. Maybe being a werewolf wasn't such a bad thing after all, but then I remembered the whole 'mate' thing and that put a damper on things.

"So what's the plan for today?" Gary directed the question at Cade.

"I've got some of my pack tracking the rogue but they haven't found him yet," he explained as he went back to the kitchen counter and sat down.

"How long do you think it will take?" Gary asked.

Cade shrugged his shoulders. His shoulders are wide and strong, I thought to myself. Angry with myself, I shook my head, to stop thinking of him in that way.

"It could be a while. This rogue is good at covering up his tracks and he is very good at keeping himself hidden," he answered. "He is probably an older werewolf."

Great! Not only did I have a rogue intent on doing me some serious harm, but he was older and more experienced. I had a feeling I was going to be staying at Cade's house for a long time.

Crap! It was going to be harder keeping my distance from him if I was living in his house. The odds were starting to stack up against me.

"Is there a chance that there might be more of them?" I asked. I wasn't sure what made me ask the question.

"Yes, there is." He watched me carefully for a reaction to his answer.

The thought that there might be more than one rogue terrified me, but I kept my outward calm facade firmly in place as I finished my coffee. I glanced down at my watch and realized I didn't have a lot of time before I had to leave for school.

"I'm going upstairs to get ready for school," I announced as I put my empty mug in the sink.

"You're not leaving the house; it's not safe," Cade informed me sternly. Gary looked more concerned as he shot me a look, which told me to play nice but he knew me better than that.

I didn't like being told what I could and couldn't do no matter what was at stake. I was stubborn to a fault.

"Why not?" I asked. "The school is filled with werewolves, so how can I not be safe there?"

This whole 'being in danger' thing really sucked.

"You're safer here, or do you want to chance another encounter with the rogue?" Cade asked, already knowing what my answer would be. Last night had scared me, although I wouldn't openly admit it to anyone. I hid my fear deep under my facade of confidence.

"I can't just skip school until you catch the rogue," I argued. "Like you said, it could take a while."

"At least give us today to try and strategize and put a plan into action," he said, surprising me. I'd expected him to tell me that I wouldn't leave the property until the rogue had been dealt with.

I was learning I needed to pick my battles. I gave him a brief nod, agreeing to stay put for the day.

"Tomorrow I'm going to school," I stated. There would be no negotiating.

"Fine," Cade agreed tightly. He didn't like being dictated to; well, that made two of us.

"Nice to see the two of you are getting along this morning," Blake remarked, standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

"I wouldn't say we were quite getting along," I muttered. I think the correct thing would be to say we'd negotiated some sort of truce for the moment.

Spending the day at Cade's house was boring. I'd gone back upstairs to shower and change. Then I'd lain down on the bed for a little while. I was so bored, even flipping through the channels of the TV didn't hold my attention for long.

My stomach rumbled and I let out a sigh.