Perhaps I could make it out of this godforsaken place without that confrontation he's been itching for...

No such luck. Mrs. Kraus—that ancient dinosaur—never turned around during a lecture once, in the entirety of the three classes I had with her.

Until today.

"Sarah, you shameless hussy! Get off that boy's lap before he gets you pregnant!"

First off, is she for real not understanding biology? Second, who the hell talks like that?

Hard on the heels of that came a realization that I wasn't paying attention to basic biology....but it's a story that would be out of place for what was unfolding right beside me, so I shelved that thought before I lost track of the trainwreck that would decide my escape.

Mrs. Kraus sure startled the girl off him and she slunk back into her seat, beet red. And now someone else received my—that idiot's glare for once. My nothing. Keep control of yourself, girl.

But the bell wouldn't wait for an eternity. When it rang, I quietly began packing up my bag, refusing to look his way in case I slipped his mind.

His hand found my shoulder before I could zip up. Why did it feel like the full weight of this pack rested in that one hand? I fought against slumping back down into my seat. It took up that whole shoulder. I used to drool over the thought of this touch. Can't believe he's ruining my fantasies like this.

"We need to talk."

Despite him sounding like a girl in a relationship, this didn't feel like a heart-to-heart was coming. So be it. I nodded and walked out to my locker like I'd not even heard him.

He calmly followed at a distance. Once done inside, I passed up his car in the school's parking lot. That's what he objected to. "Get in the car."

"I walk home, Nate. I don't drive, I don't ride around like I belong to some fuckboy. You want to talk, fine but I'm wal..."

He picked me up and shoved me in his car before I could object further! Damn him!

I bit my lip, trying to keep from screeching like a harpy at the nearly-grown wolf growling to himself as he edged into the driver's seat. That fuckboy comment was a mistake. "Why are you so damn stubborn all of a sudden, Rachel?"

I felt so bitter at this moment. I was fucking stubborn the whole time. You don't know me, bitch. I knew it would show on my face because it came out of my heart. I was sick of his antics, and had a few more months to go before the relief of summer if they would leave me alone.

I managed something a little more saccharine than I wanted to say. "Walk yourself through it, bud. You're not this stupid."

He thought about it for a second, quiet, not even trying to turn on his car. "...I don't even know where to start."

I fought to not roll my eyes, yet again. "Have you spent so much time thinking with your dick that you can't figure this out?"

He threw me a look of disgust. "Spell it out for me, then, since you're so knowledgeable."

"Look, what kind of consequences is this much sleeping around going to have on you guys?" I had my arms crossed over my chest by this point because I knew the thoughts that were coming. I'm into self-preservation, and this altercation wasn't that, at all. Who was I to teach Nathaniel? I don't think I have the whole consequences thing down, myself. They had an Alpha—two Alphas now! He's not my job.

"I don't know."

"Man, your Alpha didn't want you boys to grow up if he's not said a thing about this to you. Think about the pack slut. What happens when these girls winds up one of your mates? I mean, your boy is going to look at someone who is supposed to be the love of his life, and see how many times she got it on with his brothers, cousins, hell, friends! And then he's got the choice to accept this girl who may never be faithful to him, nor he to her, and they just hurt each other for life."

"If it was mine, I'd reject her and get me a chosen mate. I don't need that fight between me and everyone else." He didn't even look at me, but honestly, this was the smartest thing I've heard from him—pick someone outside of the screw-ups they've been making, start over. Not like they could change themselves out and leave the girl in.

But this didn't quite have something to do with me. Not yet, not while I wasn't sleeping around, myself. "I'm sure that happens quite often. Now, how about all the girls y'all have treated like me? You guys have been at this since middle school, and the oldest of you are graduating this year. How many girls who haven't been with everyone are now entangled with a guy who is not their mate?"

"But that's only one..."

"One time? Are you really that blind? I got you pissed as hell because it's only that one act of sex. Right. You're not a human male, whether you shift or not, Nate." I had to stop, as I was starting to edge into yelling. The frustration of what he'd been putting me through was eating at me a bit more than I wanted to let on.

I took a deep breath before continuing. This wasn't going to work... "Something about me bugs you, to get you into my personal life. That means I'm stuck with you until you get whatever it is out of your system. And if one of them decides I belong to them while you're still trying to figure this out, you're going to wind up in a fight over a girl you didn't even have the courtesy to go to the movies with after you fucking took her virginity!"

That got him to ignore me long enough to start the car, at least. Nathaniel's hands shook on the wheel, trembling for a fight I couldn't give him—it was all hypothetical, still. He drove out of the parking lot without saying anything.

Of course, he didn't take the turn toward my home. "Uh, where are we going?"

"You're right. I'm not even remotely nice, and I'm starving. So, I'll take you to the diner so I can eat, and I'll get you something, as well."

I had to laugh at that. "So, this is a not-date, to pick at my brain until you can satisfy this damn itch you have?"

"I've not really been that close to you since..."

"I'm not talking physically." I looked away from him with a faint blush on my cheeks, grateful he was driving and not staring me down. I could feel it. I could feel him. I had not forgotten. "You've been trying to shove yourself into my thoughts without knowing what else is in there. Damn, I meant you don't know me."

The rest of our short ride was silent, almost gloomy on a sunny day.

Of course, he was quiet all the way until we were seated and eating. Typical of a guy. "So, why do you think Stephen keeps forcing you to sit with us?"

I'd been thinking about it for quite a while. "I'm not sure. He's the only one of you who has not been reckless in a couple of years. But he orders me over to the table and doesn't touch me at all, which is weird. I mean, he's sitting right next to me on a bench almost every lunch and I've never brushed up against him."

"You think you're his mate?"

That startled me enough to look up at Nathaniel. I thought about what it would be like to be stuck between these 2 guys for the rest of my life. I'm sure a look of horror was written on my face.

"Well, you're clearly not in favor of that."

"No, that's not it." My voice was a little rough, at first. "I was thinking about being stuck between my first and my mate and he's the fucking potential Alpha."

"You think I'd fight Stephen for you?" He about guffawed at that one. That's not a cute sound—or attitude.

I shook my head. "No, not now. I'm making you think about being self-aware and you're not all that attached to me over one time. Honestly, if you behave, you're likely to forget we even did it at all, in a few year's time. Unless someone forces you to think about me."

He shook his head at me, for that one. "Man, I thought you were full of it. Do you really value yourself this little? You think I'd forget being that into it?"

My eyebrows must have reached my hairline, for that confession. I wasn't the only one turned on. I thought it was business as usual, for him. "There is a huge difference between esteeming myself and respecting my sex life. I know most of us can't separate those two things, but if I didn't, then I'd be far more upset right now than I am."

"So you are mad, then."

"A little."

He leaned back, with a smug grin. "If I had known that, I'd not have been trying so hard."

I looked away. Asshole. "It's not like that."

"You're going to tell me what it's like?"

"One day, maybe," I shook my head before glancing back at him. I'd emasculate him with the truth. "For now, it would be better if you'd treat me as a friend or acquaintance instead of focusing so much on me. You could shift and find a mate any day now, and you don't want to be tangled in another girl."

"So, you don't want to do it again?"

"Really, Nate?" Hell yes, sign me up! I put down the 2nd half of my burger, just done with the damn thing, warring with what was right for him and what was right for me. If I didn't argue with him right now, I'd be the one starting shit—and soon. I want to be on top of him for a few minutes. "That's what you focus on out of all that? Your focus—all of y'all focus should be going into what is about to happen. The fact that I've not seen Stephen do anything more than drag me in doesn't look good for future pack cohesion. Y'all are setting yourselves up to fail. That has nothing to do with whatever is in my pants."

"You know you talk like a Luna, right?" He said this as he took the remainder of my burger. They eat so much. "Are you sure you're not Stephen's mate?"

I nearly spit out my drink. I shouldn't have tried to take a sip. "I'm certain. No way in hell that the goddess could make that mistake twice."

"My mom isn't a mistake!"

Oh, so Nathaniel is one of the Alpha's sons...and how the heck he thought I was talking about his mama? I don't know—I don't see the correlation at all. I'm missing one hell of a context...but I don't want to know. I never kept much track of who the leaders were. I wouldn't have been like my aunt if I knew who he was.

This was a contender for a title, separate from this pack's lore about who would be their leader. Even if he didn't gain a title, he'd be strong enough to hold it. Holy shit, I fucked an Alpha by bloodright. I felt like I dug myself a full latrine and then back-filled myself down in the waste. "I wasn't talking about the current Luna, Nate."

He looked a bit sad at that comment, but I couldn't figure out why. It didn't stop him from questioning me. "Then who?"

"My aunt."

"Who was she?"

"Your father's pack slut. I've been told I'm just like her, most my life."

He dropped his smirk at that, "You're saying your aunt was with my dad?"

I sighed in frustration. "I'm saying what I was told. I know nothing about who she was with because no one told me those types of things. They kept saying that I was being like my aunt any time I was even remotely friendly with a known pack member. It was a big rant about her opening her legs for everyone. The minute they find out about you, all hell is going to break loose."

"Then why start with me?"

Why indeed. How the hell have I gotten here? Did he forget how tenacious they all are?

I nearly put my head down on the table and gave up the ghost. There was a lot about myself I was trying to keep out of this boy's hands: how much I wanted him, how much I hated and feared the whole idea of him.

How much I wanted to fix everything? That part was spewing out like a busted pipe right now. But I couldn't keep doing that. I wasn't ready to give up. How the heck could I remain silent?

Instead, I sighed and leaned against the palm of my hand, staring at the wolf in front of me. I couldn't help thinking that in a different time and place—possibly only being human—I'd genuinely enjoy his company. I want this one as a fucking friend—wait, that's still fucking.

It wouldn't be his good looks, as he's not my type—well, not my whole type. Being able to get along is a harder trait to find. I hate people. I couldn't think of a single person in this town that I wanted to be around. Surprised me to find that there was this affable edge to him. I wanted to delve into what I was feeling at that point, and get to know him as a person, not as a sexual object.

His hands, though...shit, sex would be a bonus but we wouldn't be on the same page. He's not thinking I'd make a good friend. Given how pack behaves, he's most likely sizing me up, trying to take in how I would fit into the scaffolding of hierarchy, whether he had to cater to me or whether I was his to toy with. This place where I could find strength in him would be hard to nurture, and I don't have the patience of a saint.

I had been rather blunt, in my own way. It wasn't particularly harsh, but he had to know toy and Rachael don't sit well in the same sentence. I hoped that any inclination he had towards associating me with chew-toy was well-cauterized after this. That would be a huge step forward if I couldn't have the rest.

He had raised a serious question about why I bothered to fuck him, though. The compulsion to answer it was nearly driving me to squirm in my seat, despite me trying to think about other things. Fuck, his dick would be better than answering that, hands down.

It was something I needed to let go of, a confession I've made to no one, until now. It's a damned lonely place to be in, having no one to talk to. "I've been told all my life that I was bound to whore around. Honestly, it's been wearing on me. And not only had I heard the bet, but I've noticed that these bets have a pattern. You guys get bored with the lack of drama in your lives. Has anyone lost one of those stupid things?"

"...not that I can remember." He paused for a second, a flash of faint dimples. Nathaniel took the confession of being in on the bet without wincing. I didn't have that much ego. He didn't even seem to care that I knew from the start. I guess he's pleased that I chose him, despite that.

"So, you thought I'd be irresistible?"

I had to laugh. "No, I'm sure you—any of you—can be resisted. It's that I didn't want to be caught in the center of a bunch of wolves like I am right now. I mean, I'm not getting anything and it's not just you that is paying attention to me."

That caught his attention—setting aside the laid-back amicability. Damn primitive beasts. I swear, his ears perked forward like a dog. "Which ones?"

"I didn't mean it that way!" I huffed in exasperation. "They're watching me like they're trying to figure out why it's so important that I sit there with you. I'm not pack."

"That's it!" Nathaniel slammed his hand down on the table, jostling me off my own palm. He was completely unaware of it, too. "You are pack. But how?"

Apparently, that's the part that's been bothering him, not our act in the closet. So much for being attractive to the guy. No wonder he hadn't offered to do it again. "Well, since Stephen is the only one acting like I am, you're going to have to ask him. I'm only some human that has to worry about how my family is going to take this."

There wasn't much to say after that. I mean, the only thing I had not covered was that I'm not really into blondes...although I'm starting to like this one. Once you get past his stupid carelessness, he has some substance to him. After all, he wanted to think it through, even if he couldn't place everything in order on his own.

Wanting to understand was such an adult move...and turn-on.

But I did relax, as the thought that at least this generation wasn't out to get me started to sink in.