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I couldn’t help the little moan that escaped. “This is amazing.” I looked up to see Knox’s eyes had gone completely gold. He jerked his focus away from me and toward something in the distance. When he looked back, they were back to the same green with flecks of gold. I blinked a few times. I was officially losing it.
“I grew up in Maine when I was little, then the Seattle area.” What I didn’t share was that it was a family friend of my parents who had brought me to Washington. I’d thought they were going to take me in but had placed me in foster care instead, saying it was “for the best”.
“What about your lineage?” My brows furrowed as I ate another bite of the muffin. “Like ancestry?” What an odd question. Knox nodded. “Yeah.” He smiled, but it didn’t read as authentic. “I’m Irish, through and through.”
I said the words completely deadpan. As if the fact created no emotion in me at all. In reality, it fueled the kind of storm that would never end. Knox’s face went pale. This would be the end. People didn’t like when things got real or when you reminded them of all they had to lose.
I know what it’s like to lose someone you love. I know it changes you. I hate that you’ve had to go through that.” I blinked a few times, staring into those beautiful green eyes. There was nothing but truth there. He did know. And that knowing made me feel truly seen for the first time in years.
Knox’s nostrils flared as annoyance filled his gaze. His fingers dropped mine as he spoke. “Hey.” The loss of his touch stung in more than one way. His comforting heat. The fact that he didn’t want his friend to see him touching me. I fought the urge to curl in on myself. The lanky boy sidled up to our table with a grin.
Knox let out another low, angry sound. I stared at Knox as his chest rose and fell in ragged pants. “Did you just growl at him?” Knox’s gaze swung to me, and I swore it flashed gold again. “He was being annoying.” “You don’t think that might be a wee bit extreme?” I asked, fighting a laugh.
You might be hangry.” I broke off a piece and offered it to him. Knox’s gaze zeroed in on the muffin, but instead of taking it with his fingers, he bent down, closing his lips around my fingers and sucking the bite free. Sparks of sensation zipped up my arm, and my eyes went wide as I sucked in a sharp breath. Knox swallowed and grinned. “You’re right. I feel a lot better.”
up and up until I reached a bizarrely familiar face. Even through the thick scruff, I could tell that the jaw had the same angular bend as Knox’s. His nose and cheeks were identical, too. His hair was piled into a man bun on top of his head, but it was the same color as Knox’s. But the eyes were different. Green and gold, yes. But the gold flecks had a different pattern and shape. And the eyes themselves held so much disdain it dripped like acid.
Easton—Knox’s twin, junior, rich voice, foot taller than her at 6’3, built/muscular, long brown hair with natural gold highlights from sun worn in man bun, green eyes with flecks of gold in pattern different from twin, look of cold disdain
EASTON
Those violet eyes flared in surprise at my words, hurt even. Knox had described those eyes in infinite detail. He hadn’t stopped droning on and on about the girl for the past twelve hours. But even with his incessant chatter, he hadn’t done them justice.
purple that seemed to change shades in the light, going deeper and then flaring brighter with emotion. Her blonde hair hung in waves around her shoulders. Hair that I could picture wrapping around my fist
I knew him better than anyone, and I could see his anger starting to build. The tension lining his shoulders, the way his breathing came just a bit quicker. It wasn’t a game I should be playing, pushing Knox’s buttons. The only one with a quicker trigger than him was Cáel. And Cáel didn’t have emotions besides rage and nothingness.
The scent of the girl was too pure, too enticing. Jasmine, dew, and us.
There was so much anger brewing inside me that it had started to spill out, lashing at the people I was closest to. And when they played with fire, like Knox was now, it was even worse.
I was so caught up in watching her, the sway of her hips and the way her blonde hair caught the light as she walked, I didn’t see the fist coming. Knox didn’t pull the punch. It connected with a force that meant I’d likely have to shift to heal it. The crack echoed in my ears as my entire body lurched to the side.
Knox liked to play the human role. Football team. Friends. I had no need for it. I’d rather have a small circle that truly knew me. My brothers. But now, it seemed I could be losing that, too.
“What’s wrong with me is that she’s our mate,” he snarled. Everything in me locked. Blood roared in my ears as everything went cold. So damn cold it was a miracle I didn’t fracture on the spot. “You’re wrong.” My voice didn’t sound like my own, foreign and far away. Knox’s jaw worked back and forth. “I know what a mating bond feels like, East. We’ve heard about it all our lives. I felt it. That zap of electricity. The extreme possessiveness.” Sweat gathered along my spine. “You just think you felt it. You want it so damn bad you’re imagining it.”
“I’m not a moron. I know what I felt. And that means I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. Even if that means from you.” There it was. The line in the sand. Finding a mate changed everything. And not always for the better. Sometimes finding a mate meant having your whole world ripped out from under you.
There were no warm and fuzzies when it came to Mr. Grumpy Cat. It didn’t matter that he was gorgeous, and I had a burning urge to pull the tie from that man bun. To know what it felt like to run my fingers through his hair.
I was not going to be a dumb girl. I’d made that move once in high school, believing the sweet lies of a boy who only wanted one thing. After he’d gotten it, I’d been dropped like the piece of trash he actually thought I was. Not happening again.
Given my roommate’s interest in partying, I had a feeling that I’d be spending quite a lot of time within the library’s walls. I didn’t mind it. The library had always been a safe haven for me. And this one was stunning, just like the rest of the campus.
it wasn’t really a desk anymore. She’d transformed it into a vanity of sorts, with a massive lighted mirror and more makeup and hair products than I’d ever seen outside of a beauty store. “Where have you been?” she clipped. I blinked a few times as I crossed to my bed, setting down the bags and sliding off my backpack. “Uh, I went to get my books and to the library. Did we have plans I didn’t know about?” Delaney’s jaw tightened, her mouth barely opening as she spoke. “I heard you had coffee with Knox Gallagher this morning.”
“Tell me everything from beginning to end. Right now,” Delaney demanded. I winced. The idea of sharing the few moments of true kindness I’d experienced from Knox today felt wrong. It was something I wanted to hold close to my chest.
“My sister’s a junior. She knows them all. And when I visited last year, I met Knox. We really connected.” The way she accentuated the word had nausea rolling through me. “Oh.” “Yeah, I’m just waiting to let him know I’m here. Wouldn’t want to be desperate.”
Knox came in, his gaze sweeping over the space. He gave Delaney a polite nod and kept right on going, studying my side of the room intently. “We gotta get you some posters or something. Make this homier.” Posters? That was what he was focused on? “Knox,” Delaney breathed in a husky voice. “It’s so good to see you again.” She looked up at him through fluttering lashes.
I didn’t miss that he hadn’t remembered meeting Delaney. It was petty, but there was a tiny rush of relief at that.
Her rage-filled expression instantly morphed into a simpering warmth. “You, too, Knox. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other now.” A weird territorial feeling surged up inside me. I didn’t want Delaney to see Knox.
Something passed over Knox’s expression. “She doesn’t even know me.” My steps faltered as I really took him in. I had no doubt that Knox had girls all over campus interested in him. From the pieces I’d put together, he was a football player on top of his good looks, which only added to the appeal. But if that was all people saw in you, the attention would feel pretty damn empty. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. Knox’s gaze snapped to mine. “For what?” “Laughing about Delaney. It has to get old, that kind of attention. Maybe even feel lonely.”
I’d never been more aware of someone, every minute shift of his body. When we got outside, I moved just out of touching distance. Contact with Knox was too damn dangerous.
The few students we passed all greeted Knox by name. And I noticed that he was kind to everyone. It didn’t matter what the person looked like or where they might fall in the social hierarchy, he smiled and answered with a hello or a question. I liked that about him. The judgment-free zone.
He’s got a complicated history. I swear he’s not as awful as he seems at first. It just takes him time to trust people.”
“What happened to your parents?” It was a bold and nosy question. Especially for someone who didn’t really know me, but I appreciated it somehow. That Knox simply asked what he wanted to know instead of probing around the subject. It wasn’t something I talked about. Not ever. But somehow, I didn’t mind giving Knox the truth, even though just thinking the words made my stomach hurt.
The only sound was that of Knox’s ragged breathing, as if he were struggling for control. It forced my gaze away from my lap and toward those beautiful green eyes. There was only one word to describe the emotion there. Anguish. “You were alone,” he gritted out. I shrugged. “Aren’t lots of people?” “You shouldn’t have been alone.”
“You’re not going to be alone anymore.” I stilled. What did that mean? It seemed like a hell of a promise from someone who didn’t know me at all. Unease trickled through me, and I pulled my hand free. I’d known someone else who’d made similar promises, and he’d bolted the second he’d taken my virginity.
A hardness settled into his jaw. “You don’t have to tell me—” “No. I want to. I just—I don’t talk about it much. My whole family. Parents. Little sister. Older brother. They all died in a, uh, fire.” Knox’s gaze shifted away as if he, too, couldn’t take my reaction to his revelation. God, I couldn’t imagine losing that many people in a single moment. “I’m so sorry.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the action. “It’s why East can be a prick sometimes. He doesn’t like to let himself care about anyone any more than he has to.”
I’d lost track of all the impacts losing my parents had on me. Everything from my pre-med quest to never feeling like I fit in. It made me a different person than I was before. But it also meant I never missed an opportunity to be grateful for the little things. A beautiful sunrise, a boy bringing me lunch and sharing his truth. Because I knew how easily it could all be ripped away.
“You’ve been through so much, but you’re still here, looking for the bright spots.” I shrugged. “I don’t want to look for the shadows. I already know they’re there.” Knox’s expression went stormy at my words. “No more shadows.” I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Life is full of them.” “Not for you. Not anymore.” I grinned at him. “I love that you think you can just erase them.” “Not just think. I can. I’ve got your back, Hayden.”
Friends. I hated the disappointment that flared to life in my chest at the word. But I also understood the pull Knox was talking about. There was this tug toward the guy next to me. He felt like safety and comfort…home. It was such a bizarre thought, but I couldn’t ignore that it was present. “Maybe we were meant to be friends.” An affronted look swept across Knox’s face. “Maybe?” I chuckled. “Okay, our best friendship was written in the stars.”
Sensation swept across my skin at the tenor. The tone was almost musical.
should’ve been gracing the cover of GQ than walking the pathways of this tiny university. He was tall with broad shoulders and a leanly muscled frame, like that of an Olympic swimmer. His hair was jet black. Just a bit long, styled in an artfully messy way. His olive skin made the amber of his eyes glow warmer, and dark stubble dotted his jawline. As he approached, his nostrils flared, his gaze locking on me.
Maddox—Professor Kavanaugh aka her Biology 101 teacher, tenor musical voice, GQ model, tall with broad shoulders, lean muscles of olympic swimmer, tad long jet black hair in artfully messy style, amber eyes, dark stubble
The second our palms touched, it was as if lightning shot through me. That same phantom wave as when Knox had touched me the first time. My vision tunneled, and darkness tried to swallow me whole.
MADDOX
The mate bond sang through my nerve endings, leaving behind third-degree burns I’d take over and over again. The inferno sparked a mixture of lust and protectiveness and knowing. How many times had I heard the true-mate bond described? More than I could count. From my own parents and from the elders in our horde. But all their stories paled in comparison to what I felt now.
Hayden’s eyes fluttered, and she began to list sideways. I quickly dropped her hand and moved to steady her. Knox rushed to her other side. “Shit. Hayden, are you okay?” She blinked rapidly, coming back to herself. “Sorry. I don’t know—that’s the second time that’s happened today. Maybe I should go to the health center.”
Hayden was a student. I gritted my teeth. My mate was over a decade younger than me and so beyond off-limits, it wasn’t even funny. The university had strict rules about fraternizing with students. I’d always thought it was a good rule. Until now.
God, I wanted to touch her. To hold her in my arms and assure her that there wasn’t a damn thing she could do that would make me love her any less. “No problem.” My voice was deeper than normal, raspier. “But you should make sure you’re getting enough to eat.” A million questions swam through my brain. Did she have enough to eat? Was she warm enough? Was she happy?
When our kind found their mate, they had a deeply ingrained need to make sure their mate was safe and cared for. To provide for them in every way imaginable. Food was just the tip of the iceberg.
My lips twitched. “I’m a professor here.” Hayden’s brow furrowed as she glanced at Knox. “You called him your brother.” Knox grinned. “Not by blood. More by choice. There are five of us that live together. Old family friends. You’ll meet them all.”
There was an undisguised longing in her voice, a yearning to belong. An ache lit deep in my chest. My mate had felt alone, that much was clear. “You’ll have it now, too,” Knox assured her. Hayden’s eyes flared in surprise, and I sent him a look of warning. She wouldn’t understand why Knox was so quickly trying to bring her into the fold. If he moved too fast, he could scare Hayden off, and that was the last thing we needed. She picked at her sandwich. “It’d be nice to meet your friends.”
