Chapter 3

Collins

BEFORE

Sweat. Sweat was rolling down my back under my shirt. It was already warm here and add all the people and alcohol and the fact that my werewolf blood made me run hot anyway, I was burning up. But none of that mattered… not in the moment anyway.

“Dude!” Sara yelled at me over the music. “Dude bro is staring at you dude!”

I turned to see the same hoodie guy from outside standing off to the side of the dance floor. He was indeed staring. But then again so was everyone else.

“He’s the dude broiest bro ever in the history of dude bros dude.” I yelled back at her.

Ahhh… yep. Totally drunk.

Sara shook her head seriously. As if anything I just said made sense. “Dude you’re so right.” She said.

Sloan chimed in then. “Dudes a weird word!” She shouted. We all agreed and started laughing.

“Duuuaaddee” Abbey said.

“Dude .. dude .. doodie dude.” Sara tried.

I snorted. “You said doodie!” We all laughed in hysterics.

“Dudester …” I interjected.

Shit they were toast.

“Nope.. still weird!” Sloan yelled. She was literally yelling so loud that I looked at her funny.

“You’re soooo loud dude!” I yelled back at her, being just as loud.

“I know!!” Sloan agreed.

“Dudette!!” Sara said and we all laughed some more.

“I’m having the best time!” I told them.

“Dude! Same!” That came from Sara.

They’d been dancing to ‘Lovin on Me’ by Jack Harlow when the song changed.

I gasped. “Dudeeeees!! I love this song!!” I shouted and we all laughed even more and started dancing again.

‘Down on Life’ by Elliphant rang through the speakers.

I was so lost in the music I didn’t feel the hands wrap around my waist at first. Only when I was suddenly yanked back against a broad chest did my eyes fly open.

I turned to see Garrett smirking at me.

“Dude!! Where have you been?” I yelled at him. So he did finally decide to show his face…. hours later.

He sniggered at me. “Dude?” He asked.

I laughed. “Yes!” I shouted. “It’s THE word”…” I explained, without explaining one single thing.

I saw his eyes darken as he took in my outfit.

“What cha wearin baby?” He asked me.

I frowned. It wasn’t the words he said … but the tone behind them that I wasn’t too sure about.

He then leaned down to my ear to whisper something.

“You’ve got every single guy in here staring at you….”

I looked at him again.. something was different about him tonight. Something behind his words. But I didn’t know what it was. Sure he had his moments. Especially when I got a lot of attention from guys .. or wore something he thought was too revealing … or when he was in one of his moods. Okay, so maybe he had a lot of moments. But still… something in his eyes was off.

Ah fuckity fuckers I was drunk. That’s all it was. So I just grinned at him and started dancing again.

A second later the guy who had seen me sneaking drinks appeared. He handed a cup to Garrett who in turn handed it to me. He took the cup from home and gave it to the kitchen guy.

“What’s this?” I asked him.

“Just refilled your drink for you…” he said.

Then he pulled me to him once more and whispered .. “come upstairs with me a minute I wanna show you something.”

Was he going to try to make out with me in the middle of this party?

We’d had sex but only a few times. I had made him wait over a year until finally giving in. I really wanted to wait for my mate … but Garrett had been so good and so patient. And I had wanted it too. But we weren’t the kind of couple that did it every day.

Garrett was busy with the fraternity and work. He interned at his fathers law office so he stayed there late most nights. That plus classes and homework didn’t leave a ton of free time.

But I wasn’t any better. All of my nursing classes were very demanding. And I worked part time at a local family owned doctors office. I did the intake forms and took the patient histories and insurance claims.. things like that. And even though I wasn’t actually doing nursing work there, I truly loved the job.

Plus there was cheer and dance. The practices alone took up half her week and the competitions and ballgames took up the rest.

So we both had our plates full. Not a lot of time left for intimacy.

I turned to my friends and yelled I would be right back.

But Sloan frowned… and Abbey grabbed my hand while staring Garrett down.

I knew they were trying to make sure I was going to be okay … but this was Garrett. My boyfriend of nearly two years.. not some random hook up.

“It’s fine…..” I slurred out to them. “I’ll be fine I promise I’ll be right back my dudes.” I told them, apparently still on the dude kick.

It took a minute but Sloan finally nodded…

Abbey still held on to my arm and stared daggers at Garrett behind me. She looked down at me and I nodded to her and then she let go.

Garrett grabbed my hand and started pulling me up the stairs, wasting no time. I waved at the girls smiling at them.

That was my first mistake…

“Drink your drink.. I made it good for you.” He told me.

So I shrugged my shoulders and downed the entire thing. Then shook the empty cup at him showing him that it was all gone.

And that…. was mistake number two.