Chapter 3

Odessa POV

“So I can’t come over?” Evyn asked.

I pinned my phone against my ear and shoulder as I pulled out a freshly baked sponge cake from the oven. I carried the cake to the dining room, where I could decorate it. Baking was my stress reliever.

“I didn’t say that I’m just worried about the welcome you’ll receive. I’ve been here for three days and I’m lucky to be alive. This house has stairs!”

“Don’t be dramatic, Odessa, no one’s going to kill you.”

“That’s what you think. This is Sienna’s castle, and she has no plans of moving out soon.”

“If it’s a castle, I wouldn’t want to move out either! So tell me what it’s like seeing the Fab Three every day?”

“They don’t come around as often… Storm’s barely here.”

“I’d be dreaming about the time they finally show up.”

Mom and Barnette were planning to go away on their honeymoon. I’d be toast then. Honestly, I couldn’t find an apartment on my own yet, and I had one more year left in college. My cleaning job could barely pay my tuition, much less rent.

I struggled to find an internship related to my degree. I applied a hundred times to be an unpaid physiotherapist intern for Daciana Wildcats, but they didn’t both to respond to me.

I couldn’t get in with the Daciana Devils even if I tried because I worked for the Wildcats.

I couldn’t take money from Barnette without being called a gold digger, slut and opportunist by the entire town. Maverick promised to keep his eyes on me, and Sienna’s tongue was always ready with an accusation.

The front door slammed shut, followed by loud masculine voices.

My wolf raised her head in excitement before she fell into bitter disappointment. Gage wasn’t here. Storm and Maverick appeared instead, dumping their sweaty hoodies and duffle bags all over the place.

“Here I thought Sienna actually set foot in the kitchen. It actually smells good,” Maverick said, landing heavily on the dining room chair.

“Little Odessa made herself right at home,” Storm commented.

“Little?” I scowled.

Storm laughed. “If you don’t mind, we have an important meeting to discuss. So if you could make yourself scares.”

I brought a lot of stuff to the table, and I hadn’t finished plastering the cream on the cake. Storm marched off after making his request. I wondered what was so important and if Gage was coming.

As I gathered my tools, Maverick slithered behind me and sliced cream off the top of the cake.

“What are you? A six-year-old!”

Maverick chuckled. “I have a sweet tooth, but I know somewhere it’ll taste better.”

“Huh?”

He smeared the cream on my cheek. I gasped. His right hand cupped my face and dragged his tongue on my face, cleaning the cream right off. My limbs froze, and my heart jumped into my throat. Maverick wiped my cheek clean! I think I was paralysed, I couldn’t even blink.

“Leave the house and don’t come back until it’s dark. I mean it, Odessa.”

I couldn’t look at him. I remained frozen.

“Why?”

“Don’t ask me why, just leave.”

Ugh, he’s such a jackass! I slapped his right hand away and scooped up the rest of my stuff. I abandoned the cake because all I wanted was to create an abyss between me and Alpha Maverick.

I left the house without a bra and in flip-flops.

“I can’t believe he did that. He’s so entitled and infuriating! I should have poisoned that cake just in case he tries to eat it!”

I didn’t know where I was going. I looked like a mad person talking to myself on the street.

“Do you often scream angrily at the sky?”

I froze, heat rushing to my cheeks.

I noticed the red SUV in front of me. Gage raised his brow, waiting for a response.

“Uh… only when provoked,” I said sheepishly.

“Hop in. We need to talk.”

“Excuse me? What if Sienna finds out?” I looked around as if expecting to see one of her spies in the bushes.

Gage clenched his jaw. “If anything happens, I’ll handle her.”

Boys could be so naïve that they couldn’t handle Sienna at all. She did whatever she wanted. However, my wolf was suffering because of the mate bond. She was smaller than his wolf, so she carried the load of the pain. Just being this close to him was difficult.

How would I manage being in a car without turning into a puddle?

“Where are we going?” I asked.

He exhaled. “I don’t know.”

“I know where we can go.”

***

“My Mom gave up the apartment, but our landlord lives out of town. So we’ll be fine.”

“Odessa, this is illegal,” Gage commented.

“Only if you get caught. Come in, before someone sees us.”

Gage scurried inside as if we were actually being watched. It was cute, he was a pampered prince. Our apartment must come as a shock. He stared at the peeling leather couch that served as my bed for years, and then at our square, box-like TV set. He turned his head again and looked into the kitchen.

“So… you lived here?” he questioned.

“Yes, and the years I spent here were amazing. I wouldn’t trade my couch for a room in Sienna’s castle.”

“You slept on the couch? What the hell?” his eyes popped out of his head.

“It wasn’t that bad. I… don’t care about money. I’ve made my cash for as long as I can remember.”

Gage sat on the couch and ran a hand down his face.

Please don’t break, I thought.

“That’s not what everyone says. Barnette is a good guy, and no one wants him to lose everything he worked for.”

“If you’re going to call my Mom a gold digger, you might as well leave.” I turned towards the door.

“Wait, Odessa.” His hand wrapped around my arm. A jolt went through me.

“I shouldn’t have touched you,” Gage whispered.

He pulled me until our bodies touched. His arms wrapped around me, holding me firmly in place. His hands travelled up my torso, carving my curves, brushing over my breasts before capturing my face.

“I don’t want to leave,” he whispered.

He inched closer. His body, his scent, everything about him made my knees weak. Here I was in my mate’s arms, but it felt wrong. He turned me around, guiding me to the couch. Once my legs hit the furniture, I buckled and fell backwards.

His wolf flashed in his eyes, and my wolf reflected in mine.

He growled and climbed on top of me. He grabbed my legs and wrapped them around his waist.

“I can’t sleep, I can’t train, all I think about is you!” he growled. “I need to have you.”

“No, I can’t. I’ve never done this before.” I shoved his chest.

“What? How’s that possible? You’re gorgeous!”

I blinked at him, unable to offer a response.

“Okay, we’ll go slow.”

He tugged at my pants until he had them down. He wasted no time in kissing my thighs.

“You smell so fucking good,” Gage growled.

He fondled with my underwear and hooked his fingers under it until he made contact with my sensitive spot. I arched my back and moaned.  I raked my fingers through his satin-like hair. I stopped overthinking and just enjoyed Gage’s mouth on my skin.

My spine tingled as his mouth inched closer to my bud. When his mouth made contact with clit I cupped my mouth to hold in the scream. He sucked rigorously while he dug into my hips. He was sure to leave marks on me after this.

“Gage!” I cried out as I climaxed.

Gage ate me out until I was limp. He finally emerged from between my legs.

“Come here,” he said.

No one had ever touched me like this before. He caressed my back and stroked my hair.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Better than okay. Are you?”

“I don’t know. You should take a shower before we leave.”

“What?”

“So you don’t smell like me.”

“And what about you?”

He smirked. “I’m an Alpha. My natural scent should cover yours in minutes.”

I nodded. He didn’t want his girlfriend finding out either. Honestly, I didn’t want her to learn about this. How was I going to endure this mate bond after what we’d just done?

***

The house was bouncing when Gage and I pulled up to the driveway.

“Listen, we didn’t exactly talk back there. We have to talk about what’s going on between us.”

“Maybe not in front of your girlfriend’s house.”

I marched to the front door, Gage grabbed my arm and dragged me to his chest. His wolf reflected in his eyes. The moment was gone too quickly, and the front door opened. Gage quickly released me.

 We were met with Maverick’s intense eyes.

“What do we have here?” he said with a wicked smirk.

Oh crap.