40Jack watched as the door slammed shut and felt anger course through his body. Tremors of intolerance raced through his veins. Very few people ever walked away from him, and when someone did, it was never a girl.
Something was obviously wrong with her, and he could not figure out what. If he truly was her mate like she claimed, then why was not she draped all over him begging for his attention and love? Some girls were beyond annoying when they were clingy, while others were nice to have around.
Alia seemed like one of the fun ones he would love repeatedly hooking up with. She seemed like one of the ones he would not mind having as arm candy, and yet she snubbed him? She turned her back on him? He growled and stepped toward the door.
Inside Alia was resting against the door she had just shut.
Why, why, why?
Her mother and father were absolutely in love. They were like two streams of vibrant water coming together into a breathtaking pond. Peaceful, loving, caring, and full of wonder, they were perfect together and for each other. They were . . . mates. How in the world is it that her mate, the one person she was destined to be with by Love of all things, was so infuriating, so . . .
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Alia jumped away from the door at the loud pounding. She gaped at it for a moment.
"Open the door, Alia!" she heard Jack shout.
The pounding resumed, and she rolled her eyes.
"And that is what I'm talking about," she muttered under her breath. She opened the door and stared completely uninterested at Jack. She did not even bother saying anything. She simply stared at him and waited.
"Look, we have a project to do," Jack ground out with a scowl. "Let's get it done now, and then ignore each other, okay?"
Alia stared about him thinking it over. She was not in the mood to put up with him. For all she cared, they could accomplish the project separately and put it together five minutes before class started on the due day. She made to close the door and dismiss him, but Jack shouldered his way inside.
"What do you think you are doing?" she yelled furiously as he glided into the home.
"Where can we work?" he replied, glaring at her.
Alia glared back but decided to cave. She knew Jack was not going to leave. This meant the quickest way to get him to go was to get this over
"Fine. This way," Alia growled, mentally shaking her head.
Jack followed silently. Alia set out some paper and pens and sat down ready to brainstorm. Jack grabbed some materials as well and began writing down his own ideas. Alia noticed right away.
"Are you coming up with ideas to do?" she asked.
"Obviously," he replied rudely, not bothering to look up from his paper.
Alia sighed heavily with her shoulders drooped and stood up. Once she had her back turned, Jack looked up to watch her leave the room, but he returned his gaze once she came back.
Alia set down a plate of barbecue wings.
"Do you want a soda?" she asked. Despite the hospitality of the question, compassion was completely absent in her tone.
Jack eyed her warily for a moment, wondering why she was doing all this. "No. Water's fine," he finally answered.
Alia nodded and left the room to obtain some. When she came back, she sat down and ate while he worked and ate.
"Why are you not doing anything?" Jack asked after about five minutes. His irritation showed clearly.
"Because I know you, or us, to be more specific. We would both come up with an idea, think it's the greatest, and then spend forever arguing about which one we would do. I'll go ahead and take one for the team. We'll go with your idea."
Jack smiled. "So you're giving up? Admitting I'm the better man, better wolf?"
Alia stared back blankly. "Whatever. I'm going to go do something else. Call me when you have your masculine, wolf genius all worked out." She started to stand when Jack slid his paper over to her side.
"Already done."
Alia picked it up and eyed it over critically. "Fine. I'll get the materials."
Jack again watched her as she left. She sure was an odd one. If he were straight human, he would have sworn she was on her period, but with his sense of smell, he could easily tell she was not.
"Gosh," he inwardly groaned, "How can women stand being so moody?"
Alia came back in with her arms clutching glue, scissors, and a million miscellaneous things to her chest. She spread them out thinly on the carpeted floor, and the two mates quickly set to work.
Surprisingly, they were an efficient team. Jack always came up with a great idea, and Alia always had the perfect finish. Jack was able to fix anything broken or lacking while Alia was able to keep most things from getting to that dire state.
They had worked for a few hours and were almost finished when things took a bad turn.
"That is not working!" Alia argued.
"It is," Jack argued. "Look, it fits. It works. It's fine."
"No, it isn't! That piece gives a whole new spin to the overall look. If you think we just have to have something else, then why not something like this?"
She knocked his piece to the side and started positioning a different piece against the background.
"Are you stupid?" Jack shouted, trying to rip the fabric out of her hands.
"Are you?" Alia shrugged, elbowing Jack away from her.
"What kind of comeback is that?"
Again she shrugged. "I dunno. What kind of comeback was that," she said, using emphasis to indicate she meant his response.
When Jack did not reply, Alia looked up to see him hunched over with his elbows on the table. His fingers were massaging his temple desperately while his eyes were scrunched tightly closed.
Alia rolled her eyes and stood. She walked behind him and pushed his hands away from his head. At first he resisted, but she gently pushed them down.
"Relax," she whispered into his ear.
Alia slowly traced her fingers along his arms back to his shoulders. Then she softly, yet firmly started massaging his muscles.
"Relax!" she commanded again and lightly shook him.
"Sorry," Jack muttered with a chuckle.
"Massaging can only do so much. You have to actually relax yourself. If you remain tense, the massage won't help."
Alia moved her fingers a little more and felt his shoulders droop as they loosened. She slid her hands down his chest, unable to help herself, and hugged him to her chest.
"See, doesn't that feel better?" she whispered with a smile.
She was about to kiss his ear when she remembered, he did not see her as a mate. Kisses would have to wait. Intimacy would have to wait. She pulled her hands back to his shoulders and neck.
Jack leaned forward so she could reach his back and further sooth his tense muscles. He was practically growling with appreciation.
A small smile formed on Alia's lips in happiness.
A few minutes later she stopped, and Jack stretched his body. He stood up and moved to her back with a smile on his face. She watched him warily. His two, warm hands lowered onto her shoulder blades and started to knead the flesh.
Alia jerked away as if he had just burned her.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
Jack looked at her like she was crazy. "I was just returning the favor. Now come here." Alia shook her head. "What are you scared of? It's just a harmless massage."
Alia looked at her feet and then looked at him in the eye.
"Can I be honest with you, Jack?"
He waved his hands and shrugged as if to say, 'Sure.'
Alia crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep sigh.
"I can't have you touch me," she whispered.
Jack's eyebrows rose in obvious disbelief and skepticism.
"That's it?"
"Look. You may not understand what being a mate feels like, but I do. If I let you touch me like that . . . I will not be able to control myself," she muttered looking at the wall.
From her peripherals, she was able to see Jack approach.
"What's wrong with that?" he whispered deeply. He brought one of his hands to her shoulder and started sliding a lone finger down her bare arm.
"STOP IT!" Alia shouted and slapped his hand away.
"You don't get it, do you? You said you aren't heartless. I'm not asking you to care, Jack, but prove to me you weren't lying. I cannot have meaningless sex with you, and if you just use me, it will tear me up inside. If you cannot offer me love, then get the hell out of my house."
A tear was sliding down her cheek.
Something inside Jack desperately urged him to walk over and wipe the tear away. To hold her and kiss her. To promise her that he would love her and be there for her in the way she wanted. He had a heart, and right now, a little part of him cared, but he could not give her a relationship. He wanted to make her happy, but he was not going to sacrifice his desires or his pride in order to do that. He was not going to give up many women for one.
So he did the most caring thing he could do: he got out of her house slamming the door as he did.
Alia slid to the floor hugging her knees to her chest as she silently sobbed. He had rejected her. Her mate had denied her. She subconsciously shifted into her wolf form and laid down. Drained, she drifted into sleep as her body shook with emotion.
Little did she know Jack had also transformed and was running back to his place on all fours. His own body was being taken over. All he knew was that he beyond furious. He thought he was frustrated with her for making him feel such strong emotions and think such foreign thoughts.
Little did he know his wolf was becoming impatient.
His wolf was eager to take matters into his own hands . . . or should it be said: paws.