Bold & Beautiful (3 page)

“Talk to me, Jonas.” He crossed his arms over his chest, realizing the original urgency he’d suspected wasn’t actually there.

I averted my gaze. “I found my mate.”

“That’s great.” The enthusiasm in his voice was genuine. He clapped my shoulder. “What’s she like? Did you talk to her?”

“She’s human.”

He froze, immediately stiffening beside me. It took him a moment to recuperate from the shock. “Did you talk to her?” he asked again.

I sighed. “No.” I ground my teeth, my rage resurfacing every time I thought about it.

He turned me to face him head on, a hand on each of my shoulders. “It’s intense. Your wolf goes insane. It’s hard to focus on anything else. You’re too young to claim her though. How old is she?”

I shrugged. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, angst gnawing at me. I couldn’t shift. I couldn’t be with her. I was stuck; trapped.

He pursed his lips, his brows furrowing as he contemplated the situation. “You need to talk to her. You won’t be able to regain control of yourself until you do. You need that interaction with her to appease your senses. In the meantime, I’ll give you Jim’s phone number if you want to call and talk to him. He’d know more than me.”

He took a deep breath, as if to reorganize his thoughts. “Human or not, the mating call is potent for both parties. From what I can recall, Emily felt it too, just not as strongly.” His eyes wandered before he met my gaze. “We’ll get through this, Jonas. You’re just going to have to be patient, which I know isn’t easy when you’re fighting your instincts.”

I wanted to rip his head off.
We’ll get through this?
What a load of crap. He wasn’t going through anything. I was. I was the one suffering. I was the one who’d scented his mate while still in high school. I was the one who couldn’t act on something that was nothing short of a life requirement for werewolves.

“Yeah, sure.” I stepped out of his reach and stormed into the house. I was done talking about it.

“Jonas?” my mother called me.

I sighed, unable to be rude enough to ignore her. I followed her voice to the kitchen.

“You okay, honey?” She poked her head over the kitchen counter; she’d been sitting on the floor unloading a box of pots and pans. Oddly, her auburn hair and ivory skin complimented the honey granite countertops.

Her concern grated me. Concern didn’t change things for me.

“Fine,” I grumbled.

I walked back out to the front of the house, through the foyer and up the stairs to my room. The only thing in my room at the moment was my bed, but that was all I needed. I wanted to go to sleep, to shut off my senses, to get away from the reality of my situation at the moment.

Chapter 8

AURA

“Hello?” I groggily answered my shrieking cell phone. My vision was blurred still as I tried to read the clock on my nightstand. It looked like 5:04 AM.

“Aura, it’s your mother. Don’t forget to wake up for school. Also, I won’t be home tonight.” She flirtatiously giggled. “Roger’s taking me on an impromptu getaway.”

I turned onto my back and rolled my eyes. Roger was the newest guy. I owed him a little bit of respect considering he was the one who’d purchased a few new outfits for me for school. He seemed more committed than the rest, more interested in my wellbeing in addition to my mother’s, but, in my experience, that could be quick fading.

“Okay,” I said.

“Good. Now, don’t wear the light colored jean capris at the back of your closet. They make you look fatter. Go for dark colors. You want to slim your silhouette. In fact, you should just toss them in the trash.”

“Be nice, Jean,” I heard Roger say in the background.

“What? I’m just being honest with my daughter. I want her to look as good as possible given her… size.” She took a deep breath. “Anyways. You’ll have to make yourself lunch. I didn’t have any cash to leave you. There should be enough to scrounge up something to tide you over. Roger said he’d stop by the apartment on our way out of town and leave some money for you to get some groceries.”

I wanted to yell at her, but knew it would do no good. She was lost in her own world, too absorbed in herself to be a decent parent. I knew in her own way she loved me, I just never understood her enough to see it.

“Okay.” I wiped the sleep from my eyes. There would be no going back to sleep after this.

“Have a good day. Love you.” And with that, she hung up.

I threw my phone down on the bed beside me. I wished hot tears would sting my eyes, but I was too strong to cry. I had too many walls up to ever allow my mother’s dings and disappointments to hurt me anymore.

Throwing the covers aside, I slid out of bed. I headed for the bathroom to brush my teeth and shower for the day. I turned on the faucet, but nothing came out. Dread crawled through me. I pulled aside the shower curtain and turned on the shower. Again, nothing.

“Great! You can go on a vacation, but you can’t pay the water bill. Thanks, Mom,” I griped to the empty space, as if the walls would relay my complaint.

I shook my head as I stomped back to my room. I would have to walk a couple miles to Mrs. Martha’s to get ready now. Thank God the woman woke up early to open the coffee shop.

I sighed. What a way to start the school year.

~*~

It was fifteen minutes till seven when I knocked on Mrs. Martha’s door. I was cutting it close. Either she’d already left for work or would be flying out the door at any moment.

Wilbur opened the door. “Hi, Aura. You just missed her.”

Crap.
I nibbled on my bottom lip, averting my gaze. I hated asking. Mrs. Martha knew that when I showed up at this time something was shut off at home. She would tell me to come in and make myself at home.

Wilbur knew that I came by regularly, but he didn’t know that I showered there, that I got ready for school there. Mrs. Martha said it wasn’t her place to tell, but if he asked, she would tell him the truth. So far, he hadn’t asked.

I lifted my gaze to find the older man considering me. “Is everything alright, Aura? You seem troubled.”

“Uh, no. I mean yes. I mean, I’m fine, thanks.” I looked back at the street. “Can you do me a favor? Please don’t tell Mrs. Martha that I came by.” I nearly sprinted down the stairs to the stone path that led to the sidewalk. “Thanks.” I tossed the words over my shoulder.

Once I reached the neighbor’s property, I glanced back at Mrs. Martha’s house. Wilbur still stood there with a confused look on his face. I smiled and waved, willing to reassure him, and keep Mrs. Martha from finding out.

He waved back before stepping back inside.

The moment the door closed, I sagged my shoulders. I should have just told him the truth. Then I’d be going to school clean and wouldn’t have to sneak into the girls’ locker room on the first day. It wouldn’t be the first time I did it, but it didn’t make it any less humiliating.

Dang it.
I should have just swallowed my pride and been honest with Wilbur. He would have been more understanding than anyone I could get caught by at school.

I sighed, picking up my pace. The sooner I got to school, the lesser my chance of being noticed slipping in and out of the gym.

Chapter 9

JONAS

“Damn. We only have four classes together.” Brody feigned upset.

I rolled my eyes. “That’s every class, you idiot. They do the four block schedule here.” Four new classes each semester. It meant longer class periods, but a lighter mid-term study session.

He laughed. “Hell yeah. The Bro-Jo is back.”

I shook my head, remaining silent, not wanting to encourage him.

Navigating the halls, everyone instinctively moved for us, giving us a wide path. I couldn’t focus on the many faces I passed; I wasn’t even paying attention to the classrooms we passed. I was relying on Brody to lead us to the right room. My concentration was on one thing: finding her.

She may have had more curves than most of the girls in this school, but I was certain she was still in high school. And I was determined to locate her.

I sniffed the air. Most of the odors swarming were enough to make my stomach roil. Girls with way too much perfume on; guys who smelled like sweat and musk were attempting to mask it with spicy cologne. I was nauseous twenty feet into the moderate sized building. I kept going because of her.

We reached first period before I found her. I inhaled deep, hoping for a hint of her essence to meet my nose, but it didn’t. She didn’t.

I followed Brody into the classroom, already half filled with students chatting, mostly about their summer and what certain people were wearing today. Brody made a beeline for the back of the room.

“Holy mother of sexy,” the female voice said with admiration. I could almost hear her drool. “I’m going to talk to them.”

I braced myself as we threw our book bags onto two desks side by side in the back row. The moment my ass hit the chair the perky blonde stood between us. She batted her eyelashes, grinning flirtatiously at us.

“Hi, guys. I haven’t seen you around here before. Trust me, I would remember a pair of studs like yourselves.” Her voice took on a husky quality, her body omitting a new pheromone. It instantly put me off.

I breathed through my mouth, trying to avoid her scent. It had a rancid undertone that ruined the sweet floral scent of her lotion.

I looked at Brody. He’d scrunched his nose. He smelled it too.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” She asked, eyeing both of us. She had no clue, and I guessed that’s what turned me off the most. She didn’t notice the looks on our faces, didn’t care about the way we were nearly glaring at her. We were nothing more than targets, than a quest to be conquered; we were her trophies.

“What’s your name?” I narrowed my eyes slightly, focusing on her blue eyes. They fell flat in comparison to my mate’s.

“Amber.” A smug look clouded her features. “What’s your name, handsome?” She pressed her hip into my desk, overwhelming me with her scent.

But there, in the putrid mix of Amber’s odor, was my mate’s. I immediately focused on the door, waiting for her to come into view. Amber stepped into my line of sight.

“Um, hello? I’m talking to you.” She gave a nervous giggle.

I couldn’t stop my knee jerk reaction. I swung my arm out and slid her out of the way.

She stumbled back a few steps. “Hey! Hands off, creep!” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her scowl and slowly head back to her clique.

And then, there she was. Her hair hung down, soaked and sticking to her skin. Her curves were framed in a pair of dark wash skinny jeans. She wore a long black, short-sleeved shirt that reached the top of her thighs; it didn’t hug her skin, but wasn’t baggy either. I saw the same gold ballet flats covering her feet as she made her way towards the same classroom I sat in.

My wolf leapt for joy, wagging his tail, unable to contain his excitement as she came closer.

I watched as her eyes surveyed the room. They stopped briefly when she caught sight of Brody and me. My heart thundered in my chest, willing her to sit near us.

Amber gave my mate a dirty look. “You might want to
moo
.” Her laughed grated on me. “Oops. I mean, you might want to move.”

My limbs began to shake at the obvious cut at my mate. My pulse echoed in my head as my heart beat hard against my chest; blood sloshed through my veins preparing for the adrenaline rush of transforming. I fisted my hands, gritting my teeth, trying to control my wolf from breaking free and shredding Amber.

“Close your eyes,” Brody ordered. I immediately knew that my eyes must have been glowing, my wolf peeking through my surface. “Breathe through it. I’ll handle dipshit.” I heard him stand.

My wolf was growling ferociously, clawing my insides raw to rescue my mate, still oblivious to her importance in my world.

Chapter 10

AURA

The first bell hadn’t even rung yet the jokes had already begun. Amber wasn’t a new player in the bullying game. She’d set her sights on my pudgy self in kindergarten and hadn’t let up since. I was mostly able to ignore her, but seeing
him
had thrown me off. I hadn’t expected him to be here. I felt my cheeks heat as I was ridiculed in front of him. For some reason, it bothered me.

To his credit, he didn’t participate. He closed his eyes and fisted his hands atop the desk, like he was trying to control some sort of reaction. But, then, his oversized friend was standing and heading right towards me.

I knew my eyes widened. Worse, I couldn’t seem to make my feet move; it was like they were cemented to the floor as he made his way down the row of desks, getting closer and closer. The moment he was within a foot of me, he winked at me and took a step around me.

He crouched down over Amber’s desk, looking her square in the eye. I must admit, it was a little amusing to watch her lean away from him, her eyes wide with fear.

“Justin, help.” She called for her ex-boyfriend, the one she’d publicly dumped at the end of last year.

Coincidentally, he was just as stricken as she was. He sat two rows over, against the wall. He threw his hands up in the air, washing himself of the responsibility to protect her.