Chapter Two

Axel He had to be wrong. Axel's wolf pawed and spun circles, wanting out, wanting her—Claire Summers. No. Axel refused to believe that she was his mate. But he couldn’t deny the pull toward her or the ungodly need to sink his fingers into her hair and his fangs into her neck. Everything she did growing up dug underneath his skin. Her smile. Her laugh. Axel hated her—and he never understood why. Plus, she was human. Axel was the next Alpha of his father's pack. Why would he get a human mate? Suddenly, being pissed off about Claire dating Patrick Kelly in eighth grade made sense. It didn't then, when Axel felt like ripping Patrick's arm off his shoulder for holding her hand. After that, everything she did pissed him off, but not as badly as the fact that she was human and had no idea the supernatural existed just like everyone else in the room. The neighboring packs, the ones that wanted to, attended the local college to stay close to home. Axel had been offered numerous scholarships throughout the states, but he needed to be close to home. Since his father—the alpha—had a few more years in his reign, Axel decided to go to college for a few years, until his father stepped down. Axel couldn’t imagine stepping up to become alpha with a human luna. Mating with a human happened occasionally but not for an alpha. He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. Why her? He took his seat and slung his backpack underneath his chair, while flipping through his syllabus. Talk to her, his wolf said. Don't be stupid. Axel slid his tongue across his teeth and tightened his hand into a fist on his thigh. He didn't want to talk to her, or even look at her, and yet, he couldn't stop from glancing over his shoulder at her blonde ponytail that she spun around her index finger. When she looked up, her green gaze seared him. The look of disgust on her face told him everything he needed to know. Claire wasn't going to give him the time of day, and it pissed him off even more. You brought it upon yourself, his wolf said. "Shut up," he hissed. Professor Sitton glanced over at Axel, her eyes narrowed to annoyed slits. "Did you say something, Axel?" He shook his head. "No, ma'am." She pursed her lips but went back to talking about the syllabus. Axel hadn't heard anything she said the entire period because he could sense Claire's heartbeat from across the room. With her being his mate, he could sense everything about her, and it warmed his blood. "Alright, kids. See you Wednesday. The books you need are listed on your syllabus in case you haven't already purchased them. See you then. Stay out of trouble. The first week is always wild." The students began to gather their things and walk toward the doorway. Axel's wolf nudged him to go forward, to talk to her, but what would he say? "Hey, how was your summer? I knocked your books out of your hands on the last day of high school and booed when they called your name at graduation. Sorry about that." This was going to be one big pile of crap to dig himself out of this semester. Axel got up and walked over to her desk, his shadow hovered over her small frame. When she looked up, shock traveled over her pretty features. How had he not noticed how green her eyes were before? "Hey," he said. Claire stood up slowly, only coming up to his chin, but she didn't seem deterred from snarling at him. "You're in my way. Excuse you." Axel's fingers tightened into fists at his sides, and a deep humorless chuckle lifted from his chest. "So Claire has grown some balls, has she?" Claire tilted her chin up in a defiant way that made Axel's wolf howl. "I said. You're. In. My. Way," she said, shoving past him. Axel tilted back on his heels and watched as Claire walked out of the classroom without a glance back. The girl that sat in front of Claire snickered underneath her breath and chased after her. That's what you get, his wolf laughed. I like her. Axel barreled from the classroom, feeling his insides turn into an angry swarm of bees. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he dug it out from the depths. "Hello?" he barked. "Ouch, what a way to talk to your Momma." He sighed and walked out into the sunlight, his skin loving the warmth of the Louisiana summer still lingering in the air. "I'm sorry, Momma. What's up?" "I was just checking on you. You haven't called to check in today." Axel sensed the underline reason she called and didn't want to admit anything to her. She called every day since he turned eighteen two months before to ask if he'd found his mate. It was only a matter of time before she asked again. "I just finished my first class. I have to check in with the football coach soon, and then I'll have lunch. How's Dad? Any news about the rogue lycan he encountered?" "No, nothing yet. Your father is good. Good. Good," she said softly. Axel felt her energy shift, and when she couldn't wait another minute, she asked, "So … have you found her?" Axel gnawed at his bottom lip, debating on whether to tell his mother or not. It was definitely not love at first sight for them, and he was sure that she assumed it would be. Not hardly. Axel stopped on the sidewalk and pinched the bridge of his nose. If he told her, he would have to tell her everything. How would she react to knowing he bullied his mate in school? Not good. Because ultimately, she raised him better than that. So, he lied. "Not yet, Momma. I'll let you know when I do. But I need to go. Call you later?" "Sure thing. Love you, son." "Love you." He hung up his phone and shoved it into his pocket. The fieldhouse was on the other side of campus, and he planned to pick up his game jersey before their first game that Friday. The scholarship he earned was a full-ride, and it'd always been a way to release his stress in a way that wouldn't get him expelled. Axel walked down the sidewalk, feeling his stomach twist at the thought of having to win Claire over. Most mates fell into one another's arms and lived happily-ever-after. Maybe the chase would be fun? It'd been a long time since Axel had to work for a woman's attention. Being a werewolf, his charm—and his figure—drew female attention. Just like the brunette staring at him from in front of the fieldhouse. When he passed without giving her a second glance, her heard her let out an irritated sigh, but he couldn’t act on it if he wanted. He found his mate, and if he denied his wolf his mate, he'd rip Axel in half to get to her—at any cost. "Davers!" Coach yelled from his office when Axel passed by the door. Axel turned and walked into his office. Coach Bear was the opposite of his name, small with a balding head and a furry beard. "Your jersey is ready in your locker. We have practice in the morning at six am. Don't be late. And I know it's just the first day, but stay on top of your work because it doesn't matter how good you are or not—bad grades, and you're benched." "Yes, sir," Axel said. Coach gestured for him to be on his way. He'd spent the entire summer training with Coach Bear, and Axel liked him well enough. Axel grabbed his jersey and bolted out of the fieldhouse toward his next class. He jogged toward the Science building when the wind shifted, and her scent blew against his skin. Unable to stop himself, he sniffed into the air, the quaint smell of an ocean breeze settled deep in his soul. Claire stood on the steps of the same building as their last class, talking to some guy. Kill him, his wolf hissed. Go get her. Now. "Kill him? Seriously, Mr. Rational. I can't get into a fight on my first day." However, the sight of her talking to another guy while tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear forced irrational thoughts to filter through his head. Ways to take him out. When she took another step up the stairs, Axel felt her heart rate pick up, and she slowly moved her head to face him. He sensed the pulsating of her blood in her veins from the distance, but most of all, the anger building in her stomach at the sight of him. Give her time, his wolf said. She'll be longing for you soon. Axel wasn't sure if Claire would ever want him like a true mate. But it wouldn’t stop him from trying.