Chapter Five

Sullen Sullen hadn't thought her mad dash back to the city through. It'd made sense with her fated mate after her, but not as she was naked, weaving in and out of her neighborhood in hopes no one noticed her ass. It was wishful thinking with living in the city, but a girl could dream. When she made it to her apartment building at 9 p.m., she hid behind one of those scratchy bushes until the street was clear. She sent up a silent prayer that Duke didn't decide to come home early—she was too exhausted to make up a lie to cover this sideshow. 'Why are you naked, Sullen?' 'Because I turn into a werewolf, and she rips all my clothes to shreds.' She knew that conversation wouldn't end on a high note; it'd end with her being forced into an insane asylum. With shaky hands, she found the extra key behind a brick in the wall and wiggled it into her apartment door, when someone blew a car horn behind her. She squealed, got the door open, and slammed it behind her. She screamed in irritation into the darkness of her house and stalked toward her shower to wash off the mud from her trip over. She'd lost her cell phone in her shift somewhere on their pack land. That was another lie she had to come up with. She couldn’t tell Duke about her fated mate, because Duke was human. How could she make him understand? She couldn't. Starting her shower, she stepped underneath the steam and tried to catch her breath. Her wolf fought her tooth and nail the entire way back to the city. She wanted to meet him. Wanted to meet his wolf. It wasn't fair to her wolf to keep her away from him, but Sullen had panicked. Sullen had worked hard to gain this life here, and she didn't want to throw it away for some alpha a-hole. You don't know if he is mean, her wolf said. Go back and talk to him. Sullen rested her forehead against the shower wall and cursed under her breath. This wasn't fair. This wasn't the plan. She'd worked hard through college to get here She knew wolves, especially alphas. The odds of Roan agreeing to a life in the city were slim to none. What if he comes looking for us? her wolf asked. Sullen had no doubt that he would come. It was in his nature. She hoped that Duke's scent would scare him off, but she knew better. Alphas took what they wanted, and Roan wanted his mate. Wishful thinking, her wolf said. Duke is a human. An alpha isn't afraid of a human— "I know," she hissed. She lathered up her hair and body, washing away the night like a bad dream. Sullen dressed in her favorite sweats and tank top. The apartment felt lonely without Duke, but she was glad he wasn't there. She needed to put herself together. The hunger she'd felt from the alpha's scent still lingered over her skin like a blanket. Sullen pulled the cord from her house phone, in case her mother started calling, and curled into her bed, praying sleep came easier than the dinner from hell. *** Duke's fingertips slid along the outside of Sullen's arm, stirring her awake Monday morning. She'd spent the weekend wallowing in her self-pity, practicing her lying face in the mirror. Now Duke was bent over her, his brown eyes smiling without moving his mouth. Sullen sat up to hug him when she realized his scent of cigar smoke and woodsy cologne didn't make her stomach twist. 'It's because he doesn't smell anything like Roan—' She cut her wolf off. "I missed you." Duke kissed her jawline and smiled into her skin. "I missed you," he said, helping her to her feet. "How was your trip to your mother's house?" Stab. Her. In. The. Gut. She smiled, the fake one she'd practiced, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It was fine. How about your trip to Savannah? Did you make the sale?" Duke swung her into his arms easily. "I did. Turns out everyone loves me." She chuckled, running her fingers into his sandy brown hair. He put her down on the kitchen island and opened a box of donuts for her. "Hungry?" She smiled. Though her stomach craved a sausage or bacon sandwich, she took the donut and ate it anyway. "What time do you go in today?" he asked. She glanced at the clock. "8:00. I'm glad you woke me up. I need to start getting ready." Sullen shoved the remains of the donut into her mouth, and for dramatic effect, licked her fingers. She realized early on that humans did that after eating something tasty. She slid down the cabinet. "How about dinner tonight? That new Italian place opened over the weekend." "That sounds good. I get off around five, we can meet there at 5:30." Sullen lifted onto her tiptoes and kissed him softly. The feeling she normally had didn't tingle down her skin. It was … different. Duke felt different. In the back of her head, she knew why everything was different because she'd found him. The stubborn part of her couldn't let their relationship disappear. She loved Duke, but she didn't know Roan and prayed he would stay away. She didn't want to live on pack land, and she didn't want to be dragged away from the life she worked so hard to earn. "Everything alright?" he asked, his eyes smiling again. "Everything is fine," she lied. Everything was not fine. There was a deep feeling in her stomach that told her he was coming for her, and she had no reason not to believe it.