Chapter 110: Chapter 4

LEXI

“Did you smell that?” I ask my friends Janine and Rosalie as we enter the food court.

“Smell what? Cinnabon has fresh cinnamon rolls,” Janine offers.

Rosalie looks around. I see her looking at something then turn back to face us. “I don’t smell anything new.”

Rosalie and Janine have been my best friends since attending Princeton. Janine is my roommate, and Rosalie lives in the woods just outside of Trenton. There’s a whole community of small secluded houses out there.

I’ve never been there, but I’ve seen pictures on her phone.

“So who’s this new trainer you’ve been telling us about?” Janine asks. She’s all about gossip, especially when it comes to hot guys.

“I’m not sure who he is, but Mr. Smith says he’s just visiting for a while.”

Mr. Smith is like the mayor of their community. They’re not a cult or anything, but they keep pretty secluded. Mr. Smith also trains everyone to protect themselves.

He worries about everyone’s safety, though nothing has ever remotely happened there. Rosalie has protected us a few times from handsy guys. One guy grabbed me at school. She broke his nose in front of his frat buddies.

We grab lunch then start shopping. We pass a menswear store, and I smell it again. I inhale then let out an “ah.” I don’t know what that smell is, but it just became my favorite smell in the world.

It’s hard to describe, but it’s natural, woodsy, yet soft and manly. “Hang on. I want to see if I can find the name of the cologne I keep smelling.”

Rosalie gives me a curious look, then she and Janine follow me inside. We look around, but there are no displays of cologne.

I’m so confused. I smell it in here, but they don’t seem to notice it. We get back to shopping then studying at the dorm. There’s an apartment I’ve been looking at not far from here.

I’ll need a place to live when school ends in two weeks. I don’t plan on going back to live with my psychotic mom and her on-again, off-again sex partner, affectionately known as dear old dad.

My brother, Ethan, left home the day after he turned fifteen after an argument with our mom. He sent me money to get into college. I love my brother.

If not for him, I’d be stuck in Montana. Now he’s twenty-four and lives in North Carolina with some friends he met seven years ago. I miss him so much.

He’s supposed to come visit me soon. My email chimes as I open my computer and I scream in excitement. “I got it! I got the apartment!”

“Yay. Congrats,” Janine says flatly. She looks bummed, but she’s going back to Arizona after graduation to study the coyotes. We’re both Biology majors.

I’m fascinated with the gray wolf. I know there is a small population around here and I plan to research them. Rosalie is studying Geological Engineering.

“No, really though. I’m just sad college is ending soon.”

“Is your brother going to come up and help you move?” Rosalie asks. I’ve been talking about him for years. She’s always wanted to meet him.

“I don’t know. I’ll ask him.” He works a lot for the James’s. He’s a security guard at their ritzy property. The pictures of that mansion leave me breathless.

I would love to stay there even for just one night. Rosalie gets a grin on her face and nods like a bobble head.

“Yes, please do.”

She grabs my phone. “Here, call him before you forget.”

I snort. “I’m not going to forget. Besides, it’s late.”

She checks her phone. “It’s like 7:30. Call him, and get me a date while you’re at it.”

I roll my eyes but call anyway. I tell him all about the apartment and my move-in date of this coming weekend. Seven days isn’t a lot of time, but it’s not like there’s much to move.

He agrees and plans are made for him to get here Friday night, then move me in and leave after I feed him. Rosalie offers a room at the community cabin for him to stay at.

“Should I be jealous? I’ve never been invited to stay there. He can stay at my place, it’ll be fine.”

Rosalie rolls her eyes. “You guys slumber party practically every night. The community cabin is free and he can spar with me in the morning during training. The guys are too afraid of getting their asses kicked.”

“That’s one way to get a date,” Janine comments, and we all laugh.

“I’ll have him set up my new bed then he can stay there after we all go out. It’ll be great.” At least I’m hopeful.

“Fine, but I am definitely meeting him.” Rosalie has practically laid claim on him since freshman year when I showed her a picture of him.

Janine gets frustrated with studying and closes her laptop. “I’m so over this. Let’s hit up Jackie Louie’s for dinner. I’m dying for a milkshake.”

Jackie Louie’s is the nearby diner. We eat there a lot. It’s situated on the outskirts of Princeton, on the way to Trenton. Rosalie grabs her things and drives off.

We’ll meet up at the diner. A few of the guys from her community stop in while we’re eating. One has a bandage over his hand.

“What happened to Kyle?” Janine asks.

Rosalie looks over her shoulder then smirks. “He got cocky and swung on the new trainer after he got dropped for checking the ladies out, instead of focusing on his training. The trainer caught his hand and crushed his fingers. Didn’t even break a sweat. The trainer had me spar with him for a little while. Of course, he kicked my ass, but then he had me spar with Mike since he was screwing around with Kyle.”

“Why do you call him the trainer? Doesn’t he have a name?” I ask as I sip my shake.

Rosalie shakes her head. “They never told us, but he’s hot! I was hoping to catch his attention, but…”

“It sounds like you did if he sparred with you,” Janine points out.

Rosalie shrugs in a nonchalant manner. “Shit, it’s already ten. Come on, Lex, early class tomorrow.”

I grunt but slide out of the booth. The guys check us out, but Rosalie watches them as we pay then head out.

I’m super excited about my apartment! I’ll have a place all my own. Just in time too. Exams start next week so I’ll be studying and packing. Good thing I don’t own much.

With Ethan coming, it should be a quick move.

COLE

Rosalie is the first one on the track, even though it’s still raining. She catches up with me, and I slow my pace a little so we can run together.

“Good morning, Rosalie.”

“Good morning, Alpha. I’m sorry we were never told your name. How did you convince Alpha Smith to let us become guards?”

“Alpha is fine. I told him he was being an idiot.”

“Well, thank you for saying something. Are you here to help our pack?”

“No. I’m here for my own reasons. I offered my help to Jackson if he wanted it. He asked yesterday morning, otherwise I wouldn’t have said anything.”

Rosalie gets quiet. “Maybe I would’ve said something. I believe in the fair treatment of all our kind.” I see a slight smile out of the corner of my eye.

“I saw you at the mall. I would’ve said hello, but I was with my human friends and you looked busy on your phone.”

“I wasn’t. You have human friends?”

“I go to Princeton.”

We get our miles in then I help her lift. The rest of the group begins to trickle in around six-thirty. Kevin and Jackson take their places at the front of the room.

Jackson gives out orders and I watch the guards carefully. “Cole. Please step in at any time,” he said. He asked for it. I start watching the guards more closely.

I only have to drop three this time. They must’ve missed yesterday’s training.

“I need to learn that move,” I hear Rosalie whisper.

“Rosalie, front and center,” I say as I walk up to meet her there. I give her an explanation then demonstrate on her step by step.

“Your turn.” Rosalie looks around. “On me.” She turns toward me and she works through what I showed her. I adjust her feet then she continues taking me down slowly.

“Very good, again.” This time Rosalie works faster to get me down. Once she has it, I send her back to the group.

Jackson calls an end to training and I hold him and Kevin back to work with them without the guards watching. They’re not terrible, but there is definite room for improvement.

“The Goddess came back last night,” Kevin tells us as he spots Jackson while he lifts. I grunt as a response.

“She didn’t seem to like either of the guys.”

“She is a Goddess. I imagine she wants someone worthy of her.” They switch places.

“I think she wants you,” Jackson comments. “I was there last night. I never met a Goddess before. She seemed to compare them to you.”

I have no comment. Dara is not petty nor stupid. She knows I’m searching for my mate. Hell, she’s the one that gave me hope that my mate exists. She would not have done that if she had her sights set on me.

I head back to Princeton. A female wouldn’t spend two days in a row at the mall, would she? This is a college town, so I head toward the college.

It’s almost lunch time, so I look around the restaurants. The rain continues to pour, and the restaurants are not very busy. I take today as a bust and head back.

I almost want to give up, but I trust Dara. I stop at a grocery store to fill the fridge and stock up on deodorant. I find a new pair of sneakers, then head back to the cabin.

The rain continues to fall, and the week continues to be unsuccessful. The guards are getting better, and Kevin and Jackson are getting stronger. Dara hasn’t stopped by. I feel so isolated.

Friday morning, the rain finally dissipates. I get out early for my morning run. The air is cool and clean. Rosalie is already on the track running. I catch up to her.

“Good morning, Alpha,” she says with more enthusiasm than I’ve heard from her all week.

“Good morning. You’re in a good mood.”

“And you’re still brooding. Do you ever smile?” Rosalie has been my running companion all week. She was kind enough to ask me out with her friends the other night, but I turned her down.

I actually like her, but she’s right, I still brood. What can I say, I’m pining for my mate.

“I smile. I’m just…”

“Alone?” I side glance at her. “You’re unmated, and no one here has caught your eye.” I have no response.

“Are you looking for her?” I just keep running; she keeps digging. “Is that why you’re here? You said you’re here for personal reasons. If she’s not here, why are you still here, Alpha?”

“My friends call me Cole.” I don’t give her any other answers.

“It’s good to finally have a name, Alpha.”

“I didn’t tell you my name for you to keep calling me Alpha.”

She chuckles. “All right, Cole. I’m glad to be friends with such a powerful alpha.”

I look at her with amusement. “You’re much stronger than Alpha Smith and I’m sure you’re more influential, which is how he caved so easily to females joining the guard. His dad fought tooth and nail to keep females from even being trained. The alpha king came here with his beta and Alpha Redd. I was just a kid, but I had never felt so much power. It was almost frightening, except they were the good guys. Alpha Smith only allowed us to be trained because it’s wolf law. He still thinks females are beneath him.”

I growl, but I’ve noticed the same thing in my time here. Kevin is more receptive to females being equal, though.

“I’m glad the alpha king stepped in for your pack. Did you get to meet him, the alpha king?”

“No, but he did smile at me. It was almost like he could feel that I was frightened. He’s a great leader. He took the time to comfort a scared pup.”

I try to hold back my smile, but a small smirk plasters my face.

“You do smile.”

“I told you I do,” Rosalie laughs, and we turn into the training center to begin our workout.

Friday night in Princeton proves to be a complete waste of time. The town is pretty calm. I’m so confused as to why.

I head back to the territory. I’m so frustrated that I take off in a run. After calming back down, I track down Rosalie’s home and knock on the door. No one answers, so I walk back to the cabin to brood.