Chapter 15: Chapter 15

SLADE

That was way too close. I breathed heavily as I stood in the shower letting the water rinse off all the dirt and sweat that covered my body.

Finding her naked in my bathroom was the last thing I ever expected to see when I came home tonight. Why the hell was she in here? What was that girl thinking?

And I had seen ~everything~. Every curve, every outline. And when she had stepped out in nothing but a towel, I just about ripped off the arm of the chair from squeezing it so hard to keep myself away from her.

But when I walked up to her, she was the angry one. How was I the bad guy in this situation?

As I walked out of the shower, I found all the little things she left in there. Some candles, oil, salts, whatever they used for their baths.

I considered leaving it there and making her go get it. But she was already angry. So I gathered it up and set it outside her door with a light knock and walked back into my room.

The next morning at breakfast, she was cold. She didn’t offer her usual warm smile or her “good morning.” She walked right past me and sat at the other table.

~“You really stepped in it this time,”~ my wolf teased.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not sure why… She was the one in ~my~ room,” I replied with a huff. I should be happy, this was what I wanted. I wanted her to keep her distance.

And yet I was catching myself watching her all through breakfast. She got up to take her things to the kitchen, and as she passed by, I grabbed her wrist.

I felt the heat that touch caused, but I couldn’t focus on it. “Sit with me for a minute.”

“I’ve finished, actually. Maybe next meal,” she replied coldly. And with that, she walked off toward the back and through the doors.

I was irritated. I hadn’t seen her since breakfast, and I had been on the lookout for her. I had tried to talk things out this morning, but she blew me off.

It was after lunchtime, and usually, the pack house emptied a bit in the afternoon lull. I checked upstairs real quick to make sure she hadn’t snuck past me somehow. Empty.

As I made my way downstairs, my eyes searched, wondering where she could have even disappeared to. I made my way out back, but she wasn’t there either.

Walking down the hill, I glanced over at the drills going on and still didn’t see her. Panic was starting to sink in.

“Where the hell is she?” I mumbled as I walked quickly back up to the house.

Stepping inside the back door, I caught it. Lavender. I didn’t know why I didn’t catch it before. I walked into the common area, and sure enough, there she was, cuddled in the corner of the couch, asleep.

Her book had dropped into her lap, and I gently picked it up and put it on a table to the side. I sat down beside her, and she was rustled awake.

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, but not quite succeeding, she smiled at me and put her head on my shoulder. My eyes widened, and I didn’t know what to do.

I squirmed for a minute, which woke her up fully, and she looked at me. “Oh…hi.” Her voice was cool. I knew I kind of deserved that, I hadn’t handled last night well.

“I’ve been looking for you all day,” I started, running my hand through my hair. “About last night…”

She put her hand up to quiet me. “Don’t. I crossed a line. I was embarrassed, and you had every right to be upset.” She looked up at me. “You didn’t need to be mean, though.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thank you,” she replied warmly, “I’m sorry too.” After a few minutes, she smirked at me. “You know we could just be friends. Get to know each other. Am I really that bad?”

I smiled. I enjoyed her warmth. “You’re not bad at all. That’s the problem.”

“Well, how about a truce? Friends?” She held out her hand, taking mine and shaking it.

Quickly letting go, I laughed. “So tell me about you then, friend.”

Addison went on, telling me about the simple life of her pack, college, teaching, her family. I found out her favorite color, navy blue, and her favorite flower, sunflowers.

I learned that she hated the taste of oranges since she was young and had thrown up after eating one, losing the taste for them ever since.

I found out that she was allergic to strawberries and made a mental note to make sure to tell the cooks to keep those out of the menu or at least off to the side.

After a while, she stopped and looked up at me. “Well, friend, how about you?”

I was hesitant. I liked learning about her, but I wasn’t a big sharer. I told her the same things she told me—pack life, college (I had majored in business), what it was like becoming alpha.

Family was a sore subject. Even after years, I missed my parents, and to my surprise, I told her that. My mom had died ten years ago of cancer. It was rough, but we had made it through.

My dad wasn’t the same after Mom was gone. My dad passed away three years ago in an accident, and it was still fresh. I found opening up to her easier than I thought it would be.

I told her my favorite color as well, orange, which made her laugh. And then she made me laugh when she jokingly asked me what my favorite flower was.

We talked about Hannah and how great she was. We talked with ease for a few hours.

I enjoyed it and had liked spending some time with her. She was bright and smart and beautiful. I needed to watch myself.

As the evening went on, the room started filling as random pack members came for dinner.

They all had the option of eating at their own homes, but a lot of the single wolves enjoyed being together at the pack house along with some of the couples.

I could tell Addison enjoyed the noise and mild chaos of pack dinners, and we sat together with some other pack members at dinner, talking and laughing.

I couldn’t remember the last time I felt that light.