“Pretty much,” Quint laughs. “Zane went with Evie to meet her family.”
I knew he was going to; I just haven’t heard how it went yet. Quint offers the information without me even having to ask. “He loves her mom; he said she’s just like Evie. And he said her uncle was great too. They got back yesterday afternoon.” He continues the conversation that neither Reid nor I are commenting on. “Reid’s officially moved to the room in the basement, so Evie can have his old room. Then we can all start sleeping at night again, because we won’t have to watch her dorm. I, for one, am lookingforward to that. Oh, and Zane made a few new house rules, now that Evie’s moving in.”
“What rules?” Reid asks without looking back.
“Eh, stuff like being quiet at night, no roughhousing, and a few other things. There’s one that applies to Slate.” I eye him in the mirror and know I’m not going to like it by the way he’s smiling. “We have to, and I quote here, ‘Be fully dressed at all times’ end quote.”
I scowl. “I’m not wearing a shirt when it’s a hundred degrees out.”
Quint bursts out laughing, and Reid chuckles beside me. “Yeah, we know. You don’t like wearing clothes,” Quint says with a laugh.
“I don’t.” It’s simple enough. In a perfect world, I’d never wear clothes, especially shirts. I’m super picky about the shirts I wear. Most shirts make me itchy and drive me crazy. Quint continues to talk as I pull onto campus and make my way to Evie’s dorm. I park right in front of her dorm.
“Dude, you can’t park here,” Quint says as he climbs out. I ignore him and pocket my keys.
“Does she have a lot of stuff?” Reid asks with a frown.
Quint laughs and shoves a ball cap on his head backwards. “She’s a girl.”
We step into the large lobby and make our way over to the stairs. I ignore that weird feeling I get in here. I've only been inside Evie's dorm once or twice, but each time, I’ve gotten a really weird vibe that I can’t figure out. My senses are on high alert as we head up the stairs. I take them two at a time, ready to get the stuff and get out of here. I ignore the whispers of some of the girls and the other bolder girls calling my name. “Aw, Slate, you’re so famous,” Quint says, dropping an arm around my shoulders which I promptly throw off. He laughs and moves ahead of me.
“You good?” Reid asks, falling into step beside me.
“Yep.” We continue down the hallway without another word. Quint knocks and opens the door, and we follow him inside. Instantly, I’m hit with...something; I just don’t know what. My wolf is restless inside me, and my senses are heightened. I’m on guard, especially with Zane and Evie in the room. Evie’s been a target too many times, and it’s not going to happen again. And Zane’s our next alpha. It falls on me now and always to make sure they both stay safe.
“Okay. What’s ready to go?” Quint asks.
Zane releases Evie, and she turns to us. “Everything. Thanks for your help, Guys. I really appreciate it.” Reid grabs a large box and disappears.
“We’re glad to help, Evie,” Quint answers for all of us as he picks up two boxes. “You’re one of us now.”
Her face softens. “Thanks, Quint.”
“You can pay me in food,” he says with an obnoxious grin.
Zane rolls his eyes. “Get out of here.” With his own box in his arms, he heads towards the door. I bend down and grab a stack of boxes and am standing back up when the door to her bathroom blows open.
“Evie, I’m going to miss you so mu—” The words cut off suddenly.
Her scent slams into me with the force of a freight train, and my wolf reacts violently, nearly forcing a shift.Mate.The shock of it roars through me, and I feel my body begin to change as I take in the female in front of me. I’m aware she’s speaking, saying my name even, but I can’t process her words. Suddenly, she screams and runs from the room. Without a thought, I throw the boxes I'm holding on the bed and follow her. A body steps in front of me, blocking me from getting to my mate. Somebody grabs me by the shoulders, and I throw him off.
“Stand down,” I hear Zane order. I try to move past him, but he shoves me back. With a growl, I launch myself at him. “Watch out, Evie,” he calls out. While he’s distracted, I push past him. Zane hooks an arm around my waist, yanking me backwards. “Don’t make me use an alpha command on you.” I push forward, ignoring his words.
Mate,my wolf growls again. I move forward, needing to find her, make sure she’s safe. I don’t even know who she is. She could be in danger right now. My wolf surges again, and I push against Zane. Suddenly, I’m knocked to the ground. Zane, Reid, and Quint pin me to the ground.
“Get off me,” I growl in a voice that’s mostly my wolf’s.
“Not until you calm down,” Zane responds.
Evie jumps up, and I jerk my head up, knowing what she’s trying to do. Zane’s telling her to take my mate away. The thought makes me burn with anger, and I project that anger on her. “Evie, don’t you dare take my mate away.”
A knee digs deeper into my back. “You threaten my mate again, and we’re going to have a problem,” Zane says in a voice that’s full of his wolf. I watch Evie open the door to the bathroom, and a fierce growl erupts through me and I try to launch these three idiots off my back.
“It’s okay, Evie. We’ve got him,” Quint calls out. I throw my elbow back, connecting with his ribs. As soon as Evie closes the door, I unleash. I buck and roll, throwing all three of them off me. I'm on my feet a moment later, running to the door. Zane crashes into me, sending me into the wall with a shudder. I throw him off and grab the bathroom door and throw it open so hard, it nearly falls off its hinges. Her scent is stronger now, and it’s a fight to keep control of my wolf. I open the door to her room just as the door to the room closes. I race after them, but somebody tackles me from behind.
“Slate, knock it off,” Zane grunts at me. I roll over and kick him off. I jump to my feet and race to the door, but Reid’s standing in front of it.
“Move,” I order.
