“If you don’t mind,” I stated coolly, “this is a private lesson.”
Tate’s jaw tightened. “Oh, I bet they are. Real professional of you.”
Jack scrambled to her feet, stepping between us. “That’s enough,” she snapped.
I gave Tate a dismissive look, turning away from him.
“Tate, it’s not what it looks like,” I heard Jack explain as I picked up my own bag from the side of the mat.
“Really?” he snorted. “What it looks like isprofessorover there was putting his hands all over what’s mine.”
Jack huffed. “He was just helping me train. Blowing off some steam.” Someone in the crowd must have done something because Jack shot off. “Oh, grow the fuck up. Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”
There was a set of grumbles, and I turned in time to see the werewolves that’d been watching us move back toward their machines.
I was enjoying seeing the wolf in distress, jealous that I was getting to my girl.
No, his girl. I had to put a stop to this. There was a clear line in the sand and I had smudged it. Time to put it back to right.
“She’s right.” I wiped the sweat from my brow. “Her parents asked me to keep an eye on her.” Not a lie but not the full truth. “If you were doing your job as her boyfriend, I wouldn’t have to be helping her train to protect herself.”
Tate growled and stepped toward me.
Jack pressed her hand to his chest, stopping him. “Tate, no.” To me, she gave an incredulous look. “I think we’re done here.”
I gave her a pointed look. “Remember what we discussed.”
Jack rolled her eyes and grabbed her stuff before leading the wolf out of the gym. That left me to glower at the students still paying far too much attention to what’s going on with us than their own workouts.
Squirting water into my mouth, I swallowed and sighed, watching until the door closed behind Jack and the wolf.
I needed to remember she wasn’t mine. Not now, not ever.
Chapter 13
Tate
The gym doors shoved open, hitting the wall behind them with a loud thud. Jack chased after me, but I couldn’t look at her. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe.
I wasn’t mad. I wasn’t. Seeing Jack pinned beneath Professor Fawley hadn’t made me feel a rage I hadn’t ever felt before.
But I couldn’t stop my heart from pounding in my chest. The fur of the beast inside me threatened to burst from the seams of my skin. If I had a mirror, my eyes would no doubt be a yellow-green color, flickering back and forth with their natural color as I tried to regain control.
The cool fall air helped. I breathed in large shaky breaths, then growled. The scent of him on her lingered.
“Tate.” Jack's voice was soft as she approached me. Her hand reached out to touch me.
“Don't,” I snapped, making her flinch. I shook my head and tried to calm myself. “Any other time I’d love your hands on me, princess, but right now... I’m barely keeping it together.”
I grasped the side of the stone half wall that lined the walkway of the hall, glaring out at the decorative foliage in the courtyard.
Jack dropped her hand but didn’t leave. Her hips leaned against the half wall. I expected her to say something, try to explain away what just happened, but she didn’t. She simply stood there in silence, letting me decide when I was ready to talk.
Just like Kyren. Fuck. Of course she was. It’s no wonder they haven’t made up. Both were probably too prideful to be the first ones to say anything.
I chuckled bitterly to myself at the thought.
Jack gave me a curious look but didn’t say anything.
