Graydon
I don’t like having all these new people in town. I’ve had this feeling that something isn’t right, and I can’t shake it. The feeling wasn’t this strong until the North Pack showed up. Ever since Kelsey warned Callyn that she wasn’t the only one after her, I’ve had this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. Of course, because nothing can stay a secret, they know about Kelsey having visions. Someone has spilled the beans about Callie. My guess would be Kelsey. Callie hates having attention on her, and these new people won’t leave her alone. It came to the point where I had to intervene and threaten people. You know Callie had enough because she didn’t even yell at me for being rude.
“How much longer are they going to be here, it’s been weeks,” I grumble.
“For once, I agree with Graydon and his attitude,” Callie sighs. I reach over and run my hand up and down her back.
One of the North Pack kids stops in front of our lunch table. “Callyn.” She lifts her head, meeting his eyes. “I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?”
What the hell? I growl. Callie places her hand on my thigh and squeezes. It’s her way of telling me to calm down, but how can I when some dude is trying to mack on my girl, my mate… our mate, right in front of our faces. Is he really this stupid?
“About what?”
“I wanted to ask you something, but I wanted to do it privately.”
Yup, he really is. He must have a death wish.
“Whatever it is you can say here, in the open.” His bounce to all of ours before setting back on Callyn. Let’s see if he actually has the balls to go through with it.
“Well, I was wondering...I was wondering if you were free Friday night? Maybe we can go see a movie together or something.”
He does, I’ll give him that, but Callie doesn’t have a chance to answer because I’m up and out of my seat in a blink of an eye. I use my foot to scoot her chair back some so I can step between her and this idiot. I glare at him.
“Mine,” I growl.
His eyes go wide. Yeah, buddy, you have no chance. Zeke, Lucian, and Max are all up and out of their seats facing off with him as well. I hear Callie sigh, before I feel her small hand on my back. She moves to stand next to me, and I don’t like it. I don’t want him looking at her. If she is behind me, I can protect her better. I move my arm and try to push her back behind me, but she won’t budge.
“No, let me handle this,” she says. “Look…” she trails off waiting for him to give her is name.
“Owen.”
“Look Owen, as kind as the offer was, I have to decline. I am already taken, by the four overbearing, protective shifters in front of you.”
“All four of them?” he questions, his voice an octave higher.
“Yes. All of them. They are my destined mates. I’m sorry.”
“I get it. I mean, I heard people talking about it, but it didn’t seem like it was true.”
“Yeah, well it is, and you can go now,” I say heatedly. The kid nods and hurries away.
“Graydon,” Callie reprimanded.
“What? He wasn’t taking the hint. I don’t even know why he bothered coming over in the first place. One, you are surrounded by four dudes. Two, you now carry the scent of all four of us. Three, you wear our claiming marks. He had to have smelled that you are claimed, and he still tried. Dude has a death wish.”
“Is there a four or are you done now?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m done...for now.” I sit back down. Before Callie turns her attention to Lucian, I see the eye roll she gives me. I don’t care if she doesn’t like me protecting her, she’s just going to have to deal with it. I don’t want a repeat of what happened at the barn...ever.
“Lucian, can you explain the whole I carry your scent thing.”
“Sure,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders. “At first I didn’t notice it because you’re usually with all of us almost all the time. But I noticed that after I took a shower, your scent stayed with me...on me.”
“It doesn’t normally?”
“No, your scent would wash away after I showered. I noticed you carrying all of our scents the other day. Remember you came out to the car with wet hair.”
“How could I forget, Graydon yelled at me about it.” Callie turns and gives me a stern look.
“Fine, you want to get sick? Go right ahead.”
“That’s a myth. That’s not how you get sick. Do shifters even get colds?”
“No.”
“So, this argument is pointless.” Now, we’re both sitting here with our arms crossed, glaring at each other.
“Anyways,” Lucian says getting Callie’s attention back. “I know you recently showered. When I got out to give you the front seat, I smelled all of us on you. It shouldn’t have been there.”
“Is this a common thing?”
“Sometimes. I think it is stronger on you because you claimed four mates.”
“Huh, okay,” she says with a shrug. “I like how all of you smell, so I’m cool with smelling like all of you.”
The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. We all grab our stuff. I let the guys walk ahead of me a few feet before I grab Callie by the elbow. She turns and looks at me.
“I know you don’t like me being overprotective, but I can’t help it. It’s gotten worse since we claimed each other. I really don’t want to go through what happened with the barn all over again. I couldn’t take losing you.”
Callie sighs, “Oh, grumpy bear,” she says before she hugs me. I wrap her up in my arms. I want to keep her there because I know she will be safe. “It’s not that I don’t like you being protective. I do, and I agree I don’t want a repeat of that night either. But you have to let me try and handle the situation first. If I can’t, then you can jump in and knock some heads around. Okay?”
I take a deep breath before I answer. “Okay.” I tell her that but every instinct in me is screaming to jump in first. I would rather be the one getting hurt over her. I do understand what she is saying. I’ll try for her, but I don’t know how well that will work out of for me.
Callie gives me a big squeeze before she steps back. “Come on, let's get going before we’re both late for class.”
She holds out her hand for me. I interlace our fingers as we walk down the hall. We just make to class on time.
Zeke
Graydon and Callie walk into class hand-in-hand. It looks like they worked out their issues. They never stay angry at each other for long. They’re both quick to anger, yet both quick to calm down. I think tensions are high right now because of everything going on. I think we need to take a breather and have a little fun. I need to channel my inner Max.
It doesn’t take long for the teacher to explain what our assignment is, before she turns us loose. That’s the one nice thing about art. The teacher gives us free reign to talk so as long as our work gets done. With the noise going on around us, our conversation gets drowned out. It takes me a little bit to figure out what we should do. I want to do something that Callie hasn’t done. There isn’t too much to do around here, so we’ll probably have to go to a neighboring town. Then it hits me. I have the perfect idea.
“Guys, I have an idea.” They both look at me. “I think we need to take a day and relax. Just go out and have some fun.”
“Okay? What did you have in mind?” Callie questions.
“Cosmic bowling. Plus, this is going to sound cheesy, but I think we should celebrate the fact that we have claimed our mate.” I hear Graydon groan right before Callie gets excited.
“Oh, can we? I’ve never been bowling.” Graydon groans again. Callie looks at him. “Pretty please,” she begs. She gives him these big, doe eyes and pouts her lips.
“Come on man. It’s for Callie. Are you really going to tell that beautiful face no?”
“Fine,” he growls. “For her.”
“Why don’t you want to go, grumpy bear?”
“Because bowling is the bane of my existence.” Callie looks over at me.
“It’s true. It’s the one thing Graydon has no skill for.” I chuckle, but Callie gets this serious look on her face before facing Graydon.
“We don’t have to. We can find something else for us to do.”
“No, it’s okay. Maybe I’ll have more fun with you there.”
“Yes!” She turns and high fives me.
I see Graydon shaking his head, but there is a small smirk on his lips. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Graydon likes to think he wins when it comes to Callie, but that girl has him so wrapped around her finger that he can’t seem to see she always gets her way. If I’m honest, she has all of us wrapped around her finger.
“I can’t wait to tell the guys.”
A few moments later she giggles and both me and Graydon give her a weird look. Then it hits me that she is talking to them telepathically. It does come in handy. At least we won’t be getting in trouble for texting in class. The only downside is that us guys can’t communicate with each other like that. I hope that we can once the bond is completed. I know that is something we all agree on; Callie has to take the first step when it comes to that. She’ll let us know when she is ready, just like she did with the claiming. The longer we are together and the more our bond strengthens, I wonder if new abilities will happen? I’m hoping that us guys will be able to communicate telepathically in the future.
“Lucian, likes the idea. He says we should go to dinner as well. Max and I quote, says hell yeah, anything to watch Graydon embarrass himself.” Graydon groans as me and Callie laughs. “Are you really that bad?”
“Yes,” Graydon huffs while crossing his arms over his chest.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’m going to suck too. So, we can suck together. Deal?” Then she gives him this blinding smile.
“Deal.”
Callie leans over and stage whispers, “If anything, we can get those bumper guards, right?”
“No, I refuse to use those. Only little kids should be using them, not a grown man.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escapes at his explanation. Oh, this is going to be fun.