Promised at the Moon (4 page)

Chapter Five

Natasha and Cara walked through the student center checking out the different clubs. Natasha had been very active at her last college, spending all of her off-hours socializing and hanging out with new friends. Socializing had caused the eventual end of her relationship with Daniel. His jealousy and possessiveness had become overwhelming, and in the new setting of college, she’d realized just how stifling he and his group of friends had been.

She rounded a corner and ran smack into fraternity row. Someone called her name and she glanced around. Clint stood several booths away with Rock, Buck, several other guys and a voluptuous brunette with piercing eyes.

“Asha! There you are!” Clint called. “Come here!”

Cara gripped Natasha’s arm firmly. “I think we should head to class.”

“Asha! Woman of my dreams!” Rock crooned, falling to his knees.

Clint kicked him in the butt and he fell on his face. Buck and the others burst out laughing, and Rock got to his feet.

“Asha!” Clint held his arms wide. People stopped to watch the scene.

She tucked her hair behind her ear. He was Alpha-in-waiting and his father was Alpha of the area. “I can’t deny him. Not in front of everyone. You said it yourself that we’re safer in a pack. Come with me.”

Cara looked at Clint and then at Natasha. “I’ll save you a seat in class.”

She nodded and headed toward the booth. Rock whooped and hollered as she got closer.

“Knock it off.” Clint punched him in the arm. Natasha stopped a few feet from Clint at his fraternity booth.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey yourself.” He hugged her, making her stiffen. She breathed deeply, trying to keep her fear at bay. “You took off pretty fast from class. I didn’t have time to invite you to our party this weekend.”

“Party?”

“Yeah.” The brunette female stepped up and laid her arms over Clint’s shoulder. “It’s very exclusive. Invite only.”

Natasha met the girl’s scrutinizing gaze.

“This is Cindy.” Clint jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

“Hi,” said Natasha.

Cindy threw a fake beauty-queen smile smeared with corvette-red lipstick and then dropped it immediately. Clint stepped out of Cindy’s reach and handed Natasha a flyer. “Come. It’s gonna be loads of fun.”

“Uhm…” Natasha glanced at the piece of paper.

“No,” said a deep voice. The paper was pulled from her grasp and shoved into Clint’s chest.

Natasha turned to find Liam looming behind her.

“Knock it off, Liam.” Cindy stepped forward and bumped Natasha, making her bag fall to the floor.

Liam grabbed her by the arm. “Asha, you have class.”

His tight grip on her shoulder shot a shiver through her like a lightning bolt. The scars from the glass ached at his touch, and memories of Daniel digging his clawed hand into her shoulder beat into her mind.

“We just invited her to a friendly beach party. There’s no harm in that,” replied Clint.

“With you, there’s always harm.”

Natasha’s body shook with the memories. The feel of the car as it bumped over Daniel. The howl of pain.

Her stomach pitched violently. She tore from Liam’s grasp and ran for the exit.

“Way to scare the girl, Liam,” Rock said as she hit the door and threw it wide. Her sandwich came back up just as she got her head in the nearest trash can. More memories pummeled her like a violent hailstorm. The smell of her own blood. The echo of gunshots raining down around her. Daniel coming around the back of her car and banging on her window. She heaved again, but her stomach was empty.

“Hey.” A heavy hand touched her shoulder.

Natasha spun away and shoved. “Don’t touch me.” She connected with Liam’s chest and he stumbled back several feet.

He raised his palms.

She gasped and looked around frantically. She wiped her mouth with her hand and sucked in huge gulps of air. Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them back.

People walked in and out of the student center, eying them. Finally, her heart slowed and her breathing evened out. Liam watched her for another minute and then walked toward her slowly.

He tried to hold together his anger over seeing Asha with Clint. Her first day and already Clint had spotted her. It was bad enough he’d gotten Cindy. Liam would be damned if he’d allow a traumatized girl like Asha to fall into his trap as well. He’d only suggested she start school so he could get her out of the house and keep a better eye on her. A girl with as much brains as she had would be accepted into USC or UCLA for sure. She deserved that, and he was going to make sure she got it.

From his vantage point across the walkway, he saw she was ready to bolt.

Her eyes flashed, and he approved inwardly. It was a good sign. She was finally waking up. Fighting back against what had happened to her. Standing up for herself. He put his hands down and took another step toward her.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I had no right to touch you.”

“No. You didn’t. But I shouldn’t have shoved you. I’m sorry. It’s just when you put your hand on my shoulder… That’s where the scars are.”

Liam nodded. Of course.

She scanned the ground and spun in a circle. Panic marred her features. She took in the quad as if calculating the best exit strategy.

“Asha!” Clint pushed open the door.

Her head snapped up.

Clint held her bag. She rushed forward and took it from him.

“Thank you. I must have dropped it.”

“Yeah, well, if someone hadn’t been such a jackass, you probably wouldn’t have.” Clint’s gaze traveled to Liam.

Liam clenched his fists and bit back his urge to tell Clint where he could go.

“Anyway—” Clint looked at Asha, all smiles. It was Liam’s turn for a sour stomach. “See ya in class.” Clint pulled her into a hug. Asha stiffened and didn’t return the hug, but she didn’t push him away either. It made Liam grit his teeth till he was sure they’d shatter.

Clint stared at Liam over Asha’s shoulder, tempting every fiber of Liam’s body to rip him to shreds.

He let go of Asha. “See ya.”

Asha watched him, then turned to Liam. She covered her eyes with her sunglasses.

It was okay. She was too good for him, and he wasn’t getting involved anyway. Clint was probably the kind of guy she dated. Alpha-in-waiting, money, going somewhere in life. He was just a lone wolf without a pack, relocating wolves and running a bike-repair shop in his spare time. An Alpha by default, not by right.

“Can I walk you to class?” he asked.

“Are you afraid I can’t make it on my own?” The corners of her mouth turned up in a playful grin.

“No…I just—” He just what? Wanted to make sure she got there unmolested? That was the truth, but he doubted she would buy it. “Let me walk with you so I can make sure you’re okay. You looked like you were about to pass out a minute ago.”

“I’m all right. I just…” She flapped her hands around and then pressed one to her brow. “Got overheated for a moment.”

He nodded. “Well, I’d like to make sure I’m there if you get hot again.”

Natasha crossed her arms over her chest and cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You like seeing me get hot?”

Liam’s skin tingled. “No…I didn’t mean… That came out dirtier than I meant it. Oh, come on. People are staring.”

He took off in a determined stride. How did she know just how to get under his skin?

“Liam,” she called.

He stopped.

She pointed in the other direction. “Isn’t the building that way?”

* * * * *

They’d been walking for almost five minutes when Liam slowed his pace.

“I’m sorry again for pushing you,” she said.

“Already forgotten. Except for the bruise on my chest. Ouch.” He rubbed his sternum.

She laughed and smacked his arm. She was silent for a moment and he looked over at her.

“When you grabbed my shoulder inside the student center, it sent a flood of memories…of that night…”

She wasn’t ready to tell him what had happened to her. That was okay. Whatever it was, Liam knew from the injuries he’d seen, it hadn’t been pretty.

“Why don’t you like him?” she asked.

“Clint?”

“No, Gandhi. Yes, Clint.” She glanced up at him.

Liam thought about all the reasons he didn’t like Clint. The list rolled out through his mind longer than Santa’s naughty list. Maybe if he told her, she’d stay away.

“He’s selfish,” he finally said.

“Lots of people are selfish.”

“Yes. But he doesn’t care about lots of people. It’s a bad quality to have in a packmate. Selfish people like that get others hurt. Sometimes killed.”

Natasha stopped walking and stared at him.

His gut clenched. He’d said too much. “Come on, you’re gonna be late.” He picked up the pace, and she hurried to catch up.

* * * * *

Liam doodled in his notebook. His pencil sketched out the roundness of her blue eyes, the pouty cupid’s bow of her upper lip, the slender hand that had grabbed his to say thank-you weeks before.

It’d been a long time since he’d even thought of a female. His luck had never been good in the love department. Between picking the wrong kinds of girls and being terrified of accidentally bonding to the wrong one, he’d pretty much sworn off getting involved three years ago.

In wolf society, once you bonded to a female, that was it. Bondings were usually a conscious thing, the meeting of a wolf’s soul with another wolf’s soul. When it came to sex, though, lust could be mistaken for love and bonding had occasionally happened. It was uber-rare, like with his poor mother, but if it happened, there was no going back. Your wolves always pulled the two together, even if your human counterparts couldn’t stand each other. He’d seen firsthand how that accidental bonding had killed his mother.

Getting tangled into that kind of mess with Asha was as good as a death sentence for her future. Being saddled to him. No pack. No security. No money and fancy things like she was accustomed to. It wasn’t fair to her, and in the end she’d hate him for it.

He blew out a hard breath and covered his face. He was getting too close. For the last two years, he’d tried to forget his failure to protect one female he’d cared about and now here he was, putting himself on the line to protect another. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t open himself up again.

His eyes closed, and he saw her face. The way she tucked her bangs behind her ear. Her heavenly jasmine aroma, shy smile and pained eyes. The way she constantly surprised him with her wit and intelligence. All of it called to him. Begged him to protect her.

Liam’s phone buzzed.

Natasha: Thanks for trying to help.

Liam: No problem.

Natasha: I know I’m not the easiest.

Liam: It’s my job. It’s cool.

No response. Liam’s heart thundered. Stupid, Liam!

Natasha: Thanks anyway.

Liam: You’re welcome.

He put his phone away, looked at his drawings and ripped them from his notepad.

Chapter Six

Natasha pulled into the garage later that afternoon, shut off the engine and yawned. The day had taken more out of her than she’d anticipated. She got out and stretched. A scent hit her, and she whirled around and stared out the open garage door.

“What’s wrong?” asked Cara.

Her blood coursed through her veins and she gripped her keys tight, fighting the instinct to hop back into her car and bolt. “Shifters.”

Cara sniffed the air. “It’s okay. It’s just Clint’s dad. He comes around sometimes just to check out who’s staying here since we get new shifters that come through.”

Natasha relaxed a fraction. She snuck to the edge of the garage and peered around outside. She inhaled again. The scent was an hour old. Maybe two.

“I promise it’s okay,” said Cara.

She headed back inside the garage, and she and Cara ascended the stairs to the first floor of the condo. Cara went to the kitchen, but Natasha continued to her room. She peeked out her windows and then threw her bag on the bed, kicked off her sandals and plopped on top of the turquoise and chocolate comforter. She lay there for a minute, forcing herself to relax. “I’m safe,” she intoned over and over until she almost believed her own words.

The corner of her room was still littered with debris and shoeboxes from her shopping sprees. Empty bags of chips and Coke bottles overflowed her trash can onto the floor. She gazed at her bathroom, littered with more boxes for makeup, toiletries and other miscellaneous items. She couldn’t study in such a mess.

Grabbing the remote to her stereo, she turned it on, letting the music fill her head as she danced around her room cleaning up. When she finished, she took the bags down to the community dumpsters and walked between the garages to her unit. She breathed in the fresh air and let the sun shine down on her skin. She’d never been to California before, but the beautiful weather welcomed her with open arms. It was so different from Virginia. Not as green, but it had woven into her sinews and become a place she enjoyed.

She hopped up the stairs to her room and shook the contents of her backpack out on the bed. The light blinked on her pink phone. She flipped it over and held her breath.

Liam: Hey, were we supposed to meet at the bookstore?

Her heart sank. Crap!

Natasha: Sorry, I totally forgot! Tomorrow?

She needed the rest of her books before Wednesday.

Liam: No problem.

She wanted to say more, to keep him on the phone. As much as she didn’t want a relationship, she found herself intrigued by him. He tried to be cool and aloof, but there was more to why he hated Clint than just the Alpha-in-waiting selfishness. Had Clint gotten someone hurt?

The fact that Liam held back showed his good character. He didn’t try to force his ideas on others, a rare quality in an Alpha. The idea that he wasn’t being nice just because he’d been paid to had popped into her mind more and more frequently lately.

She threw her phone onto the bed. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t ready to get involved. So no matter how much her skin heated at the sight of his leather-clad body on his motorcycle, he was off-limits.

She suddenly wished she could talk to her mom about him. The idea squeezed her heart tight in a fist grip. She’d always talked to her mom about Daniel. It had been her mom who had made her realize that breaking up with him was for the best. She rubbed her hands together, trying to imitate the feel of her mother’s slender grip on hers. The squeeze of her heart continued until she thought it would stop beating altogether.

Her gaze traveled to her emergency phone, the one her parents would call if they were still alive. It hadn’t shown any signs of life since she’d activated it. She pushed the
on
button to make sure it still worked. The familiar panic from her first days of being in California hugged her like an old friend and whispered in her ear. What if they’d lost the number?

What if they’d called her old phone by mistake?

She grabbed the old cell and put the battery back in, replaced the cover and waited. Staring at the phone, she bit her thumbnail and prayed that when it booted up there would be a message.

Her pink phone buzzed on her bed, startling her. She dropped her old phone to the dresser and picked up her new phone. She didn’t recognize the number. She swallowed hard and pressed the
accept
button.

“Hell…hello?”

“Hey, beautiful.”

She racked her brain. “Clint?”

“Of course.” He laughed.

She hadn’t given him her phone number. “How did you get this number?”

“Uh…well…when you left your bag I found your phone and called my number from it since I didn’t have a chance to ask you earlier.”

“Oh.” The tension left Natasha’s shoulders only to roll back over her a second later. “Wait, you went through my bag?” She scanned the contents she’d dumped on her bed.

“Sorry. Was that bad?”

She spread everything out to make sure it was all still there. “Yes, it is. You had no right to go through my things.” She didn’t need another stalker like Daniel.

He was silent for a minute. “I apologize. Really, I meant no harm.” His sincerity rang through. “I called to see if you wanted to come to a study group tonight.”

Natasha sighed, picked up all of her belongings and shoved them back inside. “I don’t think so.”

There was a long air of silence. “I said I was sorry.”

“It’s…not that.”

“It’s Liam, right? He warned you about me.”

Natasha scrunched her face up and pinched the bridge of her nose. She wasn’t going to lie. “Sort of.”

“I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you come to the party at the end of the week? There’ll be lots of people there. And you can decide if you want to get to know me better or if you agree with Liam.”

Natasha didn’t want to say no. The full moon was coming, and she needed to get out of the enclosed condo and move. She rubbed her wrist. The absence of her bracelet reminded her that she needed somewhere safe to turn and people to turn with. “Wait, the study group for tonight was just going to be you and me?”

“Two’s not a group?” He chuckled. “Come on Friday. It’s at the beach. Everyone swims and we can go for a run.”

A whine escaped her lips, and she slapped her palm over her mouth.

“Yeah, I thought that might get you. So that’s a yes, then?”

The one thing being at school had done for her today was to tell her she needed to get out. She was starting to go crazy being cooped up.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Well I’m going to ask you in class on Wednesday and if you don’t say yes, I’m gonna ask you Friday too.”

“You think bugging me is going to change my mind?”

“I prefer persistence.” He laughed. “I better run, but I shoved a flyer with the beach info in your bag, in the front pocket. Think it over.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“See ya, beautiful.”

Natasha hung up. The prospect of going out actually lifted her spirits. She’d spent most of the last months cooped up. First with her parents, who’d been afraid of her being kidnapped and hadn’t let her leave the house for weeks preceding her birthday, and now being here. Standing in her room, she could almost smell the salty ocean air.

* * * * *

She met Liam the next day in the campus bookstore. His usual outfit of low-slung jeans and leather coat sent a familiar tingle trickling over her nerves. His wavy, dark hair had been slicked back off his face and she noticed how finely chiseled his features were. His ear sported a hoop in the top corner that tempted her to nibble on it.

She coughed as her cheeks flushed. Damn. She needed to stop thinking like that.

He crouched, scanning a rack of used CDs, and looked over. He smiled, turning up the corners of his deep green eyes. Butterflies dive-bombed her belly.

“Hey,” she managed. “Whatcha lookin’ at?”

“Oh.” He glanced down at the CD. “It’s a local band. They’re pretty good.”

She peeked at the black album cover. “What kind of music?”

“Uh…actually it’s country. The lead singer’s voice is amazing. You can really tell he feels what he sings.”

“I love country.”

His eyes narrowed. “Really?”

“Yup. My dad raised me on Alabama and the Oakridge Boys and Juice Newton.”

He gave her a funny expression. “Are you screwing with me?”

“Why would I screw with you?”

“Because I’m about the only person I know in California who likes country music.”

“I’m not from California.”

He shook his head and put the CD back.

“What?”

“You’re an enigma.”

“Because I like good, soulful music with a storyline?”

“Among other things.”

She bit her lip. “Do they play in town?”

“There’s a club called Pinky’s down the street. They play there every few months.”

“Maybe we could go.” She pushed her hair behind her ear and dropped her gaze. She’d overstepped.

“Yeah. Maybe.” He picked up his bike helmet. “Let’s get your books.”

They walked around for an hour chatting and finding the cheapest used books. She also bought a laptop and printer, a calculator and several other things she needed. By the time she was done, Liam had to help her carry her stuff out to the car.

“I appreciate you doing that for me. I didn’t realize how long a trek it was to the car.”

He closed her trunk and pointed to her driver’s side. “You should get that window fixed.”

She looked at the car. “Yeah, I should.”

He scratched his head. “I could do it.”

“Really?”

Liam rolled the ring on his thumb. “Sure. I can order the part this week. Probably put it in on Monday or Tuesday.”

“Great.” She reached into her bag and took out cash. “How much do you need?”

His eyes narrowed and hardened. “I don’t want your money, Asha.”

“I just thought—” She stopped and swallowed. He’d been paid to look after her, what was the difference? “Look, I don’t want you to have to do it for me. I’d have to pay someone else, so I can pay you.”

Liam shifted his helmet to his other hand and stepped back. “It’s a favor.”

“Part of your job?” She held her breath. She wanted to know how much of what he did was him being nice and how much was him
having
to help her. She needed her fluttering heart and the butterflies fluttering in her stomach to understand that there was nothing between them. He’d been paid to look after her, and that’s what he was doing. That’s why he came to check on her and made her shower. And why he took her for tacos and walked her to class and offered to help her get her books tonight and fix her window. It was nothing personal.

He stared at her a moment and then turned. “I’ll see ya later.” He walked down the ramp toward the bike parking.

“What did I say?”

He stormed back. “Why do you keep throwing the fact that I was given money to relocate you in my face?”

She blinked several times. “I’m not throwing it in your face.”

“Have you ever been poor, Asha? Really poor? So poor that you’d do just about anything to eat?”

“Liam, I didn’t mean—”

“I was paid two hundred bucks to relocate you. Two hundred. Not be nice to you or pull you out of bed or to carry crap to your car like a chauffer, but to find you a place to stay. Why can’t you just accept the fact that I’m nice to you because I want to be?”

He shoved his helmet on and stormed off. Asha gripped the keys in her hand so tight the small jagged teeth bit into her palm. The desire to go after him washed over her as he disappeared around the corner. She should apologize again, but she didn’t have the guts.

* * * * *

The following night, Cara walked with Natasha to the library. Natasha had a test coming up in her American Government class, and she’d heard there might be a study group. Though government wasn’t a subject she loved, if she wanted to get into a good nursing school she needed to get a good grade.

She opened the heavy glass doors, and peace washed over her. The smell of books enveloped her like an old friend and made her feel at home. Her mom had loved used bookstores. There’d been one in Virginia they’d gone to monthly as a mother-daughter date. The Parchment Place. They’d go in for hours and browse the books, then pick a few and sit in the comfy brown corduroy couches and read while sipping tea.

Her gut clenched. All that had stopped when she’d had to hide in her large colonial house, away from school, away from friends, away from Daniel until her dad and Daniel’s could come to terms for the packs.

That was when her dad had given her the bracelet to keep her from changing at the moon.

“Do you know what room they’re supposed to be in?” Cara asked.

She looked around, trying to gather her thoughts. “Nope. Sorry.” She scanned the entire first floor of books, her fingertips itching to touch and feel and turn pages.

“Well, the study areas are up on the second floor. Let’s walk by and see if you recognize anyone up there.”

Natasha nodded. “Thanks for helping me out, Cara.”

Cara tucked a brown curl behind her ear. “That’s what roomies are for.”

They passed the large wooden front desk and headed for the grand staircase at the back of the room. Up on the second floor, there was glass room after glass room of groups of students talking, studying or goofing off.

When they reached the last room, she sighed. “Guess I missed it.”

“Missed what?”

She spun around to find Liam at the table behind them. Her cheeks heated at memories of their last encounter. He stared at Cara.

“I was supposed to meet a study group for my American Government class,” Natasha said.

“They cleared out about ten minutes ago.” Liam tapped a pencil on a large book in front of him, still looking at Cara. His long, muscular legs stretched out under the table. A chain trailed from his waistband to his pocket. His leather jacket hung off his chair. His broad chest strained a white thermal, silhouetting his bulging arms. A small circle puckered the left side of Liam’s shirt. A nipple ring?

She ran her tongue over the roof of her mouth, imagining the feel of his nipple and the ring in her mouth. Flustered, she couldn’t get her voice to work.