never sat well with Jaylin, more now than ever. But when Jaylin had found a sixteen-year-old half shifter eight years earlier huddled under a dirty blanket in the backseat of Jaylin’s car, instead of calling the police, she’d offered the girl a shower, food, and a job. It was the best decision she’d ever made.
She caught Pam studying her. “What?”
“You never elaborated on your ‘damn shifter’ comment. Since this kind of reaction wouldn’t be caused by a Dserted shifter, even though I’m pretty sure you want to damn his ass as well, I’m assuming another one is in the picture.”
“The roommate.”
Pam leaned forward, interest raising her brows. “Is he hot?”
“W-what?” Tight muscles and a lazy smile immediately popped into her mind. She shook her head. “That’s beside the point.”
“I think it’s very much the point.”
“He tried to kiss me.”
“What’s so shocking about that? You’re hot.”
“No. He tried to kiss me.”
Pam’s eyes widened. “Oh. Shit.”
“That about covers it.”
“You know what this means, right?”
“It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Jaylin Avgar, you have never been the stick-your-head-in-the-sand type. You’ll not start now.”
“He hasn’t kissed me yet. The Drall hasn’t completely awakened. Since his roommate backed out of therapy, there’s no reason for me to have any more contact with him.”
“Yeah, right. Like that’s going to stop him. He’s peaked. He’s going to be around you like a tom in heat.”
“I know!” Jaylin pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “I’m just going to have to avoid him the best I can, don’t let him corner me.”
She didn’t look at Pam. She knew the “you’re kidding” look that would be on her face, and really, she was kidding herself. Yesterday she’d gotten the feeling that Aidan had peaked. She wasn’t completely certain, but she’d known he was interested. Today, she’d tried her damnedest to be aloof, and with his lazy smiles and unflusterable attitude, it had been easy.
Her downfall?
The true worry she’d seen on his face as he talked about Liam. She’d seen the man who truly cared for his friend, missed his friend, and her heart had melted at the vulnerability he’d shown her. When she’d met his eyes, their faces so close, her breath had caught tightly in her lungs. An iridescent blue had flashed in his green eyes right before he’d started to lean forward. Blue. His beast had revealed itself to her. The blue had been magnificent as it leached the green from his gaze.
She owed her thanks to his beast. Its appearance had given her the warning she needed: move or be kissed, and she’d gotten the hell out of there as quickly as she could, even though she would’ve loved to feel Aidan’s lips on hers. If he’d been a human with no beast, no Drall, she would’ve allowed the kiss to happen. But he wasn’t human. He was a shifter. A peaked shifter.
And kissing him would never be an option.
…
Liam stalked down the sidewalk, hands shoved in his jean pockets, head slumped forward as he watched his feet eat up the concrete. People laughed and chatted around him. He blocked them out as he continued forward. He didn’t have a destination, really had no care where he ended up, just as long as he was out of Brit’s cabin.
Not that there was anything wrong with Brit. The cabin, however, was another matter. It was small. And for two oversize shifters it was too small. No privacy. No way to escape from everything—which he longed for more and more these days. He was so damn tired, of everything, of everyone. He just wanted to be alone. Crawl in a hole and just…
An odd sensation crackled in his chest. His steps faltered. That had felt very much like… He shook the sensation off and continued walking. His connection with his beast hadn’t been the same since…no, he wouldn’t think her name. He scoffed. He could not think her name all he wanted, but she was always with him, would always be with him. Goddamn Fewshon.
Why should he suffer for falling in love with the wrong woman?
He felt like a loser. He couldn’t move past the Dsershon. He couldn’t laugh, crack a freaking smile. No, all he could do was brood and lash out—no matter how hard he tried not to. He hated who he’d become.
He wanted so badly to be the old Liam again, for his friends—for himself. This constant buzz in his blood refused to allow him to heal. And the spikes, when he literally felt his blood warm