Shadow Mate - Jen L. Grey Page 0,18

what I mean."

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you in an hour?" I put my plate and cup in the sink.

"I'll be there with bells on." She kicked her feet out from under the table and jiggled them.

"Please, don't ever do that again." It was strange how Bree had quickly become my best friend within just a few meetings. Our wolves seemed in harmony together as well, which made things that much smoother. Despite her upbringing, she was a little offbeat, which bode well with me. "I'll see you soon." I shut the door behind me.

Within a few minutes, I walked out of the elevator and found two girls talking in the lobby. Not bothering to interrupt them, I hurried out the door and over to the meeting spot. I glanced at my phone and realized I was ten minutes early. Great. I hadn't thought this through. A few students were walking around, and I was standing here alone, waiting.

"Hey there." A voice called from behind. "Are you here for the tour?"

I spun around, and my eyes landed on the second sexiest person I had ever seen. He had longish blond hair that was styled and sandy brown eyes that could be a woman's undoing. Even clean-shaven, he had the playboy look down pat. "Uh, yeah. I am."

"Now, that's a pleasant surprise." He grinned as he closed the distance between us. "I'm your guide, Kai."

"Oh, hi." I held my hand out for him to shake.

"Well, okay then." He took my hand in his and held it for a little longer than necessary. "And you are?"

"Mia." For some reason, him holding my hand felt awkward so I pulled it away. "I'm a freshman this year." Great, I was rambling.

"I figured since you're part of the tour." He placed his hands in the pockets of his black slacks and straightened his chest, making his athletic frame notable under the blood-red polo he had on. Of course, the polo had the school's logo on the left upper chest.

"Were we supposed to wear uniforms?" I glanced at my very casual outfit and cringed. "Bree had said it was casual. I can go change."

"No, calm down. I wore a uniform seeing as I'm technically on the clock." He took a step toward me again and grinned. "You look great."

"Uh... thanks." He had to be a womanizer given the way he was coming on so strong with me.

"Why am I not surprised to see Kai slumming it with a freshman scholarship candidate?" Liam's all-too-familiar voice called from behind me.

The breeze picked up, and his scent hit my nose. There went any hope I had for this being a good day and avoiding him at all costs.

"Hey, Liam." Kai took a step back from me and nodded his head.

"Do you always lurk around?" Would there ever be a time I could walk out of the dorm and not see him? "Because I'm getting serious creeper vibes from you." I turned around to face Liam head-on.

Kai's eyes widened, and he covered his mouth with his hand as he grinned.

"I don't think I was talking to you, so why don't you keep your gorgeous big mouth shut." He wore a sleeveless muscle shirt that had sweat drenched across his chest, and if I had guessed he was muscular before, there was no denying it now.

He was hands-down the hottest guy I'd ever seen. The fact that he called a part of me gorgeous had butterflies taking off in my belly and my wolf howling inside. What was wrong with me? This guy is an asshole. Every other word out of his mouth was awful toward me."How come every time I see you, you're sweating? I'm thinking you have image issues, so why don't you run along and work harder." Honestly, I could have licked him right then. What? Hell no. Just thinking about it, I really did want to taste him. Though I would never admit it.

"So you think you have me pegged?" Liam closed the distance between us. He stood closer to me than he should have, his eyes glowing with power.

"As the arrogant, pretty boy, spoiled brat who's had everything delivered to you on a silver platter?" My wolf rose up inside of me, so I had to keep reminding myself that he was an ass. His good looks were only a means to draw me in. I wouldn't submit to him.

Something flamed in his eyes that I didn't understand.

"What the hell, man?" Micah appeared from around the building,