I lean my face against the glass, and it’s cool on my cheek. I wonder how I’m going to approach the werewolf subject. While I’m fascinated by the traits Ekton must possess, I’m more concerned about what that means for us. Can a werewolf and a human be together?

  Two black Hummers catch my attention as they pull up to the science building. That’s strange. Men dressed in black exit and move quickly to enter the building, as if they’re top secret agents. Ice floods my veins, and I stiffen. They probably are! Dr. Sand must think I know something, and that’s why I quit.

  Oh god. Ekton. I’m frozen by the window when it hits me. Once they’re done in the lab, I bet they’ll come for me next. Adrenaline surges in me, and I finally move. I yank open my closet door and pull at clothes to find his sweatshirt. I drop it on my chair when a vision of him naked flashes in my mind. The bed. I tug at my comforter and rip at the sheets. A knock raps on my door, and I gasp, imagining I’m too late.

  “Mia, it’s Andi. Open up!”

  I pull my door open, and Andi shoves her way in. “You need to get everything Ekton ever touched out of here.”

  “I know. I saw.”

  She grabs the bedding from me and throws it in a large garbage can that’s outside my door. She must have brought it. I pull my desk drawer open and hand her the condoms. Sympathy flashes through her eyes as she takes them, and she asks, “Do you have bleach to wipe down the surfaces?”

  I nod. “Do you think they know about Ekton?”

  “No. But they suspect something, and I’m not taking any chances.”

  I pick up Ekton’s sweatshirt, and tears fill my eyes. I’m about to hand it to Andi when the door hits the wall of my room with so much force it vibrates. Ekton pushes his way past the garbage can, and when I meet his gaze, his eyes are flashing with something I imagine is wolf. He says, “I take the night off to be with you, and this is what I find?” His nostrils are flaring as if he’s trying to stay in control of his anger.

  “Ekton. I—”

  “I heard you.” He snatches the sweatshirt from my hands as he scans the room. He steps back and inspects the contents of the garbage can. When he’s done, he lifts his gaze to me. “We’re good here. They won’t find anything now.”

  I step toward him, and he shakes his head. “Mia, no.” He hoists the can up on his shoulder and walks away.

  I turn to Andi as tears stream down my face. She grabs my shoulders and shakes me. “You can’t do this now. Where are your extra sheets?”

  I swallow the lump in my throat and point to the shelf in my closet. Andi says, “Help me, Mia. We can fix this.”

  I kick into gear, but she’s wrong. The look in Ekton’s eyes told me there’s no fixing this. Mia, no.

  Andi helped me wipe everything down, even though Ekton said it wasn’t necessary. I’m glad we did, because while they couldn’t search my room without probable cause, they came up with one. My dorm was evacuated to check for a possible gas leak. Even though nothing was found, that didn’t stop me from pacing my tiny space all night, sure they’d return to drag Ekton and me away.

  Earlier this morning, Andi stopped by and assured me that nothing in the lab could give them any clues, and that we’d avoided the disaster. My eyelids feel like sandpaper when I blink. I have class soon, and I have no idea how I’m going to focus.

  While I’m relieved Ekton and his kind are not in danger, I’m heartsick over what happened. The inhuman look in his eyes I saw yesterday flashes in my mind, and there’s no doubt. We’re over, and I can’t blame anyone but myself for my broken heart.

  I know I’m being foolish, but I scramble to get ready with the hope that I’ll catch Ekton leaving for his class. I rush down to wait outside his door. As tempted as I am to knock, I’m too afraid he won’t come out if I do, so I pace a small circle instead. The click of a door opening catches my attention. It’s the guy who lives next door, and he asks, “Mia? What are you doing?”

  “I was hoping to catch Ekton before class. Have you seen him?”

  He says, “He’s not here. He left for some family emergency last night. I guess you two aren’t a thing anymore?”

  I sigh. “Yeah. Sorry to bug you.” I hurry away before he can see the fresh tears that are about to spill from my eyes. It makes sense that Ekton wouldn’t want to stick around and hope he hadn’t been discovered.

  My phone is warm from my body heat when I pull it out. My fingernail clicks lightly on the glass as I tap out a text to him.

  “All clear. I’m so sorry.”

  When I get outside, the wind is colder than I expected, and my light sweater doesn’t protect me from the chill. I keep checking my phone for a reply to come, and by the time I’m at my class, I fear it never will. I send another message. “I love you.”

  Still cold from my walk, I huddle down in my chair as the professor begins to drone on about something that will never matter as much as what I’ve lost. I lift up my feet to hook my heels on the edge of my chair and hug my legs. I begin to shiver as silent tears stream down my face. I may never get warm again. Ekton’s last words to me ring in my head. Mia, no.

  Eleven

  I’m at dinner with girls from my floor, and they’re talking about some party everyone’s going to. I pick at my food that I can’t seem to eat. I don’t even know why I’m trying. I sigh, and my plates rattle as I stand. I say, “I’ve got a lot of homework. I’m going to go get a good seat at the library.” I’ll go anywhere to avoid my room these days, because the faint odor of bleach that prevails reminds me of Ekton. Although, he seems to have cleansed me from his system just fine. I haven’t seen or heard from him in weeks.

  I get a few nods of acknowledgment before the girls return to their conversation. When I’m on my way out of the cafeteria, my phone vibrates with a text, and I nearly drop my bag scrambling to get see if it’s from Ekton. My balloon deflates when I discover it’s from Andi. I’ve been avoiding her like my room, because I’m not ready to go the lab and relive the incident that led to my broken heart.

  Her words make me open the text. “You’re going to want to see this.”

  Fine. She got me. I text back. “See what?”

  “Meet me at your room in 5.”

  I’m not sure I do want to see what she has for me, but scientists are curious by nature. When I get to my room, Andi is already waiting for me. She stands from her seated position on the floor by my door.

  She sighs when she sees me. “You look awful.”

  “Thanks, nice to see you too.”

  “You and Ekton broke up?” She touches my arm, and her cool touch makes me want to throw myself into her arms for a good cry.

  I nod, because the lump in my throat is making it hard to speak.

  “I have something that should cheer you up,” she says.

  My door creaks open, and she shuts it softly behind her once we’re inside. She says, “I printed you a copy of the latest newsletter from Genetics International.” Her backpack zipper grinds as she rips it open.

  Genetics International is the professional organization for our type of researchers, and the paper is smooth in my hands when I take it. Andi highlighted the important sentence, and my eyes dart down to the yellow line to read it. “Dr. Sand has relinquished her grant for the Silver Lake genetic modification project.”

  Andi is twitching with excitement, and when I glance up at her expectant face, she asks, “Isn’t that awesome?”

  It is, and I smile at her enthusiasm. I hug her, and the faint odor of lemon from her shampoo travels to my nose. It makes me think I need a candle or something in here to get rid of the swimming pool odor. “Thank you.”

  “No. Thank you, Mia.” She releases me. “Have you heard from Ekton?”

  I shake my head. “He wants nothing to do with me, and I don’t blame him.”

  Andi scans my body, and I guess she’s judging my clothing choices. My appearance hasn’t been high on my list lately. She says, “I think you need to go to him.”

  “I nearly ruined his life, Andi. I get why he doesn’t want to be with me.”

  “But do you get why he was willing to be involved with you in the first place?”

  I have thought about why a werewolf would want to be with a human, but my conclusion was based on hope. Is she saying she thinks we’re true mates? “You mean...”

  “You’re devastated, and I think I know why. Just go talk to him face-to-face and see if you guys were meant to be.” She knows a lot more about the Silver Lake wolves than I realized. Andi smooths down my hair with her hand, and it makes me think of my mother.

  I say, “I don’t think he’s even on campus any longer. I wouldn’t know how to find him.”

  Her finger is cool on my skin as she lifts my chin and says, “Of course you know how to find him. Just do it.”

  When she leaves, I climb up to my bed. I hug my pillow to my chest, and my arms sink into the softness as I mull over her words. I do know how to find him. The metal rungs of my bed frame are cold in my hand as I scramble down to find my phone. I pull up a search engine to find the number to the diner and call it.

  A woman answers, “Lone Wolf Diner, how can I help you?”

  “Is Ekton Wakefield working tonight?”

  “He sure is. He’s here now if you want to talk to him.”

  The voice is familiar, and I ask, “Is this Darla?”

  “Yes.”

  Relief washes over me, because I think she’s the type to be Team Girl. “This is Mia. I need you to do me a huge favor and not tell him I called. Okay?”

  “Of course. Please say you’re coming to see him.”

  The phone is slick between my shoulder and ear as I use my hands to yank on a boot. “I am. I really need to talk to him.”

  “You sure do. He’s miserable without you, honey. Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll tackle him if he tries to leave before you get here.”

  I grin at the image and say, “Thank you, Darla. Thank you so much.”

  The printout Andi made for me rustles when I grab it and shove it in my backpack. I have just enough time to get a bike from the rec center before they close, and the moment I’m out of my room, I begin to jog.

  He’s miserable without me. The fact that Ekton is unhappy shouldn’t make me smile. But for the first time in weeks, I have a reason.

  Twelve

  Amazingly, doing nothing for exercise since the last time I rode a bike didn’t help my lung capacity, and I’m huffing and puffing by the time I get to the diner. I’m also drenched in sweat. I may have been a little too eager to get here, and now that I’ve arrived, I’m nervous about seeing Ekton.

  The clear glass door is hard to pull open, and I yank at it. Darla is behind the counter and smiles when she notices me. She crooks her finger, and I walk over. But before I get to her, a swinging door from the kitchen bursts open, and Ekton storms out.

  I begin to tremble at the sight of him. His gaze doesn’t leave me as he takes two big steps forward and grasps my hand. He tugs me back toward the door, and I squeak out, “How did you know I was here?”

  He growls, “I could smell you.”

  I pluck at my shirt as I stumble behind him and take a whiff. “But I wore deodorant, how could—” Oh. I bet it’s a wolf thing.

  Ekton takes me to a small room, and the lightbulb clicks when he pulls a string. I notice metal shelving full of cardboard boxes labeled with restaurant supplies like napkins and straws. The door shuts behind us, and my backpack squishes against it when I lean backward as if the door can give me strength. I find my courage. “We need to talk.”

  His gaze is intense, and I notice the weird flash I saw when he was so angry with me the other day. He breathes deeply as he closes his eyes. “Mia.” The word escapes his mouth as almost a whisper.

  “Ekton?”

  His eyes snap open, and they’ve returned to normal. “Why are you here?”

  The weight of my pack jerks my arm as I remove it, and I squat down to retrieve the printout. “Andi shared something with me, and I want you to see it.” The paper shakes in my quaking fingers when I hand it to him.

  He nods as he reads it. “Yeah. That’s good.”

  “Ekton, I’m so sorry.”

  He lifts his gaze from the report to glare at me. “Was I just an experiment to you, Mia?”

  “No!” The slides I made of his DNA come to mind. “I didn’t know until the night we...” I flush as my body recalls what we did, and my core twitches as I become aroused. “I saw your scratches heal in seconds. That’s when I knew.”

  Ekton sighs as he rakes his hand through his hair. My fingers remember what that feels like, and I long to straighten his locks. He says, “Yeah, I was pretty stupid to let us get that far.”

  I step forward and reach out my hand. “No. You weren’t.”

  “No?” Ekton steps back to avoid my touch. “What’s the matter with you, Mia? Don’t you see how it almost ruined everything?”

  “But it didn’t.” I shake my head as tears of frustration form. “I love you. Please don’t tell me that doesn’t matter.”

  Ekton’s shoulders slump. “Don’t cry.” His eyes are glassy, and he says, “I love you too.”

  Warm hands take my face, and he kisses me tenderly. It’s over too quickly, and he steps back. “I’m sorry that it has to be this way. Thank you for letting me know we’re safe. Goodbye, Mia Maybee.”

  No! Damn it. He moves to walk past me, and I grab his shirt. I shove him against the door, and it rattles on its hinges, and I pull his head down to kiss him with all I’ve got. I attack his mouth with my desperation, and when he responds I attack with my love. We’re both panting when I finally let him go. I say, “We’re true mates, aren’t we?”

  He nods and leans into my hand as I place my palm on his cheek. I say, “If I can’t live without you as a human, then you sure as hell can’t live without me.”

  “I have to. It can’t work, Mia. We’re not meant to be, and it has to be enough that I tried.”

  “Why can’t it work? I want to be with you, Ekton, and I don’t care what you are.”

  He searches my eyes before he pushes me away gently. “It’s not that simple.”

  I say, “Of course it is.” He shakes his head, and I ask, “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “The only way we can work is if I turn you. And I won’t make you something you would never want to be.”

  I have to be a werewolf? I’m not sure if that’s what I want, but I didn’t come here to give up so easily. “Don’t you think you should ask me that first?”

  He frowns at me. “You don’t even know what it would mean.”

  “Then tell me.” The nylon fabric of his shirt is slick in my hand when I tug on it again to pull him closer. “Give me the facts and let me decide for myself. I can’t know if it’s what I want yet, but I love you too much to just walk away.”

  He glances down at my small hand clutching at his shirt. A smile twitches at his lips. “You’re kind of pushy when you want something, you know that?”

  Yes. I’m getting through to him. I glare at him, but my smile can’t be controlled either. I remove my hand and step back. “You have no idea.”

  His lips are swollen and ruby red from my hungry kiss, and my body hums with desire as I recall what his mouth did to me not too long ago. The low rumble of his growl sounds, and he says, “I can smell your arousal, did you know that?”

  I shake my head as lust burns in my lower belly. “Do you like it?”

  He nods as his chest heaves with his breathing. “My wolf wants to claim you. I don’t think you know what you do to me.”

  “There’s a lot I don’t know about you, Ekton. Please give me a chance to find out.” I move toward him as a knock raps on the door.

  “Dude, I’m in the weeds. Get out here.”

  Ekton says, “I’m coming.”

  He leans down and whispers in my ear, “Two more seconds, and you would have been saying that.” I inhale sharply, and he adds, “I’ll be by when I’m done with work, Mia Maybee.” He pulls away and stares at me with a look that makes my toes curl before he leaves.

  I hug myself tight before I make my way out of the storage room. Pans clatter as Ekton’s coworker yells orders, and I push my way out of the kitchen with a silly grin on my face. I catch Darla’s eye, and she winks at me. When I get outside to my bike, I let out a squeal. The dream I came to Winter Valley for may be gone, but it’s been replaced with one so much better.

  Thirteen

  It probably took me the rest of Ekton’s shift to return to campus, and it’s a miracle I’m still alive. Riding a bike on the side of the road at night with only a small headlight to guide me is scary enough, but the fact that I had so much to process meant my thoughts might have made me weave out into traffic once or twice. Or maybe cars just like to blare their horns at girls like me.

  When I get to my room, I notice what a mess I’ve become. I spend time organizing my things as I continue to ponder what becoming a werewolf would mean. I wonder if I could tell my mother, and if we’d have wolf pups for children. I know that Ekton appears to lead a human life, but I don’t know if he has amazing control or if it’s easy to keep from shifting. I have so many questions I can’t wait to ask. The one I’ve already answered is my future. Unless my life will be in danger, I’m going to become a werewolf. Because living without Ekton is not an option.

  I finish cleaning and decide to wash off the sweat from my previous exercise. I’m on my way back to my room in just a towel when Ekton arrives. While I can’t see things clearly far away without my glasses, I think I’d know him anywhere. I flash back to the day I caught him freshly bathed, and when his gaze scans my body, my mind goes where I imagine his is. I say, “Hi.”