“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us? I’d be more than grateful to have you use your magic to keep Colin quiet the whole time.”
Tia bursts out laughing and waits by the front door with one of my bags. “Sorry, my friend. I just got the job at the flower shop. I’ll come and visit you when I have a few days off.”
Groaning, I grab my suitcase handle and wheel the luggage across the floor. “Fine. You’re literally throwing me to the wolves right now.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s just one wolf, and he’s not going to hurt you.” Her attention shifts to the window where I know Colin is waiting with Tate and Faith, along with my parents. “On the contrary, I get the feeling he has other things in mind for you. I’ve noticed the way he looks at you when he thinks no one’s watching.”
“Stop,” I snap, holding up a hand. “I don’t want to hear that mess. The man is insufferable.”
Tia shrugs, and her expression turns serious. “He’s different here than he was in Canada. Up there, he was quite scary. The same goes for your brother. I like seeing them the way they are here. They’re more at peace.”
I guess that could be said for us all. Some might say I was scary that day in the rundown cabin with Michael before I snapped his neck. Then again, we’re wolves. I look around at my living room, already missing it, and I haven’t even left yet. But I’m also happy about the FBI training. I feel like a new chapter of my life is about to begin.
Joining her at the door, I take a deep breath and peek outside. My dad claps Colin on the shoulder and laughs at whatever ridiculousness he said. “Here we go. Let’s hope I survive the four-and-a-half-hour trip to Wyoming.”
Tia giggles. “You will. Who knows, you might like talking to him once it’s over.”
I scoff. “Doubt it.” I open the door, and Tia follows me out.
Colin walks over and reaches for my luggage. “I’ll take that.”
It’s heavy as hell, so I smile and wave him on. “Go for it.” Of course, he picks it up with ease, and when his shirt sleeves rise, I can see part of the tattoo on his left arm. Tattoos on men are sexy, and I hate that I like them on him. I begin to think it’ll be better if I don’t look at him at all. Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done. I can’t seem not to look at him.
Tate takes my other bag from Tia and puts it in the back of my Jeep. My mother rushes over and hugs me so hard I can barely breathe. “You be safe now, you hear me?”
Smiling, I wrap my arms around her. “I will.”
She passes me over to my dad, and he kisses my cheek. “Show them what you got, but don’t draw too much attention to your strengths.”
I kiss him back. “I won’t.” But I’m sure as hell going to make sure I’m the best there.
He goes to stand by my mother, and she waves. “We love you, sweetheart. Make sure to call us as much as you can.” I nod and head over to my Jeep, where Tate and Faith say their goodbyes to Colin. He hops into the passenger’s side and smiles at me, but I ignore it.
Faith opens her arms, and I hug her. “You might want to check on your brother later. I don’t know if he’ll make it back home.”
She giggles. “Don’t be so hard on Colin.” She lets me go and gasps. “Oh, and Amelie says she has everything ready for you. You’ll be staying in my old room. It has the best view of the mountains. And also, since it’s the full moon tonight, she’s hoping you’ll go for a run with her.”
It feels like forever since I’ve shifted. “That will be great. I need it.”
Tate waves me over and hugs me. “Good luck, sis. I know you’ll do great.”
Once he lets me go, Tia walks down from the porch and opens my door with an amused expression on her face. “I’ll come to visit you soon.”
“You better.” Taking a deep breath, I climb into the driver’s seat, and Tia shuts the door. Here we go. I wave at everyone. “I’ll call you when we get there.”
Putting the Jeep into gear, I back out of the driveway, and we’re on our way. I grab my sunglasses out of the center dash and slip them on before turning on the radio. Since it hasn’t rained in days, I decided to keep the top off of the Jeep. If I’m not going to enjoy the company, I can at least soak in the sunshine and listen to my favorite music.
Once we get onto the highway, I sneak a glance over at Colin, and his body is relaxed as he rests his arm on the door. The wind blows through his whitish-blond hair, and the sun makes his eyes look even bluer. It feels strange being alone with him, especially since he hasn’t opened his mouth to speak to me. Turning my attention back to the road, I focus on the task at hand. I’m excited about going to Wyoming, even if it does mean I’ll be in the same city as Colin. Out of all the places I’ve visited, the Grand Teton National Park is one of my favorite spots. The mountains are breathtaking, and I look forward to running through the forest. The lake I’ve been dreaming about is there. I want to visit it tonight when Amelie and I take our run.
As we ride through the mountains in silence, I’m surprised at how much time has passed without either one of us saying a word. It’s been an hour and nothing. It’s driving me insane. Every time I peek over at Colin through my sunglasses, his eyes are focused on the surroundings. Another minute passes, and another. I tap my fingers on the steering wheel and concentrate on the radio, but it doesn’t help. Finally, I can’t take the silence anymore.
“What’s wrong with you?” I blurt out.
He looks over at me, and I rest my sunglasses on the top of my head so he can see my eyes. His lips pull up slightly, and he shrugs. I turn my attention back to the road to keep from looking into the depths of his gaze. The last thing I need is to get sucked into his charms. “What do you mean what’s wrong with me?” he asks, chuckling mischievously.
I huff. “Usually, you’re a pain in the ass when I’m around you.”
He laughs. “That’s before you threatened me. I’m not too keen on being left stranded on the side of the road. I know your threat was real; I could see it in your eyes.”
What shocks me is that he did stay quiet for a complete hour. That has to be a world record for him. It makes me wonder if he would’ve stayed silent the entire time if I didn’t spark up the conversation first.
“Maybe if you weren’t such a conceited jackass all the time, I wouldn’t have had to threaten you.”
Colin shakes his head and smiles. “Wow. I didn’t realize I was that bad.”
“Please,” I snort. “You know exactly how you are, Colin. You love that women beg for your attention and that other males cower when you’re around. It’s a power play.”
When he doesn’t say anything, I glance over at him, and his eyes bore into mine. “Do you really find me that shallow?”
I shrug. “You haven’t given me a reason to think otherwise.”
His whole demeanor changes, and I can feel his anger. “Then you obviously don’t know me, Kami. You and I have a lot in common; we’ve both been put through hell by the same people.”
Swallowing hard, I wish I never said anything. We do have a lot in common; we both suffered at the hands of the Yukon pack. They killed his parents when he was young, and they violated me. Both are two different extremes, but painful, nonetheless.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Sometimes it’s hard to take you seriously when you parade around like the bad boy alpha.”
The air around me turns electric, and his eyes blaze. I’ve never seen him look so serious before. “I’m an alpha without my own pack. When I came of age, my father was going to step down so I could lead the Royal pack. My family and my birthright were taken from me in one night. Am I angry about it? Fuck yeah, I am. I lost everything and never got the vengeance I deserve.” He looks away and blows out a heavy sigh. “Others fear my power, and they should. I refuse to hide who I am.”
I never thought about it that way. We all have our way of dealing with things. After what happened to me, I changed. I’m not as sweet and trusting as I used to be. A part of me misses the simplicity of living in a bubble. Then again, it’s not the real world. One way or another, I was going to realize it.
“I’m sorry you think I’m a dick, Kami. Honestly, it’s not how I want you to see me. You’re the only female I can be around who doesn’t want me because of what I am.” With him being a royal, whoever he mates with will get his power and become a royal as well. I’m not one, so I don’t have to worry about males wanting me because of my power. When I look over at him, his lips pull back into a sly grin, all seriousness gone. “I’m not gonna lie though. I enjoy giving you a hard time. You’re cute when you’re pissed.”
Rolling my eyes, I try not to smile and fail. Still, I wouldn’t say I like Colin, but I understand him a little better now. “You’re not going to think I’m cute when I shove my foot up your ass.”
Tilting his head back, he bursts out laughing. “That’s what I like about you.” The tension between us eases, and I relax. “Tell me about your training,” he says. “Do you know what all you have to do?”
Keeping my eyes on the road, I shake my head. The email Reed sent me didn’t go into detail about any of that. All I know is where I’m supposed to be and at what time. There will be another email sent to me tomorrow morning with more instructions. “Not yet. I’m supposed to meet the other three recruits at the Meadow Creek Lodge. From there, we’ll ride together to the training facility with the agent I spoke to on the phone. His name’s Reed Chandler. Apparently, the training is going to be tough.”
It just so happens the internet can tell you a lot about a person. Reed Chandler comes from a famous and wealthy family. His father started up Chandler Enterprises, which is one of the biggest companies in the world. They’re worth a ton of money.
“Are you able to talk about the training, or will you have to keep it secret?” Colin asks.
I shrug. “Not sure. I’ll find out tomorrow. We meet first thing in the morning.”
He nods and focuses on the road, but I can tell there’s something on his mind. I want to ask him what it is, but I don’t want to get too personal with him. We already skimmed the line today, and I don’t think we should cross it.
Sliding my glasses back over my eyes, I keep my attention on the road and only on the road. Colin doesn’t say another word the whole trip which disappoints me a little, but it’s probably for the best. When we pull up to his house, I can’t hide my amazement at it. Colin’s an architect and a skilled one at that. Faith told me all about his clients in Wyoming wanting modern-style cabins. That’s exactly what he built for himself. Instead of the popular rustic designs, his cabin is sleek with a complete wraparound veranda. The place is mainly made of giant windows that have to be at least twelve feet tall. I want to see inside, but that’s crossing the line. I’ll just admire it from afar.
“How long did it take you to design your place?” I ask.
Colin gets out and grabs his bag from the back of my Jeep, slinging it over his shoulders. Stopping at the passenger’s side door, he leans in on his elbows, giving me that smirk of his. “A couple of weeks. I got lucky with the weather, so the builders were able to get it built in four months.” He nods toward it. “Want to take a look inside?”
I shake my head. “No, that’s okay. I’m ready to get to Amelie’s.”
He holds up his hands. “All right, I get it. We’re back to square one. At least, now that I made it safely back home, I don’t have to worry about you leaving me on the side of the road.”
“I’m honestly shocked you didn’t give me a reason to.”
His eyes flash with mischief. “Believe me. I wanted to say things. Do you think you’ll have some free time while you’re here?”
“Why?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe we could do something together? I know you hate me and all, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
“Sorry,” I say, sliding my gear into reverse. “Friends like each other. I don’t see that happening with us.”
His grin widens. “So, it’s a no then?”
“I’m sure you’ll get along without me.”
He steps away from my Jeep. “I don’t know about that. I’ll see you later, Kamille.”
I should’ve known he’d go right back to annoying me. There’s a sexual undertone to the way he says my name, like it’s the way he’d say it if we were in bed together. I force the thought from my mind. It’s the last thing I need to think about.
“Goodbye, Colin,” I say, backing away from him. As soon as I’m out of his driveway, I breathe a sigh of relief. Something tells me I’ll be seeing a lot of him over the next eight weeks.