Chapter 17: Chapter Seventeen

Claire

Claire stretched her feet outward and curled her body into the warmth wrapped around her. She felt comfortable and content, considering the night before. Interacting with a huge feral lycan had put her on edge well into her movie marathon with Axel.

By the end of it, she felt loopy from being overtired, and she was sure she shared much more than she planned to with him. He didn't seem to mind; he listened, laughed, and actually made her feel good.

What a change college had been so far.

Claire pried open her heavy-lidded eyes and blinked, realizing that she was in the living room on the couch. She groaned, trying to remember how she fell to sleep the night before, but everything felt fuzzy. Placing her palm down, she felt them sink into something hard and warm.

Then she remembered, and it hit her like a brick to the gut.

Her fingers were splayed out across his bare chest, his eyes barely opened, and a sleepy look stared back at her. Claire's mouth watered at the bedroom look on his face, and the fact her hips were wedged between his thighs, where she'd been asleep.

"Good morning," he said in that gravelly voice that knotted her stomach.

"I—" Claire stuttered around and pushed herself up to a sitting position, untangling her hair with her fingers. "I'm sorry, I don't remember falling asleep on you. You could have woke me up," she mumbled, standing to gather herself at a safe distance.

Axel stood up, showcasing the hard work he put into his body over the years. She'd noticed it the night before, but in the morning light, every sharp edge was visible. "It's fine, Claire. I haven't slept that well in years," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

Claire met his gaze, and something passed between the two of them. She wanted to act on it, to lean in and press her mouth against his plump one. He cleared his throat and stepped toward her, making fire lick down her spine. He wouldn't try to kiss her, would he? Had he felt that spark that she did the night before?

She glanced everywhere but at his face because it was too intense, too much for her to handle, and that's when she noticed the clock on the wall behind his head. "Oh. My. God. I have twenty minutes to get to my shift."

Axel froze and a small smile tugged at his face as she rushed around her apartment to get ready. Ditching the shower, which she needed, she dressed in her coffee shop t-shirt and jeans.

Axel tugged on a T-shirt when she rounded the corner, nonchalant in his movements, but he was smiling to himself.

"Okay. My shift ends at one—"

"I'm coming with you, Claire," Axe cut her off. "I can't risk it."

Claire braced her palm against the island and slid a tennis shoe onto her foot. "You think the lycan is going to come in for some coffee?"

"Funny," he said, putting on his own shoes. "No, but I think he'll come in for a Claire sandwich."

She cringed. "Gross. Okay, well, we can grab some coffee and breakfast when we get there. What time are we leaving to go to the pack house?" she asked.

Axel slowly tugged his keys from his pocket and watched her with a gaze that made her feel as if he were undressing her. "Right after. We can come back to shower and grab a bag before we go. My parents are expecting us."

Claire nodded. "That's fine. Are we taking my car or yours because I have ten minutes to get there."

Axel drove them toward the college as if he was part of the Indie 500 and dropped Claire off at the door for her to arrive just in time. She let out a breath of fresh air when she unlocked the door and made it behind the counter to clock in.

"Whew," she whispered.

Axel walked in several minutes later after parking his truck and plopped down on one of the barstools. "What's your poison?" she asked.

"How about a white chocolate frappe to top off the sugar I had last night," he said. "And one of those blueberry muffins."

She pulled out the muffin from the clear display window and even unwrapped it from the plastic for him. "Delia should be here in a bit. It's my first shift with her."

Axel demolished his muffin and took a long drink of the coffee that Claire slid his way. "Mm. That's good," he said, licking the whipped cream off his lips.

Claire smiled, pleased with herself, and finished making her own coffee. "You don't have any homework to do or something while you wait? I don't get off until 1."

Axel smirked and twisted his hat around backward on his head. "You trying to get rid of me?"

She chuckled. "Since you got here."

The door to the shop opened, and Delia walked in. She was small, much smaller than Claire, with her brown hair pulled back and a mousy look that made her look much younger than eighteen.

"Hey," she said softly.

"I don't think we've officially met. I'm Claire."

"Delia," she said, offering Claire a handshake. Her gaze shifted toward Axel, and she seemed irritated that he was there.

"This is Axel Davers, my friend."

Axel waved at her, but Delia only nodded and went to change into her work clothes. Axel snarled his nose. "How friendly."

"Hush," Claire whispered.

The morning rush hit, and the next few hours flew by while Claire and Delia worked together. She was a team player and stayed caught up, which was a relief to Claire who didn't want to pick up anyone's slack.

Once the rush slowed after lunch, and the workers meant to relieve them were due any minute, Claire leaned back against the counter and looked at Delia. Her gaze was locked on Axel, who obliviously texted on his phone.

"So, Delia, are you a freshman?" Claire asked.

Her gaze lowered to the tip of her black boots. "Yes. How about you?"

"Me too. I'm glad we snagged these on-campus jobs quick."

Delia smiled, and glanced over at Axel again; this time, he stared daggers into her. What was going on?

"Do you know Axel from somewhere?" she blurted out before she thought better of it.

Delia grabbed her bag and hauled it over her shoulder. "No. I don't. I see James and Stephanie coming in," she said, pointing toward the library's main entrance. "I'll catch you next shift."

She nearly raced toward the side door and disappeared around the corner of the building. "What was that about?" she asked. "She looked like you killed her puppy or something, Axel."

He stood up. "I don't know. I've never seen her before."

"Is she—" Claire mimicked wolf ears, which made him laugh.

"No. Not that I could tell."

Claire popped her hip to the side. "Did you sleep with her?"

"Ugh, no, broody psychopaths are not my type."

James and Stephanie walked in and relieved Claire, while she pulled off her apron and tossed it underneath the counter.

Axel opened the side door for her, and they started toward the parking lot. "Do you smell the other wolves?"

He nodded. "Yeah, and I can just sense them. My wolf tells me if I'm not paying attention."

"He tells you?" she asked.

"Yeah, he talks to me … in my head."

Claire burst out laughing. "Seriously, Axel? And you called Delia a psychopath? You have a dog that talks to you in your head."

He stopped and put his palm on his chest. "You hurt his feelings. That dog saved your life."

Claire smiled. "You're right. He did, and I thank him for it. Does he ever … I don't know, say anything about me?"

Axel walked to the driver's side of his truck and chuckled. "Every now and again."

Claire slid into the passenger side. "What does he say?"

Axel sighed and backed out of the parking space. "Maybe that's a story for a different time."

Claire didn't push it, even though she wanted to know what his wolf thought about her. Why? She didn't really know, but something nagged at her to find out. Maybe he'd tell her once they got to the pack house.

She slid her palms down her thighs and let out a shaky breath. "Is there anything I should know about the pack house before I get there? Are there other humans there?"

Axel nodded. "Yeah, some of the wolves and shewolves have human mates."

Claire stalled, her pulse thumping hard into her neck. Wolves could mate to humans? She didn't know why it mattered to her. Axel was only taking care of her because he felt obligated. Because of the way he treated her and the fact no one else could protect her from the rogue lycan that seemed to show up wherever she went.

"Well," she said, clearing her throat. "I guess that's good. I won't be the only average joe there."

He chuckled. "You're not as average as you think you are, Claire."

She doubted that.

"Should I be worried that some shewolf—I think you call them that—will attack me for showing up with you? I don't want to step on any territory."

"Is that your sly way of asking if I'm single?"

She chuckled. "I know you're single, but that doesn't mean you don't have some fans back home."

His fingers tightened against the steering wheel. "I have no fans, Claire. There is no sense in entertaining a woman that's not my mate."

She nodded, knowing she wasn't his mate, and that meant nothing would come out of this bodyguard relationship. She decided to let it go and not be attached, even if she felt connected to the one boy that made her tremble in fear for years.

It was a crush that needed to stop before it truly started.