Chapter 8: Chapter Eight

Axel

By the way Claire stared at him from the crowd at the pep rally, he figured Tegan took his threat to heart. After he made sure Claire made it to her car and apartment, Axel came back and found him.

It wasn’t his proudest moment—by far, but he'd cornered him outside of the frat house and scared the piss out of him. It worked, obviously. Tegan couldn’t have run away quicker if dogs had been after him.

Claire's gaze shifted toward Axel's and held. He felt her anger from yards away, and he couldn’t even be sorry for it because he hated the thought of her with another guy. Claire turned on her heel and marched over to her friend, who glanced in Axel's direction.

He didn't care if she was pissed or if her friend didn't like him.

The crowd clapped once Cash finished his speech. The football players all left the stage for a steak dinner in the cafeteria before their game the next day. Axel was dying for a steak. His diet mostly consisted of meat being a werewolf, and nothing tasted better than a juicy steak.

While Coach Bear started a pep talk, Axel gazed over the cafeteria at all the students eating. He couldn't stop thinking about the lycan he'd seen in the woods while he ran and the attack in the school's newspaper.

His phone vibrated in his pants pocket, and he dug it out, keeping it below the table from Coach Bear's line of sight.

Dad: Heard about the attack. Is it a lycan?

Axel glanced up at Coach Bear's dramatic hand gestures and then back down at his phone.

Me: Looks like it. I saw one in the woods while I ran the other night. I'm not sure if he saw me or not. I'm not even sure if it was male or female. I've been searching but I haven't sniffed one out. I think he might be using some kind of magic to cover himself.

He lifted his gaze, noticing Cash staring at him from behind a bite of his food. Axel fought the urge to roll his eyes at him. Dude had it out for him for some reason.

Dad: Why would a lycan be at a human university? Strange. Call me if you need me to send some wolves down for backup. Also. I hate to ask, but your mother wants to know if you've found your mate.

Axel scoffed and went to reply when he noticed a shadow hovering over him. Expecting to see Coach Bear, he shoved his phone into the depths of his jeans and glanced up to see Claire.

Her scent nearly knocked him over, so much he was surprised he hadn't noticed it when she walked into the cafeteria. The entire table of players stared at them, and Coach Bear looked like he'd stopped mid-sentence.

"Can we help you? This is a private dinner—"

A crazed look traveled over her face, and Axel noticed before it was too late the cup of iced tea in her hand. "Stay out of my life," she said, tossing it into his face.

The silence that followed deafened his ears. His initial instinct was to chase after her and put her in her place, but he didn't. She'd snapped. She'd had enough of him for four long years, and now he'd followed her to college and continued his obsession, but this time, it was different. This time, his obsession was lustful and greedy.

He balled his fingers into a fist on his thigh, and when he glanced back, the entire team stared at him. "Davers," Coach Bear said. "Outside … now. The rest of you finish and head out. We'll meet at the field house at three tomorrow before the game. Be there on time, and if you're late, you don't play."

Coach Bear pointed his finger at Axel and pointed toward the EXIT doors on the side of the cafeteria. Axel stood up, ignoring Tibbs and Cash elbowing each other as he passed the table.

Coach Bear stood outside, underneath the awning of the cafeteria, with one hand on his hip and the other pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Davers," he said in a low voice. "I'm not sure if you know the rules of this team. I'm not here to tell you who to sleep with or who to date, but your mind shouldn't be on girls right now. It's the day before your first game, and you're already having drinks tossed in your face. Do I need to repeat to you the consequences of getting into trouble on campus?"

Axel shook his head. "No, sir."

"I didn't think so. So, why don't you go finish your plate, toss it, whatever you need to do, and go talk to your little friend. End it, break it off, or get her in line because this can't happen again. If a professor turns either of you in, it will not end well. I have to punish my players if they misbehave, and you're one of my best freshman. Get inside before I get pissed."

Axel walked back into the cafeteria to toss his plate since he'd already finished eating, when the players started to laugh.

"Axel, didn't you just say that you weren't worried about girls?" Tibbs howled with laughter. "Now you're getting drinks tossed at you a day later? Wow. Why doesn't that surprise me? It's always the quiet ones."

Jaxton stood up beside him. "Give 'em a break. At least she's cute. I hope she's worth the drama."

Axel's finger tightened around his plate.

Cash stood up at the other end, holding his plate and drink. "Isn't that the blonde I asked you about?"

Of course, he would remember.

"Leave her alone," Axel bit out, knowing it only fueled Cash's adrenaline.

Cash put his palms out in surrender. "You could have just told me you had a thing for her to begin with. I'd never step on another man's territory," he said with a wink.

Axel felt his wolf growing irritated, and he did his best to swallow it down. Jaxton shoved his elbow into Axel's ribs and gestured for him to follow. "Come on. You need to cool down," he said with a smile. "You look like you're ready to kill somebody."

That felt about right.

Once they got outside, Axel smelled Claire's scent, and it went toward the library. "What was that?" Jaxton asked.

Axel ran his palm down his face and sighed deeply. "It's a really long story."

"Well, I've got time."

His gaze shifted over toward the library. "I have something I need to do first. I'll meet you back at the room?'

"Okay, but don't think you're getting out of telling me."

Axel walked toward the library, still soaked in iced tea, and toward the coffee shop where her scent stopped. She stood behind the counter, speaking to a customer, her smile wide and her face flushed.

The beat of her heart raced, and he wondered if she felt that way because she tossed the tea in his face.

When she finally noticed him, her mouth went slack, and she nervously tucked a hair behind her ear. She busied herself, cleaning the counter and cleaning up her mess while Axel approached. His laugh was deep and humorless. "So, you think it's okay to toss iced tea in someone's face, huh?"

Claire turned to face him, bracing her palms on the counter between them. "Says the guy who bullied a girl for an entire four years because he didn't like that someone held their hand."

Touché.

"How did you know I was here? Who told you?"

Axel smirked. "I'm good at finding people."

"Yeah, looks like you've went from bully to stalker. What an upgrade."

The corner of Axel's mouth tugged, and he contemplated smiling at her. It felt bizarre and out of place, but something about her resistance and strength screamed Luna. If only he could tell her about it without freaking her out.

"I want an iced coffee. Caramel," he said. "The biggest you have. I have homework to do after this." Not that he needed it, but he did like the taste.

Claire's mouth opened in shock. Had she expected him to retaliate for the drink in his face? By her look over her shoulder and the zombie-like way she made his drink, he thought so.

She fixed his drink, and took his money slowly, keeping her gaze on him like she didn't believe his temperament.

"Thank you," he said, sucking in a mouthful of drink, he stared back at her. "I want to go out."

Claire lifted both brows to her hairline. "Well, there is the door, you are more than welcome to see yourself out and about whenever you like."

He smirked. "With you," he said, tipping his straw toward her.

Claire chuckled. "You're delusional if you think I'd ever go out with you," she said, her eyes moving over his shoulder. "Next."

Axel sensed the person behind him but didn't budge.

"You'll change your mind," he said, stepping to the side.

Claire eyed him up and down. "Don't hold your breath," she mumbled.

Axel back stepped toward the door, watching the way she watched him, and the snarl that rose from her mouth. In that moment, he knew Claire Summers hated him, but she felt something else tugging at her, and that was all he needed to make his move.

The universal bond between the two of them was linked.