Leo
“Willow, wait.” I follow her without knowing why.
“What do you want, Leo? You have humiliated me in front of my sister.”
“Don’t I deserve to do that? How many times have you humiliated me in front of Liam? And I never complained.”
“So, this is payback? With my sister?” She purses her lips.
“This is not payback. I met Chloe, and I like her.”
“When did this happen? Did you go back to the hospital to comfort her and then went with me to the hotel and kissed me?”
“There you go. With your jealousy, again.” I let out an exasperated sigh.
“Me? Jealous?” She snorts. “I’m just looking out for you.”
“Looking out for me? So, didn't you stomp out of my apartment when you saw a girl walk in? And you didn’t even know her. Were you also looking out for me?”
“That was, that was...”
“That was?” A smile forms on my lips that I try to fight. I have never seen her speechless before.
“I was lonely, not jealous.”
“So, it’s true. You just reach out when you need something? Or when Liam is unavailable.”
“No!” Her scowl somehow makes me want to kiss her.
“Then what is it?”
“I sometimes reach out to you, but most of the time, you are the one who comes to me when I need something.”
I stiffen, realizing that she is right. “We shouldn’t be having this conversation. You have a boyfriend and I’m dating your sister. How about we keep our distance? I’m sorry for coming to the garden.”
I pluck one red rose and slip it in her hair next to her ear. She looks up at me, her rosy cheeks matching the rose.
I stare at her lips and suddenly the heat between us feels too much. I take a deep breath, waiting for her to move away, but she doesn’t seem to have any intention of moving.
“Leo,” she whispers.
‘Okay, I get why you are crazy about her, but she is not our mate.’ Asclepius comments.
“Leo, professor Malino wants us to do human trials.” She finally says, getting me out of my spell.
“What?” I blink twice, and I try to keep a straight face to hide my shock. “She means well, but she can be a lot.”
“What do you think I should do?” She furrows her eyebrows.
“This is your research. Don’t forget to do the right thing.” I say this hoping it will discourage her if her plan was to work with Professor Malino.
I really love and care about Malino, but skipping important steps could put people’s lives at risk and ruin Willow’s reputation.
"I don’t trust her anymore. I know she is like a mother to you, but I think she could be dangerous.”
“You think Professor Malino could be dangerous?” I force a chuckle. “You are overthinking.”
“No, I’m not. Even Liam said...”
“Liam? You discussed Professor Malino with Liam? Did you tell him about the human trials proposal?”
“No, no. I didn’t tell him.” She breaks eye contact.
I eye her suspiciously. “Just wait for the results from the selection panel first, and decide on what is best for you. Something that would not get you into trouble and keep Liam out of this.”
“Really? At least Liam tells me things and doesn’t hide anything from me.” She raises her voice a little.
“That’s what he told you? That he doesn't hide anything from you?”
“No, that’s what I know. Unlike someone.”
“Get to the point.” I glare at her, in disbelief that she is comparing me to Liam.
“Okay. What does my sister have on you?”
“Why? Does she need to blackmail me, for us to be together?” I raise an eyebrow.
“She doesn’t deserve you.”
“I didn’t know you have such a high opinion of yourself. You think you are the only one who deserves to be loved? She is your sister.”
She flinches, and I notice a hint of guilt on her face. “She is my sister, and I know what kind of a person she is!”
“I will see you on campus, I don’t have time for this.”
I leave her standing in the garden, and I find Chloe walking around the house, probably looking for me.
“I have been looking for you. Where were you?” She holds my hand.
“I just wanted to get some air.” I say dismissively.
“You have been avoiding my friends and my mom.”
Her mom? Is she trying to introduce me to her mom?
“Are you okay? You look flushed.” She pulls me out of my train of thoughts.
“Yeah, my flight is leaving soon. I’m sorry I can’t stay, send my regards to your friends.”
“Don’t you want to formally meet my mom?”
I glower at her. She knows what she is doing. Meeting her mom would kill all my chances of being with Willow. Why the hell am I thinking about Willow?
“Not today, Chloe. My flight is leaving soon.”
We go to her friends and I tell them I had a great time, even though it was awkward with them trying to get close to me.
One of them asks for a hug, and I offer her a handshake. I give Chloe a hug, which males my thirsty wolf ecstatic.
‘That’s it? That’s all?’ He growls, and I want to laugh, but I manage to keep a straight face.
“No kiss?” Chloe pouts when we get to the car that I called to pick me up.
“It’s not in the contract, that means I will do it when I feel like it.”
“How are people going to believe that we are a coup...”
I kiss her on the forehead before getting in the car. I find the private jet waiting for me, and before I know it, I arrive at my apartment.
*****
“So, where were you?” Professor Malino asks as I pull a chair on the other side of her deskbin her office.
“It was some sort of memorial, and then we went to scatter ashes.”
“You went to Willow’s home?” She raises an eyebrow.
“It’s complicated.” I say to try to avoid having to explain my situation with Chloe.
“Leo?” She grins.
“Can you believe Liam? He is acting as if he is in love with Willow.” I change the subject, hoping she will go along with it.
“What if he is love?” She gives me a coy smile.
“Liam? His pack thinks he mated with Lucy. I wonder how he parades on campus with Willow. Hasn’t anyone from the pack seen him?”
“Who knows what goes on in that boy’s mind? He is crafty.” She shakes her head. “This could be a good thing for you. There will be enough proof for Alpha Hunter to see his favourite adopted son.”
“I can’t include Willow in pack politics.”
“Do you remember when you wanted to use her to expose Liam?”
“Well...”
“I told you, you are in love with her.” She interjects.
“Can we talk about more important stuff? Like, what did you think of her presentation?”
“Willow did so much with little data she has, and I think most members are going to vote for her.”
“I know.” I nod in agreement.
“I want to keep that from happening.”
“What? I thought you were also working on a treatment. Don’t you need the board to approve so that you can work together and speed things up?”
“If the university sponsors her research, they will be keeping a close eye on her. I will not be able to speed things up the way that I want.”
“What is your plan?” I ask her.
“She told you, didn’t she?”
“No...” I say quickly.
She chuckles. “You are not a good liar. It’s a good thing she doesn’t have any friends.” She sighs. “The whole campus would probably know everything by now.”
I wince at this. Professor Malino has always been blunt around me, but not mean.
“It’s true,” she says dryly. “I want her to get rejected for funding, but she will get enough credits to get her Master’s degree. She is going to come to me crying, then I will offer to help her work independently.”
“That is not fair!”
“Life is not fair, and don’t look at me like that. You are not going to tell her!” She says authoritatively.
My jaw drops. “What is going on with you?”
“Nothing. I’m just someone who makes things happen. You said you wanted to know the latest things happening in my life, there you go.”
“Are you going to steal her work?”
“I’m not that cruel, and if something goes wrong, I don’t want to find myself taking the heat.” She gets up and looks out of the window.
“If it goes right?”
“Then she will still be the lead scientist. I’m not all that bad.”
“I can’t believe you!” I say between my teeth.
“Willow is a nice girl, but she is like a pawn in a game of life. We have to move people like her around the chessboard to get what we want.”
“What does that make us?” I knit my eyebrows.
“Go-getters, people who have been through so much.”
“She has also been through a lot.” I protest.
“Then she will also have to learn to fight for herself, and I have a feeling you are going to help her.”
“I can’t, I can’t...I don’t want to get involved in this.”
“You can, you are already in. Unless you want her to suffer the consequences of my actions.” She smirks.
“I can’t believe I was excited to see you,” I get up.
“Leo, wait!”
I storm out of the office, and I go straight to my apartment to think.
My phone vibrates, and I see Mike’s name. I stare at it before throwing it on my bed. He is probably going to try to threaten me with a text in a few minutes.