chapter 64
Lucas's POV:
Tori's silver-gray eyes widened slightly before she composed herself.
The morning sun caught in her hair, highlighting strands of silver that matched her wolf form's coloring.
She looked vulnerable yet defiant standing there, clutching her backpack like it might shield her from whatever was between us.
"I wasn't—" she started, then stopped herself. "The supervisor just assumed."
I studied her face, searching for the truth beneath her careful mask.
Ten years wasn't insignificant in human terms, but for our kind, where lifespans stretched longer, it hardly mattered. What bothered me was whether she was using it as another excuse to keep me at bay.
If she genuinely saw my age as a barrier, it was the one thing about myself I couldn't change.
I could address her concerns about status, protection, or reputation with my position and resources, but time was the one adversary even an Alpha couldn't defeat.
Duke prowled impatiently within my mind. Enough talk. Take her with us now.
I silenced him with an internal command but agreed with his sentiment.
This dance had gone on long enough.
"Come with me," I said, my tone leaving no room for discussion. I nodded toward my car parked at the curb.
Her resistance was immediate, shoulders squaring, chin lifting. "I have class in twenty minutes."
"And I'll have you there on time," I replied smoothly, checking my watch.
"Unless you'd prefer to spend those twenty minutes arguing with me here, in which case..." I left the implication hanging between us.
Her eyes narrowed, recognizing the subtle manipulation. She knew I wouldn't force her physically, but she also realized I had no intention of walking away.
Every second she spent resisting was pushing her closer to being late anyway.
I opened the passenger door, waiting as she reluctantly slid inside.
The movement brought her closer, and I caught the subtle scent of moonlight flowers and winter frost that was uniquely hers.
I circled to the driver's side and slipped in beside her.
The interior of the car felt immediately smaller, charged with tension.
When I noticed her struggling with the seatbelt, I reached across.
"Let me," I said, taking the belt from her hands before she could protest.
As I leaned over, her breath caught. Her entire body tensed, fingers gripping the edge of the seat. Her eyes widened slightly, pulse visibly quickening at her throat.
I couldn't help but find her reaction amusing—this fierce little Omega who challenged me at every turn, yet whose body betrayed her awareness of me.
I deliberately took my time with the seatbelt, watching her discomfort grow.
"You act as though I terrify you, yet you consistently defy me at every opportunity. "
I reached over to the center console between our seats and tapped my finger on a small amber-filled thermos cup resting there.
"Take it," I said, my tone making it clear this wasn't a request. "Elena's medicine only works when taken consistently."
Tori exhaled sharply, her silver eyes flashing with irritation.
"Don't you think you're overstepping?" she asked, making no move to take the medicine. "My body is my responsibility. I can manage my own health."
My expression darkened, temperature in the car seemingly dropping several degrees as I stared at her.
"I meant what I said before," she continued, her voice quieter but firm. "About keeping distance between us."
Frustration surged through me.
With practiced movements, I extracted a cigarette—a habit I'd abandoned years ago but occasionally revisited in moments of extreme agitation.
I cracked the window and lit it, the sharp scent of tobacco cutting through the tension in the car.
The familiar burn in my lungs provided a momentary distraction from the maddening female beside me.
"I don't understand you," I said finally, smoke curling between us. "You keep pushing me away, yet every instinct tells me you feel the same pull I do."
"That's not—"
"Don't lie," I cut her off, my patience wearing dangerously thin.
"Your wolf responds to mine. Your scent changes when I'm near." I tapped the cigarette against the window edge. "Everything about you betrays what you're trying so hard to deny."
Her cheeks flushed, panic flashing in her eyes before she composed herself.
"What does it matter?" she shot back, voice tight with emotion.
"You'll have your Luna soon anyway, won't you? The Council's candidates—"
I froze mid-motion, cigarette suspended between my fingers.
"What did you just say?"
"The Luna candidates," she repeated, a flash of anger joining the confusion on her face."The ones the Council arranged for you to meet. Everyone knows you've finally agreed to choose."
My eyes narrowed, pieces suddenly clicking into place. "Who told you this?"
She lifted her chin, refusing to meet my gaze.
"It doesn't matter. It's all over campus. Everyone's talking about it."
I studied her for a long moment, watching the subtle tells—the tightness around her mouth, the defensive set of her shoulders, the way she blinked too rapidly.
A slow, satisfied smile spread across my face.
"Tori," I said, voice dropping to a dangerous purr, "are you jealous?"