Chapter 10 Unexpected
Finley
"We’ve arrived."
I looked at Phoenix’s twin, whose face appeared blank. I had faintly heard her mumbling, but it was lost to the wind during our ride. I realized —Phoenix’s twin is indeed a she-wolf; something warm and soft pressed against my back.
What man wouldn’t enjoy that sensation? Add to it her awkwardness whenever she's around the four of us. I invited her out today to get to know her better, without any particular agenda—or is there one?
Even Lexus supported my actions. The first time I realized Lexus had hinted that my mate might be her, I was amused, thinking at first it was a joke. I couldn’t believe it when I saw Phoenix’s twin standing in front of Zion’s room.
I repeated myself, “We’re here, hello!” I waved a hand in front of her face.
“Sorry. Wait, is this the place? But it’s a cinema, right? Where’s the mall?”
I took the helmet she’s offering, watching her gaze land on the cinema building. My plan is to took her shopping for a shirt, just as an excuse to spent time with her, and then took her to a movie.
Is this a date?
It’s a shame she’s pretending to be a guy, but I didn’t mind if that’s the price. The important part was getting to know her. I saw an opening when she spoke to me calmly.
When she talked to Hayden, her voice often rose, ending in a heated debate, and she panicked around Zion. I didn’t know about Adonis, but I suspect he didn’t pay much attention to any she-wolves at Livingstone. He seemed uninterested in girls altogether.
“I saw a good movie that just came out. I thought you’d like it. But first, we’ll grab a gift since the movie doesn’t start for another half hour. Come on, the mall is in the same building.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. By the Moon Goddess, that scent—freesia, so strong it awakens an instinct in me to claim her. Yet here I am, only able to hugged her as a friend. But someday, when everything returned to normal and she embraced her true identity, I’d claim her heart.
I didn’t care about her reasons or lies; as long as she reciprocated my feelings, I’d keep moving forward. Lexus stirred within me, and I flashed a small smile as I glanced at her profile.
We headed to the store carrying the brand of shirts she was usually wear. After fifteen minutes of comparing and choosing, I placed two shirts—different colors and styles—on the counter. I handed over my debit card to the cashier.
With our shopping done, we went up to the cinema on the third floor. I bought two jumbo popcorns and four cans of sarsaparilla as per her request. We waited about five minutes until the theater doors open.
“Here’s our seat,” I said, held up the movie tickets and checked our seat numbers.
“Is there any horror in this? Honestly, I’m not great with horror movies.”
Damn! I didn’t think to ask her preferences. I grabbed her hand quickly and say, “Maybe we should leave. There are some scary scenes.”
“No, don’t! I can always cover my face when the ghost shows up.” She held onto my hand, was looking up as I stood over her.
“Are you sure? From the trailer, it looked like the protagonist battles a ghost that possesses people.”
“Yes, just sit. The movie’s about to start. I’m cool.”
Even though she said she’s fine, she covered her face each time the ghost appears. Her reaction made me chuckle—it’s funny to saw a werewolf afraid of ghosts, considering our kind is supernatural too. Beyond the movie, watched her react is entertainment enough, though I didn’t want her to realized my impression of her.
“Instead of covering your eyes, try covering your ears. The scariest part of horror movies is the jumpscare sounds. Sorry I didn’t ask you first.”
“Really? I feel like the ghost will jump out of the screen and come for me.” She parted her fingers to peeked at me with one eye. “Is it gone?”
I nodded quickly. Even in the dark, I could see her adorable expression. If only she knew I was aware of her true identity, I would reach for her…
The remaining hour of the movie passed without incident as she took my advice and covered her ears. We exited the theater, the lights on, her fear visibly subdued.
“Is there anything I can do for you? You still look pale.”
“Let’s just go home.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
During the ride, she’s quiet, seated calmly. Occasionally, I glanced in the rearview mirror to checked on her. She hasn’t lowered the helmet visor, so I could still see her lovely brown eyes.
Arriving at Livingstone, I parked in the garage provided for student motorcycles. Besides mine, there are only five other bikes; most students prefer driving or using the school bus.
We headed through the side entrance to the team dorms, with me leading the way. Zion greeted us at the door, his gaze shifted from me to her. I saw Zion’s eyes turned a shade of yellow, his lips curled into a faint smirk.
“Hayden’s looking for you both. He’s irritated that he couldn’t find you. Why do I get the feeling you two are closer than usual?”
“We went to a movie.”
To my surprise, she answered Zion truthfully. Though Zion and I often chat, I couldn never fully read him, especially when he looked at her the way he did just now.
Something felt off—had I only now noticed? Did anyone else know her true identity, or was it just me? If others knew, this could be disastrous for the team, and I couldn’t be sure if Zion would guard this secret or lay it bare.
“I’ll make you some hot chocolate and bring it to your room,” I said, brushing past Zion as he shifted closer to the wall to let us pass.
“Wait, Finley.”
I halted, turning to see Zion striding toward me after shutting the door. His expression had hardened, a dark edge settling over him now that she’d disappeared around the corner.
“Don’t get too close to her, Finley,” he said, his voice low and taut. “She’s mine. I can smell that wolfish desire radiating off you.”