You&Me: Book 4

Chapter 53: Mate-Bonding (Archer)

I finished another lap around the track and stopped to catch my breath. The cold air was refreshing. Saigon was missing out. The lazy ass wouldn't get up this morning no matter what I tried. He did stay up late writing a paper, though.

Grabbing my jacket from where I left it by the fence, I put it on and did up the zipper. A color breeze caused my skin to prickle. I looked around and saw the regular people who ran in the morning. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I hurried to the exit and started for home.

The campus was still pretty empty. Which was a good thing, because I wouldn't be out here alone. There were too many students that went to this school. I glanced over my shoulder and watched a girl run along an adjacent sidewalk.

My heart rate was picking up. Cursing myself, I shook my head and marched toward the house. I needed to get over this weird fear of humans. It was embarrassing that they still affected me.

I checked for cars before jogging across the street and up the steps. I dug around in my pocket for the keys. They fell onto the ground, and I leaned down to pick them up. I glanced across the road but didn't see anyone.

"Knock it off, you paranoid idiot," I muttered. I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

None of the lights were on. Flipping the deadbolt into place, I removed my shoes and tiptoed to the bedroom. Saigon had not moved. I crept to the bed and climbed into the empty spots.

With a sigh, Saigon woke up just enough to pull me to him. "You're freezing," he muttered.

"I thought it was nice out."

"How was the run?"

"Wonderful," I breathed. "You should have come."

He groaned and moved his leg over mine. "Nope, I'm good."

Smiling to myself, I kissed his cheek.

He cracked open an eye. "Try again."

Laughing, I pressed my lips to his. "Better?"

Nodding, Saigon settled in and fell back asleep. I peered up at the ceiling and brushed my finger along his arm. I didn't mind this. I glanced at the clock. Saigon had about twenty minutes before his alarm went off. Scooting down, he wrapped his arms around my waist. I played with his hair as the minutes ticked by. I could get used to spending every morning lying around with my mate. I smiled to myself. A stupid scar shouldn't have made me this happy.

But I did love having this connection with my best friend. Saigon had changed my life for the better. I let out a sigh. I was turning into a hopeless romantic. My father would be cringing as my dad 'ah-ed' over us.

The chime from Saigon's phone started to go over.

Groaning, he rolled over and turned it off before returning to his original position. His eyes closed again.

The time ticked by.

"You're going to be late."

"I'm skipping," he muttered.

"Are you sure?"

His eyes opened, and my mate gave me an unimpressed look. "It's a guest speaker. I don't want to listen to a human talk about human-things when I could sleep."

I laughed. "You are more human than werewolf."

Saigon frowned and sat up. "Barely." He lifted my shirt over my head.

"I need to shower," I said.

"We will later." He pulled the blankets over us before setting his alarm. "But for now, some mate-bonding is needed." Snuggling into my side, he went back to sleep.

"Mate-bonding?"

"Life-long commitments need a lot of it."

"Are you sure—"

He pressed a finger to my lips. "Sleep." Saigon hooked my shoulder with his chin. "Or I'll make you."

***

I sat on the front steps, tying my shoes. A quick run around the block and then I'd wake Saigon up. He was getting lazier and lazier by the day. Going home for the summer was going to kick his ass. I wasn't going to be putting up with any of his bullshit, either. Standing, I stretched out my arms. I was ready to get back to the hunting party. There was something about the chase that made me feel alive. It drew on all of the natural instincts of a werewolf.

Starting down the sidewalk, I planned my course by choosing the paths with fewer people on them. It was too early for there to be much traffic, so it wasn't too hard to cross the street when needed. I felt kind of stupid zigzagging around, but I wanted to enjoy my run and humans tended to ruin that.

I ran down a sidewalk on the outskirts of the campus and jogged to a stop at a small seating area. Putting my arms above my head, I paced back and forth as I caught my breath. What I would give to be able to do this in werewolf or wolf form. The frigid air against my skin wasn't as pleasant as when it was blowing through my fur.

I shivered at the cold and lowered my arms. Glancing around, I didn't see anyone. It made the morning more pleasant when fewer people were out. Sitting down, I re-tied my shoes to make them tighter. The hair on my neck bristled. My head snapped to the side. I was still alone.

Shaking my head, I finished what I was doing. These goddamn humans were making me paranoid. An uneasiness settled in my stomach. My senses were reacting to something even if I couldn't see what was the source. I rose to my feet and turned in a circle before starting for home. This was why I couldn't wait to go back to Northern Ridge. I wasn't so anxious about stepping outside.

The feel wouldn't go away. It was getting worse.

My breath felt forced. I looked back, but nothing was there. There wasn't anyone around me, but I couldn't stop myself from breaking into a sprint. I didn't waste my time trying to avoid humans. I ran. I ran the quickest route to the house.

Darting across the street, I ran up the steps and struggled to get the key into the door. I looked around, but the couple of humans who were nearby were completely ignoring me. Unlocking the door, I hurried inside and turned the deadbolt. Laying my head against the frame, I took deep breaths. My paranoia was getting out of control. Maybe I needed help because this was ridiculous. There was no reason for me to react like that.

"Archer?"

I turned to the stairs.

Saigon hurried down them. "Archer, what's wrong?" He hugged me. "You're shaking. You look sick." He cupped my face. "What happened?"

I clasped my forehead. "I don't— I don't know. Maybe I overdid it."

He pressed my head to his chest. "It's alright. You're safe. Nothing can get you here."

"It's so damn embarrassing," I stated, getting upset. "The full-moon is soon. Maybe that is messing with my head. Nothing's wrong. My body freaked out."

Saigon swayed from side to side. "Because it's telling you something."

"I'm not going to be mauled to death by a couple of college girls," I muttered. "There were barely any humans on campus."

"Maybe it is the full-moon, then."

I shrugged. I already felt like an idiot. Talking about it more would only make it worse.

"You have class."

"I'm not feeling it today," Saigon replied.

"You skipped last week."

"This isn't like skipping border patrol." He gave me a grin. "As long as I don't fail, it doesn't really matter."

I frowned and stared at the floor. "I don't think you're being completely honest about how college works."

Lifting my chin, he kissed me. "Let's take a shower and go back to bed."

Nodding, I grabbed his hand. "If you fail, it's not my fault."

He put his arm around my shoulder. "It's a good thing I don't plan on failing, then."