Bound To You (Previously The Hard Mate) - Preview

Chapter Five

Why did he still have the ribbon?

He stared at it, rubbing the red satin between his forefinger and thumb in the hand that wasn't holding the cigarette he wasn't smoking. It was just a red ribbon. It didn't mean anything.

So why did he still have it?

Why hadn't he thrown it away yesterday, or even left it with Megan? He was sure his eager little mate would want it. It would be important to her. Was that why it was important to him? Why he couldn't drop it or let the wind catch the ribbon and take it far away?

"I thought you'd quit?" Robin said, coming around the corner of the roadside diner they'd stopped for lunch at.

"I'm not smoking," James said, quickly hiding the ribbon and his free hand in his pocket. He didn't want Robin to see it, ask about it. He didn't want to give a stupid answer. Or worse, have no answer to why he still had the red ribbon.

"Right," Robin said, coming to stand next to him, watching the smoke rise from the cig.

Shrugging, James offered Robin a cigarette from the fresh pack he'd bought at the mini convenience store at the gas station next to the diner. His beta shook his head no.

"She seems cool," Robin offered, clearly speaking of Megan. "A bit gullible, maybe."

"Hadn't noticed," he said, dropping the cigarette on the asphalt. He felt like Robin would be able to see right through him. See everything James was feeling, everything he was trying not to feel, and attempt to "help."

"Attractive too," Robin said, making James fist up his hands. "Can't say you haven't noticed that," his beta continued with a smile. "But I expect that's part of what's bothering you."

James glared at Robin. "Go see what's taking them so effing long. I'll be by the car."

He stalked off, pulling out the pack of cigarettes again. He knew it wasn't the cancer sticks his body was craving. It was the girl, his mate. Both his wolf and his body were telling him mine. Insisting that she was his and that he needed to complete the bond show her that. Show everyone that. But that wasn't happening.

Robin showed up with Megan a few minutes later. They all looked cheerful. Irritatingly so. This was not a fun day. It was a day of driving for hours upon hours. A day he was being forced to spend essentially imprisoned with his mate.

"Robin," he said, needing a reason not to be alone with Megan. "With me."

Robin stopped for a second, nodded, and then tossed the keys to the second car to Tobias. Megan, who had stopped next to James's car, looked between the two SUVs; then, as Robin turned to walk around to the passenger seat of James's car, she turned toward the second car.

"Where are you going?" James said, taking a step to follow her.

"You smell like cigarettes," she said, turning to face him while wrinkling her nose. "And

you don't seem to want to hang with me anyway."

"Hang?" he parroted, not quite familiar with the phrase.

"Yeah, be around me? Listen to me?" She shrugged and bit her bottom lip. He wanted to bite it too. "Share stuff?"

"So?"

"So? I think I'll just go ride with Tobias."

"Fine," he said. He didn't care if she drove with Tobias. He didn't care about her at all. She was just . . . He wasn't sure what she was, but he was glad to be free of her chatter. Of her eyes, which wanted, it seemed, to burrow into him. To figure him out. To fix him. Like that was a possibility.

Tobias was already jumping into his car and looked mighty pleased about his new traveling companion.

James took a step after Megan, suddenly not liking that smug smile on Tobias's face. Not liking how happy Megan seemed to be to get the chance to away from him. She was his. And even though he didn't much like that, he somehow liked the thought of her with Tobias in that car for hours upon hours even less.

Without giving it any more thought, he caught up with Megan and grabbed her arm, turning her around.

"What are you doing?" she asked, struggling a little with his grip. He loosened it some, but didn't let go of her.

"I changed my mind," he said, pulling her with him toward his car. "You're with me."

"I thought you said it was fine," she said, but she wasn't struggling with him. "And I can

walk on my own."

He resisted the urge to growl at her as he opened the door to the backseat. She scowled at him, as if opening the door for her was the most offensive thing he'd done so far.