A Witch As A Mate

Chapter 6

                School couldn’t seem to drag on. He just wanted it to end so that he could finally have an evening with his mate. All day she seemed to push him away when she had the chance. In some ways he felt he should give her space, but his wolf would push against his skin telling him to keep trying with her. He couldn’t tell if he affected her much like she did to him. He blamed the bracelet for that. It blocked everything from him. Except for at lunch. She had agreed to eat with him and he had even noticed her peeking at him during one point, then quickly looking away. He felt that had to be one win for him.

                Now only if last period would end so he could meet back up with her and get their movie night prepared.  Usually architectural design was his favorite class, one of the reasons he ended the day with it, as the class usually went by quickly and was enjoyable. That was not the case for today. All he kept doing was looking up at the clock watching the minutes tick down slowly until 3:25 PM finally came. He tried participating in his friend’s conversations while he waited, but found it difficult to bother with them. All the talk seemed to be centered around homecoming dance in the next couple weeks and dates they wanted to take.  Rolling up his designs, he placed them back into the poster tube to keep the work safe and then grabbed his backpack. “I think someone is waiting outside the classroom for you Nick.”

                He hadn’t expected for Lylah to be waiting for him and when he went to search for her he came back with no Lylah, but instead only saw Victoria. “I don’t think so. I’m sure she’s here for someone else.” Well at least he hoped she wasn’t here for him. He didn’t care for the personality she had. The way she hung off certain guys and wanted attention all the time was not a girl he ever wanted to get involved into, even to just be friends. Victoria may be a pack member, but someone he tried to keep his distance from, though she always was able to sneak close to his friends and him.

                Ignoring Victoria, he moved out into the hall and just focused on getting his phone out so he could message Lylah. “Earth to Nick. I’m talking to you.” A sigh escaped him while he looked over to find Victoria. Seemed Zac had been correct about the situation which annoyed him. He just wanted to get to Lylah. “I was wondering if you would be coming to the party tonight?” Oh yeah. There had been a party that was being held on the outside of town. Most of the senior class was going to go after the football game tonight. Ha had no interest in football after he wasn’t allowed to play due to being a werewolf. It wouldn’t be fair among the humans that were at this school.  

                “Nah, I have plans to do something else. Hope you have fun though.” He felt the conversation was done so found his last message to Lylah so he could send her another. Turns out she had already messaged him a few seconds ago while he was dealing with Victoria.

                Hi. Class is done. What is your locker number? I can meet you there to grab my books.

                Sorry I didn’t send that to you earlier. It’s locker 213. Just a bit further down from yours. I’ll meet you there shortly.

                Thank you and okay.

                A smile came to his face while he messaged her and he didn’t realize that Victoria was still following him intently watching him. “You always use to go to these parties. What’s up with you lately? Is it that new girl that you have been with all day?”

                “I didn’t always go to those parties. You know I have family obligations at times and that is more important than some parties to go to with tons of people from school. AS for the new girl she does have a name which is Lylah.” The way Victoria had mentioned her made him angry. He knew it was irrational of him, but couldn’t help it.

                What he didn’t expect was some expression cross her face and then a smile come to it. Then she was pulling him to her as she forced an embrace and then forced her mouth to his. She had been quick, using her shifter reflexes. The shock came first and then rage burned next. Even his wolf was beyond angry at such a play. Shoving her off him he watched her stumble back with a smirk on her face. Then she whispered to him knowing he would hear it. “That should take care of that. Don’t think you can be with some lowly human over me.” Just as everything happened she sauntered away like she came.

                Her words then rang in his head as he turned looked over to his locker seeing Lylah there with her head turned away from him. Fury washed over him at Victoria. If she ruined this with Lylah he would kill her without care. He quickly moved over to Lylah putting his hand through his hair and sighing. How to explain something he feared she would take a different way. “Lylah, that’s not what it looked like. I swear to you.”

                “You don’t have to explain anything to me. We aren’t together. You’re just helping watch over me.” The dismissive tone bothered him. There was no way that he was going to let her believe that he liked Victoria. “Is it possible to get my books.”

                Then it occurred to him. She was upset. Just the way she was acting and the way she was avoiding eye contact with him confirmed such. To have a reaction like that had to mean she felt a bit more for him, right? Opening his locker, he grabbed her books and then held them out to her. As she went to take them he lifted them away forcing her to look at him with a glare. “I don’t care for Victoria just so you know. She’s just trying to cause trouble for me because I won’t fall for her. Will you believe me on this? I like girls who are the complete opposite of her.”

                A dubious look crossed Lylah’s face, but she sighed. “Can I please have my books.”

                “Not until you believe what Ii say.” He had to get it through to her that he would never be with Victoria. No way in hell would he. Lylah was his one true mate and would be the only one for him. He didn’t want this to taint the beginning for them. “I much prefer a different type of girl.”

                Such a curious look crossed her face until she hid it. “I believe what you say about not being with her. Now can I please have my books back?” The look on her face showed strain and exhaustion. Handing her books over to her she moved to grab her backpack from her.

                “Let me take this for you. You look worn out and I want to help you. This way we can get out of school a bit faster too.”  When she didn’t fight him and nodded he knew she really wasn’t feeling well, or was very angry at him. “Did you want to try your locker out? Or just wait until Monday?”

                “I’ll just try it Monday. I really am wearing out and need to get home quickly. I need to take the bracelet off.” That’s when he saw her image flicker. The real her had appeared for a blink of an eye that he didn’t think he had actually seen it.

                Without a second thought, he grasped her hand in his and pulled her with him towards the front doors to get her out to the parking lot. What he wanted to do was pick her up into his arms and run her to the vehicle so he could get her there sooner, though that might be a bit to forward of him to do. He kept looking back to her ensuring that he wasn’t actually pulling her along and hurting her. It seemed she was keeping pace with him. “We’re almost to the car.” Grabbing his keys from his pocket he clicked the button to unlock the doors and moved to open hers. Faintly smiling at him, she moved into the jeep and situated herself. Shutting her door, he opened the back door to toss the bags in and rushed over to the driver’s side.

                Once in the driver’s seat he shut the door, put the keys in the ignition and placed his seatbelt on before finally checking around to back up out of his spot. With a side glance to Lylah he noticed she had her eyes closed. Thank goodness her house wasn’t too far from the school. Placing his jeep in park within her driveway, he shut the car off and watched her move to exit the vehicle. He jumped out of the vehicle, shutting the door behind him he followed behind her through the barrier that protected the house. As soon as she entered the barrier she removed the bracelet and he felt the pulse of energy that washed through the area within the spell. Then he watched her drop to her knees and then move to lay on her back with a sense of relief coming from her. Her scent washed over him and caused his eyes to close briefly before he focused again on her.

                What shocked him was the grass under her grew and flowers came to life right before her. She must have opened her eyes to look at him staring. “Sometimes the earth will do that. Sorry. I know it’s strange to see.” She seemed embarrassed about the way her magic was and she shouldn’t be embarrassed. Shaking his head, he moved to sit next to her.

                “It’s far from strange. I find it, with no pun intended, magical.” A smile came to her face and the strain and exhaustion from earlier had disappeared, now replaced with energy and amusement. “The bracelet is the reason for the weariness you had, isn’t it?”

                A simple nod came from her. “Yeah. My power just builds up and it wears me down when it does that. Some days it doesn’t get as bad, others it makes me feel like today. Please don’t let my mom know though. It will make her worry and I don’t want that. I can manage with it as long as I release it after school like today. I think today was just one of the days my powers were a bit more overwhelming then normal which doesn’t happen that often.”           

                Nick remembered his dad mentioning her powers might grow to be too much for the bracelet, but nothing about it being hard on her. Thought once she mentioned her mom not knowing it made sense. She truly was too kind and sweet. “I won’t tell your mom, unless I notice it taking a big toll on you.”

                The biggest smile came to her face that made his heart stop. She was beyond beautiful and he couldn’t stop the smile that crossed his face. “I can agree to that. I’m sorry about earlier too. If you really don’t like Victoria that had to be one awful kiss to have.”

                Just the reminder of the kiss made him frown at her. “It was not something I had wanted, especially from her. There’s only one person that I would care to even kiss.” He couldn’t believe that he had said that at first, but then eyed Lylah as a curious expression passed over her face. Now that they were in the barrier he could read her better.

                He could tell she wanted to ask him who it was, but also wanted to not know. She still wanted to keep her distance. Though he could also tell her heart was beating a tiny bit faster than it was before. Did she have a sense it was her already?

                Moving to her he placed his hand out for her to grab. “Why don’t we get inside and I’ll order the pizza and order the movie. Then we can get to our evening?” A sense of relief washed over her, but also, he noticed a sense of disappointment as well. He felt a sense of some relief himself knowing she might actually like him some. Maybe he wouldn’t have to take this as slow as he thought. Her hand moved into his and he pulled her up to look into her sapphire eyes. Her heartbeats picked up then as they both seemed to get lost in ne another’s eyes, but eventually Lylah looked away shaking herself from the moment they were having.

                “Does the place deliver or is it only pick-up?” She thought she was clever trying to change the topic, but he could still hear the beating of her heart and knew now more ever that he did affect her. He much preferred her bracelet off knowing that it truly did hide much from him.

                Letting her turn and move to the house he followed her. “They deliver and for the movie I can just use my phone to get the movie.” Moving into the house he remembered about the barrier around the home and how only a select few could actually get past it. “On second thought I can run to get the pizza. Did you want to come with?” He hoped she would agree to come with him. It would be far more enjoyable if she did.

                “Sure, I would actually like to see where this place is in case it really is amazing pizza. If you want to order it we can try to time it perfectly so we don’t have to wait there long.” Luck was on his side. For some reason she wasn’t completely pushing him away or maybe she really did love food and wanted to actually know this information for her own game. Either way, at least she would be with him.