Rex

Seeing her again feels surreal. It’s like a dream I never want to wake from, but yet I have to pull myself away from her before I do something stupid.

Like mark her in the office where I just applied to find love.

Honestly, my wolf sensed her before I saw her and I didn’t even know what I was really sensing, either. Not until I turned around and saw her standing there.

It’s been years since I laid eyes on her and the burning in my chest is unnatural. I’ve never felt this way, and I was around her plenty back years ago.

I wait outside for the longest, only to see her coming out smiling about an hour later.

Mumbling under my breath, I move to a more shadowed area and watch her. My wolf is enthralled with her and I’ve never once acted like this around another female. Not even her.

Nothing has ever clicked for us, but now I’m starting to wonder what is going on and why now.

Holly’s steps quicken down the sidewalk, away from me. Though she is scanning her surroundings, she hasn’t seen me that I know of. The more I watch her, the more my sanity slips out.

Oh, I have to get closer.

She reaches the corner of the street and only then do I emerge from my hiding place. After she disappears around the corner, I become even faster. No, I can’t lose her.

Used to, I could tell you exactly where every single wolf of this pack lived, but with our new direction, we are no longer as close. It’s sad and I miss the old ways, but change is always necessary.

As the alpha of this territory, I really should know where each and every single one of them lives, but I’m far too slack for that. I’ve just let them live their lives because there has been no need to rule with an iron fist.

I turn the corner, only to find her not too far ahead. A sigh of relief escapes my lips, knowing that I haven’t lost her.

Suddenly, she walks faster, hurrying along. I continue to follow her at a distance, but it’s almost as if she senses someone watching her from afar.

The streets become sparser, making it easier to see me. I try to stick to the shadows, but I know my hiding spots are not that great. It’s still daylight out and hanging close to the walls only shrouds my features for the most part. Anyone could still see me standing there, or at least a figure.

She keeps walking and seems to almost be at a run, but keeps it right under. I pick up my pace and hope that I can see where she lives soon.

The further we go, the business district fades and soon it transitions to apartment buildings.

Even from here, I can see her tightening her grip on her purse, her head turning to the right. That must be her building.

It’s a newer building with long glass windows facing the streets in every apartment. With the sun now sinking below the horizon, the sky transforms into swirling reds and purples.

Her speed quickens, and she quickly darts toward her building, running up the concrete steps.

Once she disappears behind the two glass doors, I finally slow down and stop at the edge of her building. It’s not like she can hide from me. Not when she is in there and I have seen where she has gone.

I glance up, trying to find which apartment is hers.

And then that is when I see it. One window lightens up as someone flicks on a switch.

“There you are, precious. There you are.”

She’s on the third floor, about three from the right. I watch for her silhouette, my eyes glued to the window and a few minutes pass before she goes right by it.

“Definitely you.”

While watching her, I have missed the clouds rolling in, and it starts to sprinkle. I really should leave now, but I’m too enthralled to do anything but stand here, looking up at her window.

Even as the rain pelts down harder, soaking my hair and clothes, my gaze remains locked on the window.

My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts, making me want to take action. Slowly, I move toward the building, my fingers latching onto the old rough brick. I look up at her window once more, wondering how hard it will be to go through.

Then a sneaky grin crosses my face.

Brick after brick, I scale the brick wall and head right for her window. It takes a little maneuvering to get it right, but eventually, I get the hang of it and go past the first floor. Then I haul myself up above the windows of the second floor.

Right as I’m about to go for her window, it creaks open and I can’t help the smile spreading across my face. This is too perfect.

Sadly, the lights turn off and I’m left puzzled as I hang off the side of the building.

I wait a few seconds, listening for her footsteps, but don’t hear any. “Oh, I sure hope this is your apartment.”

A wicked smile spreads across my face as I reach up and grasp the ledge, hauling myself up and then pushing the window open fully.

The room is dark, but that doesn’t matter. I scan my surroundings, admiring her living room and kitchen. It’s cute and looks just like her. There isn’t a lot to it, and it’s mostly space, which makes me wonder if she’s struggling any in the slightest.

If she is, why don’t I know about it?

A low growl rumbles in my chest as my fingers temporarily shift between forms, causing me to panic and try to shove it down. Now is not the best time for me to shift at all.

I look around again, noticing a dim light coming from one of the rooms to the left. The door is partially cracked, allowing the golden light of a lamp to spill out into the small hallway.

Then I hear her footsteps.

My eyes dart toward the crack in the door, watching for her to walk by.

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“There you are, darling.”

I stroll toward the door, knowing that I’m dripping water all over her wooden floors. But I don’t care. I want her and have to see her again.

I push the door open, scanning her bedroom and then I find her sitting on the edge of the bed with her back facing me. She’s looking down at something in her hands.

Right then, my phone vibrates, but I ignore it. It’s probably the results from my match making anyway and right now, I don’t know that I’m going to need them.

Slowly, she turns to cast a glance over her shoulder, only to become horrified when her eyes land on my dripping wet form. “Rex, what are you doing here? How did you get in here?”

“Holly, do you really think you need a matchmaker?”

Her face scrunches with confusion as her eyes trace over every single inch of me. “Excuse me? Who are you to say what I can or can’t do? You were in there too, mister. We’re not -”

I close the distance between us, my finger going up to her lips to silence her. No, we’re not like we once were. We were childhood friends who grew up to be almost too close, yet not dating. About the time that I realized I was interested in her, our parents decided they were interested in each other.

We were just eighteen, and I knew we had all the time in the world, but it hurt when that happened. Sadly, we never felt sparks either, so I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to do would work, so I let it go.

Of course, it also caused our friendship to slowly disintegrate into what it is today.

Barely anything.

She yanks her face away from my finger and bats my hand away. “You aren’t one to talk, Rex. Times are hard and we need mates. There is nothing wrong with me finding someone like this.”

I chuckle under my breath and look away before I do something stupid. “How would you know what I did? I could have just been there to talk to Valerie. I am the alpha and quite nosey, in case you have forgotten.”

Suddenly, her phone dings, and she looks down. Once her eyes land on the screen, she nearly chokes on her own saliva.

“You can’t be,” she whispers.

I yank my phone out of my back pocket, thinking it’s exactly what I’m thinking. Once my eyes land on the app, I realize that she and I are a match.

“You and me?” I ask, my voice low and deep, out of pure satisfaction at this turn of events.

Though I dismissed my interest as nothing but a fantasy all those years ago, it never crossed my mind that we might just be a match.

Is that what is driving me now? My wolf has known and held off.

Told you, idiot. I loved her then and now it’s finally time. There might be something there that wasn’t there before.

Holly jumps up from the bed, clad in only a lacy pink tank top and a pair of long white pajama bottoms. She moves away from me quickly, her hand still on the phone. “Don’t worry, Rex. We know that we can’t be, so I’ll just deny the match and move on. It’s not like I don’t have four or five other matches, anyway.”

That is all it takes for my wolf to lose it. Before I can control him, I close the distance between us and snatch her phone from her hand.

“Hey!” She screeches at the top of her lungs. “Give that back.”

I hold it out of reach until I can move away and look for myself. Sure enough, there are others, but I’m the first. I deny all the others and leave myself as her only match.

“Just hush for a second and I’ll give it back,” I say calmly.

It’s taking everything in me not to laugh like a mad scientist who just woke Frankenstein because I know what I’ve done. This woman is going to be mine.

I don’t even care if I’m acting like a possessive caveman. I’ve waited seventy years for her and I’m not letting grass grow under my feet.

My eyes move down the screen, wondering if more matches will be sent to her by Valerie. She’s probably on the other side, watching all the denials. Oh, well. “None of these men will do.”

When I turn around and hand her phone back, she frantically searches through it and her face falls. “Why did you deny everyone but you?”

“Because there is no other man meant for you except me.”

Her mouth falls open in disbelief. “But we aren’t really a match. There has to be some kind of mistake. You and I just can’t be.”

“And why can’t we be, Holly?” I ask as I take one imposing step forward, my boot leaving behind a wet footprint behind and making another. “Valerie thinks differently. She sees what we’ve denied ourselves.”

When I’m in front of her, I long to wrap my arm around her and pull her close, but refrain since I’m still dripping wet.

“You and I can’t be, Rex. Not after -”

I reach up and plant one long finger across her lips. “I’ll make you a deal. Give me four weeks to win you over. If I can’t, then you can tell her what I’ve done and get those matches back. Plus, I know those men. They aren’t what you are looking for.”

“And just how do you know what I want?” She asks, mumbling behind my finger.

I lean down and place my lips against the shell of her ear. “I know you better than anyone else, Holly.”

She jerks back; her face flushed from frustration. “Who says you are any different from those other men? Maybe I’d like them better.”

“Me. I say I’m different from them and you wouldn’t like them. They just want to play around and you’re not like that.”

She rolls her eyes as her arms across her chest. “No, I don’t want just a fun time. I want to be serious, but I’m not accepting this deal. It’s not like you can really stop me from rejecting you as well. I already have their names and numbers, anyway.”

If she really thinks she is getting with one of those men, I’m going to murder every single one of them while they sleep. You will find their addresses for me so we can roll in their blood.

I choke as I hear my wolf’s words. He’s always been vicious, but this is something else entirely. It sounds like the possessiveness of a wolf who has found their fated mate.

And then my eyes widen. This has to be it. There is no other reason for my actions besides fate. A sly grin crosses my face. “You can just keep thinking that, doll. I’ll show you what I’m capable of. If you don’t love me in four weeks, then I’m going to continue to be the most annoying thorn in that sweet little backside. I will even force your shift and you will run with my wolf. He can convince you if the man can’t. But I will warn you, if you leave it up to him, he might claim you on the run.”

She swallows hard; her face a mask of expressions. “So I either date you or I don’t and you won’t leave me alone? Is that what I’m hearing?”

I nod after hearing her words. “Yes, but I can promise you that you will never regret my offer. You want certainty and someone serious. Well, that I can give you.”

“But we were-”

I laugh under my breath, cutting her off. She’s bringing up our parent’s situation again. “Holly, our parents were only married and mated for a few years. We were both eighteen when that happened. It’s not like we grew up in the same house or even lived with each other. Come on. That was years ago.”

“Still,” she whispers. “We said we were a family for a while. It just feels weird. Don’t you think we’ll get stared at and they’ll think it’s weird?”

I look around her room and out the door. “Who are they? It’s not like the pack is as close as it used to be and what does it matter? You and I were at college, living on campus. We weren’t even there.”

She slowly looks up and I can see the determination in her gaze.

But her wolf is calling to me and I won’t deny the attraction.

“Seriously, Holly. What do you have to lose? All I will do is irritate you and ruin all your dates or you just jump straight to being with me. With me, you don’t have to run through guys. It’s only me.”

“You are the most irritating man I have ever met. No, I’m not doing this. Get out of my apartment and go home.” That’s when she looks around and at the floor, noticing how wet the carpet is. “Wait. How did you get into my apartment? I locked the door.”

“Through the window,” I mumble.

Her lips part in surprise. “I should have guessed. You have always been a little crazy. Now, get out and this time, take the stairs instead of scaling the side of the building like a madman. You are a wolf, not a monkey. Plus, the humans were probably watching and you know how some feel about us.”

Drool pools in my mouth as she moves to sit back on the bed, her tank rising just enough I can see a strip of bare skin.

When I fail to move, she looks back up at me, still clutching that phone in her hand like it is her lifeline.

“I’m serious, Rex. You do not control me or what I do. I will not be done that way.”

I stalk toward her again, closing the gap once more. Once I lean down and within mere inches of her face, I smile. “You have until tomorrow to answer me, sweetheart.”

She reaches up, pushing me away with both hands before standing and pushing me out entirely. “I’ll think about it.”

And just like that, her bedroom door slams in front of my face.