His Unidentified & Untouchable Mate

A Hasty Exit

Zahraa POV

“You know, if he’s being an ass, I would be more than happy to castrate him for you,” Ingrid said. She’d been quietly seething all night and moved in the minute Jacob went to the bathroom.

It was no wonder. We all knew of Jacob Pagiel, or Jacob the Fifth, as he was often called. The spare tire of the alpha’s family – the leftover son. We all knew his meanest nicknames, because Ingrid loved to talk ill of him when she got the chance.

Her seven minutes in heaven with him had turned into her own personal middle school hell. Because of him, she’d been ridiculed for her crush, labeled easy – her first boyfriend turned into a total d**k when they started dating. He’d said he thought she’d put out easier, since she’d f****d the alpha’s son the first chance she’d got.

Except she hadn’t – she’d only kissed him. Maybe let him get a little handsy in all her excitement.

“It’s awkward, but it’s fine,” I said, swirling my drink. The mocktail as he called it ended up being a tall glass of watered-down orange juice that was supposed to look like a screwdriver. “I think he’s trying to be sweet.”

“Of course he is,” Ingrid seethed, “And he’ll keep trying to be sweet until you turn your back for a minute. Next thing you know, the whole pack will think you’ve slept with everyone here.”

I flinched. “Hey, are, uh… are you having fun? Because if not…”

“No, no, no,” she protested, too fast. She’d been drinking a lot and hanging over Tatum a lot. “No, I’m having tons of fun – and so are Alanis and Tanis. I don’t want to-” she hiccupped and cleared herself up with another deep drink from her glass. After a moment of grounding herself, she sighed and added, “I don’t want to make things awkward. I just hate looking at his stupid face.”

I actually kind of liked his stupid face, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.

I found him too easily in the crowd as he left the hall with the restroom.

So, apparently, did Ingrid. “Ugh. Goddess, I hate that bastard. Sorry, Z. Blink twice if you need rescuing.”

I huffed a laugh as she stood, swayed, then staggered her way back to Tatum.

“I don’t imagine your friend has many nice things to say about me,” Jacob guessed as he reclaimed his seat. “I wouldn’t either, if I were her.”

“So, you know,” I stated, sipping my orange juice. “She’s hated you ever since that game.”

I could see him cringe. “I know,” he sighed. “That wasn’t – I don’t even know what to say here – there’s a little more to that story than you may know.”

Interest piqued, I put my orange juice down and leaned in, elbows on the table. “Okay. I’m listening.”

He swallowed and opened his mouth to speak – but no words came out. He went rigid, and just as I was about to ask if he was okay, he directed his attention towards the door.

I saw it too – or, rather, I saw him too.

Alpha Rowan of the Northern Territory.

My alpha.

A lot of the terms of me being a ward of the pack involved me not breaking rules in general – and I was definitely doing that just by being here. I cursed under my breath.

Jacob stood up sharply. “I can’t let him find me here – dad will kill me.”

A night of warm, whispered conversations must’ve broken down my walls, because I grabbed his hand and tugged him after me. “Same. Come on!”

It was hard to focus on a place to escape when his hand was so warm in mine, but I managed. I tugged him through the crowd and into the same hallway with the bathrooms. Already, there were dotted instances of men pressing their dates against walls as their tongues invaded their mouths, and their hands roamed their bodies. My panic must have overridden my usual shyness to such things - I pressed on. I needed a place no one would see us. Or notice us.

There was a line for the girl’s restroom – that was a no. I wasn’t brave enough to try the men’s – but there was a door marked employees only at the end of the hall. “Here’s to hoping this isn’t locked,” I muttered, before opening it.

Never before had I been so happy to see a broom closet.

I pulled him in after me, and he grabbed the door. The space was tight, and I could feel his body heat emanating from him, warming me. I had the strangest desire to lean in, to feel his body pressed against mine.

But no – back to business.

“What are we going to do now?” he asked. He sounded easygoing enough, but I could hear the undercurrent of stress in his voice. “Wait until closing time and hope an employee finds us?”

“Not quite,” I replied. I grabbed the doorknob and he looked at me as though I’d definitely lost it – until a bright golden light filled the cracks of the door. When it swung open, it wasn’t to return to the club – it led us through the front door of my little one-bedroom apartment. “Home sweet home!” I said with a smile, motioning for him to step through.

His mouth hung open a moment before he realized and fixed it. He cleared his throat and took a hesitant step forward. “What… is this?”

“Magic, of a kind,” I replied, as if that were the simplest thing in the world. “I opened a Door.”

“I can see that,” his laugh bordered on hysterical. “But it’s not going where it should.”

“True,” I followed him out and shut the door. The golden light surrounding it disappeared as quickly as it’d come. “I’m no werewolf, but I have my uses.”

“I’m sure you do,” his brow furrowed as he examined the surroundings. “This place… it’s yours?”

I nodded, sitting down on the couch. “Yep. All this is provided by the Northern Territory.” For now, at least.

“It’s nice,” he replied, scanning the walls.

The pack provided lodgings and basic furnishings, but it was up to me to decorate. And I simply hadn’t. What’s the point when you could be chased out at any given moment? Besides, what was I supposed to decorate with? It wasn’t like I had any family photos to hang.

“Thanks,” I replied. “Do you, uh… want anything to drink?” I kicked my obnoxious wedge shoes off (very cute, very borrowed – they were Alanis’s and they hurt my feet) and went to the fridge – which was empty. There was a cafeteria downstairs for us wards, and I more often than not ate there, meaning all I had here was a few random snack items and a quarter of a jug of cran-orange juice left. “Um. I don’t have company often,” I admitted, shutting the fridge door.

When I turned, I was surprised to see he’d been right behind me, so close that there was barely any distance left between us. His eyes flickered down to my lips, then met mine once more. He started to close the distance.

I slipped away, rushing to the pantry. “Actually,” I opened the door to the pantry to see a few microwave macaroni cups, a couple of opened chip bags, and a very large, established spider sitting in her web. “I think I might have…”

“Zahraa,” his voice was deeper, taking on a much more sinful tone. He took hold of the door and carefully shut it.

I turned around to find his arms to each side of me, pinning me against the pantry door.

Without the lights and overwhelming smells and noises of the club, I had nothing to focus on but him. He was muscular, with big hands, and soft hazel eyes. He had full lips and a square jaw, and he was fully fixated on me.

He started leaning in again, and I began to panic. With nowhere left to go, I put a gloved hand gently on his chest and pushed.

He stopped, though his brows furrowed in confusion. “I’m sorry,” he took a step back, “I thought – I kind of thought we hit it off? And you brought me back to your place…?”

I shook my head, face blazing with reddened cheeks. “I’m sorry, but no – that wasn’t… I was just trying to get away and…”

His face fell. “Oh. I see.” He took another couple of steps back, then ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “Well. I guess I should go then. Goodnight, Zahraa.”

I said nothing, watching him leave without moving a muscle. When the door clicked shut after him, my heart was still pounding, and I could still feel his heat as he’d loomed ever nearer.

I don’t know how long I stood there, awash with regret and feelings I knew I shouldn’t have.