Lessons in Love

Chapter 6: New Things

POV: Riley Campbell

After that, we headed back to the house I’d be living in. The house was similar to the ones on Mr. Sloan’s cul-de-sac, each house looking like a little log cabin. Most had flower gardens in the front. Mine had two, one on either side of the porch steps.

The porch was small, but I could imagine sitting out there, just like Mr. Sloan, saying hello to neighbors on a Saturday morning while I had my tea. We wandered through the house. It was a bit dusty, but it was well kept. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were all open-concept. I could see from the front door to the back door. There was no furniture in the dining room or living room, but the kitchen had a small breakfast nook, all the appliances, and the fridge had been stocked with some of the essentials including a fresh apple pie.

I looked out the back doors off the kitchen and saw a small backyard that opened up onto an orchard. Lush green forests lined the back of the landscape, and I felt the urge to run through them on four legs as fast as I could. The second floor was pretty standard, with two bedrooms. The bathroom featured a claw-foot tub as well as a shower, and I was already thinking of soaking in it with the half-finished novel I knew was in my luggage.

“When is your furniture arriving?” Rick asked.

“Tomorrow,” I replied.

“I’ll arrange for a guest room in the packhouse for you tonight then.” He said quickly, pulling his phone from his pocket.

“No, that won’t be necessary.” I said just as quickly. “I have a cot I can set up for tonight. I wouldn’t mind a set of extra hands to unload the truck tomorrow if that’s doable?”

“No problem at all,” Sam jumped in. “I live just up the street with a rambunctious 11-year-old and my mate. We’d be happy to help out.” He smiled.

“I’ll get Thomas to help, too.” Rick said.

“Speaking of unloading,” Sam chimed in again. “Do you need help with the car?” He asked.

“That would be great!” I said with a smile.

“I need to head back to the packhouse.” Rick said, reviewing messages on his phone. “I can send Thomas back if you need.” He offered.

“No, I’m sure we can handle it.” I smiled. Rick took his leave, and Sam and I got started.

POV: Beta Ben Westlake

There was a knock at my office door, and I hollered for them to come in.

“Excuse me, sir, the mail has arrived.” the maid said as she stepped into the room. A smell hit my nose that was delicate and floral. There was something about it that made me want to grab a hold of the source and not let go. It made me feel possessive and protective instantly. It was the scent of my mate.

“Ma … my, my, that’s a lot of mail.” I tried to recover. The smell got stronger as the maid moved toward my desk. I stared at her intently. She walked right up to my desk, put the mail down gently, and turned to go.

“Thank you.” I called after her. She gave a nod and disappeared. The smell remained. She’d had zero reaction to me. There’s no way she was my mate. The smell wasn’t strong, but it was definitely here. I grabbed the stack of envelopes and sniffed at the mail. It was coming from the stack of letters. I frantically pulled each one out and carefully smelled them, trying to figure out which letter it was.

Why was I so concerned? I didn’t want a mate, and I didn’t want to know who they were, I chastised myself, all the while smelling the mail like a weirdo. My office door opened, and I dropped the mail on the desk immediately.

“You okay?” Rick asked as he came over to my desk. The smell seemed to be taunting me. It was getting stronger the more I tried to ignore it.

“Yup.” I pulled my eyes away from the mail. “I’m great, what’s up?” I said, pulling at my tie.

Rick quirked an eyebrow at me, but let it go. “Riley is settling in.” He said.

“Riley?” I asked, trying to keep my focus on Rick and not look down at the envelopes.

“Riley Campbell, the new teacher, you remember we hired her.” Rick laughed. I chuckled nervously. “She seems really excited to get started. She’s making fast friends with Sam, which is great.” He said, absently picking up the mail off my desk and thumbing through it. A part of me wanted to growl at him for touching the envelopes. This was insane. It was stupid – I felt stupid. Rick was still talking at me, and I tried to refocus on the conversation.

“Some of the boys are going to have a hard time staying focused in her class if you catch my drift. 5’9”, long, auburn hair, golden brown eyes, curvy, fit, legs for days, and that ass on her.” He whistled quietly.

“What are you doing?” I couldn’t take him riffling through the mail anymore. The smell of the envelope was almost suffocating me. I was legitimately getting jealous of him touching an envelope and gave my head a shake.

“Hmm?” Rick looked up from the mail. “I’m going up to the Alpha’s suite to pick up the outgoing mail. I figured I’d take the incoming stuff while I’m going. Anyway,” he tapped the envelopes on his palm. “We’ll need to assign a trainer to her and Sam starting next week and maybe offer them some patrols this month during the harvest. I think it’ll be a good way to assess Riley’s skills on the battlefield.” He finished.

“Sure,” I said, staring at the mail in his hand.

“You sure you’re okay?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded. Rick gave me a shrug and left the office, taking that delicate and intoxicating scent with him. I scooped up the rest of the mail and sniffed at it, but I already knew the scent was gone and fading from the room. Whatever the scent had been attached to must have been addressed to the Alpha or Luna. I couldn’t explain the sense of disappointment that washed through me as the scent faded away.

It's what I wanted, though. I tried to remind myself of that. I had never wanted a mate. I had no desire to live with someone whose emotions can’t be separated from my own, or who resents me for their lost freedom, or lost love. I rested my elbows on my desk and buried my face in my hands. My mate was out there. I had one, whether I wanted one or not.

The truth was, I was terrified. I was terrified I’d become just like my father. It was the worst possible ‘what if’ in my life. My aura, my wolf, was hard and angry, just like my fathers. It was great for the battlefield, but brutal for anything else. I lived my life deliberately avoiding things that could turn me into him. I didn’t drink or date. I didn’t use my aura to scare people or to intimidate subordinates. My aura was dangerous regardless. I had to make time to let it out it, or it would explode out of me, leveling the people around me. It’s how I knew that I wasn’t mate material.

That scent had made me feel different, though, like I didn’t need to be afraid of that part of me. It made me feel foolish and more dangerous than I already was, I thought. I couldn’t do it. I’d have to reject the mate if I ever met them. My chest got tight at the thought, and I grunted from the sharp pain burning there. It left me breathless for a moment. I rubbed the spot and realized that the flowery scent of that envelope had formed a bond for me.