Love, After Dark

Chapter 34

BRICE

I locked myself in the bathroom after lunch, bracing my hands against the cold sink as I tried to breathe through it. I hadn’t eaten all week. I couldn’t take the smell coming from the cafeteria. It wasn’t that the smell coming from the large room was bad. Quite the opposite. That was the problem. It was intoxicating. Strawberries and vanilla ice cream. Sweet, rich, warm. So strong it coated the back of my throat, so vivid I could almost taste it. Every inhale dragged it deeper into my chest until it felt like it was sinking into my bones.

It was her. My mate. The word alone made my chest tighten. I’d tried everything to get my mind off her. Training harder. Running until my muscles screamed. Skipping lunch entirely. None of it worked. Her scent followed me everywhere, clinging to the hallways, to classrooms, to the air itself. I knew what I had to do. I had to reject her. And I had to do it soon. But every time I thought about approaching her, my feet refused to move. I’d been ducking and dodging her all week, slipping into open classrooms, stairwells, even storage closets the second her scent got too close. It always warned me before I saw her- my curse and my salvation.

Yesterday had nearly broken me. I’d been standing just inside a classroom when she passed by with Keisha. I hadn’t seen her face, but then Keisha said something and Siri laughed. The sound hit me like a physical blow. Soft. Bright. Effortless. The most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. My wolf surged forward at that moment, aching, desperate, clawing at my control. Mine, he whispered. She’s ours. I shoved him back down hard, grateful not to have lost control.

Then there was Wynter. Gods, Wynter. She’d been unbearable lately. Everything she did grated on my nerves. The way she talked, the way she touched me, the way she hovered like she could feel me slipping away. She was clingy. Needy. Always watching me too closely. And I knew exactly why. My feelings for her were changing. They already had. Guilt washed over me, heavy and sharp. Wynter was supposed to be my future Luna. The girl I’d grown up with. The one everyone expected me to choose. I’d been unfair to her, distant and distracted, and she felt it. I hated myself for that. This ends today, I decided. After school, I’d find Siri. I’d get it over with quickly, cleanly. Then my life- our lives- could go back to the way they were supposed to be.

My wolf whimpered in protest. I ignored him. He didn’t understand that this was necessary. That pain now would mean strength later. Soon, I’d be Alpha. Wynter would be Luna. Together, we’d lead the strongest pack in the country. Eventually, my wolf would thank me. I sighed and pushed away from the sink, straightening my shoulders before unlocking the bathroom door.

The moment I stepped into the hallway, I ran straight into trouble. Wynter burst out of the cafeteria, fury written across her face. “Where the f**k have you been?!” she screamed, her voice echoing down the hall. Heads turned. Before she could spiral further, I stepped forward and gently pressed my hand over her lips, silencing her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “I know I’ve been acting weird. I’ve just been under a lot of stress.” She searched my face, suspicion flickering behind her anger. “What kind of stress? Is it the homecoming game?” Of course she’d go there. The Auburn Eagles were our biggest rivals. And playing them was the most anticipated game of the season. “Yes,” I lied smoothly. “That’s it.” Relief flooded her features instantly. She wrapped her arms around me, pressing herself into my chest. “You know you can talk to me,” she said softly. “Don’t shut me out like that.” Guilt twisted deeper in my gut. She kissed me, quick and possessive, and I let it happen, even though it felt wrong. When we pulled apart, I slipped my arm around her shoulders, guiding her down the hall like everything was fine. Like I wasn’t falling apart. Like I hadn’t already decided that after school, everything was going to change.