His Online Mate

Chapter Four

Chapter Four: The Midnight Ping

"Hating someone is exhausting. Hating someone while secretly wanting to jump their bones in a tiny dorm room during a campus lockdown is pure torture."

Willow POV

The heavy oak door slammed shut, and the three clicks of the deadbolt echoed through my room like a sentence being handed down.

I sat cross-legged on my single bed, propping my laptop onto my knees to hide how hard my hands were shaking. I wasn't just terrified about Robert—though the memory of his missing-persons report was a cold weight sitting heavy in my chest. No, right now, my pulse was hammering because of the towering, broad-shouldered werewolf currently settling his tall frame into the wooden chair by my door.

Beta Jess.

He took off his dark tactical jacket, tossing it over the back of the chair, leaving him in a thin grey t-shirt that stretched violently across his chest. The man was built like he’d been carved out of granite and bad intentions. Every time he moved, the muscles in his back and arms rippled beneath his golden skin, and the faint, intoxicating scent of pine, winter air, and raw heat washed across my small room.

It made my mouth go dry. It made my stomach flip in a way that made me want to scream.

I hate him, I reminded myself fiercely, glaring down at my keyboard. He’s an arrogant, overbearing wolf-jock who tried to muscle me in the quad. I hate his stupid face, his stupid undercut, and his stupid, perfect jawline.

And yet, my eyes betrayed me, darting up to track the line of his throat as he rested his forearms on his knees. The sheer physical pull was overwhelming—a strange, magnetic static humming in the air between us that made my skin itch with a sudden, crazy urge to touch him. I hated him, but if he pushed me against the wall right now, I wasn't entirely sure I’d fight him off.

My cell phone buzzed violently on the mattress beside me, breaking the suffocating tension. I picked it up, seeing Mark’s name light up the screen.

Mark.

A wave of guilt hit me like a splash of ice water. Mark was my boyfriend back home. Safe, soft-spoken Mark, who wore oversized cardigans and built gaming rigs. I quickly typed out a text.

Willow: Hey Mark! Sorry I couldn't call, campus is on a strict lockdown right now.

The reply was instant.

Mark: I saw the news, Will! Is everything okay?! I'm out in the workshop working on that retro server stack, but I can drop everything and drive up to get you right now. You shouldn't be trapped on campus with those shifters.

I looked up at Jess. He was sitting with his dark eyes fixed straight ahead, looking completely bored, but I knew his ridiculous werewolf hearing could probably hear my phone screen vibrating.

A dark, calculated thought crossed my mind. Tell him nothing.

Mark wanted so desperately to be my knight in shining armor, to save me from the "scary wolves" and bring me home. But if I told him I was locked in a tiny room with a six-foot-two Beta guarding me, he’d go off the deep end. So, I decided to keep the details to myself.

Willow: I'm fine, Mark. I'm locked securely in my room. Don't worry about driving up, the perimeter is totally sealed. I'll text you tomorrow.

Two hundred miles away in his dark workshop, Mark stared at his phone, his jaw clenching as anger roared through his veins. She wasn't confiding in him. She was shutting him out—leaning on the very creatures he hated instead of running back to him. His fingers dug into the arm of his chair so hard the plastic cracked beneath his grip.

Before Mark could reply, my laptop chimed with a private notification from Runeclash.

My heart instantly brightened. I ignored Mark's follow-up texts, clicking over to my private chat. DaddyVibes was online.

DaddyVibes: Are you safe, Sunshine? Is your guard giving you a hard time?

A genuine smile finally broke through my stress. I let out a soft laugh, resting my chin in my hand as I typed back.

DemonBitch: My guard is an oversized, broody Beta who won't stop staring at me like he wants to eat me alive. But I'm locked in. What about you? Are you safe?

DaddyVibes: I'm always safe when I'm talking to you. Though I wish I was there to keep you company. You shouldn't have to go through a lockdown alone.

I sighed softly, feeling a sudden surge of affection for my online partner.

DemonBitch: Honestly, I just wish my real-life relationship was as easy as talking to you. My boyfriend Mark back home is amazing—he's super sweet, totally safe, and always trying to protect me—but sometimes he's just... a lot.

Across the room, I heard a sharp, sudden crack.

I snapped my head up. Jess was sitting in his chair, his knuckles white where he was gripping the wooden armrest. He looked like he’d just swallowed a lemon, his dark eyes flashing with a sudden, intense annoyance.

"Everything okay over there, Beta?" I asked defensively, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Fine," Jess growled, his voice rough and clipped as he stared straight ahead. "Just a wood knot giving way."

I huffed, turning back to my laptop screen. A new message from Vibes popped up, his tone shifting abruptly away from boyfriend talk.

DaddyVibes: Right. Well, let's focus on what matters. We need to find Robert. Have you heard anything else about the search party?

DemonBitch: No. The campus interface is totally locked down. Vibes... what if he's really gone?

There was a long pause before he replied.

DaddyVibes: Listen to me, Demon. The pack—I mean, the campus security team—is executing a full sweep of the North Forest right now. Robert is tough. He knows how to survive. The pack will find him, I promise you. You need to rest.

DemonBitch: Easy for you to say. I'm stuck in a room with a guy who looks like he wants to strangle me.

DaddyVibes: Maybe he's just trying not to stare at you, Sunshine. Get some sleep.

I closed my laptop with a quiet sigh, setting it on the floor. The room was deathly quiet now, the storm outside lashing rain against the glass.

"There's only one bed," I announced, crossing my arms over my chest as I looked at Jess. "And I'm not sharing."

Jess let out a low, amused breath, standing up from his chair. "I wouldn't dream of stealing your mattress, human. I'll take the floor."

I watched, my mouth practically dry as bone, as Jess reached for the hem of his grey t-shirt. In one smooth, fluid motion, he pulled the shirt over his head, exposing a broad, sculpted chest, cut abs, and golden skin covered in faint, battle-hardened scars.

My breath hitched sharply in my throat. Oh, come on. That is just unfair.

Jess caught me staring. A slow, wicked, totally arrogant smirk spread across his handsome face. He tossed his shirt onto the back of the chair, his dark eyes flashing with a golden ember that sent a wave of liquid heat straight to my core. His wolf could feel the sudden, overwhelming spike in my pulse—could smell the sweet honey scent pouring off my skin as I practically devoured the view.

He loved every second of it.

"Comfortable, Beta?" I snapped, trying desperately to recover my dignity as I yanked my duvet up to my chin.

"Very," Jess murmured, his deep voice rolling through the quiet room like thunder. He grabbed a spare blanket, laying down on the rug right beside my bed, resting his head on his arm. "Don't worry, Willow. I won't touch you. Unless you ask nicely."

"In your dreams," I retorted, glaring down at him over the edge of the mattress. "Just so you know... I fart in my sleep. Loudly. So prepare yourself."

Jess let out a deep, chest-rumbling laugh that vibrated straight through the floorboards. He turned his head, looking up at me in the dim light, winking with a dangerous, playful charm.

"I bet they're cute, Sunshine," he teased softly, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "Goodnight, Willow."

I pulled the blanket over my head, my heart hammering like a war drum against my ribs. I hated him. I completely hated him.

So why did I want to crawl off this bed and lay down right next to him on the floor?