Chapter 4 4.

KAYDEN.

We'd won the opening season game and I should have felt on top of the world.

Instead, my wolf was losing its mind.

The stadium was still roaring behind us as my team and I headed back to the locker room. Victory should have tasted sweet. Three college scouts had approached me after the game with mouth watering offers, meaning my future was wrapped up with a bow if I wanted to face football professionally.

But goddess knew that wasn’t really possible while being the alpha heir to the most powerful werewolf kingdom in existence. 

Football was just recreational for me. 

I was good at it, it was good physical exercise, and one of the most revered sports in all of werewolf society. 

Playing always helped me deal with the pressure of who I was.

Except something was off today, or maybe that was a product of the beast inside me that had been moody for longer than I could keep track of.

My wolf had been restless all week. 

It paced under my skin like a caged animal ever since I'd cornered Honoria in that empty classroom.

I'd spent years learning to control the wolf side of myself. Years of discipline and focus and keeping that part of me locked down tight.

So why was it suddenly trying to claw its way out every time I thought about her?

"Way to open the season, Captain!" Peterson slammed his hand into my shoulder. "You absolutely destroyed their defense."

"Just good teamwork." I kept my voice casual even though my skin felt wrong. Something underneath was trying to surface.

We pushed through the locker room doors and I stopped.

The space was organized. Actually organized. Like someone had sorted equipment by type. 

Towels were folded in neat stacks. First aid supplies were arranged in perfect rows. Equipment were lined up, stacked and arranged in a way none of us had the patience for.

“Seems like one of the volunteer committees came in and did a number on here.” Davis of my teammates said.

My nose caught a scent immediately. Vanilla and something floral. Light and sweet and completely out of place.

Honoria had been here. 

Recently.

I had no idea how I could fucking tell.

My wolf perked up. 

And I wondered why. 

"Did the cleaning staff finally do their job?" Mark asked while digging through his locker.

But I was already scanning the room. 

She couldn't have left that long ago. That scent was too fresh.

Which meant she might still be here.

And my wolf was practically vibrating with the need to find her.

"Let's celebrate and get out," I said. My voice came out rough. "I need to shower and crash."

The team started their usual post-game chaos. 

Music was blasting. Lockers were slamming. 

Victory whoops were echoing off the walls.

But I couldn't focus. 

I walked toward the equipment closet. My hand closed around the handle and I pulled the door open to get a brand new towel.

Light flooded the small dark space.

Honoria stood inside. She was pressed against the back wall. Her blue eyes went wide when she saw me. 

Her blonde hair was falling loose around her shoulders.

That vanilla scent hit me full force.

My wolf went absolutely feral.

And despite everything I’d told her the last time I’d seen her, I just couldn’t help myself but strike up a conversation with her. "What are you doing in here?"

"Mr. Harrison asked me to organize the equipment." Her voice was defensive. "I didn't know you'd be back so soon. I was trying to leave before anyone saw me."

Right. 

Being caught in our locker room would be social suicide after the photo incident.

I glanced back at my teammates. They were too busy celebrating to notice us.

Perfect.

I stepped into the closet. I was blocking her exit. Crowding her space just enough to soothe something inside me that I didn’t understand.

I told myself it was time for a little payback.

It was a little dickish, but something told me speaking softly to her in this moment would freak her out. And I wanted to talk to her for some reason. 

My best bet was following the dynamic we already had. 

"You know what's funny?" I kept my voice low. "I've been thinking about those photos all week."

Her eyes widened. "Kayden—"

"And I realized something." I took another step closer. She pressed back against the wall. "You're actually pretty brave for someone so small. Most people wouldn't have the guts to go after me like that."

"What are you doing?"

"Just talking." I smiled. "You do remember how to have a conversation, right? Or do you only communicate through leaked photos now?"

Her jaw clenched. Good.

 I wanted her annoyed instead of scared.

"Let me out."

"In a minute."

I shifted closer. She had to tilt her head back to look at me now. Her vanilla scent was everywhere.

This was probably a terrible idea. But I couldn't seem to stop myself.

"You want to know what I think?" I said quietly.

"Not particularly."

"I think you're not nearly as tough as you pretend to be."

Her blue eyes flashed with anger. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough. You act like you don't care what people think but here you are hiding to avoid my teammates."

"Screw you."

"There it is." I grinned. "There's that fire."

"You're an asshole."

"Yeah. I've been told." I straightened up but didn't move away. "But at least I'm honest about it. You pretend you don't care when you obviously do. So which one of us is really the coward?"

Her hand came up fast. She shoved at my chest hard.

I took a step back. Not because she was strong enough to move me. But because I let her.

"Get out of my way."

"Make me."

She tried to duck around me. "Kayden, I swear—"

"What? You'll leak more photos from my childhood days?"

She tried to go left. I moved with her. Her frustration was building. I could see it.

"This isn't funny."

"It's a little funny."

"You're impossible."

"And you're predictable." I leaned against the doorframe casually. "Come on, Greyheart. Show me that fire you had at the café."

"That girl is about to knee you in the balls if you don't move."

I laughed. "Go for it."

She shoved at my chest again. I let her push me out until I was backing out of the closet into the main locker room. Honoria followed me out. Her eyes were blazing now.

"You're a child," she said.

"And you're fun to mess with."

"I hate you."

"Yeah, you've mentioned that." I grinned. "But you're not hiding anymore. So I'd call this a win."

She opened her mouth to respond, but her foot caught on the doorway, and she stumbled headfirst toward me. 

“Shit,” I wrapped my hand around her waist and tried to re-balance her, but the angle sent us both tumbling toward the ground.

In a last ditch effort, I tried to take the impact, and her face fell forward... seconds before her lips collided with mine. 

The world exploded at the point of contact. 

Goddess. 

Heat slammed through me like lightning. 

Not normal heat. 

Hot, visceral heat  that burned through every cell and rewrote everything in my subconscious.

The mental declaration almost knocked the breath out of my lungs. 

MATE. 

The bond hummed between us. Insistent, and so fucking demanding I had to squeeze my eyes shut and count to ten. I opened my eyes and Honoria was still on the floor. She was staring up at me with wide, confused eyes. 

She touched her lips.

I got up and held out a hand to help her to her feet but she didn’t take it.

The locker room had gone dead silent. I glanced around, seeing no one.

None of them saw what happened. 

Honoria pushed herself up. 

Her face was pale. She looked at me like I was a stranger.

She glanced between me and my teammates across the hall, looking like she wanted to puke. 

And then she turned on her heel and bolted out of the locker room. 

Every instinct screamed at me to follow her. 

But I couldn't move.

Because I'd just kissed Honoria Greyheart.

And for werewolves, a kiss sealed everything.

One kiss and she became mine whether either of us wanted it or not.

"Kayden?" Reese's voice cut through my spiral as he strolled over to me."Dude, you okay?"

Of course I wasn’t fucking okay. 

The bond hummed in my chest. 

My wolf was pacing. 

It was furious that I'd let our mate run away.

But what was I supposed to do? Chase her down and explain she was bound to me for life? Tell her werewolves had fated mates and she just happened to be mine?

She'd think I was insane.

My hands were shaking.

Honoria Greyheart was my mate. 

The bond was formed between us and with every passing second I was loosing my godessdamned mind. 

And the worst part was... she had no clue what had just happened.