Chapter 31

August's POV-

I was using the shower in Helen's bedroom while Emerald was upstairs in her own bathroom doing the same. We decided to clean up before going to get food and I had the water as cold as it would allow. I was trying to do anything to shock my nerves and senses from what happened.

Seeing that boy screaming in her face brought out a rage in me that I hadn't felt in a very long time. If it weren't for her being there I don't know if I would've been able to stop myself from hurting him. I had overheard most of their argument since it was mostly through yelling.

I felt livid at the fact that boy was practically trying to guilt her into having sex with him. He was talking as if he were entitled to it. As if he had a right to her and her body.

Like she was his.

'Mine!' Zeb said obviously annoyed at the thoughts I was having.

"She is not ours." I said through gritted teeth as I leaned my head back into the cold water.

'So you'd let him touch her then?' He asked and I let out a powerful growl at him.

"Of course not, but that doesn't mean she's for us!" I said back sternly before cutting the water off.

I opened the clear shower door and grabbed the towel that was hanging up on the rack before drying off. I went through my duffel bag that was sitting on the sink counter and grabbed some clothes to change into.

I wiped down the foggy mirror with the towel and looked at my bury reflection on the mirror. Even though I couldn't see my face clearly, the scar was still noticeable. My ashy grey hair was still wet, but I kept it short enough that it wouldn't take long to dry. I brushed my teeth and tried to take my time before going back to meet Emerald.

For the first time since I've been here I can't smell her scent. Right now I could think clearly and my plan was to just get to know as much as I could about her. I wasn't going to try and talk myself into leaving until I knew for sure she was mate or not, so until the blue moon I will try and rebuild our friendship again.

Even if she wasn't my mate I still just wanted to get to know her. I wanted to know more about her personality and what her interests were and what she wanted to do with her life. I would have to keep myself from flirting with her, which is hard since she's constantly teasing me.

I thought about how she looked at me when I walked out of the shed. She didn't even try and hide the fact that she was staring at my body. Even with her so called boyfriend right there she never hid the lust that glossed over her eyes when seeing me.

'She is still a bold little thing.' Zeb said.

I groaned in aggravation at my wolf and ran my hands through my now dry hair. I cannot think about her like that. I can't make her think that my only interest is in her appearance because it isn't. I genuinely cared for Emerald and even though I didn't understand why. I knew I wanted to be in her life. I didn't care what I was to her I just wanted to be there.

I walked out of the bathroom and Helen was still sleeping soundly in bed. Alpha Paul hadn't came by yet, but it was still early I guess. I'm sure he has other things he needs to take care of besides stopping by here.

I walked out of the room and down the hallway. The clear head I once had was clouded by burning pine needles as I made my way to the living room. She was sitting in one of the couches staring down at her hands in her lap.

Her curls were slightly damp and it made her blonde hair look darker. She had one a grey halter top that had a deep enough neck line to show her cleavage. She had on black shorts that stopped mid thigh and white sneakers.

She looked up at me and just like always she held me in a trance. She didn't have any makeup on like usual and I was glad she never covered herself up in it. I wanted to see every raw detail of her face. Her plump pink lips and small button nose were centered perfectly and her complexion was smooth, but her eyes were what drew you in.

They were just so mesmerizing. Her dark almond eye was hers, but the bright fiery green one was something else. I used to think it was also hers, but it's not. It's a defect like my own.

Another reminder of her past, just like mine.

Our pasts that were oddly linked together in a way all because of him. I hated that he was what brought her and I together. If she hadn't escaped from him would I have ever met her? Would we have ever met? I didn't want him to have any sort of credit for unknowingly bringing her into my life and as twisted as it sounds. I was still happy that she had wondered into the Kyser farm. I'm glad we were apart of each others life in a way. And I'm glad that we both shared the mark of our enemy for everyone to see.

"I know a place with great coffee." She said breaking the silence between us and breaking me from my thoughts.

"I didn't take you for a coffee drinker." I said and she stood up from the couch and grinned at me while brushing her skirt down.

"What did you take for then?" She asked and it sounded like a loaded question.

Like she was asking me something else besides coffee. I shrugged my shoulders at her and matched the smile she was giving me. I always want her smiling like that, especially at me.

"Little girls like you don't need all that caffeine."

She dropped her mouth open at me and quickly closed it before eyeing me up and down.

"Well I figured an old man like yourself would need a pick-me up. After all you looked pretty tired after that run." She cooed playfully before bending down and scooping her black helmet from the floor.

She sauntered past me and went into the kitchen where I followed.

"You know I'm only thirty-one right?" I asked honestly wanting her to know that I wasn't as old as I looked.

She giggled as she grabbed some keys from the kitchen counter. She turned around to face me and had a playful look in her eyes.

"You know I'm only nineteen right?" She said back and any self confidence I had before dropped and sank through the wooden floors.

Jeez she's young.

I know she's young, so why does hearing it out loud make such a difference? I guess when you hear it then there's no denying it or ignoring it.

"Actually, I'm not really sure when my birthday is so I could be sixteen for all you know." She said and I watched as her sly grin turned into a toothy smile.

She is very playful. I wanted to play back with her and seeing the way she was looking at me made me think it was more then okay to.

I closed the distance in between us and placed both hands on the counter on either side of her. Her toothy smile turned into an open mouth and the confidence she just had in her eyes looked more like shock now.

"Or you could be older.. for all I know you could be twenty or even twenty-one."

I could hear her heart speed up and apart of me felt guilty I was making her nervous, but the Zeb part of me was satisfied that I could affect her in that way.

"I guess we'll never know." She said almost barley above a whisper.

I moved closer to her and her scent wrapped around me like a thick cloud. She didn't move back from me and stayed staring right back into me. She was so beautiful, her scent is like a warm rush of smoke and ash and it was a comforting smell for me.

I realized I was dangerously close to her face and leaned myself off the counter and put some space back between us. Why did I do that? I completely cornered her and could've made her uncomfortable. What is wrong with me?

I ran my hands through my hair and looked away from her for a minute and cleared my throat.

"You ready?" I asked and she was still staring at me.

Watching me intently with no emotion on her face. She was just studying me and I remember when she was younger and how she would give me that same blank look when she didn't want me to know what she was thinking. She was very good at hiding her emotions and it made it even harder to know if I had crossed a boundary or not.

"Yes." She said and smiled at me before reaching for my hand and pulling me towards the front door.

I ignored the sparks I felt while having her hand in mine and when she had me outside and was pulling me towards that's death trap I found myself pulling my hand away from her.

"Absolutely not Emerald. I am not getting on that thing and you shouldn't be riding it in the first place. I can't believe she let you get this."

I said to her sounding more like a father then I had wanted to. She laughed and walked over to stand by the bike. She sat her helmet on the seat and looked back at me with both hands on her hips.

"Oh don't even start. I bought this with my own money and I've been driving it for almost four years now. Don't worry August you'll be safe with me." She said and winked at me.

She is making it impossible for me to hold back from her. She is extremely flirtatious and I wasn't sure if this was just her personality or if she found me just as attractive as I found her.

"I'm serious, there is no way I'm getting on that bike."

She narrowed her eyes at me a minute and then took several strides towards me. She was coming closer and closer and when I realized she was close enough for me to touch I took a step back. It didn't deter her though and she took another step towards me.

She put her hand on my chest and leaned in until she was pressed up against me. I looked down at her and she batted those long lashes over her wild eyes while looking up at me.

"Does Zeb want to ride with me?"

'Yes he would since he's not a pussy.' Zeb said sarcastically making me feel even more irritated.

I rolled my eyes and looked away from her for a minute trying to hold on to the last bit of control I had. Suddenly I felt her soft fingers on my forehead and I snapped my eyes back down to her and she slowly moved her hand through my silver hair as if she knew what I needed. She brushed my hair back with her fingers a few times and I closed my eyes relishing in her touch.

Any worries or concerns or irritations I had were quick to melt away by her fiery touch. I leaned more into it and let out a low growl from my chest. I wrapped my arms around her waist and like a selfish greedy thief I held her closer to me so I could get even more drunk from her ashy scent.

"What about now hm?" She asked in her raspy tone and I felt myself unwillingly nod my head while she kept her fingers looped in my hair.

Then suddenly I felt the warmth of her body leave mine and her smoky scent was no longer surrounding me. Her hand had left my hair and it caused me to snap my eyes back open as reality came crashing back on me.

I had to use every bit of self control I had left to keep from snatching her back to me. I wasn't finished enjoying that and it wasn't enough. The small touches and short time I get to enjoy her scent weren't enough. I was like a junkie trying to hold on to the last shred of dignity left before going of the rails for not having that next hit.

She walked to her bike and slung her leg over one side and held her black helmet in her hands. She looked up at me and her eyes lit up when she put a huge smile on.

"Come on old man I'll be sure to go nice and slow for you." She said cheekily, but the way she was looking at me told me her statement held more then one meaning.

I wasn't sure who this woman was sitting on this motorcycle with wild eyes and tangled messy hair, but I knew I wanted to know her. And if I was going to ever know her I would have to get on that fucking death trap of hers.