XXXIV. The Tackle

Rhea's POV

Sylvia was right; my feelings are hurt and I'm not entirely sure why. I guess it's because I enjoyed talking to someone who seemed like a normal person, or maybe it's because I was using the conversation to fill the holes that Jack had left, but either way, I have been distracted and depressed.

Money is tight within our apartment right now, which is sparking arguments over wasteful spending between Tucker and Raven. The truth is that I need to pull my weight. I may have paid the rent in advance, but I miscalculated utilities setting us back in our budget.

I have signed up to become an on-campus tutor, which is a paid position, but so far no one has tapped me for private lessons. Raven tells me that it's because of my appearance, but I don't think people failing in school should care about my looks, and if they do, they deserve every F they are given.

"Sh*t!" I hear.

I look up to see one of the biggest humans in school coming right at me. He does his best to slow, but he knocks me back, sending me sprawling and my books flying. I'm hurt, but not terribly. I've been tackled by Colton before, and what I feel now is about a fourth of the pain I felt back then.

"Sorry, are you okay?" I'm not really paying attention to the person speaking because I can feel people staring at me, and the feeling of nudeness is about to overwhelm me with anxiety. Sylvia is trying her best to calm me down, but the only thing that will work right now are my glasses. My hands are shaking as I move my books trying to find them, but I can't. "Hey?" The guy says while trying to grip my shoulders, but I flinch away.

"No touching," I say in a quick burst that makes the man's hands dart back.

"Okay, no touching, but you don't look good, and if this gets back to my coach, I'm screwed; so why don't you tell me what you are looking for so everyone can stop staring and walk away."

"My glasses," I whisper. The man in front of me looks around before handing me the thick black frames that had somehow ended up behind him. I slide them on my face with a relieved sigh.

"Is that better?" He asks and I nod slowly. "I don't want to assume, but my brother has autism. He has a specific order in which he likes to carry his books. Do you have anything like that?" I shake my head. "Okay. I'm going to help you stand. Can you handle that?" I nod again, and Sylvia is purring in my mind. She likes how patient the person who knocked me over is being, and she has decided that his personality is her ideal type.

"I'm sorry," I say after I'm standing. "I didn't mean to get in your way." I am half reliving the memories of Colton in high school, and I find myself apologizing on instinct.

"What are you sorry for? We were the ones playing recklessly." I look up and see about six equally tall men staring down at me and I tense. Even as a wolf, I cannot beat six large adult males.

"Maybe we should call someone Mike; she may actually be hurt."

"I'm fine," I say. "I was just caught off guard."

"Do you usually brace for large men to knock you over as you walk?" I involuntarily nod.

"Sh*t," several of the guys say at the same time.

"What kind of *ssholes did you grow up around?" I suppress a chuckle and start to pick up my things, which is made easier by the guys who are helping. I am used to collecting books by myself or having to hunt them down after Colton and his friends have scattered them around the halls, so I truly wasn't expecting it.

"Thank you," I say to each of the men who has handed me one of my things.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mike, the one who knocked me over asks.

"Don't worry. I am fine, and I will not make trouble for you, but I'm kind of late for my lab now."

"Sorry," he says while scratching his head. The action draws my eyes to his face. He is no jack, but he isn't ugly.

Colton's POV

Jessica and I have fallen into a comfortable routine that works for us both. She is from a pack that's located about five hours away, so when she visits, I'm actually not annoyed by her presence.

There are other women that split my attention, but they all know their place. They do not try to force me to commit to them and like all the other women in my life, they have never made it past the pull-out mattress.

I learned from my father that you shouldn't sh*t where you sleep, and while a lot of the things he says can be attributed to lunacy, other things make sense. I wouldn't want to sleep in a room that my mate has shared with other men, so I wouldn't expect my mate to do the same; fated or chosen.

----Mature Content 18+----

"Alpha?" I look up to see one of the ranked female fighters dressed in barely-there workout clothing. "Do you have time?" I glance at my phone and know I have about three hours before Jessica arrives, so I drop my pants and Gale is quick to take me into her mouth.

Gale, like Jessica, does not complain when I bend her over my desk and thrust myself so deep inside of her that her feet lift off the floor. I don't do missionary because I don't kiss, but I am very good from behind and haven't had any objections yet.

Gale is moaning my rank, and I'm not sure if women realize how much I hate that. I try shutting her up by moving faster and harder, but she responds by shouting my full title, which prompts me to cover her mouth.

I think she finally got the hint and stopped making noise long enough for me to release. I slide out of her, remove the condom, and flush it.

"Times up," I say, tossing a wet rag to Gale, who is still bent over my desk while trying to catch her breath.

"That was…" I brace myself for Gale to berate me. I was less than gentle with her, and for some reason thoughts of Britt have started to flash through my mind. "Are you sure your girlfriend is doing it for you alpha?" She asks, pushing herself into the standing position. "You seem tense."

Gale starts rubbing my chest, trying to get a second round out of me, but that would take two hours I don't have. I have work to catch up on and Jessica is on her way. It doesn't even occur to me that Gale called the woman my girlfriend, because as far as I am concerned; I am single.

"I'm good for now. Wouldn't mind doing that again when I have time though." Gale flashes me a sexy smile and leaves my study without wiping herself off. I know what she is doing, but it will only get her so far.

I go to leave my office, but when I open the door Jessica is standing face to face with Gale and they are exchanging words. I have had women fight over me before, but I have never witnessed it and don't want to.

I drag Jessica away, ordering Gale out of the pack house as I pull the woman to the room where she will be staying. I shouldn't be angry, but I know she lied to me about her arrival time on purpose.

I think we are about to get into some sort of argument but Jessica shocks me by jumping on me and tugging at my clothes. She is whining about being a better woman and I'm surprised by how bad I feel having made her cry.

"You can leave if you want." A part of me is hoping that she will say yes, and so to make it easier on her I get into the shower. I am disappointed when I hear the door open and the woman steps into the tub with me.

"I will wait for you," she whispers while hugging me from behind.

Raven's POV

Tucker came home drunk after another one of our pointless arguments. He likes having sex when he has been drinking, and because I like having sex with him, I have never denied him, but tonight I smelled perfume on his shirt, and I am instantly turned off.

I push him away, asking him where the smell came from and he claims a drunk girl in the bar was all over him before he came home. I want to believe him, but there is no bond between us, so I can't tell if he is lying or not. He tries kissing me again, but the cheap smell is overwhelming, and I stop him.

"If you don't trust me, break up with me," he says as he climbs out of bed and heads into the shower.

Trust has always been an issue within our relationship and not just on his part. There have been times when I have come home from school and have seen him watching B in a way that has made me feel tense. I know how lustful eyes look and while my sister is oblivious, I am not totally convinced my boyfriend isn't looking at her as a better option.

From the very beginning of us living together, B has made me feel inadequate. She cannot taste, but her food always comes out amazing, she is quite literally a genius, and if she ever grows out of her glasses and baggy clothes phase, she is by far the prettier sister.

When Tucker is done showering, I confront him again. Only this time, I say what I never thought I could.

"You're right, I think we should end things."