Engraven (3 page)

Tarrow

If the Alpha was tired now, I couldn’t imagine how he would cope when the baby came. Echo was now almost nine months along and could barely carry herself around. Of course, that didn’t stop her. She’d insisted on finishing out the semester, pregnancy and all, but the responsibility of being the Coeur, plus the baby coming was putting too much stress on her.

“It should be quick. I just have to give these papers to the admissions office so she can take an incomplete. That way, it won’t look like she failed.”

“I’ve never been to the college. Maybe I’ll pick up some information while I’m there.”

Hawke chuckled and if he weren’t the Alpha, I would’ve been pissed off.

“Is it funny?”

“No, it’s just about time. I didn’t know if you wanted to go or not. I know your mom has said something about you going to school when she comes over to visit Echo.”

“Oh. I can’t leave her yet.”

That warranted another chuckle. He thought I couldn’t leave her because I was some kind of mama’s boy. Whatever he wanted to think was fine. I wasn’t going to get any respect one way or the other.

“What’s the matter with you? I can sense your aggravation all the way over here.”

He said all the way over here like it was a mile away. Of course he could feel my anger. We were in the cab of his truck.

“Nothing.”

We were on the interstate in no time, on our way to the small college. There were four year degrees available, but Echo had chosen a two-year degree in business management. That’s basically what she did, manage our unruly asses.

And she did it well.

We got to the college and parked on the street. The rest of the parking was reserved for student and faculty—at least what we saw.

I walked into the admissions office behind the Alpha, my rightful place. While he talked to whoever was behind the desk, I picked at pamphlets and course catalogs, pretending that one day I would actually be able to attend.

“Tarrow, I forgot one page. It’s the note from the midwife. Can you hold these and wait here? This lady is helping me.”

I looked up to greet the person who was helping the Alpha.

The papers all fell from my hands and the ceiling spun while the lazy ceiling fan blades seemed to still with the air.

Amber irises locked with mine as my heartbeat arrested, having me clawing at my chest in desperation for the blood pumping sensation to return. No breaths were to be had as my first thought drifted into the air, thanking the Creator for chance encounters that weren’t so chance at all.

Tears sprang to her eyes and I reached out to quell them over the counter that separated us, but she backed away, our heartbeats suddenly beginning again—in time—mine perfectly matching the rhythm of hers.

Scared—shocked—embarrassed—nervous—joyous. I collected her feelings like lightning bugs in a jar, one by one.

The surge of emotions from her strangled me, arresting my own feelings in place. Hers were ten-fold more important than mine and so, my bear pushed them aside and clawed at my insides, demanding that I touch her and console her the way only a mate could.

My eyes ticked to the side as I heard a gasp from one of the people in the room. I didn’t know if they knew what was happening or they thought I was merely having some kind of cardiac arrest.

We needed privacy.

This shouldn’t be happening, here. I should’ve gone after her like Rev said.

“May I speak to you privately?” I asked her. Her. I didn’t even know the name of my mate.

But I could already tell so many things about the female that in seconds has changed everything.

The brunette curls around her face bounced with her nod and someone took her place as we again stared each other down while she moved to the swinging gate that let her out. I grabbed the squeaking thing and let her through. She scooted past me like she didn’t know whether to run or reach out to me.

Creator above, if she would just touch me.

“I’m sorry. Can we step outside, at least to the hallway?”

She nodded but refused to take the hand I’ve extended, so desperate to touch her.

After a few seconds, I finally regained some of my composure. “I’m Tarrow Rivers.”

“I—my name is Dahlia.”

“It’s nice to meet you—finally.”

Whatever I’d said causes her to break out in a full blush, the color of red leaves in the fall.

A clearing of a throat interrupts me. The only interruption I would allow at that point—the Alpha.

I cowered in his presence despite the fact that we are in public. My bear was well and alive inside me with the mating bond and he commanded me to bow before my Alpha. He didn’t give a damn where we were. I looked back to her and she’s gawking between the Alpha and myself with a confused look on her face.

“Tarrow, would you like to introduce me?” The voice disrupted me again.

“Forgive me Alpha, this is Dahlia, my mate.”

He extends his hand to shake hers, simply as a display of respect, but I can’t help my reaction. I growl. He can’t touch her before I do. “Hawke, not yet.” I beg of him as my friend and my leader.

“I understand. Tarrow, I am going in the office to finish Echo’s paperwork. Decide what is going to happen here.”

Hawke leaves us there, tangled in the thralls of our new bond.

“You’re nervous.” That’s how I interpreted the tingles that were skittering underneath my skin, prickling me like a porcupine.

“Yes. I didn’t think it would happen like this. I’m working. I have classes and finals this week.” She warns me, pre-empting any time I would ask or demand of her. I would never demand her time, but something about her anxious nature tells me she thinks I might.

“I can help with the nervousness.” With my stomach in knots, I extend my hand and intend to only touch her hand to send a wave of my affection to throw a blanket over the flames of her anxiousness.

My fingers link with hers. One touch and I am done for, fully and completely.

Her other hand lands on the wall behind her, palm out, bracing her before she falls. She feels the connection between us and a new fear washes over us both. It belongs to her.

I wasn’t having any of that.

I stepped in toward her, catching her tiny, almost fragile, waist in my hands, steadying her—ensuring her that I wouldn’t let her fall—ever. In my grasp, she settles. In my mind, my bear is reaching out for hers. If they had their way, they’d be running in the nearest clearing, finishing what we’d started with one look.

“That helped. Thank you.”

I rolled my eyes at her thanking me for something any mate would do. It wasn’t necessary. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her happiness or her safety.

“No thank you necessary. You said you have school and finals. Do you have
any
free time this week?”

I probably sounded like Aspen, picking up one of his ‘dates’.

“Only after school and at night.”

“Can I see you then? I have to see you.”

“Yes.” She was breathless as she answered me. I could feel her melting a little in my hands second by second. Her eyes shined pure liquid amber.

She was cinnamon through and through.

I bet she tastes like cinnamon.

“Do you have a phone?” I smiled at the simplicity of such a thing—getting my mate’s phone number.

“Pocket.” Her eyes never left mine.

“Get your phone out, beautiful. I’m not reaching for it. We aren’t that well acquainted—yet.”

She twisted her right foot around, like she was embarrassed of such talk. I would address that issue later.

I hesitantly removed my hands from her waist after making sure she was steady. She snapped back into reality and fumbled around her hips for the pocket that held her phone. That was the first time I noticed what she was wearing. She had a red skirt that was sheer for the most part, but a shorter skirt underneath covered everything above her knees. A worn and frayed Strokes t-shirt was cut at her belly, showing the tiniest amount of skin above the waist of the skirt and it hung off one of her shoulders.

It made my bear restless. He growled inside me and I knew what he wanted, it was a request I refused to grant.

He wanted more of her covered to avoid the roaming eyes of other males.

Telling her how to dress was not only unnecessary, but not something I would do, despite the animal inside me.

Rev would argue the opposite point. Which is why he and Martha were always at each other’s throats.

Not that they didn’t love each other. They did. Their passion veined into all areas of their lives, especially their deep-rooted opinions.

She handed the phone to me and I called myself from it and plugged in the necessary information. I could feel her eyes on me the whole time. It made me want to ask her if she’d ever seen me watching her—from the distance—ever wanting her.

“I’ll get home about eight tonight.” Her voice sang in my ears like the wind over the bayou.

“Will you call me then?” I didn’t give a shit about how whipped I sounded. If I couldn’t see her, I wanted to hear that voice.

“I will.” Her gaze dipped to my lips. She was a dangerous one already.

“Thank you. I’d like to know you are home safe.”

That’s when she smiled at me and my whole world crackled and shattered. A dimple emerged on the top of her left cheekbone as she did. This female could already break me open and put me back together with one smile.

“Tarrow—everything squared away here? I had to do some explaining in there. Do you need more time, brother?”

I wasn’t his brother, but we often referred to each other that way. It was the first time in a long time that I felt like his equal or at least worthy.

“My apologies, Alpha. It couldn’t be helped. I could use more time.”

“Don’t I know it. Are you staying? I have to get to work.”

“No, I’m going to work as well. Talk to you tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Dahlia?” Her name poured off of my tongue like fresh honey.

She answered with her eyebrows. I would have to remember to mention how absolutely endearing that was.

“Thank you.”

From the change in her features, I knew she didn’t understand the appreciation in my tone or my words. But that’s what I felt, appreciation. I was appreciative to her for being my mate, no matter what. Mostly, I was appreciative to the Creator for making her in the first place.

Hesitantly, she turned. I watched her go back into the office and had to grip the threshold of the door to still the bear inside me. He didn’t give a damn about paychecks and prior obligations. He cared about getting his paws on his female and nothing in between.

I mean
nothing
in between.

“Let’s go, man. Congratulations.” Hawke clapped me on the back and brought me down to reality.

“Yeah, thanks.”

All the way to work, I recalled every detail I could, trying to imprint her on my human mind. My bear filled in the gaps, sending me flashing images of her from his view, which was way different than mine.

Her hair was halfway down her back. He remembered the way it smelled. I remembered how it looked like spun silk.

Her exposed shoulder begged for my mouth to imprint on it. He gnashed his teeth, picturing other males’ eyes on what belonged to him. I licked my lips, thinking about her taste.

My beast’s approach to his female was very different than mine.

My work was done with only half of my attention. There were things to be done and plans to be made. I would be a stand-up male. I had to be for her.

Learning my female would be a labor I would gladly accept.

“You have the night off.” Rev remarked to me over his perfectly made sandwich as we all sat around a picnic table. He always boasted of his perfect lunch. Martha carried the namesake perfectly.

The construction crew that Hawke now managed was made up of shifter and human alike. Most people thought we sat together at lunch because we were friends. We didn’t correct them.

“I have patrol tonight,” I argued back.

“You’ve patrolled four nights in a row and you took a secondary shift yesterday morning. Anyway, the Alpha insisted.” I looked over to the Alpha who was sitting against a tree, spending the rest of his lunch hour talking to his mate. It was their ritual and had become even more important since she’d gotten pregnant.

Besides, I wanted patrol that night. My mate might be out there.

My mate.

I had a mate now.

“Fine. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to run.”

“Whatever you want, Root. But you can’t answer your phone with your paws.”

I groaned and the whole table of males laughed it up. They all knew. These pack members gossiped more than the females.

“Yeah, because Martha hasn’t texted you once an hour since you’ve been here.”

A growl ripped through Rev’s throat and he stood slightly, bending over the table and got in my face.