Chapter 0004

JACE.

I stiffened when I realized what I was doing and the position we were in.

Shit! I needed to stop.

I did not remove her from my lap, and she did not leave either, even after I stopped tickling her. Instead, she rested her back against my torso and slightly turned her body to the side so her cheek was resting on my shoulder, and her hair, which smelled of strawberries, pressed against my mouth.

We stayed still in this position until I heard her breathing slow down.

I let out a deep sigh before I spoke. "I should take you back to the dormitory."

"How far are we?"

"Thirty to forty minutes."

"I don’t think I can wait any longer. I want to sleep, and besides, the main doors are locked. I don’t want to ring the headmistress and be interrogated."

"You’re with me. She won’t argue with that, and besides, you shifted."

"I don’t want anyone to know I shifted."

"They will still smell your wolf."

"I should call Mom and let her know."

"They’re here tomorrow for my ceremony. You can tell them personally." I told her as I rested my head back against the tree, with my hands on the ground, gripping the dirt and earth. I wanted to keep my hands off of her.

I waited for her to reply, and when she didn’t, I tipped my head down to look at her.

She fell asleep. It was nothing unusual. Females usually pass out after they shifted.

Amara had lasted more than an hour running, which was already a record for females shifting for the first time, but then she was an Alpha Female.

‘And only sixteen.’ Zero growled in my head.

He was frustrated that he could not connect with Ice, so he kept snapping at me. But what choice did we have?

I adjusted Amara’s position and let her sleep comfortably in my arms. My stomach was growling. I didn’t have lunch or dinner, but I didn’t want to wake her up, so I sat still and closed my eyes. I would let her rest for a while.

"Jace…" A sweet voice woke me up from a deep slumber.

My eyes immediately snapped open, and my body jolted forward, making whoever was on my lap fall backward.

"Fuck!" I growled as I moved and tried to catch Amara, but she was already on the ground, laughing as she clutched her stomach.

My eyes went to her exposed thighs, and if she moved her arms up, I would see something I was not supposed to see.

Eyes on her face, Jace. I kept reminding myself.

My forehead creased as I leaned forward and pulled her abruptly up from the ground, and my grip might be so tight that she grimaced and scowled at me.

"Careful!" She snapped at me, tugging her arms away from my hold. "I forgot you were grumpy when you just woke up."

"You startled me," I told her as I brushed my hand over my hair. "We should head home."

"I can’t. It’s midnight."

"Packhouse is just a 10-minute run from here."

"Okay. I’ll shift back."

"Zero can take you on his back. Just hop on him. It’ll be faster than having Ice run with him."

"Grumpy old man." I heard her mutter under her breath, but I ignored her as I slipped the shorts off my body, folded them, and tossed them behind the bushes.

"Eyes up, Amara. Not on my ass." I told her with a voice devoid of any emotion.

"You have dimples on your ass." She giggled.

"I’d been told," I huffed as I crouched on the ground.

"Who told you? Your girlfriend, or girlfriends?" she asked, her voice mocking me.

Instead of answering, I shifted into my wolf.

Girlfriends? I never had one, and I would never have one.

The only one I would commit to is the one bestowed upon me by the Goddess. And I will wait for her, even if it takes forever.

Zero slumped his body down to the ground so it would be easier for Amara to climb.

"Of course, you will not answer." She huffed. "Mr. Alpha is always too nice not to talk about his females."

I could imagine her rolling her eyes as she climbed on the back of my wolf.

"You know you can tell me about your females. I can keep secrets, and maybe you can ask me about what a female wants in a relationship. Maybe I can help you." She kept talking as she leaned her body forward and wrapped her arms around Zero’s neck.

Amara.

Same old Amara. She would always dominate our conversations.

I smiled despite myself as Zero rose from the ground and prepared to run.

What made her think that a girl who just turned sixteen could give advice about females and relationships to an eighteen-year-old boy?

"I’m smarter than my age, just in case you forget." She added, and for a while, I thought she was hearing my thoughts.

But she was right, she was smarter than her age. I couldn’t argue with that.

---------------------

"You did not just walk in naked, with Amara almost naked beside you!" Austin’s voice rang around the entrance of the packhouse, and my hand immediately flew to the back of his head, slapping him before we ended up chuckling.

Austin was my cousin and would step in as the Gamma of the pack with me tomorrow night, or tonight, to be specific.

"Why the fuck are you still awake?" I asked, and my eyes darted to the big wall clock that read two o’clock in the morning.

"I just came home…" He winked at Amara, who had her arms crossed against her chest.

"You will have a ceremony tomorrow, and you went out partying?" Amara asked him.

"I have to be responsible starting tomorrow, so I went out and celebrated, which was the exact same thing you did. So you’re no good too." He smirked before turning serious and shifting his gaze between me and Amara. "So, did you two... cross the friendship line?"

"Fuck you. I’m not like you. I don’t bang everyone that wears a skirt." I scowled at him before taking Amara’s hand and tagging her along with me as we headed for the stairs on the back side going to the basement.

"Besides, I don’t wear skirts," Amara added, giggling.

I heard Austin laugh. "She just turned sixteen, Jace! Uncle Aeon will kill you."

Amara laughed beside me as we threaded down the stairs with our hands clasped together.

‘Amara shifted. She doesn’t want anyone to know yet. So stop spreading rumors, or I will cut your balls and give them as a gift to the last female you fucked.’

‘You’re fucking gross, man. But she shifted? At sixteen? Wow! She’s a fucking Alpha!’

‘Where have you been, man? Everyone knows she’s a fucking Alpha.’

‘I know. I just want to say it out loud. Anyway, I’m off to bed. I just want to remind you again, that she is sixteen years old, so if you have any thoughts of...’

‘Fuck off and sleep.’ I growled at him and cut off the mindlink at the same time we entered the laundry area in the basement.

"What are we doing here?" Amara asked.

"Here." I handed her the Tweety Bird pajamas that belong to Catherine. "So you can sleep better because I don’t know how many shifters have worn that shirt you’re wearing."

"Seriously? Is Catherine still wearing this? We went shopping last week for nicer nightwear."

"That will do for tonight. I had no plans on rummaging through my sister’s skimpy and sexy pajamas."

"Fair enough. So, can you turn around so I can change?"

"Nah, I’ll go and wait for you outside this room." I grabbed my sweatpants and walked out of the laundry area without waiting for her reply.

After I put on my pants, I went to the cupboard where extra toothbrushes and toothpaste were kept and took one set for her.

"Am I sleeping in your room?" She asked as I handed them to her.

I shook my head. "If we overslept, I’m sure it will not do us good."

"I used to sleep in your room."

"Yes, you did, when you were seven, and I’m ten. Not when you have boobs and periods already. The last thing I want is to have my balls cut off before I even find my mate."

She giggled softly before responding. "You’re no fun. I was just kidding. I can crawl into Catherine’s bed."

"You can take the guest room. She locks her room. Besides, if I’m grumpy when I wake up… You should know…"

"That Catherine is the devil when her sleep is interrupted." She finished the words, and we both ended up chuckling.

It had been a long time since I had a moment with Amara alone. And it felt good that being with her felt like there was no gap or missed time between us.

"Come now, kitten. You need to sleep. Or do you want to eat first? My stomach was growling the whole night."

"Of course eat! Is that even an option? I’m famished!" She playfully glared at me.

"Yup. Let’s go eat then!"

"Race you to the kitchen, rockstar!" She exclaimed, using the nickname she gave me when we were younger, before dashing off towards the stairs.

I couldn’t help but shake my head and cackle as I ran after her, but knowing fully well that I would just let her win this race like the old times.