8.2: ...of a Lifetime

Dina's POV

Josh was looking confused as he glanced between me and the other two people present.

“No one!” I groaned. Was it "Let's make the maid’s life miserable"-day and I just missed the memo?

“Oh, don’t fret,” Josh winked, and his golden brown eyes met mine. “I’ll let you seduce me anytime you want.”

“Geez, thanks!” I muttered, and hopelessly let my head hang.

“Beta Danvers,” Josh exclaimed, as he finally recognized Michael. Although he was the beta, the beta and alpha didn't intermingle much with the "average" life of their pack members. They were all about securing the territory for our wolves to shift and run safely and keeping it safe from other packs or rogues. All pack members paid a sort of "tax" for the upkeep and running of the pack, while the alpha and his enforcers trained and risked their lives to keep them safe. There was also a pack house that used to house the alpha and beta, but now it was mostly used for offices and single enforcers to live if they wanted to move out from their parents, and where they got served hot meals by the pack's omegas. And no, there weren't any mistreated omegas in this pack or anything like that in other packs either, for that matter. Sure, an omega wolf was weaker than average, but that was why they tended to gravitate to where the alpha and stronger pack members were. Because a stronger wolf would feel protective of them.

Because that's what a pack did...

Josh held out his hand to Michael and gave him a polite - albeit strained - smile.

“I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Josh Collin.”

“I see that our werewolves stick together on campus,” Michael replied, shaking his hand. “It's good to know you look out for each other.”

“Hmm, I’m pretty sure it’s me keeping them out of trouble, but,” I sighed before I turned to Michael with a wry grin. “But whatever helps you to sleep at night.”

“But why are you here?” Rita asked the beta and instantly Michael’s attention was back on her.

“You had to remind me I actually have a job, ha?” he said and heaved a melodramatic sigh. “It’s pack business, which I really should get back to. Take care, Ladies! Josh.”

With that, he jumped to his feet, and with one last respectful nod, he turned and walked away. His long legs took fast strides toward the school and I couldn't help but notice Rita eyeing him as he retreated.

“Goddess, he’s hot!”, she sighed dreamily, once he was out of earshot.

“He’s the beta,” Josh shrugged, but anyone with half a brain could see that he was jealous. “And he’s an alpha-born wolf.”

“Ah! Is me talking about another fuck-boy giving you insecurities, Josh?” Rita mocked.

“Fuck you,” he scoffed.

“Been there, done that, had better,” Rita said dismissively.

"Oh look at the time," I exclaimed before they really went at each other’s throat. Needless to say, Josh and Rita did not get along well but behaved most of the time. And yeah, it was a sort of a guilty pleasure seeing Rita tear into Josh's ego sometimes...

***

“Hey! Dina!”

Someone called just as I was about to walk up to the alpha’s house. It had been a long day with classes, and I’d been working on a project after school since I didn’t have any of the right equipment back at the Alpha’s house.

I turned around and was sort of surprised when I came face to face with Michael. He ran up to me, but stopped a few feet away, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His mouth opened and closed and for a while, I was tempted to ask, if his wolf had turned into a fish.

He sure looked like one...

“Erm, that friend of yours…erm, Rita…” he mumbled uncertainly and tried giving me his signature smile. The one I knew could make anybody weak in the knee.

Too bad, it didn’t work on me.

“Yeah,” I asked, turning to face him. “What about her?”

“Erm, she seems really cool,” he continued, still hopeful.

“She is,” I answered, already knowing where this was heading. But I wasn’t above letting him stew in his own sweat for a while. Let him work for it for once. I grinned to myself and my wolf was in full agreement. This was OUR Rita after all...

Seeing that his charms were wasted on me, he dropped the smile and swallowed thickly, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

“OK, listen I’m not very good at this, but she really caught my attention,” he tried again, looking at me pleadingly. “So I was wondering if you could give me her number?”

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” I asked, gladly hinting that I wasn’t about to help him. But the fact of the matter was, that Rita had practically begged me to get his number from the alpha. This right here was actually making my job so much easier. But I was still going to make him work for it…

“Because I’m pretty sure she’ll say no,” he sighed, sounding almost annoyed. Yeah, years of being a playboy could do that to a man, my wolf scoffed, and I had to bite the inside of my cheeks not to laugh.

“It’s her right to say no,” I casually replied and shrugged, just to really rub it in. In truth, I had a feeling that they were practically made for each other.

“Please?” he begged, folding his hands in front of him as if in prayer. “Pretty please?”

OK!

Perhaps it was time to put an end to his misery. I rolled my eyes at his shenanigans and picked up my phone, calling Rita.

"I'll call her and see if she's interested," I sighed, proud of my acting skills. Hey, I might have the seduction skills of a rock, but if this architecture gig didn't work out, perhaps I should pursue acting...

This was fun!

“What's up?" Rita's cheery voice sounded on the other end; which was her way of saying "hello".

"Hi, Rita," I said calmly, walking a few steps away from Michael, so he wouldn't be able to hear Rita's end of the conversation. What?

I said he would have to work for it; I just made sure he sweated a little...

“So I met Michael Danvers again, and he wanted to know if I could give him your number?” I continued, trying not to laugh, when I heard Rita’s muffled squeal on the other line.

"Make him nervous first," she whispered conspiratorially into the speaker. "Pretend I don't know who you're talking about! I don't want him to think I'm like those floozies he's always fucking."

“Beta Michael Danvers," I replied, giving my girl exactly what she ordered. "He joined us when we had lunch today."

"I love you, you know that right?" she snickered - and I was having a hard time not laughing my ass off.

"Hmm, yeah! That guy," I continued the one-sided conversation and frowned for effect. "OK?"

"I think that's enough sweating," she grinned happily. "See you tomorrow?"

"No, it’s no problem," I replied. "Sure, see you.”

I hung up after the little charade and walked back over to Michael, who looked like he was about to take an exam that he hadn't studied for.

“I’m sorry,” I sighed. What? I was a nice person, not a saint! Of course, I was going to torture him a little while longer…

“She said no?” he sighed and looked utterly defeated. So sad, I even felt bad for a second.

“She said yes,” I answered. “I’m really sorry for you.”

“YES!”

Before I could brace myself, I was in his arms and was being swung around like a freaking rag-doll.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

“Geez,” I grinned, once he finally put me down again. “What are you? 12?!”

“Sorry! It’s just--- Well, I’ve---” he stuttered, tumbling over his words. He let out a relieved sigh, before digging his hands into his pockets, looking like the sinner who finally got forgiveness.

“After--- my dad left, it was easier to just score for the night, you know?" he said, and the sad memories made me regret giving him such a hard time - almost! "No strings attachments, and all that. And it was fine in the beginning. But that also gave me a rather tarnished reputation.”

Rather tarnished?! My wolf scoffed. He was a man-whoring, bed-jumping playboy! But nobody cared, because only the girls he slept with were sluts.

(Note: sarcasm!)

“I don’t want to be that person for the rest of my life,” he continued and looked down at me. “I want someone to settle down with and have kids and---love. But it seems that I somehow always get stuck in the one-night-stand routine.”

“You want a mate?” I asked, rather surprised. I mean, sure his reputation was that of a one-night stander and that he couldn’t and wouldn’t keep a girl for the life of him.

But Rita?

MY Rita?!

Rita had what she described as a healthy sex life. Before college, she'd had a boyfriend and after they broke up, she’d had a rebound, but she wasn’t the type to hook up just for a quick shag. She had and valued her dignity, so she definitely wasn’t his usual type. But then again, perhaps that was his problem: once he had gotten that reputation, he only attracted that kind of women…

“I guess so,” he shrugged, but the blush on his cheeks said otherwise. He definitely knew so! “I-I just want you to know, that my interest in your friend is honest, no matter how we end up.”

“Good luck then,” I honestly wished him, and handed him my phone so he could take Rita's number. “Rita can be a handful, but she’s a fighter. And a loyal friend.”

“Thanks,” he said and gave me another hug. Without thinking, I hugged him back and kissed his cheek. He left, but once he was back in his car, I couldn’t help the feeling that someone was watching me.

I tried to look around, but the only thing there was the alpha’s house…