Obsession (The Mate Games 1)

“When do you want to start?”

“Start what?”

I heard him before I saw him. Kingston. My wolf stretched and pushed at her confines the moment his voice brushed over my skin.

Rolling my eyes, I turned in my chair to find him seated on my other side, leering. “Training.”

“That’s my job. Father Gallagher set it up, remember? You were there when he suggested it.”

I bristled. “That’s not what this is. You’re supposed to help with my wolf, not my control. Not fighting.”

“It’s the same thing. You’d understand that if you could shift. But since you can’t, you’ll have to trust the expert.”

Expert? The gall of this asshole.

“And who’s that?” Alek asked dryly. “You?”

“I’m certainly more of an expert on the topic of who she is. Who she’s meant to be.”

Alek scoffed, his eyes turning an electric shade of blue. “Down boy,” he commanded, right as the chair Kingston was sitting on disappeared and he crashed down hard on the library floor. His mouth opened to protest, but no sound came out. “And why don’t you keep quiet while you’re at it?”

The laugh escaped me involuntarily, prompting a withering glare from Kingston. “Alek, let him talk. It’s all he has.”

“Are you sure? He’s so much more pleasant to be around like this.”

The commotion had called the attention of other students and the librarian. Soon, we’d be caught, and Alek would likely end up punished because of his abuse of magic. There was no reason both of us needed to be in the doghouse. “Yeah. He’s right anyway. I need to work on both things at the same time. Controlling my anger and my wolf.”

Alek looked at Kingston with a severe expression. “That mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble one day. Be thankful she’s here to protect you. I won’t be so tolerant the next time you piss me off.” Then his eyes flared that brilliant azure color once more, and the library was filled with the sound of Kingston’s tirade.

Profanity, loud and plentiful, flew from Kingston, warranting a strong word of warning from the librarian. Kingston gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, his whole body trembling from the effort to restrain himself.

“My goodness, Kingston. I thought you had morecontrolin you than that,” I teased. “Maybe you and I should both work with Alek to get better at it.”

Alek’s brows lifted in amusement. “Always happy to help. I’d gladly offer my services to you both. But I should warn you, Kingston. I can be a bit of an arsehole. You might not enjoy it.”

“Fuck your services.” Kingston turned his focus to me. “Sunday, I’ll expect you to join me in the clearing by the lake tonight for our first session. If you don’t show up, I’ll come get you, toss your ass over my shoulder, and cart you out to your lesson. Understood?”

“How ‘bout this,” Alek drawled. “We’ll both be there. And if you have a problem with that, you can air your grievances with my fist in your face.”

Kingston’s eyes glowed a deep amber, a feral growl building in his chest. But before he could answer, the librarian approached.

“Whatever... this is,” she gestured between us. “Needs to end. Here and now. I don’t care for pissing matches, and certainly not in my library. Take it outside, or you three can visit the headmistress.”

Realizing the only one who could put an end to this was me, I sighed. “Sorry. We’re leaving.”

She glared at us over her half-moon spectacles once more for good measure before adding. “See that you do. With haste.” Then she turned on her heel and stomped off.

“Tonight. Both of you. At the clearing. But for now? Leave me the fuck alone. I’m already in enough trouble as it is.”