🐺Connor's P.O.V.🐺
I saw Trish pull Sophie out onto the deck and smile at how natural she looks. Trish starts to thank everyone for being here, but I just watch Sophie. She's smiling and staring out at everyone. I spare a quick glance at my watch. 11:55. My eyes look back up at Sophie, who now doesn't look as happy. Everyone is looking at her with worried expressions, including myself. I try to push through the crowd, but just as soon as I get to the deck, she takes off. I don't think twice before dashing after her.
What is she thinking? I ask myself. She's running pretty much in a straight line. I see her try to look behind herself, but I'm hidden by the night. Normally wolves move without being seen in the night, yet she looks like she is practically glowing. A scent fills my nose as I watch her stop. She looks around and I immediately hide behind a tree. I know the scent from training with my dad, and it never meant anything good. I look down at my watch again. 11:58. If I don't get her out of here, she'll be vulnerable, and I can't have that. I'm about to run and grab her when I hear a soft voice talking. They aren't attacking her? I lean around the tree to see a circle of men around her. I can barely hear them because they're talking so low. I see a man slowly walking towards her. My wolf growls but I immediately quiet him. I need to stay hidden in case she needs help. She looks back towards me and I quickly push myself behind the tree. I find myself looking at my watch again. 12:00. Shit. She's going to shift right there in the middle of them. I turn to see her body rising and beginning to glow. I feel my jaw drop and my eyes open wide at the sight. When she comes back down, she doesn't look like a normal wolf, but she is gorgeous. I smell a soft wave of jasmine fill my nose and my wolf goes ballistic.
Mate! Mate! Mate! I look at her in awe, then to my surprise, the men bow.
What are they doing? I watch curiously, hoping they won't attack her. I feel no hostility coming off of them and she seems calm. A man appears with clothes and I want to growl. She shouldn't wear anyone else's clothes other than her own, or mine. She looks at them warily and backs away. The man pleads with her to take them, and she does. I suppress a growl that wants to rise out of my chest. Sophie turns so I can see her face and utter shock fills me. That isn't a she wolf, that's a freakin' tiger!
She comes out from behind the tree fully dressed, and obviously not hurt. With a suppressed sigh, I turn to head back. I can hear the others looking for her and nod knowing she'll be safe in her room soon, and that's where I'll confront her. I'm not angry, I just need to know everything that happened just then.
I dart through trees and narrowly avoid the people that are searching for her. When I get back to her dorm I see the headmaster pacing. He doesn't seem very happy, but soon he tells a girl that he's leaving and heads back to the main office building. I quietly head into her dorm and up the stairs to her room. It isn't hard to find because her scent leads me directly to it. I enter and shut the door silently behind me. As soon as I know I'm not going to be found, I plop down on her bed.
I run my fingers through my hair in an attempt to calm myself down. Why didn't she tell us? I ask my wolf. How come you didn't know her wolf was actually a tiger?
It's not like I knew any different. I thought she was a wolf. I had no reason to believe otherwise. She probably didn't tell us because she couldn't. It's not like it's something normal. I nod but keep running my fingers through my hair.
I don't care if it isn't normal. I say with a definite finality to my voice. She's mine.
My wolf doesn't disagree. I don't care either. She is ours. Nothing will change that. I nod at him and hear the door open softly, then I see her sink down to the ground.
Before I can stop myself, I say the one word going through my head. "Mine." Her head shoots up and looks directly at me.
I see her hazel eyes pierce into me, for a second she looks scared but it's soon replaced by confusion. "What are you doing here? I mean, besides..." She trails off.
I stand up and walk over to her. "I saw everything. In the woods, those rogues. Do you know them?" That wasn't the original question I wanted to ask, but it is good for a beginner.
She stares at me for a second then looks away. "I have no idea who any of them are. I only know one of them, and that's because he told me his name right before he left." I process everything, even though it isn't much.
"And your wolf?"
"Is a tiger, yes." She doesn't look at me. "You can reject me. I understand."
Reject her? Does she honestly think I'd do that? "I'm not going to reject you Sophie." Her eyes immediately look at mine and I smile at the warm copper orbs staring at me.
"You're not?" I shake my head no. "Why? You know the truth. I'm not a wolf. I wasn't even given my tiger by the moon goddess. I'm the exact opposite as you."
I scrunch my eyebrows together. "What do you mean the goddess didn't give you your tiger?"
"The Sun Goddess gave me my tiger." I nod. She is the younger sister of the Moon Goddess, and a great deal less powerful. Nonetheless, she is powerful. "Every one hundred years she gives a female a tigress with her sister's permission."
I sit down in front of her and cross my legs. My eyes take in her disheveled figure. She's wearing clothes that are at least two sizes too big, and they stink of rogues. Not being able to stand the scent, I take off my shirt and hand it to her. "Hand me the shirt you're wearing. You can have mine." She slowly nods and I turn my head. I won't look at her unless she wants me to. I feel my shirt slip from my fingers and another take its place. "Go change pants and give me the ones you're wearing." She stands up and I move out of her way. I stay in my place until she comes back. The pants she had worn hang from her delicate fingers and I take them. "They reek of rogue." I hold them away from me. "Promise me you won't take clothes from a rogue again?"
She let's out a soft giggle and nods. "I promise, Connor."
My name slides off of her tongue effortlessly and I revel at the sound. She's standing right in front of me wearing my shirt and a pair of shorts. "Now this I could get used to." I smile down at her and she smiles back.
"You're not half bad yourself." I remember that I'm shirtless and smirk at her.
"It's nothing you haven't seen before." She blushes and I laugh a little. I hear voices coming up the stairs and decide that's my cue to leave. "I have to go." I don't move as I say it because her hazel eyes peer right into mine.
"I know." Her voice sounds so soft and gentle, so unlike the Sophie I know.
"You'll see me tomorrow. Don't be so sad." I smile down at her and her eyes roll.
"I'm not sad lover boy." There she is.
"Oh yeah?" I ask challenging her.
"Yeah, I'm just sure that the headmaster would love to know that a boy snuck into a girl's dorm room and waited for her to come back." She places her hands on her hips.
"You wouldn't." I say, and it isn't a question per say.
She raises an eyebrow and smirks. "I wouldn't? Innocent little me just wanted to go to bed, but then I find there's a boy sitting on it."
I let out a playful growl and I see a darkening in her eyes. "I could've been laying on it." The darkness is now a little stronger and I can see why. Sophie slowly comes closer and wraps her arms around my neck. I know she's preparing to do something, but the close proximity is turning off all of my senses except for the ones pushing me to grab her.
I place my arms around her waist and she smiles at me. "You should get out while you can lover boy." I smirk down at her.
"I could, but what would be the fun in that?" A glint of happiness goes across her eyes, and I let my smirk relax to a smile. "Besides, when else will I be able to get this close to you?"
Sophie lays her head down on my chest and I kiss the top of her head. Suddenly there's a knock on the door.
"Sophie? You still awake?" Lily's voice sounds from behind the door.
Sophie doesn't even lift her head. "Yeah, come in and close the door." Lily does as she is told and turns around. Shock crosses her face, but then she smiles.
"I knew it. Ever since he acted weird after the prank, I knew it." She placed her hands on her hips.
"Well thanks for not telling me. I felt like an idiot." I say as I look down at Sophie.
Lily looks at us then begins to speak again. "I love the fact that you two are snuggling, but the headmaster is coming up to see you." Sophie's head shoots up.
"Shit, get out Connor, now." She shoves me towards the window and I laugh.
"Alright, fine, but one thing first."
"Wha-" I don't let her finish because my lips crash down on hers. Tingles spread from my lips down my jaw. When I pull away her hand immediately goes to her lips.
"Goodnight Sophie." I say as I climb out of her window.
She only nods at me and I climb down and wait until I hear her shut her window. Once I'm off of the back porch I lay down in the grass. Sophie is my mate. I finally found my mate.
My wolf was doing a happy dance from the kiss, and to be honest I wanted to join him. I actually kissed her, and she didn't slap me. I am having a great day. Just as I think that, the scent of the clothes hits me straight in the face. I slowly remember the problem at hand and decide to do a little searching. If Sophie doesn't know anything about them, then I'll find it out for her. Today is Sunday and we don't have any classes. I'll head into the woods and search around for them. No harm in looking, right? They didn't hurt her, so as long as I tell them that I'm her mate I'll be fine.
I nod resolutely and stand up. It's still pitch black out and barely one o'clock. The walk to my dorm isn't long, but my classmates immediately notice the scent of rogues.
"Why do you smell like you just got into a fight with a pack of rogues?" Greyson, Sophie's brother comes up to me.
"No reason. I found these clothes on the border of the woods and decided to bring them to the headmaster when there's daylight." He squinted his eyes at me then took the clothes from my hand.
"Why are you shirtless?" He asks, his scrutinizing gaze catching everything I do. "And why do you smell like my sister?" He began to growl at me and I backed up.
"Okay, I gave your sister my shirt and she may have hugged me." I'm not ready to tell him I'm her mate. He'd kill me.
Greyson steps closer as I back away. "My sister's smell is also on these clothes. Care to explain that one?"
Not really. I say to myself. "She must have touched them when I hugged her."
He wasn't backing down from any of this. "Why did she need your shirt?"
I'm screwed. So totally screwed. "I, uh, saw her shift, and when she shifted back she didn't have any clothes, so..."
He growls. "You saw my sister..." Them his growl stops. "If you saw her shift then you know." His eyes looked me over.
"Yes, I know everything." I confessed.
"Who else saw?" Oh, great, time to lie again.
"No one. When she ran off I took off after her. She shifted and I gave her my shirt." He seemed to buy it.
"Alright. Stay away from her. She doesn't need her mate getting angry because you're hanging around her too much." My eyes widen a bit.
"Um, Greyson?" I should tell him. I really should, but shouldn't Sophie do that?
"What?" He glares at me and I clear my throat.
"I need those clothes to take to the headmaster tomorrow." He looks down at his hand then throws them at me before walking away.
I sigh in relief and run back up to my room. Tomorrow I'll tell Sophie that we have to tell him. I can't keep explaining her scent on me, and there is no way I'm staying away from her. I stash the clothes in my bathroom and take off my pants. My boxers are dry, and they have been for a while now. I lay down on my bed and close my eyes. My thoughts never drift from Sophie, even when I know I should be thinking about the rogues. Soon my mind slips into unconsciousness and I fall into a deep sleep.