Page 107 of Nearly Werewolves

Already Lacey and Colt prowl the outskirts of the room, keeping an eye on their club to make sure no one gets out of line and we all have fun.

Aimee and RJ with their boyfriends visit at one of the private tables and, if I listen closely enough, their laughter is another layer to the melody in the air of the place.

We deserve this. All of us.

“You’re right.” I steal another kiss and relish the way Grayson moans. His hand drops to caress my ass before he palms my hips instead. “I’m sorry. I won’t touch you anymore. It’s probably better if I do what the teachers say and keep my hands to myself.”

“You, apologizing for teasing me. I never thought I’d see the day.”

The flush spreads over the rest of me and his eyes narrow.

“What’s the matter, Mandi?”

I blink up at him, heart racing. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve got the worry line right between your eyes. Here.” He draws a finger along the path of the groove in my skin. “What are you worrying about tonight?”

“Nothing.”

“Little liar.”

He cradles me closer and I relax into him, breathing in his familiar scent of woodsmoke and clean forest. The last knots in my chest relax. They’ve always been there, a fear of the unknown, a worry for what will happen and where I’ll fit in the world.

Grayson is right, I’m a liar.

I’m working on it.

“Maybe I’m worried about us starting classes soon,” I toss out. “You’re not the only one who’s nervous.”

He hears me despite the thrumming music. “There’s nothing to worry about. We’ll be together. At least you don’t have to start the semester with an exam in art history.”

We took a year off to recuperate.

Grayson was able to defer his scholarship while we both adjusted to a new normal. I wasn’t sure if he’d want to do it together or not, despite everything we admitted to each other.

Luckily for me, he did.

We were able to make our own path forward, regardless of what other people wanted for us.

Freedom is intoxicating. And terrifying.

At least we’re both willing to make sure we do what we can for each other. Good days, bad days, every day in between. We choose our path. And so far, we’ve chosen each other.

“It’s going to be fine,” he assures me. “You’ll do so well. We both will.”

Colt actually helped us find a cute little apartment on the top floor of someone’s house, a place to share while we got used to classes just a few blocks over from campus. Our luck held even further when I got accepted to state, too.

A little magic helped.

And with our full moon plan in place, my gut told me we had a really good chance of making something of ourselves.

Grayson would have room to paint.

And I’d be able to figure out what I want, what I like, while we live the life we’ve dreamed of for so long. The view from the front window of the apartment gets all kinds of natural light in the afternoon.

So I’d turn my face to the sun.

“Come on, you two. I’ve got a fresh round of drinks at the table and RJ wants to make a toast.” Lacey materializes at myelbow, rolling her eyes. “You know how insufferable she is when she gets her mind set on something.”

“We’ll be there in a minute,” Grayson says before I have a chance to reply.

I lift my face to him. “Any reason for the delay?”

“The best reason.”

He dips his lips down to mine again. The kiss stretches and turns us into a tangle of limbs and lips and tongue. I lose myself in it, his scent, his touch, our wolves falling into place within ourselves and with each other.

THE END