Share
12. Girl talk. Well, almost
Related chapters
The Way You Taste 13. Sleepless in Ontario
WILLOW’S POINT OF VIEW ****RATED R**** As I lay in my bunk bed, a plan starts to form in my head. I’m not giving up on my mate. Not now, not ever. “Hell yeah!” Jamie agrees. The bond is affecting him just as much as it affects me, and he will have to concede eventually. So, I decide to stop being this moping, fearing girl and go back to my confident boss-ass self. I wait for the right time, when everyone else is asleep. I can feel he’s still awake, though, the mate bond really is a gift. “Holden?” I reach him through the mind link. “Willow?” He sounds surprised. His husky voice is a sweet caress. “Yeah. I can’t sleep,” I say. This is weird and uncomfortable. First of all, I’m not used to mind linking anyone else but my parents and my brother. And I’m not at all close enough to Holden to just link him up in the middle of the night. But I’m sure of what I want, and I’m going to be bold and trust this bond. “Me, neither,” he murmurs. “Thinking of me?” I ask in a put-on
The Way You Taste 14. Third chance
HOLDEN’S POINT OF VIEW This is it. I have all the logical reasons why I can’t be with Willow, and I also have all the logical reasons why I can’t reject her. But I won’t live in limbo forever. I won’t reject her, nor will I mark her. I will dissolve the bond. I have a clear view of the situation. I have a new goal in mind: I’m going to focus even harder on the MBS. I’m going to get Willow’s blood samples from the pack lab, all her stats and results, everything. I’m going to take them to Dr. Tremblay and we’re going to work on it together. We’re going to figure it out, and I’m going to have the perfect variation of the drug and all my problems will be solved. “And unicorns and rainbows and pixie dust,” Hendrix snickers, and I ignore him. The best thing about this plan is that it’ll create a distance between me and Willow. This way, I won’t be influenced by the bond. I’ll have my mind clear, and I’ll be able to focus on my research. I’ll spend even more time at the University
The Way You Taste 15. Training day one
WILLOW’S POINT OF VIEW Phase one of my plan was a glorious win for me. Now I have confirmation that Holden wants me as much as I want him. At least sexually. Of course, I’ll continue trying to seduce him, showing him how much he wants me and how good giving in to the bond could be. But that’s not all of it. I’m determined to show him who I am outside of the bond. To make him fall in love with me. Holden Temple, I will show you that I’m not only your mate, but a warrior, a thinker, and a partner worthy of being by your side. Worthy of being in your heart. I will excel in training and college. I will prove my worth not only to Holden, but to the entire pack. With my plan taking form in my mind, I feel a newfound determination burning within me. A new sense of purpose. Jamie jumps around and giggles in my head. She’s on board with my plan, and I think she’s probably even more excited than I am. I fall asleep to dreams of Holden and of my place in this pack. *** I wake up in a
The Way You Taste 16. Fists and sweat
WILLOW’S POINT OF VIEW ***CONTENT WARNING: MILD VIOLENCE (SPARRING)*** I’m not entirely sure what to expect from Callie. I was a bit upset that she didn’t interfere when Harper was talking shit about Xenia. Callie and Harper seem to know each other, I just don’t know yet if Callie is a grade-A bitch, too. My heart races as I step onto the ring. Our eyes meet, and I’m fueled by determination. Her fiery red hair matches the intensity of her gaze. I assess her. She’s on the curvier side, but I know in real life that means nothing. I’m smaller, so I’d guess I could use my speed and agility in my favor. But I can tell she’s confident, as a smirk plays at the corner of her lips. Gamma Rhys’ whistle cuts through the murmurs of the crowd, and the match begins. We exchange a nod, a silent acknowledgment of what’s about to go down. “We got this!” Jamie cheers me on, and I draw strength from her support. I will prove my worth today. I am ready for this. My palms are sweaty. Mom’s spagh
The Way You Taste 17. Understanding my mate
WILLOW’S POINT OF VIEW Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. What could this be about? I scan my head for all the possible reasons why Alpha Michael might want to speak with me. Holden. It has to be about Holden. He’s going to tell me Holden wants to reject me. Dad. He knows who my father is and knows he asked me to keep an eye on the pack. Xenia. Xenia is secretly a hybrid who can’t really perform as well as full-blooded werewolves, so she can’t be in the Cadet Program, and as her cohort mate, I have to deal with it. I try to reach out to Xenia through the mind link, but I keep hitting walls. She wasn’t part of the crowd who left the gym. Come to think of it, I don’t remember seeing her after her fight was over. Is she missing? I only have thirty minutes, not enough time to shower. Instead, I spend those thirty minutes agonizing over the whirlwind of shit that has hit my face in the last two days, mourning the loss of whatever I’m about to lose. I rehearse different speeches to
The Way You Taste 18. Alone with her
HOLDEN’S POINT OF VIEW It’s absolutely insane that I barely even spoke to this girl, and yet, the thought of her makes it impossible for me to focus on anything else. Every time I close my eyes, I see her. Willow. The way her body arched, the scent of her skin, the sound of her voice. The thought of what she tastes like. “We can finally do all that and more!” Hendrix says. I shake my head. Get a grip, Holden. This is about research. Willow is waiting outside the Pack House, dressed in an outfit that seems like it’s crafted from my own fantasies. A fucking pleated skirt and a white blouse. Like a fucking British schoolgirl. The way it clings to her form, revealing just enough to make my imagination run wild. I’m instantly reminded that I didn’t actually get to see her naked when we had sex. “No better place than our lab for that…” Hendrix taunts. “Morning,” she greets me, shooting me a smirk that says she knows exactly what she’s doing to me. I motion for her to follow me
The Way You Taste 19. Bridging gaps
WILLOW’S POINT OF VIEW “Dad! I thought you said we weren’t supposed to talk until after boot camp?” I smile as I answer the phone. “Yeah, I just missed you too much. So, how’s my Willy Kitty?” He chuckles at me as he uses my old nickname. “Good! I mean, everything’s so different, there’s a lot to get used to and I haven’t had much time yet.” “I bet,” he chuckles. “So, tell me about it. What do you think of Ghost Pack?” I love it. Absolutely love it and I wish you’d done the right thing and raised me and Lachlan here so we could’ve experienced a normal werewolf childhood. What the fuck, where is this coming from? I can’t hurt him like that. “It’s beautiful, Dad,” I say instead. “I’m really happy to be here. “What about training? Has it started yet?” “Yeah,” I reply enthusiastically. “I mean, I’ve only had one day. But it’s pretty cool, I really like the vision they have for the Cadet Program. It’s not all about training and fighting, it’s about being a part of something
The Way You Taste 20. Moonlit desires
HOLDEN’S POINT OF VIEW ****RATED R**** Theoretically, Mondays are a holy day for werewolves. “Moon day”. Everyone in Ghost Pack has a day off, except for essential workers. It’s the only day on which Cadets have no training, and it’s the only day on which there are no meetings with the ranked wolves. Yet, we partially live in a human world, so those with jobs outside the territory proceed as usual. I actually don’t have any classes on Mondays this semester, so I could be back in the territory chilling with my friends and enjoying my free time. Instead, I’m hiding in the University laboratory. I’m trying to convince myself that I’m doing something productive, that I’m actually working on my research. But I’m not. I’m sulking and brooding. I’m trying to figure out what I’ll do today. I’m hiding from Willow. Per our agreement, I’ll be spending time with her today. She pretty much decided on it for me, she said I had to take her to dinner and to the Moonlit Communion afterward. It
Latest chapter
- The Way You Taste 36. On the brink of battle
- The Way You Taste 35. Crisis council
- The Way You Taste 34. Gathering storm
- The Way You Taste 33. Shadows of legacy
- The Way You Taste 32. Testing love
- The Way You Taste 31. Forging strategies
- The Way You Taste 30. Crossroads
- The Way You Taste 29. The morning after
- The Way You Taste 28. Leap of faith
