Chapter 2 MATE OR A**HOLE

GINGER:

Gasps ripple through the crowd as all eyes turn to us. Caspian's hand flies to his burning cheek, his jaw tightening as he stares at me in silence.

"What the hell, Ginger?" he yells, startling me.

My breath seizes for a moment as I feel the judging eyes of the crowd. Fear grips my heart as I wait for him to hit me or do something worse. I hit him, and I deserve to get hit for disobeying him-that was always my father's response to Mum.

Before I can answer, Caspian's eyes dart to the onlookers. He lets out an irritated growl.

"What are you all staring at? Mind your business!"

The murmuring dies down, and the crowd scatters at once. Then he grabs my hand, pulling me away. His grip on my hand is too tight for me to pull free.

He leads me through the house, walking past the buzzing students. He doesn't stop until we reach a dark corner at the back of the house. My back hits the rough wall, and I conclude he is definitely going to hit me.

"I... I'm sorry," I stammer, shielding my face with my hands in fear. "It wasn't intentional. I was just... upset. Please, don't hit-"

"What?" he cuts me off as I tremble beneath his towering figure. "Why would I want to hit a girl, let alone you, Ginger?" His hands find mine, gently pulling them down.

I glare into his grey eyes, realizing they differ from my father's cold black ones. His brows furrow, his lips pressing into a thin line as if he is carefully choosing his next words.

"I know it was just a dare, but I shouldn't have invited you if I was going to do that to a girl. I'm truly sorry, and I deserved that slap," he whispers, then gives my hand a gentle squeeze. "But please, don't hit me next time."

The tension in my chest eases slightly, but my heart still races as his hand brushes a stray strand of hair from my face. His lips curve into a smile.

"You're not used to parties, huh?" he asks, and I shake my head shyly."High school parties can get wild, but I'll try to tone it down for you."

He leans in to kiss my lips softly, and I find my body wanting him. Mentally, I battle with my mind to forget the image of his face on that girl's chest. He deepens the kiss as his hands descend my back, wrapping around my waist, but then he pulls away just in time.

"I missed you so much!" he exclaims, lifting my chin with a finger. "Here is inappropriate for someone like you. We need privacy."

"Yes, please," I reply desperately, immediately regretting how needy I sound. "I would love a break from the noise," I add.

He glances at his watch and frowns. "I've got a meeting with the hockey team in five minutes. Wait for me upstairs in the second room on the left. I'll be quick."

Before I can respond, he grabs my hand and leads me back inside. He stops at the base of the stairs, giving my hand a quick squeeze and planting a kiss on my cheek, causing my stomach to do a thousand cartwheels.

"There's wine in the room if you get bored," he says with a wink before disappearing into the crowd.

I make my way upstairs, my thoughts spinning with everything that has gone wrong today. When I get to the door, I open it to meet a dark room with only the faint glow of streetlights streaming through the blinds illuminating it. I don't bother turning on the light. Instead, I move to the edge of the bed, sitting down and staring at my trembling hands.

I try to steady my thoughts to think about the good Caspian. Yes, I walked in on him with a girl, but surely it meant nothing to him. He makes me feel safe; he is my happy place. I can let go of one silly mistake. But as I focus on him, my thoughts shift to only the bad things.

"Fuck this," I mutter, standing up and walking to the table. I grab the bottle of wine sitting there. Uncorking it, I bring the entire thing to my mouth and start drinking.

It takes only a quarter of the bottle to get tipsy, and when I can barely feel my feet, I collapse on the bed. Shortly after, the door creaks open, and Caspian's muscular and sexy figure appears in front of me. He staggers into the room, falling onto the bed beside me.

"You're here," I say in a small voice.

"Mmm," his gruff tone rings out. His voice and scent aren't quite what I remember, but my hazy mind dismisses it as the wine clouding my senses.

"Are you done with the meeting?" I ask, trying to cut the tension.

"I left because I can."

He throws an arm across my chest, causing my pulse to quicken as I lie there. Then he inches closer to me, and before I know it, his lips are on mine. They feel better, and softer than before. His hands roughly run along my body, settling on my breasts, which he gives a gentle squeeze before moaning into my ear. The sound sends shivers coursing through my body.

"I could fuck you right now," he groans, sliding his hand lower and stopping at my pants. My chest pounds faster, and the heat between my legs rises. I want this-maybe even more than he does.

Before I know it, my jeans are off, leaving me in nothing but my panties. He slides his hand inside them, rubbing my wetness as a gasp escapes my lips. Then he slides in a finger, sending a sharp but thrilling pain through me. He pumps into me for a moment before sliding in a second finger. It barely lasts before he climbs on top of me.

He pulls out a condom and slides it on before pushing into me gently. There's a little pain, but then he fits into me perfectly, like we were made for each other. I wrap my arms around his back, running my hands from his thick muscles to his hair.

Suddenly, the smell of honey and chocolate engulfs the room, and I see a glow in his eyes. The word mate echoes in my ears, intensifying the feelings in my body. Joy ripples through me as I hold on to him. I have found my mate. Caspian is my mate.

"You feel different and warmer," he whispers in my ear, breaking my bout of joy. I'm tipsy, but his statement feels strange. I have never had sex with Caspian. Is he talking about sex with another girl while with me,or worse, is this not him?

Quickly, I run my hand up his arm, searching for the familiar scar, but the space is clear as day. Fear crosses my heart, and my throat runs dry.

"Who..."

"Yes," he cuts me off as his voice comes out in a needy moan. My heart thumps in my chest as I realize who it is. It's Hu, Caspian's best friend, and he thinks I'm someone else. "Today feels better than the last time," he whispers, as his lips graze my ears.

"Because I'm not who you think I am," I say softly, slowing his movements. "It's Ginger."

"Fuck!" he groans, pausing as he glares into my eyes. My mind spins, trying to process the fact that Caspian's best friend is my mate.

This is wrong, but it feels too good, and I don't want him to stop. He is my mate, so how could it be wrong?

"Do you want me to stop?" he questions as though reading my mind.

"No," my wolf takes over, replying instantly. I wrap my arms around him, sinking his body further into mine. The bond glues me to him.

He feels and tastes even better as our sweaty bodies rub against each other. Soon, my legs begin to wobble, and he lets out a loud grunt, pulling away and collapsing beside me. My body jerks uncontrollably as I drown in the waves of orgasm, my eyes shutting tightly.

The ecstatic moment fades quickly, replaced by the gravity of what just happened. I have just had sex with my potential boyfriend's best friend. My heart races as I turn to Hu, who lies beside me, zipping his pants.

Finally, my mouth opens to form a sentence. "We are..."

"I should go," he cuts me off, standing abruptly. Then he leaves the room without another word.

I lie there trying to understand why he left. Did he not feel the mate bond? Or he is just an asshole?