My mate; My bully

Jane tossed her final throw pillow onto her bed and stepped back to admire her work. Her pale white and pink flowery comforter brightened the brick interior of her apartment. It matched the fluffy white rug she'd saved a month to buy the summer before.

She caught a glimpse of her blonde ponytail in the thrift store mirror above her bed, smiling at the way her green eyes lit up for the first time in what seemed like forever. Her small one-bedroom apartment was nothing to brag about, but it was hers. Plus, it was an hour away from her hometown where she left her miserable memories of high school.

She'd been the epitome of shy and awkward growing up, which tossed her into the shadows during her high school years. She didn't mind- blending in fit her much better than standing out. However, that wasn't the case once he showed up and ruined everything.

Jane walked into her small kitchen and opened her refrigerator. Only a carton of milk, some eggs, butter, and cheese made the trip with her. Her father gave her a couple hundred dollars to get her started, which wouldn't last long, but she intended to get an on-campus job soon because she knew her rent money would only last a couple of months. She pulled out a small skillet, butter, and eggs to make her something for dinner. Her first class started in the morning, and she wanted to fill up before bed so she would sleep well.

She cooked her food, her mind racing with what ifs the entire time. What if he showed up at her university? She doubted it since he'd been accepted to a much larger university miles away, which was where she wanted him-miles away from her.

Alex Davis was that one person that never seemed to let Jane fade into the shadows. He'd pick her out of a group of a thousand and make sure to torment her in any way that he could. She couldn't even pinpoint when it started, or why, but that it made her days tiresome, and she feared to run into him at any moment.

He was devilishly handsome, with wide shoulders and a head full of sandy brown hair. Every girl in her school lusted after him besides Jane. How could she ever crush on the one person that bullied her relentlessly?

Jane's cell phone vibrated in her pocket, and she dug it out with one hand, while taking her eggs off the stove with the other.

"Hello?"

"Hey, darling," her dad said on the other end. "How's it going?"

Jane smirked to herself. Her dad was overprotective since her mother passed away when she was little. It had always been the two of them, and he worried about Jane living alone.

"Oh, you know, just hosting my first rager and trying some drugs. The usual."

Dad sighed heavily. "Funny," he said. "Have you eaten?"

Jane silenced her own sigh and plopped her scrambled eggs down onto her plate. "Yes. I'm having eggs. I plan to go to the grocery store tomorrow after classes and after I apply for some on campus jobs. How was work?"

"Work is work," he mumbled. "I'm just-"

"Watching the game?" she answered for him.

He chuckled, and Jane envisioned him rolling his eyes, too. "Yes. Well, since you're alive, I will let you eat. Call me tomorrow and tell me how everything goes, okay?"

"Got it. Love you, Dad," Jane said.

"Love you."

Jane hung up the phone, feeling a sense of emptiness settle in the midst of her stomach. She felt it often due to the lack of a true best friend- other than her dad-she didn't have anyone to talk to or call. However, she planned to change that. Tomorrow would open a new avenue for Jane. She could be whoever she wanted to be, and the shy awkward girl would be put to rest-forever.

***

Jane's nerves rattled around in her stomach like a pill bottle as she parked her old Dodge Dart in an empty parking space. The hustle and bustle of the campus was in full swing, and it was nearly 8 AM.

She cleared her throat and grabbed the strap of her bag. "You've got this, Jane," she mumbled to herself, opening the door.

She felt the humid southern breeze suck the breath from her. She didn't expect anything less than a scorcher the first few months of school, being it was August in Louisiana. She didn't mind it most days; however, she needed to make it to class without looking a complete mess her first day. The Arts building consisted of any art, English, or psychology class on campus, and since Jane wanted to pursue psychology, she had several classes in that building. She maneuvered her way toward her class, making a beeline for a seat in the middle of the room. Hopefully, that would keep her blended into the scene and not draw any attention to herself.

She placed her book bag beside her desk and put her books and notepad on her desk. Her OCD reared its head as she put her pencil in line with the top of her notebook and slid her palms down her thighs. You've got this, she mumbled to herself. Something in the pit of her stomach felt off about that morning, but she couldn't place it. She'd

always felt as if she had a sixth sense but never thought too much about it.

A few students trickled in the closer it grew to 8 AM. Jane smiled at them, hoping she didn't come off too pushy to make friends.

A girl walked in with wild pink hair, bright neon leggings, and a torn white shirt right before class started. One of the only empty seats was in front of Jane. She walked down the aisle, sat down, and turned immediately back to her.

"I shed."

Jane glanced around. "Huh?"

She smirked. "My name is Cat, and I shed. I'm just warning you because I had a girl freak out last year because my hair fell out all over her desk."

Jane examined her wild pink hair, thinking the dying probably made her hair frail, but she kept her mouth shut. "I'm Jane, and that's okay. I'm sure I won't even notice."

Cat popped a piece of gum in her mouth and smirked. "You're the nice girl, right? The one that keeps her emotions at bay until one day ... you just pop?" she asked.

Jane laughed because that was an accurate representation. "You should go into mind reading."

Cat laughed, tossing her head back, her big brown eyes vibrant with laughter. "I totally should-"

"Alright, class," the professor said as she walked into the classroom. "Let's begin."

Jane watched her write her name on the

Whiteboard in big letters: Professor Sitton. She was red-haired with bouncy curls that Jane envied and a sweet smile.

"We're going over our syllabus today, and then we'll cut out early. But on Wednesday," she said, lifting her index finger into

the air, "we'll get to work!"

She pulled out her syllabus and passed their copies around. English wasn't Jane's favorite subject, but she was good enough at it. The door opened mid- sentence, and Professor Sitton glanced over with an annoyed expression.

Jane's gaze followed her line of sight, landing on the person walking through the threshold. Everything in the room was still. Her mouth dried. Her heart jackhammered nervously against her ribcage. The world blurred around her.

It was him. Alex Davis.

The one boy she'd prayed to never see again. His dominant footsteps echoed against the concrete walls of the old building, his thick throat moved as he swallowed and scratched the edge of his jaw covered in a dark stubble.

Professor Sitton grabbed her roster and glanced over at him. "Alex Davis, I presume?"

Alex nodded slowly, but he seemed distracted, and Jane knew why immediately.

Did he have some kind of animal magnetism or something? His dark eyes shifted toward her, and pinned her to the seat in the middle of the classroom.

Cat turned around and glanced at Jane with both eyebrows raised to her hairline. Jane's fingertips tightened around the edge of her seat, and she shifted nervously. It was too late to transfer, and she wasn't that much of a coward to run, but it wasn't too late to switch classes. And she would do it to enjoy the next four years of her life.

"Take a seat, Mr. Davis," Professor Sitton said while turning back to the board. "And grab a syllabus from my desk."

Alex kept his dark gaze on Jane as he

grabbed his syllabus and walked across the room to one lone seat in the very corner. Away from Jane as she'd hoped. If it were up to her, that would be the closest Alex Davis would get to her ever again.

She promised he wouldn't torment her any longer, and that was one promise she intended to keep.

Alex

He had to be wrong. Alex wolf pawed and spun circles, wanting out, wanting her-Jane William.

No.

Alex refused to believe that she was his mate. But he couldn't deny the pull toward her or the ungodly need to sink his fingers into her hair and his fangs into her neck.

Everything she did growing up dug underneath his skin. Her smile. Her laugh. Axel hated her-and he never understood why. Plus, she was human. Alex was the next Alpha of his father's pack. Why would he get a human mate?

Suddenly, being pissed off about Jane dating Patrick Kelly in eighth grade made sense. It didn't then, when Alex felt like ripping Patrick's arm off his shoulder for holding her hand. After that, everything she did pissed him off, but not as badly as the fact that she was human and had no idea the supernatural existed just like everyone else in the room.

The neighboring packs, the ones that wanted to, attended the local college to stay close to home. Alex had been offered numerous scholarships throughout the states, but he needed to be close to home. Since his father-the alpha-had a few more years in his reign, Alex decided to go to college for a few years, until his father stepped down.

He couldn't imagine stepping up to become alpha with a human luna. Mating with a human happened occasionally but not for an alpha. He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. Why her?

He took his seat and slung his backpack underneath his chair, while flipping through his syllabus.

'Talk to her', his wolf said. Don't be stupid.

Alex slid his tongue across his teeth and tightened his hand into a fist on his thigh. He didn't want to talk to her, or even look at her, and yet, he couldn't stop from glancing over his shoulder at her blonde ponytail that she spun around her index finger.

When she looked up, her green gaze seared him. The look of disgust on her face told him everything he needed to know. Jane wasn't going to give him the time of day, and it pissed him off even more.

'You brought it upon yourself', his wolf said.

"Shut up," he hissed.

Professor Sitton glanced over at Alex, her eyes narrowed to annoyed slits. "Did you say something, Alex?"

He shook his head. "No, ma'am."

She pursed her lips but went back to talking about the syllabus. Alex hadn't heard anything she said the entire period because he could sense Jane's heartbeat from across the room. With her being his mate, he could sense everything about her, and it warmed his blood.

"Alright, kids. See you Wednesday. The books you need are listed on your syllabus in case you haven't already purchased them. See you then. Stay out of trouble. The first week is always wild."

The students began to gather their things and walk toward the doorway. Alex wolf nudged him to go forward, to talk to her, but what would he say?

"Hey, how was your summer? I knocked your books out of your hands on the last day of high school and booed when they called your name at graduation. Sorry about that."

This was going to be one big pile of crap to dig himself out of this semester.

Alex got up and walked over to her desk, his shadow hovered over her small frame. When she looked up, shock traveled over her pretty features. How had he not noticed how green her eyes were before?

"Hey," he said.

Jane stood up slowly, only coming up to his chin, but she didn't seem deterred from snarling at him. "You're in my way. Excuse you."

Alex fingers tightened into fists at his sides, and a deep humorless chuckle lifted from his chest. "So Jane has grown some balls, has she?"

Jane tilted her chin up in a defiant way that made Alex wolf howl. "I said. You're. In. My. Way," she said, shoving past him.

Alex tilted back on his heels and watched as Jane walked out of the classroom without a glance back. The girl that sat in front of Jane snickered underneath her breath and chased after her.

'That's what you get', his wolf laughed. I like her.

Alex barreled from the classroom, feeling his insides turn into an angry swarm of bees. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he dug it out from the depths.

"Hello?" he barked.

"Ouch, what a way to talk to your Momma."

He sighed and walked out into the sunlight, his skin loving the warmth of the Louisiana summer still lingering in the air. "I'm sorry, Momma. What's up?"

"I was just checking on you. You haven't called to check in today."

Alex sensed the underlying reason she called and didn't want to admit anything to her. She called every day since he turned eighteen two months before to ask if he'd found his mate. It was only a matter of time before she asked again.

"I just finished my first class. I have to check in with the football coach soon, and then I'll have lunch. How's Dad? Any news about the rogue lycan he encountered?"

"No, nothing yet. Your father is good. Good. Good," she said softly.

Alex felt her energy shift, and when she couldn't wait another minute, she asked, "So ... have you found her?"

He gnawed at his bottom lip, debating on whether to tell his mother or not. It was definitely not love at first sight for them, and he was sure that she assumed it would be. Not hard.

He stopped on the sidewalk and pinched the bridge of his nose. If he told her, he would have to tell her everything. How would she react to knowing he bullied his mate in school? Not good. Because ultimately, she raised him better than that. So, he lied.

"Not yet, Momma. I'll let you know when I

do. But I need to go. Call you later?"

"Sure thing. Love you, son."

"Love you."

He hung up his phone and shoved it into his pocket. The fieldhouse was on the other side of campus, and he planned to pick up his game jersey before their first game that Friday. The scholarship he earned was a full-ride, and it's always been a way to release his stress in a way that wouldn't get him expelled.

Alex walked down the sidewalk, feeling his stomach twist at the thought of having to win Jane over. Most mates fell into one another's arms and lived happily-ever-after. Maybe the chase would be fun?

It'd been a long time since Alex had to work for a woman's attention. Being a werewolf, his charm- and his figure-drew female attention. Just like the brunette staring at him from in front of the fieldhouse.

When he passed without giving her a second

glance, he heard her let out an irritated sigh, but he couldn't act on it if he wanted. He found his mate, and if he denied his wolf his mate, he'd rip Axel in half to get to her-at any cost.

"Davis!" Coach yelled from his office

when Alex passed by the door. Alex turned and walked into his office. Coach Bear was the opposite of his name, small with a balding head and a furry beard.

"Your jersey is ready in your locker. We have practice in the morning at six am. Don't be late. And I know it's just the first day, but stay on top of your work because it doesn't matter how good you are or not-bad grades, and you're benched."

"Yes, sir," Alex said.

Coach gestured for him to be on his way. He'd spent the entire summer training with Coach Bear, and Alex liked him well enough.

Alex grabbed his jersey and bolted out of the fieldhouse toward his next class. He jogged toward the Science building when the wind shifted, and her scent blew against his skin. Unable to stop himself, he sniffed into the air, the quaint smell of an ocean breeze settled deep in his soul.

Jane stood on the steps of the same building as their last class, talking to some guy.

'Kill him', his wolf hissed. 'Go get her. Now.'

"Kill him? Seriously, Mr. Rational. I can't get into a fight on my first day."

However, the sight of her talking to another guy while tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear forced irrational thoughts to filter through his head. Ways to take him out. When she took another step up the stairs, Alex felt her heart rate pick up, and she slowly moved her head to face him. He sensed the pulsating of her blood in her veins from a distance, but most of all, the anger building in her stomach at the sight of him.

'Give her time', his wolf said. 'She'll be longing for you soon.'

Alex wasn't sure if Jane would ever want him like a true mate. But it wouldn't stop him from trying.

Jane's chest felt as if it would explode any minute. The look on Alex's face, the way his masculine jaw went slack-everything about talking back to him made her heart race. She couldn't let this boy dictate her life any longer. Even if standing up to him made her legs wobble.

Jane made her way toward the coffee shop, since her class let out early, to grab a coffee before heading back for her Psychology 101 class.

"Hey! Quiet Girl! Wait up!"

She stopped and glanced over her shoulder at Cat running toward her, waving her hand in the air like a lunatic. She stopped, placed her palm on Jane's shoulder, and bent down to catch her breath.

"Whew," she said, brushing back her hair.

"That was... amazing! I totally pegged you

wrong. One wrong look and you snap. So, tell me you know Mr. Super Hottie back there."

Jane smirked but continued toward the coffee shop, holding the straps of her bags against her shoulders.

"Oh, I know him. We went to school together, and he is a jackass. Don't waste your time."

Cat snorted. "Totally not my type. I meant for you. The way he looked at you when you snapped at him. I thought he'd rip your clothes off right then and there."

Jane stopped and glared at her. "Alex doesn't like me, Cat. He bullied me all through high school. I would never stoop that low."

Cat smirked. "I think he begs to differ. He totally wants you. I could sense it in that heated glare he gave you."

Jane didn't argue with her because Cat had no idea the torment he put her through. The mean things he said, the way he chastised

everything she did in class. "Anyway, where are we going?" she asked.

"I'm heading to the coffee shop to grab a coffee, and then to get ready for my psychology class. What about you?"

"Going to the coffee shop with you. We're gonna be friends."

Jane didn't dare argue because she needed friends. It was a welcome change for her.

The coffee shop was located inside their library and had small bistro type tables sat around huge glass windows. It felt very adultish and made Jane excited to be there. They bought a couple of coffees, and Jane noticed a Help Wanted sign in the window. She grabbed it and walked back to the counter.

The guy behind it sighed in relief when she slid it across the counter. "Are you still hiring?"

He grabbed an application from underneath the register and gestured toward it.

"Fill this out. The manager will be in later and will call you to schedule an interview, but we definitely need more help around here. Plus, you get a discount on coffee."

Who could deny discounted coffee?

Jane walked over to the bistro table and filled it out while Cat played on her phone. Jane handed it back to the barista, and they both walked back toward the arts building.

"What's your major?" Cat asked, slurping the last bit of whipped cream from her coffee.

Jane shrugged. "Not really sure yet. I've never really known what I want to do. I always feel out of place."

Cat nodded. "It's only taken me two years to figure it out. So don't rush. That's what college is for. You're here to figure out your future."

Jane liked the idea of taking classes until she found one she liked. No rush. No time limit. It sounded too good to be true.

They made it back to the building, and Cat stood on the sidewalk.

"I don't have a class until tomorrow. Give me your phone so I can put in my number. We need to grab dinner at the dining hall together."

They exchanged numbers, and Jane turned to start up the stairs when she bumped into someone, sending her back onto her butt and palms. "Crap. I'm so sorry. Let me help you."

She took the hand of the stranger staring down at her, his big brown eyes kind, and his smile lopsided. His blondish hair was short on the sides and longer on the top, making his jawline crisp and sharp.

He pulled her up effortlessly, while picking up her backpack and handing it to her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She dusted off her pants. "I'm fine. Good thing I finished my coffee back at the shop, or that would have been an embarrassing stain."

He smirked. "I'm Tegan."

"Jane."

"Nice to meet you, Jane. Are you a freshman?'

She chuckled. "How'd you know?"

He shrugged, running his hands into his hair. "I just haven't seen you around before. I'm in my third year."

"You're almost finished. On the homestretch."

Tegan smiled, his dark eyes watching Jane until she squirmed uncomfortably. "I better get going-" she said, taking one-step up.

"Wait," he said, digging something out of his pocket. He pulled out a pen and scribbled down something. "Here's my number. There is a party tomorrow night, and everyone is invited. Text me, and I'll give you the address."

Jane felt giddy at being invited to a party by a guy. She'd spent most of high school ostracized because Alex ruled the popularity meter at their school. Because he didn't like her, no one else did either. But not now. He didn't know these people, and he couldn't manipulate them. She had a chance of having friends and fitting in somewhere.

"Sure thing. I'll give you a text."

Tegan jogged off toward the sidewalk while she stared down at the card, catching the feeling that someone was watching her. She shoved it into her jeans pocket and glanced over to her right.

Alex stood yards from her, staring a hole into the side of her head. Even from a distance, he looked like a Greek God, and she hated it-she hated him. What was up with his sudden stalkerish behavior?

He had the nerve to speak to her as if he hadn't tormented her for the last four years. Ballsy, he was. She turned around, ignoring that he never moved from his spot, and walked into the building.

Good riddance, Alex Davis. Your bullying no longer has a hold on Jane William.

***

Jane made it through her first day of classes without sinking and walked toward the coffee shop to introduce herself to the manager. She hadn't called yet, but she wanted to make a good impression.

The line had dwindled in the afternoon, but a few students sat around the tables studying and chatting over late afternoon coffee. A short woman with a stylish black bob and an apron stood behind the counter. The wrinkles around her eyes told Jane she was older than she looked.

"What can I get you?" she asked.

Jane glanced down at her nametag. "Hi, Sydney. I'm Jane William. I came by this morning and filled out an application. I'm interested in working here."

Sydney reached over to a stack of papers and pulled out Jane's sheet. She glanced at Jane and then back at the paper. "You're hired."

Jane laughed. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," she said, wiping her hands on the black apron around her waist. "You're the only one out of the twenty that have applied to come by and introduce themselves. You filled out everything and gave me your schedule on the back. Come by tomorrow morning before your ten am class, and I'll show you the ropes. Your first shift will be tomorrow afternoon."

Jane held in her squeal and stuck her

hand out for her to shake it. "Thank you so much! I swear you won't regret it."

Sydney smirked. "I know I won't. See you tomorrow."

Jane nearly skipped to her car in the parking lot. Other than her high school bully showing up and ruining the day, she felt on top of the world. She couldn't wait to call her dad and tell him the news.

She pulled out of the parking lot and sped toward her apartment a mile away from campus.

The sun sat lower in the distance over the slew of trees on each side of the road. Jane didn't get creeped out easily, but something felt off in the pit of her stomach. She only had a few seconds to go, so she gripped her palms around the steering wheel and kept forward. That's when she noticed something on the side of the road. Jane's gaze traveled toward the blur of black, and the speed it gave off rivaled a cheetah, but she couldn't make out much more.

The shadow of the trees covered it enough that she couldn't make out exactly what it was, only that it darted into the tree line and disappeared from her sight as quick as it had arrived.

She swallowed the lump growing in her throat, and she nervously chuckled at herself. Shadows always played with her mind. Ever since she was little and would run around in their yard. She always felt like someone watched her when she was younger. Now those shadows of her childhood merely danced in the setting sun, and her imagination toyed with her. She was too old to believe in monsters. Those days ended a long time ago.