“What are you doing?” Noah pulled on her hand to stop her.
“Checking if you have proper clothes to wear.”
“Proper clothes?”
Grace stared at him. “You have a questionable taste in clothes, and a teacher needs to dress the part.”
Noah frowned, and his lips twisted into a sneer. “I wear what I need to mingle with these people. Suits and fancy khaki pants make us a target here.”
“I know, but Grandpa said he wanted me to buy you new clothes. We’re doing this now. Put your weapons here. You won’t need them. We’re going shopping.”
Noah arched an eyebrow. “I am not sure how to feel about this.”
“There’s nothing to feel about this. You’re working for us, and you need clothes.”
“I don’t trust all this generosity. Your family wants something from me. I don’t care what the werewolf alpha says. Something feels wrong.”
“Hasn’t anyone done anything nice for you before?” Grace asked.
Noah shook his head. “Not from the goodness of their heart. Men wanted me to kill someone. Women wanted to fuck me.”
“Language,” Grace muttered as her throat closed with the jealousy attack that was threatening to take over her.
Pushing him away, she swallowed her anger, closed the trunk, and marched to the driver’s side. “Just get in. We don’t have the time to lose. I still need to show you the lesson plans for next week and go over the details with you. Plus, new clothes.”
She got in and turned on the car.
“Why so grumpy?” Noah asked, getting in and putting the seat belt on.
“I’m not grumpy.”
“Maybe you just don’t like this part of town. It’s not so bad. There are good people here. It’s not all violence and gang members.”
Grace suppressed her need to growl as she drove down the narrow road. Women paid to have sex with him? Gave him gifts! That was gross. She needed to know a lot more about him before deciding on what to do with the fact that they were mates.
The word made her throat constrict. What sort of person was he?
“Did that vampire assume that I was your new sugar momma?”
Noah chuckled. “What?”
“Do you pimp yourself out for money?”
“Of course not! Who do you think I am?”
Grace narrowed her eyes at him. “You said women bought you stuff to sleep with you.”
Noah rubbed his forehead. “That wasn’t what I said. I said people who wanted to give me stuff wanted something from me. I sleep with whomever I want. I’m not for sale.”
“Good. That sort of behavior isn’t acceptable at our academy.”
“Does that mean you aren’t buying me clothes to try to get into my bed?”
Grace huffed. “First, you sleep on my couch and wear my clothes. Second, my Grandpa is paying, not me. I’m sure he’ll deduct the expenses out of your salary. Substitute teachers are paid, and accommodations and food are provided. We take care of our own.”
“You know I was messing with you, right?”
Grace widened her eyes and relaxed her shoulders, paying attention to the road. “I’m not in the mood for jokes like that, so stop it.”
“As you wish.” Noah reclined in his seat, folded his arms, and closed his eyes. “Wake me up when we get to the mall.”
“We aren’t going to a shopping mall. We are going back to town. There’s a store where we buy all our clothes.”
Noah nodded but didn’t comment on anything else, remaining silent until they arrived.