ELEVEN
I wokeup snuggled against the wolf still, though I’d kicked the blankets off at some point during the night. My sweaty face was buried into the fur on his lower back, my arm slung over him. His head was turned, though, and staring at my ass.
I jerked my head backward, glancing at it, and found my legs sprawled out behind me, my bare ass left on display thanks to the shirt that had ridden halfway up my back.
My vagina was completely exposed—and I was 95% sure Rocky could see it from where he was. The remaining 5% was my attempt at lying to myself.
“Still trying to persuade your human to want me?” I grumbled at the wolf, tugging the blanket over my body.
He bobbed his head at me, giving my cheek a little lick.
I sighed and dropped my head back to the pillow. “You don’t need to do that. I’ll be fine alone. We’ll get through the mating shit, and then figure out a way to split up. Maybe I can live in the next town over, and you can hang with my wolf every night or something. It’ll be a while before I can afford a place to live, anyway.”
The wolf scowled, and gestured toward the bed with his nose.
I sighed again, turning my head into the pillow.
“I’m not a moron, Rocky,” I mumbled into the pillow. “The only reason you put me in the spare bedroom is because you knew your human wouldn’t want me in here.”
The wolf gave me a frustrated growl.
“It’s fine, I get it. I’d probably do the same thing in your shoes. I’ve just got to find some place that will hire me here until I can get out and find a job I actually want.”
He growled at me again, poking me in the arm with his nose.
I ignored him.
He had no idea how shitty it felt to do what I had.
I’d gone to college with a full-ride scholarship and the intention of studying something reasonable and boring, like accounting or engineering. I’d promised myself I’d only take one music class a semester, to help me enjoy life a little more. When my favorite professor told me he believed in me, and promised he could get me a job at a big studio, I thought life was apologizing for the shitty path it had taken me on when my parents ditched me.
And then my last semester had come along, and my professor admitted he’d lied to me, because he hadn’t wanted so much talent to go to waste.
My scholarships, my degree, my effort… down the drain.
I’d applied, of course. Called around. Offered to be the coffee girl, and the janitor, and anything else to get a foot in the door at one of those studios.
And I’d been rejected at every turn.
Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to make music anymore.
Maybe I could get a job at an ice cream shop. At least it’d have delicious benefits.
I gave myself two more minutes to mope, ignoring the wolf poking me and growling at me. When those two minutes were up, I threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, zipped my combat boots on my feet, and then headed downstairs.
There was a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs on the counter. I hadn’t heard or seen Ryder since the night before, but I assumed he was the one to leave food for me. That was a kind enough gesture that I decided he wasn’t a terrible roommate…
Unless it was poisoned.
But it probably wasn’t.
My wolf would probably reject Rocco if he let his brother poison me, so Ryder probably wouldn’t want that, anyway.
I ate as much as I could before setting the plate down for Rocky to finish the rest, and then I grabbed my bag, and headed out through the front door.
There was no reason to go out the back, since I couldn’t take my car.
I slid a hand under the doormat, looking for the keys everyone had left. All five were there, so other than the key Ryder apparently had, and the one on Rocco’s keychain, I now had all of them. I’d have felt better about that if I hadn’t found myself living with a roommate who barely answered any questions, and a wolf who liked to annoy me as much as possible.