Laterthatweek,Ifound myself deep in thought, Blake on my mind. I was tempted to text him. While I couldn’t stop thinking about him, I didn’t think it was a good idea to make that known. I was afraid if he knew how much he’d gotten under my skin that things would go too far with him, both emotionally and physically. Additionally, if we started spending too much time together, it was bound to be noticed and it wouldn’t be long before word got back to my parents. While our pack was one of the larger ones in the area, it was still like living in a small town where everyone was in everyone else’s business.
No, it was definitely better that I just tried my best to forget him. And if he also forgot about me, it was only for the better. I tried to convince myself. However, this thought made me feel miserable. As much as I tried to deny it, Blake had definitely gotten under my skin. He consumed all my thoughts. I’d become almost addicted to the sensations I felt when spending time with him. No one had ever made me feel so sexy and desirable before. I couldn’t stop reliving the past few times we’d spent together, kissing each other with an insatiable hunger. I found that a smile kept creeping onto my face, making everyone question why I was in such a good mood.
I was at work with just Valerie when she approached me during some downtime. “How’s it going, Jaz?”
“Pretty good, I was just about to wipe down the tables,” I replied, reaching for the spray bottle of cleaner.
“Before you do that, I need to talk to you about something. I need to start planning for September. When do you go back to school and how many hours a week can you give me?”
“I’ll be going back at the beginning of September. Would it be okay if I dropped down to just sixteen hours a week?”
“We can make that work. But I’ll have to hire another part-timer. Do you mind posting an ad on the temple bulletin on Sunday when you go?”
“No problem.” Valerie was about to turn around to go back when I stopped her. “Valerie.”
“Yes, hon?”
“You were with other people before you met your mate, right?”
“Oh yeah, those were my crazy days. I wish I could go back to those.” She laughed.
“What did your mate think when he met you, knowing there’d been others?”
She started laughing hysterically, “Oh my Goddess, he hated it. Werewolf packs aren’t exactly known for their open-mindedness. His parents were pissed when they found out who his mate was. You can’t exactly sleep around and not expect people to talk when you live in gossip central. But everyone eventually got over it and now it’s all in the past. It’s kind of a double standard anyway. Why can men sleep around and not have any consequences, but women are expected to remain pure?” She paused and looked as if she were pondering something, then continued, “Of course, probably best to stay away from family members. Things are still kind of awkward at family gatherings seeing as I was with his cousin at one point long before I properly met him and realized he was my mate.”
I laughed. “Okay, stay away from family members. Kind of hard when you have no idea who your mate is.”
She chuckled. “Why? Is there someone you have your eye on? Maybe a certain soon-to-be alpha?”
I looked at her, wide-eyed. “How’d you know?”
“You think I can’t hear your conversations with Lucy from the back?” She snickered.
“Oh my Goddess, I’m going to kill Lucy for not keeping it down!”
“Hey, the man’s walking, talking testosterone. Five minutes alone with him, and even I’d be spreading my legs, completely forgetting I have a mate. I don’t think anyone would blame you for doing the same.” She laughed.
“I can’t,” I choked out.
“Sure you can. The only thing holding you back are some ancient beliefs on how women should behave. It doesn’t help that the current alpha’s old as hell and allows the temple to dictate how things are done around here. But, anyway, if you don’t want to, then don’t. You need to decide what you want, and if you want to wait for your mate, there’s also nothing wrong with that. I think it’s romantic. But definitely don’t let some bullshit propaganda used to control women stop you from doing what you want to.”
“What about my parents?”
“What about your parents? You’re an adult and capable of making your own decisions. Trust me, your parents weren’t as innocent as you think they were when they were younger. You have to live your own life, not some life they’re forcing you into.”
“What do you mean about my parents not being innocent?”
“Well, in general, parents almost always hide things about their past from their children. But there are always some skeletons in the closet. Maybe one day the ones in your parents’ will come out. But don’t assume that they’re as innocent as they say they are.” Valerie had an irritated look on her face and made me wonder if she knew something that I didn’t. I was about to push the issue when a customer entered the café, giving her an escape. I took my place at the register to take their order.
After my shift was over, my grandparents brought me home. For a moment, I was tempted to ask them about my parents when they were younger but then decided against it. My grandparents were really just an older version of my parents and unlikely to volunteer any information my parents wouldn’t.
After we got to my parents’ house, my grandma unloaded the food she had prepared from the car. She slipped it into the oven to keep it warm until my parents arrived home. My grandfather sat down on the couch and turned on the baseball game to watch. My grandma joined him and pulled out a book to read. I was about to head upstairs to spend some time alone in my room until dinner when my grandmother stopped me.
“Jasmine,” she called.
“Yes?” I replied, walking toward her.
“You seem very happy lately. Did something good happen recently?” she questioned in a voice that seemed suspicious.