Chapter 7
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*Corey’s POV*
I stared down at my laptop trying to distract myself from the fact that I was stuck sitting next to him for the next three days, or at least until the next rest stop where I might be able to steal someone else’s seat.
We had borrowed one of the pack father’s old station wagons and Sean took the keys from me, so he was driving. Izabella sat in the passenger seat beside him.
Trent was seated behind me with Kaden and Hayley while I was stuck next to Jayden. I knew Izabella and Hayley had planned the seating arrangement and I had been pissed at them about it, for about fifteen seconds before they did something stupid that made me laugh.
Right now, I had laid the food basket between myself and Jayden to make sure he stayed where he was. A part of me wanted to push the basket away because the longer I was near to my mate, the more I wanted to be closer to him, to touch him, and I fucking hated that.
I considered the fact that soon I would somehow have to put myself to sleep to prevent doing anything I would undoubtedly regret later. Mating had to be the most ridiculous thing that happened to werewolves.
I glanced at him to see him scribbling into the stupid notebook he always had with him. What was that? His diary? Everything he did irritated me. Even the way he sat with his shoulders all rigid as if to try and take up as little space as possible. It looked so unnatural and uncomfortable. Nothing about him was normal.
“Radio,” I muttered as I looked towards the front of the car, hoping the music would distract me.
Izabella leaned forward and turned it on to a random station that blasted some pop song that I barely paid attention to, instead concentrating on how much I wanted to get the hell out of the car and away from Jayden.
I clenched my jaw, keeping my mouth shut as my wolf stirred again filling my mind with unsettled, restless growling. I didn’t know why he was upset now. Sometimes he disliked our mate and sometimes he wanted to get closer to him.
This is going to be the longest fucking twelve hours of my life…
—–
“Ah! I need to stretch my legs! And my wolf wants out!” Trent groaned.
“Five more hours, Trent,” Sean sighed, probably because he was tired of driving.
“My wolf wants out too!” Kaden groaned.
“Tell him to calm down,” Sean said.
“Easy for you to say, your wolf isn’t an idiot that forces a shift when held down too long,” Trent said.
He let out an obviously involuntary growl and I chuckled as he muttered an apology to his wolf for the insult. Thank God I wasn’t an Amarelo. Sean, Hayley and I didn’t have to worry about wolves we couldn’t control because Novolunà wolves behaved properly – most of the time. Though, even when my wolf was incredibly upset, he never forced a shift.
I looked at Izabella and noticed her chewing her lip as she stared at her phone. Something seemed off.
“Izzy, you alright?” I spoke.
Sean’s eyes averted from the road to glance at his mate before he looked ahead again. Suddenly, he didn’t appear very fatigued anymore, only concerned.
She smiled at me and nodded. “I’m fine,” she mumbled.
“You’re lying,” Trent chimed.
Izabella laughed. “It’s nothing, really. I’m fine,” she said.
I decided not to push the subject; she clearly didn’t want to talk about it. But, from the constant worried glances he sent her as he kept driving, I knew Sean wasn’t going to drop it and they would be speaking about it later.
“Aw! He’s sleeping!” Hayley cried out.
I turned to see Kaden chuckling as he stared beside me and followed his eyes to Jayden.
He was asleep, the notebook shut on his lap, pen still in hand, head leaned against the seat and his eyes shut. He wore headphones, the hood currently not on his head. He looked like he was drowning in the hoodie.
His face was peaceful. Calm. Carefree.
I clenched my fists when guilt suddenly filled me for constantly putting that helpless, hurt look on his face when I was with Samantha in front of him or when I spoke to him. It was always harsh. No. I don’t care. I would not care.
I heard a click and frowned seeing that Izabella had just taken a picture of him. She smiled at me.
“Want me to send it to you?”
“Of course, then I would have a valid reason to destroy both our phones. I’ve been wanting to get rid of mine so I could get a new one,” I said.
She frowned. “He’s really nice, Corey,” she said.
“I’m sure he is,” I said, flipping my laptop open to create a distraction for myself.
She gave a huff. “He likes you and I know you like him because that’s just how it is with mates; you feel something even though you don’t want to, even if you deny it,” she glanced at Sean who smiled back at her.
“Oh, I feel something, alright.” Hate. “He can go fuck himself,” I said flatly.
I felt bad speaking to her that way, but she was making me angry, and my pride was not going to allow me to apologise.
“You don’t deserve him anyway,” I heard Kaden mutter.
I hated the fact that he was there. I had planned to just drive out with Jayden, but the others insisted coming with, especially Kaden as he was ‘concerned’ about Jayden’s safety around me.
The fact that they were all pestering me, trying to stand up for him made me hate him even more.
Our pairing was his fault. He was gay and it had somehow messed up my mating. He ruined my pairing.
I rolled my eyes. “He’ll get what he deserves,” I said, “all the dick he can take and it won’t be mine, thank God.”
I regretted saying it as soon as it left my mouth, because of how harsh it was, and everyone seemed shocked speechless. I had never seen Izabella’s face so ashamed of me. I knew they were all disappointed in me, Kaden was probably angry. Part of me wanted to retract it, to apologise but I shoved it away very quickly. It was their fault for pushing.
Besides, Jayden was asleep and had not heard it, so saying it didn’t matter that much. He would probably be happier once he could be with someone without worrying about marking them like I was with Samantha. Finding new mates was best for both of us.
Sean decided that turning up the music would lessen the tension and anger the car was now stuffed with. It didn’t. Besides the occasional bathroom stops along with Sean and Trent trying to make conversation but failing every time until eventually giving up, we drove in pretty much silence for the rest of the five hours.
*****
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