Imperfect Mate Read online

  “I’m proud of you.”

  Sam rolled her eyes and tilted her head in the direction of the desk in the corner of the room as she set her bags on the bed. “Set the box over there.”

  Camile spoke from the doorway. “It was a gracious thing you did. Jesse is so timid and shy. This is her second year here, and she still hasn’t made many friends.”

  Sam nodded. “She’s a submissive and needs to feel needed. Her timidity is due to not knowing others.”

  “Yes, but you picked up on it right away.”

  Dev cleared his throat. “Sam is empathic. She can pick up on things others miss.” He stepped closer to her, touched her cheek, and said, “I need to go check into my dorm. You okay?”

  She gave him a one-arm hug. “Of course I am. Jesse and I are going sightseeing on campus.”

  Chapter Two

  “Thank you for showing me around. I had fun.”

  Meeting Jesse’s stare over the rim of her coffee cup, Sam lowered her own drink and smiled. The spark of friendship she’d sensed earlier bloomed as soon as the timid leopard warmed up to her. Sam liked her. Jesse was smart, compassionate, and loved life. Plus, she radiated with positive energy and seemed to be happy with everything she did. Her shyness had lasted about thirty minutes into the tour of Harmony University. After that, the female opened up and became chatty.

  Sam’s tiger purred at the thought, content with making friends with Jesse.

  “Oh, it was a pleasure. I enjoyed you company.” The submissive lowered her gaze.

  “Me, too. I do have to admit that I was very nervous about coming here.”

  Jesse glanced up and tilted her head slightly. “You? I don’t believe that. You’re a dominant female.”

  “That doesn’t mean I don’t get scared or nervous.”

  “Oh, I know. I only meant you seem so cool and confident.” The other female studied her cup and traced the rim with her index finger.

  Sam sighed and reached over the table to touch her hand. “I’ve never been away from my pride before.”

  A soft laugh escaped Jesse’s lips. “I totally understand. Last year was my first time being away from home as well. I hid in my room for half the year until Camile dragged me out to go shopping.” She laughed. “Wolves are like that. They watch for a while, and if you don’t do what they think you should, they drag you out in the open.”

  Sam frowned. “Did she hurt you?”

  “No. Not at all. Camile may be a little stern, but she is very patient. Wolves are just different from us.”

  “I guess. I like her though.”

  “Me, too.” Jesse took another drink from her coffee before adding, “One of our sentinels is mated to a wolf, whose Pack disowned her because of it.”

  “That’s awful.” Sam had thought the prejudice between the packs and prides had stopped, or at least reduced significantly since they started signing treaties with one another. She guessed there would always be those who still believed in the old ways, that wolves and the big cats couldn’t coexist.

  “Oh. I almost forgot. Camile is having a welcome party tonight at the dorm.”

  Sam groaned. “A party? With humans and alcohol?”

  Laughing, Jesse nodded. “The humans drink, but the shifters are limited to two drinks. It was the rule of our last dorm mother, and Camile plans to honor it and enforce it.”

  “I guess it couldn’t be too bad if there are rules.”

  Jesse shrugged. “Yeah, as long as everyone follows them.”

  She so wasn’t helping to calm some of the anxiety Sam felt. The whole idea of interacting with humans on a daily basis was sketchy at best, but Sam needed the experience. Especially in the current world where the forests had shrunk to almost extinction, forcing more shifter clans to live in cities and blend with humans.

  But mixing humans, alcohol, and cocky shifters was asking for trouble. Rules or no rules.

  ***

  If any more people piled into the dorm, Sam was going to scream. The ground floor of the house was elbow to elbow. She couldn’t walk to the bathroom without feeling like the ball in a pinball machine. The human-shifter ratio was fifty to one.

  Sam quickly learned humans were pretty clueless to their surroundings—at least this crowd of students were anyway.

  “I hate crowds,” Jesse spoke softly beside her.

  “Me, too.” And parties where underage humans drink and play the music too loud.

  Camile had handed her and Jesse earplugs, but they only helped to muffle the noise. A headache had moved in, and Sam was ready to crawl out of her skin. Literally. Her tiger begged to go for a run, go find that stream she heard when she’d arrived that morning.

  Suddenly, an odd awareness drew her attention to the entrance. Three guys stood in the doorway. One of them looked about as thrilled to be there as she felt. Poor guy. He stood by the door, his hands shoved in pockets as he scanned the room with a frown on his lips. Sam couldn’t get a read on his emotions from so far away, but she could tell he’d rather be doing something else. His friends probably dragged him away from his video game.

  He had dark hair that barely covered his ears, but his bangs fell in his eyes in a sexy kind of way. His wire-rimmed glasses kept sliding down his nose. Scanning down to his broad shoulders under a deep purple button down, she grew more intrigued by the human. Something about him called to her.

  Jesse’s cool fingers brushed her hand, drawing her attention away for the human to glance at her friend. The leopard lowered her eyes and withdrew her hand. Sam sighed and covered the female’s hand and gently squeezed. Submissives weren’t normally so timid, but Jesse was the poster girl for the word.

  “What is it?”

  “He’s cute.” She blushed and glanced to where the new guy stood.

  Sam smiled. “Yes, he is, and very human.”

  As if sensing her watching him, he lifted his lashes and stared right at her. Her pulse spiked while her tiger purred. When he started to advance toward them, Jesse tensed slightly, but Sam paid it no mind. She was too focused on the guy who held her captivated.

  When he stopped at the table, she nearly groaned when his cedar-and-mint scent flowed around her, alluring and intoxicating. Damn, she wanted to bury her nose into his neck and bite—

  “Hello, I’m Gavin.” He held out his hand.

  “What? Oh.” Sam shook his hand and suppressed the urge to purr as some kind of electrical current passed through the connection. What the hell was that? “I’m Sam…er…it’s short for Samira.”

  “Samira.” He spoke her name in a hushed tone. A human couldn’t have heard him with all the noise around them, but Sam did. She liked the way it sounded on his lips.

  “Have a seat,” Sam suggested.

  Gavin glanced down at the chair then around the room. His nose crinkled in disgust when he turned back to her. “Want to go for a walk?”

  Jesse reached over and grabbed her forearm. When Sam glanced at her, worry lit up her features and she shook her head.

  Sam leaned over and spoke so only the other female could hear her. “It’s okay. He’s human. Plus, I’m dying to see the stream. Wanna come?”

  “No. I’ll just go to bed. Please don’t stay out too late. Camile said she was shutting down the party around midnight then locking the doors at one a.m.”

  Sam squeezed her hand. “I’ll be sure to be back before then. I’ll tell you all about it in the morning at breakfast.”

  Jesse’s lips lifted in a shy smile. “Good night, Sam.”

  “Night.” Sam kissed her on the cheek before following Gavin outside.

  The cool night of early spring welcomed her, and the loud music faded as she stepped off the porch. She breathed in the earthy scents of the forest and the freshwater stream nearby. “How far is the stream from here?”

  He drew his brows together in confusion. “What stream?”

  Crap. “Um, Camile said there was a stream nearby. I was just wondering if you knew how far it was.�
�

  He smiled and pushed his glasses farther up his nose. “Want to go find it?”

  A spark of excitement lit within her. If Dev had been here, he would warn her not to go off alone with this human, but her cousin wasn’t here. Besides, Sam had very keen senses, better than most in her pride. Those senses told her Gavin was harmless. His calming, mint-and-cedar scent hadn’t changed since he’d approached her inside, telling her he truly wanted to get the hell out of that house.

  “You bet. I love water.”

  He shrugged, slipping his hands back into his pockets. How cute; he was shy. “It’s okay.”

  Frowning, she turned to head toward the forest and used her tiger senses to find the water source. Gavin jogged to catch up with her, so she slowed her pace. “What’s your major?”

  When he hesitated, she spoke first. “I’m majoring in chemical engineering and minoring in IT.” She let out a nervous laugh and added. “I have an IQ of 162 and an annoying photographic memory.”

  His body relaxed beside her. “Mine is 163.”

  “Oh, nice. I found someone smarter than me,” she teased and nudged his arm with her elbow.

  He laughed. A soft, husky sound that stirred the butterflies in her belly and sent a warmth straight to her core. “I’m majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in chemistry.”

  She glanced at him, glee bubbling up. For some reason she didn’t understand, the more she learned about the quiet male next to her the she wanted to know. He was smart, and their studies were pretty close. “Cool. Maybe we’ll have classes together.”

  He glanced to her, meeting her gaze, and smiled. His eyes sparkled. “That would be nice. Are you a junior?”

  “Sort of, I guess. I have my associate’s degree. Although I still have to take a few intro classes.”

  An awkward silence surrounded them. Sam didn’t know what to say, a first for her. In fact, she felt odd, which was another first. Usually, she didn’t have an issue with talking to others and meeting challenges, but this was different. Gavin was different. Not just because he was human.

  When he withdrew his hands from his pockets, one brushed against hers, sending a tingle up her arms and making her shiver. He noticed and asked, “Are you cold?”

  “No. It was just a chill.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Jasper, Alabama. It’s where my Pr…parents grew up.” Damn, she really needed to focus. That was the second time she’d slipped. Seriously, how many times has her alpha, cousin, and father told her about keeping her mouth shut around humans? Only every day of her life, several times a day. “Are you from around here?”

  “No, I’m from Birmingham, Alabama.”

  She glanced over at his profile, shock making her stumble a couple of steps. “Really? That’s only forty-five minutes from Jasper.”

  Gavin stopped, smiled, and touched her arm. His fingers were light and cool against her skin, but it didn’t stop the rush of heat that washed over her. His dark browns eyes widened slightly as if he, too, felt the flow of whatever it was passing between them. “Are you okay?”

  She swallowed and nodded. Words were so hard to form when she stared into his chocolate gaze. He took a step forward, closing the small distance between them, and her heartbeat quickened, her palms dampened.

  He lifted his hand and brushed stray hairs from her face. Her skin tingled where his fingertips touched. “You have beautiful eyes.”

  Crap. She lowered her eyes, afraid they’d gone cat. Her senses were too alive, too hypersensitive to him. She needed to leave but couldn’t go back to the party, and she damn sure couldn’t go to Dev.

  “Did I say something to upset you?”

  Returning her attention to Gavin, she offered him a forced smile. “We’ve reached the stream.”

  Glancing to the side, he nodded and tugged her toward it. “I can’t swim, but I love the sound of water.”

  She relaxed at his confession and took off her shoes. Sitting on the edge of the bank, she slipped her feet into the icy water. “Oh, it’s cold. Put your feet in.”

  Shaking his head, he sat next to her while folding his legs into a pretzel. “I’ll pass.”

  “So, this is your second year at Harmony?”

  “Yep. It’s a good school. Not too big, you know. Then again, I don’t really go anywhere other than my dorm and to classes. I usually go home on the weekends, summer, and holidays.”

  She swirled her legs in circles. “Yeah, I can see that. This sound silly, but this is my first time leaving home.”

  He closed his warm hand around hers. The wild fire returned with vengeance, making her tiger pace under her skin, too close to the edge. She faced him and stared into his brown eyes. Big mistake. Desire she hadn’t noticed earlier reached out to her empathy, intensifying her own needs. When he cupped her face, liquid heat pooled between her thighs. Oh, God, she wanted to kiss him, possess him.

  No, she couldn’t. He was human and could never know about her world. Plus, he’d probably think she was a crazy freak of nature. Gavin wasn’t for her.

  She pulled out of his touch, making her tiger whimper at the loss of contact. “I think we should go back. I’m not feeling well.”

  Disappoint skirted over his features, making him frown for a brief moment. “Would you like me to walk you back to the dorm?”

  “If you don’t mind. I really should go lie down.” And take an ice bath.

  “As you wish.” He smiled at her, only calming her nerves a fraction.

  When they reached the steps of the front porch, he took her hand before she could run inside. “I’d like to see you again.”

  “I’d like that.” She really would. Maybe if they weren’t alone, she could manage to be friends with him.

  He stepped forward and dipped his head. When his lips brushed against hers, her whole body shook and felt like it was on fire from within. She broke the kiss and didn’t dare look him in eyes. “I’m sorry. I need to go.”

  She rushed inside and up the stairs, but she didn’t go to her room. Instead, she knocked on Jesse’s door. When the petite brunette opened the door, Sam stepped inside. Jesse quickly closed the door. “What’s wrong? Did he hurt you?”

  Sam gaped at her. Jesse lowered her eyes and a slight blush appeared in her cheeks. “Right, sorry. Did you hurt him?”

  Shaking her head, Sam walked to the bed and dropped down. “I don’t understand what happened. We were walking, talking, and connecting. Then he stepped close to me, too close. God, his scent. I can still smell him….”

  Jesse didn’t say anything. Sam lifted her head at the same time Camile entered the room. The two females stared at her, smirks on their faces. “What is it? This isn’t funny.”

  Camile sat down beside her. “I heard you through the door. I think I know what’s wrong.”

  Dread sliced through Sam as she waited for the wolf to continue.

  “You found your mate.”

  Chapter Three

  Sam rolled the hem of her baby-doll top between her fingers as she sat in the dean’s office, waiting for Mrs. Brady to come back from dealing with an issue between a couple of shifter students. When Sam had arrived to pick up her schedule, the dean’s assistant told her to wait in Mrs. Brady’s office.

  Sam wasn’t new to being in trouble. But come on, it’s the first day. Seriously, all she had done that morning was get up, shower, dress, and stop by the on-campus coffee shop.

  The door opened and in walked a tall, thin woman with midnight-black hair pulled up in a ponytail. Martha Brady wasn’t just a woman, she was a shifter, but Sam wasn’t sure what her animal was. The air inside the office seemed to grow thick and charged like old magic. Sam studied the woman as she glided to her desk and sat in the high back leather chair.

  “Good morning, Samira.”

  “Morning, Mrs. Brady.” She couldn’t get a read on the dean’s emotional grid, which had never happened to Sam before. Her ability to read others’ emotions was like a six
th sense to her. Yet, this woman had a lock on emotions Sam hadn’t experienced.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting. I wanted to make sure you were settling in all right.”

  Suspicion crawled up her spine. Why would she make Sam late for class to check on how she was settling in? She doubted the dean did this with everyone. “I’m fine. My dorm mates are great.”

  With a heavy sigh, she leaned forward. “I’m a very old dragon with a PhD in human psychology among many other degrees. Reading people is my specialty. Plus, Camile told me you met your mate and didn’t take it too well.”

  What the…? Sam clenched her hands and tried to suppress her tiger’s fury at the wolf’s betrayal. “She had no right—”

  Mrs. Brady held up a hand, silencing her. “She has every right as your dorm mother. She is genuinely concerned for you.”

  Annoyance still ran in her veins, making her bounce her foot vigorously. “I was a little shocked and at first didn’t understand what was happening. I thought…for a brief moment, I believed my tiger would take over. I’ve never experienced that before.”

  The dean nodded and sat back in her chair. “It’s natural. Mating is an animal instinct, even for humans. How did you handle it?”

  Really? She needed to get to class, put this behind her, and avoid Gavin until she had a better handle on her emotions. “I told Gavin I didn’t feel well.”

  “That’s good. Are you okay with it? I believe you and Mr. Stone have several classes together. If it’s going to be a problem, I could change his schedule around.”

  “No!” Sam slapped her hand over her mouth right after the outburst. The thought of not seeing Gavin put her tiger into a panic. Sure, she wanted to avoid him, but only for a little while. “I mean, it’ll be fine. I got it. I’ll deal.”

  “Be sure you keep control over your tiger and remember this is a human public university.”