My Taken Mate

Seniority

Hayley

First days of school always bring a mix of excitement and nerves. New teachers, new classes, maybe even a few new faces. This year that excitement is ten fold being it's our last year as high schoolers.

As Sam and I walk the halls we've grown accustomed to over the past three years, a wave of nostalgia hits me as I realize this is my last first day. "Is it weird that I'm feeling a little emotional right now?" Sam asks as we head to our newly assigned lockers.

"If it is we can be weird together since I'm a little in my feelings right now too." I reply.

Of course, I'm not only dealing with whacked emotions from school, but also from my mate situation. It was so unbelievably hard to sit at the same table with Phoenix while Jeanette shared touches and smiles with him. It's the reason I need to keep my distance.

Thanks to my dad, that isn't an option. I still can't believe he'd rather I spend the weekend around a group of his workers than with Grayson. His overprotectiveness drives me bananas! This time it'll bite him in the butt. I'm betting he'll send me home within an hour.

That's worry for later though, I've still got five straight days of school followed by afternoons of office work. At least Phoenix will be out on jobs and not sharing a tightly confined space with me. I swear, just breathing him in is too much to handle.

After storing our extra notebooks and adding some pictures to our lockers, we set out in search of the guys. It's no surprise we find them still at the entrance scoping out the new freshmen hotties. Boys will be boys after all, and though ours are more respectful than most, they're still a bunch of pervs.

"Damn, check out the T & A on that one! You sure that's a freshman because I swear she's built like a senior, in college," Nick observes as a group of giggling girls pass, one very well endowed, though I'm guessing she's had some help of the tissue variety.

"Swear it bro, spotted her at the freshman orientation last week. Football practice just started and she was following the rest of her class out of the auditorium. She had half the team drooling." Slater says as he winks at the group.

"I thought you stopped swimming in the kiddie pool years ago Slater," I can't help but tease.

He smirks at me, "I did, but every once in awhile it doesn't hurt to tip your toes back in."

Rolling my eyes I step up to him for my usual morning side hug and give a head nod to Nick, Hunter, and Austin.

A cloud of over priced perfume is the only warning I receive before the she devil herself is upon us.

"Hi boys, looking good this year. I see you've been keeping up that grueling work out routine during the summer. Slater, when are you gonna follow through with your promise to train me?" A sickly sweet voice asks.

"Train her? I bet she really wants to ask when they'll run a train ON her?" Sam mumbles from beside me causing a strangled laugh to slip. Slater and Nick do their best to smother their laughter, having better luck at it than I did.

Ice blue eyes shift my way, "Oh Hayley, didn't see you there. You're so good at blending in with the background."

Mikayla Burns.

Every school has one. That rich, snooty, princess who thinks her shit don't stink and she can treat people like crap for the hell of it. She's tall, model thin, with wavy golden locks and the ever present stick up her ass. She's a member of my uncles pack. We've never gotten along. Not only because I recognized the witch she was from the start, but mainly because I don't take any of her crap and she doesn't like that.

It also doesn't help that she's had a thing for Slater since the seventh grade but he won't give her even a crumb of affection. He's loyal like that but also knows not to dip his stick in that batch of crazy. Clinger stage five for sure.

Of course, Mikayla blames me for his disinterest, claiming I'm jealous of her and keeping Slater from all that she has to offer.

Like I said, batch of crazy!

If Slater had even an ounce of interest, I wouldn't cock block him, but he's made it clear on several occasions that he's not, so it's a non issue. Someone needs to fill Mikayla in though.

"Mikayla, so nice to see you. Did you have a good Summer? Find any married men to entice away from their wives?" I ask with a smile.

She frowns at me, "For the last time, Jameson wasn't married."

With a finger to my chin I reply, "Oh that's right. Just engaged to be married. My bad."

The only sign I've hit a nerve is the clenching of her fists. The rest of her remains impassive as she delivers her next attack, "Why so interested in my life? Daddy dearest still keeping his little princess locked up? Tell me, does that chastity belt he have you wearing cause chaffing?"

Oh this bitch. She knows how much my father's over protective ways bothers me. Grinding my teeth while barely keeping a serene expression on my face, I strike, "Probably about as much as your crusty panties after a Friday night beach party."

The guys lose control of their laughter and Mikayla gives me a deadly look before storming off into the school.

"Damn tiny tot, that was brutal!" Austin says.

"Freaking crusty panties! You're savage sis!" Hunter states still trying to control his laughter.

I shrug my shoulders, "She started it."

Slater raises a brow at me, "Real mature mighty mite."

"This from the guy who wants to dip his toes in the kiddie pool? You can't judge my maturity if you're still swimming with the toddlers." I tease.

He smiles before responding, "It's gotta be better than the shark infested waters Mikayla hangs in."

Can't argue with him there.

The bell rings and we all head off to our scheduled classes. I had hoped Mikayla would cool off this year. We're getting a little old for this back and forth battle we've been in.

As I sit next to my brother in homeroom, I can't help but worry she'll find out about my mate situation. She'd have a field day with that info and use it against me every chance she gets.

It's just another reason to avoid Phoenix. No matter how much my heart and wolf are against it.