Part Of Me { Completed ✔ }

Chapter 23. Connor

The sky was pitch black when I snuck out of Kate's apartment, leaving her exhausted and snoring on her couch. After her breakdown and the submission I'd forced her into at the Sushi restaurant Kate had practically passed out in my arms, her energy too depleted to argue with me about taking her home. Outside my car was waiting for me, caked in mud and on the older side of its lifespan but still happy to light the dark sky up when I turned the key. The last place I wanted to be was the pack lands and the last person I wanted to see was Nessa but I was soon to be a lawyer, I had to play by the innocent until proven guilty rules.

Rolling my car onto the edge of the national park, I parked it hidden among the trees and left the keys and my clothes in the cab. It seemed like a good decision to run to the packhouse, exerting my pent up anger before seeing Nessa. Howls in the distance were like a comforting welcome home from family, as I shook out my fur and dug my paws into the cool dirt. As a wolf it was harder to keep hold of a thought, I was more animalistic driven by simple pleasures like eating, sleeping, fucking and staying alive. I repeated Nessa's name over and over in my mind to stop myself from getting distracted by the nocturnal animals that danced around in the trees above. I sniffed at the air as I tracked Nessa's spicy scent. It wasn't until I was practically at the foot of the pack house stairs that I was confident I'd found her, I certainly wasn't gifted in scent work. Maybe one day when Kate and I settle down, buy a house and have a couple of kids I'd adopt a bloodhound to carry out any tracking needs for me.

Shifting at the top of the stairs I dug into the clothes hamper that was left on the old wooden porch, throwing on the first warm clothes I touched. Autumn was feeling more and more like winter this year. Entering the pack house my senses were attacked by a barrage of scents. I was thankful that I had my family to live with, I was sure that for the wolves that were forced to live in the pack house it was overwhelming. I knew Nessa had never really enjoyed living in the dorm-like facility but she didn't have a choice, when her family had left and she had stayed, she had been forced to give up her family home. Homes were sparse in our hidden outback society, it just hadn't made sense to have a single wolf living in a family home. The common room of the pack house was lit by only the light of the TV, the two teenagers on the couch were too focused on each other to give any attention to whatever was playing on MTV. Years ago, Nessa and I had been that couple. I snuck past the kids and went straight for the stairs, practising my grounding exercises as I followed the familiar path to room thirty seven.

Before I'd even had the chance to knock on the heavy ancient door, Nessa called out to me. "Just come in Connor."

I pushed through the door, pausing in the threshold when I saw Nessa perched on her bed, a light grey towel barely covering her bronzed body. Once I would have found the sight enticing, I'd have spent the whole night, probably the whole weekend locked away with her in this room, now the sight only angered me further. I took a step back, wanting to create as much space between us as possible. "Don't just stand there with the door open." She tsked.

"Where are your clothes?"

She shrugged, shifting in a way that made her towel show more of her thighs. I clenched my jaw, feeling disgusted with myself when my eyes trailed the newly revealed skin. "Just got out of the shower." I made note that her hair was completely dry.

I shook my head at her antics, as she brushed her golden hair away from her face. The movement reminded me of Kate at home, asleep on her right side to avoid touching her bruise. I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it at her. "Put that on."

"Fine." Nessa dropped her towel, making a big show out of pulling the shirt over her body. "If I have to be dressed then this night isn't going how I'd planned. Why are you here?"