The wakefields, p.9
The Wakefields, page 9
“Right.” I open my pack to pull out my samples and place them in the refrigerator so I can test them tomorrow. Cold air blasts at me when I put the specimens on a shelf. I imagine being a Silver Lake werewolf and hiding my existence from the outside world. It has to be difficult to be so diligent.
I call to Andi that I’m going to go, and I notice her eyes are glassy when she glances at me. She blinks quickly and looks away as she says, “Have a great night.”
I push my way out of the lab to the hallway. My muddy footprints from earlier are gone, as if evidence I was here is a secret. I’m not sure I understand completely what’s troubling Andi, but my thoughts are with the wolves too. I have no idea how I’m going to complete Dr. Sand’s assignment. My previous vision of an award ceremony fades. Instead I see two werewolves in cages and imagine what it would be like to watch someone experiment on my wolf mate and human partner. The roar of anger that surges through my veins surprises me. My feet thud on the stairs that lead out of the basement.
The sky is dark with a storm when I exit the building. A flash of lightning in the distance captures my attention, and I begin to jog to the dorm before I’m caught in the rain. The thunder crashes as I swipe my key, and I make it inside a moment before fat drops of moisture fall. I fear that figuring out the Silver Lake wolves’ habitat is just the beginning of something much greater than what I’ve been told. And as I walk to the stairs, I wonder if my dream of being a famous scientist was just washed away.
Eight
Ekton gets out of class before I do on Friday afternoons, and I find him sitting in front of my door when I get back to my room. I let an evil smile cover my face as I approach him. “You know, dinner lasts for two more hours.”
He stands and offers me a devious smile of his own. “That’s an interesting fact.”
I place my hand on his chest and move it slowly down toward his belly. “And sometimes, to be an efficient machine, one should burn off any excess fuel before filling up.”
He grips my hips and pulls me against his body. “I’ve heard that theory.”
I stand on my tiptoes and grab the back of his head to pull him down. “Any good scientist would test it, don’t you think?” I kiss him.
He pulls away and whispers, “I think you’re a very good scientist.”
I turn away from him, and my hand shakes as I try to slide my key in the reader. Ekton wraps his fingers around mine to help me like the day I arrived. When we get in the room, I shove him against the door and work on removing his shirt. He whips it off and throws it across the room, and I let out a huff of air at the vision of his naked chest. “You have to be the most amazing man I’ve ever seen.”
So far our sexual encounters haven’t involved much below the waist beyond dry humping, and loss of clothing is a gradual thing that occurs while we kiss. But I can’t stand waiting for Ekton to make a move any longer, and I think it’s time to use the box of condoms expiring in my desk drawer. I decide to go with bold before I chicken out.
I step away from Ekton and remove my glasses, and they clatter on the surface of my desk when I set them down. I work on the buttons of my blouse. “As my test subject, do you agree to let this scientist do as she sees fit?”
His eyes are on my hands, and he nods as tiny discs of plastic are slick in my trembling fingers. I am wearing a sexy black bra, and my breasts are barely contained by the demicups. I thrust my chest out when I reach behind my back to remove a sleeve. He moves forward, and I say, “Uh-uh, stay right there.” I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated my cup size as much as I do right now, because my boyfriend is practically drooling. I remove my bra, and he bites his lip as if it’s controlling his urge to touch me.
I say, “I’m going to need help with my boots.”
When I sit on my chair Ekton falls to his knees to unzip the black leather that reaches my knees. He grins as he tosses one over his shoulder and it lands on the floor with a thud. He says, “Poor guy downstairs probably wonders what’s going on.”
Considering I’m right above his room, I say, “Poor guy is about to find out. Open my top desk drawer behind you.”
The wood scrapes as he yanks at it, and I say, “Back right corner.”
Ekton turns to me with the box of condoms in his hand, and his face is serious. “Mia, are you sure?”
This time I nod and reach for him. “I am.”
The box bounces lightly on the bed where he tosses it, and I spread my legs to let him move between them. He kisses me, and I grip his biceps as we heat things up. Now he’s the one trembling when I trail my fingers down his belly toward his waistband. His jeans are loose, and I could easily reach inside, but I mean business, and his pants need to go. The metal button is hot in my hand as I unfasten it.
Ekton keeps kissing me as he helps drag worn denim and briefs over his hips. He breaks away to stand and step out of them. I gaze at his long, thick length, and a flicker of panic makes my heartbeat quicken when I try to imagine him inside me. But I know it will fit, because my body was made to accommodate him, and I let that knowledge prevail.
I stand up across from him and reach for the zipper at the back of my skirt. When it’s open, I move my hands to my hips to remove it, and Ekton places his fingers over mine to help. I grab all layers to go at once, and he groans when he sees me naked. He lowers himself to his knees and tugs on my leggings until I’m free. “God, Mia. You’re incredible.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my round belly. “The scent of you is like a drug.”
I frown at the fact that he’s sniffing me, even though I know what he means, because I like the way he smells too. His hair is silky soft in my fingers when I thread them through it. He moves his mouth lower, and his breath is hot on my mound when he asks, “Can I?”
This is a first for me, and I’m glad it will be Ekton. “Yes.” I sit on the chair, and he lifts my legs up and over his shoulders as I perch my butt on the edge of the chair. I bet studying at my desk is never going to be the same. He searches my face with his gaze as he slides a finger between my folds. “Does the scientist have any instructions for me?” He dips it into me, and I let out a small noise.
I grip the edge of the chair tight. “She trusts he knows what he’s doing.”
He winks at me, and I’d laugh if he hadn’t just thrust another finger into me. Ekton swipes his tongue over my clit, and now my cry is a little louder. I no longer know what he’s doing, because I’m lost in the sensations I’m feeling for the first time. I dig my nails into the wood of the chair as my orgasm comes quickly. I muffle my scream with my arm so the whole floor doesn’t know what we’re up to.
Ekton lifts me up and sets me down on my bed, set up at top bunk height. He climbs up and crawls over me to say, “You don’t need to hide your pleasure, quiet time is a couple hours away.”
I smile back at him and would come up with something clever as a reply, but I’m still quivering. I reach for his cock and stroke it. It’s firm in my hand, and I imagine the pressure of him inside me. I should probably return the oral favor, so I ask, “Can I taste you too?”
“Not if you want to use these.” Ekton rises up on his knees, and his head almost hits the ceiling as the cardboard tears. “Do you still want to do this?”
I squirm under him in anticipation of him filling me. “God, yes.” I’m still stroking him and squeeze tighter as a foil packet crinkles when Ekton opens it. I release my grip so he can put it on.
He lowers himself to kiss me. The faint flavor of what must be me is slightly sweet, and my core quivers from my recent experience. Ekton lifts up and slides fingers into me. “You’re so tight, Mia. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t. This scientist knows that even though you’re larger than the average man, you’ll fit.”
He chuckles as he removes his hand. “Okay, but the test subject is still taking orders. You can tell me to stop any time.” He guides his cock to my entrance and pushes gently. I spread my legs further as his eyelids droop, and he moans.
When Ekton is all the way in, he sighs. “I could stay here forever.”
I pinch his butt. “You’d better not. I expect a little movement.”
He withdraws and pushes in again more quickly this time. “Still good?”
“Seriously? Just shut up and do this. I’m dying here.”
He thrusts in harder, and I sigh to let him know it’s good. I rock my hips as a rhythm forms, and both of us make little noises to express our pleasure. This time my climax builds slowly, and I’m grasping at his sweat-slicked skin as if I can pull him all the way inside me.
When Ekton reaches between us to rub my clit, I explode. I dig my nails into his back, and I think I scratch him as I writhe under him while he pumps fast. His release quakes through his body. A low rumble starts in him until it comes out as a growl, and he collapses on me as we both pant.
I gaze at his back where I think I drew blood. I’m about to apologize when I notice the marks fade before my eyes as if I’m watching time-lapsed photography. I wear my glasses for long-distance vision, so I’m sure this is real. What on earth? Within seconds, they disappear. Oh my god. I slide my fingers over the skin where I scratched him to make sure.
Ekton mumbles in my shoulder. “You didn’t hurt me.”
No. I didn’t. I’m not sure I can. “Good.” I let out a big sigh. What did I just witness? My mind flashed to the growl he makes, and the way his hands are always unusually warm. Oh my god.
I hug him tight, and he kisses my neck before he whispers, “What’s going on in that head of yours, Mia Maybee?”
His use of my name reminds me of the first day when he said he was going to change Maybee to a yes. I say, “I think you have to call me Mia Yes now.”
Ekton’s body shakes on top of me as he laughs, and he lifts up to gaze at me. “Mia Yes.” He sighs as he stokes my cheek with his finger. I bask in a touch that belongs to something not quite human.
I ask, “What’s going on in your head?”
His gaze is intense, and he says, “I’m trying to figure out if I should tell you the truth.”
My eyes widen as I wait for his confession. He says, “I should. I’m in love with you, Mia.”
“Oh.” Tears seem to have come from nowhere, and I blink up at him to hold them back. The thing is, I feel the same way. I have since the night he brought me to the lake. “I love you too, Ekton.” He kisses me, and I wonder what I’ve just done.
Nine
I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was too busy piecing together the clues of the past few days. I think Ekton is a werewolf, but I need proof, and today I plan to find out for sure. I grab my plastic bag that contains the strand of his hair I found on my pillow and his skin I scraped out from under my nails. With any luck, Andi won’t notice I’m not testing the samples I gathered yesterday.
Fall weather arrives early in Winter Valley, and once I’m ready to leave, I open my closet for a light sweater. I notice the sweatshirt I’ve never returned to Ekton. The cotton is soft on my face as I hold it to my nose and inhale the faint trace of his scent. Fear grips my heart as I imagine what I’m about to find out. Am I really in love with the very thing I came here hoping to find?
My stomach rolls, and I don’t think I can eat breakfast, so I head straight to the lab instead. Andi gets in at seven every day, and I’ll just tell her I have an exam to study for and I wanted to get the testing out of the way. My need for the truth propels me all the way to the lab. But when I push open the door and Andi glances up at me to smile, my fear takes over.
Words spill out of my mouth. “Hey, I’ve got a big exam, and I need to get my work done.” Andi blinks at me as if I’m from another planet. Right. Not the least bit suspicious, Mia. “So. Yeah. Good morning.”
“Good morning to you too.” She shakes her head and returns her gaze to her laptop.
I set my bag down near the microscope and open it. In between stealing glances at Andi, I remove the plastic bag with Ekton’s samples and slide it up my sleeve so that I can add it to the others as I prepare the slides. Andi doesn’t look my way, and she appears to be engrossed in what she’s doing, so I relax a bit as I walk over to the refrigerator.
Once my slides are ready, I return to the microscope and place the hair sample underneath. I lift my glasses to the top of my head and peer down as I zoom in and notice that it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I let out a tiny gasp and dart my eyes to see if Andi noticed. She’s frowning at something, so I continue. The hair appears to be a combination of wolf and human in a completely different form, and reality is slammed home. Ekton is a werewolf. I remove the slide to put the skin sample in next. It’s even stranger, and I’m so focused on my amazing discovery that I don’t notice Andi is next to me. I jump when she asks, “What are you finding?”
“Oh. Um, nothing really.” Shit! What if she looks?
Andi squints her eyes at me. “You’re a terrible liar, Mia.”
She pushes at my shoulder to move me out of the way, and I freak. I grab the slide. “No.”
Andi grabs my hand with a grip stronger than I would have imagined. Her voice is stern. “Give me that slide, Mia.”
“I can’t.” I struggle, and she lets go.
She puts her hands on her hips, and suddenly I’m afraid of her. She asks, “What do you plan to do with this information?”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“You found what Dr. Sand has been looking for, haven’t you?” Her voice cuts like steel, and now I fear for Ekton.
Blood drains from my head, and stars float before my eyes. “No. She can’t find out. She—”
Andi’s voice softens as she says, “I’m on your side, Mia. She can’t find out. Do you realize what she’d do?”
I whisper, “Ekton wouldn’t be safe, would he?”
“No.” Andi shoves her bangs out of her face. “Dozens of people we know wouldn’t be safe.”
I ask, “You know some—?” I can’t say the rest, and I glance around the room as if I’d be able to see we’re being monitored.
Andi says, “We’re not monitored. But yes, I suspect some.” Her gaze drills into me, and I shrink back a little when she says, “So I’ll ask again. What are you going to do with your discovery?”
“I don’t know.” I shake my head as I look at the slide in my hand. The vision of my boyfriend in a cage wrenches at my heart. “This is Ekton.”
“Oh, Mia.” She sighs as she grips my arms lightly and pulls me into a hug. “You know we have to keep his secret, don’t you?”
But if Dr. Sand doesn’t get results from us, she’ll just send different people who can. I pull away, because Andi’s embrace isn’t comforting. “Yes. But I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time. Even if I quit, Dr. Sand will find someone else, won’t she?”
Andi nods. “And I’ll be here to keep them from being successful.”
I frown. “You?”
“The wolves are good at concealing things, but to be safe, I’ve been replacing your samples.” She grimaces. “I’m a little tired of digging in my kitty litter box.”
My nervous chuckle escapes, and I laugh as relief washes over me. When I’m done, I ask, “Is it bad that I still want to study them?” I think about the way Ekton healed a scratch in seconds. “I have so many questions.”
“Then ask your boyfriend, Mia. Let him tell you all you need to know.”
The glass of the slide is slick in my fingers as I fondle it. “But isn’t he supposed to keep it secret? What makes you think he’ll tell me anything?”
She touches my arm. “I don’t know if he will, but doesn’t he deserve the chance?”
I return my gaze to the sample in my hand as my stomach sinks. “You’re right.” I pick up both of Ekton’s slides and hold them out to Andi. “You can look if you want before I destroy these.”
She offers me a sad smile. “Thank you. But I’d rather not.”
I grip them tight in my hand, and the edges dig into my palm as the shame of what I’ve done makes my ears burn. I feel like I’ve betrayed the man I love, and now I have to do what it takes to keep him safe. Andi has returned to her computer, and I say, “I need to talk to Dr. Sand. I can’t work on this project any longer.”
She says, “Of course. But if you want to keep working in the lab, I’ve got other work study positions open. Just say the word.”
I nod. “Thanks, Andi.”
She smiles at me. “Don’t beat yourself up over this, Mia. There will be other ways to make your mark in the research world. You’re doing the right thing, and I’m proud of you.”
I force a smile back, but I’m not the least bit proud of what I just did. I don’t care that I’ll never be famous. I care that I put my dream ahead of Ekton. I open my hand and notice I cut myself on the glass edges of the slides. Red blood oozes out, and I move to the sink to wash my hands. I watch the pink water flow down the drain and wish my shame would go with it.
Ten
After my morning class, I called Dr. Sand to quit. I told her I couldn’t exploit the wolves, and she took it rather well. She told me she understood, but that I probably wasn’t cut out to be the level of scientist I aspired to be. She was right. I’m never going to be the one who will sacrifice animals for genetic modification. And part of me can’t believe I let myself be led so blindly by Dr. Sand.
I gaze out the window of my room at the science building. I remember standing in this same spot a few weeks ago while I daydreamed about the accolades I’d receive when I discovered werewolves. I sigh as I think about how quickly that dream was killed. But I’ve replaced it with something else, and I chase my disappointment away with a smile when Ekton’s kiss comes to mind.
He’s working tonight, so I won’t be able to see him until tomorrow. He talked about cutting back his hours, but I insisted he think about it. I wrap my arms around myself, and I remember cuddling in my bed with him yesterday. We had to order pizza delivery because we missed dinner. The truth is, I hope Ekton does work less, because it almost hurts to be away from the man I love.
