Scum (Book 2)

95. Approached

Chey’s POV

At the end of negotiations, Alpha Cornell and I decided to push our fight out to two weeks later.

I don’t see the need to change anything from my normal routine, but since then, I’ve been in the gym every day, mostly to stretch my muscles.

That said, the place is packed with werewolves who signed up as ‘trial members,’ but Jett believes that they want to scope me out before placing their bets.

In that case, I’ll give them a show, so I pretend to be struggling, which gives one of the men watching me an excuse to come closer.

“Need some help?” Taking the weight from me, the man sets it to the side and comes back wearing a very handsome smile. “My name’s Noah, and yours?”

“Chey.”

“So Chey, without sounding too much like a jerk, I have a couple of questions for you.”

“You can ask, but I might choose not to answer.” The man smiles again, and I have to force myself not to smile back.

He’s got tawny skin, beautiful brown eyes, and curly black hair that looks similar in texture to mine.

His muscle tone is well defined, but it’s probably more for show than anything else, and he still smells good considering that he’s been working out for the last half hour.

“What made you move to the city?”

“Because I couldn’t have been born here?” The man chuckles, and again my heart races.

“Definitely not. A girl as pretty as you would know not to flaunt around in an area like this, unless, of course, you don’t know, which could only mean that-”

“I was adopted.” Noah sucks in a deep breath, likely because he feels bad for me.

Humans adopt orphan werewolves all the time, and sadly, many of them have no idea what they are until someone points it out to them.

Some go crazy with the knowledge, but others go in search of more information.

Sadly, those a little too curious are almost always killed because they can’t be trusted not to accidentally reveal our existence to humans.

That is the last thing our species wants, specifically because we already witnessed how that played out in the Middle Ages, and it ultimately led to the death of innocent women in Salem.

I’ve seen it before. Humans can be feral when they think they are trying to protect, but because they have very fragile mindsets, they tend to overreact.

As it is, our species’ are so integrated that it could literally destroy the world if it ever came down to an ‘us’ versus ‘them,’ which is all that keeps even the most ambitious of alphas in line.

“That was a pretty sh*tty joke. I would’ve had to report you.”

“Because I’ve done something wrong?” I’ve successfully confused Noah to the point where he walks away, but not even fifteen minutes later, the man comes back.

“I’m sorry. I just thought about the way I approached you, and it was rude of me to have said anything. You’re clearly not from around here, and I wanted to scare you a little.”

“Why me and why now?”

“You’re becoming quite famous if you haven’t noticed.” The man moves his finger, pointing all around the gym.

“I’ve noticed, but I don’t know any of these people.” Although I’m talking, I’m still putting on a show, so I pretend that five reps of twenty is all I could manage.

For now, only Alpha Franchelle knows what I’m capable of; she even barred Cornell and I from betting on ourselves, but that won’t stop me from giving Jett 5k to wager.

I’m hoping that most of the attendees will bet on the other guy, which means that the payout will be large.

“You okay over there alpha?” Jett’s on the clock, but he periodically mind-links me when he’s uncomfortable.

“I’m good, but how’s Marissa?” While I’m being watched over here, my poor pregnant friend is barricaded in our apartment because several unknown males have knocked on the door asking to speak to me.

She’s smart enough not to answer, but it doesn’t stop the fact that it’s scary, and she doesn’t like it.

“She’s pushed the couch in front of the door like you asked, but she’s more worried about us being ambushed.” It’s possible, but there’s nothing I can do except fight back.

“Just tell her to be ready to let us in when you link.” My plan is to literally plow through whoever is waiting on us and get inside without having to fight, but that’s more for Jett’s sake than my own.

"One more unrequested word of advice,” Noah says. “That man you challenged isn't just one of our kind; he's a criminal. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't already making plans to sell you to the highest bidder."

"That's advice?"

“What I’m trying to say is that you may need a larger pack to protect you. I can help you with that.” For no reason other than wanting to appear frightened, I accept the man’s offer.

I’m not at all surprised to find out that he has seven other men and women at the gym with him, and while I wait for Jett’s shift to finish, I ask Noah about himself.

“I'm a certified physical trainer and athleticwear model." That explains the man's extremely 'pretty' muscle build, which I knew from the beginning was for the eyes. "I would love to tell you more, but we aren't in the best place for a conversation." He isn't wrong, so I won't pry. "And what do you do?"

"I'm a nurse at an assisted living facility."

"That… I mean, don't take this the wrong way but, I would have never guessed." The man doesn't know my age, so he must be referring to my appearance. "Do you like it?"

"It’s not ideal, but it pays the bills."

"Do you ever think about getting a side hustle?" Now, I'm suspicious of the man again, but he throws up his hands, also realizing that what he just said has many interpretations. "I meant legal stuff, like what I do."

"I'm not certified."

"And yet, I can tell just by looking that you know exactly what you're doing in the gym." Maybe my act isn't working as well as I thought.

"It was nice talking to you, but I have to go." I abruptly cut the conversation because Jett is officially off, and I don't want to waste time.

"Okay, but just remember what I said."

"How do I know if I can trust you? You told me yourself that I'm a target." The man takes a few deep breaths, almost as though he's annoyed, but then he suggests exactly what I needed.

"Listen, people already know where you live, and I'm sure your apartment is being watched. I can go ahead and clear the area for you."

"Then kill me before you leave or break in later?"

"No. I'm just not that kind of person. I approached you because I heard about you from friends who were at the Dojo that night, but other than that, I have zero motive." I don't fully buy it, but I'm weapons trained, I have my knives with me, and in the worst-case scenario a few people are going to die tonight.

"Okay, but if something happens, you have to promise that you'll help me take care of the people I'll leave behind." I know that I'm using a command, and Noah can feel it too, but he doesn't say or do anything except nod.

“Do you need a ride?”

“No, I have a car, but if you’re serious about helping, I’m told that there are people waiting around my apartment building.”

“It’s probably not what you think, but if you're worried, I can call the police and report them for loitering.”

“Will that work?” I’ve never even thought of doing that, but it would make sense that wolves who are more strongly associated with humans use local law enforcement to their advantage.

“Can you?”

“Yup!” Noah smiles, and for the first time since I’ve left, I feel physically attracted to someone, but I know better than to trust another man who isn’t my mate. “Take down my number; just in case you need someone to talk to.” Somehow, I can now recognize flirting for what it is, but oddly enough, I’m not scared of the attention, so I give him my contact details, and make my way toward the exit, already knowing that Jett is waiting for me.

We arrive at the same time as the police, which, although troublesome, puts a smile on my face.

I never told Noah where I lived, but I know that showing up at a neutral area was his way of being respectful of my boundaries, unlike the several men who are being asked to clear out.

Using the presence of law enforcement, we parked the car and rushed into our apartment. Neither Jett nor I want to go to jail for fighting, and I need to be in top condition for my upcoming challenge.

“My goddess; I was so worried about you guys.” Marissa is hugging us both at the same time, but eventually her arms are only wrapped around her mate, making me feel a little bitter.

I can’t wait to find my fated partner, and I promise myself that, if I find him before I Attack Alpine, I’ll focus solely on being the best alpha female I can be, but for now, I have to make do with the loneliness I feel now.

Even though I was a secret, I was happy being with Liam, and I feel like it's going to be hard not to compare other men to him. I just hope that my mate doesn’t feel like he has to work harder to make me happy.

“Jett tells me that you smiled at someone today.”

“I did,” I reply, feeling like it's a big step in a healthy direction.

“Do you like him?”

“I don’t even know him.”

“Get to know him first. After that, you have my full support to bring him home.”

“Bring him home?” I wasn’t even thinking about that, but now that Marissa said it, I can’t not think about what I know she’s hinting at.

“Chey, I don’t want to give you bad advice, but think about my age when I met my mate. What if you don’t meet yours for another five years, or-”

“What if I don’t have one at all?” I interject, having already thought of that scenario many times.

“Sorry if I’m being insensitive.”

“You aren’t, but if two evil people can fall in love without the mate bond, why can’t I?”