Cody

I can still smell that guy’s cologne on her. I knew the moment he leaned in and whispered something in her ear that I wasn’t going to make it through the night without losing my mind.

Jealousy isn’t pretty on me. It brings the wolf too close to the surface. My claws itch. My canines press against my tongue. And my ears—yeah, they twitch under my beanie like they’ve got opinions of their own.

She’s mine. And—yeah yeah—she’s also the girl everyone worships. The one who has a reputation to protect. The one who can’t be seen dating the chaotic werewolf guitarist with the mismatched nails and too many piercings.

I don’t care about the hiding. I never have. If she told me to jump into a dumpster and wait there because it made her life easier, I’d ask how long she wanted me to stay. That’s just how it is.

But flirting? Guys putting their hands too close? Their smiles lingering too long?

I can take being invisible. I can’t take watching someone else pretending they have a chance.

So when one of her friends offered to distract the guy, I didn’t even have to plan anything. She did the work for me. I just slipped into the next part: the “oops, sorry, I totally spilled that on you” plan.

“Come on,” I murmured, already guiding her away before anyone could think too hard about it. “Let me fix it.”

Fix it. Right.

Now she’s on the edge of her bed, legs crossed, hair all perfect, eyes sharp like she knows exactly what I did.

I’m on the floor between her knees, where I belong. My forehead against her thigh. My arms wrapped around her like I’m afraid she’ll disappear if I let go. My lips brushing any skin I can reach.

She’s stroking my hair slow, gentle—like she likes it when I melt for her. My ears slip free without me meaning to, twitching under her touch. Only she gets to see them. Only she gets every vulnerable part of me.

God, I’d stay like this forever.

“Can we just stay here for the rest of the party?” I mumble against her skin.