Torn Mate by Belle Harper
Noah
When Ranger cameover to my house I was a little surprised. I had noticed him wanting to hang out and talk with me more lately… since Callum left. I guess he was missing him. I wasn’t. It was horrible to think of my brother that way, but it was the truth. Home had never been so peaceful. Mom had stopped crying and my fathers all seemed to just get back into our regular routine.
Luca and I were playing a round of Fortnite when Ranger asked me to come with him to help out Mav, that he would help me with Ada, that he would be my wingman. Luca wasn’t impressed and stormed off. I didn’t know what his issue with Ada was. He just didn’t get it.
“Come on, man, Mav needs backup. Apparently, girl talk is scary.”
That was Ranger’s way of convincing me to come with him to Walmart where both Lexi, his mate, and Ada, my dream mate, were both shopping currently.
“Why is girl talk scary?” I questioned him. I wasn’t sure what they could say that would be scary. I knew girls had their periods and could get all hormonal—I had a mom, I knew this stuff—but that wasn’t scary.
“It isn’t, he’s just scared what he might say to Lex is the wrong answer and then she might get mad. You know how girls are.”
I nodded, but I really didn’t. How are girls? Most of them avoided me. I didn’t really know any. Ada was the first girl I ever liked, and she actually liked me back. Enough to talk to me. Are girls like what Ada is? Like the hot and cold thing? She likes when I flirt with her, I can smell how much she likes it… likes me. I apologized to her about the whole stroking my wolf and she forgave me. She said she would go to my birthday dinner. Maybe I had no idea about girls and I was messing this all up.
As we started to walk through Walmart, I could hear the girls chatting. And from what I heard I had a feeling we weren’t supposed to be here. Wait… this didn’t sit right with me. What we were doing was wrong, like how I got her to pat my wolf kind of wrong.
“Are you sure this isn’t, like, stalking?” I whispered to Ranger, because now he was creeping through Walmart. I should have asked one of my fathers. Hell, I should have asked Mom if a girl would like you to surprise her at Walmart… uninvited. I knew that answer without even having to ask anyone.
I could see Ranger was thinking about my question… He was thinking for such a long time that my wolf was getting jumpy. Shit, I didn’t want to upset her, I didn’t think I stood another chance with Ada if I messed this up for a second time.
“Ranger?” He turned to me. I looked over to where the girls were, then back to Ranger. His brows raised high at me.
“No. No, it’s not stalking if we’re going… shopping.” Ranger then grabbed a tee off the rack and kept on walking.
What the fuck. This was total stalking, he knew it too. Only difference was that Lexi would tell him off and still kiss him later. I didn’t have that option with Ada. I got down low behind him, I didn’t want Ada to see me. I wanted to leave but Ranger drove me here. Ada would know I was stalking her now and Ranger didn’t seem to care. I hesitated. “Turn around!” I screamed in my head.
“Stop with the face and just grab something. Quick, there they are.”
Shit, fuck. I spun in a circle and grabbed something fluffy and held it to my chest like I could hide behind it. How could I even hide? I was six foot five, you could see me coming from a mile away. Lexi and Ada turned to us and the expressions they both had told me that they weren’t happy to see us, but it was like Ranger had blocked that out as he waved at Lexi.
Oh, I could smell how much they weren’t happy with us being there. Was Ranger not smelling them at all… This was so bad. I messed up. Maybe Mav was scared about girl talk because he wasn’t a girl. I wasn’t a girl and I had a feeling they didn’t want us there either.
“Stalker much?” Lexi deadpanned. The way she cocked her hip and glared at me had my wolf bristling and wanting to go hide. But not Ranger.
He put his hands up in defense, his stupid cocky grin on his face. But it wasn’t working on her… Ada just glared at me. I felt so stupid, Ranger led me into this. I sighed. I should have listened to my gut instincts and just left him here and called Mom.
“No, we were just shopping, and I could smell you from… ah…” Ranger took a step back. Oh boy, she was more than angry. I thought Ranger knew a bunch of stuff about girls. I guess he didn't and I was too stupid to see that, until now.
“Ah… Noah needed to come shopping to get…” Ranger turned to me, his brows raised high at what he saw me holding. I looked down and realized the fluffy thing I grabbed was actually a pink stuffed toy pig. Fuck… I really fucked up. Was she really going to believe I needed to shop… for a toy pig?
“You came to buy… a toy pig?” Ada’s glare heated to a whole other level and my wolf wanted to submit to her and ask for forgiveness again. I wanted to shift and beg her to not be upset with me. I didn’t think I could handle her being upset with me again.
Her brows arched high when I didn’t say anything. She knew that we had messed up, that we were stalking them. My mouth was dry as I tried to find something to say. I didn’t want to lie to her, I could smell she was hurt by us being there, but I didn’t want to say, “Yes, we are kinda stalking you” either.
Lucky Ranger could salvage this… even just a little bit.
“Well, I was getting a tee, and Noah needed some things… for his mom, right?” He looked to me, his eyes pleading with me to play along. I was frozen. What do I say to that? When he nudged my arm I nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat.
“Yeah, this is for my mom. She likes pigs.” She likes pigs? What the hell? Shoot me now.
Yeah, like that was convincing. They looked at each other, not saying anything, then they nodded a couple of times. It was like they were communicating without speaking and it was making my wolf alarmed. How could girls do that so well? Mav was right. Girl talk was scary, and they didn’t even talk.
“Maverick called you, didn’t he?” Lexi asked Ranger.
Ranger did this dramatic dying routine, his hand to his chest and this stupid goofy look on his face. “Ptf, no…”
When Lexi tilted her head just slightly he squeaked, “Yes.” Well, at least he was honest. That was one thing… honesty was the best policy. That’s what Mom always said. But the fact that she could just tilt her head and he caved showed me how scary girls could be.
Man… I think Maverick had it right with leaving. Lexi was really frightening, she had my wolf wanting to confess all my secrets to her. I didn’t remember her unsettling my wolf like that. I didn’t look at Ada, I could already tell she was mad at me, and I knew I couldn’t hold it in with her. I would start begging and that wasn’t going to look any better. I looked to the floor and scuffed my trainer on the shop floor. I felt so shitty, I was going to walk away with my tail between my legs.
They turned and walked away from us and I just stood there, waiting… For what? Was that our cue to leave? We should leave, but Ranger wasn’t moving.
“Are you coming, Stalker? Puppy Dog Eyes?” Lexi called out as they walked around a corner. I looked to Ranger.
“Puppy Dog Eyes?” I didn’t get that. I was puzzled by that, who was that? Was I Stalker? Oh man, that wasn’t good. Lexi was Ada’s best friend, I didn’t want the nickname of Stalker. Ranger chuckled loudly, “Puppy Dog Eyes.”
Why was he laughing at me?
“Yeah, that would be you, Puppy Dog. Ugh, why the fuck did you pick that up?” He pointed to the stuffed pig I was still holding in my hand. I shrugged. This didn't look good, did it. A pink pig.
“I panicked, okay? I didn't look, I just grabbed when you told me to. I was just so nervous to see her again, and with you helping me, I just… I just want her to like me so bad.”
Now everything was messed up. I bet she doesn't even want to go to my birthday now. Grandpa was so excited to meet her, too. I wanted her to meet him and my family so much.
“Come on, big guy. All is not lost. Let's go get your girl.”
At least one of us was confident. I smiled but I wasn't sure this was going to get any better. My shoulders sagged. I guess we should’ve admitted defeat, but I followed Ranger and the girls.
I needed to go home and talk to my mom. She would know what I should do, and how to fix this mess Ranger got me into.