Chapter Five

JAREK

“I demand your presence here. NOW!” I send a mind link to Xillon, and Zane, the future Beta and Gamma.

Our families have been the rulers of the Blood Moon Howler pack for several centuries. Our pack is the largest and most powerful worldwide, beyond the werewolf dominion overseas.

I’m destined to assume control over the pack once I turn nineteen. On the following night proceeding my nineteenth birthday, we will hold a coronation ball. Where I am to be crowned alpha, and meet my mate. Unlike other shifters who find their mates at eighteen, alphas have to wait until they’re crowned and have assumed control over the pack.

This has been the norm for centuries. The coronation ball started a couple of centuries ago when the current alpha at the time could not find his mate. An alpha is weak and cannot run his pack without a mate. He traveled far and wide for several years before stumbling upon her. Our pack elders have forced all werewolf shifters from America to attend from that juncture on. It’s insane. Any other member of the pack could discover their mates at eighteen. Xillon and Zane will find their mates before me, and that sucks ass.

I don’t plan on fucking anything but my mate. Trex has different ideas, though, so staying faithful to my mate will be tough. I have porn, and hands; that’s all a man needs until his mate materializes. I will not lie; it’s been difficult to stay away from other females in the pack because they are constantly throwing themselves at me. My father stayed pure for my mother; so if he can do it, I can.

Xillon and Zane will be supportive of me and back me up once I tell them about my dream. I can’t keep this to myself. We need to do something about Silver now, before it’s too late. I had never seen or experienced anything like that with psychedelic mushrooms or other mind-altering substances. The dream I had was a foreboding of things to come.

I remember nothing from last night passed, dad kicking my ass. Chasing Silver on my dirt bike was messed up. I could have injured her. I eavesdropped on Dante, asking her out on a date, saw red and lost control. Why was I angry when I heard Dante asking Silver out on a date? I’m sure as hell not jealous of the asshole. Happiness isn’t something Silver deserves, though. Particularly after that dream I woke up from. Selene, the Moon goddess, was granting me insight into the future. I know it.

***

I told him and Zane every minute detail from my dream. Including the sparring between him, Silver, and Zane. I went as far as telling them about how Trex had sensed something going on and had ended their brawl.

“Dude, you know I usually have your back. But you need to let this go. It was just an insane, wild dream. Annalise has done nothing but try to protect herself since we were all small children. I have sided with you long enough. She’s your sister, not the enemy. Stop acting like a jealous asshole and protect her as a big brother should. As an alpha should do,” Xillon said, rolling his eyes.

“You like Silver, don’t you?” I yelled, snarling in Xillon’s face.

“Back off, killer. I have five siblings, one of which is my twin. I safeguard them all with my life. I’m kinder to Annalise because she lacks anyone besides your parents and the elders of this pack looking after her. You are her older brother. That’s supposed to be your responsibility, Jarek.”

“Goddess! You are attracted to Silver!”

I growl, balling my fist and readying myself to punch him.

“Have you taken a step back and taken in Silver’s appearance here lately, Jarek? Since she’s grown to her height, I mean. The woman is fucking fine as hell, man. Damn, those curves, and I love those eyes, you bitch about all the time,” Zane cuts in. I snarl and strike him so hard he flies across the room.

“Are you fucking kidding me?! Jarek, contain yourself!” Xillon yelled before scrambling to check on Zane.

“What the fuck?” Zane shouts as Xillon inspects him.

Dumb fuck, shouldn’t have been talking about Silver in that manner.

“Just acknowledge that there is some portion in your heart that cares about Annalise as well, Jarek. We need to move past this shit already,” Xillon says while picking Zane up and carrying him out the door without a goodbye.

***

I don’t know how long I sat there, my mind going haywire, before I heard the garage entrance opening and the rustling of bags being lifted. I sprinted from the floor and scurried down the stairs to greet mom and Silver at the threshold.

“Can I be of any help?” I asked my mother as she walked in with a herd of packages in her arms.

She narrows her eyes and shoves past me. Fuck! I am in for it now. My mother terrifies me more than dad. I can fix this. I can make things up to Silver. Silver, no matter the circumstances, regularly attempts to make things easier for me. Silver, like Xillon and Zane, is always on my side.

‘Yeah. You are a fucking loser, man,’ Trex retorts.

‘You don’t have to listen in on my thoughts,’ I growl at Trex.

‘It’s been a year. I assumed you would have realized how to keep your thoughts distant from me. You never considered connecting with me about your vision. The Alpha gave you pain medication and pills to help you rest. Which sent me off to dreamland. I have been aware of your every waking moment since you woke up, despite not being included in your dream. You, Jarek, are…’

‘Shut the fuck up! She’s about to….’

My mind goes blank when Silver materializes from behind the trunk of the car, weighted down with packages. I run over and start collecting some from her so she can see her way through the house.

“I owe you one, Jarek. I have no idea what I was thinking.” Silver laughs and moves in front of me with the remaining bags she had. “There’s more. Don’t tell dad. Mom and I went a bit overboard,” Silver said as we trudged up the stairs.

“Mom got some outfits and paraphernalia as well?” I asked Silver as we ascended the flight of stairs.

“Mom does nothing for herself. She’s the Luna of the pack. You know how it is, Jarek. Pack before self. That goes for both mom and dad. Mom has so much more on her plate, though. Mom and I should have gone shopping and done other things together before now.”

“Right…”

I huffed a breath as I carried the massive load up two flights of stairs.

“I have a great deal to figure out.”

I gasp when Silver falters, and I collide with her. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I uh…” Silver hesitates before moving on. “Yes. You have a lot to learn, Jarek. You aren’t a terrible person. Solely with me. I guess I understand. I wish you could get over….”

“Your dissimilarities.” I interrupt Silver as we go down the hall and take the second flight of stairs that lead to our rooms.

“I didn’t ask to be born defective. Or to be rejected by my birth parents. I was a day old when Mom found me, Jarek. I plan to leave once I turn eighteen and can make it on my own in the human world,” Silver states, while discarding some of her bags so she could open her door.

“No. You must stay. If you go, that would destroy Mom’s heart, and dads,” I said, flinging all the packages I was lugging onto Silver’s bed.

“If you don’t alter your approach towards me, Jarek, I will leave. I’m set on visiting, but I can’t carry on with Xillon, Zane, and you harassing me. Because of the three of you, I’m without friends and without purpose. I have done nothing to justify the conduct I’ve encountered, besides being born,” Silver says, exhaling a breath and placing her hands on her hips, perturbed by our conversation.

“I am sorry about what happened this morning. Dad roughed me up enough to give me pain meds and sleeping pills. That’s what Trex tells me, anyway. I remember nothing, though. I had a vivid vision and woke up terrified.”

“A vision, huh? Where I turned into an alien enchantress?”

Silver rolls her eyes and starts taking clothes from hangers and putting them into separate piles on the floor. It was then I noticed the difference in her appearance. Her beautiful, long, curly brown locks spilled over her shoulders down mid-back. She always has her hair up in a ponytail. I grab her arms and spin her around to view the rest of her. She’s still wearing the black t-shirt and jeans from this morning, but makeup plasters her face.

Trex grunts and starts striding back and forth in my head.

‘I hate that shit. She doesn’t need it,’ Trex snarls and begins clawing at me to take over.

‘What the fuck’s going on with her eyes?’ He growls, and it’s then that I notice Silver’s orbs are a brilliant shade of Sapphire blue and aren’t changing hues.

Even though it annoys me when her eyes shift colors, I miss them. Damn, Trex is right. She doesn’t need makeup. She looks different. You can’t recognize her. I wince, and my hands fell from her shoulders to my sides. She did all of this because of me.

“Are you wearing contacts?”

“All I want is to be the same as the other girls in the pack. I would like for guys to notice me. I don’t expect you to understand, Jarek. You are a guy and the future Alpha. Girls flock to your side. Guys see me and cringe when I walk past them. Everyone apart from Dante, who is going to accompany me on a date tonight, so you know.”

Trex forces his way through and pushes me back. “I forbid you from doing such a thing. Take them out, and remove that crap from your face,” he growls. Silver rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

“Leave me alone, Trex. This is between Jarek and me,” Silver states, and resumes sorting her new clothes into piles. “Please leave now and stop barking orders at me.”

‘Trex. Back off. Though different, this is something that happened in my dream. The contacts, Silver, wearing makeup.’

Silver pulls the dress she had worn in my dream out of a bag. She holds it up and grins.

‘Fuck.’