New Horizons

I spend the rest of my Friday night as usual: with my dad, watching a romance movie because they’re his favorite and I don’t hate them as much as I pretend to.

Once the movie is over, I go to bed and I try my hardest to shut my brain and get some rest but, of course, I don't sleep for shit.

My insomnia is nothing new, but this time it's not the memories of the past that keep me awake but the possibilities of the future.

My wolf is still thinking about Isabella, as if those five hours I gave him weren't enough.

However, I have to admit I understand his excitement. We have a gorgeous mate, it’s almost unreal how blessed we are because we absolutely do not deserve it. Isabella is the most beautiful woman I've seen in my whole fucking life. I bet we'd make the most beautiful babies... in three years, I guess.

It's extremely annoying that she thinks she can make me wait all she wants and have her say in my life, but after tossing and turning and thinking about the subject all night, I come to the conclusion that it's not that bad.

Her plan gives me three more years to live wild and free while she plays Luna with Theo. It’ll probably be annoying for my wolf to see them together, but three years is a short amount of time.

By then I'll be twenty-eight and my life will be in a better place. I will be in a better place too, hopefully.

Maybe it's all part of Fate's perfect plan.

With that final thought, I finally manage to calm my thoughts and I get out of bed with a sigh after yet another sleepless night.

Once I'm dressed and ready for the day, I drive to the cabin to check on the guy my dad left here. He doesn't look alive, but I still walk over to him.

"Hey," I say, moving him with my foot. He doesn't respond. I move closer and I check to see if he's breathing or if his heart is pumping.

It’s not.

Another one bites the dust, I guess.

"The guy in the cabin is dead, I need you to come and take him away," I tell Kit over the phone. He tells me he's on his way, so I sit and wait.

And my stupid brain goes back to the same thing:

Isabella... god, I can’t stop thinking about her.

What is she like? What's her real personality like? Would she be okay getting to know me… the real me? I don't know. But if Fate wanted us together, maybe she will.

"Hey, dude… why the hell are you just sitting here with the dead guy?" Kit asks as he walks in.

"I like hanging out with dead people, they’re funny when they beg me to join them," I joke, but Kit looks at me with concern, "That was a joke, you idiot, I just lost track of time. I've got a lot on my mind right now."

"Yeah, your dad told me that. He wants me to spend the whole day with you. I'm on suicide watch," he says, walking over to the guy to untie him, "Come on, help me out. Today I'm getting paid to be your friend and friends help each other.”

God, my dad is so fucking embarrassing.

"I'm not going to kill myself," I spit out, but I get up to help him dispose of the body. Ugh, this is like old times, "Are we giving him to the pigs or…?"

"Yep. Let's go, Pretty Boy,” he teases and starts walking without waiting for me. I follow him because I have no other choice, but my stomach churns with memories of the slaughterhouse. None of them are good. In fact, the memories of that place are the ones that keep me awake most nights.

The stuff I did, the stuff I saw… I did my time working there and I haven't had to go back in a long time. But I’m not a fifteen year old kid anymore, maybe it won't affect me as much now.

Besides, it'll be good to keep my head busy and not think about Isabella so much.

I follow Kit for about five minutes until we get to the slaughterhouse. I have to hold my breath and close my eyes for just a second. It looks the same as before.

"Are you okay?" Kit asks, forcing me to open my eyes again. I nod and even force a smile, but I’m not fooling him, "You can go smoke while I do this shit, it’ll be fast."

Kit knows I don't enjoy the gore stuff, so I just nod and walk away while he does what he needs to do with the guy to make sure there won't be anything recognizable left of him once the pigs eat him and shit him out.

While he takes care of that, I walk away to smoke a cigarette with trembling fingers.

Luckily, I'm much calmer than the last time I had to come here. It still sucks, but it’s different. I’m different.

I mean, business is business and some people have to die. That doesn’t mean I have to hate myself or my life, I can't think like that anymore. I have a mate to take care of.

I finally have something to live for.

"All done, boss," Kit says a few minutes later, approaching me as he dries off his hands with a towel. He still smells like blood, "Let's go get some breakfast. I'm starving."

I look at him in disbelief and disgust. I don't understand how he can be hungry after doing what he just did.

"What? You should meet Jack, the other day his wolf was so hungry we didn't even get to the pigs, he ate the dead guy himself," he tells me with a laugh that somehow rubs off on me. We laugh all the way back, "Your mood improved.”

"Yeah... turns out life isn't so bad after all," I mutter with a smile, Kit gives me a confused look.

"You just realized that there, in the slaughterhouse?"

"Yep," I reply, "It's the first time I've ever gone there without wanting to puke or kill myself. And it's only because I have something good now, something that makes me want to live.”

"Good for you, buddy," he says with a smile and bumps my fist before we get in his car to go get breakfast and spend the day together because that's his job today.

In the afternoon I have to cross over to the bad side of the pack: Hughmount, where the Poor Ones live... many of whom are our employees.

"What happened to Ryan?” one of them asks as I'm counting this month’s money. I raise my eyes to him, “He’s my brother.”

"I’m guessing Ryan is the reason there’s money missing here?" I mutter, he nods. I sigh and continue to count the cash. There’s like twenty five thousand dollars missing. It’s not much for us, but it is for them. We can’t let them do whatever the fuck they want, "My dad got him, dude. He hates thieves."

The guy swallows and looks down, trying to hide his fear and pain as if I can't smell it from miles away.

I finish quietly and stand up, putting the money in the bag.

"I'll be back next month and I hope there’s no more money missing, okay? Or you might end up hanging out with Ryan in heaven," I warn, making everyone get upset immediately.

I know that was fucked up to say, but I know how to install fear in people so they can do whatever is best for me... I used to think that was one of my best traits, but now that everything has changed I'm starting to think that maybe that’s not a great trait to have.

What if Isabella thinks I’m evil or something?

"Do you like working for us?" I ask Kit as he drives back to the cabin. He thinks about it for a second, then nods.

"It’s good money."

"Sure, but I mean... do you like us?"

Kit looks at me like I'm being weird before laughing.

"I mean, it's complicated. I like you guys, but I know how fucked up you can be," he comments with a scoff, "I know I'll be fine as long as I don't do anything to piss you off, which I won't. And your dad is fun now that you're in charge of most things, he's always up for hanging out."

"You hang out with my dad?"

"Yeah, he’s cool. We hang out a lot," he shrugs as if it’s not weird he hangs out with a fifty year old insane mafioso, "So yeah, I like you."

I nod slowly.

Kit knows everything about the business and what we do, so if he likes us even knowing all that, I guess we're not that bad, right? Besides, it's not like Isabella is the best person in the world either.

I guess I just have to trust Fate. He knows what he's doing. He knows we belong together.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on with you? I don't think I've ever seen you like this," Kit says a few seconds later, "Curiosity is killing me."

"Fine, I'll tell you. But not a word to my father," I warn, Kit nods and for the rest of the ride, I tell him all about Isabella.

"Fuck me, that's amazing," he exclaims once I'm done, "Congratulations? Can I say that... or should I wait three more years?"

"You can say it, she's in my life right now," I smile, "Even if she has that stupid plan with Theo, she's still more mine than his."

"Bro, you're way cuter than Theo. You could easily change her mind, don’t worry too much,” he says, trying to make me feel better.

"Wait… you're gay, right?" I ask, getting excited when I remember. Kit gives me an obvious look before nodding, "Who do you think is better, me or Theo? Me, right? You'd pick me?"

"I guess I’d pick you because it would be hot to fuck my boss… but fucking the Alpha would be sick," he mumbles and frowns as if he’s really thinking about it, "Damn, this is harder than I thought. Being the fated mate of a misunderstood mafioso who's actually a softie on the inside sounds cute, but I can’t lie… I would go for Theo.”

My mouth drops open in offense.

“I can’t lie, bro!” he repeats himself, “If I were a girl, the possibility of being Luna would be super exciting. I understand Isabella.”

"Shut the fuck up, Kit,” I spit out, rolling my eyes, “I regret asking you.”