Chapter 2

Teagan’s Point of View

I could force air into my lungs the moment we left the house. No more prying eyes or people who wanted to see us gone. Just the two of us and the open road.

Obviously, we had chosen to drive somewhere else. Somewhere where there were no more prying eyes. No more people lingering too close. We could be ourselves.

We never wanted this to happen. Hadn’t seen it coming. But the goddess intended for us to be mates. To resist each other was the most difficult task of all.

Trust me, we tried.

“And you are sure Mom and Dad aren’t close to home?” I asked as we went up the first dune. 

This was our favorite pastime together. Exploring the world around me. Being together without the fear of being caught. We had already driven through most of the towns surrounding the pack. Had jumped into several pools of water. Played on the beach.

I was the one driving today, which felt off to me, seeing as I was the designated passenger princess. But this was my present from him and I wanted to enjoy every single minute of it.

“They have some meeting in a different pack up north. I know they will be gone at least until tomorrow. We have the house all to ourselves,” Harland mused, wiggling his eyebrows at me in the process.

Rolling my eyes, I crested the car onto the second dune. Felt the wheels slip. Inhaled sharply. Yes, I was definitely a passenger princess. There were no doubts about it. Roads were easy but Harland always drove when we fucked around on the dunes.

“Slowly counter-steer. Breathe in through your nose,” Harland whispered and gently placed a caring hand over mine. He sensed my panic before I even showed it to him. “You got it. Glide the wheels back forward.”

I did as he instructed, elated that I had him around to help. That I had always had him around to help. My own protector since the day I was born. 

He was a year older than I was. The golden child of our family. Harland was a man and I was a girl and our parents always made it clear that I was worth nothing to them. That Harland would be the one to carry on the surname whilst I would be married off. 

A tradition in our warped pack, sadly.

Little did they know that that was never going to happen. I would always have my surname, as Harland was mine. Mates.

Sometimes I thought the goddess had a cruel sense of humor because of it. Making siblings mates when she knew how fucked up werewolves could be. How utterly horrible they would handle the situation if they found out.

We would have nowhere to go and no one to help.

“And the staff?” I asked, keeping an eye on my side mirror. 

The sun was setting behind us. A day spent with Harland passed quickly and without warning. I always mourned them once they were done. Because they were so few and far between. 

Back to being just siblings. Happy. Unwitting. I fucking hated it.

“I gave them the rest of the night off. Dad said I could. It is just the two of us,” He said with a glint in his eyes that tightened my stomach. Made a blush crawl along my cheeks.

Not that we were going to do anything physical. Not in the slightest. But it was wonderful to know that for one night, I didn’t have to hide. I could love the man the goddess had given to me. Love him until the sun came up and we had to hide once again.

“Now that sounds like the best birthday present ever.”

***

By the time we got home, the sun was already down. The lights of the house danced in front of us. We took a moment to appreciate the sight. Appreciate the fact that for now, we would be ourselves.

Alone.

“Coming?” I asked and carelessly jumped from the car.

Bubbles crawled up the sides of my body. Threatened to burst into being at any moment. A night alone with him. The first time since we accepted our mate bond.

Just for tonight, the goddess was smiling down on us.

Harland was slow to follow, making sure the car was locked first before he trailed along. He always checked to make sure everything was locked. Secured. Nothing and no one would ever get the upper hand when he was around.

To me, it meant safety, to my parents on the other hand it looked like he was paranoid. We lived in a rather safe pack. Desert Sun had a low crime rate. Few humans came here as well. There was nothing to worry about.

But those facts never stopped Harland from making sure everything was fine.

Right before I entered the house, I stopped short. Turned on the balls of my feet and waited for Harland to get close enough. When he was right in front of me, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. Drew him closer to me with all the strength in my body.

His smile was infectious at this point. Broad and shimmering. It was enough to bring me to my knees. This happiness between us. This love that would stand the test of time. 

We kissed deeply as Harland opened the door. We nearly fell inside. Tripped over our own lust. His tongue darted in and out of my mouth. I moaned, as I so often did when we made out. 

The world was a blissful place to be right then.

Until I heard the gasps coming from the living room. Three of them. Loud and shrilling.

A bad taste entered my mouth as Harland shoved me away from him. Our bliss was gone. Replaced by a dread that settled low in my stomach

There in front of us stood our parents. Streamers and presents lined the far wall behind them. Alpha Jonah was there as well, for some odd reason. But that wasn’t what I had to focus on right about then.

They saw us. Saw our intimacy. 

The secret was out after a year of being so utterly careful. One night of carelessness and we were done for. How could we just have blindly accepted they wouldn’t be home? That the staff being gone would be true.

For all we knew, they had planned this all along.

 “What the fuck is this?” My father asked with a piercing growl.

Flinching away from him, it took everything inside of me not to slip into Harland’s arms. My mate, on the other hand, stepped forward with a menacing look on his face.

“You told me you would be away on business.” He threw back, anger vibrating in his voice.

This is where our opposites really shone through. He was willing to fight whilst I wanted to cower away. Hide from the world.

The situation between us felt worse somehow now that it was out in the open. As if it was the most disgusting thing on earth. The goddess would never have made us mates. They would think we were lying.

“When did this little,” My father sneered at us whilst my mother hid behind her hands. “Love affair start?”

I cringed and looked anywhere but at my parents. It felt like I had betrayed them. Done the most unspeakable of evils. As if I had chosen this. Chosen Harland as my mate.

But I hadn’t. He was given to me.

By now my mother was balling into her hands. Sulking would be an understatement. She was full-on crying whilst Alpha Jonah looked uncomfortable being around all the emotions.

“Why does it matter? We can go back to pretending you didn’t find out. We will hide it. Go about our normal lives. This wasn’t our choice but we can choose to keep it secret.” Harland argued back. I could see his jaw clenching shut.

My father bristled in front of us. His hands tightened into fists. It was the angriest I had ever seen him. “This is an abomination to our pack! To our family! Incest, Harland! Do you honestly believe that we will let this carry on?”

This was quickly turning into a screaming match. One I was afraid Harland might not win.

Slowly, my mother placed a hand on her mate's shoulder. He looked at her briefly before looking back at us.

“Maybe it is time to tell them the truth, Keagan.” She pleaded.

This seemed to perk up Jonah’s ears. He stared at the couple intensely for a moment. Until my father shook his head and growled.

“This isn’t the time or place, Mariland. Our children are fucking delinquents and you worry about that?”

“We can carry on with the plan. Marry off Teagan to Bellamy and find a suitable bride for Harland. The two will be separated at all costs. No gatherings where they can be alone together. We will brush off this little,” Jonah was choosing the right words. “Dalliance and chalk it up to youth.”

“I refuse!” Harland snapped. It was the final straw for me. I whipped into his arms and he instantly wrapped them around me. Inhaled my hair. Savored the smell of me whilst I did the same. “We are mates and nothing in this world will keep the two of us apart. I won’t allow it.”

Feet trampled the floor. Hard and fast. Before I knew it, I was flung out of Harland’s arms. A screech broke my throat. The floor crept up to meet my shoulder. Pain sang through my blood.

My father had Harland by the throat. Choked him whilst Harland jabbed at his stomach for him to let go. The two went at it for another few seconds, my mother screaming in the background for them to stop.

Jonah was there then. Tried desperately to claw my father away from Harland.

But all that ran through my mind was the fact that it was all over. We were done. And it was the worst pain I could have ever imagined.