CHAPTER FIVE

KING

This is bad,

This is very bad, bad for me and worse for Mars. It doesn’t matter than we had no hand in becoming mates, the problem is that we are mates and no one is going to accept that, not now and not ever. Even though I’ve told her that we shouldn’t fret about it, I can’t stop fretting. This is a whole problem that no one is ready for, especially not when my parents are so hung up on Penelope and I becoming mates that my parents have welcomed her into the family and my mom has started training her to become a good luna ages ago. I have no idea what to do now that the inevitable has happened and she isn’t my mate.

When I started to feel my bond earlier than expected because Penelope wasn’t going to turn sixteen for a while, it bothered me, but when I told my dad, he said it’s normal because her birthday wasn’t too far off. And I stupidly accepted it, even though things had begun to change with Penelope. My wolf didn’t want to be around her anymore, and sometimes it grew angsty around her but I ignored all that and I feel so stupid for that, especially after the night with Mars. My wolf was so comfortable around her and wanted to spend more time with her, something that never happened around Penelope, and when Penelope interrupted, my wolf got so angry it wanted to tear her apart and I barely left that kitchen with my control intact. Yet with all that and after all that, I still didn’t see this coming. Not in a million years.

I mean I’ve just never paid attention to Mars because she is in a way Penelope’s sister and that is just wrong on all levels. The one thing that stands out about her is her snow-white hair, but other than that nothing else catches the eye, at least on surface level. I just haven’t paid her much attention, and if not for the bond, she still wouldn’t be my type of girl. It’s not like she’s ugly or unattractive. She is beautiful and with a decent figure that is only seen whenever she’s forced to dress up. Unlike Penelope who likes to dress up and look beautiful at all times, Mars would much rather put on sackcloth than dress up, even then, she’s still beautiful. She is not extraordinary or less than ordinary in anything except her hair...and yeah, the rumours of her being crazy...something that could be true with how she talks of talking to the moon goddess, and her killing her previous family, something she says she doesn’t remember. She doesn’t even remember the family at all, and while almost everyone seems to believe the rumours, they also say it could be because of trauma. She forgot because she was traumatised. I don’t know how to feel about all that, and I don’t know how to feel about us being mates. I don’t know how to feel about anything at all. Usually, mates complement each other in some way, even the ones that don’t seem to at first glance, but I don’t see that with Mars. Mars and I are worlds apart, and I don’t know how to bridge the gap now, I don’t even know if it will be possible to do that at all.

After I walked her back to her place and watched her climb the tree up to her room and disappear inside, I’ve been in my room at home trying to make sense of this, and the only thing I’ve gotten out of it is a headache and spiralling thoughts. Even though I asked for us to just go with the flow, I’m going to be the alpha soon, and I’ve been thought to think things through, always use my head and be in sync with my wolf, listen to it always, follow my instincts always, but now I’m at war with myself. My wolf wants something that my mind can’t make sense of and I don’t know what to do. When I’ve had enough and can’t take anymore, I plop down face first on my bed with a groan and pray that by the time I wake up, I’ll find that this was all a nightmare from a bad movie or something. Anything but this reality, anything at all.

I’m woken up by a hand running down my back and through my hair, a hand I’m well acquainted with but one that makes my wolf bristle with irritation and I find myself snarling at Penelope before I’m even aware I’m doing it, my words sounding more wolf than man. “Get your hands off me!” She gasps and snatches her hand away like my skin is on fire.

“King?” she sounds so hurt that I feel like puking from guilt. I groan and sit up on the bed, running my hand down my face.

“I’m sorry Penn, my wolf is just irritated this morning. It has nothing to do with you though.” Liar liar, fucking pants on fire. I look at her for the first time this morning, and my wolf just gets angrier. She is not the one I want to see, her voice isn’t the one I want to hear, the scent of her expensive citrus perfume isn’t the one I want to smell, everything about her is just wrong, I want what’s mine, and I want her now. I let out another snarl at her involuntarily and she pales, getting up off the bed.

“King, I... your eyes...I...”

“Get out!” I don’t get to say anything else because she just runs out of the room crying and I briefly hear my parents ask her what’s wrong before I hear the front door slam shut. Now they’re going to come in here and start demanding answers. I can’t deal with this, I just can’t. I need to leave. I jump out of my window and land on all fours just as my bedroom door opens and I hear my parents yelling after me. I run all the way to Ansel’s house, and just before I can shift and open the door, it opens for me and Ansel is standing there with a knowing look on his face. I walk past him and shift inside then take the shorts he offers me.

He opens his mouth to talk but I cut him off, “Room.” Then walk past him towards his room. I trust Ansel, I trust him with my life, and it’s the same way his dad and my dad trust each other. I can’t risk anyone else finding out about this shitshow.

“I found her.” I say once the door closes behind us. I start pacing and he sits on his bed and looks at me with the same bored yet knowing expression that he usually wears. The same one that makes you think he’s a total asshat until you really know him, then you’ll realize he’s a pretty decent asshat.

“Yes, and?” I glare at him but continue anyway.

“You won’t believe who it is.”

“Actually, I’m pretty sure I can guess.”

“I mean I had no idea even when the signs...wait, what?” I stop pacing and turn to face him. You can guess? What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that while you were ignoring the signs, I was putting two and two together. It’s Mars, isn’t it?” he whispers the last part and my mouth drops open in shock. What the...

“How did you even...how do you?”

“It’s not a matter of how ‘I’, It’s a matter of how ‘you’.”

“Fuck if I know how! I don’t have a fucking clue what I’m going to do, Ansel. Everything is just so fucked and no one even knows yet. How are we going to deal with it when people find out?” once I start venting, there’s no stopping me. “Penn came to see me this morning, and my wolf was not having it, not even for a second. I literally drove her out of there like I would an enemy, I...”

“Well, what did you expect, that your wolf would treat her like a long-lost friend? You know those two don’t like each other. Your girlfriend has been nothing but an evil step sister to your mate. And moreover, you’ve done a number of unholy things with that girl, of course your wolf wouldn’t want her anywhere near you. I think your wolf is going to dislike her just like your mate dislikes her.”

I sit at his study table, in defeat. “What do I do, Ansel? I don’t know what to do.”

“You can’t keep it a secret forever, sooner or later...well in a few hours, actually, everyone will know. What you’re going to do, is figure out whether you want her or not. You have thirty days to the Claiming ceremony, and everyone is going to tell you to reject her, but it’s up to you what happens. If you want her, if you want to be with her, then go for it. I’m with you, no matter which route you decide to take.” And that, is why I love this pretty decent asshat.

“But I don’t know what I want, I mean like I don’t know if I want her, this is all so new.”

“Well, you have thirty days to make this ‘unnew’, and figure out whether or not you want her. It can’t be as hard as going to meet Penelope at school today.” I scowl, wishing now more than ever that I can skip school, but I can’t. As part of my training to be the alpha, I’m not allowed to skip school more than once in a week, and more than twice in a month, and I already skipped on Monday, so I can’t skip today no matter how much I want to hide out right here in Ansel’s room. I look at the time, and we have less than an hour to make it to school, and I’m far from ready, hell, I don’t even want to go!

“Wipe that look off your face, alpha. You’re going to school whether you like it or not, so get to it.”

“I’d like to get to punching you.” He smirks, that evil kind of smirk that villains give.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, alpha. Today, after school.”

“De...”

“I hope you boys are ready for school!” His mom yells from downstairs and we spring into action, rushing towards the ensuite. That woman can be as scary as a cursed object when she wants to be.

“Yes!” we both yell in unison.

Fortunately, Mars skips school today and I don’t have to worry about my wolf going crazy because of her, but the same can’t be said for Penelope, because the moment Ansel and I get out of his car and step onto the school grounds, she’s ready and waiting.

“Good luck dealing with that one.” He says and leaves quickly before I can hit him or retort. But he’s right, I need all the luck I can get for this.

“King, what’s wrong? Did I do something wrong, or is it something else? I don’t understand.” Oh, but I do...I just can’t tell you, at least not now.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Penn. My wolf is just on edge. I’m not sure why, it’s just...I don’t know what his problem is.” Here I am lying again.

“Then let me help you,” she moves closer to me as if the seductive and sultry tone she’s now talking in is not an indication enough. “I can make you feel better, baby. I promise.” The moment her hand lands on my bicep, my wolf loses it, he’s just not having it and I don’t need another showdown right now, so I let her down easy. I pull away gently.

“Penelope, that won’t help in anyway, and I’m not even in the mood.” She pouts.

“But...”

“He’ll only lash out at you again, is that what you want?” my words ending in a growl, I’m losing this battle with him. He really wants to just come out and lash out at her, and I don’t want him to, but she’s not taking the fucking hint and walking away.

“Okay, fine. Fine, I’ll just...I’ll leave, but we’ll talk, right? You’re not trying to break up with me, are you?” If only she knew.

“We will, we’ll talk later when my wolf is calm. And I’m sorry you had to be in the middle of this.” She nods in understanding and gives me a smile, then so fast that I don’t see it coming, she kisses me on the lips quickly and walks away. My wolf growls after her but I shut him down. We have bigger fish to fry than a peck on the lips when we’ve done way worse than that.

Most of the day is uneventful but my wolf is on edge. I’m not sure why, but I guess that it could be one of two things; it either has something to do with my mate, or something’s going to go wrong either today or sometime soon. Neither of those options sit well with me, but until I know what the problem really is, there’s nothing I can do than try to prepare myself for it.

“Try to relax”, that’s the mantra Ansel has been repeating to me throughout the day, and then Andy joined in without even knowing why his cousin kept saying that. He’s probably doing it just to annoy me, but at least by the time all three of us are back in Ansel’s room, playing video games and goofing around, I’m more relaxed than I’ve been all day. But that is until about an hour after the beta, Ansel’s dad came to ask us...well, mostly me, if I’ll be going to watch Mars shift. I decline, trying to hide the fact that we’re mates a little longer. I should have known better. My wolf goes crazy not long after, clawing at me to get out and go to Mars. Warning bells go off in my head and I double over as I try to push back the shift.

“Hey man, what’s wrong?”

“King, hey...” I block their worried voices out as my shift overtakes me and within seconds my wolf is zooming out of the house and towards the open field where we can feel her in danger. I’ve never run so fast before, but whatever it is, my wolf is determined to get to her as soon as possible, and within a few minutes we’re there.

She’s there, as well as a few people which is uncommon for a first shift, but in her case, it was to be expected. That alone makes my wolf growl. But what has me running towards her is when my father moves towards her in anger and she crouches down in fear. Before his lifted hand can make contact with her quivering form, I jump over the small crowd and land right on top of her, hiding her with my body. My vicious snarl and unexpected presence have them jumping back in surprise and fear. However, when my father recognizes my wolf and comes close, I growl at him and confusion and anger war over his features until realization sets in.

“She’s your mate?” his words earn a few shocked gasps. My wolf relinquishes control when he’s sure that no one will try to touch her, and I’m soon in my own skin.

“You’re damn right I am, now what the fuck were you trying to do to my mate?!”