Getting Back My Younger Mate

4 Jealousy

It didn’t work. Tyler and I gave it our all, or at least our wolves did, but it didn’t provoke Corey at all. He even stopped to give us pointers, having Tyler’s wolf hold Rhea down in a provocative position for 2 whole minutes, his wolf junk pressed against Rhea’s butt, making both of us uncomfortable.

Rhea was whimpering, feeling rejected by Samson. It angered me knowing my mate, her mate, was hurting her and remained so oblivious to how we were feeling. If he really cared at all about the mate bond between us, I thought he would at least show a little jealousy, not encourage another man to pin me to the ground in such an intimate position.

“You okay?” Tyler asked as we walked back together to the gym after shifting back and dressing.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Thanks for your help, but I don’t think it helped.”

“Yeah. I don’t think my mate cared either,” a dark shadow cast on his face.

I bit my lip, hesitant to ask this next question, but I really wanted to know. “Is Kimberly your mate?”

His eyes opened wide in surprise. “How did you know? Did she say something?”

“No,” I shook my head, “I thought that might be the case after what happened in the bleachers.”

Tyler sighs deeply. “I guess we made it obvious.”

She did. I don’t think she likes him hanging out with me or acting like there was something between us. He said he didn't think it worked, but I think it did. Girls are just better at hiding their feelings to make boys jealous. I see it all the time as a designated wallflower here at school.

“At least this plan worked for someone,” Rhea grumbled coldly in my head, still upset with our mate.

"We still have the party this weekend," I reminded him, earning a shy smile from him.

“Are you still okay with doing this knowing who my mate is?” Tyler asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well,” he shrugs, “It might get awkward for you if you know.”

“And it wouldn’t if I didn’t know it was her?” I laughed at his logic.

He smiles shyly again. “I guess it could get awkward anyway.” He sighs deeply, then puts an arm around my shoulders in a friendly gesture. “Since you know who my mate is, or was, you should tell me who yours is.”

I cringe, not liking that idea. “Maybe some other time. I, uh, want to ask him if he cares if I say anything first. I don’t think he wants anyone to know.”

Tyler shook his head in disbelief. “I still can’t believe that. It doesn’t make sense to me unless he is still playing the field. Even then, he would only be hurting you.”

“He isn’t betraying me,” I sigh, “not in that way. It's just like he doesn’t want me. He doesn’t even get jealous. He didn’t care the entire time we were sparring.”

“Even when my wolf had his junk in your wolf’s business? Damn. Is he gay?”

I giggled at that question. “Do you think he would be mated to me if he was? He would be like our Gamma, mated to another guy.”

“Then he is just an i***t,” Tyler said.

“Yeah,” I looked across the gym, seeing Corey talking with Chelsea and the coach again. “He is.”

~~~~~~~

Corey POV

“You’re a f*****g i***t,” Samson growls at me.

“I know,” I muttered back. “What was I supposed to do? Intimidate her friend and ruin the rest of her high school experience? I am not going to make her life harder than it should be.” I think I’m ruining her life enough as it is just by being her mate. She could have someone so much better. Someone young like her with a pure heart and a cleaner track record. She's gorgeous, pure and perfect. I'm used goods.

“That brat wants to bed our mate,” Samson griped.

“How many women did I bed when I was her age?”

Samson grumbles, knowing it was a lot. I want our mate, but I want her to have no regrets about choosing me. She has lived so little, while I’m technically older than her father. I might not look like it, thanks to Titus and her marking me the moment she could, but I’m an old man, and she is my sweet, perfect princess.

I can’t give in to my urges yet. I can’t drop that wall I’ve built between us to keep the role of protector and not blur the line of being her mate.

“Beta Corey. Thanks for training with me today. I learned a lot. I could probably take down Brently if I wanted to in the morning,” Chelsea, Eva’s best friend tells me, a smug smirk on her face at the thought of subduing her mate.

She and Brently are a good match. He is a lot like his dad, and she is fiery, just like Beth. She will make a fierce Luna.

“I bet he would let you, regardless if you physically could or not,” I chuckled at her.

“Like you would do for Eva,” she jokes. I smile sadly, remembering again how Eva was sparring with the boy instead of me just 10 minutes ago. I wanted her to volunteer to help me. Samson wanted to be close to his mate for a little bit, but I knew that she didn't like fighting. She really doesn’t like being the center of attention either. I knew there was a fat chance she would want to spar with me at the front and center of everyone.

I just never expected her to choose another boy to roll around on the mats with.

“You okay, Beta?” Chelsea asked.

“Yeah,” I pasted on my usual smile, then checked my watch, “I should probably get going.”

Chelsea smiled sympathetically at me, probably guessing what was bothering me. Before I could walk off, the coach came back, calling out to me. He wants a rundown of what I covered so he knows where to pick up with the kids in the next class, and Chelsea stays to help fill in what I leave out.

That’s when I saw Eva and that boy walking in, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder. They look like they are having a deep conversation, and the way he is looking at her makes Samson growl in my head possessively.

He wanted to tear the kid apart when we found them in the hallway alone together, the boy wearing almost nothing as he leaned over Eva. I used all my energy in acting alright, but the pangs of jealousy that hit me, seeing someone my mate’s own age being close to her, made it hard to breathe after I walked back into the gym. It took me a minute to compose myself enough to address the class.

When I saw Eva’s head about to turn in my direction, I quickly looked back at Chelsea and the coach, realizing both of them were looking at me questioningly. Well, the coach looks confused. Chelsea probably guessed why I was staring at Eva the way I was. She knows Eva is my mate.

“Young love, huh?” Coach looked around me, seeing what I was staring at. “They look cute together. I guess it's weird for you, seeing a girl that is like your niece getting chummy with her classmate?”

“Yeah,” I sigh, “It’s weird alright. I should get going before I embarrass her.”

“Sure thing. Thanks for today, Beta.”

“Yep,” I waved at him, then started to hurry out the doors before Eva and the boy got any closer.

“You should have taken her from him,” Samson growls, “He wants our mate’s virtue.”

“I don’t deserve it,” I growled at him. Guilt eats at me. I was just a piece of s**t before I discovered she was my mate. I really have no room to judge her, or stop her from having fun.

“Corey!” Chelsea comes chasing after me, making me pause for her in the hall so she can catch up. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Chelsea. Just need to get back to work.”

“You don’t look fine,” she said, scrutinizing my face. f**k, I can’t get a handle on my emotions. I’ve never had to deal with Eva showing attention to other males before.

“I am,” I growled, then groaned, realizing that I couldn’t hide my true feelings right at that moment. I don’t deserve to be jealous. I wish I wasn’t. “Okay,” I sigh, dragging a hand down my face, “I’m not.”

“I didn’t think you were,” Chelsea shook her head. “You know, she only wants you. She’s just getting frustrated.”

Frustrated? I wish I simply just felt frustrated. I don’t even know how to describe all of the conflicting emotions rolling around inside of me.

I’ve watched her grow since she was just two. I was her father’s Gamma, now her Uncle’s Beta, and have always acted as her Uncle. How the hell do I just switch off that role and take up being her mate? I know she wants it, but I want her to live fully before being stuck with me for eternity.

I don’t think she realizes that. We have eternity to figure this out. There is no time limit for us. She wants to rush it, but I can’t. I can’t rush to turn off being her protector and turn on being her mate.

“You could if you tried,” Samson grumbles.

“You couldn’t even manage to be mean to that boy when they were sparring. Get off my case. You even helped them get in that f*****g position, not wanting to ruin her fun with her friend. You can't cross that line yet either.”

Samson grumbles, retreating to the back of my mind, knowing I’m right.

“She is still a kid,” I tell Chelsea, earning me a head shake full of disapproval.

“She isn’t. Every single male wolf knows it, Corey. If you don’t want something irreparable to happen, I would quit pushing her away.”

Fuck. Samson comes back, growling deeply through me, hearing about how every single male wolf wants our mate. Chelsea smirks, knowing she struck a nerve.

“There is a party this weekend that Tyler keeps inviting Eva to. I guess she finally agreed to go with him, even though she turned him down dozens of times for your sake. She thinks you’re a lost cause. That’s why she didn’t volunteer today and why she probably agreed to go. Why don’t you surprise her by showing up this weekend? I’m sure she would be ecstatic to see you.”

“A party?” I asked flatly. Is that what the boy was talking to her about in the hallway? I should never have left them alone. “Her grandpa and dad would never let her go to a party.”

“I don’t think she plans on asking. She is an adult now, Corey. With a car and a driver's license. Brently and I will be there too.”

Thoughts of Eva dancing with that boy entered my mind, causing Samson to whimper. I don’t like it. I don’t feel I have any right to stop it, but I don’t like it. Not at all.

“Tell your mate to text me the details,” I told Chelsea. I can’t believe I plan on crashing a high school party for my mate. I’m old enough to be everyone in the school’s father. I have no business doing this, but that won’t stop me.

It has never stopped me from protecting my princess.