Talons

Chapter 11: The Anxiety

Rhea’s POV

It has been three months since my sisters and I started university. We feel like outcasts because we are some of the youngest girls in school, but I have it the worst.

Because I am much, much younger than everyone else, my school has appointed a ‘guardian’ over me. My guardian is an elderly woman who walks me to and from my classes, then to my designated pickup location at the end of the day.

It used to feel weird having her around, but now she is like a safety blanket for me.

No one outside of my classes talks to me unless I am with my sisters, and when they find out that neither of us are eighteen yet, they freak out. Some pull away, and some cling to us. They think we are all geniuses, but the truth is that we went to a private elementary school, so we did not have to wait to be exactly five to start kindergarten.

On a heavier note, I realized early in the semester that not having a sense of smell makes me a liability in the lab, and it has dampened my zeal to study chemistry. I can’t help but to think of accidentally killing myself because I can’t smell a chemical reaction and clear out in time.

Still, I take eighteen credit hours, with no days off, and because I have college credits from my advanced placement classes in high school, I should have my bachelors in half the time, but I haven’t decided if getting my master’s is worth it.

Life back in the pack is also unwelcoming again. My father is getting a lot of push from allies who want to produce the scent blocker for themselves. One pack has stopped ordering produce from us, and while it hasn’t hurt financially, many ranked members have approached me to try and convince me that it eventually will.

My sisters are also feeling the pressure of this. They aren’t cold to me, but they are more distant, and we have all moved into our own rooms.

I have confronted them about the change, but they assure me that it is just their nerves, not me. They turn eighteen soon, and the closer the day gets the more anxious they become. I find their excuse hard to believe because I have been in these shoes before.

Aside from wanting to avoid my sister issues, I am thinking about moving on campus, so that I don’t have to deal with the pack down my back. With my scholarship, no one can say I am abusing pack resources, nor can they accuse my parents of playing favorites.

That is a new thing I am starting to hear. I guess the rest of the pack didn’t get the memo, but many of them think I am my mother’s golden child because she only cooks for me. I can pretty much guarantee that all my family members would run away if they ever had to eat the stuff my mother has been feeding me.

Wolves are not big on vegetation, although our human bodies need it. I can’t even tell you what my mother feeds me, but Lark took a bite one day and turned as green as the leaves on the plate.

----

Colton’s POV

I wake up with morning wood so hard that it hurts. I haven’t touched another woman in over a month, and while it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be; every female that I have had past relations with tried extra hard to crawl into my bed last night.

I know it's because the twins turn eighteen today. They just want to get one last session in before I was officially off the market. I may not be gentle in bed, but I have stamina and since the situation with Britt, I have laid off jackhammering anyone who doesn’t ask for it. I also use protection.

I get into the shower and find my own release. It barely took the edge off and I hope and pray I don’t run into a free spirited she-wolf today. 

Needing to let off more tension, I quickly make my way to the back of the packhouse and shift into Orlin. It has been two months since he and I met, and he is much less aggressive now that he is able to run.

I haven’t fully tamed my wolf, so I cannot take over the position as alpha, but I am close. The truth is that Orlin hates our father as much as I do, so he compromises with me on a lot of things. 

For example, going without s*x for forty days has him pacing back and forth in my mind, but he hasn’t pushed me to be with anyone, because he believes in the mate bond to the fullest, and he does not want to lose out on the benefits of a mate for a moment of pleasure.

Orlin and I ran for hours, we even took down a stray deer, and dragged it back to the packhouse. I order a few omegas to take it to the Claw pack as a gift, and they quickly bow before doing my bidding. 

“Colt!” My father screams. I roll my eyes before I face him. “That was a good idea. A deer that size can easily feed fifty males. Luna Mavis will be grateful.” I nod, but I know he didn’t call me to compliment me.

“What do you want?” I ask with suspicion in my tone. My father just smirks.

“I heard that the butch twin doesn’t want a mate. I have already told you by fate or by force.” My face bunches up in confusion as my father drops a few tablets in my hand. My jaw literally drops with realization of what he meant, what he had always meant. I don’t know why I thought he meant aggressive romantic pursuits, but knowing him, it could never be that innocent.

“I don’t think I will need this.” I try to give the pills back to my father, but he doesn’t take them.

“Listen to me Colt, Dolton is in high alpha training overseas. He will not be released from the camp for another three or four years. If you aren’t mated to one of the twins, we cannot afford to wait until he can travel back home. Even if he does, he will never want to stay, he is not easily satisfied.” There it goes, nearly unmasked. I have spent hours listening to my father rant about keeping the wrong twin.

“What are you saying?” I know exactly what my father is suggesting, but I cannot believe it.

“If he doesn't meet his mate in time and you mark her first; well, you can't exactly be blamed for it. It releases him to choose a mate that is stronger than the twins.”

“You are asking me to break council law. Premature marking can strip me of my right to lead the pack, and I can still face rejection.”

“I have already arranged for an omega to take the fall; all you have to do is get one of the twins alone.”

“No,” I say, allowing my authority into my tone. I toss the pills into the grass and my father literally snarls at me, no longer trying to play nice.

“You are lucky that you should look your best tonight, otherwise, I would've had you eating dirt right now.” That makes me laugh. My father can’t beat me without using dirty tricks, but I am only eighteen, so while I can legally inherit the pack, I still do not have the right to challenge him for it. 

“Whatever you say pops, just let me do things my way. Besides, if I am not mated to the twins, there are other ways to merge the packs.” My father smiles at me and it is genuine, which creeps me the f*ck out.

“Maybe you aren’t fully a lost cause.” I watch the old man walk away from me, further disgusted by him. 

----

Rhea’s POV

Robin has been freaking out for the last hour and our brother has had to physically restrain her more than once. She is terrified and doesn’t want to attend the party; she even packed a bag to run away. Raven on the other hand, has a full lingerie set casually laying on her bed, which nearly caused my father to faint when he saw it.

As per tradition, there are many wolves coming tonight. Even though we already know at least one of my sisters is fated to a Stone twin, some things cannot be avoided, and many spiritualists want to be there when the ‘goddess’s will’ is manifested. 

Personally, I do not believe in the moon goddess, but I will never say that aloud because my mother is devout. She has never explained why she is so fully committed to the idea that there is a woman living on the moon creating werewolves and other night creatures, but who am I to judge?

Somebody has given Robin a glass of wolf whiskey, and she calms down enough to allow someone to start on her grooming. I sit staring with my mouth open, because I have never seen my sister look so beautiful, and I cannot wait to see when she is fully dressed.

“Don’t get comfortable just staring.” I snap out of my daze and reply to Robin’s taunt with fear in my voice. “Oh no, if I have to step outside of my comfort zone, so do you.” 

“That doesn’t even make sense, I am not your twin. I can’t even stay at the party. I am not sixteen yet.” As if on cue my mother walks into the room with a pink floral print ruffle dress that makes me gasp. I stare at Robin, who is grinning mischievously.

“Enjoy sis.”