Chapter 50 In Two Minds Again
2080 Words
Chapter 50
In Two Minds Again
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Joseph
Damn, this poison! Both Zodiac and I roared, throwing my arms against the bed.
With the biggest test of will, Zodiac and I had managed to return to human form after the attack, which had drained us both. Now, nothing moved or functioned as it should have with the poison in our system—the hours had endlessly dragged on. Even the arrival of Maddison had done nothing to change it.
But the moment Louise had stepped into the room, my hands, arms, and upper torso had found strength. Louise had been so close. I had touched her. I had come so close to telling her my heart’s desire. And now she was holding hands and canoodling with the fucken Gamma Tyrone Rathbone! The pain that filled my chest was as intense as it had been back at the packhouse. The second she grabbed Tyrone’s hands, the excruciating pain reached into my heart and strangled it.
Kill him! Zodiac repeated, pounding against my paralysed body to escape. Stop the pain! He threw his head back and howled.
Maddison was over at the window. She had been doing that every half an hour since she had arrived. What was she looking at? It didn’t help that I had ignored her from the moment she walked through the door. The first word I had spoken was to Louise.
I attempted to shuffle my legs, willing them with all my might, but I couldn’t move. Uncle Levine had given me a sedative an hour ago as Louise left, and my words were still slurred.
“How are you feeling, my love?” Maddison called over her shoulders. “Can you move anything?”
“I want to get out of here now!” I growled from deep within. It was a mixture of Zodiac and me and the first clear sentence I could muster. The pain in my chest had relented, but the anger was still intense.
“And you will…” Maddison appeared at my side. She reached for my hand, but I pulled it away. She sighed. “I don’t understand why you are protective of that Omega. She’s not even old enough to be your mate. She hasn’t got her wolf!”
“You don’t know her!” I snarled, turning to her. Zodiac was pacing in my head again.
“You’re right,” she crossed her arms. “I don’t know her, but I know you believe she is your mate, and it would be easier if you openly rejected her. That would break this connection—if there is one. Things will be fine between us… better than fine! We would be a power couple. She has a mate anyway… the Gamma Tyrone. Odd couple…”
“No!” I snapped, glaring at her. I had never been so angry at a female before. I knew it was the mate pull returning at full force. Zodiac snarled. He dug his claw in. At least for the first time, we agreed—seeing Louise with another was painful. But having Maddison here was torture. “Leave! I revoke my offer!”
“Joseph,” Sighing, Maddison sat in the chair beside me. She folded her arms on her lap. “I can’t. And you can’t. We’re both in too deep now. Your parents have already organised the bonding ceremony for Thursday. The Sunset clan will only sign their alliance if this happens.” She fluttered thick black eyelashes. “You will learn to love me… and your wolf will learn to love mine. Sivanah and Zodiac will be strong leaders. We will be strong leaders. The Mist clan will be a force to be reckoned with.”
She has a point! It was a point that both Zodiac and I thought about. Everything was riding on the union now that she had told her parents and brought my parents in on it. If she had kept her mouth shut, things would have been different. And Louise was sick, even if she was Alpha blood. Could our bond fix that? And would that stop my parents from reacting harshly to it? The bond with Louise was painful. Would revoking it fix me—and Zodiac?
“Should we reject Louise?” I asked Zodiac. She’s not an Omega… And at the trial, we both wanted her...”
“I wanted to reject her at the hospital…” He grumbled. “It would be the best for the pack…”
“But?” I asked, sensing there was more to his thoughts than he was letting on.
“I don’t know…” He threw his head back and howled. “Mate!”
“If you just openly rejected the Omega,” Maddison whispered, kissing my forehead. “You would be free to love again...”
I glanced over at her. Why couldn’t I feel an attachment to Maddison? She was strong and beautiful, with ties to the Sunset clan. With the looming attacks from the Celestial Moon clan, we needed their help. The Sunset clan was full of fighters that would strengthen our pack. There were good points and bad points to the ceremony. But the idea of rejecting Louise, as prominent as it was, churned my stomach.
Maddison grabbed my hand. This time, I let her. Nothing! No deliriously enjoyable feeling passed between us. “I’m the key to your future…”
I removed my hand from hers and sighed. “I–”
The door opened, and Mum entered. Behind her, Dad followed. The procession continued with Beta Reece and Gamma Archie.
“I’m so happy for your boy,” Dad said, turning to Gamma Archie. “And to think, Louise is Alpha blood, even if she’s Celestial Moon Alpha blood.”
I tensed at those words. They were speaking about Louise.
“I’m still in shock over that.” Beta Reece laughed nervously. “Who would have thought… Tiny little Louise was Alpha blood.”
“She was raised well…” Gamma Archie added. “With May’s influence, she is more Mist clan… And none of us ever sensed it…”
“Never...” Dad agreed. “The Celestial Moon pack is vicious… Louise is not... And even if she has been cursed, the kid is not strong enough to take down our pack.”
“When she bonds with Tyrone, that might change.” Gamma Archie warned. “Her wolf is Alpha blood… anything’s possible. She has always been a fighter.”
“We will keep a close eye on her.” Dad insisted. “Just in case.”
“Enough!” I roared, silencing the room. Hearing them talk about her was painful. “Stop!”
Mum and Dad glared at me, pinning me back against the bed with their gazes.
“Excuse me?” Mum asked in her Luna tone. She raised an angry eyebrow at me. “What did you say?”
“Arh!” I winced, fighting the paralysation. I punched the bed. “I want to get out of here!”
“Well, of course, you do…” She came over and hugged Maddison. “I don't blame you with a stunning mate like this.”
I peered past them to the Beta and Gamma. The two were still in conversation. I could hear Gamma Archie’s excitement over the upcoming bonding ceremony. My heart sank. Louise and Tyrone… Tyrone with my mate!
“How are you, Maddison?” Dad asked, hugging her briefly. “Has Joseph been this grouchy the entire time?”
She laughed in her flirty way. “No, Alpha, he’s been resting. But I don’t blame him. A hospital is no place for a werewolf.”
“Indeed,’ Mum agreed. She came over and kissed my forehead. How are you feeling, son? Is there any more movement?”
“No, still the same.” I groaned. Ignoring them, I focussed my ears on the two at the back.
“I’ll be helping Tyrone choose his suit tonight.” Gamma Archie said to Beta Reece. “It’s a toss-up between two styles, but he wants to match Louise’s colour.”
“What day is the ceremony?” Beta Reece asked him.
“Thursday… the same day as the meeting with the Resistance… After dusk.”
“The same day as our bonding ceremony.” Maddison sang joyfully. Of course, she had been eavesdropping. Now, a sick sensation rumbled through my stomach. She flashed me a quick, knowing glance before turning back to Dad.
Dad grinned. “Not something a father will ever forget.”
“Thursday?” I hissed between my teeth. I wanted desperately to run out of this hospital and find Louise. I wanted to rip Tyrone’s head from his shoulders for causing this pain. I wanted to hold Louise and see if this bond was real. I wanted to know if it was worth fighting for or rejecting. Arh! F*ck!
“Don’t worry, Son…” Mum said, misunderstanding my meaning. “The meeting is at midday… your ceremony isn’t until later that night. We have plenty of time.”
“It’s after dusk when the moon is bright…” Maddison beamed, the sickening sensation growing. “Six p.m.…. So that gives us plenty of time.”
“It’s lucky that Tyrone’s bonding ceremony is at five thirty.” Gamma Archie added. “It means I will be there for the meeting and still have time to organise things.”
“See…” Dad chuckled. “This will work out perfectly.”
Zodiac and I couldn’t handle the conversation anymore. His claws in my brain were becoming unbearable. Louise was accepting a mate—a chosen mate! She was still a year off being of age and waking her wolf naturally. But after the ceremony, Tyrone would wake her wolf. They would be bonded by force, not by the Moon Goddess! It’s supposed to be me!
Zodiac stopped howling. “What if we awakened her wolf? Then everything would fall into place!”
“What if we do, and it’s wrong…” I groaned irritably. “Or what if it’s right?”
Arh, what the f*ck do we do? I need to think! There’s too much going on...
“I want to be alone…” I growled at the group. My mind split again. The words ‘I want my mate’ and ‘reject our mate’ battled in the space. Zodiac and I were struggling.
“Joseph?” Dad asked. Stepping up beside me, he studied my face. “Is everything all right?”
“No,” I sighed. “I want to be alone!” I held his gaze. “I need to…”
“Don’t say any more. I understand,” Dad soothed. “You need time to understand everything going on.”
“Okay, Son,” Mum justled my hair. “Josie-Anne should be here soon. And we’re taking Maddison shopping for the ceremony. Once Josie sees you, we’ll leave you to rest.”
“I should get back to the packhouse,” Dad said as he headed for the door. “I need to start the preparations for the meeting.” He turned back and nodded at me. “Keep fighting, Son. You’ll be on your feet in no time.”
“Bye Dad…” I replied, rubbing my forehead.
“So, what are the living plans once Tyrone has his mate?” Dad asked Gamma Archie as he pulled open the door. “Are you finally moving into the packhouse with the rest of us? And giving the new couple the house? We have all Gamma’s rooms waiting.”
The door closed, but I could still hear them talking.
“We haven’t thought about it.” Gamma Archie replied. “I have to talk to Madeline and May tonight. We’ll let you know.”
“You don’t want a new mated couple in your house.” Beta Reece laughed. “Remember those first few months… nonstop enjoyment for all involved.”
All the men laughed. I started to grind my teeth.
“I still can’t control myself around my mate.” Gamma Archie chuckled.
“Me neither,” Dad laughed.
The conversation died away, and I was thankful. The thought of Tyrone’s body on Louise’s… his scent all over her … taking away her first time … It was supposed to be me!
- Writer
