Chapter 5 On My Mind
1690 Words
Chapter 5
On My Mind
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Joseph
When I saw her, my heart crippled my entire chest with a flutter of adrenaline so powerful it took over all my senses. I knew instantly that she was my fated mate… but I also knew she wasn’t old enough to feel the tug of attraction in return. If she had been of age, nothing would have stopped us from marking each other there and then, even in the clinic. And as Alpha, I had no care who was there. Louise is mine…! She was stunning… a golden beaker of light in the darkness… a brilliant morning sun on a cold day… a yellow sunflower alone in a dusty field. Her short golden locks created a halo around that cute heart-shaped face. She was very thin, but nothing my cooks would have fixed in a few weeks. An angel… my angel!
Those alluring thoughts wavered when I remembered the obnoxious smell that hit my nose when she was close. It was a mixture of sickly sweet caramel, vinegar, and a sourness that made my stomach churn and made me double-take. It triggered instant aggression within my wolf Zodiac, and it took all my strength to keep him controlled.
What was that smell? Why was it coming from her? It completely confused me, not to mention upset Zodiac.
I sat at the desk farthest from the front of the history lesson classroom, my head buried in my hands, swimming with a mix of thoughts, primarily whys. Why did she smell so odd? Why was I the only one who noticed? Why did she have to be sick?
She has a sickness! I shook my head, trying to come to terms with it. That can’t be possible. She’s a werewolf like me! She shouldn’t be sick!
Once I had finally decided that I needed to be near this girl and learn more about her, I had my father, Alpha George, pull some strings this morning and get me enrolled into the school I had seen logoed on her dress… Our Lady of Souls, Private School. All it took was a hint that my fated mate might attend the school, and my parents were eager to enrol me.
Kingston refused to let me go alone, and as my best friend and future Beta, that had been helpful. I constantly needed reminding that both humans and wolves attended this school. We had both turned eighteen four weeks ago, three days apart. We were in our final years of home-schooling, so this plan worked perfectly.
“Yo, Joseph buddy,” Kingston called from the table beside me. “Jo…”
“Hmm?” I peered up from my thoughts and turned robotically to my best friend. I attempted to acknowledge him, but my mind was preoccupied. Why? Why her? Why is she sick?
“Joseph!” Kingston hissed through clenched teeth before his voice broke through my thoughts, rattling my brain. “Joseph Irvine Black… Earth to Joseph!”
“What?” I hissed back, meeting his bright eyes. For a brief moment, Zodiac peered through my eyes with pure frustration. I saw Kingston’s stunned reaction and quickly willed him back. “What is it?”
“Should we remind the teacher that he’s wrong…?” He chuckled in my mind. “Should we remind him that werewolves were why the Tasmanian Tiger went extinct, not humans… It would blow these human minds!”
“I would like to see that written in human history books.” I chuckled. Then I sighed, my thoughts returning to the girl… to Louise. What is wrong with her? Why did she smell so… so weird? Why does it anger Zodiac so much?
“You should talk to her,” Kingston added under his breath, obviously reading the worry on my face. “You know, you could actually talk to this girl instead of telling her something that makes her flip out.”
That brought a smile to my lips. Even as an Omega, there was something intense about her. Even as tiny as she was, she was far from a pushover. In the moments when she stood up to me… I had to fight Zodiac from overtaking me… trying to claim her earlier than we should have. That was until that putrid scent reached his nose.
But boy, she bit back, and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed her outspokenness and her challenge. I wanted desperately to tell the pack their soon-to-be Alpha would have a no-nonsense Luna to watch out for. But knowing she had an illness put a terrible twist on it. Knowing she was unnaturally sick and bringing that attention to the pack could do more damage than good! It would make our pack seem weak… And we were far from weak! The Mist Clan was amongst the top five for strength. Having a sick Luna would jeopardise that!
“We can’t have a sick mate!” Zodiac argued. “We would be ridiculed!” But as he thought that, a whine of pain escaped from him. He sat back in the darkest recesses of my mind and closed his eyes. After a moment, he changed his mind and began to cry for her before turning around and returning to the back of my mind. My brain behind my eyes was throbbing with all the confusion.
“Bro...!” Kingston shouted into my mind as the figure of our teacher, Mr. Herman, appeared before my desk. “Too late…!”
“Mister Black...” Mr Herman breathed, crossing his arms. He resembled the teachers you see in movies, a white shirt beneath a brown knitted vest. It made him look years older than he was. “Do you mind briefly bringing your head down from the clouds? History waits for no one…”
“But history is in the past…” I added with a smirk.
Kingston chuckled beside me, as did a few other students around the room.
“But that’s how we learn… and shape the future.” The teacher replied, narrowing a knowing gaze back at me. “Don’t you agree… Mr Black?”
A glint of his Delta wolf, Chase, shone in his yellowing eyes, bringing Zodiac just below the surface. I stood and locked gazes with him. Zodiac pushed unsuccessfully against the barrier I had placed in my mind to contain him. “Disrespectful Delta!”
Lyle Herman was a part of the Mist Clan. A Delta fighter! He was above Omega but below Gamma, like all trained warriors. He was a loyal pack member and had given up fighting to teach. He knew who I was. All of the werewolves in the school knew. It radiated off me in waves. Everyone except Louise… why? My Alpha status was why I had been home-schooled. But I was here for a reason, and not even a teacher was getting in my way.
“You dare disrespect me, Lyle!” I growled through mind-link. I squared my shoulders and tenses as Zodiac pushed harder for control.
“Humans…” Kingston mind-linked me, throwing me off guard. “Human witnesses!”
“Forgive me, Alpha,” Lyle replied meekly in my mind. He shook his head and willed his wolf away. “All I ask is that you please respect me in my classroom while you’re here.”
“Respect you?” I snarled. I leaned in closer to him, making him shrink back. “I am Alpha…”
“Humans!” Kingston’s wolf Dynamite roared loud enough in my brain that it stunned Zodiac.
When the sounds of curious and nosey onlookers reached my ears, I sucked in a deep breath and willed Zodiac as far back as possible. The entire class had stopped their work to watch the showdown.
“Sorry, Alpha,” Lyle crossed his arms, attempting to show his Delta backbone. He eyed me sideways, surprising me. He read something in my eyes that made him relax. He nodded, and a slight grin tweaked his lips. “Alpha, I suggest you leave the room…”
“What?” I clenched my hands, fighting back my claws. “Putting on a show, I see …”
“This is a human and wolf mixed school, Joseph!” Kingston repeated. “Just leave… you’re on edge anyway…”
Lyle smacked a hand down on my desk, making the rest of the class jump. “Mr Black, in this classroom, I expect nothing but three simple rules… kindness, attention and respect…”
“Respect?” I nearly laughed at this. “Who do you think you are…?”
“Not here, bro…” Kingston warned under his breath. He was always one for a good fight. That was how I had broken my arm in the first place. But this time, I could hear the worry in his voice. “Just leave… you’re not in the right state of mind… worry about that girl…”
“Please leave my classroom…” Lyle Herman pointed a trembling finger towards the door. “And find yourself excused for the rest of the day!”
Zodiac was pounding at my brain to be released. But glancing around, I realised more than half the students were human. If my dad found out about a reveal, I would be in deep s**t. I swallowed my anger and put a lock on Zodiac.
“Fine with me, sir…” I kicked the chair back, snatched up my things and stormed towards the door. All eyes were on me, human and wolf. I realised how close I had been to revealing our secret to the humans, all because I had found my mate.
“Cheers for the human reminder, Kingston.” I nodded at him with a smirk. “As fun as always…”
“Go find her.” Kingston insisted with a wink. “We’ll deal with Lyle Herman later.”
I glared at Lyle once more, flashing my Alpha-red eyes at him. I heard him suck up a wounded breath before the door closed between us.
- Writer
