‘Til We Meet Again

Chapter 4: New Rules

Trinity

My alarm didn’t go off or I slept through it, but that didn’t matter now. Paige was in my doorway, screaming at the top of her lungs about missing her manicure. I was exhausted after Christian woke me up. I didn’t mind his company. Carmen was going wild with him present. I found it odd she was acting so rambunctious. He was wearing this lovely cologne though. I couldn’t really catch on because my body only wanted sleep. 

I dragged myself out of bed and rummaged through my drawer while Paige yelled and stamped her feet about having to miss her first class so her manicure could be done. I groaned at the thought of missing my class. I had perfect attendance and wanted to keep it that way. I racked my brain for a way out of this, but came up blank. What I truly wanted was more sleep. I never got enough of it. I finished dressing and pulled my hair up into a high ponytail, sliding into my shoes, and easing past Paige. 

“I can do your manicure after school and before I start my chores. I can’t miss class today.”

“Too bad! You should’ve been awake on time.”

“But—“

“I don’t want your excuses! You know what you’re supposed to do. Now I’m going to be late!”

She raised her fist and I put my hand up to block her. A roar came down the hall, sending a chill up my spine. Paige stopped. 

The smell of the cologne Christian had worn floated down the hall, putting me in a trance. Carmen was paced quickly, almost making me dizzy. 

“MATE! It’s mate!”

I stared at Christian as my body filled with a sensation I had never felt before. I didn’t hear anything that wasn’t him. I couldn’t see anything that wasn’t him. We were alone, at least it seemed that way. Carmen was purring at the sight of Christian.

“Stay away from her!” 

“Holy sh— Did he just …”

I began to walk forward involuntarily. Carmen pushed her way to the surface just as I reached him and touched his face. I could only watch in shock. Then she purred, followed by her growling out that word. 

“Mate.”

Christian stared for a minute as I pushed Carmen back so I could gather myself. 

“Oh, come on, Trinity!”

“Shh!”

“So Maceo was right. We’re mates.” A slow smile spread across his face. My cheeks were burning. Christian chuckled and looked down at his feet. 

“Yeah. Isn’t that something?”

***

We were all seated in Alpha Chris’s office. Luna Marjorie and Paige were fuming. Beta Giovanni was standing beside the Alpha’s desk as he listened intently to Christian explain why he refused to reject me. I just stared at my trembling hands. Christian placed his hand on my back and continued to speak, not missing a beat. 

Paige interrupted. 

“Christian! Do you hear yourself right now? You cannot accept that TRAITOR!” She said the last part through clenched teeth and was sure to put emphasis on the last word. 

“Your sister is right. There will be nothing good to come out of this. Reject her as soon as you can. We will have to find a more suitable mate for you.”

“Why? Just because you were a chosen mate, it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for everyone.”

My eyes widened as my head snapped up to look at the Luna. 

Luna Marjorie looked sad and opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it and stormed out. Paige narrowed her eyes at Christian and followed their mother down the hall. 

“Christian, I will not tell you to reject your fated mate. What I will say is that you must consider the future of this pack—“

“I have. I am firm in my decision.”

“Ok.” Alpha Chris threw his hands up. I looked down at my hands again. 

“I expect you to apologize to your mother, Christian. That was not a kind thing to say.”

“She’s not a kind woman.” 

The Beta snickered. 

“Christian—“

“Fine. I’ll apologize. But I meant it when I said the abuse stops today. I won’t tolerate it.” 

I glanced up at Alpha Chris. I was shocked Christian could get away with making such demands. 

But maybe I was looking at it the wrong way because Alpha Chris looked proud. I tilted my head to the side and followed his gaze to Christian, who stood tall and serious. 

“As you wish, young Alpha.”

Alpha Chris smiled at us. Christian nodded at his father and the Beta before taking my hand and escorting me from the office. He took me down the hall and opened a door. 

“Stay here, ok? I’m going to find my mom and apologize. We can talk when I get back. There’s some snacks in the kitchenette.” He stared at me and then leaned in to kiss me on my forehead. He pulled away and smiled, leaving me alone in his room. 

I sat down on his bed and looked around. Aside from the normal teenaged boy mess, his room was pretty clean. It looked huge, but he also didn’t have a whole lot of stuff. His scent surrounded me and it made Carmen stir. He smelled like eucalyptus and it was refreshing. I inhaled and fell back onto his bed. It was nice and soft. My eyes were getting heavy. 

I thought I should probably get up, but my body sank deeper into the plushy bedspread. 

It felt like only seconds later when my eyes shot open. I tried to sit up, but was met with some resistance. That was when I realized Christian had his arm draped over me. 

“You ok?” The grogginess in his voice told me he had fallen asleep too. 

“Yeah. What time is it? Did I miss school? I have to get my chores done.” I started to slide off of the bed. Christian pulled me back toward him as he sat up against the headboard. 

“We missed school. I thought you needed rest, so I just let you sleep. And as of today, the chores of the packhouse are no longer your responsibility.” 

My jaw dropped. 

“What? What about the Luna? I have to—“

“You don’t. Never again.”

“Are you sure?”

He sighed. 

“Yes. I’m positive. You will be Luna of this pack someday. Everyone needs to start showing you some respect.”

I sucked in my breath. There was a comfortable silence between us for a few minutes. 

“When is your birthday?”

“It’s in a week.”

I nodded. 

“Have you ever …”

“Had s*x? Nope. Some of my friends have, but I’ve always wanted to wait.”

“Oh. Neither have I.” I started to blush. The omegas talked about s*x a lot. I felt the strong attraction to Christian, so I could understand a little. I decided to change the subject. 

“What do you want for your birthday?” 

He shrugged. 

“I haven’t really thought about it. I usually don’t celebrate it. My mom manages to ruin it every year. Either that or Paige finds a way to make it all about her.”

I frowned. The Alpha family had issues? I wouldn’t have guessed.