Scum (Book 1)

1. Family

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*SEVEN MONTHS LATER*

Liam’s POV

College has been a blast, and if I didn’t have to come home for the equinox, I would have gone to Cancun like all the humans do, but I still have priorities within the pack.

I don’t know how we pulled it off, but somehow the three of us ended up in some fast-track program for a bachelors, so we’ll basically never go home for the summer or spring break.

This time only though, we are taking a few days to celebrate with our families, especially since we’ll be gone a full year longer than we expected; not that any of us are complaining.

Before we left, my father warned us to ‘stay away from whores,’ but we became the whores when we got to campus. Even my gamma, who is usually reserved in nature, has had his fair share of flings, and it doesn’t help that human women seem to be throwing it at us.

At one point, I had so many girlfriends that I had to break up with them in a group message. I don’t know how my father found out about that, but he did, and he cut me off financially for a month. If it weren’t for the kindness of my sister Jenna, I would have starved to death.

Cheyenne’s POV

Everyone is scrambling around, trying to prepare for the future alpha to visit, which means that, on top of studying, I have a lot more work to do. After my kitchen shift, I have to report to grounds keeping, and after that I have patrols.

It’s a good thing I’m physically fit because the average wolf would have collapsed by now. I hate being unable to take a rest, but I’m not the only person suffering. Nora is also being pulled in many directions, and I have only seen her once today.

“Cheyenne the man!” I hear, and I fist bump my patrol partner Brandon. He’s not much older than my brother, but his mate is already pregnant.

Typically, teens like us aren’t put on patrol for events, but we’re among the pack’s top fighters, and resources can never be wasted during periods of high tension. It doesn’t matter that his mate is expecting or that I’m still in high school, we belong to the pack we serve, and when we’re called, we must obey.

It sounds harsh, but it’s really not that bad. Packs are like giant families; some of us may not like one another, but we make it work for the greater good.

“Do you think the alpha has really brought a girl home?”

“As in a luna?” My eyes go wide in happiness with the thought. Liam is a good person, and he will be a great alpha. I can’t wait for him to take over the pack, and hopefully, as one of the top female fighters, I’ll be able to secure a spot as one of the future luna’s road companions until I finish school.

“Why do you look so happy?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? A chosen luna will be just as amazing as a fated one.” Chosen luna’s are so rare that I hadn’t even considered the option for Liam, and I hope the pack will support whoever he chooses.

“It’s just a thought, I mean, why else are we celebrating so lavishly?”

“I’m not sure it matters,” I reply, not understanding why Brandon is bothered.

“I think he should wait for his blessing. I assumed you would agree.”

“Not all wolves have a mate,” I add, silently praying that I do.

“That’s true, but it’s bad to settle too young. If he marks her, then meets his fated mate later on he’ll be unable to claim her.”

“Why?” I ask, still not fully versed on the whole fated mate thing.

Summer wolf education classes are mandatory in our pack, but I work a lot, so I’ve missed many sessions. Alpha Lucas always gives me a pass, but my parents dislike that most of my knowledge regarding the bond is second hand.

“Because… If a wolf marks two people, one of them will die, and before you ask, there is no way to tell who it will be, so you're left with two choices; reject your fated mate and let her move on with her life or be selfish and take a gamble. In the end, you may end up losing them both.” I know what Brandon means because it would be hard to keep the same level of affection for someone who literally tried to replace you. “I just don’t want him to turn this pack into a joke.”

“Liam is a nice person; I don’t think he would do that.” Brandon raises a brow at me, and I make a face back at him.

“Chey, what’s the last thing you heard about Liam?”

“Probably that he’s doing well in school; why?”

“Nothing, I just assumed you don’t know how much he’s changed since leaving the pack. I’m not saying he will be a bad alpha, but he definitely isn’t the same person he used to be.”

That worries me, but it's none of my business, so I take my post and start recalling the day's lecture from school in my head. A&P is a difficult class, and I have a test in the morning. If I don’t pass, I can’t get an A in the course, and my GPA has to be better than Nora’s if I want entry into the werewolf nursing program.

From where I’m standing, I can hear the celebration happening, and while I wish I could actually see if Liam brought home a chosen mate, I’m glad I’m working the patrols.

Girl’s usually dress up for parties, but I don’t have the luxury, and it always makes me feel bad when people assume I don’t care when the reality is that I can’t afford to care.

“Isn’t your birthday coming up?” Brandon randomly questions, and I nod at him.

“I’ll be fifteen a few days from now, why?”

“My mate wanted to get you a gift, but I know you’ll never accept it if I don’t forewarn you.”

“I don’t like charity.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know. You work hard and you’re going to persevere.” Brandon holds up a motivational fist as he repeats things I usually say, and I can’t help but to laugh, hoping that I don’t look that ridiculous.

“Is that how people see me?” I question, almost afraid that I’m made fun of me behind my back. I’m well liked in the pack, and I would hate to find out that the smiles I receive are all fake.

“No, but you put a lot of pressure on us normal folk. Why the hell do you work so hard?” We both chuckle before Brandon gets serious again. “But for real; Mac is in a phase of pregnancy that makes her extremely emotional. I bought her peeps to mark the first day of spring, and she cried when I bit into one.”

“Why?” I ask, trying hard not to laugh at his story. I don’t know much about the mate bond, but I know fated individuals can be irrationally protective over the people they love.

“She said they were too cute.” I can’t help it, and I burst into laughter, covering my mouth to be respectful, but the man isn’t bothered like I thought he would be. “It’s okay to laugh in private, but please don’t do that where she can see you.” I nod, suddenly curious about what it’s like to have a mate.

“Is it hard to love someone so much?” Brandon shrugs, but I can tell he is thinking of a response.

“The only hard part is letting that person down. She and I should have waited longer before getting pregnant, and I just feel like I should have given her more time to better herself before making her a mother.”

“But… How does she feel?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… Is she disappointed?”

“No, she was so happy that she made us go shopping immediately after finding out.” Brandon tilts his head, looking up at me with furrowed brows that scare me.

“I’m sorry if I said something wrong, I just wanted to help.”

“Actually, you did help.”

“Aren’t I a good friend?” I tease, wanting to change the subject.

“Yeah, whatever, miss ‘good friend,’ you better accept what she gives you otherwise…” The man slides his thumb across his neck, and I laugh again.

“Focus,” I say, pointing to the nothing Brandon and I have to stare at, and he shakes his head at me.

“You know Cheyenne, your mate is going to love you,” he whispers, and I genuinely hope that’s true.

Liam’s POV

I should have known my father was going to go all out, especially since this will be the last time I come home for two and a half years.

I was on the territory a whole of twenty minutes before Dallas came running up to me, looking for the ‘girl’ I brought home.

“What girl?” The man frowns, and he tells me that there is a rumor going around about me choosing my luna.

“I turned eighteen two days after classes started. Do you really think I would’ve settled for someone so quickly?” Dallas smiles, and it's then that I realize he’s relieved.

“I really thought I was going to have to talk some sense into you.”

“So… how are things with… ‘the one.’” Dallas shakes his head, exhaling deeply before grinning, and I punch him in the arm. “So quickly?”

“Not really… we’ve known each other forever.” That is true, Chey and Nora have been best friends for as long as I can remember. They are both eccentric, but Chey is friendlier, so she is well liked by everyone, while Nora is… ‘the nerd.’

However, if Dallas is right, she will soon be a warrior’s mate, which will be odd since the girl is into the whole ‘talk about your feelings’ thing.

“How will you deal with someone so… docile?” The man raises a brow at me, making a face that I know means he’s thinking about something s****l.

“She isn’t as weak as people may think.” I cover my nose as the man’s arousal drifts toward me, and now I KNOW what he means.

“D!” Royce comes trotting up to us, clearly happy to see Dallas, but he pauses, looking between us in confusion. I gasp, taking a good five paces back, and Dallas repeats the action, realizing that my beta has misunderstood us.

“Please don’t tell me you are fated to one another… The awkwardness… I just…” Royce dramatically heaves, and Dallas punches his arm, clearly annoyed.

“Don’t be a bigot, and it's not that. I was just thinking about someone.”

“And it gave you a reaction while in front of another man?” Dallas gets that far off look again, and Royce bursts into laughter.

“Who the hell has Dallas Lively whipped like this?” The men begin to chuckle, and conversation begins to flow in a way that has always been unique to us.

Dallas may not have a rank, but he should have been my gamma. We were already in the process of being bonded when his father was injured while protecting mine, and, as children who didn’t know any better, after Kelvin was brought into our circle, Royce and I couldn’t let Dallas go.

That’s not to say that Kelvin isn’t our friend because he is, but he is the ‘good friend,’ meaning that he sticks to the rules and seldom breaks them.

That quality makes him ideal for the role of gamma, but even my father has told him that he needed to loosen up a little. Honestly, if he were less stiff, Royce and I probably would have forgotten all about Dallas.

“I don’t want to jinx things,” Dallas says. “But if I’m right; she is my fated mate.”