Mistaken Love

2

"No way, it can’t be." Alex stuttered, looking at the two, his eyes darting between them and analyzing the situation at hand. This was bad, very bad.

Her hair spilled magnificently down her shoulders as her honey-brown eyes rested on a pair of chocolate ones. She would have never thought, after Finn’s death, she would have gotten a second chance. Maybe things could be better this time.

The situation had escalated since Theo had walked into his dead brother’s lounge, taking in all the classy decorations, no doubt one of his brother’s finer tastes, with exquisite paintings and touches of wealth.

Waiting anxiously for her to come down so they could meet and leave. The smell was everywhere, starting from the second he entered the vicinity until now. The inner monster in him viciously desired nothing better than leaving after sensing the familiar scent, but he had to stay.

After all, he was dead; he would never have to live that nightmare again, thankfully. The fall of silent footsteps on the carpeted floor brought him back to his senses; however, a new feeling began. Bemused, Theo remained at his seat, from where the windows displayed a spectacular view of the forest.

It irked him more, the feeling of unfamiliarity with something unexpected. Alex trembled restlessly, clearly tired of waiting for her to arrive. Theo wished he had asked him her name, as soon as she had entered the room, followed by a few others.

Olivia wasn’t like the other omegas he would meet—stubborn and persistent. Her sweet scent lingered in the air, a clear sign of her pregnancy. Their eyes locked, and the world exploded. or so it seemed.

Beating hearts and taking nervous breaths, the two unlikely worlds had collided at this moment. It couldn’t be, but it was so familiar. Theo remembered the pack’s elders telling him stories as a child about meeting their mate for the first time. The tingling sensations that followed as everything urged the two individuals to be together, or the rush of emotions that followed Love, warmth, and a sense of comfort

They had never mentioned the strong feelings of anger or hatred that would follow. At least, it was only present in Theo’s case, who wasn’t thrilled about the angsty relationship that would follow with flying fists, pregnancy hormones, and tears.

"Theo? This is Olivia, Finn’s mate." Alex nudged Theo on from the side, not quite grasping the situation yet. His heart sank into his chest, dreading to be in the same room as her right now. She had collapsed on a nearby sofa without saying another word, her face pale and her eyebrows arched.

Nothing made sense right now; would he have to stay behind? What if he only had one mate? Would he still have to reject her? He kept his eyes focused on her shaky figure, who was depending on a stout girl next to her for help. Everyone in the room was confused but slowly coming around.

"No way, it can’t be." Alex’s voice echoed. Her head snapped up to look at Theo again, hoping this all would be a hoax. He couldn’t deny how her hair perfectly shaped her oval face or how her beauty marks were scattered near her nose and mouth, almost perfect.

"f**k you."

Theo stood up, completely taken aback.

"Excuse me?"

"f**k you, stupid little b***h," Olivia hissed, her honey eyes flashing dark, always a sign of danger, and Theo feeling his own alpha growl at the disrespect.

"What the actual f**k? Theo began, ready to put the insolent girl in place, before a quick pair of hands held him back. The atmosphere in the room had changed quickly and was now threatening to escalate further.

"Theo, she’s mourning. You can’t be mean to her. Let’s go. We’ll come back later to sort this out," Alex said, his voice dazed as if he still hadn’t grasped the issue yet.

Theo stared in disbelief at the girl, who stared daggers at him, his heart pounding in his chest. All logic had long left him, and only madness remained. He ignored his friend, already turning his back on the scene at hand.

God, he couldn’t believe how he had landed himself in such a f*****g mess.

His phone buzzed; it was probably Joy calling to make sure he had landed safely.

Oh, he had landed alright.

Landed in a pile of steaming s**t.

Fuck Alex, f**k his stupidly beautiful mate, and f**k pack laws.

Most of all, f**k his shitty luck.

He had to leave before anything else happened. Quickly walking past her, she left the quaint house and stalked back to Alex’s car. Alex followed suit with surprising speed, putting on his seatbelt and driving.

"What the f**k!" was the only thing Theo managed to say.

"I know this is difficult, but you can’t leave without solving this," Alex said sternly, giving him one of his famous side eyes.

"This is insane! What do you want me to do?" Theo asked, speechless, staring down at his feet with wide eyes. "Alex, you can’t expect me to accept her. She was Finn’s mate, for god’s sake!"

"So what? I know it sounds crazy right now, but you need to calm down to think straight." His advice seemed to flow right past him, leaving his head pounding.

"She hates me; it will never work out," Theo added quickly.

"She hates everyone; you’re not special." Alex grinned, enjoying this a bit more than he admitted. "Cut her some slack; your brother wasn’t a good man, you know."

Theo had no interest in Olivia’s suffering, not when he had major problems of his own that made his head spin.

"I have a girlfriend, Alex! I’ve loved her for years! I can’t leave her for someone I just met and had the misfortune to be mated with." Theo’s heart melted, thinking of Joy and all the times they had spent together. He couldn’t leave all of that in the blink of an eye for her. Especially not with the history they had been joined by.

Alex looked up as if to say something sympathetic, but quickly gave up. The rest of the ride was spent in silence, with Theo hoping it would magically go up in flames.

As soon as he reached home, he practically ran towards his room to get the much-desired rest, but was stopped halfway.

"Theo, you’re an adult; you can’t just run from this. Pack laws exist for a reason, you know. They keep us in harmony. With each other and the moon."

Theo rolled his eyes at that. He needed help but was too scared to ask for it.

"I know it sounds stupid to you right now, but please," Alex said, not bothering to finish his sentence. Theo gave one last attempt at a faint smile before walking up the stairs and plopping himself onto his bed, instantly falling into a deep sleep.

When he woke up hours later, the dark room met him. Groaning, he changed out of his tight clothes, instead opting for a more casual look.

He found Alex sitting in his usual position, peeling apples.

"Sleep alright?" He asked nervously. Theo gave a quiet nod before sitting down next to him and rubbing his head.

"Isn’t that insane? Both Finn and you mated to one person,' he added mystically, throwing a peeled slice of apple into his mouth.

"Don’t mess with me right now," Theo snapped.

"On the bright side, you’re going to stay here for over three days. Olivia did what I could never convince you to do," Alex said, amused.

Theo stood up, conveniently stepping on Alex’s foot on the way out. He only had one option now. Settle this and go back home.

His phone buzzed again; he glanced at it and flinched at the name.

Joy.

"Hey baby, I miss you," Theo muttered, staring out of the window and outside at the compound.

"I miss you too. Why didn’t you pick me up? Is everything alright?" Joy asked worriedly. Her voice instantly calmed Theo as he stuttered through a rapid recollection of the past few days.

"Is this some kind of prank you’re pulling on me?"

Theo groaned.

"I wish it was. I’ve told you about my pack. They take this sort of stuff seriously." He added, remembering Alex’s quiet warning.

Joy was silent for a moment.

"So what, you’re going to leave with a stranger now? Just like that? You should be more upset about this, Theo. Why do I feel like the only one bothered?" Joy demanded, her voice rising to a high pitch, a warning sign.

"You really think you’re more affected than me? They can keep me here; my entire life is over there. With you. I’m losing everything!" Theo spoke sharply.

Joy sighed.

"Let’s not fight about this. I’ll get the next flight to you." Joy added. Theo felt a flash of relief. He could always count on her; he always had.

"We’ll get you out of that mess," Joy said softly.

Theo nodded.

"I love you," Joy said, her voice soft and warm.

"I love you more," He whispered back.

Throwing his phone across the room instantly, his thoughts flashing over his parents. He could imagine their reaction when they found out. Maybe they already did.

Everything will be alright, one way or another.