Hated By All, Loved By Four

♡◦✤They Call Me The Devil✤◦♡

•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾MADDOX'S P.O.V.☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•

“You want me to what? Maddox, be honest with yourself your brain is more useful in the mansion than it would be listening to the mental issues of some worthless runt.”

“I need something exciting, I am bored as fuck.” my cousin huffs at my words. I know where my brain matters. The f*****g mansion, labs, but it is boring. Nothing I’ve been tasked with doing has been really challenging. I’m not interested. That’s why I teach an expressive art class to draw out the students who can’t speak on their issues so they can draw it out.

It’s been quite fascinating, and now I want to be on the list of therapists too. Who knows, talking to a damaged student might cheer me up. It’s always fun to find out what’s bothering a small runt of a wolf.

“I get that you’re bored but granddad’s going to be pissed with you shifting your focus from what you’re supposed to be doing to menial tasks such as this but alright. I’ll put you under the therapist line, we have a new student. Valeria Vanguard. She’s the only new student we have this semester. Australian decent, from Creekwood pack, just turned eighteen. She’s lacking a wolf. According to her parents' note, she lost it on her sixteenth birthday due to an attack though they failed to specify what sort of attack leads to a werewolf... well... no longer being one. It has witchcraft written all over it but she doesn’t have the tailtale signs. Not that I’ve done a good inspection but let me tell you, this should keep you from being bored.”

She hands me a brown folder, and I thank her.

“Seems interesting for sure. I wonder if I can get her to sign in for my art class.”

“Don’t get attached. Your last toy barely lasted a week, and this girl is young, Maddox. She’s not your type.”

“Bailey, breathe. You sound like I’m the f*****g devil.”

“What’s your nickname again?” she teases, and I chuckle.

“I can be a saint.”

“Yeah for a while. But being good isn’t your thing, so go easy on the girl.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever.”

I stepped out of her office and headed down the hall to prepare for my class. I had been in Kyoto for a week. I gave my students some assignments, telling them to leave them in the class before I arrived today.

I’m stopped in my tracks when a blonde girl steps out of a classroom with her head down, her entire aura is a mess. I can read her thoughts, they’re jumbled and all over the place. She’s wondering whether she’s a freak for lacking a wolf. The answer to that is yes.

This must be Valeria. My sense of smell is not bad, but it’s not high enough for me to notice something different. My heart is dead, that’s not an exaggeration. My mother used to tell jokes about how often she had to check to see if I was still alive.

It doesn’t beat the way normal hearts do, in fact, I don’t hear it. And I have excellent hearing. But this time, it’s pumping fast. Pounding harder than it has ever. Am I having a stroke?

Then she turns, confusion gracing her beautiful features. Her eyes move over my body, head to toe, and light pink hits her cheeks. Am I staring too hard?

This heaviness in my chest, what is this feeling? I wave, and that seems to frighten her. She scurries away and I’m left standing there in confusion.

What in the hell?

I head to my art class on the floor above this one. But all I can think about is that girl. So I dropped my bag and coat, and then I headed back into the hall to track her. Where would she be?

My watch beeps thirteen minutes later and a code red comes in. I ignore it. That just means Kaito is angry, and at large. There’s nothing to worry about. He gets angry every two seconds. What a little brat. He and the two other alphas are the only people we are not allowed to mess with. Their families will tear us to shreds, so they are the special cases. We let them be. They’re the only ones we’re actually going to help... without doing any of our usual suspicious things. The last thing I want is for the brat’s father, and his buddies to rip through Osaka just to butcher my family. I’m not an i***t.

I head down to the cafeteria hoping to catch a glimpse of the new girl. I don’t even know if she would be there.

She is there. I can pick up that really sweet scent again. But she’s leaving by the time I arrive. She doesn’t even see me.

You know who does see me? Malcolm Knight.

Big, burly, hates my guts for something I definitely did. He snarls, his eyes narrowing at me. Like I’m supposed to fear him. I mean I should. But I’m not your average vampire, fear is not something I'm accustomed to.

Malcolm doesn’t stop glaring, and it makes me smile. But he walks off, and out of curiosity, I follow him. Silently of course. I’m the best in my family for the way I can blend into the shadows, and for my amazing IQ. My footsteps become none existent, my scent, my aura, vanishes. It’s like I don’t even exist.

There’s a rumor that only royal vampires can read minds. In a way it’s true. There is only a select group of vampires who can read minds. Not every single one can do this. I can do though, my twin can do it, but for the rest of the family, there are only three more who can read minds.

It’s a good ability to have, but it doesn’t work on Malcolm and his friends. Specifically, because they’re descendants of powerful wolf tribes.

Malcolm is the soon-to-be alpha leader of the Artic Howl Clan.

Sebastian is from the Saint Valentine’s Pack which is the most famous wolf pack.

And Kaito is from the Silver Fang Pack.

There’s a barrier around their minds so I can’t find anything, but you know, I can work my way around that.

Which reminds me, why am I following Malcolm?

I paused by the door of the class where he and his friends were talking.

My ears pick up on his words.... mating bond and I almost die on the spot.

WHAT?! I kept my face empty. Mating bond. Fated mate. So that’s why my heart is racing, that’s why it feels like it might burst out. I’m fated to that girl. And she’s fated with these three as well?

No, no, no. This is a f****d up joke. We don’t even share the same deity, how the f**k do I end up mated to the same girl these fuckers are.... no. They're wrong. There are no mates here.

When they catch me watching them, I don’t budge. Never show them fear, besides, I don’t have anything to hide. If they want to know something, if they want to know that I’m watching them, then I’ll let them know but I am not scared. Worried, or even the slightest bit bothered with being caught.

I stay put for a few minutes then I make my leave. With my hands digging into my pocket my brain starts working. Fated mate? We don’t mate in my family. Not a joke, not a lie, my family don’t have mates. We have some very strict rituals we go through when we bring home a partner but I’m not the partner-bringing guy. I prefer toys, cute dolls I can play with. Drink blood from them until there’s nothing left of them.

But to find myself cursed with a mating bond to a beautiful girl, and she’s fated to three other people?

Ugh, no. Ew. I don’t want to be mated. I do want the satisfaction of taking her away from them. They won’t mind. Sebastian and Malcolm- f**k. Malcolm.

Malcolm Knight is the sunshine to darkness. Let me explain, there isn’t any person on this planet who doesn’t fall for him. My cousins even like him. They say he’s a delight. He is. I hate him for it. He’s too good. And if there’s anyone who can wash away depression, even if it takes years... it’s him.

If this new girl is mated to him then I have to work overtime to ensure she stays sad. Her hanging around Mister Sunshine isn’t going to work for me. Kaito I don’t have to worry about. Call me a bastard but no one will ever love him. Maybe his friends do, but that’s because they’re attached. He is the definition of unlovable.

The chances of this girl accepting a bond with Kaito are... laughable. Even Kaito wouldn’t want that. She can’t even feel the bond. If I find the root of her missing her wolf, I can work with that.

Look at me, getting ahead of myself. I don’t understand how I can be mated to a wolf and have that wolf be mated to three other wolves. It’s unusual. Uncanny. I need to explore it. Get to know who this wolfless person is before I plot.

I just don’t like Malcolm. Maybe it’s a bit cliche with me being a vampire, a lover of the darkest nights, and him shining brighter than the bloody sun. I just don’t want his sunshine anywhere next to me or my next doll.

I went back to my art room and then dropped into my seat. She seemed to find me attractive at first glance. But young wolves run from vampires. I have to present myself as a friendly face. I can be nice.

I’m just baffled. Of all the King Vampires to end up with a fated mate why me? I’m the biggest bastard amongst us. Nicknamed the Devil on Earth, I should be the last person to ever end up fated to a poor unsuspecting soul.

My eyes dart to the open door of my classroom, and Valeria steps through. A tomato stain graced the front of her shirt, was that there when she left the cafeteria? Her eyes are wide, and slightly nervous as she spots me.

Well well well, it’s like she knew I was thinking of her. Her thoughts fill my brain, delightful. She’s thinking that there must be a mistake. I can’t be a teacher for an art class.

“Hello there.”

“G’day mate, are you the teacher for this class? I was told to meet some grouchy bloke who’d help me sign up.”

Grouchy bloke? She must have asked one of the teachers who hates me for directions.

“You want to sign in for an art class?”

“Yeah, the other special activities classes are closed for the semester.”

Just my luck!

My cheek broadens as I smile. I got to my feet and stalked around my table until I was standing in front of her.

“Well, there’s a sign-up sheet, but I’m looking for a new student so we can skip that step and just say you’re in the class.”

“Is that allowed?”

“Yeah, it’s allowed. It is my class.”

“Cool, I’ll leave then.”

“You should grab a box from that corner, and select a seat.”

She seems nervous in my presence. Why? Do I look scary? Like I’m going to eat her up?

“Maddox.” A voice calls from the door, startling my new doll.

I cursed internally as I turned to face my twin brother.

“Yes?”

“I need your help.”

“Can it wait?”

He turns his eyes to Valeria. “Well, if she isn’t cute.”

Your new toy? He questions me telepathically.

Mind your business.

She’s adorable. Since when do you go for the.... thicker type?

I expel a breath. “Pick a seat, fill out that sheet with your name and number, and then grab a box. I’ll be back.”

I march to the door, shoving my brother out.

“What did I say?” He winces, but there’s happiness in his eyes.

“What do you want?”

“I tackled a girl yesterday, she was trying to run off. Come to think of it, this girl was there with Bailey. Such a cutie.”

I lock my fingernails between his nose and tug him further away from the class.

There’s a red bruise there by the time I release him but it heals in seconds. “Which girl?”

“You’ll never believe who.”

His eyes sparkle, and that means I can spend my time pondering over that girl. If there’s anyone I cannot tell about this mating bond it’s my blabber-mouth twin. I can’t tell anyone else in the family about it either. It’ll give me a chance to consider things if no one knows. There are rules in my family. I’ll say it over and over again.

Very strict rules. I shift my focus from her, making a note to schedule our first meeting down the week. My brother whispers the name of the patient- I mean, the student he’d tackled, and I find myself smiling.

It’s never a boring day with my twin involved.