VERBOTEN MATES

CHAPTER 1 * CAMP ALPHA-FAREWELL*

********AZTEC*******

“Gather around everyone today will be your last training in camp Alpha, well for those of you who pass.”

The instructor in charge of our class said with an evil smirk and groans of displeasure echoed the field.

“Yes, I know most of you expected this day since you joined camp Alpha and most of you are eager to go home. But that depends on how well you do in today’s test. I expect you to do better than your predecessors and the lots of you who didn’t cross over last year. Now is when to ace your game, pick your self in pairs of five.”

Our instructor commands and everyone scrambled around in search of their group five while I remained in my position. I didn’t need to go round the field for my pair of five. They would come to me, eventually. Most Alphas here would rush to my side, hoping they would be the first four to get to me. 

“Hi, do you have your partners already, can I join?”

A brunette girl walks up to me with a sweet smile on my face and I rolled my eyes mentally.

“No, and I don’t want you in my team.”

I respond to her without sparing her glance, and she huffs walking away.

I could have said yes, but the thing about me since I came to this camp. I don’t work with the same team twice.

Once I team up with someone for a mission or a task, I don’t ever team up with that person again.

This isn’t because I am proud or anything, I just didn’t care for the familiarity. 

My father told me before I left home for camp about how some Alphas can be dubious. They get close to you only to know your weakness and use it against you.

I have witnessed that several times since I came year three years ago, Alphas who claim to be friends sabotaging one another just to pass a test or win a task.

Even the only friend I made here, Raphael; knows not to try teaming up with me again after the first time we teamed up in pairs of two. 

While I am mostly quiet and calculative before I speak or do anything, Raphael is a loudmouth, the total opposite of everything I am. 

Many people see me as close off, or proud because I don’t mingle and I don’t blame them.

I am aware of the aura I project and it keeps the other Alphas away from me, not because I see myself better than them, I just do not see the point.

I didn’t come here to make jolly with friends; I came to train and prepare myself for my position back home, and that was what I faced for the last three years.

Raphael came to the camp a year later than us. The commandant had almost added him with the intermediate class but change his mind when he saw how good the kid was and despite my cold shoulders he somehow glued himself to me. 

As I remained in my position, two Alphas walk up to me, one female and the other male, and they stand beside me without asking a question. 

At least they are smart enough to not ask the obvious. 

“Is this team complete? there are two of us.”

A chirpy male voice asks and I turn to look at the owner of the voice, sighing when I saw who they were. The twin Alphas from shadow blade pack, how smart of them to team up with a rival. 

“No, there are only three of us, I guess you can join.”

 The ginger girl who came with the other male spoke up and I rolled my eyes, not sparing the twins another look. My focus turned to our instructor, who claps his hands together for everyone’s attention. 

“Usually when you work in teams, we judge you individually, but today we are doing things differently: We will judge you in teams as one. Now the task is pretty simple: within the forests behind you rest unique treasure boxes that need to be retrieved. The field princeps would hand you paper guides, that will show you what part of the forest to thread for you treasure box. “

As the instructor gave out these instructions; princeps walk the field, handing out the map guide to each team one after the other.

“The guide will be your only hint from here once you forest you will find clues as you go, you are to decide as a team which clue would best help your task or lead you astray from the treasure. Now once you find the treasure, head back to camp as a team. The rules are simple: if you come back to camp short of a teammate, that disqualifies your team and you all fail. Mind you, there are traps and obstacles everywhere in the forest to hinder your search, if one team mate gets hurt you help them whichever way you can. Am I communicating?”

The Instructor asks and a chorus “Yes, Sir” filled the expanse of the field.

“I know this isn’t the first time you are working in teams, but this task is to test your proficiency as Alphas and how well you can protect your pack. Now you have 45 minutes to scout the forest and your minute starts…”

He paused, looked at his wristwatch, and his infamous smirk appeared on his.

“Now.”

He bellows, laughing as every team turned and raced towards the forest, but I held my team back: we cannot just blindly race into the forest without looking at the guide.

“We have 45 minutes, lets take five minutes to study the guide so we can decide which direction to go and how best we can work as teams.”

My team mates look between one another before they nod and we huddled together combining brains and ideas. 

“Alpha Aztec, since you are the fastest and possibly the smartest here, I think you should be ahead; I mean you run faster than any of us anyway so you can like go ahead of us to sniff out traps and boggles then disable them.”

The male of the twins said, and I reasoned with him, nodding my head in agreement, the kid is actually smart compared to his sister; she is too bitchy for anyone to take a liking to her, and she lives up to the awful names of their pack.

“That’s a great idea. That way we can be ahead of the pack. Ginger haired and your twin sister can collect the clues, you can join me later with the when you link the dots in the guide and you—“

Pointing to the third guy in our midst; I don’t know his name; I know him, sure I’ve seen his face, but I don’t know his name. 

“You don’t know my name? We’ve been together in this camp for three years and you don’t know my name.”

The guy asks irritated and I hold back the urge to roll my eyes. Why is he being bitchy, if I know would I have to ask?

“No, I don’t. I had no reason to know what your name is but seeing as we are on the same team I have no choice. So you mind telling me your name.”

I ask him in my best polite tone. And the bastard growled. Wait a minute, did he just growl at him?

“You are a stuck-up b***h. You think you are mighty or something just because people praise your pack as the most powerful, huh? The rumours about you being an arrogant, spoilt Alpha are true after all.”

I face palmed at his sudden aggression and I turned to the others. 

“I hope the rest of us are clear about what we need to do. Mr no name Alpha, You are the lookout for any traps that I missed once all his done. We meet at the centre of our treasure ground in ten minutes so that we can work through the clues together as a team.”

I announce and the others nod in agreement while the arrogant prick all but shoved my shoulder snarling at my face and a growl rumbled down my throat as I grabbed him by his collar, lifting him up off his feet and the members of our team gasps.

“Listen you prick, I asked for your name as politely as I could but you failed to answer instead you insulted me and I ignored. I don’t have time to play pants and claws with you. We have a task to complete and I won’t let your childishness impede this. You either calm your f*****g p***y and work with us as a team or you look for another team to join while I tell the commandant that we are short of one. Your choice because you are wasting our time.”

I snarled at his face letting go of his collar and I balled my fist, growling low as my wolf tried to take over. The bastard just had to rile up scar my wolf. 

Scar is a stubborn dominant wolf and so am I. Although I think things through before acting on them, scar has no joy in being patience or weighing out options. He is an impulsive bastard that does things the way he likes, damn the question. 

Scar is the reason dad sent me to the Alpha camp six months earlier because it was getting harder to control Scar and he frequently surfaced to challenge dad.

Coming here early I learned control real quick and sometimes I just lock him out for days if he gets too annoying. But right now Scar is trying to push his way out so he could teach this bratty Alpha a lesson.

“Are we done cursing me out in your heads, can we go now?”

I ask, turning to my teams, and they all nod while the Shadow Blade boy rolled his eyes. 

“His name is Carson, and I am Meiko.”

The shadow blade boy says and I nod, mumbling a thank you to him. People can think of me how they want, but only I know the real me and I am not the asshole they make me out to be. 

Yes, I can be stubborn, that’s just me being me. I can be arrogant sometimes, but I know when to appreciate someone and I know how to reciprocate respect when accorded to me. 

Meiko smiled genuinely at me as I thanked him, and we started into the forest for our last task in Alpha. 

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I throw my towel over my shoulder, walking out of the bathroom to my room naked almost in a hurry as the ringing sound of my cell phone filled my bedroom.

[Hi pops]

I say as I swiped on the caller ID and placed the phone on speaker because I needed to get dressed for the party tonight.

[Hello son, how are you enjoying your last day at camp]

[So good, I don’t even feel like coming back home]

I respond playfully and my dad laughs.

[We know that’s not true, I’m sure you miss your mother more than you miss me and if you decide not to come expect to have your mother on the first flight down to Portugal tomorrow]

Dad says and I hear my mom laughing in the background.

[Well, I wouldn’t want that and tell mom I miss her so much.]

[She hears you, what about your father you don’t miss me?]

Dad asks feigning hurt and I chuckle.

[I mean there is nothing to miss, well except for our occasional fights.]

[Nah boy, that hurt’s don’t do your old man like that.]

Dad responds, and I laughed because I missed everything about him.

[Okay, you got me. I miss you a lot but we are not getting cheesy with that so let’s forget I said that.]

I say quickly before he tries to respond with something cheesy and embarrassing.

[Fine, I’ll withhold my reply till you get back. When are you leaving camp?]

Dad asks as I pull my jeans on.

[Tomorrow or next.]

[Tomorrow would be fine. The haze is in two days. If you come tomorrow, you can take part in this season’s haze, find your luna and we can start with preparation of handing over the seat to you. If you are not ready, no pressure, I can still keep the seat for you, for three more years.]

 That says and I shake my head as I chuckle, sliding on my tank top.

[Thank you old man, I think it’s time for you to step down. I totally forgot about the haze, I’ll be on my way tomorrow then. Tell Ma to prepare my favourite dish and please no one should plan any homecoming party on my behalf.]

I know my family too well, even if dad doesn’t want to, my mom and my younger siblings would. They use every opportunity they get to turn anything and everything into a gran party. 

Mom and dad had me in their later years. It was hard for them, according to what I was told.

My grandparents pressured dad every haze season to take another woman as luna, but he refused, and he chose mom repeatedly.

Fifteen years later they had me, which resulted into them spoiling me with everything while growing up, kind of caused my wolf and I to take a dislike to rejection because I was never rejection anything until puberty started and somehow Scar always saw dad as a competition.

Scar hates being controlled, being told what to do. Whenever dad commanded us to do something, it always rubbed scar the wrong way.

[Okay, mein Sohn (Okay, son). I won’t tell your mother. So I guess you are getting ready for the party tonight, it happens every year three camp end, I won’t tell you not to have fun but be safe and careful.]

[Natürlich Papa, ich werde vorsichtig sein. (of course dad, I’ll be careful)]

I reply to my dad in German and he says an okay before goodbyes and ended the call. I was fluent in the language since I’m mixed, but I could up a basic conversation.

Dad is mixed German, Mexican, while my mom is African American. It surprises me to see mom speak German as fluent as dad while they both aren’t fluent in Italian, even though our pack is in southern Rome.

It was confusing for me while growing up as a kid, because half the pack was Italians and we weren’t. That freaked me out a lot. 

but one day dad sat me down and explained to me how our Ancestors migrated from Germany some centuries back, marked an Italian woman whose father owned hectares of land that now belongs to our pack. 

As the years went by, the pack grew by number and new members joined. Some were traveller wolfs, others rogue wolf that needed a place to stay and gradually Wolf claw pack came to be. 

I tie the lace of my shoe, picking up my phone from the bed and I pocket it before walking out of my room and I closed the door. 

“Hey man, I was just coming to see if your ass won’t come to the party, seems you are ready for it,”

 Rapheal voice sounds behind me and I pivot on my heel, throwing him a glance before turning the lock of my door.

“You know I wouldn’t miss it for anything. This is my last chance to unwind.”

 I tell him, walking beside him as we make our way down the long corridor or the dorm.

“I didn’t get to congratulate you earlier on the field your team came first place. Congrats man that earns you more credits and recognition.”

Raphael says patting my back and I sigh.

“It’s nothing, besides it was a teamwork and the credits won’t be useful anymore once we leave here, anyway.”

I replied, and we turned the corner of the corridor leading to the stairs that go straight to the entrance of the dorm.

“Well, the lessons learned would be.”

I nod at his response.

The three years and six months here for me was a time well spent and true, the lessons I learned here as an Alpha would always follow me around. 

“True, I won’t dispute that.”

I tell him in agreement, and he nods. 

“Anyway, how is the night going to be? You have anyone in mind as your last shag? I have my eyes on the twin in your team. The bitchy girl.”

 Raphael says and I chuckle at the way he made faces and hand gesture while trying to describe her.  

“I sure do. I am f*****g Carson.”

 I tell him with a straight face and Raphael coughed, halting his movement.

“Come on, keep moving.”

 I say to him, disregarding the shock expression on his face.

“What!!, Carson. The arsehole, Carson. No man, you can do better than Carson. Do you know if he swings that way?”

Raphael asks and I nod, of course I do, I won’t have him on my to do list if I don’t. I never made it a mission to know his name, but I know his face and I have caught him in compromising situations several times that he doesn’t even know about.

“Yes, he is arsehole, that’s why I want to f**k him. He disrespected Scar and I earlier today, and we need to show him who rules. Besides, I know he swings that way, I’ve witnessed a few of his w***e-Capades and I know he is dying to go on all fours for my d**k. I could literally sense his arousal whenever he came close to me during the task.”

Raphael sighs at my response, and he shakes his head. 

“I still don’t agree to it. What about that twink, the twin brother, Maiko? I’ll rather you do Maiko instead.”

“He isn’t a terrible choice, but he is from a rival pack that shares border with us and our packs aren’t on good terms and that’s a red flag. Besides, I want nothing that would link this back home. Same s*x relation isn’t something you can freely do at home. Getting with Maiko would plunge me into a mess. And it would be awkward when I mark my girlfriend in this coming haze and coincidentally meet Maiko at Alpha meetings. Although his elder brother is Alpha heir doesn’t mean Maiko won’t go to meetings.”

I explained to Raphael, and he shuddered.

“That’s pretty messed up, just do Carson, I guess. Enjoy your last night on camp.”

Raphael hoots as he opens the door entrance door of the party hall, and I chuckle. He is the only one who knows about my s****l preference aside from the guys I’ve hooked up with. 

No one at home knows I am bisexual and I intend to keep it that way, especially with the way the pack and neighbouring packs hate the idea of same s*x copulation. It is a taboo and has been for centuries. 

It surprised me when Raphael told me no one cared in his pack, even though there isn’t much the same-s*x couples his father doesn’t mind, neither do the pack members. 

I pushed my thoughts aside as I stepped into the party hall, eyes scanning the area for Carson, and an evil smirk appears on my face when I see him walking in my direction.

“No date tonight, prick?”

Carson says with bitterness, and I grinned at him.

“You want to be my date then. The night would take a while, won’t it be a shame to spend it alone?”

I reply, and Carson rolls his eyes.

“I’ll pass.”

He responds walking pass me and I grab his hands.

“Are you sure about that? I can smell your arousal and I am sure you want nothing but for me to bend you over right now. You should get to that before I change my mind and go to those girls waving at me from the couch over there.”

 I whisper in his ear and he gulped, eyes bulging as he looked to where I pointed. 

“And who says I’m the bottom.”

 Was his flimsy reply as he snatches his hand away from my grip.

“I say you bottom. I don’t care if you top others, but I always top and I am saying you bottom are you down or not.”

 I ask and he hisses, rolling his eyes as he grabs a drink from the tray on the stand beside us.

“Fine, Lets see if you are half as good as those hoes say, help yourself with a drink.”

He whispers in my ear, biting my earlobe, and struts towards the staircase of the hall. A victorious smile breaks out on my face and I give Rapheal who is watching me with narrowed eyes and I trailed after Carson. 

I should make the best out of this before I go home to Leisha.

I know marking her doesn’t stop me from having other people, but I wouldn’t want to risk getting caught and she is too good for me to even cheat on. 

I down the drink in the cup and I made for the stairs, with Scar stirring inside me with excitement. This better be fun for a farewell.