Alpha’s Unwanted Mate

Book 2 Chapter 3

Colette pov

I woke up the next morning feeling groggy, rubbing my eyes. I didn’t go to sleep right away after dinner, I stayed up late into the early morning finishing the page I was drawing. I sat up abruptly, my eyes wide open as I remembered right before I went to sleep. It was around two in the morning, and I remember I was trying to contact my wolf. I was eighteen now, so I wanted to try before I went to bed, alone time before Jade got all excited over her wolf and tried to tell me hers was better than mine. To my dismay, no one answered back. I ended up going to bed, thinking maybe I needed to sleep first and that once I woke up she’d be there.

‘Okay, I’m sorry if I’m bothering you, but I hope you’re here now. I’m so excited to meet you, it would be amazing to have a friend.’ I said in my head. I waited, my hands gripping the blanket tightly, so tight my knuckles were white. I couldn’t stop my excitement, the thought that I’d finally have a friend who understood me and accepted me for me was more than I could imagine. I heard the stories the adults told of how amazing and helpful their wolves were, and I found it odd when I told them I was excited to get my own they all got quiet and changed the subject. So I stopped talking to them about it after that, but I never stopped waiting patiently, imagining how amazing she would be.

I frowned, maybe I didn’t speak to her well enough? Maybe the first time I have to talk out loud? “Hello? My name is Colette, are you awake? I’m not trying to bother you, I’m just so excited to meet you.” I said out loud. I felt like an i***t talking to myself, but it was worth it if it worked. Was she just being lazy? Why did my mind feel so empty? Would I even know if another presence was in my mind?

Suddenly the bathroom door flew opened and Jade came in like a whirlwind. Her hair was still in rollers, messed up and strands sticking out everywhere from her sleeping. She wore a pink matching spaghetti strapped camisole and bootie shorts pajamas. I looked down at myself, wearing a long short-sleeved shirt that reached to my upper thighs, I didn’t care enough about matching clothes or silk items like she did. “Please tell me it’s not just me!” She said in a panic, tears in her light blue eyes.

I frowned, unclenching my fists. I didn’t know what was going on with my wolf, but I would worry about that later, right now my sister needed me. “What’s wrong Jade?” I asked her as she sat down on my bed. Tears were running down her cheeks as she looked at me.

“My wolf, she's not talking to me, she’s not replying back no matter what I do or say! Is your wolf talking to you? Ask her why mine is ignoring me!” She rushed out, fear in her voice.

I frowned, confused. What was going on? Why weren’t our wolves talking to us? “Give me a minute.” I told her. Her lip trembled, but she nodded. I closed my eyes, trying to feel something, anything. There didn’t feel like anyone was there. I opened my eyes, staring at her. “I don’t hear mine either. I don’t feel anything. I don’t think...I don’t think I have a wolf.” I whispered, fear in my shaking voice.

I looked down at my hands, clenching them tightly to hide the shaking. “When I found out mine wasn’t talking to me, I was freaking out thinking maybe she abandoned me because I cheat on my fiancé all the time and I drink when I’m not supposed to. But you’re so boring and innocent, for you not to have a wolf, that means it’s both of us. Why don’t we have a wolf?” She asked, fear tinged in her voice.

I looked up at her, searching her eyes. “Ever since we were ten and I fell from the crooked tree Luna Adaline went out of her way to heal every little cut or scrape we had, attacking us every day like we were fragile. I always thought it was strange that we weren’t healing fast like the others, but maybe that’s because we’re not actually wolves.” I said to her.

“Then..then what are we?” She whispered, fear in her voice.

I shook my head no, biting my lip as I thought. “I don’t know, honestly. Maybe we’re just humans.” I said helplessly.

She shook her head no. “That can’t be, our dads told us the story of how amazing our birth mother was. They said she was a wolf. We can’t be human.” She said.

Jade stood up and paced the room, walking back and forth. Then she turned to me, determination in her eyes. I sighed, knowing she was having a bad idea. “We just have to come up with names and tell people we have a wolf. Everyone will think there’s something wrong with us if we don’t, and I’m not going to be a laughing stock. My wolf will be named Lana and yours will be Lyla. They could sound like twin names, everyone will think it’s cute.” She said with a smile, happy with herself.

I sighed, standing up and looking at her. “That might work for a while but what about the full moon? They’re going to expect us to shift at the ceremony.” I said.

She glared at me, annoyed I was challenging her. “We’ll say we wanted to go off and do the ceremony by ourselves, we’ll tell them after the ceremony that way they won’t have time to get mad at us.” She said, throwing her hands up into the air in frustration.

I scratched my head, walking to my dresser and pulling out some clothes. “What about when you become Luna and I become a Beta? Eventually, they’ll expect to see us shift for missions or something.” I said.

She waved her hand at me as I slipped the shirt over my head, snapping on a bra. “That’s too far into the future, don’t be such a worrywart. We got this, it’s fine.” She said.

With that, she walked out the door, and I slid on my clothes. I stared at myself in the mirror, running my fingers through my long pure white hair. “Would it really be fine though?” I said out loud to the empty room.

I sighed, going into the bathroom and brushing my hair, pulling it back into twin low piggy tails so it would sit better with the hoodie. I took them from aunt Lilian when uncle Kurt threw them out the window, and I’ve been using them ever since. I didn’t use them to hide scars or anything like that, I didn’t think I was ugly or anything, I just simply liked to be invisible, to not stand out. Maybe that pissed Jade off, who loved to stand out, but I on the other hand was perfectly happy with disappearing somewhere quiet where no one disturbed me.

I ended up skipping breakfast to finish another panel of my manga book, realizing what time it was and groaning as I carefully wrapped everything into my bag and slid it over my shoulder. I wished our birthday fell on a Saturday, every time it’s a weekday I got to stay cooped up in my room drawing the whole day. The party usually was made later on Saturdays since it’s not a school night, and then on top of it all I could use the dark to hide places at the party and no one really would see me or remember me.

I rushed down the stairs and ran into Emmett, my nose crunching painfully into his back. I groaned, rubbing my nose as I looked up from my hood. “What the hell guys.” I grumbled. Emmett turned around to look at me, an apology flashing in his honey-colored eyes. He reached one hand out to gently touch my shoulder and the other hand to move his wavy light red hair out of his eyes.

I moved forward and Emmett lazily placed his arm over my shoulder like he always does, and my hand automatically went around his waist. Colt turned to look at Emmett with an unreadable expression, then looked at me with a sigh. Jade, of course, was the center of attention at the bottom of the stairs, blocking our way. “Like I was saying, my wolf is named Lana, and she’s soooo amazing. She’s really funny and she totally understands me.” Jade said with a huff, twirling her finger around a lock of her purple-tinted black hair. I rolled my eyes at her dramatic stance, her prep stance.

Before anyone could say anything she flicked her finger elegantly at Colt, smiling brightly at him, a challenge in her eyes. “That means I’m one step closer to becoming Luna, my dear future husband. All we need now is you to turn eighteen.” She said with a chuckle, twirling her wrist and making her bangles click. She had a red scarf wrapped around her head like a headband, her curled hair fanning out behind it, and a matching red blouse on, low cut of course with the back nearly missing. She had on a black pencil skirt so tight I couldn’t understand how she walked in it, let alone with her black stiletto shoes on. Of course, she had a matching purse on her arm, she had more purses than I had of shirts I’m sure. She wore gold hoop earrings and a bunch of gold bangles around each wrist, clicking away as she moved around.

I couldn’t believe she was actually going through with lying about having a wolf, and now I had to do the same, or else she’d look stupid. Either that or it would make me stand out to be the only one, and I hated standing out. Emmett smiled down at me, a gentleman smile, as he gently squeezed my shoulder. “What about you? What’s your wolf’s name?” He asked me calmly.

I actually didn’t want to lie to Emmett. He was, in a way, my only other friend besides Jade. He kept me at a distance, was always kind and polite with me, and never said anything judging towards me.

Sometimes when he was looking for a quiet calm place, he’d join me in my room and sit on my bed reading a book while I draw. Always quiet, never really talking, just comfortable silence between friends. We were like two people who tolerate each other and understood we were to be married so we coexisted together peacefully. I don’t think either of us loved each other, but we would have a peaceful marriage and that’s all that really mattered. Unlike Jade and Colt who were like ticking time bombs waiting to blow up at each other.

I forced myself to smile at Emmett. “Her name is Lyla.” I said to him. He nodded, and I could practically hear Jade giving a sigh of relief that I didn’t ruin her plans.

He gently squeezed my shoulder again. “I’m glad you met her. I’m sure she’s wonderful.” He said politely. I nodded at him, not wanting to say more, already disgusted with myself for lying.

Colt groaned next to us, walking down the rest of the stairs as he bumped his shoulder into Jade’s in annoyance. “Hey!” She yelled out at him, rubbing her shoulder. “You could say excuse me or something!” She yelled at him as he walked past his parents. It was the first time I realized they were there, along with my dads, all of whom were staring at Jade and me with wide eyes.

Luna Adaline ignored her misbehaving son as he stomped out of the packhouse. She use to try very hard to get him to listen, but it seemed like the older he got, the more destructive he became, and I could see how it wore her down. Adaline walked over to Jade, placing her hands on her shoulders. “Is it true? You have a wolf named Lana?” She asked urgently. I saw a little trace of her glow in her fingertips but Jade pulled out of her grip before she could do anything, and the glow quickly faded. What was that about?

“Ye..yes,” Jade stammered out. “Yes, I do.” She said boldly. “Why, is that weird?” She asked with a higher pitch, her fear coming out slightly.

Before Luna Adaline could respond Emmett let go of me, smiling apologetically at me. “I should really go chase after Colt before he gets into trouble, I can see the vein pulsating on Alpha Tate’s forehead from here.” He said to me. I nodded, not really caring if he left me alone. Emmett was the only one his cousin listened to, the only one who could calm him down.

Daddy Alarick walked over to me as I walked closer to Jade. “Is it true? You have a wolf named Lyla?” He asked me. I gulped, my hands shaking as I looked at the ground. I nodded, unable to speak, just as Jade grabbed my hand and yanked me into her.

“We have to go, see you guys later, we’re late!” She practically yelled as she yanked me out of the packhouse. My body was shaking as she shoved me into her car, not even caring that I could have driven my own car. “You nearly gave us away!” She hissed at me through gritted teeth.

I sighed, pressing my forehead against the window as she drove away towards the school.