Alpha’s Unwanted Mate

Chapter 9

Lyell pov

    I met up with Adaline after school at the benches like we usually do. I frowned at her sad face. She looked up at me through her long eyelashes, her icy blue eyes peeking through. I swallowed the lump in my throat that I’ve felt building up since this morning. It was horrible that Alarick would have feelings for my best friend, but it wasn’t her fault. I know she never initiated anything, I know she never flirted or even looked at him. I couldn’t blame her for my heartbreak, and I know that’s why she’s so upset. She’s not interested in Alarick, it’s not her fault he noticed how beautiful she is.

    I held out my arms and hugged her tiny body tightly to me, feeling the sob she was holding back. “It’s okay Adaline,” I whispered into her long light brown hair. “I don’t blame you for anything.” I sighed as I felt her nod her head and loosen the tension that was building in her shoulders. She leaned back and looked me in the eyes.

    “I’m really really sorry...” she started to say but was interrupted by a text message. She frowned, pulling away and taking out her phone. “I forgot my books in my locker, my combination is 33-2-15, bring them to the packhouse for me and put them in my room. I should be in my room by the time you get here so just let yourself in it will be unlocked.” She read out loud with a sigh. I could tell it strained on her so much being an Omega, more than once I wished I could change how they were treated. She looked up at me with a worried look, probably because she was scared to go to his bedroom. I tried to hold back my heartbreak and smiled at her. Before I could say anything she received another text message from her stepfather.

    “He wants me to make sure the house is scrubbed clean and enough dinner for ten extra people made, he’s welcoming the new warriors from the dead pack over for dinner. How am I supposed to get all of this done?” She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. I sighed, rubbing my hands through my hair in frustration over her situation.

    “I’ll get Beta Alarick’s things and bring them to him. I’ll have my mom drop me off at the packhouse and she will drive over to you and help you cook it all. I’ll walk home from there, I don’t mind. That way you don’t have to be alone in his room with him, I know you don’t want to be.” I was hating this plan already but I could see how happy it made her to have an out. Quickly we separated, her racing to her house and me towards Alarick’s locker. If this was yesterday I would have been ecstatic to do this, with the hopeful possibility to be in Alarick’s room.

    Who was I kidding, I was still fairly excited over it. But what was I going to find? A naked girl? Naked girl posters? I use to think he was secretly gay because I heard all the rumors about him never keeping a girlfriend for very long and how they complained he wouldn’t do anything with them. Somehow stupidly I convinced myself I had a chance knowing that it was completely impossible because there was no way his parents would be okay with that, even if I was to become an elite once it was my birthday next month.

    Before I knew it I was jumping out of mom’s car and waving bye to her, finding myself so lost in thought I didn’t even remember getting in the car, to begin with. I sighed, running my fingers through my black hair. I ended up cutting it again. It’s not like having it longer will make Alarick like me just because it’s the same style as his, but it still made me happy having something close to being the same as him. Gosh, I can’t believe how pathetic I am.

    I slowly opened the door and waved at a few of the older warriors that were posted around the doors, having their shift to guard the Alpha when they are here, the Beta and the Gamma. To the right was a common area, the only one sitting there was the little girl who was engaged to Kurt. She was trying to pick between four different books to read and it made me smile, reminding me of Adaline when she was a little girl. She loved to read when she was given the time.

    I made my way up the stairs, the ground room was the common room and kitchens, dining room and fitness room, the first floor housed the conference room and the indoor pool, along with the bedrooms for guests of other visiting packs. The second floor was for the two younger betas the two older betas, as well as the two younger gammas and the two older gammas. There were two rooms assigned for each title in case they were assigned the title but not through marriage. It worked out perfectly since Kurt and lily were engaged but not married so they weren’t forcing a thirteen-year-old to sleep with a seventeen-year-old. Then Alarick and his extra room, there was also another big room in between that had gaming equipment and a theater. The third floor was dedicated to the Alphas, there was a total of fourteen rooms up there since everyone was given their own two rooms each and at one time an alpha and Luna had multiple children. There was an elevator as well in the middle of the building that opened up on each door but I always rather use stairs.

    I was given a tour of this packhouse along with the elite packhouse over the summer along with the other apprentices so we were ready to take up positions guarding once we turned eighteen, except if I was to become elite that wouldn’t matter. Elite only guarded the Alphas so I’d be on the top floor or walking around with the alphas at all times for my shifts.

    I sighed, standing in front of Alarick’s door that was, true to his word, open. It was cracked open even, as if he walked in and decided to not care enough to shut the door. I walked in hesitantly and stood still, staring at his room with my mouth hanging open. As much as I tried to tell myself to give up, there’s no hope, he’s straight and in love with my best friend, I couldn’t help but hold my chest as my heart speed up it’s beating.

    The room was instantly covered in Alarick’s intoxicating scent. I found myself taking in deep breaths trying to absorb it all into myself that I had to slow down, and more than once I had to stop myself from trying to take a shirt or something so I could bury my face in it and smell it later on. The bathroom door was cracked as well and I could hear the sounds of the shower running. I blushed, imagining him in there right now, naked.

    Then I grew angry, furious even, that he would be taking a shower right now. He had all the doors cracked and he’s in there naked knowing Adaline was coming by? It was as if he was a s*x fiend and he was hoping to seduce her. I strolled over to the bed and slammed his books down onto it, making his pillow fall off the bed and exposing a black book. I looked at the bathroom, then at the book, back and forth before I decided I was already in trouble for slamming his stuff down, might as well make it worse.

    Carefully I picked it up and held it up to my nose, inhaling his amazing scent. I noticed now that I was holding it that it was a sketchbook, and that next to it on the bed was a small box of pencils. It was almost like a diary, and my hands shook. I remembered he was great at drawing when we were in art class together last year. What if he drew these amazing sketches of Adaline since he’s in love with her. Or what if it’s full of a bunch of naked girls. I felt tears bead in my eyes and I contemplated putting it back where it was. But I couldn’t help myself, in the end, I had to open it. Rip off the bandaid and get the healing process started after all, isn’t that what they always say?

    Slowly I brushed my fingers up and down the surface, feeling the hard chalky texture that told me he used this often and usually had stained fingers from drawing so much. I sat down on the corner of his bed and opened the first page. I was shocked by what I saw. It was his mother and father, but much younger and dancing. It looked like he had drawn from a photograph from when they were teenagers, it was so realistic and detailed. I turned the page to see Tate and his father, then the next page was the previous Luna, Tate’s mother, and Silveen, the current Luna, side by side with a line drawn down the middle as if comparing the two. Tate’s mother was tiny and fragile, small and delicate, while Silveen was more muscular and filled out, stronger and confident in herself. It was like two completely different personalities staring back at me from one page, it was a chilling feeling. The next page was a baby Kurt and baby Alarick, most likely also drawn from a photograph. They looked about three or four, playing in the sandbox at the playground. I couldn’t help myself, I took out my phone and took a picture of it.

    Forgetting about the shower running I turned the page, gasping. It was a picture of me. I felt the blood rise to my face as I stared at a drawing of myself when we were in seventh grade. I could tell because I sat next to the windows in that class and there was the poster saying “dream big! You can be all you dream to be if you just strive to be it!” On the wall next to the window. The window was cracked open and the breeze was slightly blowing my black hair into my chocolate eyes. I was looking down on my paper and chewing on my eraser. Why was there a picture of me in here?

    I flipped the next page, noticing the drawings were getting better as he was most likely getting older with each drawing. It was a picture of me and Adaline together. We were sitting under the tree, it was where we ate in middle school, eating our lunch. He captured Adaline’s laugh perfectly, the way her icy blue eyes were squinted as she laughed. My head was thrown back and I was holding my stomach I was laughing so hard. I had no recollection of what we were laughing about but it impressed me nonetheless.

    I didn’t notice that the water was shut off or the sounds of a towel drying off a body. Quickly I turned the next page, fascinated. I was in this one as well. It was when I was in eighth grade, and Adaline forced us to sign up for choir class. She and I both were fairly good singers and we ended up doing duets together in front of the school. It was probably the best year Adaline ever had, people were remotely nice to her until her parents forced her to quit because they felt as an Omega she wasn’t allowed to have so much attention. I quit with her of course, I wasn’t going to do it by myself. The next few pages were all just of me throughout the next three years of high school from freshman year to junior year. The last page that had a drawing made my breath stop. It was me, wearing my tux at Tate’s birthday party two days ago, on Saturday. It captured my outfit perfectly, and the way I had my hair slicked back, along with a few stubborn hairs that were falling into my face. I was bowing to Caileen, Tate’s little half-sister. She was usually my dance partner on these occasions mostly because she found me being gay fascinating and would ask me many dirty questions about it as if I wasn’t a virgin and I’ve had so much experience. It was embarrassing but she sought me out all the time and I had no choice but to do as she wanted.

    I heard a gasp and I looked up, seeing Alarick standing there staring at me. He was half-naked, wearing sweat pants that hung low on his hip bones making me gulp hard as I stared at his bare chest and his muscular body. I stood up fast, dropping the sketchbook, making pictures fall out of the back where a folder was built in. I flushed, bending down to pick them up.

    “No!” He yelled out, diving for the pictures. It was too late, I saw them. There were about five and they were all of me. Well two of them had Adaline in them, but all of them had me in them. I looked up at him, anger and embarrassment flooding my cheeks. He was standing there staring down at the floor, his face flaming red offsetting against his silver hair and dark blue eyes.

    I stood up, noticing distantly that we are so close to each other that if he looked up at me his nose would brush against my lips. I backed up a few centimeters and shoved his pictures and his sketchbook into his hands. Still, he stared down at his feet, making me even angrier.

    “What is all of this?” I yelled at him. He flinched, but that’s was the only indication that he has heard me since he was still staring at the floor. I lifted my hand and grabbed his chin, yanking his face up to look at mine. Heat flooded his face again as he stared deeply into my eyes. I ignored the soft feeling of his skin as I jerked my hand away. “Why do you have all these sketches of me? Why all of these pictures of me?” I yelled at him again.

    I knew I could get in trouble for this. A mere warrior apprentice standing here yelling at the future Beta of our pack, but I didn’t care at that moment, I was seeing red.

    He shrugged, looking strangely relieved and also hopeless at the same time. “Obviously it’s what you think it is.” He whispered confusingly. He went to back away and I grabbed his upper arms, trying to keep him still and trying to ignore the heat I was feeling in my fingertips where I was touching him. The blush he was sporting wasn’t helping either, it was mostly confusing the crap out of me.

    “I’ll repeat my question more carefully. Why do you have all of this about me, when you were acting like you had feelings for Adaline earlier today?” The blush faded from his face and he looked at me, confusion clear on his face. “We walked into the room and you were very obviously affected by her presence. I also heard The Sarah girl that’s Kurt’s Omega telling another girl that you were nice and sweet to Adaline during lunch as well.” I explained lamely. I blushed, feeling like a lover accusing their boyfriend of cheating on them.

    I watched as he looked off to the side, a frown on his face as he thought about what I said. Finally, it snapped into his head and he smiled brightly at me. I let go of his arms and stepped back, confused, only to gasp as he dropped his sketchbook onto the ground and grabbed my arms, pushing me backward onto the bed.

    A sly smile crept onto his face, contrasting adorably with his blush and I felt butterflies in my stomach. My body was on fire everywhere he was touching. He was holding onto my arms and holding his body weight as he stood bent over me while I laid back on his bed.

    “Are you, possibly jealous?” He asked, a hint of teasing mixed in with unmistaken hope. I felt my breath catch in my throat. There was no way this was possible.

    “What are you talking about?” I whispered. He leaned down so his face was just inches from mine.

    “I reacted the way I did this morning because I was surprised to see you there. I wasn’t looking at Adaline like that, I was looking at you. You were standing directly behind her after all. I could see how you’d mistaken that though. And I was nice to Adaline because she’s your best friend and I wouldn’t want to anger you. You haven’t freaking noticed anything since middle school? I’m always near you. I’m always where you are. I’m always looking at you. When are you going to notice me?” He started talking slowly and calmly, but as he kept talking he started to get heated, and the last bit he ended up yelling at me. I wasn’t even mad, I was flabbergasted by the information.

    “What are you talking about. I never see you looking at me. You always have girlfriends,” I started. He interrupted me with a grunt. “And I overheard you tell gamma Kurt and Alpha Tate you weren’t gay the other morning when Gamma Kurt was teasing you about it!” I yelled in confusion at him. He sighed, leaning down his head so his forehead was resting against mine.

    I couldn’t help it, my heart was beating like crazy. His eyes were closed as if he was thinking about what to say. Finally, after a few minutes, he opened his eyes, staring at me straight in the eyes, his beautiful dark blue eyes capturing me.

    “You know the rumors about my parents. I had to have girlfriends to keep them happy. I’m sure you heard the rumors about me. I’ve never even kissed a girl let alone anything else. I’ve never kissed anyone before. I thought there was something wrong with me when I was in middle school. Other boys were looking at porn and other girls and talking about their bodies in crude ways and I didn’t understand why they cared so much. I didn’t see any of the girls as attractive. Then my brother would tease me and say I liked boys but I didn’t find any of the boys attractive to me either. I thought I was broken, but then I thought maybe I’d be fine if I found my mate. Then I heard how hard it is to find a true mate and I went back to feeling like a loser. A late bloomer. My brother was already bragging about his first girlfriend, his first kiss, and here I was not interested in anything. Then I looked up and I saw you sitting by that window and the wind blowing your hair and my heart stopped.”

    I gasped, feeling tears forming in my eyes. I couldn’t believe this was happening. “Before I knew it I was drawing your picture in my sketchbook. After that, I started hiding it from Kurt. But I brought it to school in case I saw you again in a way that made my heart stop. I didn’t know back then what that feeling meant. But from then on every time I felt the familiar feeling from my heart, I would draw you. It was always you. Just you. I was always looking at you. I noticed you never had a girlfriend either. Or a boyfriend though I heard that you were gay and that scared me more than anything. Did that mean I was gay? Was this feeling I felt for you love? I didn’t know what to do. It took me so long to come to accept it. Then this opportunity came up with Adaline and I knew I could get closer to you with it. I didn’t expect this, I thought I’d get to see you sometimes if you helped her. I was planning on giving her stupid errands to move my furniture or something so you’d have to help her. But I don’t know what to do, I can’t feel like this. I can’t have this. Mother and father, Alpha Titus, no one will accept it.”

    A tear fell from my eye, making him let go of my arm and brush it with his fingertip, trailing his finger down my cheek and leaving a fire where he touched.

    I looked at him, staring deeply into his eyes. “I never had anyone, because I was always looking at you too. Since the beginning. And you’re wrong. There is someone who would accept it. The only person whose opinion should matter anyway. Alpha Tate.” I felt his breath catch as he stared down at me, frozen. Slowly his face flared up again and I felt a smile tugging at the corner of my lip as I watched him think about what I said.

    Before I could think he was closing his eyes and leaning into me. I closed my eyes, feeling his lips press down onto mine. It was enough to make me gasp, and he took full advantage of it by kissing me harder. For all of our Inexperience, it was better than I ever imagined it would be. Suddenly I felt his body freeze, then he jumped off of me. He was flustered, his face heated up as he backed against the wall, hiding himself in between his wall and the door.

    I noticed it a moment after he did, the smell of Kurt’s scent. I jumped up and grabbed his fallen sketchbook, hiding it under his pillow once more, and straightened my clothes. I turned towards the door in time to watch it open. Alarick’s eyes widen as he hid in-between the door and the wall. Kurt looked at me in surprise.

    “What are you doing here? Where’s my brother?” He barked at me.

    “He’s not here Gamma Kurt,” I said with a nod of respect towards him. “He asked me to bring these books to him so I did, the door was opened and I was just placing them on his bed. Would you let him know they are here when you see him?” I asked him quietly as I quickly walked towards the door. I placed my hand on the frame, flinching when Alarick reached forward and touched my finger with the tip of his own, hidden from his brother’s view.

    “Yes, of course. Thank you for helping him out. I watched you apprentices the other day with Tate, we have big plans for you Lyell. You are a great fighter, probably better than me and my brother. I hope the rumors are true and Tate makes you an elite. You’d make me worry much less knowing you’re protecting Tate.” I nodded my head in respect as Kurt backed up, making room for me to follow him. I paused, wanting to stay with Alarick, but I knew I couldn’t, Kurt would be suspicious if I shut the door in his face and attacked Alarick right here and now. I sighed, letting go of the door and grabbing The handle, letting it pull the door shut behind me as I stepped into the hall. I followed Kurt to the stairs as he continued to praise my fighting skills, half listening to him as my mind kept wandering back to what just happened. I slowly walked home and laid in my bed, staring at the ceiling in shock. I had no idea what to do now. I couldn’t be with Alarick, his parents wouldn’t allow it, and sure Tate would but he wasn’t Alpha yet. I wasn’t sure if his father would force him to pick a new beta if Alarick suddenly told them all He wanted to date Me. Then he’d be shunned and he’d be reduced to being an omega, shamed, and I would be a laughing stock. I couldn’t see him doing any of that.

    This was impossible. One minute I’m upset because I think he’s in love with my best friend, and the next I don’t know what to do or where to go. How can I be with him? I couldn’t do it, or he’d get in trouble. I had to ignore him from now on, I couldn’t put him in that position to have his title stripped. I’d never do that to him, even if it meant I’d be miserable and alone.

    I sighed, curling up in a ball on the bed. My dream came true and it’s crashing down around me. I don’t know what to do with myself. I just don’t know what to do.