zayn, she.

"Excuse me?"

Did he just say he is Alpha Khalil's brother? As in the brother that built this Pack, the brother that built majority of this marvellous city, the clearly super rich and has major beef with my mate? That brother?

The little I knew about him suddenly makes so much sense with that bit of information.

"Do you really need me to repeat that?"

I couldn't help but chuckle, "No, I don't. I heard you loud and clear I'm just in shock." I looked away from the house, "You actually live here? I've only been here twice but I mean, you weren't there when I had breakfast with Alpha Khalil or when I came to see him about the penthouse."

"Two day's out of two weeks, that's what you're going to base me living here off of?"

My chest let me down because once it started shaking my shoulders did too and then I started laughing, "I actually can't stand you."

He smiled, "I think you can," I only rolled my eyes in response, "Would you like to come inside?"

"Yes, I mean it is why you took me from my dwelling, is it not?"

He made a mocking face, "Oh, touché, just get your butt out the car Sprinkle."

I laughed as I stepped out the car, this is what I particularly found amusing about Raheem, our banter was effortless. He didn't make me feel like I had to try too hard or feel like I had to be perfect. I was completely myself around him, weirdly enough I feel as though when I was around Micah I was trying so hard.

It's weird because he was my mate, I had no reason to want to make him like me although that's what I felt like. I felt in competition with Madeline even way before I knew that she actually was. I felt I had to be funny, I had to be smiley and I just had to be more of myself than necessary.

With Raheem every time I saw him and the few times we texted I felt giddy. It was pure and it was real, I just felt free and not like I'm competing or having to be more of myself. I can just be myself and his banter bounces right off of mine and vice versa.

But he has a mate out there somewhere. The spring in my step fell away once that thought bounced into my head. As though he could feel I was no longer in tune with him he turned his head his smile slipping away when he looked at me, "What's wrong?"

I couldn't come up with an excuse that would make him take me home fast enough so I just shook my head as I plastered a fake smile on my face, "No, nothing. Thought I left my phone in the car but I didn't."

He studied me a bit more before he spoke, "Okay."

We entered his home and this time I really payed attention to it. The entry way was large to my far right I knew was the kitchen and opposite it was the sliding door that led to the patio. To my left was a passage with multiple doors, there was also a right turn before the passage way and right up ahead a few feet away were two staircases.

"I thought you said you've been here before." Raheem stood beside me watching me gawk at his home.

I shoved him lightly, "I didn't have time to take everything in back then. Someone was always escorting me so I couldn't exactly marvel at the home."

He smiled, "Okay, I'll pretend I believe you."

Footsteps were heard before the voice of Alpha Khalil followed, "Oh, look who actually came ho – Lerato? What are you doing here?"

I looked over at Raheem and he looked to be trying to decipher his brother's confusion, "I invited her."

Khalil's brows furrowed, "You know her?"

I'm standing right here.

Raheem looked to be getting annoyed with his brothers questions too, "Yes, I do. Why is that so shocking?"

"She's..." Khalil seemed to remember that I was indeed standing right here.

My hands instinctively went to my hips, "Yes, I'm standing right here, thanks for remembering. I what?" My eyes narrowed wanting him to complete his sentence.

The Alpha blood in me made me incredibly easy to agitate and somewhat challenging but Khalil is an actual Alpha so I didn't give him a challenging look nor a daring one. Just one that showed him that I wanted him to finish his statement.

Raheem pushed on too, "You heard the she-wolf, complete the sentence."

Khalil let out a breath, "She's his mate."

My head snapped over to gauge Raheem's reaction and I did so in time because his eyes widened only for a second before he composed himself.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I demand, "Why would you even tell him that? Why does he have to know?"

Raheem obviously not wanting this to escalate reached out for me but I took a step back. Just a few days ago I was joking with Khalil about how we could overthrow the Royals and today I'm finding out he has told his seemingly powerful older brother about me? Was Raheem actually stalking me all this time? Did he know who I was and what kind of an asset I could be to them, wolves who have bad blood with the Royals?

Am I being used as a pawn? Are they trying to trick me into something? I had so many questions but no will to actually ask any of them. I took two more steps back silently analysing the brothers. Waiting on one of them to speak up and explain this, waiting for them to calm down the storm erupting in my overthinking mind.

Raheem didn't try to approach nor reach out for me again, "No, no it's nothing like that. I don't even know what 'that' is but whatever you're thinking? It isn't that. I still get notified about who enters the Pack and so forth so I knew about you, I did not know you though."

I look at Khalil and then back to Raheem, "Then why is there a need to point out who I am like that?"

"When I initially found out about your being here, I didn't want anything to do with you, that's why." Raheem speaks up, "Khalil was correct in his assumption, which is why he started that sentence. I never put two and two together, oddly enough."

Khalil adds, "Which is where all my questions came from because I couldn't make out if he really didn't know it was you or if you were here to see me and I happened to forget. The last thing I expected was for him to bring you here and for the two of you to be... friendly."

"The feud runs that deep, huh?" I'm speaking directly to Raheem.

He tilts his head slightly his eyes trying to hide the defeat, "I thought it did." He says gently, trying to convince me that he doesn't feel that way anymore.

From the corner of my eye I can see the shock on Khalil's face at his brothers time and words, I see the glossy faraway look in Raheem's eyes letting me know that Khalil is probably linking him.

Honestly, it took him a while to realise that he should probably speak to his brother that way.

I wish I could understand or explain the feeling in my stomach. Like I said, Raheem owes me nothing but hearing that he wanted nothing to do with me almost felt painful and just now when he said that he thought the feud ran so deep that he'd hate me too made me feel... happy?

The thought of actually having a crush makes me want to throw my head back and laugh. How freaking childish and either way I need to snap the freak out of it. I'm linked to the Royals and I mean Raheem doesn't want anything to do with them even if he says I might have changed his mind. I should still just keep my distance until the crush disappears and then perhaps we could just be friendly.

Not wanting to spend time with either brother any longer I announce, "I'm just going to call an Uber, I'll, uhm, wait outside."

I made a move to side step Raheem but he stopped me, "No, I brought you here I'll take you back."

I shook my head, "I don't think I want that."

He couldn't hide the hurt fast enough, "Okay, uhm, can I at least wait with you?"

"I guess." I walked back to the front door that wasn't even that far seeing as we barely even made it into the house before this all happened, "Bye Alpha Khalil."

"Bye Lerato, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

I nod before heading out the door with Raheem hot on my heels. He shuts the door just as I take a seat on the porch step. In no time he joins me but he makes sure not to sit too close to me, which I appreciate.

"Guess I should've taken you somewhere else."

I shrug, "Guess so, would've been much better than finding out that you want nothing to do with me."

He sighs, "It obviously doesn't stand now, Sprinkle."

"That pet name is horrid."

It came about the time I saw him after the day at the aquarium. I was next in line to get some ice cream and he spotted me and cut the line. Just as he did I was asking the server to please dip my cone in the sprinkles again because I did not think the amount of sprinkles were sufficient.

Seeing that I was making the server dip the cone again he obviously noticed that I'm a huge lover of sprinkles so the nickname came to be. I thought it would last for that day only but obviously I was sorely mistaken.

He smiles, "I like it."

I scoff, "Clearly." I look up at him, "How do I know it doesn't stand now?"

His thumb brushes my cheek, "I'm sitting here with you and I'm going to call you as soon as you inform me that you're home and I'm going to call you tomorrow morning to try and redo this whole thing. I won't stop trying until that question is nonexistent."

I couldn't help the ghost of a smile that appeared, "How do you know I'm worth the change of heart?"

"You're still standing even when he's Bound to someone else."