on his lips "Nice paint job." Brady said his cutting blue gaze flipping from my black-painted nails to my eyes.

Quietly I cursed Dani for talking me into the bully magnet activity of agreeing to let her paint them in the first place. I strode toward him in a fury of irritation, he was hanging onto my window struggling to climb through the small opening-stealthily.

"What are you doing here?" I seethed as I neared trying my very best not to be overridden by his scent.

He fell on my floor with a thud and groaned but didn't answer. Not at first at least, when he answered it was with a question. "Do you ever think about the gods? The universe and all the other things of the celestial unknown?"

"I don't know Brady or know why you care to hear that from me. I'm not your friend, you're not even nice to me, so if you could please spare me and leave the same way you barged in here. That'd be great."

"What do you mean? I'm plenty nice to you, or didn't you get my texts?" he paused. "Or is this about last week at the club?"

I felt triggered but I refused to let it show, "No. Last week was nothing actually. You've treated me worse and have left me to be treated worse than that by your own friends and adoring fans. So if you could please just go."

He closed his eyes with a contemplative look on his broody face. He didn't look like he was going anywhere so I asked again. "What do you want, what are you doing climbing through my window."

"I called you but you didn't pick up."

"I'm sorry should I have?"

He opened his eyes and they met mine, with an arresting quality to his blue gaze, that made me tremble a little. Everything about how he was looking at me manifested how he was the very pinnacle of a blue-blooded alpha. Tall, dominant, and built like a young reckless god with a look that made other people want to drop down and bare their necks in submission to his heritage. Yet only made me and wolf want to combust with defiance and be kissed by him at the same time.

"Yes." he said, "When your Alpha calls you show your respect by picking up or replying."

"Brady save that move for a time you're really gonna need it because right now. You're not my Alpha. In fact, you're no one's Alpha, you're just the Alpha's son." I explained to him in the same tone I explained basic science to kids at the tutoring centre.

"Ok, then if not then because we're friends. You even told my sister that."

I snorted with disbelief, hands flailing, "I had to lie and you know it. I'm not your friend or Tyler and them boys or Amanda, Olivia or any of those other girls you infamously string along."

He smiled, "You sound jealous."

"Please get out of my room," I instructed.

Instead of leaving he got comfortable on the floor and gave a statement dribbled with question. "I didn't see you at Greg's party."

I rolled my eyes, surely he didn't expect me to answer right?

"His mate found him that Friday at the club, it was announced at the last pack meeting. I know you were there, I remember smelling you before I even saw your face." He said pulling himself up. A waft of alcohol lifted off his breath and for some inexplicable reason seeing what looked like sadness in his red-rimmed eyes brought me to pity him. At the same time, a wave of satisfaction washed my senses, even as my blood boiled with unexpressed rage over his sentence.

"Why should I care, he's not my friend." I shrugged as if I didn't care.

"He's your Beta you should care," he lay back on the floor facing the ceiling with closed eyes "Care that your Beta has a mate especially when your Alpha doesn't have one yet, it's good for the pack."

"As I said already, we already have an Alpha, Brady," I said.

"What if something happens to him?." He spoke into nothing with a distant look drawn all over his admittedly ruggedly-handsome face.

What could be described as a sinking feeling of stone salt sat at the bottom of my stomach. Not with guilt-but dread of being made.

This week was the last week before Brady and his posse would leave for their gap years and colleges. The elements had to know and understand my conflict. I couldn't risk him staying back, finding out the truth and claiming me - especially when he was also this self-centred. In his concern was the truth of his make-up, it was as clear as his eyes. The sword of truth as sharp as the mist at a mountain top, Brady was the worst of them. So very entitled; case in point he had climbed through my window waking me near midnight as though we were friends. Simply to complain about his best friend finding a mate before he did.

I bet it was because he preferred it when all the good things happened to him and him first.

He lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the bright light bulb and a gleam of skin on his toned V-line was exposed to my eyes. His jeans were riding low; he was really fit and my body was sexually attracted to him. I felt my eyes sting with the turn of my wolf's persuasion to give in. Blood rushed through my veins hot and bothered to my nether regions. I clenched to unclench my fists chiding my animistic needs not to sprout out hairs in his presence. Heat spread itself wide and free from my insides.

He raised his nose, hands now off his face as if sniffing something out, "You smell that?"

Triggered and at unease, I softly slapped him awake "Come on, come on go. Get out of my room."

"Love. You're chasing me out already?" He smirked through his drunken haze. Trying to sound charming and in no way was I going to give him ammunition to tease me over when he got with his friends by flirting back or drowning in the cheesiness.

"You reek of alcohol, I don't want your gross essence lingering." On the contrary, his essence was giving me life and fuelling my desire for me to draw into the god-ordained bond. But I ignored my fated desire by pulling him up off the floor. His left arm around my shoulder as I dragged him to the window.

When we reached the window he fought out of my hold only to clutch onto my hipbone, his touch was bone-chilling and soul-crushing. "You got sick last week at the club, I know it was your first time drinking so I sent you a text but you didn't reply. I was worried."

I was mortified remembering the incident, the text he'd sent that same night and what had happened directly after I got sick. Hurt washed me in fire when I remembered how he kissed someone else right in front of me and then went out to sleep with her just like that as people took pictures and videos of me on my worst night. I fidgeted trying to get away from him but he held on to me tight and tilted my chin up to make me look at him. "You look pale. Are you ok?"

My iPhone pinged with an alert, "That must be Dani, I have to get it."

"I don't think I congratulated you on finding a mate," he said, his hand was still tight on my hipbone but it was now shivering very softly. He held eye contact, his blue gaze darkened and fazed me into silence as goosebumps spread all over my skin. I hadn't even noticed him enclosing the distance between us but when I did note the lack of space, it stood to test my will.

"Are you happy with her?" His voice was low, even and huskier with an alluring breathy waft tinged with whiskey. That sent shivers down my spine, I continued to go weak in the knees aching to feel himself moulding into me. But this was Brady, whose form of hello was to ridicule my nails and use me as his validating machine when he had a girl everyone was buzzing about him liking - months since his first confession.

I removed his hand from my hip, grabbed his arm admittedly harsher than necessary and led him out the window. "I've never been happier. Now leave and don't do that again. Don't talk to me don't text me. We're not friends, never were. I'm Malik, not Malia....the next window is hers don't make that mistake ever again."

"I'm not here by accident Malik." he insisted. "I came here to see you not your sister."

I pushed him out the window "Whatever just go."

He stumbled down the ladder "I'm leaving for college soon."

"Go!" I pointed to the ground with my head

He flashed me his pearly whites, the ones that girls in the pack and town dreamily swooned over. "I was hoping you'd give me a going away gift? No one has to know."

His wink was blatant, his tone was suggestive, and his blue eyes dragged up and down my body. He was unmistakably horny and I definitely did not appreciate it one bit. Just how lowly did he think of me, it was one thing for him and his friends to spread around school that I was gay. It was another to send me lewd pics and messages but this was something else. Making me his point of target in this state of arousal, he didn't owe me anything in this regard but I deserved better respect than this.

"Malik," his voice was sex itself, a temptation I didn't want and it gave me hurt in my chest because I think he thought I was easy. "No one has to know," he repeated.

"Go get it from Amanda or Olivia." I hated how my voice broke when I said that.

He beckoned me with his index finger "Hey, come here. Come closer."

"Go or else I'm calling my father" I warned and I meant it.

He climbed down two steps then looked up, running his tongue at his bottom lip then he drew his gaze to my exposed collarbone, my lips then lastly into my eyes "So that's a no?" He asked.

The reprieve was startling.

I rolled my eyes at the irritating arousing gravel in his voice, impulsively I held the ladder and pushed backwards.

He fell two stories flat on the ground with impact.

Satisfied with myself I closed the window, bolting it shut from any more intrusion with no remorse whatsoever. It didn't matter how much I missed the tingling sensation from his hand on my body. I didn't care how he took the fall, as a blue-blooded Alpha wolf, he was built to take the fall like nothing. I felt the phantom of his gone presence in my room and I hugged myself. Reminding myself that it didn't matter how much I liked him being in my room - my territory.

It didn't matter how much I liked his scent circulating in the room with mine, as one. It didn't matter how much I could still feel him on my skin and still needed more of him touching me. It didn't matter how much it pained me to watch him move a thousand miles away. Tears fell, it hurt everywhere but I was just glad he was going away.

Ever since the mate bond had been apparent to me, he'd been nicer to me. Sweet almost; he didn't realize it but he was only under duress from the bond the gods had imposed on us. I hated them right then, how they could use their influence to give me a partner whom if I were to come clean would only love me because he was simply biologically obligated to love me. Brady had never cared for me, ever, everyone picked up on it. It's why I got teased so much by everyone who wanted to impress him. That's not what I wanted to settle for in a life partner, I wanted someone who liked me as much as they loved me. That wasn't Brady.

I wanted someone who would choose me out of a pool of candidates, with pride, friendship and uncontrollable attraction. My entire life, I'd prayed for someone who was kind, patient with me and above all not under the influence of something as flimsy as fate, destiny or mate bond as they called it.

Everything in me hurt to the bone marrow right then, I was in so much pain, I could feel my own blood boil, this time with heartbreak. The wolf in me was writhing in chaotic spasms. For the millionth time, I prayed for death but no darkness came for me. If I could have I would've snapped my own neck and been done with it but the reality of the seven hells and heartbroken family scared me even more. I fell back on my floor and cried my heart out with my head between my legs. I was just glad he was going away, I don't think anyone besides my best friend could understand me without judgement. I couldn't bear seeing him not being or wanting to do anything about my feelings for him anymore.

The next morning I woke up tired and depressed like any other morning since I'd found out about my fate with Brady. The only different thing was that my house was full of were people mostly women, pups and injured men. And here's the thing, our pack was not by any means a danger or war zone. We rarely had intruders or attacks but that's not to say they never happened. But when they did, my parents' house was a sanctuary for all and protocol called for all people of age to contribute and assist. Whether it be in security, the army force or in care.

Age wasn't measured by years but rather by one's maturity of whether they'd been bonded or not. With the exception of those with Beta or Alpha blood in them. I had Beta blood but had never been allowed to assist where it really mattered for men. That was about to change, I had matured in a bond now and thus was ready to offer my services. So I went ahead in our family Nevanji's closet. I raided it for camp wear and ammunition.

"Look at you little brother," Mateo commented from the doorway of his room.

"Yea." I smiled, so eager to get into it. "I'm all ready now, what happened and how can I help?"

"Rogues bombed the Shifter Union offices, no lives lost but we are recording injury numbers. And uhm..." he entered the room, closed the door behind him and failed to meet my eye as he delivered the worst news I could hear that day. "Your services have been declined."

"Declined?"

"I'm sorry Malik, I know how much you were looking forward to fighting beside me."

"What do you mean, I'm of age now and I've always had the same blood as you and Malia running through my veins."

"I lobbied for you, so did Malia but ultimately it was the President of the Shifter Council's decision. He put you in health care, maybe it's for the best, you'll really be contributing loads cooking for the troops, betadine for the injured and prayers for all." like always he tried to make it sound significant. "It's not that b..."

"Bad?" Tears welled and fell from my eyes, I felt singled out again. "It's mortifying Mateo, the absolute worst, there are literally boys in my year allowed but me. Gods! Even Malia is my twin and even when she had no mate she'd always been allowed to hold a gun but me. And you all listen because Brady tells you all to."

"He's our Alpha," Mateo spoke low.

"His dad is the Alpha." I clarified, then when he didn't reply I cried to him. "He makes me feel horrible about myself. I'm a Beta blooded male with a mate and yet Brady puts me away with women and children, all the time. I'm always the only guy over fourteen there. It makes me feel pathetic, really really useless." By then I was trembling with anger, my hands were wet and sweaty and I felt really really bad about myself. "It's me, it's gotta be me. Is it me, what's wrong with me, that everyone but me sees? Mateo..."

"Oh God, No. No. No! Now you listen to me, little brother. There's nothing wrong with you, not a single thing. Don't ever think that..."

"There is! You have to know, please Mateo tell me the truth. Please. What's so hideous about me, so I'll fix it." I bargained.

"Come here, come here." Mateo hugged me tightly and peppered kisses on my temple. "There's nothing wrong with you, I promise." The hiss of his insistence rumbled through his chest and comforted me.

"Maybe you can't see it, but clearly there is a lot wrong with me. Oh, my gods! I hate him, Mateo, the gods forgive me but I hate him so much you don't understand, no one will ever understand. I can't even explain it, I hate Brady with everything I have and it makes me sick and it makes me hate myself. Help me, Please."

"Oh, Malik." Mateo's voice sounded pained.

I tried to control it but the tears kept free falling and I started to speak through hiccups. "If it was anyone else always singling me out I think I'd be able to deal with that. It wouldn't hurt as much, but the fact that it's him. It makes the humiliation sting that much harder. More intense, it kills me, Mateo. I'm dead, buried, he killed me first Nevanji and now I'm cursed and dead on the inside. Oh Mateo you have no idea... you have no idea."

"Then give me an idea."

I looked at my brother through the tears, I so badly wanted to tell him everything and I wish I did.