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Chapter 3
“So what you’re saying is that it’s okay for you to break rules because you’re in power? This…human knows what we are, we could be in danger because of him and you’ve allowed this. You see everyone? This is the type of corruption we’re allowing in our pack! Why should we hav-“
“Say one more word Jessop and it might be the last word you say.” Carson warned him, his tone low and fierce.
Jessop had been trying to get the position of Alpha for years now, he and his father before him and maybe very soon his son Daryl and so he tried everything to undermine Carson’s position. We were fairly certain he had played a significant role in instituting the pack raid a few months ago but we had yet to turn up any evidence on him. He was however, still unknowingly under investigation.
From where I stood on the platform I watched as Jessop stuttered and his face turned red with anger but he said nothing more. Grady was still standing among the crowd, trapped between the two guards, but after realizing that they wouldn’t be letting him go anytime soon he had stopped struggling and instead was leaning most, if not all of his weight on the guard who he referred to as the ‘dumbass’.
I could only shake my head at his actions; Grady’s mission in life was to make everyone else’s life miserable. I’d learned that the hard way. I had to hold back a grin though, as I watched the guard shift uncomfortably as Grady leaned on him.
“Thomas.” Carson said, his eyes on me and his mouth set in a firm hard line. “A word please.” He continued.
I took the two steps that would take me to his side and angled my head towards him as he spoke low so that only I could hear his words.
“I’m sure you know what I have to do.” He said to me and I stiffened visibly, my eyes travelling automatically to where Grady stood. He wasn’t paying any attention to what was going on; instead he was now speaking to the guards. I couldn’t hear what he was saying but if the grin on his face was any indication, it couldn’t be anything good.
I turned my attention back to Carson in a flash; “Carson, we can’t, he doesn’t know yet, this could-“ I started only to have him cut me off.
“I will not have my Beta undermined in my own pack, you broke a rule. If I have you punished for it the pack will lose all respect for you and then where will we be?” he said to me.
I could tell it wasn’t something he wanted to do, but he was right, we had to think of the pack, they always came first and even though I knew this I still couldn’t help the feeling of utter helplessness and fear that washed over me.
My heart pounded in my chest and my throat became dry. The only way we could get out of this situation was to announce Grady as my mate, that way he would have a legitimate reason for being here and the fact that he knew about us would be explained. I glanced over to my mate once more, my eyes flashing to his face and then back to Carson who was waiting for my response.
I’d waited so long for this moment; to tell Grady he was my mate and just like that, because of his own stupidity, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. At the same time, I couldn’t deny the fact that I was somewhat relieved. Relieved because it would no longer be my decision to make, it was completely out of my hands now and so whatever happened, I wouldn’t have to worry that I had made the wrong decision.
I was relieved yet more afraid than I had ever been, however, I quashed down the feeling of fear and clenched my fists as the trembling began in my hands. I was the Beta, I could show no sign of weakness. I chose instead to think of the pack.
I didn’t want to think of the implications this could have on my friendship with Grady, sometimes when you had a position of responsibility you had to do what was best for those you ruled over and so, head high and mouth firm I nodded at Carson.
He turned to the crowd once more, his gaze travelling over the faces. At his silent observation the crowd gradually became silent and it was only then that he spoke.
“I apologize if this is all confusing to many of you, but as I explain the situation you’ll all come to understand the reason the human is among us.” He began and I swallowed the lump which had formed in my throat.
“Grady is not a spy-“
“See? I told you I’m no spy, now let me go you-“
“Grady! Shut up will you?” I shouted over to him, my glare deadly.
He bristled and glared back at me but fell silent.
“Now as I was saying, Grady has a legitimate reason for being here. As you all know a wolf’s mate is allowed to be present at any pack proceeding he wishes to attend and being that Grady is Thomas’ mate, it is acceptable for him to be here.” Carson said quietly.
A collective gasp went up in the crowd and the chattering began immediately. I knew they weren’t surprised to hear my mate was a male because the members of the pack knew I was gay, I think it just surprised them that I had finally found my mate.
“But…he’s human!” one man exclaimed, but I was too focused on Grady’s expression to respond. The guards had let him go immediately upon hearing the news but instead of looking horrified at the announcement, he just stood there straightening his clothes while shooting death glares at the ones who had previously held him captive.
What was wrong with him? Why was he so calm? Hadn’t he heard what Carson said?
“Yes I’m sure we’ve all realized that, but no one said a wolf’s mate couldn’t be human.” Carson said patiently, his eyes still traversing the crowd before us.
“How do we know what you’re saying is the truth? You could have just made it all up to save yourself, what proof do you have?” Jessop spoke up again, his expression angry.
I took a step forward, my hands behind my back as my eyes flashed to his face. We didn’t stand for any form of disrespect in this pack and I was furious that he was actually questioning us.
“Are you calling us liars Jessop? Since when is our word not proof enough?” I said. My tone was level but below the surface I was raging.
I watched as he gaped at me, then took a step back as he took in my expression.
“O-of course not…I was merely…just…” he trailed off, probably deciding it was best to keep quiet.
“So will he be completing the mating ritual along with you and your mate Alpha?” another member spoke up.
“If Thomas so chooses.” Was his simple reply, after which the crowd fell silent once more. I imagined they were all trying to come to terms with the news, assessing it to see what impact it would have on the pack before fully committing to the turn of events.
“Now that we’ve established that, let’s get back to the reason we are all here shall we.” I spoke up, eager to get on with the meeting in order to prevent anyone else from asking something I wasn’t ready to answer.
Most of the members turned their attention back to the platform as Carson began to speak and the meeting continued.
……………..
We were both silent as we entered the house. I deposited my key on the table by the door and watched as he kicked off his shoes and flung himself into the couch, then took up the remote, fully prepared to watch TV despite what had just happened.
During the meeting I’d found my gaze travelling to him more than it should. He hadn’t seemed shocked, or confused, neither was he was running as far as possible from me as he could get. He had to have heard to announcement because we had discussed it with the pack at length, so I couldn’t understand it.
I couldn’t understand it and that made me more nervous than I had been when before Carson had announced it.
I cleared my throat, trying to get his attention but his eyes stayed glued to the TV, his finger absently pressing buttons as he flipped through the channels. So I tried again, clearing my throat louder this time.
“You should probably take something for that.” He said in a bored tone as he continued to flip…and flip…and flip.
Growling in frustration I stomped over to where he sat and grabbed the remote from his hand and flipped off the TV.
“Hey I was watching that!” he shouted, then tried to grab the remote from my hand. I sidestepped him, holding the remote out of his reach.
“Don’t you have anything to say to me?” I asked, my tone level and my eyes piercing his. Carson had just declared we were mates and I’d prefer if he cursed, denied or accepted it rather than blatantly ignore it. I needed to know where I stood now that it was out.
“Like what?” he asked, giving me the usual ‘look’.
I only stared at him, my eyebrow rising, silently telling him, I knew that he knew exactly what I was talking about.
I watched a he heaved a sigh and dragged his hand through his hair, something he did when he was either angry, frustrated or nervous.
Then he said; “Fine, I know I wasn’t supposed to go to your dumb meeting, but can you blame me? You made it seem like it was some big thing so I wanted to know what it was about and I gotta say Thomas, that was probably the lamest thing I’ve ever had to sit through, not even some refreshments? I mean come on” he said with a shake of his head.
I looked at him, not in the least bit amused. Why was everything always a joke to him? “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” I asked, looking deep into his playful eyes.
“Jeez you’re so grumpy, fine, I’m sorry I went, I know I coulda gotten you in trouble…but you handled it anyway so that’s great.” He said with a small smile, then; “Can I have the remote now? Talking to you s’making me bored.” He announced, his hand outstretched towards me.
I just couldn’t understand it. He was making this so hard for me and I figured it was best I just came out with it since he clearly wasn’t going to. “So you have nothing to say about being my mate?” I blurted out and watched as his face broke out in a grin.
“Dude I couldn’t have done it better myself! Gotta hand it to you guys, that was some quick thinking. I’m your mate, ha, classic, good cover bro.” he said still grinning from ear to ear and looking like a proud father; “Good thing Laken and Carson are the only ones from your pack that go to our school cause then who knows how I’d have to deal with that crises.” He continued with a shake of his head.
“A…cover?” I said stupidly. Looking at him and trying to understand just what it was that he was saying. Then it hit me and boy did I feel stupid.
Of course Grady’s logical conclusion was to think we’d made it up to save my ass. It’s what I would’ve thought too if I was in his position. I felt the relief and an ancient sadness come over me at the realization that we were right back where we started.
But what if I just told him, right now? Just got it out there? Told him we were serious? And I found myself doing what I always did when I asked myself these questions; wonder what his reaction would be. Once again this was in my hands, I could just blurt it out, right here right now.
I looked at him, my heart in my throat and opened my mouth to say the words that would seal out fate, but nothing came out.
“Would you stop standing there gaping at me like a fish and gimme the remote already?!” Grady said in exasperation, then jumped up and grabbed the remote from my stiff fingers.
That decided it, I’d do it some other time then. I made the excuse to myself, adding it to the vault of excuses I already had as to why I shouldn’t tell him.
I sat on the chair farthest away from him and watched the screen.
‘’Hey change for me.” He said after a while, turning to face me, his gaze expectant and hopeful.
“Huh?”
“Into your wolf, change. I wanna see how you look.” He explained.
“You already know how I look.” I told him with a tired sigh then turned back to the TV.
“You showed me like twice come on I’d show you if I was a wolf.” He whined.
“Yeah right, you don’t do anything I ask.”
I could see the look his was giving me from the corner of my eye but I didn’t back down. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Just don’t feel like it.”
“Jerk.” He said, then before I knew it a throw pillow came sailing at my head and I wasn’t able to dodge it before it slammed into my face. I grabbed it before it could fall to the floor then turned to glare at him.
He faked an innocent expression, his eyes glued to the TV and I had to wonder what was the point. Obviously it had to be him since we were the only ones in the room. I pulled back slightly then threw the pillow in his direction, but he dodged and I missed.
“Amateur.” He said with a shake of his head and a gleam in his eye. Shit, I knew that look.
“No…Grady I’m not doing this with you so don’t even st-“
I was cut off mid sentence as another pillow slammed into my face. I took a deep breath, deciding not to give him what he wanted; which was a competition, Grady was highly competitive and he loved to play around but this time I wouldn’t take part in his games.
Without sparing him a glance, I turned my attention back to the television but he wouldn’t let up, pillow after pillow came sailing towards me and each time I ignored him the harder the hits became. It was when pillow number eight came flying towards my head that I finally lost my composure, grabbed it in mid flight and flung it back towards him. It landed right in his head
“Oh it’s on!” he laughed and so the games began.
……………………….
Six ripped pillows and two broken vases later we decided to end the game. It was a tie but of course Grady claimed the last pillow he’d thrown touched my hair, which according to him, classified as a part of my body and so he’d won. I’d found out long ago that if you really didn’t have to, then it was best not to argue with Grady and so I took the loss like a man and conceded defeat.
“Yeah but it’s the principle of the thing dude, the less you care about people the more you can be yourself, don’t you get it? the less people you care about the less people you have to worry about letting down, and the less people you have to worry about, then the easier it is for you to be happy.” he told me, tilting his head so he could look up into my face.
It was about 2:00a.m and we still sat in my living room, having what I’d describe as one of our ‘meaningful conversations’. He was sitting in the chair opposite me, his feet drawn up and an old worn sketch pad resting on his lap as he sketched away while talking.
I’d asked him earlier how it was that he always seemed to be in a good mood, how it was that nothing seemed to bother him and he’d explained to me that nothing bothered him because he didn’t allow it to. He told me that the more people you cared for then the more people you had to take into consideration when you did or said certain things.
He went on to say that if you cared too much about what someone thought then everything they did would eventually come to bother you, you’d be too conscious of everything you did and try to please everyone around you rather than just yourself.
“So that’s the reason nothing bothers you then? Because you don’t care about anybody?” I asked skeptically, my eyes watching the movement of his hand as it skating over the paper. I wondered what he was drawing but didn’t ask.
“He remained silent for a few minutes as he finished whatever it was that he was doing then, he pushed up from the chair and stood looking down at his work. I watched in confusion as he ripped it carefully from the sketch pad and made his way over to where I sat.
“No Thomas, what I’m saying is that there’s only one person I care about so since I only have one person to worry about then that’s why it’s easier for me to be happy.” He said seriously and I got the feeling he was trying to tell me something, something that went beyond his simple statement and while I knew he was talking about me, since he’d told me a million times that I was the only one he trusted, the only one he cared about, he seemed to be trying to get me to understand something more meaningful behind his words, but the only problem with that was…with Grady it could be anything.
He dropped the paper he’d just torn out of the book into my lap and my breath hitched in my throat. He’d sketched a picture of me. It was me at the meeting tonight, my arms behind my back, feet apart while I glared at someone in the crowd. He’d captured the fierceness in my expression and the feeling in my eyes as I glared at who I assumed was probably Jessop. Grady truly was talented.
“Goodnight mate.” Grady said in a mock Australian accent.
I looked up with a smirk and he smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Then he turned and made his way up the stairs and to his room.
Mate
It’s funny how one word could mean so much to one person and absolutely nothing to another.
AUTHOR’S NOTES
SORRY I HAVN’T RESPONDED TO SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS GUYS BUT I’LL DEF GET TO EM I PROMISE!! HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER, THANKS FOR READING, COMMENTING AND VOTING. ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR DAY..OR NIGHT AS THE CASE MAY BE 🙂
-DoUbLe.A
-unedited.
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