Chapter Ten

Troye

I could tell from the second their eyes locked. His lips slowly parting as she walked by, his eyes memorizing her every step. His senses had heightened, drinking her in. This was his mate. And it killed me.

I took in a shaky breath as Dallas cussed. He was damning himself. He didn’t want a mate… but here she was. His eyes still lingered on her retreating form in disbelief. His gaze locked on her swaying hips and he licked his lips. I quickly turned away not able to bear much more of this. He was probably going to run after her and start groping her in the hallway or some shit like that, and I am not capable of handling that.

I guess Sam had sensed my heartache because he pulled my shoulders into a tight grasp and began to lead me away from the pining werewolf. I instantly followed, eager to escape. I could feel myself shutter at the thought of the two of them as mates. I always pictured Dallas with someone more submissive and relaxed to calm him down. This girl was the opposite of submissive. I stifled a laugh at the thought running through my mind: who would be on top?

As Sam began to lean into my ear to tell me something, a low growl erupted from behind us sending tingles down my spine like always. Sam stopped walking and turned around, still with a protective hold on my shoulder. I didn’t dare move.

“What do you think you’re doing Sam?” his voice was deep and inhumane. A sound I’ve only heard once before. Dallas’ wolf was taking over and I had my suspicions that the cause was halfway down the hallway by now.

Sam’s voice spoke evenly and calmly, “Dallas. We are going to class. You need to calm down. Just take a couple deep breaths and deal with the mate issue later.”

In an instant Sam’s hold on me was gone and an earsplitting sound of flesh against metal entered my ears. I spun around to see Dallas holding Sam by the neck against the lockers. His feet were coming up off the ground and Dallas’ eyes were glowing red. My heart rate quickened. Why was I always in the middle of these things? Dallas was seething, Sam struggling, and I had no clue what to do.

“What makes you think you can speak to me that way?” Dallas growled in Sam’s face as he flinched.

 Think Troye, think. Last time I was able to get him to calm down, but I doubt he’ll listen to me now. After all he has his mate, now I’m just the useless omega.

“Troye!” Sam choked out, his eyes locked on mine, begging me to help so a werewolf brawl didn’t break out in the middle of 1st period.

“Don’t you dare talk to him! Don’t even look at him! DO you understand?” Dallas’ seethed menacingly, his teeth beginning to elongate. I needed to move fast.

I bit my lip and drew in a deep breath, quickly moving towards the two. I gulped, and placed my hand on Dallas’ back.

“Dal?” I squeaked. He did nothing. Sam was coughing now, his breathing coming less frequent.

I started moving my hand in circles along his back. “Dallas, listen to me. I am fine. I’m right here, okay? I’m here. You need to let Sam go, Dal. He wasn’t hurting me Dallas. I’m fine, I’m right here,” as my whispers reached his ear he turned his gaze on me. His face softened, his grip loosened, his eyes slowly melting into the hazel ones I loved.

He looked from me then back at Sam. He ripped his hands away from Sam’s neck, who instantly fell down to the ground, gasping for breath. I stepped back, not wanting to be involved in that any longer.

“Troye..” Dallas whispered as I retreated. I shook my head, done with it all.

“Well happy birthday Dal,” I responded dryly, then turned on my heel in the opposite direction, ignoring him as he shouted empty apologies after me.

                                                            ~~

Dallas

My heart ached whenever Troye was mad at me, but today it felt like it was being ripped in half. He hasn’t spoken to me all day, and he even ate in the library again. Of course I did too—I may have been lurking behind a couple of bookcases—to make sure no one touched him.

 This was not supposed to happen today. None of this was supposed to happen. That stupid girl my wolf wanted wasn’t supposed to happen. Practically cutting off Sam’s air supply wasn’t supposed to happen. And Troye being pissed at me for who knows what was definitely not supposed to happen. We are supposed to be initiated tonight, but neither of my pack members will speak to me. What a swell birthday!

My phone buzzed loudly in my front pocket, reminding me I was in chemistry. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed, but everyone was immersed in their own conversations. I pulled out my phone to see a text from an unknown number.

Colette. That’s my name. I’d like to get properly acquainted with the Alpha of Western Wolf Hills, which means you will be receiving a call from me soon. Au’revoir from one alpha to another- xx C

Huh.

Colette. Coalette? Cooolette? Sounds French.

Huh.

Wait a minute.

She’ll call me? Aw hell nah. I’m the man. I set up the dates. Who does this bitch think she is?! Wait maybe it’s a cultural thing.. I’ll have to ask Troye.

The thought of Troye reminded me of the pit in my stomach due to his temporary absence. I groaned. All 23 sets of my classmate’s eyes snapped back at me. Whoops. Guess that was a little loud. I put on my best “what do you think you’re looking at face” and that pretty much had their necks snapping back the other way. Hey, even if they’re human they know an Alpha male when they see one.

The bell finally sounded, signifying the end to chemistry as well as this horrible day. I gathered my things and left the room, eager to see if Troye was waiting by my locker like he always did.

But it was to no avail. Troye was waiting a locker, but it wasn’t mine. It was that god damn Issac kid who made my blood boil. I closed my eyes, trying to stifle the urge to gouge his throat out.

I angrily began spinning the dial on my lock mumbling incoherent curses at profanities at the kid who was trying to steal my omega. Mine.

After roughly showing my books into my backpack, I slammed the door shut and stalked down the hallway towards Troye. Issac’s eyes widened at the sight of me, forcing Troye to turn around. He shook his head in what I assumed was disbelief then proceeded to grab Issac’s arm and lead him off down the hallway. I stopped walking; clenching and unclenching my fists to make sure no one was punched on my wolf’s accord.

After I regained my sanity, I decided it would be best to just go home and wait for Troye there. Initiation was at sun down so he had to be home by 5 at least. I pulled my keys out of my backpack and headed towards the parking lot, hoping the day would some how turn out okay.

                                                            ~~

Troye

“Alright, would you rather not be able to eat chocolate for the rest of your life… or…. Have to drink your own pee once?”

I laughed out loud at the second part. Issac’s got some weird shit going on in his mind.

We were lying across his gigantic bed, Anchorman playing on his flat screen in front of us, although we weren’t really watching it.

I knew Issac from soccer, but I never really hung out with him until today. He sort of invited me over after I told him the huge scary dude coming after us today was my stepbrother. I guess he pitied me, but hey, I was so not going home to a majorly pissed off Dallas who was most likely going to be having sex with some angry looking French chick in my bed. Okay so it wasn’t technically my bed, but still.

“Never eat chocolate. No way in hell I’m drinking my own piss,” I replied, him chuckling along to something on the TV. He turned to face me, his eyes latching on to my own. He had these great blue eyes that practically shone and his jaw line looked like it was cut from marble. He was strong, too. Not Dallas strong, but then again, no one is Dallas strong.

He kept looking at me, his eyes flickering around my face. I licked my lips nervously. A small smile crept its way on to Issac’s face.

“You’re really adorable,” he said point-blank to me. I felt my cheeks redden.

“Adorable? I’m not some sort of puppy Issac!” I threw the pillow next to me at his face, which he caught with ease, both of us laughing.

As our giggles died down, his face once again grew serious as he looked back at me.

“You know what I mean, Troye. You’re.. you’re just… so..” he trailed off, looking around as if trying to find the right words. I could feel my face heating up again—I hated compliments.

Issac stopped looking around. He looked straight at me. He began to inch closer to me and I silently begged him not to. If he was about to do what I thought he was about to do, Dallas would rip him to shreds. And that’s not a joke.

He stopped moving once he reached me. He lifted his hand a gently moved a piece of my hair from my forehead.

“Issac…” I whispered, almost pleading with him not to.

He only smiled and drew closer to me. Closer to my lips. I closed my eyes, paralyzed. Is this what it felt like to be emotionally conflicted? The piece of my heart that belonged to Dallas pleaded with me to get out. Go home. But the broken piece told me that it was okay. It told me to ease the pain, since Dallas could never do it for me again after today. After her.

I drew in a breath as his lips finally touched mine.

Guess who won the battle?

                                                                        ~~

Dallas

It was 4:30. I had been sitting on the stairs outside the door for 2 hours, waiting for him. I wrung out my hands, pleading that he would be home soon. If something happened to him I wouldn’t be able to handle myself. I would have failed him. Lied to him. Broken my promise.

The sound of a car engine in the driveway interrupted my thoughts. Bad timing Jen, I thought. I lazily looked up to greet her, but she wasn’t there. Instead, there was a shiny red BMW with a grim looking Issac in the front seat, and a guilty looking Troye next to him. They exchanged a goodbye and Troy uneasily got out of the car.

He was okay. He was fine. He was with Issac, but he was okay. I grinned. I jogged over to where he stood in the driveway and immediately wrapped him up in my arms, savoring his smell and his warmth. He chuckled underneath my grasp and mumbled something incoherent. I pulled away, still grinning.

“I said, what’s got you in such a good mood?” he looked up at me, his eyes shinning like they did. I grinned even broader.

“You.”

His cheeks reddened and I chuckled, slinging an arm around his shoulder and walking towards the house. The heat radiating off his body and the beat of his heart sent electric pulses through me. His sweet rambling voice radiated inside of me. My pup was home.

                                                            ~~

Troye gripped my hand as we stood magnified by the light of the setting sun. The pack members around us displayed secret smiles and illuminated faces. This was it.

“And do you, Dallas Chamberlain, solemnly promise to upkeep the values and customs of our pack while adding your own unique approach to the respected duties as an Alpha?” Evans stood in front of me stone-faced, reciting the oaths of the pack that I would soon lead.

“I do.”

“Then you, your beta, and your omega are now officially the hierarchy of Western Wolf Hills: home of leadership, diversity, and prosperity.”

A sigh of relief flooded from all three of our lips as the long-winded ceremony came to an end. I smiled down at Troye who was beaming. He had never been a part of something so big and he was loving it. Sam stood tall and proud next to me, a confident smile on his face. Together, we were unstoppable.

A light touch on my shoulder caused me to excuse myself from the two of them, and see who wanted my attention. I turned around to be met with none other than the alpha female herself.

“Congratulations Dallees. I am so glad I was able to attend ze zeremony,” her thick French accent was like music to my wolf’s ears. But to be honest, I couldn’t really tell what she was saying.

“Colette, I presume?”

“Ah, good. You are catching on quite quickly, Dallees.” She ran a long pale finger down my arm, catching my wolf’s attention. My senses heightened once again. Her hair was no longer flowing behind her, but pulled up elegantly. She wore a long tight black dress that was much too dressy for the occasion. I was wearing jeans and yesterday’s t-shirt.

“So what’s your story? New French chick shows up at school then is suddenly at my initiation, meaning she has to be a werewolf. So, care to explain?” she began giggling at my comment and my eyebrows shot up in surprise. She did not seem like a giggler.

“I am from Les loups du monde or as you Amereecans would say ‘ze wolves of ze world.’ Ze name represents my pack. We travel all over ze place, never staying in one area very long.”

I nodded, taking in the information. If this chick was my mate like my wolf thought, how was I supposed to claim her if she never stays in one place?

“But if I had a reason to stay, say ze alpha needed me for…zome reason or another,” she dragged her fingers down my arm again as she said that. For some reason I got the feeling she knew more about our little situation than I did.

Someone calling my name from behind me interrupted my internal rant about this suspicious girl. I turned around to see Evans with a grin on his face for the first time. He was waving me over, saying something about having me meet someone. I gave him a thumbs up and started to move over there, but not before Colette had a hand on my back and was whispering in my ear.

“And it is best you understand now, Alpha, zhat I do not share my men.”

I looked at her, bewildered. She smirked knowingly, and then headed for the dark.