SETH

I am not okay.

On paper, I just got everything I've ever wished for: an amazing contractual partner who would make my parents happy and proud of me, but at the same time, someone I actually wanted to prospect. With Jayden as my partner, I am fully realized.

I should be happy over the moon about the fact that our contract negotiations were successful, but I am not. Not when my brother and best friend are miserable over Victoria's surprise pregnancy. Who would have thought that the boy who managed to survive four years of high school unscathed would get burned by a girl here?

I would have imagined something like this could have happened to Carla, who we all know had sex with Skylar in a shower stall of the Gamma House locker room. That doesn't seem like an environment appropriate for safe sex with all the water running down on them - not that I want to picture whatever the hell they did in that cubicle.

I may be a virgin, but I am not an idiot. I know how things work, and if anyone should turn out pregnant, I would have imagined it'd be her, not Victoria. She was the most immature of my brother's prospects. I thought she'd be on the pill, but it's not my place to judge. It happened; now we have to move on.

What boggles my mind is why Shawn, of all people, scented a pregnancy when nobody else did. I don't recall hearing the gynecologist saying that she scented Victoria's pregnancy, so why would he? It's not like he works in a hospital or anything like that...

Anyway, that is the least of their problems now. What matters is that he got it right.

Though some might say that my grandfather could have put Shawn up for it - to tank the contract negotiations between my dad and Jake's mom. But I don't see how my grandfather could have planted a doctor inside the building where the only adults allowed to enter were parents of students.

I love a conspiracy theory just like the next bored teenager, but my grandfather could never have pulled that off. And I fail to see how he would even know about Victoria and Skylar being together in the first place. There are too many moving parts for this story to be plausible. The only thing that makes sense is that it has to be true.

I mean, most of it.

There is something that I know about what happened on Saturday that I am yet to share with Jake, but I warn you it is not something that would alter the course of the events that unfolded that day. It's just some minor fact about what happened, and it relates to...

It's Monday, December 16th. I have a full day of exams today - Jake, Skylar, and the students rescued from the avalanche as well - so I need to keep my mind focused on that. We only have two more days of classes before the Winter Break, and then it's three weeks off school and back to Texas.

Jayden and I are already making plans to see each other during this time, including me spending New Year's Eve in Georgia with his family, which my parents have already authorized. I am happy that everything went well for him and me, but I still cannot be fully happy when the people I love are miserable.

We should be past arranged marriages at this point in the 21st Century, but here we are. Though technically their marriage wouldn't be arranged, but forced. Right, what I mean is that we should be past forced marriages at this point in time. They say that children will not fix a marriage, despite many couples forcing themselves to stay for the kids' sake.

Granted, in Victoria and Skylar's case, it is not like they don't get along; it's just that they moved on from each other. Now, to be back together seems unnatural. I have absolutely nothing against her; she is a great girl, but she was as happy with Carl as Sky was with Jake.

While a good portion of the students are celebrating the last week of classes for the year and their locked prospects, they are feeling gloomy. Especially the newly single Jake and Carl, who didn't deserve to be this sad.

"How are you holding on, my friend?" Kyle asked my brother in the Alpha section of the cafeteria during breakfast.

"As well as could be expected." He muttered, heartbroken.

"I heard a rumor that you're going with Victoria to the gynecologist. Is that right?" He asked him curiously.

"You're very well-informed. That is correct. Her mother made a few calls and got us an appointment for Wednesday at the county hospital after I'm done with my exams." He replied, sounding detached. It seemed like he was sleepwalking, going through the motions as he must. His voice showed no enthusiasm whatsoever.

"Good for you. I know it's a terrible situation, but the baby didn't ask to be made." He argued, trying to cheer him up in his own way. Skylar looked up from his plate for the first time since they started talking and glared at him for the insinuation.

"No one is talking about blaming anybody, much less our baby. It happened; I was there. I take full responsibility." He snarled at him, aggravated.

Victoria was not feeling well this morning, but she powered through to finish her week. It wasn't morning sickness, she was just generally under the weather. Her girl friends from her House are doing their best to cheer her up. Carl is as gloomy as Skylar in the Alpha section.

"How are you going to continue your courtship with Clark during the break?" Jayden asked Roberto, puzzled.

"Well, I guess we'll talk a lot on the phone, text each other a bunch, and as soon as possible, I'll be back here to continue where we left off." He replied, not that this answer pleased Kyle. But you know what they say: It is what it is.

"And how are you going to see Seth during the break?" He asked him the same.

"He's going to Georgia to spend New Year's Eve with me and my family." He replied with a wide smile that could light up a room.

"How nice! I am so jeal–"

"Wait, he is going to abandon me in Texas after Christmas?" Skylar interrupted Roberto, gobsmacked to hear this information.

"Abandon you? Aren't you a grown man with access to a helicopter and a private jet? You can spend New Year's Eve anywhere you want!" Jayden defended me, irritated at Skylar for making this about him.

"We never spent the Holidays apart from each other." He muttered, sounding depressed.

"But now he is his own man with a new set of responsibilities. Your lives were always bound to divide at some point." Jayden argued convincingly.

"New set of responsibilities? He is not going to be your Luna right after graduation, Jay! Calm down! He is only 18!" Skylar refuted his reasoning, furrowing his eyebrows at that line of argument.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that. What I meant to say is that now he has a partner and a future with me. So, it's not strange that he decided to spend New Year's Eve with me in my pack, which one day will be his home." Jayden was making a compelling case with a serious look on his face.

"Sure. Whatever. Another person who is abandoning me." He mumbled, pouting.

"No one is abandoning you, Skylar! Not your brother and not Jake. But you got someone else pregnant, he has to keep some distance from you from now on. You do too, out of respect for your new prospect." Jayden was dropping truth bombs left and right.

"When did you get so wise all of a sudden?" My brother looked at him suspiciously.

"When I nearly lost my position in this school, forever tarnishing my name, and subsequently lost who I thought at the time was the love of my life. When you are on the brink of losing everything you ever cared for, you reassess your priorities. Like right now, my priority is to graduate from this school in April, claim my prospect, then go to college, and one day marry Seth after we ascend together as Alpha and Luna of my pack." He declared proudly.

Wow. If ever I wasn't sold before - which I was, let's not get it twisted - I am sold now.

"Wow, dude. You are not the same boy who sucker punched Sky because he insinuated Jake had no business going to Georgia." Roberto commented, baffled by his maturity.

"Truthfully, I was never that guy. I am not even a violent person. I just felt like the person I loved was slipping through my fingers, and I had lost perspective. But that was not what I was about. Even if I had to fight someone for Seth, I would never resort to brute force." He replied, feeling like a new man.

"Good for you, my man. I couldn't agree with you more." Roberto spoke, proud of him and his new outlook on life.

In the meantime, at the Omega section, I was practically glowing with pride of my prospect for his attitude. This is the person that I always envisioned for me, and deep down, I knew that was him. I never recognized the person who punched my brother for a comment - even though my brother can be pushy sometimes, he didn't deserve that.

"I'm sorry you are hurting, my friend. I know there's a good chance that you might leave this place unprospected, but please stay here. I don't want to stay in that room if you are not there with me. Please, I can't lose your friendship." I told Jake, feeling his sadness taking over him.

Technically, Jake did not announce that he would not return to Ravenwood next January. But if he thinks for some reason that he has no cause to - without a prospect or any perspective of getting one - I am scared for his mental health moving forward.

"I would never abandon you, Seth. Of course, I will return here in January. Why would I leave you when you need me to be vigilant about your upcoming heat? No, I'm not a quitter." He responded to my genuine concern about not seeing him here when we return next year.

Wow. I had totally forgotten about my heat. Again. January is going to be an uphill battle.

"I love that you are more worried about my heat than I am. I had already forgotten about it." I said, humorously.

"Omegas united." He closed his hand into a fist and then raised it in the air for me to fist-bump him.

"Omegas united." I did what I was required, cheerfully.

"I'd invite you to go to Georgia with me, but since you used to date my prospect, it'd be a little weird." I said, trying to be humorous.

"Yeah... I would not want to be your third wheel." He blushed at the suggestion.

"Plus, it's bad enough that you saw him naked before me." I said, humorously. Jake widened his eyes at the comment while Jayden practically spat his food in the Alpha section.

"Don't worry, you're in for a treat! He knows how to take care of you." He said with a naughty grin. I blushed at the innuendo that was so clear on his face and tone.

"Oh, Goddess, kill me now!" Skylar winced as he was forced to hear that.

"I mean, not like your brother does. But he comes very close." Jake continued with a mischievous grin.

"Gross!" Now it was my time to complain about the oversharing.

Teenagers, am I right?

I cannot wait to be done with classes.

"Are you ready for today's combat exam?" Kyle asked my brother, amused by that line of conversation.

"I wasn't until now." He replied, irritated at Jayden, even though he was innocent.

The day started with a bang, and it promises to be a bumpy ride from now until Wednesday. I just hope everything goes well in the doctor's appointment and that the baby is healthy. I cannot believe I am going to be an uncle. Who knew?

Oh, right. I almost forgot to tell Jake the news I have yet to share with him. Hopefully, that will happen soon. I am sure I will have plenty of chances before Wednesday.

https://youtu.be/wOSv1TIa58M

A|N: What is the tea?

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