JACOB

Is this some sort of prank?

A bad joke, perhaps?

Because there is no way in hell that my mother would have denied Skylar as my prospect.

She was already planning our wedding by the time Skylar was done asking her permission to prospect me. How could any of that translate to denial? I am sorry, but something is not right. It is not adding up. The math is not working in this equation.

Why would my mother have deterred Jayden only to disapprove of Skylar?

She knows I don't have any other prospects except for them. No, I am sorry, but something is not right with this announcement. How could she do this to me? I told her everything that happened between Skylar and me this past weekend!

Skylar was heartbroken over this announcement, devastated, and disappointed. We really thought that we had this in the bag. How could we have missed this? How could we have gotten this so terribly wrong? It makes no sense! *mind boggling*

We cried on each other's shoulders in one of the corridors of the auditorium. This truly wrecked the both of us. I understood Jayden's rejection. I did not like it, but I understood her motivation. This does not make any sense!

I released myself from Skylar's arms, stomped the stairs down to the stage where Lockwood was talking to some of the teachers, and demanded to know what happened.

"Excuse me, Headmaster." I politely asked to speak to him, only to be met with a stern face.

"Yes, young man." He was not pleased to have this conversation with me right now.

"Are you sure it was my mother's email you received? Can I see the email, because I know her account information." I inquired, suspiciously. I do not think he is being malicious, but something is not right.

"I never said I received an email from your mother." He declared and I gasped in shock.

"What?" I am jaw-dropped.

"I said..."

"I know what you said, Alpha, but my mother is the only person on Earth who can approve a prospect candidate for me. What the hell!?" I rasped, confused by the whole thing.

"That is not entirely true, is it?" He smirked at me and I honestly wanted to punch him so bad right now.... *growl*

"Shawn emailed you?" Skylar interjected, aghast by this development.

"I received an email from Mr. Broderick, that is true." He admitted, painstakingly.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" I shouted, sounding rabid.

"Headmaster, if I may, Jake was raised by a single mother. His father was never in the picture. The only authority over him has to be his mother's." Skylar argued in a tempered tone. I am fuming right now. I am angrier than when I discovered he raised an Omega child who is not me.

"I am sorry, Mr. Stronghold. Legally, he is still Jacob's father." Lockwood explained in a low tone, matter of fact.

"This cannot be happening! Who would even think to send an email reproving you as my prospect? I thought that he loved you!" I am seething in anger, my eyes are glowing in pure rage at this situation.

"I am sorry for this inconvenience. Please have your mother email me the court papers regarding your custody, then I'll see what I can do." He told me, trying to find a middle ground to this debacle. Funny enough, this is the moment when a contract would have come in handy. No one questions Frederick's authority over his sons to decide these matters.

"She doesn't have a court agreement because he never sued for my custody. It was always my mother and me, he never cared about me once until now. He never visited, never called. I didn't even know what he looked like until a couple of months ago!" I argued, ferociously mad. I cannot believe he did this to me, what the flying fuck?

"I am sorry, in that case, you're going to have to talk to him. There is nothing I can do about it for now. I cannot overlook an email from a father." He stated, leaving the stage next. I wanted to shout at him: 'WHAT FATHER?'

"Is this some sort of a joke to him? Why couldn't he have stayed the fuck away? Why would he even think that you're my prospect? Have you told Mandy about us?" I asked Skylar, confused about the whole thing. How did he even know to email Lockwood about my prospect? I am so confused!

"No, I haven't. I think I know what happened... I am so sorry about this!" Skylar apologized, though I am not so sure why this would be his fault...

"What do you think happened?" I stared at him, quizzically.

"Can we call it a night? I need to make an urgent call." He responded, cryptically.

"You are making me worried! What happened, Sky? Has your father asked him to ban you from being my prospect? That doesn't make any sense!" I am trying hard to figure this out, but I am totally lost as to what is happening right now. Who the hell would've put Shawn up to pull this stunt? And why?" I am so confused, but most of all deeply disturbed by this. Goddess only knows Shawn did not think of that by himself. He would have to care about me for that to happen. *eye roll*

"I will make it right, I promise. I just need to call my parents." Skylar pledged, feeling guilty for some reason.

"Can't you tell me what is happening? Or who did this to us?" I questioned him, troubled.

"I will tell you everything tomorrow. But right now I need to hurry back to my dorm room before dinner is served." He replied as we exited the auditorium together. Seth was not far from us, deeply concerned for us as well.

"Fine, but I will hold you to your promise!" I exclaimed.

"Of course, my love." He kissed my cheek when no one was watching.

Later on, I called my mother when I was inside my dorm room with Seth. I was wrecked over what just happened. I thought it was suspicious that my mother would email the Headmaster on a Sunday, to begin with. But saying she would reprove Skylar as my prospect was too far-fetched to be believed.

She was appalled by this news, furious at Shawn for interfering in my happiness. What kind of game is he playing? He spent the last 18 years forgetting I ever existed to now remember that he has rights as a father?

Where were those rights when I was a minor? When I was growing up? If he did the bare minimum that most human divorced fathers do, that would entitle him to an opinion. But prohibiting me from being with the boy that I so clearly have strong feelings for is not the way to go. Especially if he ever wishes to have any sort of relationship with me.

I am furious. Out of all the times to exercise his rights as a father, this is the time he decided to do something about it? Not when I was a little boy and didn't have anyone to do father and son activities with - except for my grandfather.

This will not stand or my name isn't Jacob Anderson. That motherfucker!

SKYLAR

I am furious.

I am raging.

I am livid.

The way I see it, there is only one person who would stoop so low as to put Shawn up for this nefarious task. No, it's not my father. It's not his style. He doesn't get people to do his dirty business, unless he needs to keep his hands clean, but this is not the case. This is child's play in comparison to the business deals that he has closed over the years.

If he decided to change his mind, he would never have put Shawn up to it, he would have simply talked to Lockwood and rescinded his permission for Jake to be my prospect. No, this has my grandfather's signature all over it.

He is the only man who Shawn couldn't say no to, apart from my father.

Are you fucking kidding me? Does he think this is a game?

Did he seriously think that would work? That we would be like... "Sure, let's allow the deadbeat father to have a voice in his biological son's happiness. He never paid attention to his son until now, so that seems like as good a time as any..." *eye roll*

When I thought it was Dr. Anderson's decision, I was heartbroken and devastated. But I would work to overcome and gain her trust. Maybe she would like to see some other side of me, who knows? I have been nothing if not transparent this whole time with her and Jake. But I would have respected her decision, no matter how wrecked I would be.

But this is a whole different ballgame.

I am fuming. I am crying angry tears of pure rage. My grandfather is supposed to love me. I am his only Alpha heir. Up until now, we always had a great relationship - maybe even better than the one I have with my father. He was always my supporter, I don't know what happened.

But seriously... all this because Jake is a male and without connections?

What more could you possibly want, Alpha? What would you need from my partner that you don't already have? Would you like the son of a senator or a congressman - like Victoria is, for example? Why? That doesn't make any sense!

Like I said before, I get why Kyle is so hellbent on partnering with someone rich or famous, he needs the credibility to add to his pack. But we don't need any of these things. Not more money, power, or anything else...

I think his prejudice got the better of him. He is a Texan man born six decades ago, but that is no excuse. He is a werewolf, for Goddess' sake! This is unforgivable!

I plopped down on my bed as I FaceTime my father, tears still falling from my face, furious at my grandfather for pulling this stunt that could never hold any value. In the grand scheme of things, Shawn is the last person on Earth who would ever stop me from being with the boy I love. My grandfather being the second last one.

"Hi, son. Is everything okay?" Dad greeted me via video chat, looking concerned. I rarely call him, so for me to do this now... he smells trouble.

"No, dad. Shawn emailed Headmaster Lockwood rejecting me as a prospect for his son." I declared and it was like a bomb went off.

"What?!" My mom came onto the screen. Both of my parents were in their suite back home at this hour. Too early for dinner, but too late to do anything else on a Sunday evening except for relaxing before the week begins.

"Lockwood has just announced to us at the end of his lecture. Jake was devastated." I told them, completely taken aback by having to say these words. What the fuck, dude?

"Why would he do that? Most importantly, who told him that you were his son's prospect candidate in the first place?" Dad wondered, sounding confused.

"Who do you think has enough leverage to compel him to do that? Who would stoop so low as to stop his grandson from matching with a boy with no connections?" I told him, annoyed at this.

"What the hell!" Dad yelled, furious at his father.

"Oh, my Goddess!" Mom cried out, revolted by this.

"This time he went too far! Forcing Shawn to reprove our son? Who the hell does he think he is?" Mom commented, looking at dad on the screen with furrowed eyebrows. She is not even remotely okay with this. My father is furious.

"The worst part is that now Lockwood says there is nothing he can do about it because legally Shawn is Jake's father. We cannot be prospects until he clears that up." I complained to my parents, sounding heartbroken about it.

"I will call Shawn and sort this out, son. This will not stand!" Dad declared, raising his voice.

"Thanks, dad. I really appreciate your support. All this just because the pack never had a male Luna? This is the 21st Century, dad! Come on!" I whined, incredibly upset.

"Son, our pack already had a male Luna before. Haven't you heard about the legend of Bidziil?" He informed me and I gasped in shock.

"That was in our pack?!" I was baffled by the shocking discovery. 💡💡

"Yes, it was. But even if it wasn't, that still wouldn't give him the right to interfere in your happiness! I will talk to him. Let me make some calls and sort this business with Shawn first. Don't worry, nothing will stand in the way of your happiness, or my name isn't Frederick Stronghold!" He pledged, irritated at the whole thing.

"Thank you, dad. Thank you, mom. I really appreciate your support in this." I thanked them before I ended the call.

What the hell is going on with these people? Who the hell entitled these men to interfere in my happiness? I mean, seriously! I cannot breathe I am so angry right now. I am livid. If I were in Texas, I would have gone directly to Shawn's house and faced off against him.

I have been angry plenty of times in my life, but this is absurd. This is preposterous!

It is the angriest I have ever felt in my life! I could have respected my parents' decision - and I have. I could have respected Dr. Anderson's decision - and I will, whenever she makes it. But this is something else entirely!

None of these men had the right to interfere in my life, my happiness.

Especially in Jake's life. I am raging right now. For once, I am glad to be alone tonight, because I would prefer not to see anyone at this moment. I may even be too angry to eat dinner. What is wrong with me being with the boy I love?

It wasn't wrong for Bidziil. It isn't wrong for me. Centuries apart, the story still wants to repeat itself. Not on my watch. People should really learn NOT to get in my way because I will rain hellfire on anyone who does. Don't test the Alpha! *livid*

https://youtu.be/Ri7-vnrJD3k

A|N: BOOM!

Twist?

That's just my middle name...

You haven't seen rage like a mother defending her pup. Trust me!

Note: the legend of Bidziil was told in Chapter 39 of this book.

OFF: I have been meaning to get this song in one of my books for a while now, but I didn't have the idea until I went through a betrayal playlist on Spotify. Yes, really. I had no idea what to name this chapter. I was going to title it "Rage Against the Machine", but it turns out it is a band, not a song. LOL

Do you want to find out how this tempestuous drama will unfold?

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It's about to go down!

Love,

Léo.