Beck

I was having lunch with Jude and Layla inside the school cafeteria when a wave of sadness hit me like a tsunami.

I couldn't eat anymore, all I could think of was my mate and what was happening to him.

I knew it wasn't a physical pain, but still... it ached me as if it were.

I had no choice, I had to get up from the table and go check on my other mate.

What I could not imagine is that I would find him to be so devastated, surrendered to hurting.

I had no idea he was in this much pain and it gives me no pleasure seeing him like this.

That's not how the mate bond works. Not by a long shot. Not at all.

I really did not expect to see him kneeling before me, so I lifted him up right away. I don't want to see my mate like this. I can't have him hurting because it hurts me too. I feel so bad for him, for us.

This is not what I thought was going to happen between us, but then again no one has ever lived through the same situation as mine. As ours. I do feel genuinely bad and hope I was able to give him some north.

Oh, I wasn't aware what I had ignited in him that day.

On Tuesday, Quentin surprised me with a bouquet of roses as I entered the school. It was a sight to be seen the Alpha boy handing me flowers as I entered the yard holding his brother's hand. Did anybody say #awkward?

No, that wasn't awkward at all.

Not compared to the box of chocolates, the serenade - he had the school band play a song inside the gym during P.E. just for me.

Embarrassing?

Not so much if you consider the other things he did.

"I'm deeply sorry for all the times I called you a freak. You're just as much a werewolf as the rest of us. You always were and I had no place bullying you for an event out of your control. I'm really sorry. Please know that you are missed by your teammates." - Quentin apologized to Layla in front of everyone inside the classroom.

"I'm also sorry for the incident that got you suspended. Please know that wasn't your fault and your reaction was appropriate considering what I did. If I had any say in the matter, your suspension would be lifted." - He continued, remorsefully.

Layla was taken aback by this, shocked by this act of contrition.

"It's fine, Quentin. Thanks for doing this." - She replied, a bit uncomfortable.

"It's the least I could do." - He smiled at her sheepishly.

"I'm sorry for all the times I called you 'peasant', Kingsley. You deserved better and I apologize. I'm happy you got mated to my best friend. He deserved someone like you and I hope you two are very happy together, though judging by his face he already is." - Quentin spoke to my cousin, who was blown away by this.

"Thank you, Quentin." - He replied, smiling at his mate from the corner of his eyes.

"I'm beyond sorry for making you feel like you couldn't go after the person you wanted. I know I already said this before, but I genuinely mean that. No one should be precluded from going after their loved one and I feel horrible it may have cost you happiness by her side." - He told Owen, who promptly excused him.

Quentin apologized to everybody he has ever done wrong, bullied or belittled. It was a long round of 'sorrys'. Eventually, he apologized to his brother for his belligerent manner, treating him poorly concerning his sexuality.

'That was never supposed to happen'. He said, genuinely remorseful.

https://youtu.be/c3nScN89Klo

By the time November ended, Quentin had finished his round of apologies and I was being pampered like a Lady in a Victorian era romantic comedy. My second mate behaved like a Lord, managing the delicate balance between knowing when to interject himself and when to leave me alone with his brother.

Without disrespecting either of us, he was wise to make his play without disregarding my previous relationship with Jude. He knows that what we have can never be diminished, but he didn't try to replace him.

No, he was smart enough to woo me without dismissing or disrespecting his brother.

It was a genius move from him.

It's December.

The school is already decorated with a Christmas theme. Students are counting down the days until the winter break and my cousin still hasn't completed the bond with Jalensky.

I'm sure he has his reasons or insecurities, but I worry.

"Aren't you concerned about another heat stroke?" - I questioned him when we met in the courtyard before class. Jude was talking to Layla, so I took the chance to speak to him.

Kingsley was surprised by my question, frowning deep in thought.

"I am not do for another week. I have time." - He replied in a matter of fact tone.

"Okay, if you say so. I don't mean to pressure you, I just hope you know what you're doing. If you get pregnant now it's gonna ruin your college plans." - I cautioned him in a dreadful tone. Kingsley glared at me.

"I'm not getting pregnant!" - He snapped at me and I raised my hands in a surrender pose.

"Fingers crossed." - I muttered, uncomfortably.

As it was said before, omegas are not unlike other werewolves. If they don't complete the bond within a certain timeframe, they are struck by heat and then... I'm sure you know by now.

"Good morning, mate." - Quentin greeted me as I walked away from my cousin, handing me a juice bottle.

"This is organic, it's good for you to stay hydrated in this Texas winter." - He smiled at me, flirtatiously.

"I have already told you don't need to keep buying me things. But thanks for thinking of me." - I said, looking at him and his irresistible smile.

"You're all I think about." - He declared, not surprising anyone. I blushed before I was literally saved by the [school] bell [ringing].

Some time later, inside the classroom...

"So, is there gonna be a party? I'm in the mood for a cake." - I asked Layla regarding her upcoming birthday.

"Just tell your second mate and he'll buy you some." - She snickered.

Jude glared daggers at his best friend while I tried to dodge Quentin's staring at me.

"There's still two weeks until my birthday, but I highly doubt my father will throw me a party. The only good thing about my birthday is that my mom is coming." - She replied, looking forward to it.

"Your human mother is coming to Ruckerford Falls?" - I gasped in shock.

"Yes, she is. It's not like there are wolves walking down the street. She's safe as long as she doesn't witness people shifting in front of her." - Layla scoffed.

Remember when we told you that after Layla had shifted for the first time her father sued for custody and she had to go before a judge to say she wanted to live with him - because he told her that if her mom sees her shifting, even accidentally, she'd be killed?

Yeah... werewolves take our secrecy very seriously. And anyone caught compromising that is sentenced to death, be it werewolf or - especially - humans.

"Well, in that case, good for you. I hope you get a hot mate like the one you left behind." - I told her in an uplifting tone. Blaine caught that right away.

"I didn't leave anyone. He left me." - She seethed.

Wow. That got uncomfortable fast...

"I don't want you to buy me a cake, that was just a figure of speech." - I told Quentin afterwards, who laughed at me.

"Calm down, mate. I'm not the genie, I just care about you." - He winked at me playfully. I couldn't help but laugh as well at this silliness. It's just that he has been buying me a lot of things lately.

Not like Jalensky is treating his mate because no one but him has that kind of budget.

"Can you imagine if she gets mated to the hot wrestler and they have to get back together?" - I commented to my mate, who widened his eyes.

"I'm not gonna lie. I'm totally rooting for him." - He replied, smiling at the prospect.

"The Beta and the future head enforcer? It's a match made in heaven." - I remarked, happily.

"Except that would never happen. He can't be head enforcer if his mate is the Beta of the pack. There are rules against mates and hierarchy. He could only rise to be his father's second in command, no more. He can't take orders from his own mate." - Jude explained, much to my surprise.

"Oh, I didn't know that." - I'm shocked, though that does make sense.

"I don't know if I want to be an enforcer just yet. I'm going to college first then I'll decide." - Blaine interjected from his seat, glancing at a very perturbed Layla.

"And nobody HAVE to get back with me. I can accept my mate or not." - She stated, glaring at her ex-boyfriend.

Jude, Blaine and I all gulped awkwardly.

"Trust me on this, it's much more difficult to reject your mate than you might think. Especially when they look like that." - I said, pointing at Quentin's face, who blushed.

"But you already have one who looks like a carbon copy of him." - She retorted.

"Yeah, I do. But that's not how the mate bond works, girl. Not even the best sex in the world can quench my thirst for the reformed Alpha." - I blurted, causing my mates to get uncomfortable.

Layla got wide-eyed at this outburst.

"Point taken." - She surrendered, blushing awkwardly.

As an act of defiance, Jude brought some cake to my house later that day. He can't train while his brother is recuperating, though that break is ending soon now that Quentin is almost good as new. Fortunately.

The next day, my second mate surprised me with a valentine's day hallmark card. It's not February and he's not my valentine, but where it was written "BE MY VALENTINE" he wrote "BE MY MATE".

It's the most adorable thing ever.

As soon as I entered the classroom, I was bombarded by a very distinctive scent.

Everybody was busy talking to their colleagues, couples were taking the time to make out except for my cousin who was busy catching up on some homework at the last minute.

I walked in with Jude by my side and approached him gently.

"You're in heat again." - I declared, catching him completely off guard. Jalensky stopped talking to his friend and turned around in a flash, gawking at his mate.

"What? No, I'm not. Are you crazy? I told you I have a week left!" - He insisted, frowning at me.

"Well, someone's in heat. If it's not you, then who? It can't be Sam, who's not even mated yet..." - I argued, looking around the room.

"I don't know, but it's not me. I feel perfectly fine." - Kingsley was adamant.

"OK, then. If you say so, maybe there's an inconspicuous omega in class." - I snickered.

"Yeah, you." - He shot back in a snarky tone.

"Why would I scent my own heat and why would that only happen after I entered the classroom? Plus, I'm already mated and marked." - I refuted, rolling my eyes in annoyance.

"And he's not an omega." - Owen interjected, not looking amused. - "He's two spirits."

"Maybe your nose got confused with you having to juggle two mates." - Kingsley snickered.

"OK, you can stop now. I recant my statement. Nobody is in heat, I was wrong." - I glared at him, getting pissed off.

While people stared at me as if I was talking crazy, I lowered my head and took several breaths to calm down.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm in heat for you." - Quentin chimed in, flirtatiously. I glared at him.

"It doesn't. Patronizing me is not the way to go, mate." - I raised my voice, causing him to back down quickly.

Finally the teacher entered and my embarrassment ended for the time being.

After the first period ended, we collected our belongings to walk to the next class.

Jude embraced me in a comforting way and kissed my cheek.

"You were right to speak, mate. Even if you were wrong." - He told me.

"I'm not wrong, I just can't pinpoint who it is yet." - I glared at him.

Jude gulped awkwardly and we walked together through the busy corridor.

When we walked inside the classroom, everybody was looking normal as usual. I think I got in my head about it, somehow. I'm not sure what happened.

"Hey, you're not gonna believe where I'm taking you on a date this weekend." - Jalensky teased his mate, sitting close to him in an empty seat next to us.

Kingsley's eyes twinkled in curiosity.

"If he takes you to Disneyland, I'm gonna die!" - I blurted, much louder than I anticipated.

Dragomir glared at me for the intrusion and I blushed awkwardly.

"Your favorite band is playing a show next Saturday in Houston and..."

"Oh my Goddess!" - Kingsley gasped in shock, properly ravished by this news.

"Hey, it was very difficult to get these tickets. They were sold out..."

Kingsley cut his mate off with a hot kiss that had everyone else gasping for air.

"Damn! Dragomir makes the rest of us look bad." - I said in a joking tone.

Kingsley moved to sit on his mate's lap as they continued kissing, in such a tight embrace not even air passed between their bodies. The teacher entered the classroom and ordered them to stop.

They wouldn't listen to anyone, kissing as if they were alone and this wasn't a classroom.

"Mr. Hudson. Mr. Dragomir. I said stop or the both of you are going to the principal's office." - She reprimanded them. Meanwhile, Jalensky started to feel his mate a tad inappropriately for their current location.

All of us were looking at them gobsmacked by this act of defiance. But now it's starting to feel like something else entirely.

"Something's wrong. I think he's in heat." - I announced, motioning my mates to help me separate them.

I sincerely don't believe the boy who was just now doing homework is defying the teacher in the middle of the classroom simply to make out with his mate. Something is off with him.

Jude and Quentin helped me separate a very horny Dragomir who really didn't want to be apart from his mate. In fact, he fought them off to get back to him. Oh yeah and he was pitching a massive tent inside his jeans. *blushes*

"STOP!" - Jude commanded him, eyes glowing in rage. - "GO TO THE BATHROOM WITH MY BROTHER NOW!"

Quentin took a glowing eyes Jalensky while I excused myself from the classroom and took my cousin to the infirmary where the nurse had the heat medicine ready for him.

Some time later...

"I'm sorry for not believing you earlier. I genuinely felt fine and my heat wasn't supposed to hit me for another week." - Kingsley said, looking guilty at me.

"It's fine, your well being is all I care about." - I spoke, not wanting him to feel self conscious. I thanked the school nurse and we returned to class where a very embarrassed Jalensky was looking down, mortified.

After the class ended, the two mates checked on each other and Dragomir thanked me for the assistance.

"Do you want to go to Houston too? I can try to score one more ticket." - He offered me, kindly.

"No, thanks. Have a great trip. Enjoy yourselves." - I declined, politely.

"Damn! What a powerful nose you have." - Jude commented after a little while.

"Never underestimate the boy with two Alpha mates." - I boasted, feeling vindicated.

Jude pecked my cheek and we marched to our next class.

Not gonna lie, I am a little jealous of them. But I wish them both success, happiness and well... it's time to complete the bond already. I'm sure they're not going to regret it. And I know Jalensky is dying to, not that he ever spoke about it in class [or anywhere I could listen].

Take it from me, it's an experience you will never forget. *naughty grin*

https://youtu.be/0svu_lMdkRQ

A|N: So many things happened. This was a bulky chapter.

The song title really speaks for Quentin and Beck's relationship in this moment. Accurately.

It's almost his desperate cry to be heard and loved.

Next is "TENSION". It's about to blow...

Love,

Léo.