George

I know you want it.

I want it too, trust me. I can barely eat dinner right now even thinking about it. It's consuming me as if my life depended on it.

I can't explain, but I can't shake it.

Ever since my uncle told us about that poor kid, I can't seem to forget about his dire situation. I wish I didn't care so much about a boy I've never met.

Especially one whose fate lies in my father's hands. It's easy enough to judge my dad for not agreeing to help the poor kid out, but I can't even begin to process his loss.

And though it was a long time ago, one never fully recovers from it. We just move on the best way we can.

"Dad, can I go to the mall with Annie tomorrow?" - Charlie asked him as we're eating dinner on a Friday night.

"Neither one of you have a driver's license yet. Who's gonna drive you over there?" - He inquired, curiously.

Annie is Charlie's girlfriend. Yes, my 16 years old brother has a girlfriend. And he calls her his mate - just not in front of our parents. Barf!

Charlie looked at me with a pleading puppy dog eyes.

"Really? Do you think I'm such a loser that I don't have any plans of my own this weekend other than to drive my brother to his date?" - I snapped, seriously annoyed at him.

Charlie gasped at this, feeling a little guilty. However, my dad...

"Do you have plans? I'm not aware of you asking me permission for anything." - Dad jabbed at me. Yes, he's that much of a hard ass.

"Maybe I thought you'd be too busy letting teenagers die to pay me any attention." - I shot back. And immediately regretted it.

Fuck, that's a low blow. And stupid of me. Daddy glared at me, but my dad slammed the table so hard it nearly broke it. It startled all of us.

Werewolves already have an acute sense of hearing and when someone makes a loud bang, it affects us way more than humans.

"Son, the first step into commanding respect is respecting others. When I returned here after 7 years away, I had to respect the fact that your grandfather was Alpha. I didn't like it at all, but I respected him." - Dad stated in a somber tone.

"I never thought I'd have to bow my head to anyone. My dad wouldn't require it and in my mind, he would pass the job to me once I'd come of age." - He continued, ever so serene.

"Nevertheless, I did bow my head to your grandfather. I'd never disrespect him in this regard. As he bows his head to me now when we see each other." - Dad said in a tempered manner.

"My point with all of this is: if you don't respect me as your Alpha, you'll never ascend to anything much less to my position." - Dad concluded, making me wince at his words.

I think I'd prefer if he slapped me.

"You'll drive your brother tomorrow and accompany him and his date for all the time they're together until they return home." - He commanded me, causing Charlie to smile in contentment.

"But dad..."

"I have spoken!" - He cuts me off, angrily.

Daddy is quietly seeing all this play out. But he knows that when my dad starts speaking, it's best if you don't interrupt him. Especially when he's telling a story.

"What time do you want to leave, Charlie?" - I asked my brother after we finish dinner. I start washing the dishes and my brother dries them.

I don't know what's the point of having all this money if we're not getting a maid to do this work for us. Uncle Tony lives better than us at the pack house with professional cooks and cleaners.

The only downside is that he has to share it with lots of other people - unmated warriors and other pack members who rent rooms. But he has a wing of the house just for his family. I mean, where their bedrooms are located.

The pack house has separate wings of bedrooms. The Beta's, the warriors' and the guest one. It's a massive cool mansion where my uncle and his family live. It's also where is located my dad's office. He goes to work over there every (business) day.

A couple hundreds years ago, my ancestors and other werewolf families bought this massive land where they lived in peace.

With time, other werewolves got word of this sanctuary untouched by humans and asked to join our pack. But the land never changed its ownership.

Our pack grew larger with time as more and more families joined in. In the old days, werewolves were known to raid and attack other packs for dominance.

A lot of people were killed.

But my ancestors defended their property against everyone and as our reputation was gained, the Stonehold pack - as it became known back then - grew larger and fiercer.

Soon, we became untouchable. No one would dare move against a pack that big. Because of this, even more people joined in.

Survivors, disenfranchised, unmated... no one was rejected from joining, as long as they respected our laws and of course the Alpha.

As a result, though our city grew wide and heavily populated, the same old families retained ownership of most of the properties.

In other words, my dad owns a shit ton of land which turns enough profit for us to live like kings. But we live like everybody else.

Though the money doesn't go exclusively to him. There are dozens of distant relatives who live off of this. There's a whole office downtown just to manage the Stonehold estate.

But ownership belongs to the Alpha. It has for 200 years. And one day, maybe, it'll be passed down to me.

Charlie apologized once we got into our bedroom but I told him it's fine. I was the one who shot my mouth. Though I disagree with my dad, he does deserve my respect.

At breakfast the next morning, I apologized to him for my comment. I was out of line. It's not his responsibility to fix other people's problems. And though it pains me, I have to be okay with his decision.

"Thank you, son. But you still have to drive your brother to his date. Maybe with a chaperone, I don't become a grandfather." - Dad joked to Charlie's scowl.

"Good one, dad. I'm sure in your time teenagers didn't have unmated sex. Especially with a hot girlfriend like Annie." - I smirked.

"I'd appreciate it if none of you talked about this subject ever again. But yeah, she IS hot. Thanks, brother." - Charlie deadpans. He gets uncomfortable every time dad mentions sex. But especially pregnancy. With reason, he's only 16 years old.

"I agree with you, Charlie. Your dad is just scared of the Luna Effect situation, even though neither of his children are mated, therefore he can relax for now." - Daddy spoke, giving his mate a sideways glare.

"Maybe we'll get a Beta's mate effect instead." - I snickered, causing dad to stare at me surprised.

"They still haven't completed the bond?" - Dad gasped at the news.

"Not until yesterday, no." - I replied with a mischievous grin.

"Damn! Well, best of luck to him." - Dad commented, a bit concerned.

Later in the afternoon, as ordered, I took the juniors to their date at the mall. But once I'm there I made the best of the situation, enjoying my time as well.

But I made sure to give the lovebirds their space. It's bad enough as it is without me having to play third wheel.

Considering all the activities they had planned, I had a couple of hours to kill before I had to drive them home. Since I'm a fairly smart boy, I texted someone ahead of the ride to see if they wanted to pass the time with me.😏

It's not exactly easy to like a person who won't allow you to date them openly. I don't know why they're so in their head that they can't enjoy our pre mated connection.

It's not like we're the only teens in town who date. Yes, I'm a mere months away from being mated, but that's not the reason for their reluctance. If only...🙄

"Hi. So, you had to bring your brother to his date, huh?" - There's a smirk on their face as they greet me.

"Hello, yes I did. What else older brothers are for? Are you okay?" - I asked, smiling instantly at their presence.

"I'm fine. I'm actually glad you texted me." - They smiled and I swooned.

"Really? Cool! Do you want to get something to eat or go somewhere specific?" - I asked, getting up from the bench I was sat at the entrance of the mall.

"Sure, let's go to the food court." - They suggested it with some enthusiasm.

We walked side by side until we found somewhere we could order some food. I'm not particularly hungry, but I can always eat.

After we got our sandwiches and soft drinks, we sat opposite of each other in a table and dug in.

Funny thing about living in a werewolf town where your dad is the Alpha: everyone knows who you are.

But it's not like I'm a celebrity or people ask me for an autograph. They just send their love to my parents whenever they see me.

And I'm used to it by now, it's been like this for all my life. I could be walking with my aunt and uncle, still people would talk to me and send their love.

I'm sure it happens the same with Charlie. Both my parents are beloved by the pack, which is a great thing. You need the favor of the people if you're going to lead them.

And my dad is a great Alpha, if I may say so myself.

But that doesn't bode well for people trying to fly under the radar. It's tough under the spotlight. Trust me, I know. Try being the individual poised to succeed a great leader.

Whether I do a good job or not, I'll always be compared to my dad. But if I do great, at least the comparison can work on my favor.

But that's a lot of pressure. So you can see why even though I don't want to lose the position to my brother, I'm not in any hurry to succeed my dad either.

"Did your parents say anything to you before you came? What did you tell them?" - I asked in a curious tone as we finished eating.

"It's cool. They know we're friends. Plus, they love your parents." - They explained with a pleased smile.

"Great. Do you wanna take a walk now or..."

I trailed off looking at them suggestively. I get a naughty grin back and we go find some place to be alone.

We took our trash to the bin and started walking again, looking for a spot. It's not exactly easy to find a quiet place in a crowded mall on a Saturday afternoon.

Especially if people can't see you doing what we're about to do.😳

We were just about to enter the restroom when a child jumps in front of me and hugs what he could reach of my body with a radiant smile.

"Hi, Beto. What are you doing here?" - I asked my little cousin, looking down at him while an uncomfortable person takes some distance from me. Though now it's too late.

"Good afternoon, George. I'm sorry for this one, as soon as he saw you he ran at your direction." - Aunt Sarah said, approaching us and taking her son away from me.

"It's fine, aunt Sarah. It's great to see you and my cousins." - I said with a smile. Aunt Sarah and uncle Tony have 2 children, a boy of 08 and a girl of 10. She's next to her mom, also looking happy to see me.

"Hi, Justin. Are you two on a friend date?" - She asked, looking at him expectantly.

"Actually, I came to bring Charlie and Annie to their date. Justin just came along to help me pass the time." - I explained to her, truthfully.

"Good afternoon, Principal Burke. Yeah, I came to rescue this one from boredom." - He smirked, looking at me with fake pity.

"Well, good for you. It's nice to see you both. Now, I have to take this lot to the ice cream shop before there's a mutiny." - She snickered, glancing at her children, who looked excited at the prospect.

"Nice to see you too, aunt Sarah. Good luck with the mutiny." - I replied with a smile.

And so she's off with her kids, looking ahead with one child on each arm's length. Justin looked a bit troubled, but said nothing.

Eventually, we found a quiet place to make out a little. Though it was very difficult to concentrate with him looking out to see if anyone passed us by.

"Okay, let's just go some place else and talk instead. Clearly, you're too distracted to enjoy this." - I proposed, looking at him a tad annoyed.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I already spotted at least two of my neighbors around here." - He justified himself with frowned eyebrows.

"It's the only mall in the city! Everyone comes here. Especially on a Saturday." - I argued, slightly peeved.

"I know, I'm sorry for being such a terrible boyfriend." - He said, looking down in shame.

"Hey, you have nothing to apologize for. You said from the beginning that you wanted to keep us a secret. I could've said no. It's fine." - I told him with a weak smile.

I did agree with it. He never lied or deceived me in any way. I kiss him one last time and we go to another spot of the mall to talk things over.

We promenade and have an ice cream together. It's lovely. Until I say goodbye to him and go pick up my brother and his girlfriend to take them home.

I'm glad I have him, no doubt about it. I'm good with a low profile relationship. And if by any chance he's my mate, I'll be over the moon with happiness.

If not, we had a good run. I'll be sad over it, sure. But like I said before, I know about the heartbreak.😓

Charlie and I entered our house and our dads were on the couch watching TV at the living room.

"Did you have a good date, son?" - Dad asked him, turning his head to face Charlie.

"The best, dad. Thanks for letting me go and providing the ride." - He replied with an enthusiastic tone.

"It was my pleasure, son. George, I was waiting for you to come home to tell you something." - Dad announced it, pausing the TV.

He stands up, daddy too. They both approach us as we make our way into the house. I already looked troubled at this.

Usually when dad gets all serious and ominous, it's never good. So, I braced myself for impact.

"I have been thinking this over and decided to grant that boy sanctuary in our pack." - He declared, making my heart skip a beat at the unexpected news.

"Despite his family's past sins, it's the right thing to do. He's innocent in all this, after all." - Dad continued in an uplifting tone.

Charlie smiled at his decision. But I rushed to hug him tight. I threw myself at my dad, who welcomed me with open arms. I held him in contentment for a while.

"Thank you, dad. You're the best Alpha this pack has ever had!" - I'm baffled at this, feeling so thankful for him. He smiled at the compliment.

In this moment, my heart is so full. I can't explain why.

However, this also means that my dad has outdone himself once again. He really is the best Alpha.

You try living under that spotlight!😳😬

https://youtu.be/p9qtRcHJVI8

A|N: I do love me a chapter that practically names itself. LoL

Yes, I also love the "straight mated into gay trope". But that gets tiring fast. And I hate repeating story lines. I also find it fun writing in two different timelines, something I've never done before.

Love,

Léo.