Sydney

Jaycen killed an innocent girl? Why? His whole pack slaughtered another just because of one mistake?

The room was spinning.

"Sydney?" Jaycen asked approaching me carefully.

"Sydney, are you okay?" Mat asked cautiously.

It felt like I was swimming from the deep of a pool and kicking towards the surface. The pressure slowly easing and I could start to hear and see more clearly.

I exploded. "How the hell am I supposed to be fucking okay when I hear my supposed 'mate' and best friend joined together in their cult and slaughtered a group of people because of one mistake!?"

Walking backward I tried to space myself from the three men. I noted now that the voice in my head was unusually silent.

"Syd please calm down. We can explain everything. You're new to this trust me, I-" I cut my 'best friend' off.

"Trust you!? Fucking trust you!? You must be fucking kidding me!" I snapped at Mat.

The boys in the room, including Terrence, seemed to slouch and not look me in the eye. Nobody said anything.

"That's it. I'm done with this, and you can't keep me here. I'm going home and telling my mom what happened last night and reporting it to the police." I started up the stairs to Jaycen's room to collect my things.

"What do you mean you're done?" Jaycen asked stomping right behind me. Mat was right on his tail.

Once in his room, I snatched up my phone and the shreds that were left of my clothes from last night's blurry events.

"I mean is I'm done with this shit. I don't need to get into it. I don't need a fucking 'mate.' I don't need a fucking psychotic wolf stalking me in the bathroom and in my dreams. I don't need a pack that kills people around me. I don't need a best friend that lies to me. And I don't need to stick around here to see if some guy who's seeking revenge on you, to come and hurt me!" I finished.

Jaycen and Mat growled at me, for the reason to I was clueless.

Because they don't like you yelling at them, and they don't like the thought of us getting hurt. The voice intervened.

Well, they can fuck off. If I am in danger I supposedly have you don't I?

There was a hesitation. Sydney, we're not trained.

How the hell is that a problem? You're a wolf, aren't you? Not waiting for an answer I went on. You have wildness in your soul or some crap like that so you should be able to protect me.

My wolf sighed. Sydney that's not how it works.

Then how the hell does it work!? I cried.

"Sydney, you're not leaving," Jaycen said firmly.

"The hell I'm not." I threatened. "Now move out of my way."

As I moved to go around Jaycen, he moved and blocked me.

"I said move," I said growling through my teeth.

Jaycen grabbed me and slammed me into his chest.

"Sydney, you are not leaving. That's an order." I felt a growl rumble and vibrate through his chest.

Despite my desperate need to shove him away and walk around him and right out of this house, it was like my muscles were locked and refused to cooperate.

"You can't do that," I whispered tears welling in my eyes.

"The hell I can." He hissed.

After standing there in a moment of silence I realized something.

"Jaycen, I'm scared."

He stroked my back and I felt Mat evacuate from the room.

"It'll be alright Star. I'll always protect you, no matter what happens. I won't let you get hurt, and I sure as hell won't let this jackass hurt you." Jaycen said ending it with a growl.

After that we just stood there in silence, standing there in each other's arms.

"But it's not just that, that I'm afraid of." He looked at me waiting for me to go on. "What the letter said, is it true?"

He sighed and broke our gaze. "How about we go downstairs and we talk with the others. I'll introduce you to some of my packmates, then I'll take you out to a favorite spot of mine and explain everything to you? How does that sound?" Jaycen asked.

I scanned his face, unsure. "Okay, Jaycen."

"And Star, call me Jay." He said lightly.

I nodded. He grabbed after my hand and pulled me downstairs.

☽✣☾

Once downstairs I saw that Jaci had joined Terrence and Mat in the living room. She sat playing with her phone while Terrence stared at her.

After looking over them the front door opened. The guy from last night who laughed up a storm when I fell down the stairs was there, along with his little friend that was always swatting him walked into the house.

"Oh my gosh! There's the new Luciana! She's a white wolf too!" The boy rambled to his female friend.

"Forrest shut up! She can hear you!" The girl said before turning to me.

"What are you two doing here?" Terrence asked grumbled.

"Um, we're here to see the new Alpha's mate! Duh!" The guy said sounding dorky like Terrence should've known that.

"Forrest! Shut your mouth! I swear I got a dumbass as a boyfriend sometimes." The girl sighed.

The boy mocked hurt while Jaci on the couch laughed. "Lizzy! You haven't dropped by in forever!"

Jaci leaped up from the couch and grabbed me. Jay growled at his sister, but Jaci just brushed it off.

"Syd, this is my best friend Elizabeth, but we call her Lizzy and this is her boyfriend, Forrest."

"A.K.A 'The P.B.& J!'" Forrest cried out in joy with his thick afro bobbed on his head.

"Why do people call you that?" I asked bewildered.

"Uh, because I am the peanut butter and jelly that holds everything together!" Forrest said with a smirk on his lips.

Lizzy just eyed him. "Baby, nobody calls you that."

Forrest looked hurt as he looked from Lizzy to Jaci. "Jaci! You told me people called me the P.B. and J!"

Jaci smiled sheepishly. "I guess I heard wrong." She shrugged.

"Well damn. That would've been a cool nickname. Well anyways, you can call me whatever you'd like." Forrest flirted with me.

Jay behind me growled and Lizzy slapped him on the back of the head.

"Oww!" Forrest cried rubbing the back of his head. "Abusive much?" He asked sarcastically.

"Watch it Bud. You haven't seen me abusive." Lizzy threatened.

Forrest smirked and kissed her temple. "Sure Baby Doll. Sure."

"Well, now that we got this reunion over I need to talk to Star privately," Jay said coming up beside me.

"Who's Star?" Forrest asked.

I smiled and poked my hand up slightly.

Forrest looked down at his girlfriend, "Why does she get a cool name that her mate gets to call her, and I don't have one?"

Lizzy smiled but it didn't reach her eyes as she patted his cheek. "Just because Sweets. Plus we don't even know if we're mates."

Forrest wrapped her up in a zeal hug and turned from silly to very serious. "I just know we are babe."

For some reason I found myself wanting to snuggle deep into Jay's side.

"Okay, let's get something to eat then I'll take you out and explain everything to you," Jay said.

I nodded and went to the kitchen with Jaycen.

☽✣☾

Jay

"So where is this secret place of yours?" Sydney asked gazing out the window of my Hummer.

"It's a secret," I answered smartly.

Sydney looked to me and raised an eyebrow as though she wasn't amused.

I shrugged, "You'll see when we get there."

I didn't think she was going to say anything as her eyes flickered over me, as though seeing if I would give our destination away. I was shocked when her eyes became hazy and Sydney's bottom lip puffed out, she's pouting, and she looked at me under the shade of her lush eyelashes. Her puppy face was spot on. "Really Jay? Will you give me a hint?"

I want to touch her and taste her lips. Pullover now. My wolf cried in desperation.

I was a little shocked from his sudden unabashed horniness but I with Sydney armed with her sexy pout and the way her outfit accentuated her form, I could see how it was all getting to him.

Damn. The pout on Sydney's face was turning me on.

"Nope," I said quickly, redirecting my attention back to the road.

Sydney groaned and the hazy look in her eyes cleared.

Imagine when she'll be groaning for us like that Jaycen. Jesus hell I can already h-

I stopped him. My knuckles were white and shaking on the steering wheel.

Good thoughts Jaycen. Rainbows and lacrosse, not your sexy mate over beside you in that hot dress. Not you're smoking mate in that short little dress showing you her awesome legs. Her smooth fit legs that would be awesome to touch when they are wrapped around m- Shit.

I glanced at Sydney out of the corner of my eye to see she was staring back outside the window her chin in her palm.

Quickly, I grabbed my jacket from the seat behind me and threw it in my lap. Catching my movement, Sydney looked to me confused.

"Uh, my lap is cold?" I said, but it came out as a question.

"Is that like your lame way to get in my pants?" She joked.

Yes! My wolf yelled.

"N-no."

"Then give me that, why are you going to drive with it in your lap? Both hands should be on the wheel. I swear-"

Before I knew what she was doing she pulled my jacket from my lap and saw the tent in my jeans. Sydney's mouth fell open.

She thinks we're well en- I shut my happy wolf up right there.

My cheeks set on fire as Sydney's did the same.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry I just. I'll turn arou-" Sydney smacked her head against the window. "Oww!"

Panicked I went to see if she was alright. "Sydney are you alright?" I asked.

The car swerved.

"JAYCEN! Keep your eyes on the road! Hey watch out!" Sydney yelled grabbing the wheel and yanking it towards her.

I regained control of the wheel again. After I straightened the car back out I let out a breath.

"Sydney are you okay?" I asked.

She turned to me rubbing her forehead.

"Yeah. Stupid window!" She evil-eyed it.

Laughter escaped me. "Well, we're here," I said finally.

"Where's here?" Sydney asked perking up in her seat to see it better.

"It's one of my favorite places. My family and I used to come down here all the time."

"What changed?" Sydney asked softly.

"My mom's always away on work."

"She is werewolf right?"

I sighed, "Yeah, but she's the main source of income since my dad's always busy with pack crap."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Sydney whispered.

"It's cool. My family lives with it."

Sydney seemed to sadden at that sentence.

"What's wrong?" I asked glancing between her and the road as I drove to the little parking area to the lake.

"Nothing. Are we going to walk to the lake?" She asked.

"Yeah. But I have a secret spot that only I know about."

She smiled at me. "You and your secret spots."

I smiled right back at her. "You know it, Baby." I winked.

She blushed and dropped her head again. "Stop doing that."

"Stop doing what Star?" I asked innocently.

"You know. Like when you say like stuff like that, and it makes me feel..." Sydney said not looking at me.

"I don't know Sydney, you should show me." I joked.

She gave me a little shove and evil-eyed me. "Gosh, you're such a jerk."

After that Sydney got out of the truck and walked to the front of it shivering from the cold. I grabbed my jacket and followed in suit.

"Here you go, Star," I wrapped my large NorthFace fleece jacket around her shivering body.

She snuggled into it and closed her eyes to take a deep breath gathering my scent in her nose. She smiled as if she was storing my scent in her memory.

A low rumble rolled in the back of my throat signaled my wolf's and my approval of Sydney's actions.

Sydney snapped out of her little daze and looked to me. "So are we going to go to your secret spot?"

I swallowed hard and nodded. "This way."

Her eyebrow propped up in confusion. "We're going into the forest, not towards the lake?"

"Yeah, I have a way to get to my secret spot." Sydney chuckled.

"C'mon. It's pretty awesome." I held out my hand.

She was hesitant but eventually took it with a soft squeeze. I navigated us through foggy woods, trying to help her over logs but she denied my help and climbed over it herself.

Similar to last night though, I noticed her apprehensive scanning of the forest, wary of our surroundings.

When we finally it to my secret hideout spot Sydney's jaw dropped.

A little stream slid into the lake by rippling over shimmering rocks. The lively trees created a canopy over the isolated and peaceful area.

"C'mon over here Star." I held my hand out again as an offering. She took it and I tugged her along to a tall and girthy tree.

I released her small soft hand and started looking around the tree.

"What are you do-" Sydney was cut short as I found what I was looking for. I pulled on a thin string.

A ladder came tumbling down from above and wiggled in front of me.

"Climb up Syd, it's safe up there."

She looked at me in disbelief but then did as I said with a snort. She tugged the first wooden rung and deemed it safe. Carefully Sydney started climbing up the wiggly latter while I held the side. About halfway up her skirt fluttered in the drifting breeze and I whistled.

She paused her accention and turned to glare at me nastily, "Your eye's better not be on my ass."

"But you're ass looks so good!"

"Oh shut up!" She said getting to a wooden platform. Climbing up on it she turned and peered back down at me. "You coming up?"

"Yes, I'll be up in a sec."

I made quick work of the latter and saw Sydney taking in the platform in its glory. A rope railing ran along both sides other than the one opposite from the tree. In front of the one side that did not have a rope railing was a swinging bench that faced out over the lake. On one side of the bench was a little table that contained a cooler.

"So, how do you like it?"

"It's amazing..." She whispered in complete awe.

"Come sit with me," I said pulling her with me to sit down beside me in the swing seat. "Now, I'll explain everything that's been going on."

"Okay, so I think you already know, I am the alpha's son. My dad is the current alpha, but because my eighteenth birthday has passed he will slowly start to hand over the alpha duties or as we call it the reins over. When I'm twenty-one I'll officially be declared the ruling alpha of the back." Sydney nodded following me so far. "You, are my mate. Like my soul mate only it's real."

"Wait so you're saying soul mates aren't real?" She sounded marginally disappointed. "What's the difference?"

"Uh...no. They could be I'm just saying that mates are like...extremely serious. And the difference is, is that soul mates are for humans, and some humans just don't seem to be able to commit."

"So you are saying that soul mates aren't serious and humans are careless?" Her rebuttal was annoyed with my choice of words.

I groaned, "Sydney just forget I said that, and let me continue." Great, I'm still going to drive her away. "Okay, so you are my mate and my one and only as I am yours. Because you are my mate you will be the packs new Luciana."

"Luciana?"

"It's like in fictional books how packs have Luna's or as we call it Luciana's. It stands for the moon, because of how much of a pull that has over the Earth."

"Ahh. So you're the Earth or the pack is it?" I shrugged but nodded at her analogy. "Alright continue please."

"Okay. Terrence is my beta so he is my second in command. Everyone after that is just a packmate, but then there are the omegas. Omegas are the lowest in the social chain of the pack."

"Oh, do I know any of them?" Sydney asked.

Scratching the back of my head I anxiously muttered, "Mathew."

"Huh?" Sydney asked not quite catching it.

"Mathew is an omega."

"What? Why is he the omega?"

"He was born into it, but don't misunderstand. We used to be good friends, but we did end up having a falling out and we had some words and actions done..."

"What?"

Sighing I decided it was best just to tell her the whole story. "Mathew and I used to be close friends. Pack children go to our own schools through elementary learning, so we can settle into our more wild nature and understand how to pass for a human. During that time the rush of human hormones and wolf instincts are overwhelming to say at the least. Anyways, one day we got into a fight over a girl...I know it sounds silly, but when we were young it's a struggle to find and understand our places in the pack, and we are all more aggressive. Some words were said we started fighting physically. At the end of the day, I won the girl and Mathew was in a hospital. Ever since then we never really talked. Then you came into the picture..."

Sydney sat there in silence.

"Okay...What about the note?" Sydney asked.

I'm ashamed to tell her.

"Um, I was going to see if you wanted to test out your shifting, take a break from all this talking unless you don't want to."

Please give me more time before I have to tell you.

She looked me in the eye and seemed to see my plea. "That's fine, but I expect you to tell me in full detail what that note was referring to afterward thought."

I nodded in understanding. "So, do you want to try out shifting?"

A small smile pulled the corner of her lips up and she nodded yes.

☽✣☾

EDITED JUNE 21 2020