Elliot

The clock on the side of my bed showed neon green numbers, 4:27 a.m.

Sighing I realized I wasn't getting any more sleep. Just those precious two hours. Climbing out of one of the many guest beds from the common space of the Ward residents, I walked into the hall and went downstairs. There nobody was awake.

Surprise there. I thought glumly.

My thoughts drifted back to my brother and sister and our mismatched pack, where despite all our faults, there was always someone around or awake to keep me company.

Since I wasn't hungry and there wasn't anybody else down here I decided it would be best that I go back to my room so nobody would think I was 'scooping out' the place for my excuse for a brother.

I hated him, but, nevertheless, he still held a place in my heart.

He is family, he is blood. But at the same I wanted him to die in a storm of fire.

He took the one thing that was meant to be mine. Not our parents' pack, not the title of future alpha, not the title in our pack as Mr. Popular, and not the place of favorite in our parents' hearts. No, he had already taken all of that when he was born all of three minutes before me. And still, he took the one thing that was supposed to be mine.

He took my mate.

Stalking back up to my bedroom my thoughts of anger were broken when I heard sobbing from down the hall.

My interest was piqued and I detoured to investigate, not thinking of how suspicious it might be for me to confront an unknown wolf in the dark hours of the morning, likely in a place I shouldn't be.

Walking down the hall the soft sobs became louder, and I realized it was Sydney's room that the crying was resonating from.

Softly I knocked on the door. "Sydney," I whispered out.

The crying stopped. "Go away!" She finally blubbered out.

"Sydney, what's wrong? Are you alright?" I demanded, pushing open her bedroom door, my heart thumping in fear of the worst.

It was what I had grown to know.

There, sitting on the floor curled up on the floor was the girl I loved. Not thee girl, but the girl. Even if she wasn't my mate I loved her.

Never would I love her more than my sweet Ceciley, but in all my time watching Sydney, she had thawed my heart and brightened my world.

Running to her side I tried to solve what caused her tears.

"Sydney what's wrong?! Who did this? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, her tangle of blonde hair looked to have been bunched up in angry fists numerous times. She chocked out, "J-Jay-c-cen. H-he doesn't l-love m-me. Ja-Jasmine."

Anger coursed through my bloodstream like a powerful bullet.

My wolf demanded I go and rip him limb from limb for hurting his mate. The one thing that some people are not gifted enough to have.

"I'm going to kill him," I growled out, losing it.

Sydney's hands shot out and caught me. "P-please don't." I looked down at the shattered girl as she whispered out vulnerably, "C-can you j-just stay with me?"

Looking at her my wolf settled and knew we couldn't leave her in a state like this just because we were angry.

No furious.

"Come here Sweetheart," I said holding my arms out for her to crawl into.

There was a barely detectable hesitation in her movement, but then Sydney lunged into them shaking from sobs that wracked her body.

It hurt knowing that was all I could do for her. Hold her and whisper soothing words to her.

Once she had calmed down enough I asked, "What are you going to do?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. Mean I'm angry and pissed but I'm not going to go out and have sex with the first fucking guy I see to get back at him...I won't stoop to his level. I just don't understand what changed?" She asked softly.

"You are different in some many beautiful and gorgeous ways Sydney, you truly are. He has no idea what he is missing out on."

"Thank you, Elliot," She whispered resting her head on my chest. "Thank you for sitting here and comforting me, and just being so nice."

I signed softly and kissed the top of her head. "Anything for you Sweetheart, anything."

☽✣☾

Jay

There's a bird...and that's a cat. That weird shape looks like-Never mind screw this, I thought staring at the white ceiling and its ripple texture.

Broken. That was one word to describe how I felt.

Splintered there's another. Shattered, torn, mangled, disjointed; the list went on.

The thing I think best fits me was fragmented. I was broken into millions of unfixable pieces.

Well, the one person that could was the one person I was trying to save. Sydney.

Damn! Even her name hurts to think.

Here I was lying in bed with the girl I dislike the most in the world while the one that made up my world was in the other room crying her heart out because of me.

My heart clenched in hurt knowing I couldn't be there to tell her the truth.

I didn't sleep with the naked girl in my bed.

That sounds like such a lie. My wolf said gloomily.

I know...but it's for her own good. I told him.

I know, but I miss her...I haven't got to hold her since-since I don't know when. My wolf cried softly.

I know buddy. I know. I thought softly to my broken wolf.

Taking in a breath I saw that it was now 5:23. I wasn't going to spend another second in here with her.

I was weary of the girl as is, and while I had chosen her to help push Sydney away, this also doubled as an excellent opportunity to keep an eye on the girl.

Jasmine seemed to have no problems when I called her asking for her to be at my side, and when she agreed without a waver my wolf and I perked at this strange reaction. With all-out fighting and how strongly I had rejected her since Sydney, it rubbed me strange, to say the least.

Leaping out of bed I dressed and went downstairs to get my breakfast.

Once downstairs I saw that Aaron and Mat had stopped talking and were now scowling me like the devil himself.

Before I even realized what happened I was pinned against the wall by my neck.

"How dare you hurt her!? How the hell do you go do some other girl!? And the night that Sydney gets back no less you son of a bitch?!" Mat yelled spit flying into my face.

"I didn't sleep with her," I growled out trying not to fight Mat and make this situation worst.

"Like hell, you didn't. Sydney told me. She saw you in bed with Jasmine for god's sake!"

I pushed him off me and he went flying across the room. Aaron stood up ready to stop me even though he and I both knew I could take him in my sleep.

"Just let me explain god damn it!" I yelled through my teeth trying to restrain myself from using my dominant alpha powers.

"Like we want to hear anything you have to say you rat bastard." Aaron spat but didn't look at me as he did so as my anger radiated off my tense.

"Explain." Mat growled looking me right in the eye as he did so.

Sometimes I forgot he was almost my beta till that girl came between us in our unstable adolescence.

"I realized after Sydney was taken that I wasn't good enough for her-"

Aaron whispered, "Well that's fucking right,"

I kept talking thought. "-so I decided she would be better off without me. The only way I knew that she wouldn't come back to me was if I 'cheated' on her...like she thought I would in the first place. So you know how Jasmine always had a thing for me, I had called her over, and I was honestly surprised with how much I've been rejecting her since I've met Sydney, but she came along easily. She probably thinks something happened between me and Sydney and my calling her back raises her chance of being Luciana. Anyways, I figured this would be a great way to keep an eye on Jasmine either way, but I didn't even really plan it what happened last night, but she came to me last night. I almost pushed her away till I realized this was the way I could get Sydney to look for someone better. She came into my room and tried to come on to me, but I just ended up knocking her out cold with the pressure of my alpha..." I said not looking at either of the two, still ashamed of my actions.

"You fucking son of a bitch!" Aaron yelled.

The next thing I knew was Sydney's human brother was punching me square in the jaw.

It didn't hurt, but I was in shock.

I stared at the skinny boy as his eyes widened into orbs realizing what he did.

"Oh my fucking hell," Aaron whispered out.

Coming back to reality I said, "I guess I deserved that..."

"Hell yes you did!" Mat exclaimed before high-fiving Aaron.

I scowled the two as they laughed at the shock on my face when Aaron had hit me.

"Screw you two." I spat bitterly.

"Sorry, back to the issue at hand, Jay we used to be best friends, and as an ex-best friend I'm going to tell you this; get your head out of your ass man. Sydney is one of the best things this pack will ever come across. You need to go get your woman back!"

"But she doesn't need me. She's better off with-"

The next thing I knew was I was being slapped.

What the hell!? I thought furiously thinking Mat had struck me.

Looking down I instead saw my very pissed off sister with tears in her eye.

"You are a damn fool, Jaycen Ward! Damn fool! Sydney is a brilliant and amazing girl! You better go tell her what you did before I hurt you!" Jaci cried.

"Sweetie," A voice called to my sister.

Jaci turned and ran into Terrence's arms sobbing.

Terrence brushed a hand through her hair and whispered softly to her.

I felt my world tilt at the sight.

"What the hell is going on here!?" I demanded.

Looking up Terrence's eyes fearfully meet mine as Jaci looked at me from still being buried inside his chest.

Jaci smiled sheepishly, "Terrence is kind of my mate."

Before I could even think I was launching myself at Terrence knocking my sister out of the way.

Terrence and I crashed to the floor and I just started throwing punches.

Terrence realized what I was doing but didn't try to fight back; he merely raised his arms to protect himself from my blows.

Jaci behind me was crying and screaming for me to stop. This started to trigger Terrence and his wolf as I saw his wolf begin stir, in fear that Jaci was in danger by me.

I then heard another voice come screaming into the room.

"Jaycen! Stop!" Sydney cried running towards me.

I didn't care. I wouldn't stop.

This bastard had hurt my little sister.

She had revealed to me bits of what happened one night, saying she had found her mate but he had abandoned her. Despite my alpha-hood over her, she was still from the same strong blood and refused to name the supposed man.

Now, here was Terrence, who was supposed to be my best friend sleeping with and hurting my baby sister.

"Jaycen, baby stop!" Sydney cried as my sister sobbed in fear for her mate.

The next thing I knew was I was being thrown off by Elliot.

I struggled against the Elliot until Mat joined in holding me back as my little sister ran to her injured and bleeding mate.

Terrence's eyes had started to darken as he held her close to him.

Jaci turned to look at me with her red teary eyes. "What the hell Jaycen?!"

"Jaci he hurt you! He took my little sister's virginity, left and slept with another girl!"

"Oh like you're any better." Elliot beside me spat.

Sydney over across the room looked to the floor.

And to think nothing could get any worst. Jasmine came strutting down the stairs in solely my shirt.

This bitch.

☽✣☾

EDITED JUNE 30 2020