Wrong Turn, Right Path

Chapter 3- Nick's POV

He was about to say something when his eyes glazed over indicating he was mind-linking someone. A few seconds later Ray, our best friend and Beta, rushed in. "There is something I have to show you."

"Whats up?" Nate asks as he sits back down on the edge of my bed.

I turn towards Ray and fold my arms across my chest. I had a strong feeling that I wasn't going to like what was about to be said. Ray cleared his throat and said "It would be easier if I showed you." He walked over to stand right in front of me. "May I?" he asked

I nodded my head. I knew what he was about to do, we had discovered that we could do this as kids and have used it to our advantage many times. But it's uncomfortable to say the least. Ray was only an inch shorter than me so it wasn't hard to rest our foreheads together. He put his hands on the side of my head and I placed my hands on his head. I open my mind and emptied it picturing a blank screen. There isa sharp pinching feeling as Ray projects an image of a door. It wasn't the image I was needing to pay attention to it was the voices on the other side of the door. At first they were muffled but I concentrated harder despite the pressure it caused and was able to make out the voices of Layla and her younger sister Chelsea, who also happens to be Ray's mate.

"Lay, you're taking this too far. Just accept that you're not the one for them." Chelsea's soft voice coming through clearly.

"NO! Why should I accept that you get to be a beta and I'm stuck as a warrior. I'm the first born, I should not be ranked lower than you!" I recognized Layla's voice but I'd never heard it laced with so much anger and jealousy.

"Layla, that's not how it works. We don't choose our mates and even if we did I would still choose Ray, not because he's the Beta but because I love him." Chelsea's voice makes me feel warmth and love. I know that wasn't my emotions but that I was feeling how Ray felt in that moment. That's the thing with sharing memories you experience everything from that person's perspective emotions included.

"Well, I'm choosing to be with Nick even if that means I have to put up with Nate. I'll let him do whatever he wants with me and pretend that I like it. I'll allow Nate to touch me even if it makes my skin crawl. I did not reject my mate so I could be Luna just to give up now." Layla ranted but Chelsea's gasp at her confession was obvious.

"What do you mean you rejected your mate?" Chelsea whispered with hurt dripping from her words.

"Ugh, It's not that big of a deal. Last summer when I went to the Nightshade Pack as part of Nick's and Nate's security detail I found him. At first I thought he was really cute he had blonde hair and brown eyes and he smelled really good. We both knew immediately that we were mates but I had to hold back and do my duty. I found out that he was the younger brother of the Beta, a lowly warrior. I was not about to give up my chance to be Luna for a warrior. So I sent a message for him to meet me in the forest where I promptly rejected him. I'm not going to lie, it hurt but I soon forgot when I snuck into Nick's room. He's so rough it takes all of my focus not to beg him to stop."

"EWWW! Seriously Layla I don't want to know details about you and our Alpha. I don't want to know any of that!" Chelsea yelled. "I think you made a terrible mistake. You had the chance at true love, at true happiness and you threw it away."