V E R Y A N
Torrez always had masterful timing. Once he brought a rogue to the pack house while his wife was in labor with their first child. Then he proceeded to torture said rogue while his mate's body was being ripped apart by their demon offspring.
"Your time is up Veryan sweetheart," Xavier whispered to me, "You know I cannot intervene here. Take what you deserve."
"Shut up old man. I don't deserve any of this." Or maybe I did. Maybe everything was my fault. Maybe the reason no one wanted me and everyone hated me was simply because I was me. Or maybe not. Let's go with the latter.
"You little shit! Where have you been hiding? With Xavier?" Torrez roared, quite literally. He stood with a scowl twisted on his face. Unnaturally dark eyes glaring so deeply I feared his eyeballs would fall out. His hair was a frantic black mess of curls and his tattoos were filled in with his daughter's wonky colouring. That's parenthood for you.
"No, no. I just happened to meet him here. I had no idea where he was. I thought you had already skinned him alive." Xavier backed away from me and the smirk never once left his face.
I looked to Landon. But he only stared at Torrez with raised eyebrows. There was no longer a chance of hiding the fact that I was a part of Torrez's pack. And there was no longer a chance of staying with Landon.
"Torrez," I said straining a smile, "Hey bro. Are Nyah and Zuri doing okay?" Mentioning his wife and kid was always a good move. He'd talk on an on about his family as if they were the only important ones in the world.
"Oddly enough, Zuri misses you," he said through his teeth, "But Nyah was upset that you ruined her baby shower by doing a strip tease and crashing the house. Upsetting my mate is the final straw Veryan, I'm going to murder you today."
I can barely even remember that evening. It was all a blurry shit show. The full moon was out and I was terribly horny, but my body refused to co-operate with my hands or the unfamiliar blonde girl who wandered to my side, and I was forced to make an appearance at this party for another one of Torrez's unborn demon spawns.
Nyah pleaded with me the entire week prior to attend, rubbing her bursting belly in hopes for my agreement. If only she wasn't hell bent on the idea of her being my only friend or Torrez scowling at me until I accepted, I would've just stayed in my room, wasting away another full moon; hating Landon's terrible face and then trying and failing to masturbate to said terrible face.
"Okay bro, I'm sorry that I messed up what you specifically told me not to mess up, but it won't happen again. I promise." I gave a cute hair tuck behind the ears and shifted my glasses hoping he'd cave in once more.
"No. No more chances Veryan. I spent my entire life giving you chances. We picked you up from the side of a street. We gave you our name. I called you my brother. It was my father's last wish for you to be cared for. But you always do crap and ruin something for us. You just ruin yourself. And I try to help you, but you just don't want to help yourself."
He's said that before. The words repeated every time I did something Torrez didn't seem to like. Every time I didn't live up to the image he created for me. The only thing he ever seemed to care about was upholding the pack's reputation.
"I never wanted to be picked up by you. And I never wanted your name. You never called me your brother. You never tried to help. All you did was send me away to that sadist Xavier and hoped I wouldn't be a problem anymore. But here I am. Your motherfucking problem!"
"I'm not a sadist anymore," Xavier interrupted.
Torrez ignored him, "Veryan you're being childish and I don't wanna hear it. Now come over here so I can snap your neck!"
He stalked towards me, his scowl growing. I closed my eyes, reveling in the magnified sting of the sun. The wolf inside me clawed and growled for me to thrash, to survive but I was tired of surviving; this had went on for long enough. My unlucky life was over.
The person who was the only family I had, had been trying to murder me since he knew about my existence. My mate was an asshole who didn't even have the decency to reject me. Every person I've encountered have ended up hating me in some way. And those that didn't come to hate me pitied me. They pitied me so much I began to pity myself.
The sun no longer stung my face. Had I entered heaven? There was no way I'd be sent there. The sins I have committed are too grave to be forgiven. No amount of groveling would get me on Santa's nice list.
I opened my eyes. Landon stood over me with his eyes boring into mine. Again, I was met with an undiscernible look. The glare he once wore was gone, all emotion wiped from his face. He only stared like he always did, but his eyes seemed to steady me.
"Why are you here? Out of territory." Torrez gritted out.
Landon tore his gaze away and turned to Torrez.
"None of your business," he said. His body shifted to cover mine. A personal shield.
I could sense Torrez rolling his eyes at the retort. He stepped closer. Landon stepped back, shielding me even more.
"What are you doing? Move, Landon."
"...No." Landon swallowed and clenched his jaw, stepping back once more, almost fully against me.
"What do you mean 'no'?" Torrez growled stomping towards us.
"I mean if you touch even one hair on Veryan's head I will be the one to give you the most brutal death." Malice oozed out of Landon's words like blood from the devil's eyes.
Torrez stopped in his tracks. My breathing picked up. No amount of oxygen seemed to be enough in this moment. My clothes felt like chains and the heat emanating off the concrete smothered me.
"What-what do you mean by that..." Torrez strayed off.
"It means dear Torrez, that little Landon has finally accepted Veryan darling to be his mate," Xavier chimed in, finally breaking his silence, "Isn't that right Landon?"
Something inside me so wanted to hear him say yes. Something inside wanted to be accepted. I wanted to know his true feelings for this man he does not know. But I blamed the emotions which were not my own for these wants I had.
Because I never seem to get what I want, I will blame something else for it being out of my grasp.
Because something inside me wanted him, I will always see him as out of my grasp.
Because, so badly, I wanted him.