Zayn marched through the corridor and down the
stairs. Members of his pack pressed themselves
into the wall as he stormed by. Zayn had trained
with the pack that morning, instead of by himself, for the first time in months.
Niall was his training buddy and had pushed him
hard. Jaiden didn't show, and apparently, he
hadn't shown up to training for a few weeks. That
was yet another reason for Zayn to make him step down from his Beta duties.
Zayn might not have trained with his pack, but
he was still training on his own, as wolves do on
occasion. Jaiden was sleeping in because nobody called him out on it without Zayn around.
I wonder what else Jaiden has been up to without me watching over him.
Zayn's shoulders were stiff, and his legs were a little sore. Zayn was grumpy because he was away from his mate and couldn't find an earlier opportunity to wait outside Ethdellin Town College.
His mother was already in the canteen when Zayn entered. The chatter died down, and everyone stood quickly to bow. Zayn wanted to reverse back through the door. Instead, he gritted his teeth and continued his way to the table.
Solana watched with a smile as he sat opposite.
"Good afternoon."
Zayn greeted her with a glance. As he looked to the pasta and salad that his mother had gotten for him, his heart panged with nerves. He thought about Liam all morning and how the time was approaching for him to tell everyone about his human mate. Zayn didn't know how his mother would react.
He assumed she would at least pretend she was
okay with it on the surface, but the way she acted
so publicly about Baela, Zayn wasn't sure if his
mother would keep his best interests in mind.
"I noticed you were training with Niall this morning. He pushed you hard," Solana said, stirring her tea.
Zayn's eyes were drawn to her mate ring, glittering against the bright lights above. A sudden lump formed in his throat. Zayn quickly filled his mouth with food, so he didn't have to talk, but that didn't stop his mother from making conversation.
"l also noticed the key to your father's office has
gone from my room. Did you take it?"
Zayn nodded without looking up from his bowl.
"Did you have a look in the office?"
Zayn shook his head to say no. He couldn't yet find the courage.
"Will you?"
Zayn shrugged.
"Well, if you do, can you get me so that we can looke together?"
Zayn, being his prickly self, wanted to say
something to stir an argument. He didn't know
where that annoying trait came from, or why he
was so eager to anger everyone until they stopped pestering him.
"Yeah," he grumbled, thinking of Liam. If he's going to one day love me, he won't love this version of me.
"The annual meeting is this Saturday. Your uncle
finally stopped throwing a fit about your cousin's
human soulmate." Solana pulled her long grey
hair over one shoulder.
Zayn felt her brown eyes watching his every move. "Took him long enough," he mumbled.
"Yeah, poor Louis. I bet he's reluctant to bring his mate. He'll feel so out of place, being the only
human."
Not if I bring Liam. Zayn wanted to smirk at the
idea. Bringing his secret human mate to an annual meeting would surely cause quite the stir. Zayn then thought about how embarrassed his mother would feel if she found out at the same time as everyone else.
Zayn knew he had to tell her about Liam first, but
how? And when?
"Anyway, I've picked an outfit for you, I think-"
Zayn coughed when unchewed pasta slipped down his throat.
"Don't worry. It's all black and pretty casual."
Zayn was often thankful that his mother knew him well, except for the times when she picked apart his faults. "Could've let me do it myself" he said, stabbing his cucumber with a fork.
"You have a lot on your mind." The way Solana
laced her fingers and spun her thumbs around was a sign that Zayn bothered her.
Zayn bothered himself. Still, he continued to push people's buttons. "Have you seen Baela today?" he asked.
His mother's dark brows twitched. "No. Why?"
"Next time you do, apologise for spreading
rumours about her."
Solana sighed. "Zayn-"
"No, listen." Zayn leaned forwards. "Baela is not
my mate," he growled. His dark eyes scanned the
tables closest to them. He couldn't tell her his
plans of making Baela his Beta, not with so many open ears.
"Then why are you spending so much time with
her?" his mother challenged.
"Because she's my friend." Zayn didn't expect to
give her such an honest answer. The truth feels
good.
Solana sat back in her chair. "A friend?"
"What? Am I not allowed friends? Oh, wait, I'm not allowed Omega friends? Is that it?"
"I didn't say that, I'm just surprised. You've never
admitted to having a friend before.!"
"I'm not twelve."
"No, you're nineteen, and need people in your
life who you can hang out with and trust." Solana
paused, tightened her jaw, and said, "If Baela is
someone you can trust, then good. You deserve
friends."
Zayn pushed his bowl aside. His mother wasn't
as critical as usual. Should I tell her about Liam?
Zayn stared hard enough for his mother to frown.
"Follow me. I have to tell you something" Zayn
walked from the canteen without looking back.
He heard quick footsteps following his long strides.
"Tell me what? Is this about Jaiden?" Solana
asked.
"No." Zayn stopped outside the ground floor
meeting room. The dark wood doors had windows, so he could tell if it were empty or not.
"About Baela?"
"No. It's about something else." Zayn lead her
inside the large room. His nerves gnawed at his
heart when he turned to see her watching with
the same curiosity that he saw in Liam every day.
Zayn caught his thoughts before they drifted to the memories of Liam's deep eyes.
Zayn, calm and collected on the surface, leant
against the wall by the window and crossed his
arms. His default glare never altered.
He didn't know where to begin but being blunt
and straight to the point was sometimes useful.
Zayn didn't believe in sugar-coating situations. If
something had to be said or done that would hurt
someone else, he charged full force without a glint of remorse.
Well, until he met Liam.
Zayn cleared his throat and said, "I-"
The door to the meeting room opened, and a
flushed Jaiden entered. His face was red from
fury. Zayn saw the anger in his curled mouth and
clenching fists.
"Alpha, I must speak to you," Jaiden said, his voice laced with bitterness.
Solana stared blankly at the scar-faced man. Her
existence seemed oblivious to him. Solana's days
had been interrupted by Jaiden one time too
many.
"We are busy" she said, coating her words with a greater dollop of hostility.
"Sorry, but what I've got to discuss with the Alpha
can't wait."
Solana turned her back to Jaiden to stare at her
Son.
Zayn saw her eye roll, and his eyes gleamed with
mild amusement.
"We can talk tonight, Zayn." Solana left the room
with an irritated stiffness to her steps.
When Zayn and Jaiden were alone, Jaiden pointed a stern finger at his Alpha. "You're getting rid of me," he accused.
Zayn, surprised that Jaiden found out, didn't move a single muscle. "Who told you?"
"You said that I'm not your Beta anymore."
Zayn, with his deep monotone voice, asked again, "Who told you?"
"Does it matter?" Jaiden yelled and gripped the
top of one of the many chairs pushed in around the table. "Do you know how embarrassing it is to hear from other werewolves of the same pack that the Alpha is looking for a new Beta wolf?"
Zayn stopped leaning against the wall. His glare
only deepened, his eyes only darkened. "I spoke to my mother about my concerns. Nobody else. Don't stand there and act like I was talking about you to stir shit."
"It was Baela who told me." Jaiden crossed his
arms and settled his stare a little too confidently.
Zayn froze like a wolf nearing its prey. If he were in his wolf form, his hackles would be up, his claws out, and his teeth bared.
"Baela doesn't know about this." Zayn stepped closer, his eyes mixing between red and brown. Jaiden backed away.
"How dare you lie right to my face," he growled.
Zayn's wrath was not to be provoked.
"Baela is just an Omega. If she's not your mate,
then why the hell are you with her all the time? You don't know that she doesn't spill all your secrets behind your back."
"She doesn't!" Zayn yelled, leaping forwards
and watching with satisfaction as Jaiden almost
tripped, trying to scurry away.
"Lying like this will get you kicked out of the pack, I hope you know that." Zayn's hands were tight fists of raging resentment. He stalked forward, and Jaiden pinned his back to the wall.
Zayn didn't know what his father saw in Jordan.
Maybe he felt compelled to keep him as Beta
because Jaiden almost lost his life to save Zayn's
father. Jaiden had three thick scars on his face to
prove his loyalty.
"You think she doesn't spill your secrets?" Jaiden
dared to speak, even with his Alpha glaring coldly, ready to burst at any moment.
"Baela is loyal to her Alpha, unlike you, a pathetic excuse for a Beta." Zayn didn't like to be challenged. He wouldn't allow anyone to bad-mouth his friend, either.
"Oh yeah?" Jaiden sneered, puffing out his chest
and squaring up to his callous Alpha. Jaiden's evil
smirk bent out of shape as he said, "Then how do I know about your little Liam Payne?"