Branson Williams
There's only a short list of things I hate, number one, my sister's best friend.
Noah Everret.
He fucking sucks. Not only is he a total buzz kill, he's bossy and moody. I swear he sucks the life out of everything. Or maybe he just wants to ruin my life. Who knows.
"Bran come on, you know he's right" my sister, Layla says. We just got to this party thirty minutes ago, and Noah talked her into leaving. Already. Like I said, he sucks.
"Dad, don't care," I tell her, because they won't. Well, dad will. Pops won't. I have two days, well we do. Dad worries about everything. Pops doesn't, but he does whatever dad says. They're in love, and perfect mates. At least to us.
"Bran come on, dont pull this shit. You know they'll kill me if we leave you here" Layla says, and she's right. But they will also kill me for not going with them. My shoulders slump.
"I see you tomorrow, first day of school" I nod to my best friend, Dylan.
"See ya man" he responds. Dylan and I have been best friends for a little over 6 years.
I follow Layla through the crowded hallway, and to the front door. Where the Noah Everet stands. His dirty blonde hair falls over his forehead, and he has his bitch face on. His blue eyes, which would be attractive if they weren't attached to him, land on me. They narrow. Instantly.
"What took so long?" he asks, and Layla loops her arm with his.
"Don't worry. We're ready"
We all thought they'd be mates, but their 18th birthdays came, and well they weren't. Noah's parents were best friends growing up, and are mates. They kinda expected the same for him I guess.
We make our way to Noah's truck, I climb in the back. Sulking immediately. Because tonight was supposed to be fun, before I start my senior year.
Noah and Lay are a year above me, they graduated last year. Now they're getting ready to slip into their roles in this pack. Which means finding their mates, first.
The drive to our house is short, sadly. We pull up, and I get out. I make my way into the familiar house, Layla and Noah following.
"You guys are home early" Dad says, and I make my way into the living room plopping down beside him.
"Because they suck" I grumble, dad scoots over nudging my arm.
"Don't be rude," he says. Dad, or Zeke, isn't a wolf, like Pops. It's still rare to this day, but he was a human mate, and got introduced to all this stuff that is our normal. He also got pregnant, with all three of us. Layla, Me, and Alexander. Lay is 19, and Xander is 15.
"What's wrong?" Pops says, coming down the stairs in his sweats. He has dark skin, and black hair. While dad is pale, and blonde as ever. I get my hair from Pops, but my eyes are a mix of both of them.
Layla is more on the paler side, but has brown hair. As does Xander, but he has the same eyes as me, while Lay has brown eyes.
We're a good mix of our parents, that's for sure.
"He's throwing a fit because we wanted to leave the party" Layla says, and Pops shakes his head, coming over and sitting on the other side of his mate.
"It's his senior year," Dad says, cutting Pops off. "He just wanted to have fun" he gives me a small smile, his dimple popping out slightly. Xan has them too.
"Thanks dad" I lean over, resting my head on his shoulder. We all have different bonds with our parents, but dad and I seem to be closer than Pops and I. I know they both love us all equally and blah blah.
"You're just saying that because he's your favorite" Layla pouts, walking through the living room sitting on the loveseat. Noah follows, sitting beside her and my eyes narrow.
"Why are you still here?" I ask, and his spine straightens.
"Pops" Lay says
"Dad," I whine.
"Enough" Pops says, his eyes flickering between us. "You guys gotta stop this" he shakes his head.
Lay and I get along the best.
But we fight the worst.
"Sorry" we mumble in unison.
"Thank you." Dad says.
"Where's Xan?" Lay asks.
"He's with his friends" Dad answers "What are you guys doing? We are going to watch a movie"
"Alone" Pops says, earning him a hit to the arm from dad.
"As much as I'd love to sit and witness you guys flirt, Noah and I are gonna go upstairs" Lay says, and they get up heading upstairs.
Groaning, I turn toward my parents. "Why do you let him in this house?" I whine.
"Because he's going to be our alpha, because he's my best friend's kid, because he's a good kid. Should I go on?" dad says.
"Yeah yeah i got it" i push off the couch, and make my way upstairs. Down the hall, and past Lay's room to go to my own.
I push open the door, shutting it with my foot. I plop down on my bed, staring at my ceiling. My plans for the night got ruined, I don't know what else I'm supposed to do.
—-
Pops leads training the next day, and it is brutal. It always is though. Rumors are Pops trains so hard, and so brutal because dad is human. Which is so adorable, but gross sense it's my parents, yano?
I tug off my shirt, tossing it aside with the others. "Noah, Bran come on" Pops says, and I internally want to scream.
I step up, we're in the pack house gym today. Practice fighting, the best. Not really. I like to be in my wolf, or running.
Noah is also shirtless, his hair sticking to his forehead from the workout. He's a good 3-4 inches taller than me, but we're built about the same.
I may also train hard too, since my dad is human. And I'd kill someone if anything happened to him.
Anyways, we get in position. Pops count us in, and then we're circling each other. This bitch won't make the first move, so I have too. I go to tackle him, sense the goal is to pin him to the floor.
Although I know it's not that easy, he will be the Alpha, he trains just as hard as me. If not harder. He dodges my first attempt, but my second comes a lot quicker. I'm able to grab him, and I try to kick his foot out, but he gets mine instead.
We fall to the floor, and wrestle on who has who pinned down. I think I have the upper hand, and then I end up on my stomach, face pressed against the mat.
He holds me there, and I relax slightly. He loses his hold, and I move into action. I have him pinned down, his back to the mat and my knees keeping his elbows down.
Pops count to three, and Noah can't get out in time.
"Good job Brain" Pops says, a small smirk on his lips.
I stand, letting go of Noah, he's on his feet, growling and in my face. "You cheated," he snaps.
"No, I'm just smart" I snapped back, stepping into him. But that doesn't matter, because he's shoving me, and then I'm hitting a wall.
"No, you just always fucking play dirty" his eyes are dark. I straighten my spine, not backing down. Ever.
"No you're just a moron" I snapped, my voice dripping in venom.
"Oh fuck yo-"
"Enough" Pop's voice is hard, and it makes Noah step away from me.
"Sorry Peyton" he says instantly, and I just now notice the gym has cleared out. Everyone instantly tries to get as far as possible from us when we start fighting.
"This is getting old, and not just for me. You both need to get it together, and stop this nonsense" Pops tone leaves no room for argument. "Apologize to each other" he snaps.
"Sorry Branson" Noah say's first, his eyes narrowed on me.
"Sorry" I mumble, and when he turns to leave I flip him off. But pops sees, and his eyes narrow on me.
Once Noah leaves the room, pops steps closer to me.
"You gotta stop this kid, once he's alpha it'll only get worse"
"I didn't even start it that time"
"I know bud, be the bigger person" Pops says, clapping my shoulder. "Go get ready for school, dad will worry if you're not home soon"
He's right. Dad will.
"Thanks Pops" I nod, walking over to my shirt. I pull it on, and make my way out of the gym. Lay is standing there, with a small smile on her face.
"You kicked ass baby bro" she nudges me with her shoulder, and I nod.
"I know, where's Xand? He wasn't in there '' I tilt my head to the gym, and Lay shrugs.
"Dad says he's struggling again" she chews her lip.
Xan is a lot like dad, and gets a lot from dad. Including his depression and anxiety. He also is bipolar, and he can't manage when he stops his meds, which he does a lot. Some people with Bipolar can be off meds.
Not our little brother though. "Did he stop his meds again?" I ask, as we make our way out of the pack house and towards our home.
"Dad wouldn't say, he said not to worry"
"That's what he said last time" I mumble, and she gives me a weak smile. Last time, it ended with Xan locked away.
"He's tough, he will get through it"
We walk into the house, dad and Xan are standing in the living room, that's to the right. Xan glances over, body tense.
"Hey man" I say, glancing at dad.
"Hey" Xan answers, his voice quiet. He's more on the shy side, but I think a lot of it has to do with his anxiety.
"Go get ready for school. I don't want you to be late" dad says, as he makes his way to the kitchen. I shrug, and head upstairs.
I go to my shared bathroom with my siblings, taking a quick shower and getting dressed. It's a little warm today, so I stick with shorts and a t-shirt. I make my way downstairs, a shoe flying past my head and hitting the door.
"Zeke" Pop growls, making his way to where the shoe came from.
My house is chaotic. Dad throws shoes, a lot. Mainly because Pops will piss him off. I make my way to the kitchen, seeing the gross scene of my parents kissing.
Something about your parents being intimate is gross. But I guess I had to come into this world somehow.
"I'm trying to eat" Xan grumbles, I guess he's in a good mood today. Pops pulls away, and dad plates food for me, handing me it.
"Eat babe, you gotta take Xan to school today"
"He's going?" I ask, shoving food in my mouth.
"I'm right here" he mumbles,
"Sorry, you're going?"
"Yeah, Sarah says I should try to. Might help" Sarah is his therapist, and has been since he was 10 and started showing signs of depression.
"Cool man, if you need me I'm a link away" I eat quickly, mainly because I don't have a lot of time until we have to leave.