-Alex-
I woke up the next morning with a throbbing head ache. Its name was Xavier. I felt him whining and growling at me. He wanted nothing more than to go to... her. Yes, maybe I did act like a complete ass to her, but dammit! What was I suppose to do. She ends up being a creature of the night, my parents don't tell me that I'm one too, and while I'm left in the dark, a hunter comes after us and I was almost killed. How was I supposed to react?
'Like an alpha,' Xavier snorted.
'Shut up. I'm not an alpha or any of that bull crap. And I'm still pissed at you for not telling me.'
He was quiet for a moment. But only just.
'I was waiting for your parents. They knew just as well as I that I was.'
'They didn't,' I snapped. 'And you knew they didn't. Now do me a favor and don't talk to me. I just need time to think.'
'And what are you going to do when you see Amber?'
I didn't respond. This left him even more agitated and I could feel him just leave.
He'll be back later.
I walked downstairs to find the kitchen quiet. Usually, my parents were still here, but I was still mad at them. They were mad at me for treating Amber like I did. So we were at a crossroads.
My parents...
They had explained everything to me. And, it came to be even more of a shocker then I had thought.
There are werewolves that live all over the world. There are a few vampires and other supernatural creatures, all like the folklore and grim tales that we knew. Unlike most myths, Werewolves are just humans that can transform into wolves that tend to be larger than your ordinary wolf. We -- I'm stuck with it now, that I can't change -- have what we call our inner wolf. It's that wild side of us, as well as that voice that helps most of us. Notice the keyword of "most" 'cause Xavier has been a pain in the ass since I've met Amber.
Of course, you'd know by now that they live in packs with the usual Alpha and Beta etc. Then my parents got on the topic of mates. Whatever anger I had must have visibly lessened as they went on, for they even tried smiling a little. Werewolves just like the wild one, mate for life. Some legends say that we have one true mate in this world and that our wolf will be drawn to them. That part is true. The part that isn't is the one where they could be anywhere. I think that the fates found a little bit of pity towards us, due to the fact that we've got a load of problems as it is. I say this because we usually find our mates within our geographical range. So someone wouldn't be living in like, California and their destined mate in Maine. No, try the so said wolf in California finding their mate in Oregon, or Nevada. That's as about as far as they would be.
Mate... that was something that struck me. Although I'd hate to say it, Xavier was right. It did explain a lot. A wolf's mate was like a soul mate. Without the other one, they wouldn't find a reason to live. To keep going. That mate to a wolf was their everything. My dad told me that once he heard of an alpha wolf that gave up his whole pack, and left, just because his mate had to leave. Apparently, that was a big deal in of itself.
The more they explained it, the more it made sense. At one point, I wanted nothing more than to hold Amber in my arms, and tell her that I was sorry.
Then I remembered how the day had been.
How I was the only one left in the dark.
Anyhow, it came from my mom's side. Unlike most werewolves, she couldn't shift into a wolf. She still had her inner wolf, but just not enough of the werewolf genes to change. She retold me the story of how my grandfather was adopted, and how he had the genetics of a werewolf. My grandmother, on the other hand, wasn't a werewolf. In fact, their mating was one of the few where he was a wolf, and she was a Hunter. Want irony? My dad was also a Hunter in his teen years. He stopped when he realized just what he was doing, but all the same, it did explain a lot.
Like the other night. The others didn't know why I didn't die or become fatally harmed when hit with a silver bullet. It turns out, that I was a complete mix of werewolf and Hunter blood. Hunters are either born or made by the outcome of events. Those that are born tend to have abilities that give them an upper hand against the abilities of a werewolf. Both my father and my grandmother were Hunter born.
So, I tend to be someone you don't see too often. My dad was telling me that I might have other abilities. The one we know of now is that not only am I immune to silver (unlike your average wolf) but I can also detoxify it from another wolf if they were ever harmed. But that would include being with another wolf sometime soon as well. Not what I considered being an option. At least, not at the moment.
So there you have it. My whole family history's involvement with werewolves and Hunters. I'm some mixed breed miracle as well as someone who's been left in the dark because of it all.
I was walking out the door when I spotted Jack leaning against my jeep.
"You knew?" I asked though it came out more as a statement.
He nodded, only just a little. "I did. I am one if that's what you wanted to know. And yes, I'm mad at you too."
I snorted. "Get in line. But I'll throw you a bone. Why are you mad?"
"First, I'm a wolf, not a dog. Second, I'm mad because of the way you treated your mate. I mean for fuck's sake, man! Here I am, seeing every other wolf around find their mate, only to not find my own. And I watch you treat yours like shit!"
"You weren't-"
"No, I was. I watch as you just storm past me and then turn down your mate."
"You were there?"
Jack let out a deep sigh. "Alex, you're still my best friend. When I heard of that incident with the Hunter and you getting shot, you can believe that I was there along with everyone else."
I rubbed my face in my hands. "Sorry, man... it's just been a hell ride...."
"I can understand that. I'm still mad at you about the way you treated Amber, but I'm still here for you. Lucky you."
"And why didn't you tell me?" I asked, ignorning the quip at the end.
He shrugged. "Your parents told me not to. And so did Amber."
"You listened to Amber?"
"It was the least I could do for her. I start dating and my girlfriend asks you a favor, would you do it?"
I hesitate and then nod.
"Plus," He continued, "I'm a part of her pack. She's the future Luna to my pack, so I didn't have a choice in the matter."
"Wait, Adam is the Alpha?" I asked, trying to connect the dots with what my parents told me last night.
Jack nodded. "Alpha Adam as some call him."
I just shook my head and got in my jeep. He hopped in the passenger side, and then looked at me.
"This... is all a lot to take in. And get used to." I told him.
"Understandable. We've grown up on it, while you've just been thrown into it. You'll get used to it... I hope."
"I just need some time."
He nodded again, and then looked ahead as I pulled out onto the street. "There is only one reason why I'm not that mad at you."
"And what's that?"
"Although you probably hurt Amber a lot more than you know, you didn't outright reject her."
"What do you mean, reject her?"
"It's something that happens occasionally, although it's quite stupid, really. It's when you say your name and then says you reject them as your mate. So, I might say, "I, Jack Alto, reject you, Sadie Kaine, as my mate." And that would stop you two from being mates. Although, the second party also has to say it."
I shook my head. "As awesome as that sounds, I have a sinking hunch that if I ever did that, I would start to die, and not just from Xavier."
"You would lose him first, your wolf. Then depending on how strong you are, you'd begin to slowly die, yes."
"You're kidding, right?"
"No," he deadpanned. "Knowing you, it would take you until you're about thirty-five, give or take. Knowing Amber, I'd give her until twenty-five."
"So soon?"
He scoffs. "As hard as she fell for you, well... let's just say I'm glad you didn't hear her the other night. Or last."
"What...?" I glanced at him for a second before turning my eyes back to the road. He was scrolling through his Twitter feed.
"She's lost you twice now. First, we thought you would be dead from the silver bullet, then you just walk out on her like that."
"Can we please stop talking about this?" I ask. "I still don't know what I feel towards her, and to top it off, knowing some of this stuff is just complicating everything."
"She's still the same girl you fell for last week."
I growled at him. "Maybe or maybe not. Hell, I don't even know who I am anymore!"
Jack stuck his phone in his pocket and crossed his arms. "Fine. I'll drop it. Good luck when you see her today."
Shit.
<*>
Something I noticed when I walked into school. Well, I noticed this after the other night, but now I'm really seeing it. I can tell who in the hallways is human, while who isn't. I'm surprised that it's pretty even. Something else I noticed, was that as I walk towards my locker, everyone acts like the way I saw some of the wolves act towards Adam. Respect, as well as admiration. The rest? Well, let's just say that rumor got around about how I treated Amber.
It hurt, even more, when I reached my locker. I hadn't noticed before, but Amber's locker was only one away from mine. It seemed that the fates were against me today as well, for no one used that locker. For or against me, the fates will ever be. Never just one.
I keep focused on grabbing my textbooks when she opens her. Xavier takes over for just a moment before I can stop him. At that moment, he glanced over at her.
She has the hood on her pale-blue hoodie pulled up, and underneath I can see that she doesn't look the best. Who am I kidding, she looked like shit. Her eyes were swollen and red, while her lips look like they've been turned into a permanent frown. Hell, it even looked like she was still crying.
I hated seeing her like that. It pissed me off even more so knowing that I was the cause of it. I nearly gave in, turning to her. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, really. Before I got the chance, she slammed her locker and ran off.
I looked at my schedule, which I kept taped to the inside of my locker and sighed. I only had one class without her today. Great, just great.
This was going to be a long day.