Chapter 3 - Two can play this game

It has been a few months since we arrived at the Great Falls pack. My fifteenth birthday has passed and so has Cathy’s twelfth. Kevin has a couple of weeks left before his turn is up. He has found his place, besides Cathy, he has made several friends among the warrior children. He’s a whole new kid, the anxious nervous clingy guy is gone. His self-confidence is strong, especially when he gets to impress his friends at training. If he got a cut or bruise now, he proudly showed it off, unlike before when he hid them in shame. Kevin has been practicing parkour since he learned to run. I used to bring him to my own training to get him away from our father...my father. It wasn’t long before he started mimicking me so I encouraged him and he proved to be a real talent in most physical activities he took up. Besides dancing..he really sucks at dancing.

We’ve both started school again, the Alpha thinks it’s important and for Kevin, I can only agree, for my own sake I’d rather not. Unlike Kevin, I don’t have many friends, basically none. There are a couple of guys, Reece and David, they’re cool but they’re no one I hang out with other than a little chat now and then. They say that everyone can feel my Alpha blood and to associate with me would be to betray their future Alpha… Callum… He is Cathy’s older brother. I haven’t met him but everyone talks about him with love and respect and what a great Alpha he will be when it’s his turn to take over. I’ve almost started imagining him as some kind of Messiah. Long-haired and smiling, wearing a white robe he walks among his praying pack members. Apparently he left for his Alpha training just before we arrived so that’s the image I have to live with until he returns, if we’re still around then... I have gotten into quite a few fights, Reece and Daniel are usually there and break them up before anything serious happens..not to me but to someone else. Again, I am told that it is my Alpha blood that causes it. Not that I’m complaining, but if I get home with a bruise or a chapped lip before it heals, I usually get extra attention from Cathy. Today is one of those days.

“Why can’t you just stay away from them?” She asks while holding an ice pack to my half-healed eyebrow.

“Why should I? I’m not the one to start and I’m not going to back away with my tail between my legs either.” And I would miss this extra time with you..I think to myself as I look into her blue eyes.

“Fine, but can you at least go easy on Mike?”

“Mike? Why?” I loathe that guy, he’s the worst of them all. Quite big for his rank, good at sports and popular with the girls.

“Because he is my mate, or I hope he is, I don’t know until I get my wolf and maybe not even then, I may have to wait until she has matured properly. At least that’s what Mom says. I used to pray to the moon goddess to give him to me and I think she listens because he is always so kind to me, as if he knows I am his mate and is just waiting for me. Wouldn’t that be romantic? I know we would make a beautiful couple and have lots of beautiful puppies.” She babbles again and with every word she says I get more irritated and a dull pain spreads in my chest. I push her hand with the ice pack away and stand up.

“As if you know anything about love and relationships, you’re just a little pup! A spoiled pup who thinks everything is like in fairy tales! You are the princess in her beautiful castle waiting for the prince to come and sweep you away with ballads about love. If I had had such a childish mate, I would have rejected her...Pathetic! You are pathetic! Grow the hell up!” I have never raised my voice to her before and her eyes fill with tears as fast as the color leaves her cheeks. When I see her lower lip trembling, I can’t take it anymore and instead of saying how sorry I am, I run out the kitchen door.

I let Argus run for hours, he was as annoyed as I was by Cathy’s declaration of love for Mike. It has been a while since we understood that she is ours. Apparently, the crap our family has been through wasn’t enough for the Moon Goddess, no she wasn’t satisfied, she wanted to make us suffer some more.. make me suffer, by showing me my mate long before I can even do anything about it...I don’t even know if I can reject her before she has her wolf…that would be a solution in that case. Reject her and leave Great Falls. Me and Kevin can do what we talked about, live like rogues. The rogue brothers!

I open the front door carefully, not to wake anyone when I return and cautiously walk up to our room. We have our room on the second floor and I stop for a moment on the landing and look up at the third. I could go up and apologize..nah, she’s probably sleeping and with her active brain she’s probably forgotten what happened anyway..she’ll be as usual at breakfast tomorrow..I’m sure of it.

“Where have you been? It’s been absolutely crazy here!” Kevin sits up in his bed when I enter our room.

“Argus needed to run..what do you mean? What happened?” I answered while taking off my shoes.

“I don’t know but Cathy was completely inconsolable. I heard the Alpha couple talking and apparently she hasn’t cried this much since she had colic as a pup. They even brought the doctor here but he couldn’t find anything wrong with her..she just held her chest and cried..for hours until she fell asleep”

I fell down on my bed and felt like crap..how could I do that to her? Or had something else happened after I left?

“I’m sure she feels better in the morning..maybe one of her imaginary friends died.” I hear my voice and it comes out sour..what is wrong with me? I don’t want to be angry with her or mean to her...I hate the idea of her not being happy...

“That was not a nice thing to say James” Kevin settles back into bed and turns his back to me. I sigh and can only silently agree with him.

Greta, the lead omega is in the middle of frying pancakes when we enter the kitchen. I don’t like sitting with the rest of the pack in the dining room and Kevin keeps me company, Cathy usually does too.

“Can I watch you train today?” Kevin asks while stuffing his mouth with the golden delicacy. He is so fascinated that I got to start training with the adults, often you get to stay in the youth group for a couple more years, but there are a few of us who have already been moved up, probably because of our size and physique.

“Sure, of course. If it doesn’t interfere with anything else you are supposed to do”.

“Ah! Good morning sweetie!” Greta says and we both look at the door. Cathy comes in. She is not smiling and she looks tired with dark puffy shadows under her eyes. She sits down at the table without looking at any of us.

“Hey, Cathy..are you okay?” Kevin asks trying to get her attention.

“Yeah..I’m perfectly fine Kevin” she says and gives him a smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Here are your pancakes sweetie, do you want me to draw the smiley face and wig on as usual?” Greta asks, ready with the tube of jam in hand.

“NO!” Greta's face fall and she lets go of the jam when Cathy’s voice comes out harsh instead of chirping as usual.

“Oh, okay..you usually want them that way.” Greta tried

“Well, I don’t anymore. I’m not a pathetic pup!” She looks at me as she says the last two words and I see the pain I cost her.

“Cathy..I didn’t mean it like that.” She just glared at me without answering before she stood up and walked out.

“James, what did you do?” Kevin ask

“Not now Kevin!” I say and leave the table to follow her.

I catch up with her on the large lawn between the house and the training ground

“Cathy..please, can you please stop!” I yell, and finally, she does.

“WHAT?”

“Please listen to me...I’m sorry...I should never have said those things to you”

“So why did you?”

“It’s hard to explain..you are still a kid, you will understand when you get older” I bite my tongue for saying that.

“Oh, so we are back to me being a pup again..not only am I pathetic but apparently I am also stupid!”

“Hey, Cathy! Are you here to watch me train?” Mikes's voice behind me interrupts us and I feel my blood start to boil.

“ I’m thinking about it, but it is such a long walk..” she giggles and pout a little, What the fuck? When did she learn to do that?

“Come, I’ll carry you!” Mike says and walks up to her, scooping her up in his arms bridal style. I stand and watch them as they go. He sits her down on one of the benches next to the exercise area and ruffles her hair before jogging off.

Fine, two can play this game..if she wants to play a big girl maybe I should remind her how young she is. I snarl quietly and then try to shake off my anger while jogging down to the others. Most guys might not like me or keep their distance because of Callum...but the girls, that’s a whole different matter. Girls as old as eighteen, twenty, have flirted with me constantly since I got here. Right now, a group from our year group is sitting on the grass waiting for training to start. I slow down and take off my t-shirt while passing them, earning myself a few whistles and giggles.

I went a little extra during practice and made sure to flex my muscles in front of the girls more than usual. Mike noticed and started to look annoyed, he was used to being the center of their attention. I’m lucky enough to have him as a partner during a sparring session, I know I’m taking him without effort but I can’t help but take the opportunity to let out some aggression.

“You looked really good today James” Krissy, one of the girls says as they come up to me after the training is over.

“What about me sugar?” Again I hear Mike behind me and I roll my eyes slightly exaggerating towards Krissy, making her giggle.

“I thought you looked good Mike!” Cathy is joining our little group.

“So girls, who is up for letting our wolves out for a run? I give you a head start..” I flirted with the girls and everybody clapped their hands at my suggestion.

“Hey, I can go for a run” Mike tried so I turned to him.

“Shouldn’t you be staying with your...girlfriend? I’m sure she would have liked to come, but you have to be old enough to have a wolf.” I let my gaze wander numbly between the two of them, enjoying seeing the simmering irritation Mike was trying to hide. However, I did not enjoy Cathy’s expression, not in the least.

I took off with the girls feeling like a real asshole.