Chapter 18 - This human gIrl
Jude
I was grinning as I dressed for dinner, my wolf purring happily in the background because of what happened last night. Our mate didn’t reject us, she semi-accepted us and that was sothing, that was everything.
We’d wait till she was ready.
Baby step.
I’d received a ssage from my father this morning and the thought of seeing Marcus today wanted to dampen my mood but I wouldn’t allow that. I wasn’t ntally prepared to talk to Marcus at all because it had been too long since both of us had the sa view or idea, and I could already dread how today would go.
But my mother had called and pleaded with to co ho, guilt-tripping to co see her because it had been so long since she saw her little pup which made roll my eyes.
I knew my mum wanted to know more about my mate and I was very sure that Maya would have already given mum everything she needed. I rubbed my jaw as I picked up my helt.
I was an abnormality as the alpha’s son, my future had been planned out for with pack and family business but I wanted sothing else. I’d liked hockey since I was young, riding motorbikes even when my father stared down but I didn’t care. I loved it and I wanted to do it, to be myself instead of what Marcus demanded.
I nudged my best friend River who had sprawled on my bed and shook my head before walking out of the dorm room. Although the town was small and the university was closer to my family’s house, I still preferred to stay at the dorm because of my father. Since I beca an adult we’d been clashing, my streak of dominance was clashing with Marcus’s so badly that it was my mother who always seed to appease us.
The Winters’ mansion was as grand as I rembered while growing up as I parked my bike outside and removed my helt while walking inside. I inhaled deeply looking at the mahogany door, trying to rember the scent of my mate which could calm down through today because I knew Marcus would want to say sothing I wouldn’t agree on.
That man needed a chill pill and he was a fucking old traditional bastard.
As I opened the door and walked in expecting to see my mother, I was t with a pacing Marcus and imdiately I could feel irritation crawling into . Marcus released a disapproving scoff as he stared at in my full bike outfit with clutching the helt and turned toward the dining room where Elena was setting the table. I looked around but couldn’t find Maya and shrugged, then a smile made its way to my lips when I saw my mother.
"Mom," I called and Elena paused with what she was doing and her eyes twinkled with happiness. She ran to with her small fra and hugged tight, and I bent down a little to hug her back.
"My son," she said softly while rubbing her nose on my nape to scent and I released my scent to inhale my mother’s comfort and my wolf nodded in approval. I caught Marcus’s eyes who turned away from the display and I didn’t care.
Marcus was a sour soul.
When Elena released , she pulled to the table and made sit down as she set a tray in front of .
"Look how thin you are," she cooed while putting all the beef on my plate and I smiled at her fussing.
"Mom, it’s training—" but Marcus interrupted before I could finish.
"Stop wasting ti doing sothing not beneficial for the pack," he muttered in disdain and I had to ntally pinch my nose to stop from giving Marcus a reaction, and I could feel the disapproval and authority radiating from my father which was putting my wolf on edge to return the dominance.
I gripped my fork tighter and focused on my plate, trying to breathe through the tension building in my chest.
"You’re twenty-two now, Jude. Ti to stop playing gas," Marcus continued while cutting into his steak with precise movents. "The pack needs leadership, not an alpha who wastes his potential chasing a puck around ice."
"Hockey isn’t a waste," I said through gritted teeth while my wolf growled low in my mind.
"It’s a distraction," Marcus countered coldly. "And I heard your mate is back in town. Why isn’t she here eting the pack? Why haven’t you brought her to us yet?"
I scraped my knife across the plate which made a screech sound that made Elena wince, and I gripped the handle tighter until the tal fork literally bent in my fist.
Marcus glared at but continued his long stern talk as usual. "The pack is growing restless, your place as the future alpha can’t be neglected anymore and you’re spending too much ti away from responsibilities. You need to introduce your mate to pack tradition, begin her integration process—"
"She doesn’t know yet," I ground out while feeling my fangs elongating, I was holding back so hard my jaw ached.
"Then tell her," Marcus countered dismissively. "She needs to understand what she’s getting into, what you are, what this pack requires of its future Luna. And if she can’t handle it, if she won’t accept—"
I dropped my utensil which made a loud clank on the table and stared at Marcus as tension escalated between us, the air crackling with competing dominance.
Marcus leaned forward slightly, his alpha authority pressing against . "I’m saying if this human girl can’t fulfill her duties to this pack, if she’s too weak or too scared or too human to stand beside you, then you need to consider—"
"Consider what?" My voice ca out dangerously quiet.
"Or you can reject her—"
Marcus wasn’t able to finish his words before a loud snarl, a dangerous snarl erupted from my chest as my eyes flashed golden and my fist clenched on the table to stop myself from jumping across it. My wolf was growling viciously, wanting to hurt any threat to our mate, and the suggestion that I should reject our joy, even the re thought of it filled with imnse pain that nearly choked .
My father had crossed the line by telling to reject my mate, the only one the Goddess gave to specifically. How dare he?
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