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 something, that was everything.

We’d wait till she was ready.

Baby step.

I’d received a message 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 mentally prepared to talk to Marcus at all because it had been too long since both of us had the same view or idea, and I could already dread how today would go.

But my mother had called and pleaded with me to come home, guilt-tripping me to come see her because it had been so long since she saw her little pup which made me 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 helmet.

I was an abnormality as the alpha’s son, my future had been planned out for me with pack and family business but I wanted something else. I’d liked hockey since I was young, riding motorbikes even when my father stared me 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 became an adult we’d been clashing, my streak of dominance was clashing with Marcus’s so badly that it was my mother who always seemed to appease us.

The Winters’ mansion was as grand as I remembered while growing up as I parked my bike outside and removed my helmet while walking inside. I inhaled deeply looking at the mahogany door, trying to remember the scent of my mate which could calm me down through today because I knew Marcus would want to say something 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 met with a pacing Marcus and immediately I could feel irritation crawling into me. Marcus released a disapproving scoff as he stared at me in my full bike outfit with me clutching the helmet 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 me with her small frame and hugged me 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 me 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 me, she pulled me to the table and made me sit down as she set a tray in front of me.

"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 me before I could finish.

"Stop wasting time doing something not beneficial for the pack," he muttered in disdain and I had to mentally 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. Time to stop playing games," Marcus continued while cutting into his steak with precise movements. "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 meeting 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 metal fork literally bent in my fist.

Marcus glared at me 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 time 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 me. "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 came 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 mere thought of it filled me with immense pain that nearly choked me.

My father had crossed the line by telling me to reject my mate, the only one the Goddess gave to me specifically. How dare he?