Chapter 16

She's My Mate

*************Blake POV***********

I'm standing in class, staring at Luna and Nero together, and my entire mind is blank.

Should I get mad? Is there a reason for me to get angry? Even though I bare his mark, he is not mine to claim, so is there even any use to make an issue of them being together?

Yet, it still hurt, more than I wanted to admit, more than I would allow myself to feel.

"Sister," I replied, giving Luna a stiff smile, even though my heart felt like it was trapped in a thorn bush.

Staring into my eyes, Luna rushed towards me, grabbed my hand, and said, "Blake, you should not be here. You know what it means to be a rogue in this park. You are going to get yourself killed if you don't leave."

The deception in every word that she just uttered made me feel simply grossed out.  Since we were little, Luna hated me with every bone in her body, and my death, I believe, will be something she would enjoy.

So whatever she said just now, felt more of an insult. Like, how stupid does she think I am?

"Just because I am a rogue, that doesn't mean I should forfeit getting my degree. I have endured all the bullying and pain to reach this stage. Won't it be cowardly of me to not finish?" I calmly said.

Taking my right hand in hers, Luna pouted and said, "But sister father"

"I know how much you are worried about me, little sister. But trust me, I can take care of myself." I said, slowly pulling my hands out of her grip.

Then I patted her on the head and said, "Don't worry, big sister is old enough to handle her life. You don't have to stress yourself out about my life."

If she was going to make me uneasy with her phony concern, I didn't plan on being the only one uncomfortable.

Even though she kept the smile on her face, I could see it in her eyes that she was irritated by my affection towards her.

After giving me a fake smile, she walked over to Nero, hugged onto his arms, and said, "Sis, I know that you already know Nero as your instructor. But I would like to introduce you to him as my mate."

Unable to control my emotion, I burst into laughter, genuinely thinking she was kidding, or it was some kind of a bad joke.

But when neither Nero nor Luna smiled, reality started to hit me, and not in a good way.

Yet, I faintly chuckled out the discomfort I felt and sarcastically said, "I have been gone a few days, and you already have a mate?"

"Yes. I know it's still soon because we met a few days back. But mom and dad have already met him, and he and I feel the connection of our bond." Luna said with a prideful smile on her lips as she looked up at Nero like some lovesick puppy.

It felt as though I forgot how to feel when I looked away from Luna and stared into Nero's eyes.

I took a long look at him, hoping he would deny it and say something different. But when he didn't, I calmly asked, "You and her"

"Yes, Luna is my mate," Nero said with not a single emotion in his eyes.

"You must be kidding me." Jason scoffed, and I turned around to gaze at him.

From the look of anger in his eyes, it was clear that he didn't know about this, and the fact that Nero hid this from him made me curious as to why he did.

"Who are you?! I don't remember catching a glimpse of a person like you around here" Luna uttered, her voice a bit sharp.

"I'm someone who is none of your business to worry about!" Jason said, matching the exact energy she gave him.

If it was any other time, I would have smiled at how freaking good his reply was. But not today because I felt completely numb.

Focusing back on Nero, I studied his gaze, hoping that his eyes would tell me something, something less more painful than what I just heard. But he said nothing, looking at me with a casual expression, and I hated it because that meant Luna was telling the truth.

"Are you okay, sister?" Luna's voice drew me out of my emotions.

"Huh?" I mumbled, still feeling disturbed in my mind.

"Your eyes look watery."

"Uh?"

Hastily, I wiped my eyes dried with the back of my hand, sniffing softly. Then I gave Luna a smug smile and said, "I'm sorry for tearing up. I'm just so happy for you that I couldn't contain my emotions."

Now it made sense why he wanted no one to know that he marked me because he had found his mate, and I was just an act of lust from the very moment.

"Don't worry sister. Someday, hopefully, you will get to feel the joy of finding your mate." Luna cheerfully said, still hugging onto Nero's arm.

The thing is, sister, I have already found my mate, and he's the one the moon goddess chose to make yours.

How ironic! Even after pitying me and allowing my wolf to awaken, she still gives me a shitty fate. Bonding me to my sister mate, just freaking tragic!

"My class time is almost here, so how about we meet up afterward?" Nero said, focusing his eyes on Luna.

At this point, I felt like I was invisible. That he wasn't in the presence of the person that he just kissed this morning or went to bed with last night.

Watching him being so concerned with Luna made me feel like I was irrelevant and everything that ever happened between us was not important to him, and I was in some awful, one-sided shit.

When the realization of all that settled in, I felt a wave of rage crashing through me, unlike something that I have never felt before.

But this time, I wasn't planning to let my wolf take control because she came off as though she was about to murder someone.

So, with every bit of self-dignity that I had left for myself, I walked away from in front of them and headed over to the seat in the back.

Then my brow raised when Jason walked up towards me and took the seat beside me, giving me a faint smile before looking away.

Together, we watched as Luna leaned towards Neron's face, and the entire time I stared, I was squeezing my fist tightly.

But when their lips were about to meet, he slightly tilted his head and kissed her on the cheeks.

"Later?" Nero said, gazing into her eyes.

It was pretty obvious that Luna felt embarrassed when she gave me a side glance. Then she looked back at Nero, smiled, and said, "Sure. See you later."

When Luna walked away, Nero finally turned around to face us, and he looked directly at me, and immediately, I gazed the other way.

What's not meant to be, can never be forced. So even though I felt so freaking emotional about him choosing Luna over me, I knew that there was nothing I could do about it.

The sound of the classroom door opening got my attention, and I turned my focus to the doorway.

My classmate came walking into the room. But when they saw me, all of them had this expression on their faces as though they had seen a ghost.

"It's funny that I mentioned you today in my video, and you suddenly show up on campus," Karen uttered, glaring at me. "I guess that saying, 'speak of the devil and she will reveal herself, ' is true."

"Nobody says dumb shit like that, Karen, except you!" I calmly said without breaking eye contact with her.

"Can you two not start now! This is my class time, and whatever issue you guys have, you both can settle it after my lecture." Nero said, his voice was thick with authority as he scowled at me.

But I didn't care for the anger in his eyes, I was more concerned about the fury I felt for Karen and the stupid smirk on her face.

"Nero, can you stay out of this!" Karen said rudely. "Blake is a rogue, and her presence here is illegal. So she needs to get turned over to our leader, so she can receive her punishment."

"If you feel that way, then come and seize me if you have the balls to do so!" I casually uttered, resting back in my seat as I laid my head on both of my palms.

"Being an outlaw must have really messed with your head for you to think that you can take me on!"

"You have no idea!"

In that instant, Karen's eyes turned blue and she looked like she didn't just want to hurt me, but made sure she did it until I stopped moving.

"The hunt is about taking your life, so even if I do, it will be lawful to do so!" Karen said, giggling like some evil psychopath.

Suddenly Nero stood in her way, and his voice was dominant as he said, "No one is killing anyone in my class! I don't need the headache of answering to the board about something that messy!"

"Protecting her like always, I see, Mr. Fang." Karen scoffed, narrowing her eyes at me.

"I'm not protecting her, or anything like that!"

"Then step aside!"

When Karen threw me a dirty look and said, "Stop hiding like some coward and face me!"

"You heard her, prof, step aside," I harshly said, standing from my seat.

Turning around to face me, Nero's eyes grew red as he said in an emotionless tone, "Can you shut up and sit down, Blake!"

Something about the way he said those words made me want to obey him, and yet, I also had my eyes on Karen, and the look in her eyes compelled me to want to hurt her, really badly for all that she had put me through.

His so-called sister

Standing still with my hand clutched to my side, I could feel everyone's eyes on me, but Nero had my full attention as I stared into his red eyes.

Slowly, I felt my wolf calming down, obeying him. Even though I didn't want to let go of my rage, she was in full control, and I couldn't push her against her will, or force a transformation if she didn't want to.

No matter how much he denies it, and I tried to hate him for it, he was my alpha, I bear his mark, and there was no changing that until the twenty-nine days is over, or except he rejects me.

Still staring into his eyes, I slowly unclenched my fists and then sat down, striving my best not to look at Karen.

"Miss Noble, if you are not here to learn today, then get out!" Nero said, his voice had a rim of authority in it when he spoke.

"If you are not protecting her, then what do you call this!" Karen lashed out.

"I call this stopping my class from turning into a bloody battlefield!"

"Really! Then what's your excuse for allowing Blake to stay at your place, huh!?"

The class grew wholly quiet, and I turned my focus on Nero, noticing the look of anxiety in his eyes.

Then it suddenly came to my mind what it meant for Nero, if he was involved with me. Although Nero refused to claim me, he had been nothing but kind to me, and I kind of hated myself a bit for putting him in the spotlight like that.

Even though I was mad at Nero, I didn't want him to get hurt or in a problem because of me.

"Nero, is what Karen said true?" I heard Luna's voice, and I turned my focus to the doorway, staring at her walk inside.

"Luna!" Nero hastily said, gazing at her with a touch of concern on his face.

From his expression, I didn't need to hear him say it, his eyes already told me that he was about to deny me, and even though that's what I wanted so he will be safe, I didn't wish to hear it from him.

"What bullcrap are you saying now, Karen!" I giggled, staring coldly at her. "Why would Mr. Fang wants to associate himself with someone like me!"

When Karen raised a brow, I gave a smug smile and said, "As you announced before, I don't have a shot with anyone here because I am weak and worthless. How can I then have a chance with Mr. Fang? Look at him! Do I look like the type he will want? So yeah, you straight-up spill trash!"

With all my might, I was fighting back tears because those words cut deeper than I intended them to, and I kept a smirk on my lips to mask the pain.

"Also, I have never been to Mr. Fang's house!" I declare in an unconcerned tone. But I care, I care that everything we share had to be covered with a lie like it was a sin.

"Okay! Then where the hell was you when you were missing for the first time and these few days?!" Karen said out loud, crossing her arms.

"My whereabouts are none of your damn concern!"

"Right, because all that you have said earlier is a bloody lie!"

Striving to act calm, I sneered and darted my eyes as I tried to come up with something to say.

"If you weren't with Nero, then where have you been, sister." Luna calmly said, but her eyes told a different story, a vicious one.

As I was about to speak, Jason suddenly held my hand, laced his fingers with mine, and declared, "She was with me. Blake has been with me all this while."

"Who are you again?" Luna coldly asked, scowling at him.

Swaying my gaze off my sister, I looked at Jason, squinting my eyes as he boldly uttered, "As I told you before, who I am is none of your damn concern."

"Watch how you speak to her!" Nero uttered, his voice steely.

Like a true mate, he was being protective of her, and this sucks, watching them be this intimate.

"This is the dark moonlight pack territory, and I have never seen you until today. So answer my questions now, or else, you will have to answer to my father. Believe me, option one will be the best for you if you don't want to lose a few pounds of blood." Luna coldly uttered with this dark look in her eyes.

Now, Jason was cut in this tricky web that I have made, and I had to figure out some way to get him out.

"He worked at the motel that I stayed at that night, and since then we hit it off, and I have been hanging out with him, crashing at his place." I hastily said, looking at Luna.

Then I gazed back at Jason and mumbled, "Didn't you say, you came here from a small city, hoping to find a better job?"

"Huh?" Jason muttered, lowering his brows.

It took a second, then his eyes widened as he said, "Yes. That's right."

"A few days as a rogue and you are already hanging out with the improper crowd. This is why we hunt down rogues and kill them so that the same thing that happened to Nero's pack can't happen to our pack!"  Karen harshly uttered.

Curiosity crawled its way into my heart, and I subconsciously mumbled, "What happened to Mr. Fang's pack?"

"It seems like you don't know Nero as I thought you did." Karen sneered as she rolled her eyes. "His entire pack got slaughtered by a bunch of filthy rogues and only him and his sister survived!"

What the heck was that lousy story! Nero's pack got murdered by rogues, and he has a sister! Although I knew next to nothing about him, I knew Jason was Nero's beta, so how can it be possible that his entire pack died, except for him and who! Who the hell is this sister of his!

Focusing her eyes on Nero, Luna softly smiled and said, "How's your sister?"

"Well, she left this morning." Nero casually uttered, and my eyes widened.

How the heck was I sleeping under the same roof with him, and knew absolutely nothing about his sister being in the country and visiting him?

"Already?! That's unfortunate. I was planning to pick a day and come over to your place to see her." Luna mumbled, sounding disappointed.

But I didn't care about her tone but what she said. Although it doesn't make much sense to me, if Nero claims to have a sister who was living with him, then that means one thing. He was talking about me. So he's telling everyone that I'm his so-called sister.

Couldn't he come up with a better lie? I mean, he and I had sex. That's not something you do with your sister, and now, thinking about it, the story felt disgusting.

"I'm sorry. She is a bit of a headstrong, difficult, and rebellious spirit person, and if she wants to do something, even if it's stupid and irrational, nothing is going to stop her from doing it. So, she woke up this morning, claimed that she missed home, and left." Nero said while staring at Luna.

But I felt every word he uttered, and it wasn't a secret that he was talking about me and not his so-called imaginary sister.

"Oh, I see. But it's kind of your fault for spoiling her so much." Luna teased, giving him a warm smile.

Spoil her? Was I spoiled when it came to Nero? Well, he did except a lot of things from me that could have gotten me badly beaten if I did it to anyone in the pack, so, I would say, he was way easier on me than anyone else I have come across.

Staring at his watch, Nero sighed and mumbled, "Twenty minutes of my class time have already been wasted, so can I have everyone seated so we can make use of the remaining minutes?!"

The classroom was noisy for a while as everyone took their seats, and at last, it was only Karen, Nero, and Luna who were left standing.

"Miss Noble, please take a seat!" Nero announced, his voice calm and low.

Swaying her gaze off him, Luna stared at Karen and said, "Did you not hear what he said?"

"You are going against me for him?!" Karen uttered.

"Who are you to me for me to stand by you and not my mate?!"

"Your mate? But my broth"

"Miss Noble, your behavior is quite disrespectful. I don't think you want to make me mad. So if I am right, you will head to your seat."

No one was a stranger to Luna's ruthlessness, so it wasn't rare to see Karen quietly walk over to an empty seat and sit down.

The authority she had, her composure, and her beauty made her flawless, perfect enough to be the Luna of our pack and Nero's mate.

Even though the truth hurt, I needed to know that to understand my place and accept reality.

"Blake!"

That voice, even if I lose all of my memories, I will recognize it instantly. However, this time, hearing it made me feel different.

"Where the hell is she!"

It was, 'the monster!' But at this moment I didn't need to think three times before I spoke or held back my tongue. Things were about to be different, and I felt determined to make it happen.

Something I never expected

The classroom door suddenly burst open, and Loki walked inside with five betas plus Alaska and Loretta with him.

What a perfect family reunion! The father, the wife, the daughter, and the bastard child, in the same room along with the pack punishers. Just like the old days.

When Loki's gaze met mine, his face hardened and his eyes glowed red, staring at me with so much hate.

"Blake, come down here, now!" Loki shouted, clutching his fists tightly.

"You have legs, if you want me, come get me," I mumbled with a half-smile.

At that moment, Nero's eyes and mine accidentally met, and he looked as though he wanted to say something, but I lightly shook my head before looking back at Loki.

Those vicious eyes of his spared into mine, but I remained calm as he shouted, "Rude bastard!"

"How could you be so bold to talk to your father like that?!" Loretta said, sounding like some concerned stepmother.

Just like in the past, playing a saint only to be the devil behind a closed door when it came to me.

"Loretta, I would say it's nice to see you, but we both know that will be a lie," I mumbled, meeting her cold eyes.

"Blake, you are not making this situation any easier for yourself. After forcing father's hands to expel you, you are still being unreasonable and making this hard on yourself." Luna softly uttered, her eyes moist as she stared at me and then at Nero.

Then she looked back at me, and said, "Maybe you should beg our father. After all, you are still his flesh and blood, and if you are sincere, he might choose a lighter sentence than death for you."

This mother and daughter were getting on my last nerve with their fake-ass concern for me, and I could feel nothing but rage toward them.

"I only came here to finish school and get my degree. Not to get back with the pack or become Loki's daughter. I meant what I said back then and those words still stand. So there's no need to beg him." I told her.

It seems like those words enraged Loki because he suddenly screamed, "Get her arrogant ass down here!"

For once, just for this moment, my wolf and I were bound because she hated my family as much as I hated them.

After all these years of staying silent and allowing me to go through all the ill-treatment, I finally sensed her rage for them for the first time, and it felt good to know that she had my back.

Willingly, I give up the control of my body to my wolf and allow her to take charge. Within a second, I felt a power like nothing I ever felt before. It was like I was invisible and fully aware of my surroundings.

"Why are her eyes glowing red!" Loki said in a choked voice.

It was surreal and true at the same time. To be fully connected to my wolf as though we were one being was simply esoteric. I could hear each and everyone's heartbeat, their whispers were so loud, and their smell was precise.

"This can not be possible?!" Loretta said flatly. "How is she releasing energy similar to an alpha? No more, it is more intense than a true alpha's force?"

Her eyes were fixed with worry as she slightly shook her head as though she was hoping to wake up from a nightmare that was hunting her thoughts.

"Did you finally go through your first transformation?!" Loki abruptly asked, his eyes dull with bewilderment.

Swaying my gaze away from him, I stared at the punishers and asked, "What's the hold-up, guys?"

As they were about to rush towards me, Loki stretched his hands out and shouted, "Everyone stop!"

A feeling of uncertainty clouded my head, and I could feel my wolf getting confused too which made both of us hesitate.

"Answer me, Blake," Loki said, gazing directly into my eyes. "Did your wolf finally awaken?"

The calmness in his tone, the way his expression had smoothed, and how a look of interest had lit up in his eyes had me honestly perplexed now.

"Yeah," I half-heartedly mumbled, running my finger through my hair to get it out of my face.

"When!? When did this happen, my child?!" Loki said with a smile on his lip.

His child! What sick daydream was I stuck in. The day Loki acknowledged me as his lad was a day I never saw happening, especially not after I became a rogue.

"Yesterday," I muttered, snapping my brows together.

"I knew it! I knew you weren't wolfless! How could you be when your moth..." Loki shouted before cutting off his sentence.

This entire conversation felt a bit too weird for my comfort, and I kind of preferred the old Loki that would yank me by my hair and slammed me against the wall, not the one standing before me smiling like some freak.

Looking at me with deepened interest, Loki chuckled happily and then said, "You have the scent and eyes of an alpha! Is it possible that your wolf is"

"Look here, Loki! I don't know what all these questions of yours are about, but I have a class to attend. So if you and your men are not here to arrest me, then can you stop disturbing my class time!" I harshly said, sick of his face and the grin he wore on it.

"Arrest you? Of course not!" Loki loudly uttered.

The sound of whispering in the class grew louder, and I was just as thunderstruck as all my classmates over my father's attitude.

Swaying his gaze off me, Loki focused on the faces in the room and firmly declared, "From now onward, the hunt for Blake is revoked. Anyone who goes against this order will answer to me with their life!"

All along, Nero was right. Me being wolfless was the only thing causing my father to detest me so much.

Realizing that sickened me, and I hated him even more now that it was clear to me that I wasn't something he cares about until I was worth a thing to him.

"Blake, where have you been staying?" Loki abruptly asked, and I met his eyes, taking a long look at him.

"She was crashing at a motel with a foreign beta!" Karen suddenly uttered. "The dude seated beside her!"

A frown crossed my father's face as he focused on Jason and asked, "Young man, who are you to my daughter?!"

"Can you stop referring to me as your child!" I shouted, unable to suppress the annoyance that I felt hearing him say it so casually as though he had not been treating me awfully.

Ignoring my words, my father kept glaring at Jason, giving him a death stare as he said, "What happened? Cat got your tongue!"

"Mmh," Jason whispered, looking nervously at me, then he eyed Nero.

"Jason and I are together, so don't you dare think about doing anything stupid to him!" I harshly blurted out, not giving myself a second to think straight.

"Together, together? Like he's your mate?" Luna asked, and my gaze swayed towards her.

It chilled me to the heart to think about the mess that I have just created. But then again, how else could I explain my relationship with Jason without getting Nero involved.

"Yes, he's my mate!" I boldly uttered, striving my hardest not to look at Nero, even though I could feel his eyes on me.

"You have a beta as your mate?" Loretta sarcastically said with mockery in her eyes. "Why are you such a disappointment in everything?"

"I am Loki's bastard, of course, I will take after him. After all, he married the daughter of a gamma. You are nothing special either, Loretta."  I said without breaking eye contact with her.

Giving me a poisonous stare, Loretta pointed her finger at me and lashed out, "You are considered a scourge! Our life has been so peaceful without you these past days! And now that you show up"

"Calm down, Loretta!" Loki said, throwing her a hard look.

Never did I assume a day would come when my father would stand by me, and not his so-called Luna.

Even though Loretta looked like her face was about to explore, she sealed her lips, and the silence from her felt just fantastic.

Blake, why don't you come back home? I don't think a motel is a great place for a young woman to be even if she's with her ma...mate." Loki said, giving me a frank look.

"You want to drag me back to hell?! No thank you. I would rather sleep on the street, than in a coffin for a bed." I said, not even second-guessing my decision.

From Loretta and her daughter's stonily gaze, I knew going back to that house would be the stupidest decision I could make.

"I know that it will take time to build back trust between us. So how about we take it little by little?" Loki calmly uttered.

Frustrated by his strong will, I narrowed my eyes and said, "I don't want any part of you"

"Before you refuse, hear me out. I will be hosting a party tomorrow to properly revoke your ouster. Why don't you come, and you can bring along your mate if that will make you feel safer. And we can start the healing process from there."

Whatever was going on in my father's head, I wanted no part of it, so I looked deep into his eyes and said, "I chose to be a rogue, and I will stay a rogue. I don't need your pack, so forget it!"

"I'm not asking you back into the pack, I'm pleading with you to let me back into your life, not as your leader, but as your father. It will be what your mother would want."

"Is that what she told you?! That she wanted some lousy relationship between you and I?" I mumbled, feeling hesitant after hearing those words.

My mother, the woman whose face I have never seen since I could remember, and the person who I crave the most but know nothing about.

The only person who knew about my mother was the monster standing before me, and he refused to tell me anything about her ever since I was little.

"Come to the party tomorrow, and we can talk more, okay?" Loki said, and I could see in his smile that he had found my weakness.