Fated to the lost Alpha

Chapter 8

I stared at the man in white lab coat who peered at his tab. My parents stood nearby watching anxiously. After the mutual agreement with my uncle, my parents had set up the appointment and soon after, the doctor was at my home. He preferred not to do the test in the hospital for discretion purposes.

I was a bit surprised at his appearance. I had expected someone in his forties but this man looked no older than Uncle Wes. If anything,he looked younger. His black curly hair was nearly combed and his grey eyes were sharp behind sophisticated spectacles.

But one thing intrigued me though. This man had an aura of calmness and great composure around him. With the way he looked, I wasn't sure if he pocessed the same wolf temper and aggression in my kind. He looked too gentle for that. But then again, looks could be deceiving.

The doctor pried open my left eye and pointed a beam to scan it. He hummed a bit and released his hold to write on a note pad. I blinked the eye rapidly and scowled. The doctor finished writing and turned to me.

"Well, Tori, the first test is over," he said, adjusting his coat.

"About bloody time," I huffed.

The test had taken almost an hour. From checking my temperature, to testing my saliva, it was exhausting. The fact that I had to sit on the same spot through it all didn't make it any easier or more comforting.

"So, Kieran, what is it? Is she okay?" Dad asked. Mum stood beside him, mirroring his anxiety.

"Your daughter is quite well." The doctor, Kieran, smiled at them. "However, from what I saw in her eye and temperature, she is quite..different."

"Different how?" Mum asked.

"I think her wolf gene is more advanced than than ours and the previous generations before. Hence, there were traces of red rims around her scelera and her temperature is higher than that of the regular werewolves. I believe her genes have been mutated during birth. It must have stayed dormant until recently." Dr. Kieran explained.

We just stared at him blankly.

"So does this mean she is stronger than us?" Dad asked.

"There is a eighty percent chance that is possible." Dr. Kieran nodded. "But I still need to do another test later to confirm. A blood test, that is."

I visibly shuddered at the thought of getting an injection.

"Don't worry. It won't hurt much." Dr. Kieran's smile towards me didn't exactly inspire confidence.

"Yeah, right." I rolled my eyes. "You won't be the one on the receiving end.."

"Tori!" Mum's warning scowl was enough for an interruption.

I quickly shut my mouth and shrinked under her gaze. Dad shook his head.

"It's okay, Mrs. Allen." Dr. Kieran had a bemused smile on his face. "She may have a small point there. No matter how you put it, the thought of getting touched by a syringe is not too thrilling. But I'll do my best."

"I understand, Kieran. And please call me Michelle." Mum smiled.

"And call me Richard," Dad added. "Since we've become acquainted both in family and specie, we might as well drop the formality."

"Okay. Noted, Mr Allen...Richard." Dr. Kieran chuckled at the slip.

"So I believe there was supposed to be another new generation werewolf like you." He faced me. "Any chance he might be willing to do a test too?"

"Definitely when things are less complicated." I sighed, seeing my parent's knowing look.

"Uh....Okay." Dr. Kieran blinked. "But please let him know that the sooner the better."

He checked his watch and turned his attention to my parents.

"I have another appointment in thirty minutes but I'll be here soon for further test on your daughter and hopefully, the second young wolf. Please, if there's any other development you see in her, let me know." He walked up to them and shook their hands.

"We sure will." Dad nodded. "Thank you so much. This means a lot."

"It's nothing." Dr. Kieran smiled. "Your brother is my good buddy. So I guess in a way, this makes things welcoming for all of us."

He nodded and walked towards the door.

"You stay safe, Kiddo." He grinned at me and walked out, closing the door gently behind him.

"Kiddo?" I deadpanned at hearing the same nickname her uncle used for me. That was definitely not weird.

I turned around to see my parents giving me an interrogating look.

"What?" I asked.

"You still haven't told him, have you?" Dad folded his arms.

"What do I want to tell the doctor?" I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

"We're talking about the other werewolf. Cedric." Mum rolled her eyes with her hand on her hips.

"Oh...That." I released a nervous chuckle. "Well, you know there hasn't been time with school and...stuff."

My nervous laughter increased with having certain hopes of it being infectious. It wasn't. My parents were not amused.

"Oh, come on." I raised my hands helplessly. "This is meant to be a two way thing. If I felt it, then he felt it too. Why can't he tell me too? Isn't that how this whole mate of a thing works in werewolves?"

"Yes." Dad nodded, picking up a glass and opening the fridge. He poured himself a drink of water. "But you said that he didn't feel it. And also there's the fact that he was not even aware of his own abilities since his mother never told him and his father is deceased. So either he did feel something back that day and he's not sure, or his mother is hiding something. Either way, he has to know."

I groaned. This issue had been stretching for long now and it almost seemed like I was on a roller coaster ride. Each time I saw Cedric, he seemed like his usual self bar the change in his appearance and a slight shift in personality. He never showed any kind of romantic interest or at least gave a hint. He still treated me like one of his clique. If anything almost like he treated Jack.

"Listen, honey." Mum smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder. "How about you invite him over. Let's get to meet him. Then we can make one or two observations of our own."

"What?" I stared at her with eyes wide like an owl's.

"You heard me, young lady." Mum gave me a serious look.

"Okay. Okay." I raised my hands in surrender. I frowned at Dad suppressing the urge to laugh behind Mum's back.

"Okay, then." The smile was back on Mum's face. She walked over and pulled Dad away from the fridge as he was rummaging.

"Hey..." he protested.

"Wait till dinner, Babe." She smiled sweetly at him as she pulled him into the living room.

I sighed, thinking of the whole thing. I had to invite Cedric over to meet my parents. It was meant to be easy.

"Right?" I questioned aloud to the empty kitchen.

***************

"You're kidding, right?" Cedric deadpanned at me.

I sighed and shook my head. Of course, it ended up not being easy as i thought. After the last class for the day, the three of us had stopped by our lockers and then I broke the news. It took minutes but it seemed like hours to finally get a response as the boys just stared silently at me trying to process the message.

"Meet your parents?" Cedric scratched his head. "Why would I want to meet your folks?"

I felt the pent up frustration of the past twenty four hours threaten to burst out of me. I knew it wasn't his fault, but the whole thing had taking a toll on me and the fact that I was still feeling the bond stronger than usual today,and Cedric still not saying anything made me want to explode in fury.

And that's what I did.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe, because you're my mate!" I yelled and then quickly covered my mouth.

I looked around and saw some passers-by cast a glance at my cry. I glowered at them and they quickly walked away. Facing the elephant in the room, I slowly turned my gaze expecting to get a good response. But all I got was:

"Huh?"

The dopey confused look on Cedric's face nearly got me rolling on the floor with laughter if Iwasn't so frustrated. Jack's expression was no better. He looked like he was stuck in a desert and didn't know where to navigate.

"Mate?" Cedric scratched his head again. "Like first mate or something. Are you a captain of some ship?"

"No." I felt like a blood vessel could pop. "I meant like your lover. That's what mate means."

"Holy s**t," Cedric cursed, his blue eyes shrinking in shock and Jack blushed a bit.

"Wow,Tori." Cedric rubbed his forearm. "I didn't know you feel..."

"It's not that," I groaned. "You're supposed to feel the same way too. There's something called a mate bond. When a two werewolf soulmates find themselves, the bond is born. I felt it that day you first saw me in my wolf form. You were supposed to feel it too."

"I...I didn't." Cedric replied, obviously still trying to process the whole thing.

I studied the look on his face. The genuine confusion clearly shown there was the proof I needed that he was telling the truth.

"Yeah. I thought as much." I smiled weakly and shut her locker. I turned around and walked away.

"Hey, Tori, wait up!" I heard Cedric rushed towards me along with Jack. We stepped out of the school.

"So while I don't really know much about this wolf..mate...stuff," Cedric said to me, " i'll consider coming to see your folks."

"For real?" I was genuinely surprised. What caused the sudden change of mind?

"Yes. But on one condition." He raised an index finger.

"What's that?" I asked.

He grinned and pulled Jack over. "That he comes along."

"What?!" Jack and I cried simultaneously.

"Dude, what are you doing?"Jack scowled, struggling in vein to get out of his friend's grip. "They want to meet a werewolf. Not a human. And especially not someone like me."

"While I agree with Jack on his first statement," I began, "there's nothing wrong with someone like you."

I concluded with a giggle, reaching out to pinch Jack's cheeks.

"Hey." His red lips formed a pout as he swatted my hand away.

"But still," My expression became serious again and I turned to Cedric. "Why bring Jack along?"

"Have you forgotten?" He slung a strong arm around Jack's neck, ignoring his protests. "I'm not a one man squad. It has always been me and him. So it's either me and him, or none of us."

Jack groaned and a smile graced my lips.

"Fair enough," I said.

Jack faced me with wide eyes. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously." I giggled. "Don't worry, my parents don't bite."

"You may want to rephrase that statement." Jack's face paled.

My laughter echoed in the air as we began the journey to my home.