THE MATE THEY CALL MY BROTHER

CHAPTER 5

Diane stood a few feet away, her eyes stared at me with suspicion. I frowned and instantly she flared up at me.

“You wouldn't stay away from my son? You took him into the woods years ago and he disappeared, you're about to repeat that exact same thing again aren't you?”

“Mom!” Kaleb yelled. Diane was taken back at his outburst.

“I don't like it when you speak to…my sister like that.”

I could sense the hesitation when he called me his sister but Diane didn't notice.

“Sweetheart this girl is not your sister… she's an illegitimate mistake that shouldn't have happened… I'm just trying to protect you from her because she brings bad luck everywhere she goes.”

“I didn't know you'll be clouded with such bitterness,” Kaleb said disapprovingly before turning and walking off. I couldn't tell if he was genuinely agitated or he was pretending to make a scene so Diane wouldn't notice something is off.

Diane fiddled with her fingers, watching him walk off in quick strides. She turned to me and opened her mouth to say something nasty again but realized Kaleb might hear her. She turned and stumbled after her son. I was left all alone in the woods and I somehow appreciated the solitude.

I walked off to a fallen tree and sat on the trunk, playing with dead leaves I could pick.

I couldn't stop thinking. What sort of punishment was the moon goddess giving me?

I haven't accepted him as my brother yet and now I discovered he was my mate. I groaned and buried my face into my palm.

I wish this was all a dream and I'll just wake up, but I knew it wasn't. I reached out to my wolf. She didn't answer me.

I locked her out and rejected our mate, she had every reason to ignore me. I finally stood up and took slow deliberate steps back to the pack.

I suddenly wished I could see Garrett, he knew how to cheer up in situations like this but since I rudely told him off he stayed away from my sight.

The moment the pack came into view I headed straight to the pack library where I knew my dad would be, probably reading books about crazy scientific documentaries.

Nobody stopped me from entering since it wasn't guarded.

As predicted he was bent over a table, reading a certain book with keen interest. The moment he became conscious of my presence he snapped the book shut with speed and pushed it away from view. I raised my brow.

What exactly was he reading?

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“I came to tell you that you should genuinely find a suitable guide to get Kaleb familiar with the pack. I did the little I could today and I don't think I can do more than that.”

“I overheard the pack trainees talk about how you yelled at him before you chased each other into the woods…I trust that you two had fun.”

“I'm not being sarcastic dad,” I said coldly

“I wasn't also joking when I said the two of you have to get along, he just came back home and you're treating him with such hostility… I didn't expect such from you,” he said, going through the shelves in search of another book.

“Dont blame me if I'm treating other people with the same hostility my dad raised me with.” He paused without turning. I could tell that hit home. Without another word I turned and left.

Garrett was standing at the door by the time I walked out.

We stared at each other for a while, he looked like he wanted to say something, then he hesitated and turned, walking away as if I would get mad if he said anything.

“Garrett, wait…” he paused in his tracks and before he could turn I ran up to him and grabbed his arm. He looked really tense.

“I'm really sorry for what I said Garrett, I was just angry that nobody wanted to listen to me and even my own best friend wouldn't listen to me too. I shouldn't have said that to you.”

Garrett smiled and I could see the relief instantly cloud his face. That somehow made me smile too.

“I know I'm sorry too…it's not like I didn't want to listen to you… I was just trying to make you understand that regardless of how you deny it, your dad had accepted Kaleb as his son… I mean you agree that he's your brother now right?” He asked.

I stared at my toes.

“Yh, I guess so… I said quietly.” I dontt think there was a point in telling him I still don't accept Kaleb as my brother especially not when we just settled our disagreement I didn't want to cause another.

“I really wanted to talk to you today. I was starting to think you were avoiding me,” I said with a small laugh.

Garrett ruffled my hair and stuck out his tongue.

“Look at how much you missed me…In just a few hours of not speaking to me.”

I scowled at him. He laughed and pulled me into a hug, patting my hair lightly.

“Don't worry, you're still my best friend no matter how angry you get okay?” He said with a smile in his voice. I wrapped my arms around him. He was the only werewolf here who treated me like I was not a plague.

I pulled away from him as he said he wanted to go and see if they had delivered this week's supply of meat when I saw Kaleb far off staring daggers at us both.