Between Two Mates

Chapter 17

-Rose POV-

“Uh! My head!” I groan.

“Don’t shout! My head!” Nova says, also groaning.

The night before is a blur.

I pat the ground next to me, only it is not the ground, it is Nova who like me, lies s**t-faced on the floor.

“Shhh!” I shush her.

“You shhhh!”

I keep hearing loud talking.

“Uuuhhh!”

“It’s not me!” Nova says.

I manage to open one eye and see the blur of people standing over us.

“Uh! Who is that?” I ask.

“I... don’t know.” Nova says.

With heavy sighs, we both sit up, supporting each other. When our vision finally focuses, we see the angry faces of our parents and the Alpha. A few pack members along with Helix, Dominic, Harvey, and Gabriel stand behind our parents and Alpha, looking into the parlor where we seem to be.

My parents look shocked. I have never done something like this. Not just get completely wasted but also vandalize the place like this. There are broken tables, glass, and stuff scattered all over the floor. There are pictures that were once on the walls now broken.

How the hell were we able to do all this without people coming to see what all the noise was all about is beyond me.

“What do you two have to say for yourselves?!” The Alpha asks with irritation.

My eyes skim around the room and I see a lot of empty liquor bottles scattered all around the floor.

Half of the night comes back to me. We went to a party but it was cut short by cops. We had already drunk a bit and when Nova and I came back, we decided to have our own little party. We broke into the liquor wall pantry and started drinking.

(Seems we drank almost everything in the pantry.)

There are also many broken bottles and the place smells like liquor.

“Woops.” Nova says.

“Woops.” I repeat.

“You.... it is no surprise to expect this from Nova but you? Rose?” The Alpha says.

I shrug my shoulders. All I want is for the noise to end.

“Nova...” Dominic groans.

She lazily giggles and then faking innocence, she pouts. “What? This is what happens when you don’t pay attention to me.”

Dominic sighs and shakes his head.

“And what is your excuse?” The Alpha asks me.

“I have none.” I say and look away.

Nova gets up and helps me up too.

We stand there looking like scolded puppies, waiting for our punishment.

“You two are on kitchen duty for the next two weeks.” The Alpha says.

(That’s not so bad.)

“Worth it.” Nova mumbles.

“Worth it? Four weeks!” He now says.

(Nova!)

I look at her, wanting to murder her.

Nova squints her one eye at the Alpha and puts her hands on her hips. “Oh yeah!”

“YEAH!” The Alpha shouts.

She crosses her arms and looks away. “Fine... hope you all like your food tasting like charcoal.”

I laugh. I don’t know how to cook and neither does she so this is going to be painful for everyone.

“This is no joke!” The Alpha shouts. “You guys need to grow up!”

“Why?” I ask, feeling brave and angry. “Brats like her get whatever they want.” I point at Harper who hides behind Helix. Everyone behind the Alpha has quietly been watching.

“Why am I the one who has to grow up?” I ask.

“This is not about you, Rose.” He says.

“Of course not. It never has been. When have you once thought about me in this whole mess? When have my feelings ever been accounted for?”

The Alpha is quiet and stares at me for a few seconds.

“Thought so.” I say. “I have always been good. I have always followed the rules and tried to always do things right. But what is the point of that when in the blink of an eye, I am thrown out of my own home as if I was the enemy. As if I was a nuisance.”

“That is not how it is-” He tries to speak but I don’t let him.

“So, I’m the one being punished because it’s the easiest way to deal with this mate mess?” I ask.

“No-”

I cut him off again. “It feels like punishment to me. And if I am going to be punished for no damn good reason, then I might as well just have fun and forget about the consequences.”

I start to walk past him.

“Rose...” He says. I stop to hear what he has to say but he doesn’t say a thing.

I walk past him and not once does he try to stop me or reprimand me. He knows I am right though I did handle this completely wrong. But he knows he is wrong too.

As I head outside to get to the second-pack house where I now live, I smile because I have just bested the Alpha. I left him speechless. I have never talked back to him like that. When he speaks, everyone is supposed to shut up and listen and we always do... I mean, all except Nova.

It feels good. It feels good to just not care. Now I understand why Nova is the way she is. This feels really good.

“Rose, wait.” Helix says.

I want to keep walking but I can’t. I turn around to see what he has to say. I can see Harper inside looking at us, probably hearing what he is about to say to me.

“Are you... okay?” He asks.

“Am I okay?”

He nods.

“Do I look okay to you?” I ask.

He doesn’t say anything.

“No, Helix. I am not okay. But no one except for Nova or my family gives a s**t. So, I am taking care of myself and doing things that are best for me now.”

“I care.” He says.

“Yeah... sure.”

He stands up straight. “I do!”

“Yet... I am not your priority.” I look at Harper and her still flat belly. “And I never will be.”

It hurts but deep inside, I know what I have to do. I need to be rid of this mate bond. I just don’t have the courage to do it yet.

Before I can walk away, my brother and my dad rush past me.

"Sorry, sweety." Dad says and continues.

"Where are you going in such a rush?" I ask but he doesn't answer and continues.

I hold my brother's arm and narrow my eyes at him.

"Rose, everything will be fine." He says.

"What do you mean?"

He looks around and lowers his voice. "It means that if there is something fishy here, we are going to find out."

"How." I shout after him as he leaves.

He doesn't respond but it seems that he knows something I don't.

I watch him go and then I walk away, quickly making it to my room. Now all I do is think about him, Helix. I don’t want to but it is what happens whenever I see him, and I hate it.

I take a shower and go straight to bed. When I wake up, it is night. My parents didn’t bother me which I am grateful for but I do have a message from Helix on my phone.

Helix: I am so sorry, Rose. I know this is all harder on you than anyone and it’s not fair for you. I need you to know, that I want you. I will work hard and it will be you who I will be with.

I roll my eyes while reading the text.

“Let’s just hope that I’ll still be me by then. But I am not going to sit here and wait.”

I go through my contacts on my phone and start texting.

Rose: What is the plan for tonight?

Nova: Naughty, naughty lol. (Devil emoji) Wait until ten and come down. Dominic has a meeting at that time with his dad and he will probably be all night there. Yesterday was just a prelude. We are really having fun tonight.

I smile. “Just what I need.”