Mates Next Door

Entangled Fates

~ASTRA~

Argents were the enemies of our kind, the supernatural. And the supernaturals consisted of Werewolves, Vampires, Hybrids and other species.

Over the centuries, Argents had sworn to wipe us out, as our kind waxed stronger with every generation. We were soon driven into isolation once they discovered silver's killing properties.

I could go ahead to mention the terrible things they had done in their quest to end our race, but I had a bit of a problem to handle.

"What the f**k is she doing here?" Ryder pushed to his feet, immediately dropping his console and glaring at me.

I couldn't even look at Flynn. I knew he was staring at me and wondering why the hell I walked in with Arik, looking flushed and red with swollen lips.

Arik snaked his arm around my waist and although pulling away was the best option, I couldn't even move.

"She's with me," Arik replied, sounding quite confident. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Yes," Flynn nodded. "There's a huge problem and I suggest you step away from her, bro."

Arik scoffed. "Why should I do that? She's not silver, is she?"

Flynn pushed to his feet, glaring hard at me. "She might not be silver, but I assure you that this w***e, who I found out to be my mate a few days ago, is worse than silver."

"I am not a w***e!"

"What are you talking about?" Arik laughed. "I met her on our first day here at the library and found out we were mates. She's the one I told you guys about."

Ryder's glare dissolved into laughter. "Okay, this seems to be getting worse by the moment."

I pulled out of Arik's hold. "I have to go."

"You're not stepping an inch out of this apartment until you explain to us what the f**k is going on here." Flynn commanded. He was so different from the flirtatious guy I met at the party. He was livid.

Arik turned to me. "Did you use an elixir?"

"No, I didn't!" I defended myself. "Why would I even do that?"

"It's quite obvious," Ryder stepped forward. "We're the talk of the whole university. I've heard girls fantasise having s*x with us three at the same time. Maybe you're one of them."

"I wouldn't even think of having anything to do with you, Ryder!" I snapped, clenching my fists. "I'd kiss the hot tarmac than have anything to do with your annoying ass!"

"Enough!" Arik growled. He turned to me, his eyes glowing red. I backed away from him, cowering under the intensity of his gaze. His eyes were a lighter shade of red so I knew he wasn't an Alpha King. At least, not just yet.

"Now, are you going to tell us exactly what is going on here or do we get it out of you?"

"There's nothing to get out of me because I am as confused as you all are," I replied. "I met you first, Arik. And Mylena took over me. It was why I kissed you. She knew we were mates and I was happy."

"But you ran," He shrugged. "Didn't you?"

Of course, I did. And I wasn't going to tell him I ran because it was taboo for him to be mated to me in the first place. They didn't have to know I was a hybrid.

"Yes, I did. Because I wasn't expecting to randomly meet my mate at the library."

"And me?" Flynn asked. "What was it for you?"

"You sensed it also, didn't you?" I asked. "You followed me into the restroom and wouldn't let me leave because-"

"You're mine," He completed the statement. "We are mates, or so I thought. Now, I don't know what to believe anymore."

"I spoke to my mother about it," I revealed. "She said it's rare but possible to be mated to more than one."

Flynn scoffed. "That's stupid. Absolutely untrue!"

"Yeah, it sounds crazy," I shrugged. "But my mother used to work at the archives of our pack before our banishment and she read every book in there. So I believe her over a bunch of twenty something year olds who have no idea of their own heritage."

"This doesn't make sense," Arik shook his head. "You're my mate, Astra. I am sure of it. It's why I keep having dreams about marking you."

"It's the same for me," Flynn glared at Arik. "I have the same dreams. I feel the same f*****g way for her. So she's mine."

"You know what?" I cut them short. "This is stupid. You both shouldn't be fighting over me."

"Too late." Ryder replied in a sing-song voice, his expression coated with annoyance.

"It's an abomination that I am mated to two people in the first place. And two friends? I think it's best if we pretend this never happened."

"Are you suggesting that we reject you, Astra?" Arik asked in a disgruntled tone. "I won't be doing that."

I smiled. "It will be too much pain for me to bear. I already lost someone I love. Let's just pretend none of this happened. See you guys around."

Arik grabbed my hand before I could leave and pulled me back in. "Who did you lose? Is that why you were crying back in the parking lot?"

My eyes brimmed with tears and I nodded. "My father. He was killed."

"By whom? Argents?" Flynn stepped forward. I noticed that they were no longer angry. Both of them were coming to me. They were concerned and it made more sense that we were mated to each other.

"Alpha Gareth. The Alpha King Of The Lupine Brotherhood."

The room fell suddenly silent. Arik and Flynn cursed under their breaths like they knew something.

"What is it?" I asked.

Ryder took a seat and raked his fingers through his hair. "Things keep getting f****d up by the moment."

"Alpha Gareth is Ryder's father."

My eyes glowed amber and my claws jutted out. I immediately lunged at Ryder, growling as I caught him by his collar.

He grabbed my hands with great strength and pulled my hands off him before pushing me back. I crashed into Flynn and was soon pinned to the ground.

"Calm the f**k down, Astra!" Arik growled and pulled me up from the ground.

"Calm down?!" Tears spilled down my cheeks. "My father was killed all because he went back to beg for the banishment of my family to be lifted! We have nowhere to go because of him! You all have a f*****g home to go back to when things get bad!"

"Not really," Ryder scoffed. "I hate my father more than you do."

"But you're still his son! A spawn of the literal devil!" I snarled.

"And that devil killed my mother, Astra! Can you quit being this way and put yourself in order? If the Argents sense any weird activity here, they'll break this door down and take us down in a matter of seconds!"

"Well, I am out of here." I shrugged. "My father is getting buried tonight and I have to be there."

Arik am Flynn blocked the door. "You're going nowhere, Astra. It's too dangerous."

"You both don't want to have scratches that won't heal on you, so simply step out of the way. Right now." I warned.

"I know your mother doesn't want you back home," Ryder began. "I overheard you talking on the phone with her. She said it's too dangerous. If you're not going to listen, then we would have to force you."

"I'm never going to see him again." My chin wobbled. "This is the last time I'll ever see him. I need to go."

"Please," Arik grabbed my arm. "I know you want to see him. I know how you feel because I can feel it."

"So can I," Flynn stepped forward, glaring at Arik. "As much as I hate all of these, Arik is right. You should stay here until it all dies down."

"And do what?"

"And make sense of this," Flynn gestured to the three of us. "We have a lot on our plate, Astra. The Argents, the fact that you are mated to me and my friend and Ryder's father killing your father."

"Revenge?" I faced Flynn. "Is that what you speak of?"

"Yes." Arik nodded.

"Why are you guys here in the first place? Werewolves in the human world. It's like signing a suicide contract."

"We were kicked out of the Lycan academy," Flynn shrugged. "Apparently, one of the professors had a hand in killing Ryder's mother so we beat him to death and we were sent here as a punishment."

"You beat a professor to death?" I gasped and they nodded.

"So, Astra," Ryder stood before me and took my hand. My eyes closed momentarily and my body jolted again. Mylena was trying to say something to me. I had no idea what.

I opened my eyes to see him still staring at me, like he also knew something.

"We're here for a reason and somehow, you have become a part of this cause. You want revenge, I want the same thing. We want the same man dead."

"And somehow, the Argents are going to find us," Arik added. "It's only a matter of time before they do. So while we are still here, we lay low until all of these have died down."

"What do we do?" My eyes brimmed with tears.

"We survive."