Call of the Wild

Chapter Three

Ryder

Something was wrong. I could feel it, deep in my veins. Mixed deep in my blood, I could feel something else running alongside it and pumping around my body. My skin tingled underneath but it wasn't from excitement or anything. It was different, entirely different from that. But what was it?

My eyes darted around the quad from my stance. I was currently propped against the iron fencing tucked in the far end of the school. It was dangerous yeah, but it offered a good view of everything and at the same time too.

It was perfect.

I scanned the area a couple more times and my hands tightened into fists. Nothing. I still hadn't figured out what was making me tick so much. It wasn't the scrawny dude in the distance, neither was it the nerd that always tripped over her books.

Ugh, what the f**k was getting on my nerves?

"Ry." My ears perked up at the sound of my name. A scowl spread across my face but it disappeared immediately at the sight of the person bounding towards me. " Ry, there you are."

"What is it?" I snapped. It didn't even help that the guy had now stopped and was panting heavily beside me. " What the f**k is wrong with you, Oliver?"

"I.." he exhaled loudly, his hands on his knees. I rolled my eyes as I watched his pathetic show of trying to get his breath again. " I, oh my goddess. I need a minute."

"I'm leaving." I pushed myself off from the railing. I adjusted my sling bag as I took my next step.

"Wait!" I halted at the sound of his words. " You can't go now. Not without hearing it first."

"Hearing what?" I peered at the brown haired boy in front of me. " What am I supposed to hear?"

"There's an announcement scheduled for this afternoon." He was still panting, but I could hear him clearly this time. " The dean, your uncle, announced it earlier…"

"To hell with that." I cut him off. The sour image of the other day in his office popped up in my mind and I scowled. How dare he? " I'm not going. I've got better things to do."

"I don't think you'd want to miss this one…"

"And I don't think you have the right to tell me what to do!" I cut in, my voice going an octave higher.

"Ryder, you have to…"

"Shut it Oliver!" He was my friend, or the closest I had to it but that didn't mean he could tell me what to do. I was the Alpha here. Everyone knew that.

"Good day." Someone drawled behind me. My blood ran cold as I fisted my hands by my sides at the realization of whom the voice belonged to. "Alpha."

"What do you want?" As if his presence wasn't annoying enough, he just had to add the stupid undertone to his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing." I whirled around at his words and truly, it was him. The bastard, Trevor. His lips curled into a smile before he continued. " I was just checking in on you. What kind of cousin would I be if I didn't check up on my family?"

"Get out." I spat, as Oliver watched the exchange between us. " Now."

" I really meant no harm." He threw his hands up in mock surrender and I wanted nothing more than to sink my claws into them. " Will you be coming for the general announcement? I personally don't think you should miss it."

I glanced at Oliver and he nodded. They were referring to the same thing.

"See you soon, brother." Trevor smirked before stalking off, but not without adding. " And good luck too. You'll be needing it."

"What did he mean by that?!" I whirled towards Oliver the moment Trevor was gone. " What was he talking about?"

"I don't know." Oliver's voice was more stable now. " But I think it has something to do with the announcement."

"Damn it." I cursed. The last thing I wanted to do was bend to my uncle's will and going for this announcement would mean me doing just that. I didn't want to see him. I wasn't ready to see him yet. Not until I'd found my mate. " f**k!"

"Are you….."

"When is it starting?" I cut him off again. " And where's the location?"

"The open auditorium just behind the quad." Oliver let out In one sentence. " By my time, he should have started already."

Without a word, I turned in the other direction and headed towards the auditorium. It took me just a couple of strides and in a couple of minutes I was there already, with Oliver trailing behind. Just like he'd said, the darn announcement had already started.

"..... to welcome you all." The sound of my uncle's voice over the podium caught my ears. I was at the back, but I could hear him clearly. " But that's not all. We have something else."

A round of applause followed, but what I gazed on the moment I looked at the stage wasn't what I was expecting. It was Trevor, walking smugly towards his father.

"I know you've all had a question or questions on your mind." The dean started, his tone giddy and I marked that as red flag. Something was definitely up. " But today, this announcement will clear it all up. Every single one of them."

"It is with great honor and with blessings from the present Alpha of course." I froze the moment the sentence slipped past his lips. " Trevor here has passed all the requirements that proves he's a born leader. From his high sense of responsibility down to his aloof character, I couldn't think of anyone else for this role."

"No." This couldn't be happening. Not in front of me.

"The king has instructed that Trevor be crowned the new Alpha of our pack!" The crowd burst into a series of cheers, each sound drowning the erratic thudding of my heart against my chest. " So Trevor, do you accept this honor?"

"I, I ….."

"No he doesn't!" I roared from my position all the way at the back. The crowd went silent immediately as all eyes turned to me. I locked eyes with my uncle and I swear I watched his jaw tick. Without so much as another word I thumped towards the stage, the crowd parting into two, just so I could get through. It wasn't until I'd gotten to the stage, did our eyes find something else to hook on to. I passed by Trevor as I headed for the podium. He groaned as I checked him in the shoulder, almost pushing him onto the students below.

"Ryder." My uncle's voice was cool and calculating. His gaze was neutral but I could read on between the lines. He didn't like the interruption. He wanted me to leave. " I was wondering when I'd see you again. It's been quite some e time."

Lies. I wanted to scream but I bit back.

"But I'm here now, aren't I?" My voice held as much venom as his. " What am I missing?"

"Well you almost missed Trevor's acceptance to be the Alpha." There was no remorse in his voice. Not even a tiny drop. " Now that you're here…."

"It's no longer necessary." I cut him off. " I'm here now."

"Without a mate." He spat. His eyes glowered a deadly red and all I could see in them were contempt and disgust, with a sprinkle of anger. " You can't become the alpha without a mate."

"Who says I don't have one?" Series of gasps filled the ear. Even from Trevor who was standing a couple feet away. I wasn't the least not surprised. I'd expected it in every way.

" You don't." The dean huffed, his octave slowly rising. " You don't have a mate."

"I do." I repeated, with much more conviction than the last time. " And she's right here too."

"Show me." The moment the words left his mouth, I turned to the crowd.

Different faces stared back at me, each one holding an emotion different from the other. My eyes kept on roaming as I searched for her. My bravado almost sunk back into my skin, until I saw her, a little far off from where I was standing earlier.

Bingo.

" There she is." I didn't need to point. The moment I let the words slip out of my lips, every eye was on her. I watched as she gazed at me, until her eyes out up in realization. "She's my mate. The girl with the red hair."