My Best Mate

Chapter 2: I'm Not Going

My thoughts seemed to vanish as my eyes fell on the blue-eyed boy who was staring back at me with a straight face.

“I'm going."

His deep but firm voice sends unanticipated shudders on my back that I instantly unbend to answer.

“Ah, yes. Me too" I sheepishly smile. “Give me your bag."

I extend both my arms up, waiting for his bag so I can carry it. But he just turns around not minding what I said and starts to walk away.

I went after him in a hurry and grabbed the free strap so that I could get his bag off of him.

“I got this." I hung it on my left shoulder while my bag was on my right.

He just looks at me for a moment then turns to leave, I hurriedly follow him.

Kyle was supposed to be in my shoes until a year ago. He would always volunteer to carry my bag when it was time to go home.

Carrying both our bags in his front and back torso may look unattractive for a model figure like him but I didn't think of that one bit. He didn't mind it either.

I thought that he was just as manly as other men, much more manly actually.

I heard a couple of chuckles in the hallway as I was trying to catch up to Kyle. There were also whispers around me but I tried to brush them off as always.

They threw insults about how I looked, how I dressed, how I walked, and more importantly, how shameless I was that I kept bothering the beta.

They were really on their in-game now.

They know about my relationship with Kyle and have already seen us together multiple times. In the past, they were too scared to call me out since Kyle always had my back.

But now seeing Kyle wasn't the same anymore and started treating me the opposite. They started to make things harder for me.

So far, it hadn't gotten to a point where they would get physical and if it did, they wouldn't have the guts to go against someone of my caliber.

They would have a chance if I was a mediocre trained soldier but it wasn't the case for a skilled pack fighter like me. I was more adept than other top fighters from the pack. I was respected and feared back at the camp.

The only ones I couldn't go against were Kyle and our alpha-in-training Chesmon.

She-wolves in the school whose sole purpose was to care about how they looked and flirt with some elite werewolves—couldn't possibly know me.

I dragged my feet across the floor as I followed suit to the tall young man whose steps seemed to be a meter apart.

I walked faster as he was not waiting for me to catch up to him or even match his speed.

Before I knew it, we were already in the parking lot, with Kyle going ahead of me.

I stopped looking at his strong back and moved my gaze to my sides, trying to squeeze myself in between parked cars.

Though I could easily get through this meaningless hassle with my abilities, I am not careless enough to rush and break another expensive windshield.

In the corner of my eye, He was already inside his car and was starting up the engine.

“I'm coming!" I strained my voice loud enough for him to hear it.

Assuming that he heard me, I focused again on my current dilemma and tried to break free from the tight parking space.

The majority of the werewolves here own a car but not a driver's license. Our pack controls this town so they wouldn't bother hiring a policeman just to arrest them for not having one. And there are almost no cases of car accidents around here so one less reason for them not to do so.

It would've been good if they knew how to park at least.

Before I could get myself out, he had already reversed his car so that he could get it out of the parking area.

I ran as fast as I could to make him see that I had already gotten close but he continued to drive away.

Not chasing the speeding car anymore, I hold my knees wearily.

I sighed.

I guess another day of burning carbs. Let's go, me.

It was getting dark already when I came about to the doorstep of our house.

I twist the knob with my gaze still on it and when I open the door, I wiped the sweat that was running down from the side of my face.

“Oh Nik, dear."

My head snapped forward and my eyes landed on the middle-aged woman sitting by the couch.

She looks a lot like Kyle if it wasn't for the light wrinkles in her eyes, and the mid-length hazel hair she has, while Kyle had a dark blonde side fringe.

“Aunt Heather!" I dropped the bags and wrapped my arms around her.

She put her hand on the back of my head and caressed it before looking at my exhausted face.

“You don't look well, dear."

“I'm just a little bit tired, Aunt. But I'm feeling okay, now that you're here."

“You should take a short break from your school project. Kyle told me you always stayed behind for that. That's why you two haven't been going home together lately."

“He said that?"

She nodded at my question.

But there was nothing like that at all.

I heard someone clear their throat.

“How long are you planning to keep your mother waiting, Nichole? If I were a guest, I would've thought you're Heather's daughter instead." my mother eyed me.

I ran to her and kissed her on the cheek before embracing her.

“Don't be jealous, mom. I get to hug you every time but I only get to see Aunt Heather once or twice a week." I pouted.

She patted my head and laughed.

Aunt Heather was rarely at dinners. She can't just go visit us whenever she likes because she's always been in poor health and had to go to many doctor appointments.

Her health was something to watch out for since she was human.

She lived here in Arizona even before she met her husband so she has long heard about our kind. Whispers about the existence of werewolves were common among older human folks.

It was a little easy for her to be open-minded, understand, and slowly accept Uncle Ian.

My eyes then wandered around the house and immediately spotted Kyle like he was that one thing that stuck like a sore thumb. He was busy on his phone, ignoring that I'd have already arrived.

Time passed shortly before dinner was served. We settled on our seats and started to become comfortable. We happily ate and are now enjoying small conversations.

I was talking with Kyle's parents when I would find myself glancing at him sometimes.

At one point, I would meet his eyes then he would avert it or would turn his head quickly. And when he met mine, he would still do the same thing like it wasn't obvious already.

A small smile crept on my lips after that little charade.

It instantly vanishes on my face when I put my attention on Uncle Ian.

“So, Nic...are you excited for prom?" He asked. His stern brown eyes looked at me as he waited for my answer.

Uncle Ian had always liked his sandy straight hair being shaved and styled on a neat edge. That was probably the reason why there was always such an assertive but empathetic feeling coming over him. I wonder if that was also because he was once beta.

If Kyle would look like Uncle Ian, I don't know if it would give me butterflies or if I would find it amusing since it probably wouldn't suit him.

“Well, I'm probably more excited about seeing my sister and graduating high school,” I answer with enthusiasm.

“That's right, Rebekah will also be at your birthday. These upcoming weeks just keep getting busier for you two. Right, Kyle?"

He looks at his son who did not answer for a while then drops a “Yup." before going back to eating or just playing with his food.

“How about you, Kyle? How are you doing after becoming beta? I heard you were quite strict on training younger pack members." My mother probed, trying to strike up a conversation with him.

He looked up, “Things were great, Aunt Eve. And It's in the pack’s best interests that I become strict with the younger ones."

“Really. Like father, like son. You sure got that from your pop." He raised his hand bringing along the glass of wine he was drinking and pointed to the previous beta.

“Ian was like that when he had just gotten the position and there were no friends to consider, even me, his closest and kindest friend."

Uncle Ian squinted at my father. “As far as I can remember, Jorge, I gave you enough immunities that time. I'd be very happy to tell you what they're for."

“-Am wrong—he does know how to care for a friend." He pats his side worriedly. “I had the best days all because of the beta of my generation" He lifted his glass towards Uncle Ian. “Cheers for Ian Irvine?"

Uncle Ian shrugged and then bumped his glasses onto him before sharing a few laughs.

“Nichole, dear. Do you already have a date for prom?" Aunt Heather went back to the previous topic as she stared at me and then peered at Kyle.

He was just there twirling his fork on the plate, completely missing the food.

“Not...yet"

“Really? Then Kyle-"

“I'm not going." He answered right away, predicting what Aunt Heather would say.

“Why not?" She asked his son and we looked at him at the same time.

He's not going?

“I have work to do. I'll be busy."

“But Nichole needs-"

“That is not my problem."

“Kyle!"

I shook my head to stop her from speaking “It's fine, Aunt. I'll still be there with or without a date."

“You're still going?" Kyle asked. His forehead wrinkled.

“Of course. Sandy will be there and so am I."

“Alright then. Don't forget to go to our house so that I can take a few pictures of you, dear. Then we can give you a ride to school after."

“Sure, Aunt Heather." I smiled softly.

Kyle's parents didn't have the chance to be part of an event like prom, since their only daughter and Kyle's twin sister found her mate early and moved to another pack. She sadly had to continue her studies there.

Now, even their son isn't joining prom.

If I could do something just to give a little happiness to Aunt Heather, I would want to do that.