Mya: Night Chaser

The Offer Still Stands: Patrick

Patrick watched as Mya raced down the hallway in her ridiculous clothes. Her hand was always holding the tops of her jeans around her waist as if prepared for anyone to pull them down.

She had a right to be wary, though. Natalie had started the game on the first day of Mya's freshman year and everyone followed suit any chance they got. It didn't help that Mya wore thick cotton underwear that had definitely seen better days. Once Natalie did it everyone seemed in on the gag. None of the teachers cared what happened. Mya was the school's freak and the one they could bully mercilessly without any fear of repercussion.

"Hope you know how to clean toilets!" Natalie shouted after her sister. Patrick said nothing. Just watched Mya run away like a scared little rabbit.

He thought about how she looked like a scared rabbit sometimes. He thought if things had been different, he would have called her something cute like "bunny" or "rabbit." Instead, he was the next in line to be the Beta, and in no way could he have an Omega as a mate.

The Alpha had made that clear enough. Reject Mya. Marry Natalie. Move on with life even though Patrick would have a mate-sized hole in his heart.

Patrick didn't like that his life was already planned out for him. For once in his life, he'd like to make the choice himself. As far as he could tell, Mya wasn't so bad. She didn't talk about herself incessantly like her sister did. She didn't care about things like clothes and makeup and who is dating who. She didn't try to sneak into the Pack House looking for him like Natalie did. 

Mya studied in school even though there was no point since she was going to be a servant. She didn't get angry like Natalie did when he looked at another girl or didn't pay her enough attention. Instead, she always had a blank look on her face and you could never tell exactly what she was thinking at any given moment. It was strange. Mya looked around herself as if being stuck in the middle of a performative play she didn't get a script for. She studied everyone and everything like they were all some sort of weird actors and at any time the director was going to come along and shout, "CUT!"

"Enough. She's gone," Patrick clipped as he looked down at Natalie again.

"What?" Mya's older sister pouted. "I was only trying to be helpful."

"No. You weren't," Patrick dropped his hands.

"You still feel the mating bond?" Natalie took a step back and looked him over carefully. "You do. Don't you?"

Patrick looked down the hallway again. Mya was already gone but her scent lingered. She smelled nothing like he'd ever experienced before. Not like Natalie's spicy scent. Not like how the other girls smelled like spring and fresh and flowers. Mya smelled like bourbon, scotch, aged vanilla, and cocoa. She smelled sensual. It was everything Patrick could do not to go up and lick her pulse point.

The thought of licking Mya made him swallow. He closed his eyes and lied, "No. I don't."

Lying to Natalie was often easier than telling her the truth. That he only thought she was pretty when he was in middle school and she was a year older than he was. That the reason he dated her in high school was only that the Alpha wanted to keep her family happy and making money for the Pack. That he'd rather gnaw off his own arm than willingly marry her. That it was his duty as a Beta to go along with the whole scheme because doing what he really wanted to do, which was deny the Alpha and run after Mya, would mean he might have a mate, but they'd be living on the Outskirts together.

Sometimes he thought living on the Outskirts would be much, much better than dealing with Natalie, her bat s**t crazy family, and the Alpha.

"I gotta get to class," he announced and moved away from the lockers, pushing her body off him as he moved.

"I'll walk with you," Natalie announced as she grabbed his arm and practically plastered herself to him.

"Won't you be late for," his voice faded out. He didn't know what class she had. Mya had home economics. Then she had lunch. After that physics and then advanced English.

"Gym," Natalie spat. "You should know my schedule by now."

"Right. Gym," Patrick ran his free hand into his hair.

"You need a haircut," Natalie stated firmly. "It won't do for the Beta to look like a slob. I'll make you an appointment for this afternoon. We can't show up to Mya's Changing Party without looking our best."

She sounded positively gleeful at the thought of Mya's Party. The moment the whole Pack turned their backs on her sister made Natalie practically jump for joy.

"You ever think about when you meet your mate?" Patrick asked suddenly.

"What?" Natalie slowed to a stop and jerked his arm toward him.

"I mean," he stopped and looked down at her. "What if we get married and you meet your mate?"

"My mate will be you as soon as you reject Mya," Natalie spit out her sister's name as if it tasted bad.

"But what if it doesn't work that way?" Patrick was tugging on the only thread he had left.

"It will," Natalie announced firmly. "I am meant to be a Beta's wife."

"What if it's another Beta?" Patrick tugged on that string again.

Natalie stuck out her chin and resolutely shook her head. "The Woodlands Pack. I have to be the Beta's wife of the Woodlands Pack."

Patrick stared at her for a second and saw her resolute in her statement. The Woodlands Pack was the biggest and best in the world. Natalie would in no way want to be the Beta's wife of any other. The only other rank she'd like would be Luna and only royals could be married to other royals. Beta would be the best that Natalie would ever get. And she was damned determined to be just that.

"Okay," he nodded.

"Why do you care so much?" Natalie stopped him from walking away. "Why do you care? It's not like you want to marry her," she threw her arm out indicating the way Mya had run away.

"I was just thinking," he instantly placated her when he leaned in and kissed her forehead buying himself time to think of an excuse. "Just thinking what I would do if you ever left me."

Natalie gave him a bright smile and swore, "I'll never leave you, baby."

"Right," Patrick squared his shoulders and walked with her to his next class.

He ducked into his science class and walked to the table with his partner. He watched Natalie smile at him again and walk away. He slid into his seat and looked at the guy sitting on the stool in front of him.

Brody was the Alpha's son. He was as different from the Alpha as night and day. The Alpha was known as Edmond the Fearsome. His son, Brody, was kind and compassionate. He was also one huge nerd although no one would say it to his face. Brody was Patrick's best friend, which was great since Patrick would soon be his Beta.

His friend was sitting on the stool wearing a hoodie with Darth Vader on the front, a pair of skinny khakis, and Vans on his feet. His nose flared and he quickly pretended to write in his book.

"What?" Patrick demanded.

"What what?" Brody said back.

"Dude," Patrick leaned forward. "What is it?"

"You smell like Natalie," Brody shrugged and laid his pencil down on the counter. "Just like her."

"Well, yeah," Patrick leaned back. "She's my girlfriend."

Brody sucked in a deep breath and said, "Right. Girlfriend. Not mate."

He glanced up at Patrick and sat up straight, "You going tonight?"

"I have to," Patrick tapped his thumb against his notebook. 

"No. You don't. You can say this whole thing is bullshit. You can take Mya with you and run. Find a new Pack. Live where Omegas aren't made to be servants," Brody leaned in and whispered hoarsely. "You could wait until I'm Alpha and come back. I'd put you back as Beta. Just like we always planned."

"You know I can't do that," Patrick's thumb beat faster. 

Brody leaned in further and hissed, "Patrick. You're f*****g with the mating bond."

"Yeah. So?" 

"So," Brody drew out the word. "What happens when you go crazy? Or when Mya goes crazy? Or when Natalie goes crazy? What happens if all three of you go nuts? Or if natural disasters happen in the Woodlands Territories because of my father's orders?"

"No one is going nuts. No natural disaster is going to happen," Patrick calmed down Brody. "We've been fine since Mya turned thirteen."

Brody made another face and Patrick cringed. When Mya turned thirteen, she walked up to him in the lunchroom. He smelled her a mile away. She had a smile on her face, the one and only time he'd ever seen her smile, and she opened her mouth to speak. That was when Sean informally rejected her. He turned his back on her and made all the wolves around him do the same. All the males in the Pack were under the same orders. After she left, he had run to the bathroom and puke up his breakfast. He'd never been able to eat pancakes ever since.

"It's just," Brody exhaled. "My dad's being even angrier lately. Natalie is being even more," he paused and said. "Natalie-like. You're depressed as hell."

"I'm not depressed," Patrick growled.

Brody continued as if he wasn't speaking, "The only one here I can see who isn't affected is Mya. And only the gods know what she's thinking."

"Mya doesn't look affected?" this bothered Patrick more than he cared to admit. He started tapping his thumb and looked down at his hands.

Brody shrugged, "Who knows? She doesn't speak to anyone. She has no friends. No one knows what is going on in her head. Madeline is half convinced she's going to poison the town's water. Or going to slit our throats in our sleep. She even has mother almost convinced to take her to the Outskirts."

Patrick's head shot up.

"Don't worry," Brody gave him a small smile. "I told mother Madeline is acting like a b***h. And I pointed out if they don't allow Mya to be a house servant it will be the Pack women doing our dirty laundry until another Omega comes along."

"I don't care," Patrick quickly covered.

"All I'm saying is in the next two years if you want to come to the Pack House and get to know her a bit more before you're eighteen, and you and she happen to go missing," Brody shrugged. "I can convince my father not to look for you. And I can find some other interim Beta to take your place and marry Natalie. And when it's time for me to become Alpha, I can demand that you come back."

Patrick had unbidden thoughts of sneaking into the night with Mya. Their clothes packed in suitcases. He'd take the car his parents got him for his birthday. They'd turn the lights off and creep through the streets and find a town of rogues to start a new life. Kissing her for the first time. Making love to her. Shifting together and running through the woods.

And then unbidden thoughts filtered through his head. Him trying to find a job with only a high school diploma. Mya having to get an even worse job without a high school degree. No money to even get a crappy apartment. Struggling every day to make ends meet. Pups would come and they'd have no money to take care of them.

Patrick shook his head, "No. That'd never work."

Brody studied him for a long moment and said, "Well. If you change your mind."

"I won't," Patrick clipped.

"Well, if you do. The offer still stands."