Chapter 3 The Party That Changed my Life
three
The Party That Changed my Life
*MARCELLUS*
The party is a huge success, which doesn’t surprise me. The pack’s excited to celebrate their future alphas turning eighteen, and Mom has made sure to involve everyone. It’s crazy, and although I didn’t want such a huge event at first, I admit I’m having fun.
Even Dad is in an incredibly good mood, and both of us managed to talk without arguing. That’s an amazing step for us. Beta Floyd jokes around with us, and is so much more like I remember him from when we were kids and he hadn’t trained us yet.
At one point, Eugene and I split up so we can chat to our own friends.
Eugene was in the hockey and baseball clubs in school, together with some other guys from the pack, and has a huge circle of friends.
I’m not the club guy, but when Dad didn’t shut up about how I have to choose one, I went to the book club just to piss him off.
It was a small club, and reading turned into a real hobby for me.
I’m not as popular as Eugene, but I have my own little group of friends. Elliot and Jacob, two guys I’ve known since primary school, and Florence, a girl from the book club who didn’t want to go out with me. I found it kind of cool how she rejected me, and we became friends.
“This party is wild,” Flo says. She hates her full name, Florence, which I can fully sympathize with as someone who is called Marcellus.
“Happy birthday, Marc.” Elliot clasps my shoulder with a bright grin.
“It’s too early to wish a happy birthday,” Jacob says. “Bad luck, you know?”
“Technically, it’s in half an hour,” I grin. “So, I’d say it counts.”
“Your brother and Olive are pretty serious, huh?” Flo asks as she gazes towards Eugene. He has his arm around Olive’s waist, while she whispers something into his ear. They kiss each other before Olive leaves him with his friends and joins some of her own.
“Looks like it,” I say, not sure what else to say. I think Flo has a crush on Eugene, but I know he doesn’t reciprocate, which makes me feel for her, as she is my friend.
“Marcellus!” Mom calls out towards me and waves. “It’s almost midnight.”
I turn to my friends. “Time for the show,” I chuckle. “See you later.”
“Hopefully, you will find your hot mate the moment the clock strikes midnight,” Elliot jokes.
Flo hugs me. “Happy birthday,” she says with a smile.
I wave at them and hurry to my brother and parents. Dad does most of the talking, saying how much he loves us and how proud he is, and that he will slowly give us more responsibilities around the pack, and that he knows we will be working well together.
While he talks, I can feel Amos getting stronger and more present in my mind, more aware. It’s like the power surges through me all of a sudden. Finally, he has his full strength! There is something else, though, a heavenly scent lingering in the air, making my head spin and Amos restless.
I can barely wait for Dad to wrap up his speech and for Mom to say a few words. Everyone claps and cheers for us. I try to put up a smile and pretend I’m enjoying this, while all I want is to leave and follow this scent.
Once my parents are done and the guests go back to partying, I finally dash away, scanning the room for wherever the scent is coming from. It’s still lingering in the air, but whoever it belongs to isn’t here anymore.
Follow it! Amos demands.
Don’t worry, that’s the plan! I reassure him.
Amos’ senses are on alert. It’s amazing how much stronger he is now that we are eighteen. Soon, he leads me outside. We follow the scent around the packhouse, and there she is. She is standing there, clad in the darkness of the night, with her back to me.
Mate! Amos exclaims
My senses start to make my head spin, and all I can do is run towards that girl and wrap my arms around her from behind. “Mine!” I growl.
Amos is in seventh heaven to be so close to our mate.
She smells like freshly cut lemons, a scent I’ve always loved.
It takes me a while to realize, though, that she hasn’t said anything yet.
Instead, she has gone stiff in my arms. Did I do something wrong?
Maybe I scared her by hugging her? Shoot, I’ve always been impulsive.
Saying hello first and asking for her name would have been the better first impression.
It’s when she turns around to look at me, and I finally see her face, that it hits me like lightning. “O… Olive?!”
She has tears in her eyes when she looks at me, her gaze turning from me to someone behind me. “Eugene…” she mutters.
Eugene? I’m Marcellus. My head is spinning so much. I have no idea what she is talking about. It’s only when she pushes me away and steps towards whoever is behind me that realization hits me.
“I didn’t want this, Eugene,” she blurts out. “He just came at me.”
I turn around, my gaze landing on my brother, who just stares at me. “What are you doing here?” he mutters. “She is my girlfriend!”
Oh fuck, due to the high of the mate bond kicking in, I almost forgot. Not sure what else to say, I decide to be honest. “But she is-“
“No!” Olive blurts out, running towards Eugene.
Did she just say no? Amos mutters, letting his head hang down. He is as confused as I am. Any other guy I would have fought now, but my bond to my brother is strong. He is my soulmate, but at the same time, I also feel the bond to her so much.
“How could you do that?” Eugene blurts out. “She is my girlfriend, and you can literally have any other girl!”
“That’s not what happened,” I try to defend myself.
But Eugene is not having any of it. He turns around and stomps off. Olive doesn’t even spare me a glance and just hurries after him.
The next couple of hours pass in a blur.
I feel my heart breaking. I know I’m not the smartest bulb in the pack, but I know when I’ve lost. Olive is in love with my brother, yet the goddess paired us together, as messed up as it is.
There is no chance she will ever choose me – with or without a mate bond.
And my brother won’t let her go just like that either.
Besides, I don’t want to hurt him like that. He wanted her as his chosen mate!
I groan, brushing through my hair. This was supposed to be the best day of my life. I was supposed to celebrate with Eugene and party the whole night. But now I have found my mate, and it’s ruined everything.
Whatever happens next, there is no way I can allow Eugene to get hurt.
It’s the early morning hours when I stumble back into the pack house, my heart heavy when I walk up the staircase. I don’t even want to take the elevator this time, so I just drag my feet over the stairs. Amos has retreated to the back of my mind, too hurt to talk to me.
The light in the alpha suite is already on, much to my surprise. I thought my parents would definitely be asleep. I was hoping they wouldn’t have noticed my absence. Oh fuck! By the noises coming from inside and the closer I get to the door, I know they have already taken up my scent.
The door opens, and Mom looks outside, her eyes falling onto me. “Come,” she says quietly. “We’ll talk about it, okay?”
I feel a bit confused at first, then dreadful. Talk about it? Awesome, so they already know about the whole fiasco. Obviously, I have no chance to escape this talk and follow my mother inside towards the living room.
My eyes instantly fall on Eugene, who is standing next to Dad. At least Olive isn’t here. I decide to be quite thankful for that. I’m not sure if I would have been able to keep my sanity had she been here. Before I can even say anything or sort my thoughts, Dad walks towards me.
His palm cracks across my cheek, whipping my head to the side. I gasp, placing my hand on the spot he struck, looking at him, shocked. The gaze in his eyes is disappointed.
“Lawrence!” Mom warns.
“Your brother says she is his mate,” Dad tells me coldly. “And even if she wasn’t, how could you force yourself on her against her will!? What do you have to say to defend yourself?”
I look at Eugene, who at least has the decency to look away.
“What…he… what…” I stumble over my own words, completely shocked.
“Is this what you think happened? Is this truly what you believe?” I feel Amos stir in my mind, the accusations pissing him off even more so than me.
I let my hand drop down and stare my father right in his eyes.
“I know I’m not your favorite, far from it, but even you have to be able to see some tiny good in me, don’t you? ”
“Let’s all calm down,” Mom begs.
I gaze at Eugene again and decide I’ve had it. It’s just too much for one day. I hope you are happy, asshole, I link him, before turning on my heels and running out of the suite.
“Marcellus!” Mom calls after me.
I ignore her. I just can’t… not this time. I can’t turn around, walk back in there and do as she wants me to for the sake of the family peace.
For the peace in the pack.
For peace with my father.
I usually do everything to keep said peace, but what about my peace?
Picking up my pace, I basically run through the pack grounds, not stopping for anyone, despite there being pack members calling out to me and wishing me a happy birthday. At least they didn’t notice the drama.
How could Eugene say that? I get that he is upset, I get it was the worst possible outcome in terms of fated mates, and neither he nor I expected it. But he lied. He told our parents that Olive is his mate, when she is not.
He knew Dad would take his side without even thinking twice, without questioning him.
Fuck it!
I stop running, noticing I’m in the middle of the forest. “Damn it,” I yell, punching the tree next to me until my knuckles turn bloody.
“Okay, that’s enough.”
A hand grabs my shoulder, but I twist around, pushing away the person who has just grabbed me. It’s Floyd, much to my surprise. The older man stumbles backward against a tree. “Well,” he says. “You bested me just now. I have to give you that.
I turn away from him. “What do you want?”
“You didn’t come to training,” he says. “It’s already afternoon, you know?”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “And whatever you want me to do today, I won’t.”
Floyd doesn’t say anything for what feels like minutes. “That girl,” he says quietly. “Olive. She is your mate, isn’t she?”
I spin around again to look at him. “What?”
“I saw you at the party and how you left the podium immediately after your father finished his speech. Not trying to sound creepy, but I thought you were sick at first and followed you outside. I saw what happened.”
“I guess I should consider myself lucky that I have at least one witness to verify I didn’t assault my brother’s girlfriend.”
“So, Eugene really said that?” he asks quietly.
“Yeah, and that she is his mate,” I add bitterly. “Fuck!” I curse, brushing through my hair. “I know he loves her, and I know this is messed up, but why did he have to go nuclear like that? We could have at least talked about it.”
“He is scared to lose her,” Floyd mutters.
“Yes, that makes my place in his life pretty obvious,” I snarl. “While I spent the remainder of the night and the early morning hours wondering what I could do not to hurt my brother.”
Floyd looks sad. “Come, boy, let’s go back. Your parents are worried. Your father already linked me ten times in the last fifteen minutes. I’m getting a headache.”
“Yeah, right,” I mutter. “Like I believe that.”
“I really have a headache,” Floyd jokes lamely. When I just stare at him, he sighs. “Your father doesn’t hate you, Marc. You are just very similar. He sees himself in you.”
“So, he dislikes himself?” I ask.
“No, that’s not what I mean,” he sighs again. “Let’s keep that talk for later. I mean, you can’t stay here.”
“I like the forest,” I point out stubbornly.
Floyd grabs me by my shoulders and pushes me forward. “You like your bed more,” he says. “And your food. Have you even eaten anything?”
“No,” I say shortly.
“Your mom’s worried sick, Marc, and we both hate seeing her distressed, don’t we?” he asks.
“Now you are not playing fair,” I mutter.
I know he is manipulating me, but he is right.
I hate seeing my mother sad, not because I’m the biggest momma’s boy on the planet, but because she is such a genuinely nice person to everyone.
She is always accepting, and just a couple of hours ago, she was the only one ready to hear my side of the story.
I guess I owe it to her. “Let’s go,” I say with a sigh.