Unknowingly Being his Brat (Groove Vale Pack #2)

1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Milo

“I’m sorry, Milo,” Denny sighed, looking pained as he continued to avoid my gaze. “I just don’t like you in that way.”

My heart was pounding, my face heating with embarrassment.

He didn’t want me. I’d foolishly thought my one true friend—the only one who didn’t seem to like me just because of my big brother Jeremy—would somehow return my feelings.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I ever even think someone like Denny would be into me?

I was thin and lean, not muscular like the other wolf shifters in our pack. Not like Jeremy.

“Can we still be friends?” I stupidly asked, hoping I wouldn’t lose the only friend I had.

Denny shrugged where he stood under the huge tree, the only thing shading us from the rest of the pack. “If you don’t mind being only friends, then yeah,” he agreed.

I winced. Why, oh, why, had I tried to kiss him?!

“I don’t mind,” I lied. It would be brutal, but at least I wouldn’t be alone. I was so over being alone all the time.

“Cool,” he grinned. “Guess I’ll see you later then.”

I nodded, even if he never saw as he turned his back on me and walked away, leaving me alone with the trees. Alone once again.

Maybe I would be better off with no friends.

A year ago.

“Do you really have to go?” I asked Nathalia, begging with all that I was that my best friend wouldn’t leave me.

“I have to,” she shrugged. “I really want to meet my half-brother. Besides, I can’t very well chase my dreams in this small town, now can I?”

“I guess not,” I conceded, staring at her back as she continued to pack everything her bright pink suitcase could fit.

I didn’t have the luxury of just moving away if I wanted to. Being the Alpha’s son meant I could be chosen as well. I turned eighteen next year, and Dad had already told Jeremy and I that he would announce which of us would be the next Alpha shortly after my birthday.

Being alpha was my biggest dream. It would mean I mattered for once. I’d daydreamed about being accepted like that. Respected. Fuck, how I wanted it.

Denny and I had grown apart, or rather, he’d avoided me until I stopped bothering him.

The fact he clearly didn’t want to remain my friend after I tried to kiss him was obvious, as was the fact that he’d lusted after Jeremy.

It was only mildly satisfying when Jeremy had rejected him.

What had Denny even been thinking? Trying to flirt with my big brother who was seven years older than us.

“You’ll be okay, Milo,” she smiled, her hand a gentle touch on my shoulder. “You just need to let others close enough to see the real you.”

I wanted to scoff, to joke, anything to hide the way my eyes started to tear up.

I had been the forgotten brother my whole life.

Every time I met someone and wanted to befriend them, they only seemed to be interested because of Jeremy.

How did I know that? Because they only wanted to be at our house, and never in my room but in the living room or garden, and when Jeremy showed up, they sought him out.

I couldn’t even recall the number of times someone had been gaming with me, only to use the bathroom and never return.

They ended up in Jeremy’s room instead, and then I was one friend down.

And their faces when I refused to invite them over again?

Priceless. Like what did they think was going to happen?

Abandoning me for my brother got them locked out of my life for good.

Then there was Elias… fuck. That had only been three months ago but still!

Elias was this handsome redhead with the sexiest freckles.

You’d think I’d learned my lesson with trying to kiss people who didn’t want me, but no.

I’d tried kissing Elias, knowing he was older than me but not caring one bit.

He’d nervously chuckled before blurting that he’d already kissed my brother and that I was too young for him.

Why was it that Jeremy seemed to glide through life effortlessly while I struggled?

What did he do to make all of these people swoon and gravitate towards him?

The only reason I could think of, as to why Nathalia hadn’t been pulled in his direction, was because she preferred girls over boys.

It made her the perfect friend for me, even if she was leaving town for good.

While I was having a pity party for myself, she’d continued to pack and somehow managed to fit almost all of her belongings into one suitcase.

“How?” I asked, looking at the zipped-up suitcase like it was made of magic.

She quirked a brow before pointing to the ground where two identical suitcases were placed.

“Oh.” I hadn’t seen them from my place on her bed, but it did make more sense than a magical suitcase.

“You okay?” Nathalia asked, sitting next to me on her bed. “This isn’t just about me leaving, is it? Because I know plenty of the others want to spend time with you, too.”

I smiled at that. It was a lie, but it felt nice being lied to when it was for my benefit.

“I’m just going to miss seeing you every day,” I admitted.

Yes, I could try to get closer to the others in the pack, but my heart struggled to let anyone in.

Nathalia was the one person I could be myself with without overthinking every word I said.

I could just be me. It was selfish of me to want her to stay when her heart was pulling her in another direction, but I needed her here.

She knew about my former friends and how they’d ditched me for Jeremy. Even my uncles preferred Jeremy over me. I’d never been invited over for dinner or asked to help out with anything since Jeremy moved out four years ago.

“We can chat as much as we want to,” she promised. “And I will visit once I’m settled into my new pack.”

I tried to force a genuine smile on my lips as I replied, “Deal.”

Present time.

Holding back my tears, I wandered aimlessly between the forested area behind our packhouse. Yesterday, my worst fear had come true. I wasn’t chosen as pack Alpha. No, that title had gone to Jeremy, because of course it had!

Kicking a stone, I groaned as pain radiated through my foot. A few seconds later the pain disappeared, gone just as quickly as it had come. Perks of being a wolf shifter, quick healing whenever you felt like kicking rocks.

My feet guided me forward with no true purpose other than to get away from the pack.

Jeremy had been chosen yesterday and would return home from his overnight trip with Dad soon.

I didn’t want to be here when he came back.

If I could avoid him forever, I would. He would return glowing with happiness and smugness over being chosen instead of me.

I just knew it. And here I was, wearing his old ripped up jeans and sweater because it was too expensive to buy new stuff for me.

I’d been wearing clothes that were too big on me since I was thirteen.

I would forever be known as the second choice, the leftover dinner from the day before that still helped with the hunger but wasn’t as tasty as the day it was freshly made.

Jeremy was the name brand wolf shifter and I was the knock off no one wanted.

The sound of the waterfall lured me closer, the need to fill my ears with background noise of the hard-hitting water enough for me to hasten my steps.

This place was somewhere Jeremy liked to visit with his best friend Darius.

I rarely spent any time here because of that.

But knowing Jeremy wouldn’t be there helped.

He likely wouldn’t have the time, too busy shmoozing with the other pack members as he returned as our new Alpha.

My body felt weighed down by it all and I slumped onto the big rock facing the waterfall.

It was fall so the red trees around the waterfall seemed to create a safe haven as I let my guard down and breathed in the slightly cold air.

Maybe Jeremy being chosen would be a good thing.

It could mean he’d have less time for everyone, maybe leaving some to seek me out now instead.

The women in the pack had started to take an interest in me ever since I started developing muscles, but I wasn’t interested in anything other than friendship with them, so that had stopped.

The sound of the leaves rustling had me turning my head around, afraid that I’d see Jeremy striding through with his huge smile and easygoing personality.

Funnily enough, the one thing I would never inherit from his old worn-out things would be his winning personality that seemed to lure everyone into his orbit.

But it wasn’t Jeremy. No, it was somehow worse. Striding confidently through the trees were none other than the sexiest man alive, Darius. I internally groaned and went to stand. If Darius was here then Jeremy would be close behind.

“Oh,” I said, ignoring a greeting all together. “I’ll leave.”

Darius frowned at that. “Why are you leaving just because I showed up?”

“Um,” I eyed him with a matching frown. “This is your spot? You and Jeremy always meet up here.”

He smiled. “Yes? But that doesn’t mean that we own it.”

“Well, considering Jeremy is the Alpha now, I would beg to differ.” I rounded the stone and began walking away in the opposite direction of Darius. Maybe shifting and running for a bit would help clear my mind of all the shit it’s been through lately.

“Wait!” Darius called, making me freeze in place. “Please stay.” Was it my imagination, or was that last part spoken like a plea?

I turned and shrugged. “As long as Jeremy isn’t coming, I’m good to stay a bit longer.”

He frowned in confusion at that, but I didn’t elaborate. It truly didn’t concern him.

“He doesn’t know I’m here,” Darius stated, and I trusted him.

I sat back on the stone, feeling the lingering warmth from where I’d sat before. Ignoring Darius’ overwhelming presence, I watched the water as it cascaded down onto the rocks.

He moved slowly towards me and sat next to me on the stone, making it seem so much smaller already.

I’d always wanted Darius, but he was the one thing I would never allow myself the hope of gaining.

The one person that was all Jeremy’s and forever would be.

I knew Jeremy liked Darius as more than a friend.

I also knew he hadn’t told Darius about his feelings.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his tone husky and all man.

I made the mistake of making eye contact and was soon engulfed in the green shade of his seemingly endless eyes.

Nodding, because words failed me, I averted my gaze, hoping the ground proved interesting enough.

Two fingers urged my chin up, making my skin heat with pleasured tingles from the soft touch. I met his eyes again, seeing concern and something I’d never seen before in another’s gaze. Want.

A thought, unbidden, but unable to be denied, swept through my mind.

Darius could be the one thing I could take from Jeremy.

A small part of my conscience told me this was petty, that I should be the bigger person, but dammit I was done feeling like leftovers.

I wanted to be the freshly made meal. The whole fucking feast.

Right now, I had the opportunity to take the one thing from Jeremy he truly wanted. The waterfall and forest the only witnesses to what I was about to do. Leaning in, I accepted my fate as the worst brother in the world as I allowed myself to take something for myself from once.

Stealing my brother’s best friend and crush from right under his nose.

Darius met me eagerly, his warm lips connecting with mine, allowing no doubt to creep in if he wanted me back.

I swallowed my moan of pleasure, the kiss too good to be true.

His hands were on me and I held onto him, too, afraid to end this moment between us.

I’d started this kiss to get back at Jeremy, but with Darius’ lips on mine came a new knowledge as well.

As I sighed deeper into the kiss, I knew that he would be mine forever.