Despicable Mate

KIARA’S POV

I groaned as I tossed in my bed. The bright light streaming from the window made it impossible to remain asleep. How I wished I could be lost in the soothing darkness forever.

A wave of piercing sensation made me realize that sleeping for a long time would remain just that, a dream. It was a miracle that I had managed to sleep the previous night.

A long, suffering, groan escaped my mouth as I pulled myself up. Massaging my head with one hand, I drew the sheets closer around me.

Forcing myself to crack open my eyelids, I swept my eyes around my bedroom. The peeling paint, cracked walls, and low wooden ceiling were not exactly ideal, but I was glad they let me have my own room.

Thuk! Thuk! Thuk! Thuk! The distinct creaking of the wooden floorboards hit my head like a hammer. A shudder coursed through me when I realized that it was Sunday.

Bile rose in my throat and I rushed to the bathroom. The queasy sensation in my stomach didn’t subside even after I had emptied it of all the contents. I was washing my mouth when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I couldn’t believe that the reflection staring back at me. My skin looked as smooth as marble. There was not even a single boil or blemish. My lips were full and supple, and my hair…

Hell no! My long hair was tangled and messy. My hands shook slightly as I picked up the comb and tried clearing the knots as soon as possible.

“Kiara! Do you mind hurrying up?” Ariana’s sickly-sweet voice made my stomach twist. Placing the comb on the edge of the basin, I straightened my hair and rushed out.

“Why are you always in the bathroom?” Anderson’s gruff voice boomed in the room as soon as I stepped out.

I stole a glance at his bearded face before walking straight to my bed. Letting out a deep sigh, I sat on the edge of the bed. There was no use struggling. I could never win.

“Drink slowly. This time it is much stronger,” Ariana said, handing me a goblet.

My hands trembled as I brought the goblet close to my lips; the pungent aroma made me gag. The queasy sensation in my stomach magnified. I swallowed the bile that had risen in my throat and drank the contents in a single gulp. I had learned from experience that the longer I waited to drink, the more difficult it became. My throat burned as the liquid flowed down my gullet.

A scream escaped my mouth and I tumbled to the floor as the convulsions hit me. It was as if my entire body was burning from within. I laid flat on the cold floor, hoping that it would soothe me but there was no use.

The liquid spread through my entire body like lava. I screamed, cried, begged but they stood there like statues. Not that I had expected them to pity me.

Anderson grabbed my arm. I winced slightly as he pumped the contents of the syringe into my veins ruthlessly.

My head started spinning and the burning sensation subsided slightly.

“Andy, don’t you think we’ve injected her with enough wolfsbane?”

“Maybe. I am just making sure that she doesn’t shift…”

“What if she is never able to shift?

“It’s possible. We have been giving her shots every week. Anyway, what do we care?”

My heart sank. All these days I had been clinging to the hope that one day I would be free. Then, I could shift and let my body, mind, and soul heal.

“Why are you doing this?” I rasped, leaning against the wall.

“A couple of weeks more,” Anderson stated before trotting out of the room. Ariana followed close behind.

I pulled my body to a fetal position and buried my head between my knees. He didn’t tell me why he was doing this but at least he gave me a timeline. My heart pounded against my ribs in anticipation. I just wanted this to end quickly so that I could finally go home.

The next Wednesday…

I was seated on a chair near the window. Tall trees with lush foliage extended in all directions. Bushes, brambles, and creepers grew in the lower region making it appear like an impenetrable wall.

I liked to sit here and watch the greenery. It soothed my eyes and I managed to divert my mind off the burning sensation.

I was watching a squirrel walk along the branches of a tall tree when the creaking of the floorboards sounded. My eyebrows furrowed as I turned around. Anderson and Ariana were standing in the doorway as I had dreaded.

My heartbeat accelerated and sweat trickled down my forehead. Why were they here? My heart thumped with every step Ariana took towards me. I jumped to my feet and stood there, wringing my hands.

Chuckling slightly, she grabbed my hand. My mind became fuzzy and it was like my body had suddenly lost all its weight. Everything turned dark for a split second. My jaw hung open when my vision cleared. We were standing in the middle of a street. There was a slight pop sound to my right. My head snapped in that direction to come face to face with Anderson.

A gasp escaped my mouth, “How!?”

“That is not important,” Anderson said in a clipped tone.

“Honey, we have work to do,” Ariana said, placing her hand on my shoulders.

I cringed on the inside but didn’t dare move away.

Moving closer she whispered, “Do you see that boy leaning against that ornate pillar? Walk up to him and kiss him.”

“What!” I exclaimed, taking a step away from her.

“We just want to see if you can follow orders.” Anderson’s gruff voice sent a shiver down my spine. I knew that I couldn’t defy him.

My legs felt heavy as I trudged towards the boy. He must have been deep in thought. He didn’t turn around even when I was mere inches away from him.

My heart pounded in my ears as I tapped him on the shoulder. Startled, he spun around a bit too quickly, and bumped against me.

His eyes widened and his face flushed. “I-I wasn’t looking. I’m so sorry.” He stopped talking abruptly.

His gaze held mine and his mouth parted. His breathing hitched and he kept gazing at me.

At about five foot seven, he was only slightly taller than me. I had to admit that he was quite attractive, with angular cheekbones, cherry red lips, and piercing grey eyes.

The sound of Anderson clearing his throat brought me back to reality. Damn! I had never thought that my first kiss would be with some random guy on the street.

My ears picked up the sound of a foot tapping. Anderson was getting impatient. I couldn’t afford to dally anymore.

I pulled his face close to me and crushed my lips against his. It was that awkward kind of kiss where you just mash your lips against your partner’s since you have no idea what you’re doing.

At first, the boy was stunned and stood frozen, but when he realized what I was doing, he turned me around and pressed me against the pillar. His hands tightened around my arms and his lips moved urgently. His tongue brushed against my teeth, seeking entrance.

My heart twisted with guilt when I looked into his eyes. It was so wrong to kiss him abruptly and just vanish later. I was contemplating whether I should push him away when I noticed his eyes turning red.

His hands slumped to his side and he staggered backwards, making us lose contact. My eyes widened in horror when I saw that his lips had turned blue. His eyes bulged with fear as froth came out of his mouth. 

Seconds later he was lying on the ground, still and lifeless. His entire body had turned a faint shade of blue. I stood there too stunned to react. I felt someone grab my hand and moments later I was back in my room.

Licking my dry lips, I asked in a shaking voice, “W-what happened to that boy?”

Deep inside I knew that I was the reason for his death, but I couldn’t bring myself to admit it yet.

Ariana’s face lit up with a victorious smile. She placed her hand on my shoulder and said, “He was poisoned by your kiss.”

Anderson’s eyes glowed with pride. He crossed his arms and said, “The potion was much more effective than I had expected. A few more weeks and her kiss will be lethal to werewolves too.”

My heart sank. The way he said those words…It seemed like he was going to use me like a killing machine.

The terrified look in the boy’s eyes as if he was looking at a predator was still fresh in my memory. I had to find a way to escape these monsters.

 

 

 

 

Two years later…

KEVIN’S POV

Warm water cascaded down my body, soothing my aching muscles. My father insisted that I trained at least two hours in the morning. After all, I was the future Alpha of the Mystical Pack. My weakness could be the downfall of the entire pack.

A sharp knock pulled me out of my thoughts. “Kevin! If you don’t come out in two minutes, I’m coming inside.” 

I groaned as I turned off the shower. If it was anyone else I would have ignored it. But this was my beloved sister, Risha. She must have already arranged for a duplicate key before threatening me.

Wrapping a soft, white towel around my torso, I rushed to open the door. Risha’s eyes lit up and her lips stretched into a sweet smile. She thrust some clothes into my hands saying, “Here, wear these. We are going to the Espanol Café.”

I shook my head and sighed before nodding. Risha could be quite bossy but I loved every bit of her. I was free this morning, so there was no reason to disappoint her.

Flipping her hair, she swayed to the door. I had to muffle a chuckle watching her sashay her body. Her girly gang had some kind of thing going on where they learned to walk with style. To be honest, I never understood why they would torture themselves with those horrific heels.

She opened the door of the bedroom and said, “Don’t be late,” before banging it shut.

I put on my clothes and shoes as fast as I could. The last thing I wanted was for Risha to tease me all the way.

Trotting down the stairs I found her, my younger brother, Sandy, and Father sitting around the table.

Pulling a chair beside Risha, I said, “I thought we were going to a café.”

She shrugged her shoulders and mouthed the word ‘mom.’ My mom had an unwritten rule that she never let us step out of the house without eating.

My lips stretched into a wide smile when I saw her walk in with a tray of sandwiches. Her golden hair was tied up in a tight bun. Her face creased with laughter lines as she looked at all of us seated around the ornate teak table.

Mom hadn’t even set the tray on the table when Risha shrieked, “How could you do this to me? You made Kevin’s favorite ham sandwich. Where is my cheese sandwich?”

“You won’t die if you eat ham sandwiches today,” Mom said, serving dad some coffee.

He looked up from the newspaper and pulled Mom to sit beside him. My mom hesitated, “I have work to do.” 

Dad put the newspaper away and countered, “Is it more important than family time?” Mom shook her head and finally settled down.

I had no idea why mom and dad had this same conversation every morning. I did think it was cute but it was slightly repetitive.

Risha pouted and crossed her arms. Her face fell as if she had been wronged greatly. She pushed her plate away without even looking at it. “I’m not hungry.”

I couldn’t restrain the chuckle that escaped my throat. My chuckle acted like a trigger and soon the room was filled with guffaws. Tears welled in Risha’s eyes. She sniffled and got up from her chair. “I’m going to my room.”

I could tell that she was hurt. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She was not usually so touchy. I grabbed her hand and forced her to sit again. “Risha, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed.”

“Why should you restrain your laughter? You will soon be the Alpha of this pack and order us around,” she said in a voice thick with emotion.

Ah! She was worried that everything would change once I became the Alpha. No wonder she was upset by such a small matter.

I cocooned her hand in mine and said, “Nothing will ever change between us, Risha. I promise.”

She squinted her eyes and said, “Not even when you find your Luna?”

I tapped her nose lightly and said, “Not even when I find my Luna.”

She pursed her lips and nodded. My heart ached when I saw her eat the sandwich quietly. I was so used to her incessant chatter that even a moment of silence was painful.

“You don’t have to eat that ham sandwich. I’ll go make your favorite cheese cracker sandwich,” I said in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

It worked. Her small face lit up like the sun. She flashed me one of her best smiles and said, “Thank you, brother. You’re the best.”

My mom exhaled deeply and pushed another plate towards Risha. “No need, she can have this.”

She puffed her cheeks and glared at Mom. But when she saw the contents of the plate she squealed with delight. “You made my favorite sandwich! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Mom lifted her shoulders slightly. “Everyone loves a bit of entertainment.”

Risha’s eyes darted between the sandwich and Mom several times. In the end, she chose to ignore her teasing and focused on eating the sandwich.

We all watched in wonder as she wolfed down in two minutes flat.

Catching our glare she muttered, “What! I was just hungry.”

Afraid that I would end up teasing her again, I swept my eyes around the room looking for something interesting. It was then I realized that Sandy was unusually quiet.

I shifted my chair slightly so that my body was angled towards him. “Sandy, is everything okay?”

He raised his round face and a faint smile formed on his thin lips. His short, brown hair bounced slightly as he shook his head. His voice was slightly disoriented. “I was just thinking about you.”

Risha clapped Sandy’s back and chirped, “Woah! You were thinking of something. Aren’t you afraid that your brain will become extinct?”

“Risha! Not everything is a joke. Can’t you see that he’s serious?” Mom said, her voice laced with warning.

Risha stuck out her tongue but kept quiet. Sandy leaned forward and said with a serious expression, “I was watching everyone eat happily when a sudden fear gripped my heart. What if all this is temporary? Tomorrow, Kevin will turn eighteen. Maybe he’ll find his mate too. What if she isn’t a good person? What if she ruins everything that we have?”

I could sense the apprehension in his voice. My stomach was in knots but I had to behave responsibly in front of my siblings.

My father must have sensed my feelings because he said, “We can’t remain static forever, Sandy. Change is an unavoidable part of our life. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can adapt.”

I smiled at my dad and nodded. Even though he was talking to Sandy, I knew that the message was meant for me too.

“And once Kevin has marked his mate, their thoughts and feelings will merge. Believe me, the Moon Goddess has her own way of making things right between mates.”

A sigh escaped my throat inadvertently. I had forgotten about that part of mating. Once I had marked my mate, I could read her thoughts and she could read mine. It did seem a bit intrusive but it left no room for misunderstandings.

“I hope I didn’t intrude on your ‘happy family time.’ A familiar voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

My heart skipped a beat as I raised my head in apprehension. It was really Cami. She had always been pretty, but now there was an air of confidence about her that added to her charm.

Risha squealed and ran towards her, pulling her into a tight hug. My heart almost stopped beating when Cami looked at me and smiled. My face flushed slightly and I lowered my gaze.

The silence that followed was a bit disconcerting. So, I cleared my throat and said, “When did you return from Loretta?”

She pulled away from Risha. Her eyes twinkled as she said, “How could I miss your eighteenth birthday? I know you didn’t invite me but—”

“I did!” Risha interrupted.

My mom glared at Risha and chastised, “Who asked you to bother Cami? She has to appear for the leadership fest next week...”

“Why are you blaming me? I just wanted to make sure she was around just in case she’s Kevin’s mate. Don’t tell me you hadn’t considered this?” Risha said, pouting.

“As much as I would love to have Cami as my daughter-in-law, we should not speculate. The Moon Goddess will guide Kevin to his mate.”

Exhaling deeply, I hardened my resolve. I had to accept the one chosen by the moon goddess. I couldn’t let my mind get distracted...