Six.

Irina’s POV

As soon as I am out the doors I run, pushing one foot in front of the other until the school is a tiny dot in the distance. Today hadn’t been as bad as it could have been with Vivian, I knew she saw me but maybe having her fiancé there was what stopped her. But, I could not get her evil grin out of my head, it was more sadistic than usual and in some ways I was glad Damien was there, just to stop her from torturing me for one day even if his scent was intoxicating

His scent! I didn’t understand why it was so strong around me??, surely others could smell it too. Is that why the other girls threw themselves at him. I come to a halt as I remember what my mother used to tell me. All the stories growing up she had told me that the day I find my mate, I would be overcome by a scent, a scent that only I could smell, a scent that called my wolf to his and vice versa.

Surely it couldn’t be possible, he was my half brother, we shared the same father, we were related by blood!! What was the Moon Goddess playing at!!

As I start walking again, a car screeches to a stop next to me, in the passenger seat was Vivian, chewing gum and playing with her hair, I wish I could build enough courage to throat punch her.

The window rolls down and she curls her lip at me, but it was Damien who spoke, much to her annoyance, he leans over her

“Need a ride?” his deep green eyes twinkle at me and for a moment I find myself lost in them, they were beautiful.

On the passenger seat, Vivian's eyes darken as she hears Damien. I was certain she would stab me if I dared to say yes

Shaking my head at him “No thank you”.

If I had only just found out that we were half brother and sister then no one else would know so I had to treat him for who he was, the Alpha’s son and that meant being polite.

Vivian giggles in her sweet voice, it just makes her sound more annoying than ever.

“Come on babe, she doesn’t want a lift. I told you already, she is a loner”

I watch as Damien frowns at her, but she had gone back to staring at her engagement ring, like it was the most important thing in the world and for just a second I felt jealous.

“Are you sure Irina?, you live a long way out”

Vivian bites her lip in the shadow of the car and her head snaps up to Damien “How do you know where SHE lives?”

Crap, crap. Crap! My address had been kept secret from everyone, only my father and now my half-brother knew where I lived, and I wanted to keep it that way. It would be awful if my bully knew where my house was

“I had to drop off some things to her mom from the Alpha” He rolls his eyes “Errands”

If I could see through the lie then she probably could too

Vivians’ eyes narrow, she didn’t believe him at all and I already knew tomorrow was going to be a day of hell.

“Are you sure, there plenty of room?” he gestures to the back seat, and I shake my head at him

“Thank you, but I like to walk”

He nods his head and pulls the car away as Vivian sticks two fingers up at me and I let out a long sigh. Looking up to the sky I just mouth why.

I take a different route home, just in case. Walking along the edge of the forest, I was desperate to go for a run and could not wait until I could shift, I bet running in wolf form would be even better, but I do as I was told and stay out of the forest line.

Standing just outside my home, I could hear my parents arguing about something and as I move closer, I realise they are talking about....ME???

I lightened my footsteps, just like how my mother had taught me. Creeping along under the kitchen window, holding my breath, listening carefully:

“We are doing this for her” The Alpha’s voice was low

“She is almost eighteen, we cannot keep this from her forever, she will find out eventually”

“Just give me more time”

“Irina does not have more time, I saw the way she looked at your son”

“No one can find out that she is not my daughter, it will be worse for her if they discover she is the daughter of a traitor”

I lean against the wall, screaming in my heart; It cannot be true!! All this time the Alpha had raised me as his own, treated me like his very own daughter but my biological father was the traitor, the Beta that almost ruined our pack??

“You have not got long to figure this out Alpha, once she turns eighteen her true nature will be revealed”

“I know Kelly. I lied to my son too”

There was a pause before the Alpha continues, “I told him you were the Gamma of your pack”

“But I am not the Gamma, I am the ….”

She trails off and I get distracted by a sound in the forest but when nothing appears I turn my attention back to my lying parents.

“Damien is due to marry and take over as Alpha soon, then this whole business with those two being mated will be over”

“You want to deny my daughter?”

“No, but…”

“There are no buts Alpha, she is eighteen in a few months, not only will she have Beta blood running through her, but she will have mine too”

“I know, I know but I need more time”

“More time for what exactly?, she is a female blood Alpha and it is my fault her birth father is dead”

I fall to the ground in complete shock. My mother had a status, but why did she choose to live as an omega?? Why was the Alpha hiding it?? Who was he trying to hide from?? What on earth was going on??

I stand back up, dusting myself down, ready to barrel in through the door and demand they tell me the truth when I smell that familiar scent again and he grabs me by the wrist

“Mate” Damien snarls as he pulls me away, he glances back at the house and I realise that he had heard everything too.