003 Mated To An Orphan

“She followed me to Night Banquet? How did she even find me?” Orion deems Lilith guilty even before the Lady could say anything else.

He is getting smothered by this “mating to Lilith” thing. Lilith wants them to get married like yesterday. She even chased him all the way to the pack. What frustrates him more is, so does his mother. The more they push him, the more he wants to resist and watch them be thwarted.

“Doesn’t matter, it was nothing. I’ll make it up to her later,” Orion waves his hand before the Lady could answer.

Maybe Lilith followed him there, or maybe someone in the room recorded his words for her ears. Those people like this kind of humiliating games. How she knew of it doesn’t matter.

He would explain, and she would understand. She could never stay mad at him overnight. That’s how much she loves him.

What matters is Hannah. Her father is a beta. And not just any beta, the most special one. Her father grew up by the Alpha side. Rumor had it that the Alpha’s mother even breastfed him herself.

To get the title of Alpha heir, he needs the help of Hannah’s father. What could Lilith get him? More humiliations? Hannah’s friends already look down on her. They would look down on him too if he appears to be too close with Lilith.

He needs to talk to Lilith first thing in the morning before she could go and trouble Hannah with this.

“If this doesn’t matter, what else matters?” The Lady chastises at his sloppy attitude, “You can’t find a better mate than--”

“Yes, I can!” Orion growls, cutting her off. Hannah is better! And even if not Hannah, “ANY of the elite girls is better than a runt without education!”

This is why he hated talking about Lilith with his mom! She made him feel so tiny in front of Lilith! He was the son of an Alpha! His wolf was the most powerful on the training ground! He spent the past three years learning his ass off both inside and outside of school to try to catch up with the elite kids and how they do things. Why would he not be able to find a better mate than a redneck runt?!

Lilith hated school so mother just spoiled her by homeschooling her. How much could mother teach her when mother knew so little herself?! Lilith knew nothing about what the elite girls like or play, nor did she know any manner like they do!

“Did you call her a runt tonight? Is that why she was crying? Did you know that—” Lilith said she wanted to move out? The Lady gets anxious at Orion’s words. He doesn’t know. Lilith is more powerful than any of these girls. Some day.

“Her wolf is half the size of any werewolves I know! Even just among females!” Orion finally bursts out, “Do you have any idea how much I have been humiliated ever since she came to the pack?!”

The first 17 years of his life were not abundant, but it was happy. But the past three years had been about nothing but humiliation. Being an illegitimate son was hard enough, but it was harder to try to blend in when his mom couldn’t help him in any way. He had to learn by himself that walking around naked after shifting is not lame but confidence. He had to learn from classmates’ laughter about differences between sports cars and racing cars.

Humiliation was the theme of his three years in the pack, and now when things JUST looked up a little, Lilith came. She came with her wild life habits. Her ignorance of any luxury brands. Her petty shyness when told to shift in public.

His outburst took the Lady by surprise.

Her worried eyes instantly darted to the ceiling -- she could only hope that Lilith didn’t hear her son. He didn’t mean any of these. Sure, she played a big part in leading Orion to fall in love with Lilith, but his love was not fake.

Orion realized that he lost control, too. He pinched his nose in frustration, couldn’t start comprehending why his mother dragged him into such a nonsensical fight in the middle of the night when his temples were thumping in pain from the alcohol.

“Could you just try to understand that I’m trying to get the title of Alpha heir, which is not easy like shopping in the market?” Orion sighs, collapsing into the sofa with all the manners he learned thrown away, “If you guys can’t help, can you at least stop getting in my way?!”

Without that title, he will always be “the illegitimate”. He needs that title!

The Alpha has only three sons. One banished and the other only 17 years old. He is the Alpha’s ONLY choice, yet the Alpha is still “hesitating” on making it official. All this while, his two families in the world, Lilith and his own mother, are forcing his hand into childish mating games.

“No beta would support me for that title if I get mated to an orphan at this moment!”