Bound To My Rival

ADRIAN“Adrian, hey.” A girl called as she ran after me. “Hey.” I smiled, turning to face her.Her face looked a bit familiar and I was wondering where I had met her before.She wasn't a wolf though. I could tell that by her scent. But if she wasn't a wolf, what would she want from me?“I'm Chloe. We met at the football game.” She smiled at me as she played with her hair.“Oh Chloe.” I grinned. “Hi. It's nice to see you around.”Did I remember who she was? No.Was I going to let her know that?Definitely not.I saw a lot of ladies everyday. I'm sure no one expected me to keep a track of them, right?“Im hosting a party at my place tonight. Would you like to come?” She leaned in closer, closing the space between the both of us.“Shit.” I took two steps back and ran a hand through my hair. “I'm pretty busy tonight, I'm not so sure I'll be able to make it.”“Oh.” Her face fell. “Okay. That's fine. I'll see you around school though, right?”“Yeah of course.” I nodde

ADRIAN I hated birthdays.Every year since I could remember, my family threw a ridiculous celebration to remind me I was the heir to the Nightfang Pack. This year, though, it felt different—heavier. Eighteen. The age wolves came of age, the age you could feel the bond if your mate was near.With all this, I was supposed to feel a bit excited, but as I adjusted the collar of my dress shirt, I felt nothing but absolute dread.Maybe because I knew that I was on a fraying thread now. My father knew of some others who met their mates before eighteen, and he's been putting pressure on me ever since. Now that I'm eighteen, I should find one today, but what if I don't?I mean, that was the only reason my dad was throwing a big party and inviting every werewolf's kids and grandkids.If this wasn't a load of pressure, then I have no idea what is. In fact, I don't think there's any amount of pressure higher than this.“Looking good, Alpha,” Eli teased from the doorway.

ADRIAN I couldn't sleep that night. I kept pacing. Luckily, Eli was off partying somewhere, so he wasn't there to witness my turmoil.Every time I closed my eyes, I swear I could see him and hear him in my head. My wolf prowled inside me, restless, angry that I’d let Lucas walk away. The bond had sunk its claws in, and I was losing my grip on control.By morning, I looked like hell.“Rough night?” Eli asked as I took the seat he had reserved for me at breakfast.“Yeah. You can say that,” I said, moving my food about on my plate.“Too much birthday champagne?”“Something like that.”I wasn’t about to tell him the truth—that my sworn rival, Lucas Rayne ne, was my fated mate. The idea was ridiculous, even to me. My parents would lose their minds. The pack would see me as weak, maybe even unfit to lead. And Lucas? He’d probably rather rip his own throat out than claim me.“Hey,” Eli said, snapping his fingers in front of me. “You good? You’re zoning out.”“Yeah. Just tired.”He