Chapter four

A knock sounded on the door, distracting Darell from his thoughts, and he commanded the person to come in.

Darell smiled when he saw his Beta, Chris, walk in.

"It is time," Chris announced to Darell.

The smile that had decorated Darell's face fell instantly.

For the past month, he had kept praying that, somehow, his 27th birthday would not come, but then, like a crawling child trying to get to his mother, the day hit him in the face.

He was sure that if the goddess was still their leader, she would be laughing down around him.

"You don't have to look like someone who is being led to slaughter, Darell," Chris told him with a smile.

"I can't wait until it's your turn in a few months and throw your words back at you," Darell replied with a snort.

"Easy peasy, Alpha. I'll just keep her somewhere and go on living my life as if nothing has changed.

There's no way I should be tied to one woman all my life when I could have variety.

Unlike you who have no choice, being the only son and Alpha," Chris said with a shrug.

Darell picked up a book on his desk and tried to hurl it at the other man.

He stopped when his sister, Bella, opened the door and walked in.

Here comes trouble, Darell thought and quickly dropped the book in his hands on the desk.

He watched as she hissed at Chris before she fixed her gaze on her elder brother.

"Mother said to call you." She announced to him.

"Hey, sugar," Chris called to her. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he said the words.

"Did you hear a tiny wolf speak a few seconds ago, Darell?" Bella asked her brother.

Darell saw Chris's brown eyes shoot fireballs at his sister.

As he opened his mouth to say something back to her, Darell grabbed his beta by the arm and dragged him out.

Darell knew that if he didn't do that, then war was sure to break out between the two people he loved.

He could never understand why his beta and his sister hated each other in such a tremendous way.

It was critical to the point that the two of them could never be left alone in a room just for a minute.

Darell was sure one would have killed the other.

"She's my sister, you know," Darell told his beta, who was also the only one Darell could call a friend.

"Teach her some manners then," Chris retorted and looked behind them.

Darell looked back too and saw Bella making the 'fuck you' finger at his friend.

He grunted and held Chris firmly as his beta tried to free himself.

"Chris, behave. She's just a girl." He told his beta. "Lisha, behave too. Chris is my beta," Darell told his younger sister.

"Good for him," Bella said with a voice that clearly said that she didn't care what position Chris held in the clan.

Before either of the men could give any reply, she walked past them into the hall full of the entire Piker Pack members.

It was time, Darell thought as he let go of Chris and the door.

It was time to have his life take a drastic turn without being asked if it was what he wanted.

He sighed audibly to still his racing heart, then he opened the door and walked in.

Everyone kept mute as soon as they saw him.

Darell nodded his head to respond to the greetings of his pack members as he walked to his mother to greet her.

Darell was thinking when he heard a knock on the door. He told the person to come in.

When Chris, his Beta, walked in, Darell grinned.

Darell was informed by Chris that "the time has come."

Darell's previously adorning smile abruptly disappeared.

He had been pleading for his 27th birthday to somehow escape him for the previous month, but it suddenly struck him in the face like a child trying to crawl to his mother.

If the goddess was still in charge of them, he was certain that she would be laughing in his general direction.

Chris smiled and said, "You don't have to look like someone who is being led to slaughter, Darell.

Darell snorted back, "I can't wait until it's your turn in a few months and throw your words back at you."

Simple as pie, Alpha. I'll just store her away and carry on with my life as usual.

When I can have a variety of women, there is no way I will ever be committed to just one.

Being the only son and Alpha, you have no other option, unlike you," Chris shrugged.

Darell attempted to throw a book that was on his desk at the other man.

When Bella, his sister, opened the door and entered, he came to a stop.

Darell quickly threw the book he was holding back onto the desk, thinking, "This is going to be trouble."

He observed her hissing at Chris before she turned to look at her older brother.

Mother instructed me to call you. She told him.

Chris called to her, "Hey, sugar." As he spoke, sarcasm could be heard permeating his voice.

Bella questioned her brother, "Did you hear a tiny squeak just now, Darell?"

Chris was aiming fireballs at his sister with his brown eyes, which Darell saw.

Darell seized his beta's arm and dragged him outside as he opened his mouth to respond to her.

The two people Darell loved would undoubtedly go to war if he didn't do that, Darell knew.

He never understood why his beta and his sister had such intense animosity toward one another.

The two of them couldn't ever be left alone in a room, even for a brief period, due to how important it was.

Darell was certain that either would have killed the other.

Darell explained to his beta—the only person he could refer to as a friend—that "she's my sister, you know."

Chris responded, looking back at them, "Teach her some manners then."

Bella was pointing the "fuck you" finger at Darell's friend as he turned around.

He grunted and tightened his grip on Chris as his beta tried to break free.

"Chris, be proper. She is merely a girl. He informed his beta. "Bel, act properly too. " Chris is my beta," Darell said to his younger sister.

Bella said, "Good for him," in a tone that made it clear she didn't give a damn about Chris's place in the clan. Before either of the men could respond, she walked past them into the room filled with the entire Piker Pack.