KING'S MATE

AZALEA'S POV

I was adopted, found, really, by a bush of Azaleas, hence my name. My adoptive parents had 2 children before me, a boy and a girl, and a set of twins after me, also a boy and a girl, making 5 kids in all. They love us equally but leave us to ourselves most of the time, busy with pack duties and also personal, duties - they're so into each other, it's gross. Dad could never, even if he tried, keep his hands off mom. Kai, our eldest brother says that’s how it has always been. 

I dream of a love like that, a man who would love me flaws and all, obsessed with me even when all the hairs on my head turn grey, and me, him, even when he can’t walk straight from arthritis.

Kai and Eloise, my older siblings don't like me much, I guess they feel like I intruded, on their perfect little family. They have never really come out to say out rightly, but they do these subtle things like, make me do all their share of chores, and just stay away form me until absolutely necessary.

My younger siblings, the twins, Lexa and Justin, younger both adore me, Lexa follows me every where since she could walk and Justin is like my personal bodyguard.

I am very different to the rest of my family, while they have light brown hazel eyes, mine are blue, deep clear blue, that gets deeper every time I take my brown lenses off, I swear It changes with season.

They are slender and tall, with more lower than upper body, I also consider myself tall, not as tall as my elder sister Eloise, but I have a full hour glass curve that I hide. No one ever says to, but I do, not even sure why. I guess, it's a reminder of how different, I truly am.

I hide my hair, in deep, deep dark brown dye every week or so, I have brown roots though, but then the entire length is white, very slivery white. So you understand why I say I’m different. Oh, but that’s not all.

My brother, Kai, shifted for the first time on his 18th birthday after dinner, same for Eloise, I swear they are so alike some times, it creeps me out, they do every thing the same way, talk the same, you’d think they are the twins if not for the 4 year gap between them.

I had my 19th about 5 months ago and still haven’t shifted, even 15 year Lexa though hadn’t shifted yet, but her wolf would often surface when she got mad or super excited. 

It is certainly no secret that I am adopted, Kai and Eloise made sure of that, telling almost every one of their friends that I was found. It isn’t as evil as you think, it just is the best explanation for the many question people have about me. Even if they don’t say anything, it's too obvious to hide. Barely anything is, with werewolves.

To them, I smell different, every new werewolf I ever met has always been graceful to point it out, and to the humans I smelt very pleasant, even though I wear no cologne or perfume, never had in my entire life.

It gets weird when human girls come up to me to ask which cologne I wear and I tell them I don’t wear any. They never believe me and just conclude that I’m too proud or arrogant about my big perfume secret. It used to bother me when I first started high school, but now, I just tell them, its my hair shampoo or body wash.

Kai didn’t go to college, he joined the training program of the pack alliance for 10 months and came back home to do nothing, after all, he's next in line to be Beta after dad steps down.

It annoys me every time I think of it. Why does he get to do nothing with his life and be handed a position he did not work for, eligible by birth, he still even lives with us.

Times like these are when I love the humans, they basically kick you out after high school, you go off to college in a big city, if you’re lucky you find a good job, then find love and settle down, or you come back home to continue a family business, buy yourself a house and get married. 

But my parents have no problem with Kai still living with us, why should I?. Maybe it's because, Kai and I have never spoken more than 5 sentences to each other run all the 18 years I’ve known him or because, his wall is right against mine so I hear him every time he’s banging some random chic.

Kai lives life to the fullest, with all the tension at home at the coming of the Alpha, he like me, seems not to be excited about it, hating that another werewolf his age, more powerful, had all of dad's attention, heck had all of the pack's attention.

Needing to unwind, I guess, he goes out for drinks, I don't really care what Kai does with his time, till he stumbles into my room, drunk. My door squeaks open as he push it open from outside.

Werewolves have good drinking stamina, I've not been experienced in either department, but I've heard stories. It takes a lot of drinks to make a werewolf, a Beta at that, to get as drunk as Kai is right now. 

"Oops, wrong room." He slurs, as he barge in, tripping over his own foot, I hiss, fighting the urge to curse. I need a damn lock on my door!. 

But dad has a no lock rule. "Yes it is." I bite out angrily.

He looks up, sizing me up on my bed, in nothing but my PJs, ready for bed. They aren’t the most pretty PJs a girl could have, worn the same one for years now, never had a reason to change them, so they are pretty small.

Most times I fall asleep in my normal clothes, but my jeans was beginning to itch so I ditched it. 

His face slowly morphs into a sinister smile, his lustful eyes raking my body, the room suddenly feeling very small. It was pretty late, I don’t want to make a fuss and wake every one up, especially with the long day every one had, so I don’t say anything else, and wait for him to leave.

"But the view sure is nice." His icy words roll off his tongue, like poison to my ears, I scuffle up on my bed, wearing the meanest frown, I don't want to be rude cos he is older, but he is clearly drunk and is interrupting my sleep.

"Kai, I need to sleep." I voice out, trying to be as respectful as I can but his presence is beginning to get on my nerves, and instead of him to turn around and leave, he takes a few steps in.

"Me too, I bet I could be good company, show you a few styles." He answers. My frown deepens. 'Who did he think he was talking to, one of his cheap slubs?.

"Kai!." I call out, a little loudly in hope to snap him out of his drunk state, but his wolf comes forward, his eyes turning a hue of grey as he walks towards my bed, I shot out of the bed, using the sheet on my bed to wrap myself, he snatch the cloth from my grip, tearing it, he flings it across the room.