Chapter 13

Xander's POV

I stare at my laptop, not taking in a word of the email I’m trying to read. Helena is whining behind me as usual, and all my focus is going into trying to drown out the sound of her annoying voice.

I glance up from my place on the sofa in our house, and I catch Zach’s raised eyebrows. He hates her. I know he does—they all do. And truth be told, I can’t stand her anymore either, but I need to maintain my image. I started dating Helena in our second year. After everything that happened with Seb, and then Max, I fell apart. We all did to an extent, but the loss of Seb isn’t what broke me. It was breaking up with Max. He avoided us all for ages, and still, I don’t think he has looked at me once since the day he told me it was over. He at least hangs out with us now, not all the time, but since King James and my dad decided he was going to be co-Alpha with me, he has been signed up to the same classes. It is hard to avoid each other. Brant and his guys leave Uni this week when the semester ends. Lincoln and his unit are going into their fourth and final year come the fall. Having them all around all term long has been helpful to diffuse the tension, and for Max not to have to work too hard to avoid me. Whenever we’re back home, he maintains a professional attitude, and we can work together quite well. But it breaks my heart that he will not discuss anything personal with me at all. My chest hurts whenever we’re in the same room. I’ve managed to push down my inappropriate memories and feelings. It is clear he isn’t interested in me anymore, and at first Atlas and I were both broken over it. But we’ve had to pick ourselves back up again.

I’m trying to rework the playboy image I had at school, so Helena… no one knows that the most we do is kiss. As far as she's concerned, I’m “saving myself” until I meet my mate. She’s not happy that I will barely touch her and won’t let her take things further, but I just can’t face it with her. As soon as she mentions it my dick shrivels up faster than you can say “not interested.” But being alone is too painful. Being with someone like her helps me compartmentalise things. I dislike her so much there’s no chance I’ll accidentally fall in love with her. She keeps me company when the guys aren’t around, but leaving her when I meet my mate won’t be difficult at all. But yeah, it means my friends have to suffer through her. We’ve been together since the beginning of this year, and even I’m beginning to regret my decision. We finish for the summer in two days. And then we’re heading to the Royal Pack for camp, as usual. Mercifully, Helena can’t follow me there.

She’s so goddess-damn clingy I think she’d try if there was any way she could get past the gates. She’s an unranked member of White Crescent, and she has big aspirations of becoming a Luna. I’ve been very careful not to mention I’m looking or would ever consider a chosen mate, but she still drops the hint almost every day. She would be an awful Luna.

Oscar places a beer down in front of me, and Eliot follows it with a large bowl of chips and a jar of salsa. I close my laptop and tuck in. I have no idea what the email from my dad says—it’s pack business, and he’s just running it past me. It’s nothing urgent, and perhaps Max can answer it for once. Max is very reluctant to be an Alpha. He has made it abundantly clear. He takes the training seriously, but he’s reluctant to take a leading role at home within the pack, happy to constantly defer to me. I know Dad’s frustrated with him. I sure as hell am.

Just then my phone pings in my pocket, and I pull it out.

Mum: Zahra is graduating college on the 3rd June. She hasn’t been able to contact anyone to tell us, but the dean just called your father to ask if we wanted tickets as he hadn’t seen us on the list. I’m assuming you all want to be there?

What the fuck! I spit my beer across the coffee table, grateful I’d already put my laptop away and didn’t just spray Budweiser over it. I leap to my feet.

“Babe! What’s wrong?”

I ignore the nasal shrill voice from behind me. “Guys, it’s Zahra’s graduation on the 3rd. We’re all going, right?”

Zach sits forward. “What?!”

“She’s graduating early too?” Eliot whines.

I hadn’t even registered that. I’m fairly sure her degree was meant to take four years. How did she complete it in three—and train at the Academy?

'Focus', Atlas cuts in, more present and alert than he’s been in ages, tuned into the conversation instead of sulking in the back of my mind.

“Never mind that, she hasn’t been able to let anyone know, so she’s probably not expecting anyone to be there. Mum wants to know if we’re all going.”

“Of course, we’re going!” Oscar is on his feet now too, fists clenched.

But Zach looks pained. “We start camp on the 1st. We won’t be allowed to go.”

“Shit!” I hadn’t thought of that.

Me: We all want to go, but we start camp on the 1st. Can you ask Dad to see if they will let us start later?

Mum: Your father ran it past James as soon as he got off the phone with the Dean. You can all start camp on the 4th.

Me: Thank the goddess. We’ll all be there then, please. Max too.

I don’t bother messaging Max to check before confirming. I know the one person he’d never flake on is Zahra. He’s as desperate to see her as the rest of us.

“Dad’s cleared it with King James. We start camp on the 4th.”

The guys all nod and smile, and Oscar sits back down looking relieved.

“That’s amazing, babe, that means we can spend five more days together!” Helena screeches as she plops herself down in my lap. Oh fucking Joy!