CHAPTER 6

(Mark's POV)

Olivia was absentmindedly dressing in her room, so I hurriedly slipped out after seeing her náked.

Thankfully, she didn't participate in any pack activities because she did not have a wolf. Also, she had never celebrated her birthday before, as we only assumed her age.

Mom and Dad didn't know who Olivia's real parents were. The only thing we knew was that she had been dumped in a basket in front of the pack's orphanage home.

I felt a pressing desire to protect Olivia, to claim her as mine. And I believed that was why my parents had adopted her.

Looking away from Emily's stern face, I smiled at Ava and said, "I came to shop for my lunch."

"That's fine, Mark. I am sorry that I missed coming to watch your basketball game today against the Red Ballers. I was busy in class and I couldn't miss it," Ava said, her hand reaching out to touch my chiseled chest as she bit her bottom lip seductively.

Stepping away from Ava's touch, I replied, "It's nothing that you should worry about. It's just a friendly match."

My voice was calm as I moved away from Ava to create a small distance between us. She was our Alpha's daughter, and she had a sort of charm that compelled single guys to lust after her, but I did not want to fall for her charm.

"Alright." Ava bit her bottom lip and said, "Emily and I are already leaving. We will see you later." She turned to walk away with my annoyed sister, but she paused and asked, "Mark, that reminds me, will you attend Rita's birthday party tomorrow evening? She's your coach's daughter and my best friend too. Won't you attend it? We will have a lot of fun at the pack's hotel tomorrow?"

"Mmm," my brows furrowed, as I had thought that Coach Tyler wanted his daughter's 18th birthday celebration at his home. But it was obvious they were moving the celebration to a hotel, since Rita was going to become a new adult.

Ava was 20 years old, and so was my younger sister, Emily. They didn't have any fated mates and behaved as silly as they liked—clubbing, partying, and sleeping around.

"Hmm," I sighed as I couldn't control Emily; after all, she was beautiful, and Mom had that responsibility to handle.

"Fine. I will be there," I replied, wanting to enter the eatery and shop for the plate of ice cream and noodles that I wanted to buy for Olivia as dinner.

"Aww, Mark. That's so wonderful! See you tomorrow! Come on, Emily, let's go!" Ava squealed as she grabbed my sister's hand and led her away.

Emily glared at me, her brows furrowed as if you wouldn't believe she was my sister. She followed Ava, and they were out of my sight.

Breathing out with relief, I focused my attention on the eatery and entered it.

The sun set, and the weather gradually darkened as if heavily rain was on the way. As I moved into the eatery lobby, the cold air conditioning cooled my skin; then I moved over to the counter and shopped for two take-away meals, two cups of ice cream, and fried chicken.

The thought of having my lunch at the hospital with Olivia made me smile, even though the possibility of encountering my mother there gnawed at me.

As I paid for my purchase, the eatery attendant who sold the meals to me blushed as she peered at my face and asked, "Excuse me, sir, aren't you the basketball star player, Mark George? Can I have your autograph, please?"

Her brown eyes twinkled with clear desire, and I got this admiring look from most young she-wolves in this pack. If only Olivia could drool over me like that. I smiled. "Of course."

"Thank you," she giggled and gave me her pen and her right hand to sign on her palm.

I could smell her arousal as my hand held hers. Several young women, both single and married, in the queue rushed over to me for an autograph.

They were waiting in the queue to shop for their own meals, but seeing me accept the pen to sign an autograph with this eatery staff member, they rushed forward, all desiring to have an autograph too, as they automatically forgot why they were there.

"Star player, Mark! Me too!" they begged, and the eatery became crowded with many she-wolves begging for my attention.

"Star Player, Mark. Can I have your autograph too?!" Their voices resonated in the eatery, turning it into a marketplace, and my head ached as they surrounded me.

The thought of missing my lunch with Olivia gnawed at me, so I waved them off.

"No! Next time!" I growled, my hands swiftly reaching to pick up my two packages as I paid for them and dashed out of the eatery. The young women chased after me, but I swiftly hopped into my red car, shut the door, started the car, and drove off to the pack hospital.

"Phew! That was so close!" I exhaled, and my wolf sighed with disgust.

"Why do they keep on gawking at you like that, both the single and married women? Can't they wait to find their real mates?" Logan murmured, clearly displeased at the multitude of young women lusting after me.

I was handsome, so I couldn't blame them. Those women were ready to get down in bed with me if I agreed to do it.

"Maybe they haven't seen a handsome star player like me before. Besides, I wasn't the only basketball star in this pack. Why the lust?" I agreed with Logan as I focused on my driving.

"Tsk. It's because you're very handsome. So I don't have to blame them," Logan replied, his voice serious, and I smiled.

"Alright. If only Olivia could drool at me like that. She barely meets my gaze, and you know how much I crave her attention!" I muttered, holding onto the steering wheel as I navigated my red car toward the pack's hospital.

It was a short distance from the eatery—a thirty-minute drive, as it was past 4 p.m. The basketball match had barely lasted one hour.

Due to the incoming rain, the surroundings gradually grew darker as it was the middle of the year, when the rainfall threatened to take over the lands and territories, flooding the streets and blessing some lands.

"Hmm," Logan hummed. "Just give Olivia some time. I believe she will fall for us." His voice was confident, and I couldn't wait for that day to arrive.

As I arrived at the pack's hospital, I drove my car into the hospital grounds and parked it.

When I got out of my car, my hand reached for the package on the next seat and picked it up.

Taking it out of the car, I locked the door and made my way toward the hospital entrance.

The Star Field Pack hospital was a magnificent three-story building. The opulent structure had been constructed ages ago, and yet it was still beautiful.

When I walked into the hospital lobby, Dr. Sam came out of the emergency unit on the left side and locked his gaze on me. He wore a green garment like a surgeon as he removed his nose mask from around his nose and marched up to meet me.

He was not the only doctor working in this hospital, but I was pissed off at him because he had an interest in Olivia. How dare he invite her to his house with the excuse of helping her?

"Mark, what are you doing here again?" Dr. Sam asked, walking over to meet me. His voice was stern; he was once my colleague in high school, but after we graduated from high school, he went to the university and studied medicine while I furthered my education in sports.

"Mmm. I do not owe you an explanation as to why I am here. Please, excuse me," I replied and moved past Dr. Sam as I made my way toward the stairs I went up to the second floor female ward to find Olivia.

Luckily, Dr. Sam didn't chase after me.