Chapter 6

ANISHA

Kallum strode toward us. His eyes were drinking me in. I couldn't help but feel like I was under a microscope. I felt myself blush.

Craning my neck to see his face, he stopped in front of me and leaned down, his face mere inches away.

"You have been sampled. I wondered if he had a taste." He said, his voice low and smooth. His breath was fanning my face, minty and fresh. I couldn't help but think he smelt good. I shook my head internally.

"Kallum," Kazimir breathed. There was a warning in his tone.

"Don't use that tone on me, brother. I've been controlling myself and yesterday was not an exemption but you," he spat exasperatedly, "not even an hour, yet you already had your scent all over her." He said accusingly.

Shaking my head, confused, I stepped in. "Uhm, Kallum, he...he just greeted me with a hug," I said, feeling guilty remembering that it wasn't just a hug. It was more intimate. But his eyes said it all. I shuddered. Was he jealous? Was this a thing in this pack? I wondered. "Do you want a hug also?" I asked with a shrug of my shoulders. Why did I sound as though I wanted to appease a kid?

I glanced at Kazimir, whose face did not give away any emotions.

"I want a proper greeting," said Kallum.

I studied his face for a few seconds to see if he was kidding, but he wasn't.

"Sure," I said and tiptoed to kiss my cheek on his cheek. I felt him take a deep breath. "It's nice to see you again, Kallum," I added and smiled at him. He looked awestruck.

When, suddenly, Kazimir laughed. His laughter echoed through the walls of the room, baffling me even more, but despite my confusion, his laugh was pure poetry, it was good to listen, so carefree and heartfelt.

I was suppressing my smile as I watched Kallum's reaction. He too had his laugh toying in the corners of his mouth but still watching me. When he chuckled loudly, a giggle finally came out of my mouth. I couldn't understand why it felt so lovely to see them laugh that way. I didn't know how to think about it or how to respond. How could the mood around them change so fast? I had no idea.

Riri gave me a set of pajamas to wear. It was around nine in the evening. A week had passed since I'd last seen the twins. Riri told me when I randomly asked her about them that they had to be somewhere important. It was a Pack responsibility. I remembered the look she gave me, mysterious and puzzling; eyes brimming with mischief. Shaking my head, I just shrugged my shoulders. That day in the showroom was very unusual for me. However, I tried to shake it off.

There were just the two of us in her home because her parents were also gone. They were on a business trip abroad for a month. Her father had a position in a big pharmaceutical company in the country and, as for her mother, she tagged along wherever her husband went. Lewis — his brother, on the other hand, who I met once back in school, was sent to another Pack for a peace talk between the other Packs to deter aggression against one another.

"Is your brother married?" I asked, getting ready to sleep.

"He hasn't found his mate yet, but it's fortunate that his job involves visiting other packs. This increases the probability of him encountering his mate," she replied while lying next to me. We were sharing a bed temporarily, and I insisted on it.

"How old is he?" I asked.

"Twenty-five,"

"Finding his mate in one of those packs will not be a guarantee because he won't stay long," I said as I lay on my side comfortably, facing her.

"That's also true. However, for a wolf, it doesn't take a minute or two to know you have found your mate. A small scent, a second, and that tingling touch, the mate bond, that's all we need." She sighed down and stared at the ceiling.

"You will recognize your mate from a distance?"I asked, my interest piquing. Perhaps she had mentioned that before. I just missed it.

She had a small smile on her lips.

"The scent, yes. But it's a deeply instinctual and emotional experience, An." She said, her eyes seeming to glow. "Our wolf's heightened senses and intuition enable us to recognize our mate through a variety of cues, including scent, voice, and physical presence. It's a crucial aspect of our wolf. They are our emotional and physical support. They strengthen our abilities and give us a sense of purpose."

"It sounds primal and almost mystical," I said. I knew I still had many things to learn to fully understand their nature.

She nodded her head. "You can say that, An. It's a bond that goes beyond physical attraction. The mate bond is powerful and it unites our souls forever."

I moved her hair away from her cheek and felt her skin on my palm. It was warm. "What would happen to your brother if he couldn't find his mate?" I asked her as softly as I could.

She sighed depressingly, "There are possible outcomes. He will feel a sense of loneliness and isolation or even madness. Sometimes uncontrollable aggression and prone to violence. Sometimes, it decreases our longevity. We can't live longer than a hundred years."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ri. Don't you worry so much because you too have to find your mate, right? You said at 18, you could find your mate somewhere. Have you found him?"

"Uhhnmm," she trailed off, sharing a look of uneasiness.

My eyes widened, and I let out a silent gasp as the realization hit me. I was aware of how unappealingly large my mouth must have appeared. "You found him! You found him!" I exclaimed, consumed by excitement. I couldn't resist grabbing a pillow and hitting her with it. "You didn't tell me, Riahbel!" I hit her repeatedly, and she tried to defend herself, roaring with laughter.

"Stop," she begged, still laughing. "Alright. Alright! Hear me out, okay? You'll kill me before I can even tell you about him."

I snorted. "A pillow's attack. A very shallow end, Ri. Come on, spit it out." I urged with buzz. Sleep was no longer appealing, despite my exhaustion.

She rested her back on the headboard as I found my comfortable position.

"What's his name?" I asked with eagerness as I held her hands.

"Tanner," she said, as though the word held her lips in a beautiful dance. The twinkling in her eyes was glowing. But just as quickly as the twinkle flashed, the smile faded, and sadness replaced the emotion in her eyes.

"Riri," I pressed down my thumbs on the palms of her hands.

"He's in a different pack. The Highlander Pack —which the CreekPine Pack has a long-standing rivalry."

"Oh, that sounds bad. I thought your brother had done his part by highlighting solidarity between the Packs?"

"He does. But The Highlander Pack is different. More complicated." She sighed heavily. "I don't think we have forever." A sad chuckle slipped from her mouth.

"Don't say that, Ri. You just told me how important and strong the mate bond is to wolves." I said, trying to soothe her emotions.

"I haven't rejected him yet and he hasn't, either." She murmured softly.

She had mentioned it. Rejection is an incredibly painful experience for both parties involved. The mate bond is an intense and unbreakable connection that goes beyond physical attraction or even romantic love, and breaking it sometimes leads to death because of excruciating emotional and physical pain for both the rejected and the ejector.

"He won't reject you, Ri. He can never find someone like you." I strongly voiced. "He has to choose you over his pack."

"He's the Beta."

"I don't care!" I hissed. "He could be the Alpha for all I care. He's supposed to stay with you. You're 23, and I now understand why you've never dated or accepted a man's invitation before."

"I was never interested in any man."

"That's the point. You'll never be with anyone else because you don't have the same connection with anyone else like you have with him. You're punishing yourself," I huffed in frustration. The emotional burden she was carrying seemed to reflect on me. I loved her like my own sister and her happiness was more important to me than my own. "You have to tell them. They can help you," I said, referring to her Alphas.

"They don't know. I haven't told them. Besides, it's not their problem. I'm just an omega." She looked down at her hands.

I learned about Omega Werewolves. They are the lowest-ranked members of a werewolf pack and are often treated as outcasts by other members of the pack. They are typically weaker and less powerful than regular werewolves— an idea I am opposed to.

Riabhel was not weak. She was a lot stronger than that ranking of werewolves depicted.

"You're a strong Omega, Ri, and that Beta werewolf has to claim you as his mate." I insisted. "We will find a way," I told her, determination seeping into my tone. I vowed to help her. I had to.

It was past midnight, but I couldn't sleep. Riri next to me was dead to the world. She had always been a good sleeper. However, the speed at which she could fall asleep was matched by the speed at which she could wake up. It must be a wolf thing.

Giving up, I got up and went downstairs for a glass of milk.

My mind had been crowded with thoughts of ways to help Riri. I knew I wanted to do something for her. There were many solutions in my head. Some would be easy, others would not be. But first, I had to know the root of the rivalry. When did it begin? What led to it? How did the Packs create this history of conflict and animosity toward each other? I considered some potential ways to solve the problem—

"You'll break that glass if you keep holding it like that."

I jumped at the voice, causing me to almost drop the glass. "Why would you do that!" I whisper-yelled at him, aware of the fact that it was very silent and Riri was asleep. My heart rate was racing.

"You did not notice me. I waited but you did not leave the same spot." He said and I realized my back was still kissing the refrigerator's door.

"Ugh! You scared me." I told him, almost annoyed, because why didn't I notice him? The room wasn't that dark.

"My bad." He admitted with a small smile.

I examined him closely, paying attention to his hair, face, and body. Their resemblance was so strong that I had trouble telling which one I was talking to. But it didn't matter though. Both were so handsome it was scary.

"So, who's who?"

"Kallum,"

"Hi, Kallum. Would you like some water?" I offered. His eyes sparkled with humor.

"Am I seemingly so thirsty that you want to offer me your water? Because I really am now." The way he uttered those words conveyed a different implication in the atmosphere.