Mate!

Chapter six

/-Tediora-/

Cleaning the PW floor was annoying, but definitely not as hard as I thought it would be. 

Most of the rooms were already clean, but it also made me wonder if I would be cleaning like this every day.

Maybe that was why that server gave me that look when I asked. I was supposed to do the cleaning duties on their floor as well as bodyguard duties. 

I cursed under my breath. 

To think they had to make me do this on the first day. Bastards!

After cleaning, I returned to my room exhausted. My roommates seemed to be waiting for me, but I was too exhausted to have a conversation with them. 

I simply walked to the bed and passed out on it. Surprisingly, I slept until early the next morning.

“Good morning, Alvin,” Basil smiled. I was about to respond when I noticed he was stark naked and screamed, rolling off the bed. 

“Alvin!” He gasped as I hit the ground. 

“Ow!” I winced, rubbing my arms to lighten the pain a little. Basil had to walk over, and I quickly backed him. 

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” I yelled. “You can't just walk around naked like that! There are people here, too!” 

“Huh?” I heard him mumble. “It's a boy's room. Who cares if I'm naked or not!” 

“Can you at least put your pants on?!” I groaned.

Oh goddess! My cheeks are burning. I might pass out from embarrassment. How can he just casually walk around like that?

“I’m heading out,” Sammy called out of nowhere. “You two delinquents can continue wasting your time.”

Then the door slammed. 

What is his problem anyways?

“True, we need to get ready for training this morning. You slept like a log of wood, I didn't get to ask you about the Phantom Wolves,” Basil said. 

His retreating footsteps sent relief through me. I slowly got off the floor and faced my wardrobe straight. I didn't dare look behind me. 

“Why? There's nothing special about them,” I started grabbing my tank top. “They made me clean their entire floor.” 

Basil chuckled, “Now I wasn't expecting to hear that. They must be very fun.” 

Fun?

I paused. I didn't think so. Dominic was cool-headed but frightening, Rhys was a shameless flirt who gave off dark, sadistic vibes and Zeke… that was cold and dismissive. And he definitely hated me at first sight. 

Summed together, they were a bunch of arrogant jerks. And I couldn't wait to slit their throats one after the other. After torturing them, of course. I wanted to make them suffer for what they did to my brother. 

I wanted them to beg for death. 

“What are you doing, Alvin? Hurry up and get dressed!” Basil yelled, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I grabbed a pair of loose black pants and hurried to the bathroom to change. Basil shot me a weird look but didn't comment on it. I changed quickly and headed out with Basil. 

Even though I wasn't here to make friends, I was relieved I didn't choose to walk alone. How the hell would I have found the training ground on my own?

We went through so many routes that I doubted Basil’s sense of direction, but he eventually got us there. I gasped at the crowd. Alphas from lower ranks and their bodyguards were already filling the arena. The tension in the air was thick with competition.

I had prepped myself to take on thirty people, maybe more, but now, even that felt uncertain. Everyone seemed desperate to prove themselves.

I glanced around until I spotted the Phantom Wolves. They had an entire row in the bleachers to themselves.

I didn't even think that Zeke would be here too, but he was, with a novel in his hand too. Dominic's expression was blank, and Rhys looked like he would rather be somewhere else. 

“Woah! This is going to be a tough one,” Basil muttered beside her. 

A voice blared through the speakers. “All bodyguards form a line in twos. Newbies spar first. Top fifteen will face the experienced. This is training, not a competition, so don’t overdo it. It's okay to fail.”

Like hell, I'd fail! Not when the Phantom Wolves were watching. 

Basil and I joined the line, and my eyes shifted to the PW row again. Dominic didn't seem to have noticed me yet, but Rhys winked at me. 

He pointed to my shirt, and his words from yesterday echoed in my mind. 

'Make sure you come shirtless. I want to stare at your body.’

My cheeks flamed, and I cursed under my breath, looking away immediately. I won't let him get under my skin!

I glanced at the person beside me. Great! It just had to be this airhead. Sammy probably felt my gaze and glanced at me. His eyes widened in surprise at first, then they turned into a glare.

“Seriously? You?” he scoffed. “You know you don’t stand a chance.”

“Let's decide that after the match, shall we?” I replied plainly. 

“You are too damn arrogant for your own good,” he scoffed. “Don't expect me to go easy on you!”

I said nothing to that and simply ignored him. 

“You're ignoring me now? I can't wait to crush that ego of yours!” He barked, and I ignored him once again.

After a few matches, it was our turn. Sammy grabbed an axe, grinning like a maniac. I took two swords from the weapon rack.

“Let the match begin!” The referee declared, blowing his whistle.

Sammy lunged, but with such a heavy weapon, his movements slowed greatly. Which was to my advantage because it meant I could turn the tables for my own good.

Sammy lunged, but the axe slowed him down. I charged instead, catching him off guard. He swung wide, but I ducked and spun behind him, my blades slicing through the air. One nicked his sleeve, earning a wave of gasps and murmurs from the crowd.

Frustrated, he lifted the axe for an overhead strike. I blocked it, arms straining, then sidestepped, using his weight against him. He stumbled to one knee. I moved behind him and laid a blade at his neck.

“Match over!” the referee called. “Winner: Alvin!”

I stepped back, lowering my swords as Sammy stood up, panting hard. His eyes were wild with humiliation.

“You bastard!” He charged towards me, and I simply moved out of the way, sending a finishing blow to the vein in his neck, and he immediately passed out. 

Everyone gasped and cheered. I glanced at the Phantom Wolves row, and my eyes widened when I caught Zeke's cold eyes on me. 

They narrowed immediately in suspicion that made me flinch. I could feel it right there that he knew something.

Dominic said something to him, and whatever Zeke replied made Dominic’s eyes widen.

My stomach twisted.

What were they talking about? And why was Zeke staring right through me?

After a few more matches, the final fifteen were listed with me as number 8. We were given a fifteen minute break. 

I quickly hurried out of sight because I suddenly felt the strange urge to pee. It was crazy at this point in time but what could I do. 

I rushed down the halls hoping to find the bathroom. Just as I spotted the sign, someone stepped out and blocked me. 

I recognized him as the Alpha with that huge bodyguard I met yesterday.

What does he want this time?

“I saw you out there,” he started. “You only got lucky because you were paired with a weakling. In your next match, I'll make sure you face my Theodore. Let's see if your luck can save you.” 

Really? This is what he stopped me for? I rolled my eyes and tried to walk away and just ignore him but he shoved me into the wall. My back hit the wall harder than it should have and I winced. 

He used alpha strength on me.

“Did you just try to walk out of me?” He growled and anger coursed through my veins. 

My fists clenched as fury blurred my vision. In terms of strength, he was very inferior to us hybrids, yet he had the audacity to try to bully me, simply because I was only using my wolf form. 

“What's that look in your eyes? You want to fight me?” He chuckled. I was ready to damn it all and take him on at full strength but just then, he was flung across the wall. 

My wolf leaped at the sweet scent of jasmines. My heart rate picked up. 

Don't tell me…

“Mate!” My wolf cried. My palms became sweaty. I was shocked and panicking at the same time. My legs felt like jelly.

No! No! No! This was the wrong time for this! I didn't come here to find a mate!

“Get lost!” The rich deep baritone had my insides twisting. I didn't dare turn to look at the stranger, not yet. 

The Alpha didn't waste time in scampering away like a coward.

“Are you okay?” The stranger asked in concern and I sucked in a deep breath.

“Mate!!” My wolf squealed again in excitement and I gathered the courage to turn.

The first thing that caught my eyes was the rose tattoo on his neck and my body froze. Without looking at his face, my eyes dropped to clothes, fearing the worst. 

Please let me be overthinking…

I wasn't. It was right there. The very object I detested more than anything in this world. 

The Phantom Wolves medallion. Sitting right on his chest. 

And just like that, my excitement turned to hate.

Is this a joke? The goddess had to be messing with me at this point. Of all the people she could.pair me with, it had to be one of my brother's killers?