Chapter 8

AUGUST’S POV

I hate this feeling of never letting her go so much that it hurts me to feel this way.

They took July’s limousine, which was gifted to him by me.

I know July did it purposely to spite me but I tried my best to look away as they drove to school.

After them, I ignited another vehicle, my mind not at rest.

When we were ten years old, I snuck into dad’s private quarters to watch football as he always forbade us from watching.

As per se, I’d hid behind a sofa where I always hid, I heard the conversation between him and the pack sage.

“Alpha, the princes are cursed” The sage had said. “The only way to avoid it is if they avoid eating from one pot”

Dad had frowned. “One pot? What does that mean?”

The sage had a book I didn’t know what it contained. “Cats love to drink their milk together in one pot. Together they could die if it was poisoned and together, they could survive…”

Just like how Dad was clueless about what the sage was saying, I was clueless too.

“What does that have to do with my sons?”

The man got up and adjusted his goggles. “I don’t know what it might mean Alpha, but if you read that book, some spiritual terms are there, and the goddess might give you insight”

After that, I’d been curious to know what he meant.

I didn’t tell any of my brothers what I heard.

Until five years ago when dad fell sick and I was sent to get something from his underground room.

Then I read the meaning Dad had decoded. “They must not share one woman, one business, one path. The day they do shall be the day they start to wither and one of them, might lose his life!”

This got me scared, it was then, that I understood why Dad was against me joining the company and working alongside April and June

July was a gymnast, and dad never allowed anyone else to use the gym it was for him alone.

April manages the pack affairs with dad himself while secretly nurturing himself to be a Deejay.

June was the main businessman, running our family business, not packing affairs like April.

And I…. “You must study hard and become a doctor” Dad had said. “Your brothers shall be progressing in their fields until they graduate and be free to live alone, but before then the four of you shall live under the same roof as me”

I’d hated dad for this reason, thinking he doesn’t like me by making me stick to schooling.

April, July, and June are never punctual, he hired private tutors for them and they only appear for exams.

Now four of us were bound to one woman!

Not just a woman, but our stepsister, the same girl I never knew existed until the day I saw the mate bond.

‘This is the best decision, August. Don’t think about it’ I assured myself and steadied my hand on the steering wheel, towards school.

•••••

I wished these people could know how much I hated attention.

But as much as I tried to avoid it, it clung to me like an unwanted female monthly period.

Girls’ attention was drawn to me as I entered the school compound.

“Gamma August is here” my sidekicks jeered, hustling towards me to take my bag.

“What’s up, man”

“Hey August, have a nice rest?”

I didn’t answer any of the greetings thrown at me even though I was popular amongst girls and known as a bully.

“What’s wrong with you today? There are dark circles under your eyes” a friend suddenly pointed out but I didn’t stop.

A girl gave me my lab coat before I entered, another one, my gloves, and someone else my goggles.

Everyone treating me like the school prince that I was is irritating, especially for a morning that started like this.

“You didn’t finish your experiment before leaving yesterday, August?” The professor questioned. “Your CGPA for the last month’s test was out and I was disappointed. What’s wrong with you?”

I grabbed the burette, taking my seat to resume the experiment as I answered with a forced smile. “No joy in winning everything alone professor, I didn’t answer the questions correctly purposefully to leave space for others to pass too”

And that was true.

I hate what my brothers think I was— a cold person.

But deep down, I know myself.

Last night I’d thought I’d be able to change Magdalene’s heart by swaying with the mate bond pull.

But instead, my wild disappointment took over for a split second.

The professor was amazed. “You’re a true prince, August. Others should learn from you”

Then he left me alone and I dropped the burette and rushed to the window for fresh air.

The lab was the only place I felt at ease since not just anyone could enter and being a school prince, no one could dare trespass on the line I’d drawn.

‘Why did you hold me back from rejecting her?’ My wolf said now that I was alone. ‘You successfully cut the mate bond off by rejecting her as a human. What do you do if I need her?’

I didn’t know how to answer that. Rejecting a mate bond in your human form and not by heart will erase the bond line, but the wolves are still connected.

‘Did you love her?’

“I…” I stopped again, still confused. The prophecy— the bond — my heart — my wolf…

“Eros I don’t know how I feel” I confessed to my wolf at last. “I know Dad didn’t hate me. He was doing these to protect us and I should reject her too… but.. but it feels tight”

‘I took over last night so you could use the opportunity to tell her your mind and about the prophecy maybe she would think it twice. But you slipped out without saying anything… is that normal?’

I heaved a long sigh. “I don’t know what it was. But being cold to her and my brothers might help in anyway”

Then it stopped. Having something to pour my heart into really helped, and as I closed my eyes to feel the moment, the buzz downstairs interrupted.

I strained my neck and looked out of the window to see them arrive.

Girls going crazy over their appearance and Magdalene…

‘Mate is very beautiful, August’ my wolf said in my head.

I didn’t know when the word slipped from my tongue even though I was frowning.

“Yes, she was…Beautiful”