Mason, as such, didn't care much since he was going to be a celibate, renouncing all that was associating with love so as to avoid heartbreak, and appoint a capable pack member as alpha when he had completed his alpha term. Or if there were oppositions, someone of alpha blood can be adopted as well. He was a lone warrior, after all. But that's a thought for another time too.

The persuasions of his wolf often made him rethink his decisions about his mate and their future together. He wasn't totally disinclined towards his mate, rather he looked forward to seeing him, but the oddly stubborn part of him couldn't let go of his rigid ideals and accept that he enjoyed his mate's presence.

There was another problem— his self esteem.

Although Mason was the soon to be alpha, he believed that he wasn't cool like his dad. He often underestimated himself, pondering whether he was 'good enough' for his pack. Sometimes his mind would wander and he would wonder if he was 'good enough' for his mate as well.

The very few encounters he'd had with his mate had left a firm impression in his mind. His mate was perfect and strong, despite the circumstances he was facing. Too perfect for someone like him. Though he couldn't bring himself to accept that he could maybe fall in love with him in the future, if he let go of his demons.

There had been many instances where his eyes had subconsciously followed his mate. Don't get him wrong, he was not a stalker, but since the past couple of days, he had made it a point to secretly accompany his mate to his house to ensure his safety. Weren't we all concerned about the safety of our friends?

It was just the concern our Mason showed as a friend . You could say, his future beta was not convinced by his claims.

Not like our mate knows about us. His wolf had once whined to him and complained about his lack of interest in being popular in the whole school. He could be popular with just a snap of his fingers, he just didn't try!

Tall, handsome, with straight black hair styled to complement his pale face and deep brown eyes, he was the secretly admired aloof prince; one of the popular prince categories that his school harbored.

One look at his languid stare would send shivers down one's spine. Not that Mason was aware of this, as he kept to himself and his packmates most of the time.

Now sitting in the living room of the pack house in name, Mason was fiddling with his Xbox one while listening to his mother's anxious cries as she hovered over his stepfather, who had sat down beside him, with a blank stare.

Mason was appalled. His stepfather's appearance, after completing his annual ritual, was quite pale, to the point that even ghosts would be scared.