Daniel

I was so absorbed telling the story that I didn't even notice Nate's face till he stood up, looking shocked. I could tell he just realized something. It was an eureka moment, his jaw was on the floor.

"What?" - I asked him, puzzled.

"You said he." - He answered with his mouth agape, eyes widened, eyebrows shot up. I've never seen him like this.

"No, I din't!" - I replied, looking serious.

"Yes, you did! It all makes sense now..." - He started pacing in the room. - "The dreams, the secrecy, the fight with Lauren..." - He pondered, still very shocked.

"You're crazy, Nate! I think you need to get your ears checked!" - I said to him but the doesn't budge.

"I don't care!" - He declared as he comes close to me and sits on the bed.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I..." - I double down, but he interrupted me.

"This changes nothing for me. I don't care!" - He told me, looking deep into my eyes.

"Stop it Nate, I'm telling you, you heard it w--"

"I really don't care! You're still my brother and my Alpha!" - He continued interrupting me, still looking at me deeply in the eyes.

"I don't like what your--"

"I love you! I genuinely don't care! This changes absolutely nothing to me!" - He interrupted me again, but this time he goes for a hug.

"Why are you being so weird, Nate?" - My voice was almost crying by now.

"I don't care, I love you. I love you. I love you!" - He kept repeating it as he hugged me and I broke down.

Tears streamed from my face. I begin to shake. I was sobbing so hard, it felt like I was finally letting my guard down.

"I really mean it, Dan. I do!" - He said it, still hugging me. I cried so hard in his arms I thought it would never stop.

"You don't know how hard I wanted to tell you... How difficult it was to keep this inside me..." - I confessed it between sobs.

"I know brother, but it's okay now." - He comforted, patting me in the back.

After a while, I stopped crying and let go of his hug. I dried my tears and start catching my breath again. I was so relieved not to carry this inside me alone anymore. It was hurting me more than I lead on, I admit.

"So, when are you going to tell me..." - He started saying something, then got interrupted by his ring tone. It was a text message. He read it and then turned back to me.

"It's Daphne. She just wanted to tell me..." - He stops it and gets up from the bed, realizing something once again. Damn, that boy is on fire tonight!

"Oh my Goddess!" - He shouted, startling me.

"What?" - I looked at him, puzzled.

"Oh my Goddess! I know who your mate is!" - He shouted and then he grinned at me, beaming with joy.

"Wait, what? How can you possibly know?" - I was genuinely curious as to how he arrived at that conclusion.

"Goddess, you little devil! You really did thought this whole thing through, didn't you?" - He said with a devious smile. But I still wanted to know how the hell did he figure it out. I barely did.

"OK, stop it! How can you possibly know who my mate is?" - I asked him, making him sit back on the bed.

"It all makes sense now! The fight, that scene in the locker-room, your dreams, it all started when he arrived in town. You didn't punch that guy because of Daphne, you punched him because he was threatening your mate!" - He yelled, boastfully. He was beaming at the realization.

As he put two and two together, I saw what it all adds up to. And for the first time since this whole ordeal began, I came to the realization that Felix is, indeed, my mate. There's no other explanation. Plus, you can't sense any other person's 'explosion' like I did his. And even if I didn't know who it was I sensed it, I knew it was a guy.

"Daphne is going to freak about this!" - He shouted and I almost had a heart attack.

"You can't tell her, Nate! You can't tell ANYONE about this!" -  I pleaded, basically in his face.

"I know, brother, I got you! You know I'd never betray you! Of course I won't tell! But you need to talk to Lauren. There's no point in delaying the inevitable!" - He pondered, his tone was a little sad and I knew he's right.

The next morning I wake up having had the best sleep I had in a long time. It feels so good to get it out of my chest. Even though that was the easy one. There was still an uphill battle to come.

At the breakfast table, my mom looks at me and says:

"Are okay, cariño? You look like you've being crying!" - She fondly caresses my cheek.

"I have and you're right! As much as it pains me to admit it, Lauren isn't my mate!" - I told her and Nate, my sister and dad looked at me shocked.

"You can collect your 20 bucks from dad." - I continued, sounding defeated.

"Oh, cariño, I never wanted to be right about this! I know how much you love her!" - She downplayed it.

"I saw Dan kidnapping Nate yesterday when we arrived, did he finally tell you who the mystery girl is?" - Denise asked Nate.

"No, he didn't." - Nate answered her, smugly. I looked at him confused.

"Why are you looking at me like this? You din't tell me!" - Nate said as he looked at me in a serious but smug tone. Denise lowered her head and turned back to her meal. And then...

"I figured it out!" - Nate stated, so smug I could punch him. At this, I, Denise and my parents looked at him, shocked. - "But I wouldn't reveal who it is even under torture! That's Dan's decision, not mine!" - He continued. Goddess, I loved that idiot of a brother!

The day passed by slowly. I've never been suspended before in my life and I've never got sick, so I never missed school. This was a first for me. But that gave me time to think about my situation with Lauren, so I texted her that I was going to her house to talk after she got home from school.

And so I did. I knocked at her door, which was inside the compound so it wasn't much of a walk. Her father, the Beta of the pack answered it.

"Hi there, little Alpha. How are you doing this fine afternoon? I heard you got suspended!" - He said to me as he let me inside the house.

"I did, Sir. I'm trying to be better so that situation doesn't happen again!" - I replied, sincerely.

"That's good to know! Lauren is in her room. You can go, as long as..."

"I keep the door open, I know! My parents have the same policy!" - I  told him with a smile. And went to her room.

"Hi." - I said as I saw her and entered the room. Naturally, she scented me coming from far, even if I hadn't text her.

"Hi." - She replied, dryly.

"So, I wanna start by saying I'm so sorry for everything! The whole thing escalated pretty quickly and I apologize for that!" - I started, looking at her affectionately.

"I'm sorry too! I don't know why I made such a big deal of a dream! It's not like you were cheating on me!" - She croaked.

"You know I'd never do that, right?" - I told her, my eyebrows are shot up.

"Yes, of course. I know you!" - She understood it.

"Good! The reason I wanted to talk to you is..."

"I'm not your mate, am I?" - She interrupted me in a gloomy voice. It was difficult to see her sad. It broke my heart!

"No, I don't think you are! As much as it pains me to admit it!" - I said with teary eyes.

"That's OK baby, we had a good run!" - She comforted me.

I moved to hug her and I feel tears falling from my face.

"I'm so sorry!" - I sobbed.

"I'm sorry too!" - She was also crying, her voice deeply saddened.

We hugged for a good moment and then I went back to my house, still crying the whole way. This was tough!

A/N: I legitimately cried while writing the whole coming out scene in the first half of this chapter. So I hope you enjoyed.

Love,

Léo.