BYRON

I woke up to a lot of noise coming from outside my house. Disoriented, I stretched my muscles and checked the time. 10 AM. I looked at the laptop in front of me, seeing the tabs open on my web browser Sign language 101… realizing what had happened. Last night, I had fallen asleep while studying. I got up from my chair, my body was somewhat sore from the position I had fallen asleep in. After I took a shower and got dressed in my usual black clothes, I stepped outside of my house. 

‘Need mate. I want to see him.’

Boris said, I sighed ‘I know, I know but let’s eat something first.’ My stomach rumbled, I was hungry. Walking to the pack’s main cafeteria, greeting everyone who passed me, earning sighs from both young women and men. I knew I was a handsome alpha, desired by many people; pack members, and other Bramville citizens, but my heart now only belonged to my merman. Just thinking about him makes me feel happy.

The pack’s cafeteria was somewhat empty, with only the betas and omegas who worked there. Picking some coffee and a sandwich I sat at one of the empty tables. 

‘Mason, wanna hang out for a while?’ I said through the pack’s mind link.

‘Sorry dude, I’m busy right now.’ He answered me. 

That was odd, he never rejected me like that. Maybe he is with his mate, the one he didn’t want to talk about even tho I told him about Julien. Thinking about my mate again, I ate my food as fast as I could. Full belly, I can go see him now. Throwing the waste of the things I ate, I left the cafeteria. On my way to go to see Julien, someone stopped me.

“Son, I finally found you,” It was my dad grabbing my shoulder. “I need you to come with me, I have some duties to do and you are gonna do them with me.”

‘No duties. Go to our mate.’

“But I have other stuff to do, dad.” I sighed looking at him.

“What stuff?” He asked with a serious look on his face.

“Just stuff…with Mason…” I tried to lie, I couldn’t tell him about Julien yet.

“Let’s go, Byron.” He gave me a look and I knew that look. He didn’t believe me and I can’t say no to him. I sighed and followed him. Boris growled. ‘We’ll go meet him soon buddy, don’t worry…’

Little did I know, dad had me going around the pack all day—meetings, paperwork, checking the new pack houses and so much more. I just wanted everything to be over so I could go see my gorgeous mate. After all, I promised him I would go see him today. Layton showed up but I didn’t see Mason with him.

“Hey Layton, where’s Mason? I thought he would be going around with you. He said he was busy.” I asked him curious about what my best friend was doing since he ditched me early in the morning.

“He is at the infirmary, he’s been there all day helping Jamie.” He answered and then turned to talk to my dad about something; I didn’t pay attention to them.

That was oddly suspicious, Mason didn’t like being in the infirmary or hanging out with his Papa. He didn’t like dealing with constant nagging about not having a mate yet and Jamie…He can be difficult to deal with sometimes. 

“Okay son, we are done with work,” My dad’s voice distracted me from my thoughts, I screamed internally excited. I could finally go to Julien now. “But we have something else to do now.” ‘Damn it! Dad.’

He started walking and I just followed him, tired of Boris's nagging in my head because we were not with Julien yet. We stopped at a house, one that I knew well. ‘Not this again…’ Dad knocked on the door and Jenna, Tiffany’s sister, showed up through it.

“Alpha, welcome! We were waiting for you, come in.” She smiled gently and let us come into the house. “Long time no see Byron, you look as handsome as always, Tiff is very lucky to have you.”

“It’s nice to see you too, Jenna.” I smiled awkwardly at her.

We entered the house and then she led us to the dining room, where Tiffany and the rest of her family were waiting for us to join. 

“Alpha, nice to see you! Come on sit.” Tiffany’s father greeted us, indicating where we should sit at the table. And of course, I had to sit next to Tiffany.

‘Be nice Byron.’ Dad told me through the pack’s mind link. I sighed and smiled awkwardly at everyone as I sat next to Tiff.

Dinner went calmly, and the food was delicious. Adults were talking about adult stuff and then someone finally decided to ask the question I was expecting to hear.

“So, when are you gonna mate?” Tiff’s mother asked giving us a curious look.

“We are planning to do it for the next full moon ceremony,” Tiffany said while taking my hand between hers and caressing it with one of her fingers. 

‘Lier. All lies. Not mate.’ Boris growled. Disgusted and tired of all this, I moved my hand away, standing up and looking at all the members sitting at the table.

“I would like to let you all know I’m not going to mate with Tiffany,” I said with a serious look, I saw tears start to form in Tiffany’s eyes, her family starting to get angry because of that, and also I could feel the deadly and disappointed stare of my dad.

“Thank you for dinner, it was delicious but I have somewhere else to go now.” I nodded to my dad and left the house while hearing the screams of Tiffany’s family and my dad’s.

I got to my house and looked at the time, it wasn’t that late to go see Julien but I needed to wash off all the stress from earlier. I got out of the shower and laid in bed while looking at my phone, and browsing through my sign language notes. My eyes started to feel heavy. Checking the time again: 9 PM. It was not that late. ‘Maybe a nap would be fine…’