Greg

I don't know what came over me.

They say you never appreciate things till you lose them. While I hate to admit it, they might be onto something.

I am afraid of losing Felix. In fact, I fear it almost to the point of desperation.

But that's not why I did what I did. No, I seeked him out because I really wanted to. I have been wanting to experiment with him for quite some time now. I just finally found the courage to do so.

And I'm glad it was worth it. Even if I lose him tomorrow, I have no regrets about what we did together. He was the one I really wanted to open myself up to, sexually speaking.

However, that's not gonna fly with the adults, of course. Or the rest of the world, once people find out about it. But right now, I don't care about anyone else’s opinion.

I woke up in Felix’s room and got up to go to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, washed my face and went to my bedroom to change clothes. No matter the day, I’m always the first one up anyway.

Later, at the dining hall, I'm greeted by the Alpha couple as they enter. I’m usually one the first people to arrive when it’s time for meals at the pack house. They’re very strict about schedules here and I’ve come to appreciate that over the years.

"Did you sleep well, Greg? Are you excited for your family date later?" - Alpha Rosalyn asked me as she served herself some breakfast. It’s against the rules for anyone to serve themselves before the Alpha does, so as soon as she starts, so do the rest of the people present, including me.

"I did. And I am very excited, Alpha. Thanks for asking." - I replied with an enthusiastic smile. She looks happy for me to have this time with them.

I am taking my family to the waterfalls later as suggested by my brother River earlier this week. I hope it gives us a chance to spend some quality time together and I can start bonding with them.

I’ve been torn apart from my family for so long. It’s a crime that I had to grow up without a mother, at least until I was found by the Huntingtons. Rosalyn was truly the only mother figure I ever had in my life [until now].

At this moment, Felix arrives in the dining hall looking flustered for being tardy. His mother is not a fan of her children arriving late for meals.

"Good morning, sunshine. Late night?" - Luna John asked him with a cheeky smile.

"A little. Good morning everyone, dad, mom, Greg, brats." - He replied, taking the chance to tease his younger siblings.

"Who are you calling brat, you are 1 year older than us." - Carol rebuked him, looking peeved.

"Exactly, brat." - He provoked her, smiling playfully.

"I barely could sleep last night. The stench coming from one of the bedrooms was so strong I thought someone was completing the bond." - Rosalyn spoke, looking disgusted. Of course, everyone turned to look at her with curious expressions on their faces.

"Me too, mom. Your son is disgusting." - Carol chimed in, looking annoyed at her brother.

"I'm sorry for your trouble, mom. I wish we had one of those machines that filters the air that comes out of my room." - Felix said with a splash of remorse.

Sometimes I wish werewolves couldn't smell sexual desire in the air. It makes for some awkward conversations, especially among family members.

But the reality is this: the more excited you get, it increases the quantity of pheromones your body exudes. Werewolves have an excellent sense of smell, so when people get horny they can sense it.

And if you get really horny as you’re engaging in sexual activities, these pheromones your body is releasing into the air can travel and end up in other rooms of the Alpha wing. Awkward? Yeah, very much.

The last thing I wanted was to broadcast what Felix and I did in his room last night. To each other. *blushes*

"Sure, maybe when you're Alpha." - Rosalyn snickered, glancing at her elder son.

"If he ascends, that is." - Carol interjected with an evil grin.

"Thanks, vulture." - Felix grimaced at her words, knowing full well the odds are not in his favor.

"Did you feel it too, Greg?" - Luna John asked me with an innocent expression, curiously.

"The stench? Yes, of course. It was everywhere." - I replied with an uncomfortable tone, looking guilty as hell. If my skin completion allowed it, I’d be red right about now.

"You know, Greg, when I was 15 years old I spent many months in love with someone that I knew couldn't be my mate. And there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't wake up thinking: this is the day that I'm gonna lose her." - Luna John stated with a poignant look on his face that I couldn’t decipher.

I am confused. What did he mean by that? I heard this all before, we all did.

"I know, sir." - It was all I could muster, looking puzzled at him.

"I continued with it because I loved her, I didn't have any choice. But I knew what I was in for from the beginning." - He continued, looking serious at me.

"Dad, is there a point to this cause we all know the story by heart?" - Felix interjected, looking confused at his father’s rhetoric.

"Yes son, here's my point: I persisted because she didn't know her mate. Not at the time at least. Not like Felix does. You do know you two won't end up together, Greg. That is a fact! Now, I don't say this to be mean. And I don't say this to shame you in any way, believe me." - John declared, incisively. He glared at his son first, then looked at me with an empathizing expression, almost as if pitying me.

"You're free to do as you want, but please be aware: you'll have your heart broken by the end of this story. There's no escaping it!" - He exclaimed as he looked deep into my eyes.

As he said that, everybody at the table stared at me. At this point, everyone did the math on what’s happening and the reason why he is warning me. I looked down, feeling shameful. I know deep down he is right.

"I'm glad you didn't want to shame him…" - Felix snapped at his father in a snarky tone. He rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"No son, I didn't. If I wanted to shame him, I would have gone to your room last night when it was happening and I would have put a stop to it." - He retorted in an angry tone.

John was not messing around. Felix looked down in shame and I gulped awkwardly. I know he means well, but this is far too public for my taste.

"How did you know it was Greg, dad?" - Nate asked him, curiously.

"Son, first of all, I am an adult and I’m familiar with that kind of stench, so he couldn't be alone. Second, if he wasn't alone, then the only other person he could be with is..." - He replied with conviction, glancing at me.

"I mean, it doesn't take Sherlock to figure out this one. Not unless he sneaked his "straight" mate into his room without our knowledge, which I find very hard to believe at this point." - He air quoted the word ‘straight’. Luna was on a roll today.

It’s worth mentioning that even though we live with more than 20 single people - the unmated adults that live in the pack house - it's not allowed for any of them to have 'guests' overnight. Unless, of course, they discover their mate. Mated couples are permitted because no one would separate a couple joined by the Moon Goddess.

Which meant that not a single one of them would involve themselves with an unmated minor, especially the ascending Alpha. That's why it was so easy for John to figure out I was the one getting busy with Felix.

"I do know, Luna. And I'm not blind either." - I finally said, looking at him with some remorse. I know exactly where he’s coming from with all this. I’m not the Westbrook that is going to end up with Felix.

"Good. Like I said, be prepared. I’ve never met a Huntington to lose on Alpha because of a mate. Even Emmett managed to persuade his mate to abandon her dreams to go to New York, that she had since she was a little girl and be his Luna. Of course, that was before we found out I am Rosalyn's mate. But my point remains the same." - He spoke firmly.

Rosalyn and her twin brother Emmett were in a race to become the next Alpha after their father. Whoever finds their mate first wins. They all thought it was going to be Emmett because he dreamed about his mate and found her first. But then it was revealed that John was Rosalyn’s mate, which changed the game. And here we are. Her brother moved to New York with his mate for college and stayed there.

"I understand that, sir. I'm with you." - I said with a knowing glance.

"Thanks for the confidence, dad. I do appreciate it." - Felix told him with a weak smile. - "I only wish I shared it."

"Son, if he doesn't start kissing you in the bathroom or some other empty corner, my name isn't John Ford Underwood." - He stated confidently with a naughty grin.

"Wait, what? Who kissed who in the bathroom?" - Felix asked him, looking puzzled by this. As was everyone else.

"Your grandfather started kissing his mate inside the school bathroom when he was still in the closet." - Alpha Rosalyn informed us.

"I see. Thanks, dad. But I don't want that. If he wants me, he can kiss me out in the open. Like uncle Emmett and his mate." - Felix told him with faint confidence.

I could see his smile imagining the scene. Luna wasn't wrong, it does hurt. A lot. And they're not even together yet, Felix and River.

In the afternoon, I took my family to see the waterfalls. It was a nice walk and gave us plenty of opportunity to talk. We talked for hours. Even though Tisha had already seen it the day before, she looked happy to be there. So did River.

We had a nice time and I could see how happy my parents were by seeing me, us all together. It was an awesome break from the tense morning I had. We even splashed some water around briefly.

Sunday has come and gone and the next day, we arrived at school to find my siblings waiting for us inside the courtyard.

"I thought you didn't have any classes on Monday, Tisha." - I said as soon as we entered school, looking at her oddly.

"Good morning to you too, brother. I don't. I just came today to see my mate. Is that a crime?" - She sassed me. Micah kissed her as soon as they came close to each other.

“It is if you keep saying the word mate at school, try ‘boyfriend’ like humans." - I snapped back at her in a playful tone.

"Don't mind him, Tisha. He's just jealous of our bond." - Micah smirked. - "I loved that you came just to see me." - He never stopped smiling from the moment he saw her.

We begin to walk inside the school.

"Good morning, River. Did you like the Falls?" - Felix asked him in a meek tone.

"Good morning, alleged mate, yes I did. I loved it there. I can see why your friend took my sister there and why she hasn't stopped smiling ever since." - River snickered.

"Please call me Felix, it's highly insulting to allege a mate bond and I would lose my pack forever if I did. Not to mention, if I were to allege something, it wouldn't be to an alleged straight guy." - Felix shot back. He was pissed off.

"Ouch!" - Tisha gasped. Micah and I laughed nervously.

"Wow! Good one, Felix. I can see you're gonna be the feisty one of our relationship." - River snickered, giggling. Felix was even more mad.

He looked back at Tisha and Micah who were behind us and made a gesture like he wasn't understanding anything. It does sound like he was flirting for the untrained eye. Maybe that’s his humor.

"You're right though, it's a great place for a date. Micah also hasn't stopped smiling since Saturday. It's annoying!" - Felix replied with a cheeky grin.

“It must've been a magical date." - I spoke, a tad jealous of them.

"Did you tell him anything about our date?" - She asked Micah, worriedly.

"Are you kidding? Of course, not! Greg already threatened me with concussion as it is!" - He replied with a frightened tone and she gasped in shock.

"What? Did you threaten Micah, Greg?" - She shouted at me, protective of her mate.

I stopped for a moment. River turned to us wide eyed at this.

"I was joking, Tisha. He wouldn't shut up about you the whole way here last week. It's against pack law to hit someone's mate, you know?" - I defended myself, looking seriously at her.

We get back to walking towards the classroom.

"How come he's scared of Greg and not me? I'm her brother too!" - River whined. We all laughed at this.

"I don't know, River, but if I had to guess I'd say Greg has been warrior training since he was 13, just like Micah and I. Plus, he looks like a black Hulk and you like Bruce Banner." - Felix snickered. We laughed again.

"Thanks, mate. It's not my fault I'm not a werewolf otherwise I’d be buff too. Wait, you have a law against hitting someone's mate? Isn't that general law? Plus, that means no one can hit me?" - River questioned him, looking puzzled and annoyed at the same time.

"Yes, we do have a specific law. If you hit a human, you may go to jail or not, but if you hit a mate you're expelled from the pack. Different punishments, different laws. Or you can die, depending on the assault. And no, it doesn't apply to you. It only applies to actual mates like Tisha and I." - Micah explained to him, looking smitten by her.

Felix glared at him for the remark.

"I see... I told you are not my mate. Even your friend doesn't think so." - River poked Felix in the arm as they walked.

"That's not what he meant at all! He said that the law only applies to people over 18. Not that you aren’t my mate. Everyone knows you're my mate, except for you." - Felix bickered.

"So you say..." - He insisted, he was not the believing type it appears.

"Can I hit your brother?" - Felix asked me. River glared at him.

"If you think your parents will be cool with you getting suspended. I can't wait to see their faces when they get called to the principal's office…" - I snickered.

"I can finally see the resemblance." - He joked.

"Are they always like this?" - Tisha asked Micah curiously.

"Not usually, but Felix is starting to get mad because of the rejection." - He replied in a matter of fact tone. Felix stopped in his tracks and glared at him so many daggers I thought Micah was gonna drop dead right there.

"Now I'm crazy, thanks Micah." - He pouted, then resumed walking.

"He's joking, right?" - River asked in a serious tone.

"Not really. But he's exaggerating. I will only feel the effects of rejection after 18, not before. Right now is just the pull." - Felix replied.

"What pull?" - River asked, quizzically.

"The pull of the mate bond. Haven't we talked about it on Saturday?" - Felix spoke and I gasped. Tisha too.

"Wait. You saw each other on Saturday?" - I asked him, intrigued.

"Accidentally. I was alone at a bench, he found me and invited me to eat with him." - Felix replied.

"I can't believe you went on a date already!" - Tisha exclaimed.

"It wasn't a date! We just went to clear the air. I didn't want him to be uncomfortable around me." - River told her.

"This is totally comfortable now!" - Micah snickered. The bell rings.

I never wanted a bell to ring so bad…

Tisha stayed till lunch at the library. We said our goodbyes and I was wondering why Felix didn't say anything to me about the chance encounter.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. We had what we had and if nothing else happens, it was great. It was magical. It was worth it.