Chapter 5

Johnathon’s POV My mother is standing in my doorway, and I roll my eyes and mutter something under my breath “geez can’t she leave me alone?” knowing she can plainly hear me. Good, because right now she’s being her usual annoying, overprotective self.

“Listen smart ass” she growls and I grin, trying to be my usual charming self, “I’m trying to make sure you are all ready to go tomorrow. Have you got your timetable?” she asks for the hundredth time.

I laugh. She’s given me multiple copies as though afraid I’m going to get lost or something. “Yes mother”, I tease and she gives me a sheepish smile as she fidgets with her hands.

“I know, I know” she says quietly, “I’m overprotective, but ever since your father….” It trails in the air and I stiffen, feeling nothing but resentment for the man who supposedly raised me. The man who without a second thought, abandoned his son and rejected his mate for another woman. I hate him.

“Ever since father decided to leave and make a home with someone else” I reply bitterly and she sighs.

It’s a point of contention between us, I hate the man and will most likely kill him on sight whereas my mother is more soft hearted and more likely to forgive the bastard.

“Can you please just try and make this school work” she pleads and I frown. It’s true that this is the third such school I’ll be attending, but it’s not my fault that I refuse to take crap from no one. As an Alpha, it’s my right to demand respect even when mother doesn’t quite see it that way. She doesn’t truly know what high school is really like and how hard it is to avoid fighting with other shifters.

“I’ll try” I grunt, making no promises, and she gives me a genuine smile.

“Thanks” she murmurs, coming over and eyeing me critically. I frown. What is she doing now? Is she criticizing my clothes?

I look down at myself satisfied with what I see. I’ve chosen my usual leather jacket and plain shirt topped with ripped jeans and sneakers. Unfortunately, I still resemble that bastard father of mine with my black shaggy hair and dark green eyes. I hate looking like him, avoiding the mirror at all costs. It hangs there broken now, after I put my fist through it one day in a full blown rage.

“You might find your mate” my mother is saying excitedly, and I give a cynical laugh. A mate is the last thing on earth I want, especially after seeing what my mother went through with my father, who rejected her when I was five. To me, love doesn’t exist and it’s the last thing I want or need in my life. Love is just a fairytale. The school is a shifter school, so while it could be likely, I feel sorry for any girl that has the misfortune of being my mate. Because I won’t be accepting her, no way. I have every intention of rejecting the girl and living my life the way I want to and it doesn’t involve being tied down or having a family. I don’t want any more burdens to deal with.

My mother looks disappointed, she knows how I feel about mates, but it doesn’t stop her from hoping that one day I’ll change my mind. I know I won’t though. It would take a pretty special girl for me to ever consider it and from what I’ve seen from girls at every single high school I’ve visited, they are all shallow, vain creatures who wouldn’t even so much as help someone in need. Too self-centered and constantly worrying about their looks. If I did want a mate, I’d want a kind, caring girl who wasn’t so fussed with her looks and was genuinely down to earth. I almost snort at my fanciful thoughts. Not gonna happen, I remind myself.

“Sorry mother, but any mate of mine is going to be instantly rejected” I drew, watching as her eyes lost their sparkle. I hate hurting her in this way, but she refuses to give up on me. She bites her lip but hesitates to say anything more, heaving a large sigh as she turns towards the doorway. I feel a slight pang of guilt which I wash away. It’s not my fault she wants something from me that I’m not willing to give. Life is unfair, if anything, my father has taught me that.

“You know” she said softly, stopping for a moment and looking over her shoulder, her big brown eyes full of what looked like sadness or maybe it was pity? Either way, I don’t like it one bit. “Having a mate is the best thing that can happen to any shifter. I wish you could see that” she whispers, “not every shifter is like your father or every relationship doomed to fail. Your mate will love you Johnathon, keep that in mind, will you?” and she leaves as I stare at the back of her with a scowl on my face. She just doesn’t understand me at all. There is nothing on this god green earth that will ever change my mind when it comes to having a mate, or rather the lack of one. I decide to go and do some training, work some of my anger out of my system before school tomorrow. An Alpha needs to stay in shape after all.

Besides, maybe it will help me calm down and become more focussed. School should be interesting tomorrow, I think to myself with a big smirk on my face, the school wouldn’t know what hit them when I got there tomorrow and took over. I’m the Alpha and no one would dare disobey my commands, not if they wanted to keep their heads attached to their bodies at any rate.