An Annoying New Friend

UNKNOWN

She was convinced the boy was a nuisance. She should have liked him, considering he was Eva’s brother, and Eva had suggested they could be friends. But that was before they’d actually met.

He’d been around for two weeks now, and all he seemed to do was trail after her, scrunching his nose as he sniffed her and tried to coax her into talking about her world, as he put it.

If she didn’t play along, he’d start boasting about how he was destined to be the next alpha in his pack and how excited he was to start his training in the fall.

Listening to all that was tedious, and she found him a bit full of himself.

She really wanted to tell him to go pester someone else, but that would be rude, and she didn’t want to upset Eva by being mean to her little brother.

So, she tolerated him, but the moment Max was back, she’d escape from the little pest without a second thought or a shred of guilt.

The issue was that Max was often away these days, and she had no choice but to stick with Caleb. The other pack children still didn’t enjoy playing with her.

Now he was too close to her, sniffing her with that odd look on his silly face.

“You smell funny,” he said.

“Why don’t you just say I stink because I’m human, huh?” she yelled, losing control of her patience. She’d had enough of the kids’ attitudes.

That’s why she preferred adults.

“I don’t think you stink!” Cal yelled back, taken aback. “Who told you that?”

“All the other kids like you. They say I stink because I’m human, and they won’t play with me. So, go be friends with them and leave me alone.”

“Estella, I…,” he began, but she huffed and turned her back on him.

He moved around to stand in front of her. He looked angry.

“Show me who told you that,” he demanded.

“Doesn’t matter,” she said stubbornly.

“Show me,” he yelled, and something in his voice made her obey.

She pointed to some of the children, and without a word, Cal headed towards them and started fighting.

She stood speechless for a moment before she snapped out of it and ran after him.

She grabbed him by his waist and tried to pull him away, but he was older and stronger. It took all her strength, and still, it wasn’t enough.

She started screaming for him to stop, and just as her throat began to hurt, he finally did.

“She doesn’t stink. You do,” he said, and with a final angry glare at the boys he’d fought, he took her by the hand and led her away.

“Let go, you idiot,” she huffed, but he didn’t respond. He just kept pulling her along.

Then he stopped abruptly, and she nearly fell, trying to halt her momentum.

“You smell nice,” he said seriously. “It’s just… you don’t smell only like you. You smell like someone else, too, and it’s confusing.”

She stared at him, puzzled, until it clicked. “I think I smell like Max,” she admitted thoughtfully. “He’s my friend. I play with him a lot.”

Cal nodded.

“I can be your friend, too,” he offered with a goofy smile.

“I don’t like you,” she replied.

“You don’t have to. It’s enough that I do.”

MAX

“You.” I pointed angrily at Eva. “Tell the little pest to get his ass out of my bed, or I swear to the Goddess I’ll beat him black and blue, and I don’t give a shit if he’s the future alpha of your pack!”

As I advanced threateningly toward her, Patrick sprang from his seat and blocked my path. He was livid that I’d disrespected his mate, but I was too pissed to care about his feelings.

The first two weeks, when Estella had disliked the boy, my wolf was relatively calm.

But in the last week, they’d become such close friends that they were having sleepovers with Cal sleeping on my bed next to her, often hugging her close.

My wolf was seething.

It wasn’t like I was okay with it either, but to be fair, Cal was a good kid and defended Estella bravely against the other pups.

I should be glad she finally had a friend. The rational part of me was happy about it, but every time I smelled the boy on her, my heart squeezed painfully, and my wolf was hurt and furious.

That’s why I stormed into the pack house and confronted Eva. She was the one who’d brought him here.

“You don’t get to talk to her that way,” my cousin growled. “Back off.”

When we heard Eva’s amused laugh, we both turned to her with confused looks, but she ignored us.

“Let him go, baby,” she said to Patrick. “His wolf must be suffering a lot. Or is it not just your wolf, Max?” she asked me with a knowing smile.

“It doesn’t matter. I want him out,” I snarled.

“He’s just a kid, man. Relax,” Patrick said. “He’s her friend.”

“He can be her friend, sure. From a distance. Without touching her. Without sleeping in my fucking bed!”

I was fully aware I was being irrational, but I couldn’t hold it in. My cousin started laughing at me, which I found even more infuriating, and I shot him a death glare.

That only made him laugh harder.

“It’s natural to feel agitated every time a male is close to her,” Eva said kindly. “Though, this feeling will be a bit more intense if the male is my brother until you get used to it, of course.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Caleb was supposed to be Estella’s mate before my aunt decided to give you a second chance,” she replied coolly, and I felt the air leave my lungs.

“Really?” Patrick’s voice was barely a whisper.

Eva nodded, rising from her seat.

“She was always destined to be part of our world.”

“Couldn’t you have broken it to him a little easier?” Patrick chided. “He looks like he’s about to keel over.”

“I won’t,” I managed to croak out. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

She shook her head, moving closer to me.

“I’m not allowed to share my knowledge with others. It’s against the rules. Plus, I don’t always have a clear picture of what’s to come or what’s happened in the past.

“I only get glimpses, and sometimes they’re fuzzy. I’m only telling you this now because it doesn’t change anything.”

“So, she was always meant to be his,” I concluded.

“Yes, that’s why part of their initial bond still exists. Estella and Cal will always have a connection, whether you like it or not, Max. He’ll be her friend and her protector.

“He’ll care for her and be possessive of her until he finds his own mate.”

“This is getting complicated.” Patrick’s brow furrowed.

“Not really.” Eva’s smile was gentle.

“Yeah.” I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “This situation is as normal as it gets.

“I was given a fucking second chance, without being asked, and she’s partially bonded to someone else. Yeah. Nothing complicated about that.”

I began to pace, frustration bubbling up inside me.

“Max, my brother isn’t a threat to you. I’ve seen his mate. She’s fiery and wonderful, and she’ll make a great luna.”

Eva tried to calm me, her hand on my shoulder stopping my pacing.

As soon as she touched me, her entire demeanor changed. Her eyes glazed over, and she gripped me tightly before pulling away and rushing out of the room.

EVA

I bolted from the pack house, heading straight for the forest. To Patrick, who tried to reach me, I sent a ~“later”~ through our link, and then I shut him out. For once, he wasn’t who I needed.

I needed to talk to my aunt. I called out to her over and over, but she refused to respond, let alone show herself. I needed answers about the vision I’d just had.

I’d seen glimpses of the future, but never of the past, and the only reason I knew that Estella was originally meant for my brother was because my mother had told me.

But this vision was crystal clear, as if I’d been there when it happened.

~The man in the white coat was walking through the newborns’ section. ~

The boy was eagerly following behind, listening as his father explained the differences between human babies and their own kind.

The boy was fascinated by all the babies, and it was hard to focus on what his father was saying.

“Can I take a closer look?” he asked quietly.

“Yes.” His father nodded. “But be careful. Don’t touch them. They’re very delicate right now.”

“But I’m wearing gloves.”

“Max,” his father warned.

“Fine,” the boy grumbled, walking away a little disappointed.

He wanted to hold one of them. But even without his father’s warning, he wouldn’t have dared.

Most of them were sleeping. It would be terrible to wake them up just because he was curious.

The first thing that struck him was how small they were. The newborn pups he’d seen in their pack were twice as big and already looked strong.

The human babies looked so tiny and fragile in comparison, and, he had to admit, kind of ugly too.

Suddenly, he laughed at himself. He decided to keep looking until he found a pretty one. That would be fun.

After a while, he was starting to lose hope when he heard soft noises coming from one corner of the room.

He hadn’t been over there yet, but he decided to go check it out. Maybe the baby needed something.

When he peered into the plexiglass cradle, his eyes widened in surprise. The baby girl had just woken up and was stretching, her face scrunching up as she did so.

She was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen, and when she turned to look at him, his heart melted at the curious look on her face.

Forgetting his father’s instructions, he reached in and gently touched her belly. The baby girl gave him a toothless grin, and he couldn’t help but smile back.

He took her tiny hand in his, reading her name bracelet.

“Estella Graham,” he whispered, letting her grip his finger tightly.