How to Kill Them Lovebirds

ESTELLA

I’m surrounded by people in love.

It’s the worst.

Why, you ask? Because I’m alone. That’s why! The only other girl I know who’s as lonely as me is Bonnie, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

She claims she prefers it that way for now, so she doesn’t count.

But me?

I’m insanely jealous when I see people all wrapped up in each other because I want that too. Preferably with Max if he ever starts seeing me as more than a friend. But yeah, I think you get my point.

I’ve noticed that when something bugs us, the universe has a way of throwing it in our faces all the time. So, I get to see happy couples everywhere I go. At school, at home, on the streets.

They’re smiling at each other, holding hands while I fight the urge to chop those hands off their bodies.

I know I’m being grumpy, but I’d love nothing more than a little romance in my life, and yet, I can’t seem to fall in love with anyone but Max.

Despite brushing it off all the time, Max has a mate out there waiting for him. Someone he’ll share a bond with like no other.

A bond that means they’d die for each other or without each other. Or even kill for each other or whatever else mates do for one another.

Well, he has killed for me, and without exaggeration, I’d die for him.

I don’t know if I’d die without him, too, because humans don’t die of love or a broken heart (despite what books say), but there’s no doubt in my mind that I’d die to keep him safe.

That has to count for something, right?

Who am I kidding? Whatever he feels for me now will mean nothing when he finds her. Is it mean of me to wish that he never will?

Of course it is. It’s mean and selfish, but nobody’s perfect, right? Maybe, when I fall in love with someone else (I mean, I’m only sixteen), I won’t mind as much.

But, I find it annoying to be reminded all the time about the miracles of the mate bond, especially since Cal and Sarah got together.

It’s not like they’ve mated and marked each other, with Sara being two years younger, but they are a couple now.

Nope, Caleb hasn’t told her they’re mates because he wants her to feel the pull on her own when she comes of age, but with my precious (or is it priceless?) help, he grew a pair and told her that he liked her.

Between us, Sarah told me she suspects they’re mates, but we haven’t told Cal. By the way, I haven’t confirmed her suspicions, nor have I denied them. It’s a delicate balance.

That irritating relationship wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t forced them to meet.

Right now, I’m thinking I should have left them not speaking to each other for a while longer, but I know that would be cruel.

However, they could keep their hands a little more to themselves. They don’t have to kiss all the time, no matter where they are.

Now, if you think they’ve stopped fighting since they started dating, you’d be wrong.

They still fight, but then they make up—by kissing and cuddling. And they get on my nerves.

Especially when they’re sitting across from me, making me witness their love or lust or bond or whatever it is they have.

“Cut it out or get a room,” I snapped at them, making them jump apart.

“Jealous much?” Cal snickered while Sarah elbowed him after giving him a glare.

“Yes. So either you drop it, or I’m out. I’m sick of watching you two make out.”

“Would you rather have us fight?” he asked, surprised.

“It was more interesting, at least,” I grumbled.

“Seriously?”

“Yes. Now you’re all boring, doing stuff couples do. And I wouldn’t mind if I didn’t have to watch you all the time.”

“Stella, you need to get a boyfriend,” Sarah said. “It’s about time.”

“No, I’m good,” I scoffed.

From what I said earlier, it’s obvious that I’m lying. They know it, and they tease me about it.

“So, if Max were to come and tell you that he loves you…,” she said with a sly smirk.

“Max has told me he loves me numerous times,” I said, cutting her off. “Just not like that. And let’s not forget that he hasn’t found his mate yet.”

“Pity you aren’t like us then,” Cal pointed out. “You’d have a better chance.”

“That wouldn’t be a guarantee, Cal, and I think I would feel worse if I was like you and still wasn’t the one for him. Now enough with this.”

“Yeah, let’s go back to talking about how you need a boyfriend.” Sarah wiggled her brows.

“I don’t need a boyfriend,” I said through my teeth.

“Well, truth is that if you had a guy to kiss you, you wouldn’t be so bothered by us,” he argued.

“I’m bothered by you because you have no limits or scruples. We were supposed to hang out together, and all you two do is kiss and kiss and say how much you like each other. Gross.”

“My point precisely!” Cal exclaimed. “If you had a boyfriend, you would do the same, and you’d stop pestering us.”

I gave him a dirty look, and he just shrugged.

These two are unbelievable. They’re teaming up on me more now that they’re a couple. I swear, I can’t stand them.

MAX

The only thing I hate more than the nagging of my wolf that I’m cheating on our mate when I sleep around is the lingering smell of the women.

I wash, of course, carefully and multiple times. Yet, due to my enhanced sense of smell, it’s still like I have their scent right under my nose.

Usually, it takes a day or two for the scent to completely fade, and I make it a point to avoid Estella until it does.

I mean, I generally avoid seeing Estella too often, but on those particular days, I don’t even drive her to school. I come up with some excuse, but it’s like she can smell the lie through the phone.

She also seems to pick up on the scent of other women on me. For a human, her senses are pretty sharp, I think. My wolf side argues that it’s because we’re mates.

Maybe he’s right.

Regardless, I make it a point not to see her when I’ve been with someone else.

This time, it was a new nurse at the human hospital.

Yeah, I know I should have picked someone less obvious, but she was attractive and willing, and I made it clear it was a one-time thing. She seemed to understand.

But judging by her four missed calls, six texts, and two voicemails, either she’s not as smart as she seemed, or I wasn’t as clear as I thought I was.

I know it sounds cynical, but I think the first option is more likely. A lot of women say they’re okay with one-night stands, but very few actually mean it.

At least, that’s what my experience has shown me.

“Is it your latest conquest again?” Patrick asked, amused when my phone started ringing again.

“Yeah, that’s her,” I grumbled.

“Do you even remember their names, Max?” he teased.

“I don’t need to fill my head with useless information,” I replied, deadpan.

“That’s harsh.” He chuckled.

“It’s the truth. I don’t understand what they don’t get. I told her I don’t do commitment. I told her it was just for one night.

“I told her it should stay between us, and what does she do? She rushes to me as soon as I step into the hospital, and when I brush her off, she gives me puppy eyes and starts blowing up my phone.”

“So, like any sensible man, you decided to call in sick.” He snickered.

“What else was I supposed to do?”

“Be careful where you stick it,” Patrick said bluntly. “Especially when you already have a mate who’s in love with you.”

“Don’t start that again,” I warned.

“He’s right, you know,” Eva’s soft voice chimed in from the doorway.

“Now the Alpha and Luna are ganging up on me?” I scoffed.

She smiled and gracefully took a seat next to Patrick, across from me.

“It’s not like that,” she replied lightly.

“Then what is it like?”

“You remember my warning, don’t you?” she asked instead.

“That my sleeping around could affect her too. Yes, Eva, I remember,” I muttered, irritated.

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have limited myself to two or three times a year, which isn’t healthy for a man my age.”

“Trust me, Max. This is for her benefit and yours. I’m sure you’ve noticed that your bond has deepened and changed quite a bit already.”

“Why do you think I try to keep my distance from her?”

“I know, Max, and honestly, I deeply admire your self-restraint. Any other wolf would have lost it by now.”

“I’m halfway there. The only thing stopping me is that she’s still so innocent in many ways.”

“Soon, she won’t be.” She gave me a meaningful look, but my phone beeped, distracting me.

No, it wasn’t the nurse. I blocked her after her last call. It was a text from Estella.

Estella

You either come to pick me up today from school or at least tell me how to kill them lovebirds, for I can’t stand their smooching anymore.

I laughed out loud, especially at the cursing emoji at the end of the text, and replied that I’d be there in time for the final bell.

ESTELLA

Caleb is at our school.

Caleb is at OUR school.

Do you see anything wrong with that sentence? Well, I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it. He’s not supposed to be here.

He should be training or attending alpha meetings with his dad, but he definitely shouldn’t be here because:

He’s two years older than us, which we’ve already established

He annoys the hell out of me.

Both of them do. As if it wasn’t enough having Sarah trying to get me to flirt with the so-called cute guys at our school, now she’s got backup!

That is, when they’re not arguing about whether the alpha girl likes other boys more than Caleb.

When I saw Max’s car parked right outside the school, I felt a wave of relief. So, I did what I’d been wanting to do for hours: I ditched my friends and hopped into the passenger seat of Max’s car.

No, I didn’t bother telling them I was leaving. They were in the middle of their usual make-out session, and I’d had enough of it.

That’s when my day took a turn for the worse, the moment I settled into the passenger’s seat.

Because Cal and Sarah weren’t the only ones getting physical. I rolled down the window, annoyed, and took a deep breath of fresh air.

“You could tell them to wear less perfume, you know.” I snickered at him instead of saying hello.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” he mocked, and I snapped my gaze to him.

“You know,” he drawled, “since you thanked me for coming to pick you up when you told me Sarah’s driver would take you both home.”

“Whatever,” I mumbled and tried to focus on the view.

I couldn’t. The perfume was assaulting my nostrils.

It was cheap, sickeningly sweet, and heavy, and pardon my French, but how could he even get it up with a woman who smelled like that?

I felt irritated and on the verge of tears. Then a thought popped into my head, making everything worse.

Could the dreams I have about him sleeping around be some kind of premonitions? Because I had one the night before last.

Maybe I’m like a psychic with a weird specialty in Max. That, of course, doesn’t help. At all. Actually, it makes me even more pissed.

The car screeched to a sudden stop, and I found myself clutching the edge of my seat. I shot Max a glare. Why did he think it was okay to stop in the middle of nowhere?

He turned to face me, his expression serious. His jaw was clenched tight, a clear sign of his anger.

As if he had any right to be angry. He was the one who was... well, there wasn’t a more polite way to put it. He was the one sleeping around.

“What’s your problem, Estella?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me,” he growled.

“Well, if you don’t believe me…” I shrugged, but he was quick to grab my arm.

I was quicker to pull it away.

“Don’t touch me after you’ve been touching other women!” I shouted, unable to hold back my anger.

“It was two days ago!” he yelled back, slamming his fist on the steering wheel. “I scrubbed myself raw trying to get rid of the scent, and you’re still mad at me!”

“That’s more information than I needed,” I snapped back. “Next time, spare me the details of your sex life.”

“We’ve talked about this before.” He sighed, suddenly looking worn out. “Why are you making this so difficult?”

“You’re an idiot if you don’t know why,” I muttered.

I’m sure he heard me, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he started the car and drove me home. He didn’t say a word as I got out of the car, and I didn’t bother to say goodbye.

I didn’t even look back as he sped off. I just unlocked the front door and walked inside.

As if my day couldn’t get any worse, I walked in on my aunt and uncle making out in the kitchen. They were all over each other, like a couple of teenagers. Gross.

“This house is huge! Can’t you find somewhere else to do that?” I yelled, before running to my room and slamming the door shut. I just wanted to cry.