13

Tino's POV

I had just showered the blood off of me, and I was now getting dressed for the day. Father told us that we had a meeting we had to attend today. I was hoping I could just go to my office and seclude myself.

I changed into something my father would find presentable, a white T-shirt, and dark-wash blue jeans that hung low on my hips. Showing off the band of my Calvin Klein boxers. I put on my silver chain and threw on my silver earrings and a bracelet.

Vin was already waiting for me as I walked out of my room. Some people looked at us weirdly, at the fact that were now pretty much inseparable. But we were the only ones that understood what we were going through. Plus neither of us talked much anymore, and silence had become our new best friend.

"What is this meeting about?" Q asked as he joined us on our walk to my father's office. Jonah was right beside him, holding hands. My heart ached at the sight.

"No idea," Vin answered for me. I don't know why but I was anxious, my heart beating fast. And Zay was stirring which was slightly uncomfortable. Seeing as his usual state has been dormant.

As we walked closer I started to feel extremely uncomfortable in my skin. Something was off. But that's when it hit me.

That smell.

That damned smell.

Peaches.

Sea salt.

It stopped me in my tracks, and Vin stopped in his. She must be here too.

It was calling me, his smell was pulling me to him. I hated it. But how I missed it so. It made me sick, and calm all at the same time. I wanted to roll in it and run from it. If I can smell him, then he can surely smell me.

I wanted to run away and go as far away from him as possible, but also I wanted to look at him, needed to look at him. I took a deep breath and put my hand on the door and pushed it open, putting on my blank face. He wasn't going to get anything from me.

His scent was heavy and thick. It slammed into me. I couldn't outrun it if I tried. My father was sitting behind his desk, with my mama next to him. Alpha Channing and his wife were sitting across from him. Khelani was leaning against the bookcase arms crossed, looking as if this was inconveniencing her. I remember seeing her in the halls at school, but once I graduated I never saw her again. She looked so much older and more mature. At the time she looked like her mother but now she favors her father a bit.

Kendall was right next to her, she looked pretty much the same, just older. But as my eyes scanned the room, I looked for him. Just to see for a second. On the opposite side of the office there he stood. He looked so much bigger... if that was even possible? His hair was long, I could tell even though it was put into a man bun. His face was sharper and more mature. His nose piercing was still there. The mole above his lip. And his gray eyes, which were boring into mine.

I had to fight the urge in me to go to him. I don't even know what I would even do. Hit him? Scream at him? Hug him? Have him hold me? I hated not knowing what to do and hated not having control.

I moved my eyes away from his and faced my father. The door closed behind us and both Vin and I stood unnaturally still. Afraid that if we moved...I don't know but I didn't want to find out.

"As you know there has been an uptake in rogues in our territory. This is because of their leader, which happens to be a rogue Lycan." That caught my attention. A rogue Lycan? I didn't even know that was possible.

"He wants to bring back the old monarchy. Have Lycans as subjects and make all werewolves omegas, and servants. Of course, we will not let this happen. So we all need to start having meetings once a week, to try and offset this. But I will say this, there most likely will be a fight. Us against them. Which means school is on pause for now. I need everyone that is of age to be trained to fight. Understood?" My father's voice was strong and consistent, but I could see he was nervous.

"Understood." Both Vin and I spoke. Our voices were harsh and clipped in comparison to his. Both Kona and Koa's eyes flashed toward us. They heard our voices. Something he will never hear again.

He went on about new rules we were setting in place. Including a curfew, we upped patrol for the morning and night. And we added afternoon scouting in the surrounding forest. We issued a Blue Moon, meaning that any rogue should be and will be killed on-site. No questions asked.

I had to fight every natural urge I had in me not to look over at Koa. My eyes were glued to my father. I am sure I wasn't even blinking, but I did. And what angered me was that he looked fine. Just fine. He didn't look hurt, he didn't seem embarrassed or ashamed. He stood there arms crossed, eyes towards my father. Did I want to see him hurt? Maybe. At least that way I would have known I meant something to him.

I guess my father made a joke because seconds later there was a small smile that flashed across his face. And I was brought back to that night. The night he left me standing alone at Bobby's. A place I haven't been to since then. I remember being incredibly happy, then I remember being confused, stunned, and forgotten. I remember how young and stupid I was. How easy I was to accept him. To give him everything.

"May I be excused?" I spoke up, causing all eyes to look at me. His too. My father gave me a curt nod and I turned around and walked out of the office. I heard Vin say something but then he was out in the hallway with me. I couldn't take it anymore.

And for the first time in almost three years I felt tears brimming at my eyes. Vin grabbed my arm and pulled me through the house and outside to the forest. I looked at him and he already had tears flowing. We went into the forest and we immediately went to our wolf forms, shredding our clothes. This time not to kill. This time... to cry.

*****

We both trotted back to the house, it was dark at this point. We just ran for miles, and kept running until our legs gave out. Now we had our shredded clothes in our mouth still in wolf form staring at the pack house.

'I don't want to go in.' Vincent said through the mind link.

'Neither do I. I can still smell him.'

Which was true, it was bleeding out of the house. Meaning they were still here, mama probably invited them to dinner.

'Mama and her hospitality.' Vin growled out.

This meant we couldn't walk through naked like we usually did. Well, we could but I don't want to give Koa the satisfaction of seeing me naked. He doesn't deserve it.

I knew we were going to have to go in as our wolves, and mama was going to hate that. But she would have to understand. Thankfully the back door was open and I pushed it open with my snout. My wolf height was huge, both Vin and I were about 5'9, huge. I loved it.

As we walked in everyone was standing around the kitchen. Mama had a look on her face telling me that I knew better. But when she realized why she nodded and went back to her conversation. We walked through the kitchen and I had yet to see Koa, but I spoke too soon. As I got to the foyer, there he was. Leaning against the wall, with Kona next to him.

We made eye contact and I hated it. It looked like he was relaxing, unbothered even, I knew he could tell who I was. He could smell me, regardless of the fact I was outside for hours. He took a step closer but I couldn't stop the growl that erupted. His eyes went wide at that, and I was filled with guilt. He probably wasn't even walking toward me. He was probably trying to leave. And I just growled at him.

"Tino?" Her voice caught me off guard and I turned to look at Genna. She had a soft smile om her face as she looked between me and Koa. Lin was next to her, her eyes on Vincent's wolf.

"Can we talk?" She looked nervous as she played with her fingers. I could feel Koa's eyes burning a hole into me. But I didn't care, I needed to get away from him anyways. I made a huffing noise, as my way of saying yes, and started walking to my room. Genna walking right beside me.

Once in my room, she closed the door and I shifted. Her eyes went wide and her cheeks flared as she looked at my junk. But she turned around immediately. I couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"You can turn around, I am dressed." I sat on the bed and Genna turned.

"Victoria told me she slapped you. I don't know why." She said as she walked forward and sat on the bed next to me.

"You should have told me you were a virgin."

"Why would I have done that?" She asked confused.

"Aren't you waiting for a mate? Also don't girls want their first time to be special and shit?" I questioned.

"Oh please, some girls just want their first time to be over with." She shrugged and slightly leaned into my arm.

"Yeah, I guess so." I mumbled out.

"I'm sorry I left so quickly this morning. I guess I didn't know if you wanted me to stay or not." She cleared her throat and continued. "Vic told me about your mate...situation. I don't mean to step on toes." She turned to me, her face apologetic.

"I don't have a mate." I whispered out, which made Zay whimper slightly, but then disappear again. "I enjoyed myself last night, and I would like to see you again if that is an option?" I told her honestly, but I knew I shouldn't have asked. With Koa being downstairs.

"That's very sweet of you to say, but no. You say you don't have a mate but we all know about what happened to you and Vincent. Koa is it right?" She asked, but I stayed silent.

"Anyways...you should give him another chance. He left for a reason. Find out the reason and if it's not up to your standards then, give me a call. But I'm not going to get in between whatever is going on between you two." I hated that she was so smart. "I'll be here as a friend, of course. But I can't be anything more. The goddess have you mated for a reason, find out what that reason is." She put her hand on my back and gently rubbed it and got up leaving the room.

I took a deep sigh and rubbed my hands down my face and laid back on my bed. This was not what I was expecting. I mean I knew he had to come back at some point but I didn't think this soon. I just thought he would show up ten years from now, and I was mated to someone else and had a family. Or honestly I was expecting to never see him again.

But now here he was, downstairs. Waiting for me. Breathing my same air. And he looked so damn good too. That's the worst part of this all. The attraction was still there. The want to be with him, still there. This isn't fair.