18

Tino's POV

"We've already upped patrol on the borders, what more could we do?" Q spoke up, distress all over his face.

It had been five days since Koa came back. Four days since we had dinner together, and four days since I have heard from him.

I don't know what I expected. I expected something...I don't know. But it just feels the same. The same before he left. Where I was begging for anything. CRUMBS. Begging for him to treat me in the way I was so desperate for.

Maybe I wasn't deserving of it.

"We need to kill the bastard," I spoke up rubbing my chin as I looked across the room. We were in our weekly council meeting that my father had told us we were going to start doing.

Of course, Koa was here. He was the soon-to-be alpha of the Lycans. A fact I will never forget. His scent was intoxicating. Even stronger than before. His hair was pulled back into a tight bun. With a basic white T-shirt that hugged every muscle. Goddess, he always looked so good.

"We can't just kill him." My father chimed in.

"Why not? We know where he is, we just go there and kill them all." I huffed out.

"That's exactly what he wants, Valentino. He is trying to make us impatient. Push us to do something that would not be beneficial to us at all."

I hated when he called me by my full name. It always sounded like I was in trouble. It made me feel like a child again.

"I think what Tino means is that--" Koa starts speaking up his eyes flicking towards me.

"I know what my son meant. But it doesn't matter. We need a better plan." My father interrupted and for a second I thought I saw Koa's eyes flare up with anger. But then his cool calm face was back on.

He was trying to defend me.

"What do you think we should do then, Father?" Vin asked him, as I leaned back in the chair keeping my eyes low.

"We stay on the course. We stay scouting. We keep killing and protecting."

"We can't be sitting ducks, we have to do some--" I tried to say, but he again interrupted me.

"I said, what I said. You are not the alpha, Tino. I am. So you will behave as such. Do you understand?"

Embarrassment flooded my cheeks as my father reprimanded me in front of all these people. In front of Koa. I already felt useless and unprepared. This was just his way of saying he felt the same way too.

"Perhaps we should send a few wolves to scout his territory. Do some recon. Then we can come back next week once we have the information and go from there." Koa spoke up, his eyes flickering to me as if waiting for me to shut him up. Or like he didn't want to overstep.

"Yes, that sounds great Koa. We can do that. I will assign some of our trained wolves this evening. Meeting adjourned." My father stood from his chair and walked out immediately. I did the same but kept my eyes low. Wishing I could just disappear.

But with my head down and my quick pace I of course ran into something. And the electricity shooting through my body as I did was enough to tell me who it was.

"Sorry," I mumbled, but I didn't move. Neither did he.

"Tino?" His voice was dripping with concern and it almost made me whine out as he spoke my name. "Tino." He repeated since I had yet to answer. Instead of waiting he gently wrapped his hand around my arm and began pulling me, moments later we were outside and it felt like I was able to breathe.

"Look at me, Tino." His voice was strong and demanding and right now I was too weak to even try and resist it.

His silver eyes were boring into mine. His eyebrows scrunched together as he looked at me.

"I'm fine really. That's just how he is. He does that sometimes." I sighed, finally letting my body relax a bit. "Thank you for defending me. You didn't have to do that." I told him truthfully.

"Yes, I did. I didn't like how he spoke to you."

I chuckled softly and ran my fingers through my hair. I was due for a haircut.

"Yeah well, you get used to it." I shrug.

"He always speaks to you like that?"

I turned to the pack house and though we were a distance away I didn't want to risk it. I began walking further into the garden, Koa following immediately.

"For as long as I can remember," I told him honestly.

"You don't deserve that," I don't think he meant for me to hear that, but I did.

"Maybe I do." I sighed. "I don't think I am cut out for his alpha stuff." I don't know I felt so comfortable expressing this to him. I blame it on the mate bond and the fact that I don't feel like fighting it today. "I thought I was cut out to be an alpha when I was younger. There was so much that I had planned for my pack. But now..." My voice trails off head facing the ground.

"Leading a pack can be daunting. I have my fears as well. Sometimes I forget that I am too an alpha." His voice was dripping with sincerity and caused my heart to flutter.

"Yeah, and you're like twenty-four now, right? So why is your father still alpha?" I had forgotten all about him being an alpha too. Maybe it's because he didn't act like it.

"Lycans and werewolves are different in that regard. I will be alpha when my father turns fifty, rather than I turn eighteen."

"Why? That's kind of weird if you ask me." I wasn't meaning for that to be funny but I guess it was to Koa. He let out a soft chuckle and his lips turned slightly at the corners.

Was he smiling?

Was he smiling...at me?

"Lycans not only have longer lives, but we value longevity. It seems reckless and unreasonable to put a pack through so much change. You werewolves switch out alphas every 20-30 years. That's surely not enough time to connect and lead a pack."

I had never thought about it that way. But now that he mentions it, it does seem rather quick. My father is thirty-nine, he had Vin and me when he was 18. He hasn't had much time as an alpha, and yet he spent all his life training to be it. And spent all the time he was it, training me.

"Freaking Lycans," I muttered under my breath, which cause Koa to smirk slightly yet again.

The conversation died down and we both walked in silence back to the house. But the closer we got the more I realized I didn't want this to end. Not yet.

"So you're a witch now?" I gave him a side eye and raised my eyebrow. It caused Koa to heave out a hardy laugh which stopped me in my tracks. The sound was glorious. He was glorious.

"If that is what you want to call it then I am okay with that."

Even though I had grown a few inches he still towered over me. I hated it. But also loved it at the same time.

"Well, then what do I call it?" I asked crossing my arms as I stood across from him.

"Kona likes to say we are 'gifted'. And she is not wrong, this is a gift from the goddess herself."

"Cool cool cool." I paused for a moment, searching for something to say.

"It's nice to know not too much has changed." I met his eyes and they were soft as they looked at me. I'm sure I had a look of confusion on my face which cause him to continue speaking. "You tend to repeat that word 'cool' when you don't have a response. It's one of the first things I remembered about you."

Not only did that warm my entire body in a way that I haven't felt before. It caused Zay to stir and be active. Was this the first time he has ever complimented me? I think so. I shouldn't like it as much as I do.

"That's not a very friendly thing to say." I teased and took a step back from him, giving him much-needed space. Koa just hummed in response with a very playful look in his eyes. This was a weird side to him, a side I have never seen before. He was joking around. Something I didn't think he was capable of doing.

"So then show me," I spoke breaking the silence again.

"Show you what?"

"Your 'gifts'. I want to see them." I shrugged and motioned my hands for him to move.

"My giftings are mental. Mind control. When it comes to physical, I just got faster and stronger."

"Then show me some mind control, Koa." His eyes darkened when I said his name. It sent a shiver down my spine.

"There is no one to do it on." I rolled my eyes at his response and rested my hands on my hips.

"Do it on me. Have me do something really weird." I don't know why I was asking this, but I for once felt excited about something. And it is such a strange feeling after years of being numb.

Koa didn't say anything, and just as I was about to speak again I felt this cold breeze surrounding me. My eyes zeroed in on Koa's eyes. And instead of it being something that brought me comfort made my body and my mind go still and quiet. Then I heard his voice, but not his voice. It was airy and wisped through my mind with ease.

'Chicken dance.'

What the hell?

The voice spoke to me and moments later I felt my body begin to move against my will. And I was doing the motherfucking chicken dance.

My body was moving but I tried with all my might to stop my hands from clucking, my arms from flapping, and my ass from shaking.

"Koa!" I gritted out as he stood across from me bent over laughing. I had to fight the urge to smile at him. Seeing him so loose and free was a sight to be seen. His perfect teeth flashed and his muscles tensed as he tried to stop himself from laughing. What a sight.

"Make it stop." I groaned in annoyance as I kept moving. Koa was finally able to collect himself after a few minutes and whatever magic voodoo he had on me stopped and I was able to get control of my body. "Never do that again." I huffed out as he walked closer.

"You told me to." He shrugged with that award-winning smile on his face.

"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever." Even though I sounded annoyed, I was enjoying his company. This playful fun side of him. The not so proper side of him. I wanted to see it more. NEEDED to see it more. "Is that all you can do? Or is there more?" I asked. Again, not wanting the conversation to end.

"Compulsions. Which is a bit different than control. Control I can get you to do anything I want but only for short periods and I have to look at you while it happens. Compulsions can make someone forget memories, or behave a certain way. Those effects last forever. But don't worry I won't do that to you." He smirked at the last part.

"Oh thank you so much," I said sarcastically moving my eyes away from his.

Zay was relatively present, quiet but he was still there. It made my heart...happy. This whole thing made my heart happy.

"Of course, that's what friends are for."

Forget what I just said. That sentence alone felt like I was hit by a truck. That a rogue just ripped off one of my limbs. Whatever light was in my eyes, whatever hope I was feeling was now gone, and so was Zay. The fun and light atmosphere were now replaced with dread and anguish. Friends. Not mated. Friends. But that is what I agreed to. Just friends.

"Right." I sighed and took a step back. "I should get going." My eyes faced the ground and I backed away from him not waiting to hear him say anything else about us being friends.

Was I dumb for getting upset at this? Possibly. I agreed to this. Bring friends. This was my doing. I made my choice now I have to live with it.

Unfortunately...