Chapter 3 She Is Mine

• Aiden's Pov
• • • • • • • • • • •
• My friends had just come to visit me after their rigorous gamma training and we had all ended up at the lake which was located some distance away from the packhouse. I could only go there when my friends were with me even when it was open for all wolves.
• Going there alone made me stand a risk of being taunted so I stayed away from it even when it was my favourite place to be. The lake was always calm and it gave this peaceful aura; it was calming. When I was here, I forgot all of my worries.
• This evening, the lake was surprisingly quiet. There was not a single wolf at the lake and I sighed in contentment because I could enjoy my friends without getting furtive stares and glances from other wolves.
• The wolves were fond of doing that whenever I was with my friends. They knew they couldn't do anything to me but they still made me feel bad with their glances and murmurs.
• "How have you been, Aiden? What have you been up to?" Jamal asked me and I looked up at him for I had been staring at the beautiful lake, deep in thought.
• Jamal was a lean man with lean muscles and long black hair which he tied up in a ponytail always. He was a fine man who paid extra attention to every part of his body.
• His fingernails were well-trimmed and one of his ears was adorned with a diamond ring. His wolf was also beautiful, a black furry wolf with beautiful features. I envied him a lot.
• "Nothing much. What's there to do?" I shrugged and Jamal's face fell. Jamal had always been the emotional one and he was overly concerned about me, asking if I was fine or if I needed help. Most times, I took his concern for pity. I knew he was just trying to help but I would appreciate it if he stopped making me feel more pathetic than I already felt.
• "Don't look at me that way, Jamal." I frowned.
• "I'm sorry." He looked away.
• The only good thing about all this was that he always understood and that was why I was still with him.
• "I'm so hungry, I can eat a deer." Andrew yawned and I smiled. We all knew he was trying to lift the tense atmosphere and we played along.
• That was who Andrew was. The peacemaker and the wisest of us all. He was the one to settle disputes amongst us even when we were all his age mates.
• "You're always hungry, Andrew." I laughed and he shrugged.
• "You can't blame me. Training is always rigorous and exhausting. We barely have time for ourselves." The cool evening breeze blew the strands of his short silver hair to his eyes and he pushed it away.
• "You can say that again." Calix smiled and I looked away.
• There they went again, talking about life as a gamma. It was infuriating and painful to hear them talk about their gamma duties. It made me remember my past ambitions and hopes, and how I had planned my life as a gamma.
• I had my hope all made up and I even went ahead to draft out things I would like to do when I became a gamma. We were so sure we would end up as gammas but I ended up being useless. While others had a duty or the other they owed to the pack, I had nothing. I contributed nothing.
• "We need more time to ourselves and family. The beta should know that." Calix continued, oblivious to my pain. "My mate keeps complaining.'' His brown eyes narrowed as he raked his fingers through his shoulder-length auburn hair.
• "Mine understands," Andrew said.
• This was one reason I didn't like hanging out with them. They were an open reminder of my failure. Their lives were perfect: they had their wolf and their mate - well except Jamal who was yet to find his, but he was still far better than me.
• "I try to make her understand but. . ." Calix couldn't go any further because Jamal had pinched him.
• "Shut up!" He whispered, directing his gaze to me. Calix got the message and he kept quiet
• I was aware of all these but I pretended I didn't. Instead, I kept my gaze on the still waters of the lake.
• "Have you guys ever wondered who Adelia will be mated to?" Andrew did what he was best at switching topics. "I overheard some gammas talking about it. They were hoping it would be them. Silly wolves."
• I froze at the mention of Adelia and I turned to look at my friends while they talked.
• "She should be mated to Jamal." Calix teased, his bulky body shaking as he laughed at the expression on Jamal's face.
• "That's not for us to decide. It's the moon goddess's duty." Jamal frowned but Calix continued to laugh.
• "But it isn't impossible. You haven't found your mate yet. What if she is the one? I will be so happy for you, bro."
• "That will be great, actually." Andrew supported Calix.
• I felt myself getting angrier at each passing second as I heard them talk about Adelia. They were talking about my mate with so much disrespect and it pissed me off greatly. It was true they didn't know about me and Adelia, neither did they know that we were fated to be together but still I was angry.
• I was also pissed became none of them had considered me a worthy candidate to be mated to Adelia. To them, Jamal was a better choice and that was why they were talking about him only.
• "That's bullshit!" I snapped before they could go on. "She'll be mated to some alpha not any of those gammas."
• I could easily tell them the truth which was we were mates but I wanted to keep that information to myself for a while. I and Adelia talked about and we concluded that it was best we kept it a secret until she had told her family about it. It was such a sensitive topic and Adelia said she would have to them.
• "She's the Alpha's daughter in case you all forgot." I ended.
• With that, I rose from my lying position and walked closer to the lake to get a better view and also to cool off. I would yell at them all if I remained there, listening to their rubbish.
• "Why is he so worked up?" I heard Calix ask the others but they all looked puzzled.
• "She might get mated to an alpha but it isn't impossible for her to be mated to Jamal. They are friends and I'm sure she likes him." Calix pressed on, a sly smile playing at the corner of his lips as he watched me.
• "Stop it, Calix. We are only friends." Jamal feigned annoyance but I could tell it was only a facade. He looked excited at that thought.
• "She doesn't like Jamal." I snapped at Calix and he raised a brow at me.
• "Really, what makes you so sure?"
• "Because she is my mate. We've marked each other." I pulled the corner of my shirt to the side to display the bite on my neck. I couldn't hold it anymore. They were pissing me off especially this short auburn idiot of a wolf. Calix had always been so annoying.
• "What?" My friends had their jaws dropped and I smiled in satisfaction, happy to wipe that smugness from Calix's face.
• "How did this happen?"
• "How could it be?"
• Andrew and Calix asked at the same time but I only smiled at them. My eyes were on the still water.
• "Pay a visit to the moon goddess and ask her. She might have an answer for you."
• My friends were in a daze and for a moment they couldn't speak. They exchanged looks with each other with an incredulous look on their faces. It was so funny. I had to laugh.