Chapter 5

Katya I let out a heavy sigh as Andrei finishes the call. I haven’t heard from him for a few days and I was seriously starting to worry about my brother and his mate. To be honest, I still worry about them. I fear so many different scenarios simply because I know all of them are possibilities. But what scares me the most is that Sage won’t let him mark her. The issue I have is I don’t see any actual progress between those two just yet. Sure, there is some, but not enough to exhale in relief thinking things will work out. Time is slipping away. I can’t stop it and neither can they. At this point, I just hope I haven’t signed my brother’s death warrant. “Hey, what’s up with you?” Ezra asks, walking into his office, scaring the living daylights out of me. I am sitting at his desk because I wanted some privacy during the phone call, but I didn’t expect anyone to look for me this soon. I haven’t got enough time to fully process the conversation with Andrei, let alone discuss it. I glance at my mate and shake my head. “Nothing, it’s just I’m still worried about Sage and Andrei.” Ezra moves closer to the desk and stands in front of it, bracing his hands on the surface. “You will see them at the Alpha meeting,” he assures me with a slight smile across his lips. He is right. I am hoping I can catch Sage and talk to her while we are there. I’m pretty sure we can easily find a quiet place for that talk while the men busy themselves with their own discussions. Ezra pushes himself off the desk and raises an eyebrow at me. “So, what did Andrei want?” He sits on the edge of his desk and peers down at me as he folds his arms over his chest. The serious look on his face amuses me a little. I know he is trying to distract me from my worries and fears, and yet, here he is, looking like he is ready to fight the entire world if I don’t disclose the details of the phone call with my brother. Although I might get irritated by his pushy attitude, all I do is smile and tell him the truth. “He took in some rogue kids. One of them was his Beta’s mate and one is orphaned.” Ezra loses his cool attitude for a second, appearing to be just as taken aback as I was when Andrei told me this. I’m still surprised by the change in him. I feared he was still obsessed with torturing the rogues, but here he is, taking in a few and trying to help them. Sage is bringing positive changes and helping my brother to not only see reason, but also understand life is more than he sees it to be. He is getting better and truly trying to become a better person. I hope this new side of him remains and doesn’t fade in time. Andrei deserves to be happy. It’s about time he lets the past go and focuses on the future he can share with Sage. But for that, of course, both of them have to take the steps to actually live long enough to share the future. They’re so close, I hope, I so so hope, they will get there. I almost lose myself in thoughts again, but the hum from my mate brings me back to reality just in time for me to hear Ezra speak up. “Ah, yeah, that makes things tricky without parental or guardian consent. Has he checked the blood database?” I shake my head. “No, that’s why he rang. Can you see if Mathias or someone can take some blood samples for him?” “Yes, I will organize it. Have you taken your meds?” As the question escapes Ezra’s lips, I suddenly feel irritated with myself. I should have seen this coming. It’s so typical of him to change the subject to something that concerns him more than it could concern me. I glare at Ezra. He knows I hate those damn things. They make me feel airheaded. “No, she hasn’t,” Mateo snitches as he walks inside the office with a glass of water in one hand and my antidepressants in the other. That bloody traitor! Can he call himself my mate after betraying me like this? Ezra growls and glares at me as Mateo stalks closer. “You have no excuse, Kat, you aren’t breastfeeding anymore,” he scolds as he passes me the glass of water and mimics the judgemental facial expression Ezra is giving me. I can’t believe this, both are working against me. “I don’t need them,” I object, shaking my head and turning my focus back to the computer screen. I don’t have to look at my mates to know that they are seething as I place the glass on the desk. Their gazes heat up my skin, but I ignore it. “Kat, there's nothing wrong with needing medication. It doesn’t make you weak,” Ezra lectures yet again, taking the pill from Mateo’s hand. I know he is switching tactics just to make me drink them. First comes the feeble attempt to intimidate me, then it’s the care and gentle words to assure me, and then there will be anger. An idea pops in my mind, and I turn my gaze to Ezra and wiggle my eyebrows. “Then you take them,” I challenge. “Don’t make me force it down your throat,” he growls. Ah, there it is, stage three - anger. If anger is what he wants, anger is what my dead mate gets. “You can fucking try, Ezra, and I will put you in your place real quick,” I warn him, and he snarls deeper. “Don’t make me bring Maddox forward, Kat. Take them. Mathias said your psychosis will get worse without them.” Ezra tries to threaten me. Look at this, the big bad Alpha can’t take me down on his own. He needs to run to his wolf. “I will just shift, I have been shifting, and I am fine,” I stress. Why can’t they understand that I’m so damn sick of everyone at this point? I’m sick of their attempts to stuff medication down my throat. I hate it. Those pills stunt my aura and weaken me. Everyone claims I need those pills. But on them, I can’t fight off Ezra's commands. I hate that it makes me unable to put my walls up and shield myself. “You have three seconds,” Ezra warns, but all I do is roll my eyes at him. I try to feel out for my severely muted aura. The meds have ruined it, but since I haven’t taken those pills, at least for a day, I can feel my aura, if only a little. I don’t want to lose it again. I’m tired of trying to reach out in the dark and not finding anything I seek. “We have this stupid Alpha meeting in two days. I don’t want to be weak when we go to it,” I point out. This should be a convincing argument for my mates to understand that I need to be able to protect myself if anything were to go wrong. I refuse to rely on their abilities to protect me. Besides, I think it is fucking stupid that we even have to go. I don’t want the title of Queen of Alphas. Why can’t things just stay how they are? I have enough shit going on with the twins and our pack. On top of everything, we are still dealing with Jackson’s old pack that needs to be moved and re-housed into new packs. Most packs are still reluctant to take in new members, and the rogue populations are growing out of control. There are so many more important issues to focus on. I don’t see a point in attending an event while so many shifters are out there, suffering and fighting for their survival. “Kat, please don’t do this now, just take the damn thing.” I turn in my chair and look up at him. Mateo shifts his weight from one foot to another, visibly nervous. I know he hates when Ezra and I go toe to toe, but I am sick of him treating me like a child. I swear he likes me being on meds because it gives him control over me. “I said no. I will take them after the Alpha meeting.” I stand my ground. Ezra has to learn how to listen to me. But more than that, he has to learn how to let go of the crazy control he wants to have over everyone, including me. I’m done. Ezra growls at me, about to stand up, but Mateo stops him by gripping his shoulder. “Maybe she is right, you know her walking into that meeting will cause an uproar.” Mateo reminds him. “Why will it cause an uproar?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. This is something new. “Every Alpha in the country will be there, including the Alpha of Alphas. You may be their Queen now, but they won’t take that lightly, they may challenge you.” Mateo explains. I furrow my brows. How does that make any sense? “Now, why would they do that?” Mateo sighs and exchanges a look with Ezra. I cross my arms in front of my chest and wait for an answer. He groans and shakes his head. “Because it is no secret what you did at Jackson’s pack. Rumors have circulated that the Goddess has returned, reborn, made a Queen and blessed you. The current Alpha of Alphas is not going to like to know that you pull a rank over him. They will sense it the moment you step in there.” “So you think he may challenge me for it?” Mateo nods. Before I can ask another question, or even try to make sense out of men and their stupid egos, Ezra sighs. “I didn’t think of that. Fine, but you go back on them straight afterward. But Kat, you will have no excuses left after we return home.” I roll my eyes and focus on the most important matter rather than involve myself in another argument with Ezra. “I don’t see why Dominic would feel threatened. It’s not like I am taking his title.” “No, but you are female and overrule his title now. The Moon Goddess was always our Luna Queen, our Goddess. Kat, you changed her blessing. You changed everything. Werewolf society has never had Kings and Queens of Alphas. Well, until now, and technically, Ezra is King because I submitted to him and stepped out of the Alpha role. But if push comes to shove, I am still your mate. Even I would pull rank over Dominic. So to Dominic… Kat, we are a threat in his eyes.” Mateo explains. Ezra nods at his words. “I didn’t think of that, Beta King.” Ezra chuckles as he teases the words and Mateo slaps his arm. I roll my eyes at how quick these two can change. One moment, they are so goddamn painfully serious, just to turn into a duo of clowns the next. “Ah, this is stupid, I don’t need this stress now.” I groan and run a hand though my hair, barely fighting the urge to tug on it. “So what happens if they challenge me or either of you?” “They would be stupid to try.” Ezra growls. As always, he appears to be ready to jump into action to defend me. As much as I admire his attempts to show me how much he cares, sometimes I wish he could give me more space. Mateo is right, at least with some of the things that he pointed out. As soon as we all appear there, our presence will cause quite a ruckus, so I need to be able to stand up for myself. I will never do that if my mates always try to jump in front of me. Just as I part my lips to point that out, Mateo perks up. “Unfortunately, we heard rumors that Dominic doesn’t believe you are blessed by the Goddess and said that he will never bow down to anyone.” He scoffs, as if he can't believe that someone would ever say something like that.