Chapter 6

Ella left with the cops in a hurry to handle the bail, leaving just me and Oliver in the room. He didn’t say a word for a while, and honestly, I was about to snap. I glared at him, practically yelling, “Why?!” Ella, that love-struck idiot who used to have only Jackson on her mind, actually did it with someone else? And not just anyone—Oliver Davis. An Alpha from the Claw Pack. I’ve heard his name so many times it’s practically burned into my brain. The youngest Alpha ever, way stronger than his battle-hardened father. Since he took over, the Claw Pack’s territory practically doubled. To most werewolves, he’s like a freaking legend. No one dares question him. Well, except for the fact that he’s kinda young. That’s the only so-called weakness people whisper about. I stared at his annoyingly perfect face, not wanting to admit it, but yeah—he was ridiculously good-looking. Still, nothing about him made sense with Ella. I couldn’t figure out how they'd even met, let alone ended up in bed together. Was my sense of smell off after spending the night at the station? Maybe I got the scent wrong? But no, there was no way I’d mistake Ella’s scent. It’s too distinct. The fact that it was all over him could only mean one thing. Fuming, I clenched my fists. “You better start explaining!” I barked. I shot daggers at him, ready to call out whatever BS he tried to spill. Rubbing his chin like he was mulling over what to say, he finally gave me this slow, smug smile. “Yeah,” he said, real casual. “Your sister and I slept together.” “Oh, and we’re becoming mates today.” “What?!” I exploded, nearly lunging at him. “You can’t be serious! There’s no way Ella would become your mate. She’s been in love with Jackson since forever!” Oliver’s smile dropped. His eyes turned weirdly serious. “I don’t joke about stuff like this,” he said flatly. “This is insane! You think I’m gonna buy that crap? You’ve got to be kidding! If you told me she was drunk and mistook you for someone else, I might actually believe that before I’d buy this mating story!” I tried to calm my breathing, but he wasn’t amused anymore. He leaned against the wall, staring at me like I was chewing gum stuck to his shoe. Alphas have this way of looking at people, like giving you any attention is a favor. He stayed quiet for so long I actually started to get nervous. Then suddenly, the weight of that Alpha pressure lifted. He tilted his head toward the door. Ella walked in, clearly just done with the paperwork. Her steps weren’t rushed, but she looked exhausted. Trailing behind her was some lawyer I didn’t recognize—probably someone Oliver sent. Ella casually flipped her hair back and said in a soft tone, “All done. Let’s go.” I forced myself to stay calm and was about to head out with her when Oliver spoke again. His voice dropped low, and he looked...kind of hurt? “Mind if I come with?” he asked.Ella gave him a confused look. “Of course. Or... if you’ve got something else going on, you can stay.” “You know I only came along to help you bail out your brother,” Oliver said, glancing at me with that oh-so-heartbroken tone. “It’s just that your brother—Thomas, right?—doesn’t seem all that thrilled about me being around.” “I was just thinking... maybe there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding? Maybe Thomas got the wrong idea about his sister’s mate?” Ella’s eyes bounced between me and Oliver, her expression slowly shifting into one of quiet disapproval as she looked at me. I froze up, staring at Oliver in shock. He did that on purpose. He wanted her to think I had a problem. I didn’t even know how to react—my head was spinning. Sure, Oliver acted like a jerk, but what really got me was Ella’s reaction. She used to be head over heels for Jackson. She would’ve picked him over anyone, even her so-called fated mate. And now she’s turning on me just ‘cause Oliver threw out a few guilt-trippy lines? I stood up from the chair a bit unsteadily, glaring. Oliver stepped right in front of me, close enough that I could clearly see the bite mark on his neck. With a smug smirk, he said, “Sorry for stealing your sister.” His fingers brushed right over that damn mark like he was showing off. I rolled my eyes, utterly done with his dramatics. I stared daggers at Ella. I wanted to yell at her, ask what the hell she was thinking sleeping with him so soon. But instead of getting mad, she just stared at Oliver like she caught feelings all over again. Oliver smoothly pulled an arm around her shoulder and met her gaze. “I’ll prove to your brother that I’ll love you forever.” “Mhm... It’s fine,” Ella mumbled, her cheeks pink as she looked away shyly. “Let’s go back now. There’s stuff we need to deal with.” “But Thomas doesn’t want me here,” Oliver said, all fake innocent, eyes wide at Ella like some poor victim. He made my skin crawl. I was so close to cussing him out—my fists even clenched without me realizing. “No,” Ella snapped quickly, cutting me a glance, “If Thomas knew I’m over Jackson, he’d be thrilled for me. He’d be all ‘Congrats on finding your mate!’ He won’t hate you. Besides, you’ve got people lining up for you.” “Ha!” I let out a dry laugh, voice tight. “Really? ‘Cause I sure haven’t noticed.” Ella paused, then said seriously, “Who I choose as my mate is up to me. Whether you approve or not, Thomas, I’m not changing my mind.” I crossed my arms, disbelief written all over my face. “You’re seriously gonna be his mate? Damn... I actually thought he was bluffing. You two weren’t messing with me? You’re actually going through with the ceremony?” “You’re not even in the same pack. Do you even know him? Ella, this is way too fast!” “I mean it,” she said, lifting her chin. She looked like she wanted to say more but held it in. I glanced again at Oliver’s smug face, then quickly pulled Ella toward me. Locking eyes with her, I frowned. “What’s going on? How did this even happen? What about Jackson? You just stopped loving him, just like that?” I silently cursed Jackson for getting us all in this mess. Then I pushed on, “Just tell me, Ella. Is this some quick rebound thing, or have you really moved on? Are you completely over him now? What made you flip so fast?” I stared at her, waiting for the answer.