-HIM-

A loud slam on my office door makes me sit up in attention. My twin brother, Davis walks in as if he owns the place. “What’s wrong with you?” I growl at him.

“Do you have those documents regarding that land dispute ready? Dad is getting very impatient about those,” Davis speaks as he stalks near my table before shuffling through the papers resting on it.

“Don’t mess them up!” I mutter at him as I look through the folders for the papers Jake just asked me for. “Here,” I hand him the papers before he flips through them.

“Are you going to college today?” He asks me nonchalantly.

“Yes,” I mutter, settling back at my seat before resuming my work.

“Are you sure? Don’t you have any plans with Tiffany?” He asks again, not bothering to look up from the papers.

“You know I don’t want to do anything with her,” I mutter. I and my wolf hate her. If I don’t find my mate then I’d have to take her as my mate, which is the last thing I’d do. Though our pack is lacking a Beta female. Right now, Brooke, who is Davis’ mate operates as the Beta female but given the size of our pack and the workload, we definitely need another Beta female. I know that all the work stresses Brooke out. She needs someone to help her and it has to be my mate.

“There’s so much work this week. I want to die,” He mutters before collapsing on the chair in front of me. I sigh, feeling the same exhaustion due to the load of work. Davis and I are the betas of the Red Moon pack which has two territories far apart from each other. Our other territory is hundreds of miles away in south named Walkers.

Alpha Miles lives in Walkers with his mate most of the time since we have a real estate business there. Gamma MJ also lives in Walkers, assisting our Alpha. They look after the business and Walkers territory while Davis and I handle things here, assisted by Delta Jared.

It’s unusual for a pack to have two betas. Initially, it was decided that I’ll be the Beta of the pack since I am the older twin and also Davis had no interest in being the Beta. He is laid back and doesn’t really care much about power and position but due to having two territories and fewer officials, the werewolf council made both of us the Beta.

Previously, Erika, my elder sister was the Beta of the pack. She is now mated with Alpha Andrew and the Luna of River Red pack in Alaska. Right now, both Davis and I operate as the pack’s betas. I have to act more like a substitute Alpha a lot of times because Davis isn’t serious enough. He hates being beta. He’d rather live as a normal pack member if given the choice.

Coming back to the topic of my mate, it’s complicated. If I don’t find a mate soon then I’d be forced to take Tiffany, that power-hungry bitch as my mate. She is considered the strongest she-wolf in our pack and also been recommended to me by the werewolf council. I’d rather stay mate less than take her as my mate. I care for my pack and I’ll never want her as a Beta female for my pack. But being a hybrid makes things even complicated. I have control over fire element and so does Davis. We got this from our father who is also a hybrid.

Hybrid wolves need their mates more than anything because it stabilizes them. Hybrid wolves are far more powerful than normal wolves and it’s a rule of nature that powerful things crave stability the most. In short, I need my mate. My real mate or else my wolf, Chance may lose control.

On the other hand, I am doing a bachelor’s in Business and polity at Orion University. This is my last year in college, making me a senior. I am also the head of the student council which adds extra work to my already busy life.

After finishing work at the pack, I set off for college with Davis and Brooke. They go to the same college as me. They keep making out in the back seat of my car, forgetting about me. I blast the music on the car radio to distract myself from their pornography.

It annoys me every time they do it because, first, it’s gross and second, it reminds me of the absence of my mate. It also makes me low-key jealous of Davis because I haven’t found my mate. He found Brooke shortly after we turned eighteen. Now, we’re almost 22 and I am still mate-less.

We finally reach our college in the human town far away from our pack in the woods. I park the car and head towards the main building. Davis and Brooke disappear for their classes instantly while I walk towards the main building to meet some members of the student council. Many people turn their heads and stop their work to look at me. I know that my presence attracts attention. It has to do something with me being both a werewolf and a hybrid.

On the way, I meet Zane, the Alpha of the nearby pack. We have been rivals for a long time. We exchange glares as a way to greet each other before going our own ways.

I enter the main building and meet the student council members and plan for the upcoming events. When I step out of the office, I meet Tiffany waiting there for me. A frown finds its way to my face as soon as my eyes fall on her. I instantly scan the corridor to make sure it’s empty before we indulge in any conversation. I hate to be seen with her.

She gives me one of her sickly-sweet smiles before batting her eyelashes and wrappers her arm around my hand. I try to free myself from her grip as she starts speaking, “Are you free tonight, Jake?” She purrs.

“No, I have work,” I said sternly as I manage to free myself from her and step back, putting a lot of distance between us. Chance hates her. If I let him take over then he’d kill her.

“Just a night won’t make a big difference, Jake,” She purrs, looking at me lustfully. It makes me sick to the stomach. To be honest, I enjoy attention from girls. I love it actually but Tiffany makes me regret not being hideous sometimes.

“Tiffany, I am really busy-”

“Oh, come on, Jake! You’re making this hard already! We are going to be mated soon. We must get to know each other well,”

“Stop daydreaming, Tiffany. You’re not my mate and I’ll never take you as my mate even if you were the last female alive on this earth,” I say sternly and she growls at me.

“Look, Jake. It’s not me. You’re the one who’s daydreaming. You’re already the Beta and you haven’t found your mate. This means that she doesn’t exist-”

“Say that again and you’ll never see the sun again!” I growl, stepping closer and glaring down at her. Her words made Chance angry. He’s fighting for control. He wants to kill her for what she just said. I know that I have a mate out there. I just need to find her soon.

“Whatever you say, Jake. This is the truth!” She says glaring at me. I step closer and flash my canines at her. Suddenly, I feel someone’s gaze on me.

I feel as if I am being watched. I look up and scan the corridor in front of me. My eyes fall on a figure that turns around abruptly before walking fast towards the back door of the building.

I don’t know why but Chance is telling me to go after it. Who is it? Was it a spy? I am sure that whoever it was, they were watching us closely.

I act on my instincts and decide to leave Tiffany behind and follow that figure. As soon as I reach the place where the figure has been standing, a group of students walk out of the library and block my way.

Several scents float in the air but I catch a whiff of this particular scent that makes Chance stir uncontrollably. I freeze at my place and look at the way where that figure had disappeared. I have never felt this before and neither did Chance. Who was it? As my mind races, a four-lettered word flashes in front of my eyes.

MATE.