Axel's POV

I was furious. And the list of things ticking my timer just kept growing.

First, some shitty 'soul mate' of my mine had me sick the whole week. I'm a fucking werewolf, I'm impervious to the common cold. 

Sucks to be a human, but we don't get their little sicknesses.

Until now, I suppose—the fresh mate bond had me hypersensitive to the poorly state of my mate, and I didn't appreciate the welcome gift of high fevers, chills, throwing up, and a near-constant state of drowsy nausea. 

I almost got bodied by a football in front of the whole damn school because of this stupid illness! 

And as if that wasn't embarrassing enough, my once-in-a-lifetime special 18th birthday was ruined—it was supposed to be the party of the year and it didn't even get to start before I was heaving my guts out all over the place. 

I'd definitely get revenge for that humiliation. 

Additionally, I didn't get the alpha title. 

I knew my dad was going to give it to me! 

I had been training for this for years. No one—not even my older sister—was more suited to become Alpha than me, even if she was the original inheritor. It was now my position, and I was supposed to have it by now.

The ceremony planned after my birthday party—it was a full-moon, which should have been good luck!—was when my dad was going to make the announcement.

But before any of that could even begin, I was in a half-conscious state, the wolf spirit in me taking over, drooling, desperate, growling some gibberish about 'finding mate!' 

And now I wasn't going to get my title until I had my 'soulmate' by my side. The ridiculous unfairness of the situation made me want to throw something. Preferably my mate, down a set of stairs. 

This said mate of mine was a guy, wasn't he? He should be able to take that much. 

I didn't even want to think about it. It wasn't uncommon or totally unexpected for a guy to have a guy mate. But that didn't mean I wanted my mate to be a guy! 

I like the soft suppleness of a nice pair of knockers; the sweet smell of between two sexy spread legs—

And as if that wasn't enough, my mate was a human. 

Human. 

Fucking human. If it had to be a male, why couldn't he be a wolf in my pack?! That would make things so much less complicated! 

If he was a wolf in my pack, he'd already love me and would know everything about the supernatural world, and we could quickly mate and I'd become the Alpha.

But no, since he was human, I had to first court him, make him fall for me. 

Then I'd have to hope he didn't freak out and call animal control when I show him my true self, and then I'd have to convince him to join me in this werewolf world. 

Only after that could I gain the Alpha title that was rightfully mine to begin with!

To make things even fucking worse, this mate of mine was an annoying piece of shit. 

Running around the school during lunch when I was looking for him, making sure to rub his scent everywhere as if to purposefully confuse me or something. 

And then coming late to class hanging all over some loser—he might as well have been humping that nerd!—covered in a hundred different scents, as if he was rubbing himself against everyone in gym.

And then the damn sass he gave me. Who the hell did he think he was? Everyone knew me. He should have been honoured that I was his partner—and that I went out of my way to sit beside him, when he didn't come running up to me—but he tried to ignore me. Ignore me. 

And then that blasted sarcastic tone of his. He pissed me off! As he left chemistry, I was damn near close to mauling him, grabbing him by the neck and forcing him to submit to me.

I took a deep breath before linking to my wolf, focusing on the instinctual connection innate within our kind. 

Alex, I half pleaded, calling on my second being. I definitely would need my wolf on my side to convince my dad to give me the Alpha title immediately without mating with my mate.

Alex growled, the protective mate instinct flaring at response to my thoughts. Alex grumbled lowly, and I sighed in distress. 

Put in human terms, Alex was declaring Mate is suitable. Mate with him immediately. He is mine.

I rest my head against my pillow, anger dissipating into a mild discontentment with the world. What, Oliver's rude attitude turned Alex on?

Oliver, I had to admit, wasn't particularly harsh on the eyes. It wasn't like I was complaining about that or anything. And from what the guys told me, he was polite, easy to get along with, and friendly.

But I had my doubts.

Luckily, Van agreed. He seemed amused by Oliver as a whole, but my sanity was grateful that at least he wasn't also a Blaring Oliver Fan.

He had way too many of those. I never paid attention to unimportant humans, so it came across as a surprise, but a ridiculously large percentage of people who knew him really liked him. 

It pissed me off just thinking about it. What, did he sleep with them all? Whored himself out to get that popularity?

I hated it. I hated him. I hated that I cared. I never asked for him, but if he was mine, he was mine. I was not okay with him sleeping with whomever losers he wanted. 

He could sleep with me—that would be very convenient on my part, actually—but he wasn't allowed to sleep with others.

Van, I half whined, half groaned, reaching for the connection that came as easily as breathing. Help. I just want what's rightfully mine, I grumbled. Why do I gotta court a fucking human to get my position.

I could feel Van sigh despite not actually hearing it. What does your wolf think of your mate?

I definitely did not pout or sulk. Alex is being an asshole.

Van snorted. He approves? You're just gonna have to do this the hard way, buddy.

I groaned.

You've got a project together, don't you? Use that to your advantage and get close. You're gonna have to be patient. Oliver doesn't seem all that interested, so your trashy pickup lines aren't gonna work.

I frowned. What 'trashy' pick up lines? All of the ones I use are great, I defended.

I could hear him snort. Sure thing. 'Damn girl are you sitting on an F5 key? Because that ass is refreshing', he quoted me.

Hey—that wasn't that bad! I protested.

'Baby did you just fart? Because you blew me away.' 'Did you ever realize screw rhymes with me and you?' 'If I flip a coin what are my chances of getting head?' 'Are you French? cause Madamn' Need I continue? he laughed.

I couldn't help but chuckle. Okay, some of those were pretty bad. And I never used the last one!

Jenna on the soccer team, he retorted. Oh. Right.

Well, I got my point across. Don't say anything I just did and I'm sure it won't go too bad. Oliver seems like the type to value his reputation, so just be aware of that. But, you know Axel, he paused.

I blinked. What?

It's... I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking this, but even if Oliver is a human, shouldn't he feel something for you?

I frowned. What do you mean?

I mean, Nick had a human mate, right? Logan was a man in his early thirties in our pack. I'd met him briefly a few times, but it's not like I cared all that much about his love and mate life. I've heard him and his mate Priyanka talking about it at their wedding—they both felt the attraction even when Priyanka was still human. She said it she was drawn to Nick even before she knew anything about them being mates.

Right, I agreed. I vaguely remembered them both babbling away at their wedding. 

I hated weddings. The ceremonies were so long and pointless. Just exchange rings and head straight to the bedroom. What else matters?

It's not like they're the only one. Qichen and Hana said something similar, even Qichen was attracted after the mate bond—

Yeah, yeah, better love story than Twilight. Quit it with the fairy-tales, I interrupted. What are you getting at? Oliver's secretly in love with me?

Van sighed. No, you simple-minded dumbass. I'm saying that even someone with good control over their emotions like Oliver can't deny there must be something between you two. Just don't, like, majorly fuck it up, and it's not gonna be impossible to get him to fall for you.

Of course it isn't, I retorted, grinning. I'm gonna get what's mine.