As Victoria marched out of the house in a huff, she began patting her pockets for her phone. An annoyed groan escaped her lips as she remembered where she left it. On her bed. In her room. At her house. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t remember Reese’s number to save her life. As a child, she thought her parents were so ancient for making her memorize phone numbers, she was starting to see why.

The door behind her whipped open, and she turn just in time to see a flash of cherry rush past her, barely brushing against her shoulder. The sudden rush of him passing allowed her to catch a subtle scent passing through the air. Something crisp that she couldn’t place, and something salty like an ocean breeze. It was a smell she could taste in the air, and for a second, it had her following after him.

She caught herself on the bottom step, staring at the back of his head. She hadn’t realized she had done it, but somehow, she had snatched onto the back of his t-shirt as he passed. Victoria held him in place, that salty scent dancing around her senses.

Baekhyun slowly glanced over his shoulder to look at her. She stood staring at him, more like staring through him. “What, Victoria? What do you want?”

His words seemed to snap her back, and she quickly dropped his shirt. “Sorry, I…” she trailed off a minute, glancing around, looking for what was making that smell. “I thought I smelled something.”

Rolling his eyes at her, he continued his march away. “Let me guess, dog?”

Pouting at his back, she frowned and marched over towards the steps and took a seat. As much as she wanted to storm after him and call him rude names, she felt like she didn’t know where to start. She was hurt, deep in her chest, hurt that he would rather her be some poor unfortunate kid then be who she was. She was human, not some long lost alphas daughter, not some mystical creature. Just human, and as a human, her heart ached. She could feel a small part of her reaching for him, just wishing he would fight, that he would accept this. Taking a deep breath, she rubbed her neck and rolled her eyes. All she wanted right now, was to drown that little part of herself in a deep bottle.

“Oh, Vic,” the door opened behind her, and she looked back to Chanyeol’s tall frame. “I thought you left?”

“I don’t have my phone,” she mumbled as she looked away from him. Part of her felt awkward for wanted to date her mates brother, the other part wanted to do it anyway to make him jealous. Part of her wanted to date anyone to make him jealous, make him see what he’s missing.

“Do you want me to walk you?” he asked as he took a seat next to her on the steps. “I don’t mind. You’re basically my sister after all. Gotta look out for you.” He laughed and pushed her shoulder, causing her to crack a small smile. He was gentle with her where her mate wasn’t. Hard to believe they were related.

“Unless you want to walk me to a liquor store or a bar,” she rolled her eyes again. “God, he drives me mad.”

Chanyeol laughed and shook his head. “I’ve been dealing with this since the first week of being here.” He laughed as he stood and offered her a hand. Together they began walking towards the large building in the center of the town. “When we pulled up to the pack house, he was going mad trying to track your scent. I remember, in the middle of the night, that first night, he drug me all over that forest looking for you. He was looking for other packs, you know? Trying to find you, but dad had told him that other than a small batch of rogues, there weren’t any packs close by.”

He opened up the door to the large house and led her inside. The building was built around a large tree trunk that stretched up through the multi story building. He led her past what appeared to be the living room and into what appeared to be a bar. Victoria laughed as Chanyeol hopped the counter and began pouring them drinks. He put a cherry in hers. “What’s this?”

“Pack house,” he answered her. “Whenever we have royal guests, or any guests, they stay here with the alpha. Though a few families stay here all the time. I bartend the events, birthdays, weddings, stuff like that. Andrew used to do it, but he’s been working with dad a lot more now.” The two siped on their drinks a bit, Victoria’s was a bit too strong for her liking. “Where was I?” He asked as she stirred her drink with her finger. “Oh, yeah so dad said there weren’t any more packs right? Baekhyun was pissed. He was sure you were part of the rogues, and that gets complicated. When we were kids, he always wanted a simple thing with his mate. Just switching packs or overprotective brothers, nothing like this. I always wanted something a bit, uh, complicated, I guess. Something that would make a good story for our pups.”

Victoria couldn’t help but smile at the boy. He was so corny, but also sweet. She couldn’t help but be a bit jealous. She got stuck with the , when she could have had this one? The nice one? Chanyeol laughed a bit and continued his story, “Anyway, he was all pissed off, and decided that you could come find him if you were a rogue. So a week or two goes by, and nothing, and we are starting school with the humans. Baekhyun is super moody by now. We get into the building, and he’s ike starting to lose his . He’s like,  “Chan, she’s here. I can smell her, she’s here. Chan, do you see her?” And of course I have no idea what I’m looking for. Neither of us know what you look like, all we can do is follow his wolf. Now remember this was back in first week of high school. Baekhyun’s pushing us through the halls looking for you, and finally we get to the courtyard, and he just stops dead. I’m looking around trying to find you, and he’s just dead-eye staring at you. And finally he goes, “Chan, she’s human. Why is she human?” Chanyeol stops his story and fiddles with his now empty glass. “He was so upset. Called our mom from the office and begged her to come get him. She of course told him no, he should go talk to you, but he had already made up his mind by then.” Slowly Chanyeol began making second glasses for the two of them. He laughed. “Can I tell you something, V?”

“Of course.”

In one gulp, Chanyeol knocked back the rest of his drink. “I was so mad at him for the longest time. Until about a year ago, actually. Here he was, throwing away his mate, the one person who was destined to spend their life with him, and I would never get that chance.” Again, she watched him pour a third drink and knock it back. He didn’t look at her, but in the reflection of the glass, she could see tears in his eyes. “When I was young, almost to young to remember, I lost my mate. I didn’t know what it was at the time, just this immense pain in my chest. I was only four or five.”

“What happened?”

Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders. “We assume rogues,” he said softly. His voice was becoming thick. He pulled a stool from behind the bar and sat across from her, leaving the large caramel filled bottle next to him. “Only my parents and the alpha know, I didn’t want anyone else to. I didn’t want them to pity me. I thought about telling Baekhyun after he found you, but I didn’t want to influence his choices like that.”

As he went to pour another glass, Victoria stopped his hand, finally catching his eyes. Setting the bottle down on the counter, Victoria hopped up onto the bar and pulled him into a hug. The boy gently hugged her back, his silent tears pressing through her shirt. “I’m so sorry, Channie,” she whispered as she rubbed his back. “But you know it’s not the end, don’t you? Having a mate isn’t all that, as you can clearly see with me and your brother. There are plenty of wonderful women out there that would be lucky to have you, and your wolf will love them as hard as you do. Just because one thing didn’t work doesn’t mean nothing will, okay hun?”

Pulling back, she smiled at the boy, who laughed half-heartedly and nodded. “Yeah, I know, V.”

A loud clapping came from behind them, before a voice rang out. “Oh, great,” he said. “I piss you off and you go back to plan B, huh? What, I’m too difficult so you’re going to yourself out to the pack?!”

The anger came rushing back to her, as her eyes rolled dangerously far back into her head. “Yes, Baekhyun, oh holy mate, you have caught me, myself out. How truly hurt you must be. Maybe one of them will actually show an interest, unlike you.”

Sliding off the counter and into her seat, Victoria grabbed the bottle up and pouring herself a glass. Chanyeol had turned around to grab something, but she didn’t miss the way he wiped his eyes on his sleeve before he turned and spoke. “Relax, dramaqueen. We’re just having a drink.”

She could hear his angry footsteps as he marched over to the bar and sat in the stool next to her. “Well then it shouldn’t be a problem if I join you.” he growled more than he spoke. Victoria stole a glanced at him, and noticed to blue rim around his pupils.

“Oh, it’s you,” she stated. “And apparently you’re just as bad as him. Considering you’re the part that wants a mate, I had figured you’d be nicer. You were nicer before at least.”

Baekhyun’s eyes flashed to her, the hot anger in them sending an uncomfortable chill down her spine. Something like a click went off in her head, and she suddenly remember the fact he could rip out in less than a second. Fear flashed through her, and she turned away as hot tears pricked in the back of her eyes. Her glass suddenly became the most interesting thing in the room. How could she forget? She was surrounded by predators, who apparently eat humans. Her thoughts flashed to the man’s body in the woods.

“Hey, what, no,” the words came out in jumbles as she felt Baekhyun squirming in his seat. “Don’t be scared,” he said. He reached for her slowly until his head met her hair. Victoria resisted the urge to flinched, but didn’t look at him. A small shock made way down her back at his touch. “Vic, no, I’m not going to hurt you, no one is going to hu-”

“You already have,” the words left before she could stop them. Baekhyun flinched as if he had been slapped in the face.

“I didn’t mean too, I…” He looked to his brother, who was shrugging his shoulders in response. “Victoria, I-”

“You always hurt me, and you know you do,” she snapped at him. The tears had begun to form in her eyes, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. “You do it on purpose, Baekhyun, and constantly. Why are you keeping up with this game? Sometimes you want me, most of the time you don’t. It’s giving me whiplash. You need to decide already. I don’t want to be drug along while you decide if I’m good enough. Why is it my job to change, huh? Ever think the problem is you?” Something in her chest stung, but it wasn’t her pain. It was his, and she felt it deep in her chest. “You’re upset,” she turned to him, now noticing the deep brown eyes staring back at her. She pressed her finger in his chest. “Right here, it hurts. I can feel it coming from you, and it hurts me. If you feel this every time you hurt me, then why do you keep doing it?”

Baekhyun grabbed her hand, and pulled it from his chest. “I’m keeping you safe, Victoria. Whether you want to believe that or not is your problem. If you’re tired of it, then ask Chanyeol about rejection. If that will make you feel more in control.”

Victoria looked up at him as he stood from where he sat, dropping her hand. In the calmest she has seen him in days, Baekhyun left the bar. She turned to Chanyeol, who was staring at the door with wide eyes. “What is he talking about? What’s rejection?”

Chanyeol shook his head at her. “I cannot believe he said that. No, I am not telling you about it.”

“Chanyeol-”

“No, Victoria,” he snapped at her. “It isn’t some light hearted thing. It’s very serious, and I’m sorry, but I don’t think you will take it seriously enough. There is a reason you two are still mated. He could have ended it a long time ago, but hasn’t. I’m definitely not going to tell you how when you are annoyed with him.”

With that, Chanyeol dropped the glasses into the sink behind him and followed his brother out of the bar. “Can you at least tell me where he ran off too?” she called after him.