𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 ⸙

1.12𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

Zayn stormed towards the building.

"Follow me," he demanded to Niall and Jaiden, taking the extra time to stare at Jaiden until he dropped his gaze.

Zayn moved fast through the maze-like corridors until they reached the meeting room.

A large oak table looked small in the middle of such a big room. Wall length windows covered the wall opposite the door. The lights from Ethdellin Town glistened in the distance. Zayn's first thought was
about Liam. He hoped he was warm and happy at home. Zayn rested a hand on his chest as Jaiden and Niall sat at the table.

Zayn knew Liam was okay, somehow. The bond was strengthening.

"Alpha, is Baela really your mate?" Niall asked.

Zayn's hazel glare peeled from the window and to Niall who dyed his hair brown-ish now.  Zayn could have sworn his hair was blue last week.

"Southern wolves are just two miles away. We have more important things to discuss." Zayn glared at Jaiden as he spoke.

Niall opened the laptop as Zayn moved to the window. He stared out at the wolves all around the grounds, guarding their territory.

"Have they moved closer than two miles?" Zayn asked.

"No, Alpha. I think they're looking for trouble but don't want to be the ones to start it."

Zayn rubbed his chin, feeling stubble. "Jaiden, what do you think."

His Beta stopped lounging on the chair. "Uh, yeah, I agree with Niall"

Zayn narrowed his eyes, looking deep into the dark forest. Southern wolves hadn't been so dangerously close in months. The last time they invaded, Zayn lost his father.

They got their revenge, so why were they back?

"They want something," Zayn mumbled, tapping his chin. "Niall, go with twenty other wolves and ask what they want."

"What if they attack?" Niall asked.

"They won't. I smell around twenty wolves. Almost sixty live here." Zayn turned to face Niall. "Find out why they dare to come this close."

Niall nodded once and hurried from the room, leaving Zayn and Jaiden alone. The air quickly tensed. Zayn stared at the scars on his face, the scars Jaiden got from protecting his father in a fight, many years ago. Zayn didn't feel the same loyalty.

He stood, waiting, hoping Jaiden would say something to lessen the tension between them.

Jaiden said nothing, Zayn said nothing.

Zayn was almost ten years younger than Jaiden, but age shouldn't have been a problem between them. Zayn was Alpha, Jaiden was Beta, they were supposed to work in sync. Zayn barely spoke to Jaiden when his father was still the Alpha. Jaiden
obviously didn't enjoy taking Zayn's orders.

Jaiden's scarred eye held bruises from Zayn's fist Zayn looked down to his hand. His knuckles were coated in bruises from Jaiden's face. No Alpha and Beta relationship should be so unreliable. Their relationship made the pack uneasy.

Zayn could walk away. He could turn rogue and leave the stress and responsibilities behind, but his mother was right, his father had worked hard to make Ethdellin pack the best. Zayn, deep down, didn't want to destroy his hard work.

At the same time, Zayn believed he deserved to fail and mess everything up. A dramatic fall into a pool of bad luck was what Zayn thought he deserved. Liam Payne was too good for him. Zayn didn't know why his mate arrived when he was at his worst.