Plot Twist

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

It only took a second after the boy in the crowd had yelled for Skylar's mate for this supposed "Alpha Ryder" to snap out of his dazed, googly-eyed expression. His expression hardened, and he was suddenly looking down at Skylar with so much disgust you'd think she had just brutally murdered his puppy or something.

I wasn't the only one a little taken aback by the mood change, and it only took one glance at Skylar - she was still sitting on the floor kind of like an idiot - for me to realize how confused and heartbroken she looked. Honestly, who could blame her? I didn't understand the whole mate thing, but I'd probably cry if my cat gave me a dirty look, let alone my soulmate.

Everyone in the hallway was still standing frozen - watching this scene happen like it was an episode of Gossip Girl or something.

"You? You're my mate?" Ryder suddenly spoke, grinding out each word with such hostility and disgust. Skylar looked down at the floor, whimpering at his harsh tone.

In the whole 'mate' madness, I had unlatched my arm from Skylar's and stood toward the side, watching the scene, but after hearing Ryder talk to my fake-twin that way, I couldn't help this protective surge of emotion that overtook me.

How dare he treat me my fake-family like that.

I stepped closer to Skylar, pulling her up from the floor and then looked at Ryder with a glare, "Yeah, she is your mate, you douchebag. You got a problem with that?"

Several people in the audience - I mean, crowd - gasped at my words. Skylar snapped out of of her stupor and pushed me behind her in time for Ryder to register my words and turn his "oh-look-at-me-I'm-an-intimidating-idiot-with-a-stupid-name" glare on me.

"Excuse me?" He growled, taking a threatening step forwards, "I think I must have heard you wrong, human. Seeing as nobody in their right minds would call the future Alpha of the Silver Claws pack a douchebag unless they had a death wish!"

Before I could even respond or come up with a decent comeback to that, he had turned his full attention unto Skylar - who was still protectively standing in front of me, albeit shaking. "And you! Skylar, is it? From the Gold Claws pack? Alpha Garrett's kid, right?" Skylar nodded weakly, and I was still trying to come up with a decent comeback.

I mean, damn it. He kind of had me with the whole 'death wish' thing, didn't he? Ugh, this lack of caffeine is really screwing with my sass game here! Also, 'Gold Claws'? That's horrible! Honestly, who the hell is coming up with these names? I'm pretty sure my eight-year old brother - who named his Hamster 'Hammy' - has more creativity than this.

"Well, Skylar of the Gold Claws pack, I find it hard to believe the Moon Goddess would pair us up as mates. Clearly, she made some sort of mistake. There's no way the Luna of my pack is some weak, pathetic, ugly loser! I, Ryder Davidson reject you Skylar Gray as my future Luna and mate."

Something in me snapped.

I'm not sure what it was. Maybe it was because she didn't deserve this. She was the main character after all - she was kind-hearted and pure and it made sense to root for her. Or maybe it was that I had a problem with bullies - I hated the idea of someone being pushed around and treated like they didn't matter. Or perhaps it was because I just really thought Ryder was an asshole and needed to be put in his place. But, maybe, just maybe, it was because in the past few hours of hanging around Skylar I had started to think less of her as a fake sibling and more like a real one.