I Can Hear Your Voice

o n e d a y

April 18th.
3:06 p.m.

[Third Person POV]

"Hey, can we hang out after school?" Matteo asked the boy with a hopeful look.

"Nah, I have something going on then. Sorry." Luka sadly looked at the taller boy and stood up on his tiptoes to press a light peck on his lips. Matteo scowled, but Luka waved back at him with a cheery smile and bounded down the steps of the school.

"You could follow him, you know."

"Liam?" Matteo turned around to see his Beta and grimaced.

"But I trust him, and I'll wait until he can tell me himself. Why would I do that?"

"But what if he doesn't?" Liam jabbed a finger onto his chest. Matteo frowned.

"He wouldn't do...that." Matteo thought back to last month when Luka was absent for a whole week. He said he was just sick, but is that what happened really...?

"Fine," Matteo said grumpily. "But if it turns out to be nothing, then you're leading the pack hunts for the next few trips." Liam gawked.

"But that's not what a Beta does—!!"

"Exactly," Matteo said and started to trail Luka's sent, leading him toward his mate. It wasn't long before both he and Liam spotted Luka, who was turning the corner down into a park they didn't recognize.

"What's he doing?" Liam whispered.

"I don't know," Matteo said with a furrowed brow. "Hide your scent."

"Why? He's human, so it doesn't matter." Liam said with a shocked face.

"He's my mate. He can sense me wherever he goes and even smell my scent if he wants to. You're his friend. He'll be able to recognize you to if you get too close." Liam nodded as we both made our presences invisible. With moves faster than the eyes can see, we sprinted into the park that Luka disappeared into, stopping about 15 yards away from him. Crouching low behind a tree, they both watch as he went inside a public bathroom.

"What? So he just has to piss?" Liam said abruptly. Matteo socked him on the shoulder, earning him a whine.

"Just wait. Why would he go here to go to the bathroom instead of the school? If you haven't noticed, this is in the complete opposite direction of his house." Liam gave the taller boy a flabbergasted look.

"You know where he lives?" Matteo just gave him "a look." They both sat there and time seemed to stretch until someone walked out of the bathroom — Liam who had perked up deflated with a sigh.

"That's not him." Matteo glanced at him before looking back at the person. His jaw was clenched, and he slowly let out a slow breath before speaking.

"That's him."

Liam's eyes flew wide as he looked at Matteo and thought that he was tripping. Who would ever think that that was Luka? Matteo lowered his head as he spoke quietly.

"I can feel the bond." that shut Liam up and they both studied the boy who walked out. It was the same platinum blonde hair, but it was swept messily into a gold, yellow beanie as it hung loosely on his head. They had the same deep brown eyes, but they were narrowed and cold. He was wearing big round gold glasses that sat perfectly on his small head, and a tight-fitting black turtle neck that was worn behind a gold, yellow overcoat that hung to his knees. Tight black ripped jeans hugged his long legs and on his feet were fierce looking black combat boots. On his back was a black drawstring bag that hung off of one shoulder, and his strides were strong and confident, unlike the meek and shy personality seen during school. He looked worlds apart from the Luka he saw at school, but it was definitely Luka. Matteo frowned as he looked at the cold face of his mate and doubts sprung up inside his heart. What was he hiding from him?

"Sorry man," Liam sighed while patting his shoulder. "He's hiding something from you." Matteo glared at him. When they saw that Luka was steadily gaining ground, they both ran off at a sprint towards the stranger they've always known.

[...]

Matteo couldn't believe his eyes when he followed his mate to a kickboxing center. His mate was weak. He could barely even sprint at full speed for 30 seconds! Matteo and Liam glanced at each other, and both nodded. They didn't go inside the building but instead rounded the center to a window where they could perfectly see Luka. Heart in his throat, he watched as Luka stepped out of a room wearing a tight fitting rash guard, short black shorts with red boxing gloves and shin guards. No, he can't...he's weak—

Luka threw a hard punch into a punching bag, making Matteo jump as he saw the sheer strength behind it.

...He's weak—

Luka spun onto his foot while swinging a fierce kick into the body of the bag, sweat sparkling off his body.

...weak—

A sly hook punched—

Weak...

A roundhouse kick...

...weak...

A flurry of punches pounded into the battered dummy...

weak?

Matteo was in a daze as he watched his mate strike the punching bag repeatedly with no signs of tiring. Over and over he watched and watched and it wasn't until a strange man came over and clapped his mate on the back did he snap out of the trance. Confusion contorted his handsome face.

Luka...

Who are you?