He's My Mate

Chapter 9- First Day

I walked through the double doors and into the school's main lobby. My nose wrinkled as I took in the smell of sweat and angst, this was my least favorite place and there I was, back for another year.

Cassie bounced up in front of me, "Al, aren't you so happy to be back?" Her cheery voice grated on my brain.

I couldn't begin to understand how she could be so happy to be back in purgatory. Here I was just itching to get away and she was sprouting like a social butterfly. Well, minus the social part I guess. Jason glided on up and I couldn't help but smile.

I'd had a crush on Jason for quite some time, and well, we'd been a little on again off again, friends with a little more for some time, if you know what I mean.

"Hey, Allie," Jason said sliding an arm around my shoulder.

"Hey yourself," I grinned back, but something didn't feel right with the exchange. I mean yeah, I still had a crush on him, but it no longer felt, I don't know, substantial. I mentally started cursing Alarik, the only small grace I had been given was that he was gone. Ninteen and out of highschool, though that surprised many of us. Most of us just figured his family had blackmailed the school into letting him pass. He had never gone to class, usually convincing some girl to run off with him for a little biology session.

Jason kissed my cheek and nipped my ear slightly. I giggled and playfully slapped him.

"Really, Jason? Not even two minutes and you're already pulling that?" I said with mock astonishment.

"What? You've avoided me all summer! Didn't even hang out on your birthday. I could have shown you a real good time for that." He winked and nudged my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes at him, nudged back. "You were gone, not my fault." I felt like I should tell him about what had happened on my birthday, and some of the events afterward, but I just didn't know how.

I didn't know how to tell Jason that I had found my mate, and that of all people it was Alarik. I was honestly worried what his reaction would be. Jason could get just as bad as Alarik could sometimes, he wasn't an all over prick like the Alpha to be, but he could get pretty nasty. Even if he and I weren't a thing, I knew his thoughts about Alarik, and they weren't good.

"What in the world is he doing here?" Cassie asked drawing my attention back to her.

"Who?" I asked following her gaze until I found exactly who she was talking about. Speak of the devil and he shall come. I groaned inwardly as I saw Alarik strut down the hall and into the main office. I saw him stiffen as he glared in my direction, it was only then that I realized Jason still had his arm around me.

I knew that I should step away, but I wasn't going to give Alarik the satisfaction. I leaned into Jason more, snuggling in close as I held Alarik's gaze.

"I know you don't like him Al, but don't you think you're taking this a bit far?" Cassie said looking back at me.

"No," I said straight-faced.

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked.

"Ala-"

"Nothing," I blurted, cutting Cassie off. "It's nothing. Come on, let's get to homeroom before the bell rings." Normally I wouldn't care if we were late, it wasn't like many of the teachers expected me on time anyway. Not that I made it a huge habit to skip, I just didn't let the bell tell me where I was supposed to be and at what time.

Jason shrugged and pulled me with him down the hall, Cassie followed right along beside us.

We had been lucky to be placed in the same homeroom for the past three years now. We took our seats near the back just as the bell went off and Mrs. Trinity started role call. As if anyone was really paying attention. I was pretty sure our class was the worst in the history of the school. No one paid any attention to the teachers, always passing notes or not even bothering with the paper and just talking away.

Mrs. Trinity gave up and just let us carry on. It wasn't like we did anything during homeroom anyway. It was essentially just to see who was at school and who decided they were going to skip out on a period or two—or the whole day.

"What do you think he was doing here, Al?" Cassie whispered as she turned my direction.

"I don't know, and I really don't care." I started twirling my hair as if I truly didn't care what he had been doing. Truthfully, I was dying to know why he had been in the office. Alarik had graduated, I was sure he had. It made no sense for him to show up at the school, you'd think he'd be happy being away from this hell hole.

Unless he's here searching for fresh meat, small voice said in my mind. An irrational anger overcame me. Why should I care what Alarik did with his time or his body? But something in me did care. He wasn't supposed to be with other people, but what did that mean for me? I had just been hanging on Jason in front of Alarik. That would make me no better than him.

I couldn't believe I had essentially stooped to his level. It hadn't even been a full week since we found out we were mates and already things were falling apart. We were already in a toxic relationship and there was no end in sight.

Maybe we just needed to give into ourselves, not our bond, but ourselves. Maybe it would just be better if we didn't give into the mate bond. We obviously were made from two different stones, meant to repel, not attract. He could go on with his life, find the new freshmen girls and deflower them to his heart's content, and I would just have whatever I had with Jason.

It was really the only solution I could think of for us. Alarik only saw me as a conquest; a means to an end. And if he thought I was going to put up with that then he was completely insane.

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So Allison just wants to stay away from Alarik. Do you think that would really be best for these two? What are your thoughts on the story so far? What do you think is going to happen?

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