When We Were Mates (Demetra and Emris) novel Chapter 164

Chapter 164

Luna Demetra.

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I’m at the back of a taxi at exactly 10 p.m., trying to speak to Emris and reassure him that I’m in bed and not… searching for my origin pack.

It’s dark outside. The streetlights are blurry through the rain–speckled window. I have my phone pressed to my ear, and my heart is pounding in a way that has nothing to do with my mate’s voice.

“Can I see you?”

“The light is off. My roommate is asleep.”

I try to sound sleepy. I even yawn for effect. The taxi driver glances at me in the rear–view mirror.

“What about the kids?”

“In bed. In bed with me.”

I smile, kicking at a stone that isn’t there. I’m fidgeting cause lying always makes me fidget. Are they missing me?”

“Of course. Their dad is missing you too.”

I blush with my whole cheeks….all the way to my ears.

“I miss you too. Can I go now?” I ask. “I really want to sleep early, I’ll call you tomorrow morning before class, huh? Would you like that?”

“I would love that. I love you.”

“I love you too, Emris.” I kiss the phone. “I love you so much.”

The moment it’s over, I see Lolly mouthing at me.

I don’t understand her until I round the car and the cold hits my bare legs cause I’m wearing shorts. Why did I wear shorts? I’m already regret it but it wasn’t raining when we left the dorm.

Wren is pushing her glasses up her nose. She’s wearing a red hoodie. Lolly is in black. I’m in gray. We look like a very uncoordinated spy team.

“He’s here.” Lolly points.

Headlights cut through the darkness and blind me for a second. I put my hand over my eyes when the car pulls up, with an engine that’s purring low and expensive. The window rolls down and I drop my hand.

Travis comes out of the car. Oh and by the way, it’s a sports Matte, black car. Really. If we were going incognito, what was he supposed to do with this?

“Really, a sports car?” Lolly puts her hands on her hips. “You’re kind of cute, so I’ll forgive you for this mistake.”

“How easy. I look at her.

“Shall we? The taxi can leave.” Just as Travis is coming out and saying that, another car comes toward us. It’s blasting music- from left and right. So loud that people on the walking path are turning their heads, squinting into the darkness, trying to see what kind of idiot is making that much noise at 10 p.m.

I look closely and through the open windows, I see Axis and Atlas.

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Chapter 161

The Twin Alphas!

They have cigarettes hanging from their mouths with orange embers glowing in the dark. There are others in the car too but I don’t recognize. But their eyes….all of them lock onto us like their up to something.

Axis smirks. Atlas doesn’t.

They share eye contact with Travis for a long, loaded second that feels like a warning.

“Get into the car. Now!”

Travis yells and Wren’s glasses fall off her face. She fumbles, grabs them, shoves them back on crooked.

“Wait. Aren’t those the bloody ass twins-”

“It’s them.” Wren tells Lolly.

Travis is the first one back into the car. I rush to the passenger side and throw myself in. Lolly and Wren pile into the back slamming doors as I yank my seatbelt across my chest.

Travis swerves immediately, the tires screech and launches us onto the road.

“Explain.” My voice is too high.

“They’re following us.”

“W–why?”

“That’s what Axis and Atlas do.” He checks the mirror. Doesn’t look away from the road. “Did you see the stats board in the gaming room?”

“Yeah, what about it!?”

Travis swerves again. I brace my hand against the dashboard!

“They-“Wren is the one speaking now and I look back at her. “Everyone in Wolf Arts knows that Atlas and Axis have held the top position for most powerful werewolf ranking for three semesters straight. They get there by finding someone worth targeting, going after them, documenting the whole thing on camera, and posting it to the student forum.” She pauses. “It keeps them at the top of the stats and they stay on the stats.”

“So they’re here to get Travis?” Lolly asks. “But his family owns the school. Why would they do that?”

“Not me.” Travis swerves again and points at me. “You.”

“What!”

We all yell at the same time but my voice is the loudest. I’ve started sweating again-

I’m not even a powerful werewolf!” I gesture wildly at myself. “And plus, Cassie already has it in for me! Why are they getting in she–wolf business!?”

“Yes!” Lolly yells from the back. “She cannot even fight!”

“Because you spoke back to them. They rarely do this to she–wolves. But you insulted them. Twice, I think. So they wanna teach you a lesson and now it’s about principle.”

Principle? Teach me a lesson?” I laugh and it’s hysterical. “What kind of lesson could they possibly teach me-

“Really. You don’t wanna know.” His foot goes harder on the accelerator and I feel the surge push me back into the seat. He

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Chapter 164

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does a rather sharp swerve…so fast that all of us are holding onto something to keep from getting flung away. I hold tight the seat belt. Lolly shrieks. Wren drops her phone and I look back.

Through the rear window, I see the Twin Alphas right behind us. Their headlights are blinding and their music is still blasting. I can also hear them yelling, laughing and whooping!

Go! Go! Go!

“Call the cops or something!” Lolly yells.

“Their uncle is the chief of the Aegis Unit in Rocksville. Why do you think the twins go unpunished?” He pushes the accelerator again and the trees on either side of the road become a blur.

“We’re getting close to the White Omega pack. I was hoping to stop at the territory and let them invite us in. But at this rate.. with us being followed, I can’t stop!” Travis speeds through the territory that’s not visible, there’s no gate, no fence, no sign just a line of trees that is suddenly thicker and older and darker than the trees on either side of it.

I look behind us to see that Axis and Atlas stop at the tree line.

They…. hesitated at the border which makes no sense..except, are they that scared of entering White Omega territory?

Travis pulls to a stop all of a sudden too and Wren gasps!

We’re here.

“Did we just-” Wren’s voice cracks. “Did we just cross the White Omega territory without permission!? They are gonna…they are gonna kill us!”

“No.” Lolly shakes her head. “If they’re women, that means they’re nice.”

Spoken too soon.

We begin to see shadows moving forward through the trees. Emerging from the darkness and they’re obviously women. I can tell from the silhouettes, the way they walk, the curve of their hips beneath long coats. They come down the empty roads of their territory, and they are not one or two.

They are several. And they all have white hair glowing in the moonlight like platinum. Some have it braided. Some loose but every single one has that same pale, luminous white that it’s the exact replica of mine. It’s the most beautiful and most terrifying thing I’ve seen in my life and both of those things are happening at the same time and I cannot separate them.

“Whoa.” Lolly breathes. “W–ow.”

It’s mesmerizing.

Watching them approach us even though something in my gut is screaming that they are not here to talk but execute us at

once.

“Do we come out and… and greet?” Wren asks but Travis doesn’t answer.

I look over at him….fixed on something I can’t see.

So I look again and now I see it.

The White Omegas all have lashes that they are holding in their hands. Wrapped around their knuckles. Some of them are curling thein as they move toward us, letting the ends drag along the ground.

Whips White whips until they finally stop in front of us.

The she–wolf at the front…with a cropped shirt cracks her whip across the bonnet of the car.

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CRACK!!!!

All the tires deflate at once, sinking us down to the gravel with a sickening hiss.

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Right as that happens, the white omegas begin to scream! A screeching scream directed at all of us in the car! I feel my wolf leap inside my chest and press against my ribs like she wants out! It’s not a normal scream…it’s their voices layering on top of each other, creating a frequency that vibrates the air. The windows of the car shudder.

It’s like howling. But from another standpoint. Something that predates packs and Alphas and all the rules I grew up with.

look around.

Lolly passes out instantly with her head slumping against the window.

Wren is sweating profusely. Her hands are shaking on her thighs like something is happening to her internally…

Travis’s hands are on the steering wheel. They’re shaking too. His claws are baring…trying to but it’s so slow like the voltage of their voices is hurting him in a way that makes him unable to move.

“Ah!” Travis grits his teeth. His claws extend halfway-

And that’s when I realize.

I’m the only one who’s normal.

I’m not shaking. I’m not sweating. I’m not passing out. My ears are ringing, sure, but I’m fine.

I push the car door open and that catches their attention. The screaming stops. All those white–haired faces turn toward me. The lead woman stares at me as the whip hangs loose at her side.

“How…” she starts.

“Please stop. You need to stop hurting my friends. I’m the one who came here to see you!”