Chapter 5

• INDIGO’S POV
• "What?" I blurted out, this could not be happening! Two mates was a stretch but three? Hell no.
• "Gage..." I trailed off, I didn't know what to say.
• "Indie, you have to believe me. I didn't choose to feel this way about you."
• Was this a prank? I was already so confused as to what exactly happened in Southside and why exactly the Sanctum ‘wanted’ me. And there was certainly no way I would believe that immediately my mate rejected me, there were three mates already waiting for me.
• I let go of his hand and pain flickered through his eyes. I didn't want to be hurt again, so I didn't acknowledge it, instead, I focused on the problem at hand.
• "You know that Alpha Valtor and Lyriq are already laying their claims on me, right?" I said, "I don't, I don't have a wolf and I never will so all this isn't possible."
• I was guessing that came as a shock. He suddenly vanished before I even knew. Wolves were attained once you turned fifteen years of age and I was already twenty.
• The pack maids assumed I was just a late bloomer but my father was persistent to the fact I'd never have one and he was right.
• "Indigo, I felt the mate bond. It's there. I can't lie about something like this, it's too important. We were still too young to realize the bond while we were still in contact, maybe that's why it's manifesting now."
• I looked at his eyes and my defenses dropped. He was telling the truth whether I wanted to accept it or not.
• "Hey, we will find a way around this." He reassured me as my body slumped, "there's this elder that we could go see, he might be able to tell us what's going on and we can do it."
• "Really?" I perked up, "when?"
• "7 pm today. I'll drop by your dorm room."
• "Thank you." He squeezed my palm one more time and then he left.
• What was really going on?
• —
• "Indigo!" I stood unnaturally still as I heard my name, the woman serving the salad growled at me before asking me to leave the line.
• These people had an obsession with growling.
• "Hey!" Someone tapped on my shoulder, it was the girl from class, the one I exchanged greetings with before Alpha Valtor called me out.
• "Hi." I waved awkwardly with a plate of food in one hand.
• "I realized that I didn't tell you my name in class earlier. I'm Winter, nice to meet you, again!" She smiled, "you can sit at my table. It's just me today anyway."
• I smiled back at her. "Thank you, I would really appreciate that."
• I almost thought Valtor had ruined any chance of me making a friend when he interrupted our conversation, but I was grateful for another opportunity.
• "So rumor has it that you're secretly screwing Alpha Valtor." She whispered conspiratorially.
• "What?" I spat out my lettuce, "I've only been in this school for a few hours. I don't know Alpha Valtor, the only connection I even have with him is that-"
• I stopped myself before I could reveal that Alpha Valtor was my mate. But Winter's ears picked it up
• "Is what?" She asked when I refused to tell her, she bugged me till I blurted it out.
• "What?" She squealed, "that's just...wow."
• I stood up from the table, "I need you not to tell anyone."
• "Hmhm." She said and did the mime of zipping her mouth.
• I rolled my eyes and left to find my dorm. I gave up after a few minutes because the school was just way too large. I was about to start again when someone pulled me into a small closet, their hand slapping over my mouth immediately.
• "It's me, Lyriq. Don't scream." His gruff voice announced, his hand slipping slowly from my mouth.
• My head was against his chest as he spoke again, "what's the meaning of that, Little Red?"
• "You pulled me into a closet, and you're asking me?"
• "Don't get smart with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about?" I was confused, I didn't know anything.
• "I don't know what you're saying." My voice sounded muffled because my face was pressed against his chest.
• "You don't? Okay. The whole school is basically talking about how Valtor claimed you in front of everyone as his mate."
• I released a sharp gasp. "Stop being dramatic!" He chided.
• My heart raced against my chest, "I d-don't-"
• "How did they even know Valtor was your mate? Who did you tell?"
• "Just Winter, she asked, I can't- she promised to not tell anyone," I replied anxiously.
• "And you foolishly believed her?" He growled.
• "I'm sorry, I didn't think much of it."
• "Obviously,” his fresh breath fanned my nose. "Don't let this get out of control, Red. You've not spent a day in this school and you already have them talking about you. Stop drawing attention to yourself." He said and pushed past me,
• The door opened and he stepped out. I followed meekly after him. What had I done? Winter promised me…
• I could feel a headache start to form.
• I decided to transfer all my energy into actually locating my dorm room. I finally found it. The rooms were allocated to one person each, and I was thankful I didn't have to deal with a roommate, especially right now.
• I let out a yell as I turned on the lights, Valtor sat on my bed, his expression grim.
• Oh, Goddess, he was going to kill me.
• I hesitantly shut the door and walked into the room slowly.
• "I guess you heard the news." I started shakily,
• "Heard what news, Indigo?"
• Oh, so no more 'Miss Larkspur'? I was tempted to ask, but I replied to his question instead.
• "I- it wasn't my fault."
• He got up and walked to where I stood, my back hitting the closet.
• "Then it has to be somebody's fault, right?" He said.
• "I'm sorry." I lowered my head.
• "Look at me when I'm speaking to you." On command, my head snapped up.
• His hand sat on my hair and slowly dropped to my temple, it was both sensational and unpleasant.
• "What did you do?"
• "I told someone..." I replied, I didn't know what Lyriq was going to do to Winter, my hope was that he wouldn't find her,
• But that was on a thin line. Winter was literally in Valtor's class, he would find her within seconds.
• "Who did you tell? The whole school?"
• "Just one person, I swear," I squeaked out.
• He scoffed, "I find that very hard to believe. Do you want friends, Indigo? Is that it? Do you want attention? Because I can give you any amount of attention that you want." He leaned into my body and buried his nose in my neck,
• "I didn't-"
• "Then who did you tell?!" He yelled, his voice drummed at my core and I felt immediately compelled.
• "It was Winter! Winter, okay?" I sniffed,
• He studied me for a moment, "I'll deal with her."
• "Please don't." I pleaded with him.
• He stepped away from me and started walking out, "Don't tell me what to do."
• "You know what? I'm tired. I'm tired of this mate this, you, Lyriq, Gage...even the elder! I don't want-"
• "Who?" His voice sounded darker,
• I had stupidly blurted everything out.
• "I don't know what you're talking about." The wall clock above alerted me that it was six fifty-nine. Just a minute to seven and Gage would be here anytime soon.
• He couldn't meet Valtor.
• "You need to leave." I urged him.
• "No, I won't. Not until you tell me—"
• The opening of my door interrupted him, Gage and Lyriq burst through, already glaring daggers at each other.
• "What are you doing here?" Lyriq asked Valtor.
• "She's my mate, so I have every right to be here." Valtor responded, a vein already ticking on his neck.
• The three of them faced each other, each wearing a look of murder.
• Before I could say anything, growls filled the room.