"Did You Just Call Me 'Senpai'?"

I wake up to the warmth of sunlight behind my eyelids, feeling a sleepy, lazy smile pull up my lips as last night's events replay in my mind.

I can't believe that I'm getting married . . .

"Hey, fiancée." I call softly, trying to turn around.

But that's impossible.

Because my Mate is wrapped around me tightly from behind. Her arms are wound around my torso and one leg is hooked over my thigh, intertwined with mine. Her hot breath is fanning over my back, precisely in-between my shoulder blades where she has wedged her face into.

I chuckle.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. We've got to tell everyone that you're gonna become Mrs. Rye."

That does the trick.

She shoots up suddenly, trying to untangle her body from mine and almost pushing me off it in the process.

Phew, thank Goddess it's a king.

"Whoa, calm down there, spitfire!" I struggle to shove the sheets off me as I sit up. I rub my hands across my eyes, willing the last of sleep away as I look at her panicked form warily.

"Seneca," I hesitate, the words on the tip of my tongue, "Um, are you . . . are you having second thoughts?!" I place one finger under her chin, forcing her silver eyes in my direction.

They widen in shock, "What? NO!"

"Then . . . the problem might be . . . ?" I trail off, looking into her eyes with understanding painted in mine, showing her that I'm okay with whatever it is, if it's not calling off my new status as her fiancé.

"The problem is . . . " She gulps, looking into my eyes and then glancing back at her fidgeting fingers, almost as if she couldn't bear to meet my eyes. "It's—uh, I'm so sorry, Cage." She looks up with the saddest expression on her face, like the news she's about to deliver is my Mother's death.

Then again, if it was my mother who had died, Seneca would be probably rejoicing and dancing around her grave.

That thought makes me chuckle.

"It's not funny." She snaps in a hard tone, glaring.

Annnnd, the Alpha I know and love is back.

She blushes.

"What? You can read my mind now?!"

"I can if I want to, I'm your Alpha, but, no. I didn't read your mind, you said it out loud."

Crap, I did it again.

"You're doing it again." She points out and it's my turn to blush. "Okay. okay, No need to feel embarrassed, it's kind of endearing actually." She says with a smile, her eyes shining brightly, adoration and love clear as day in them.

I blush once again. "Okay, don't try to steer the conversation away. You were about to confess to one of your sins." I joke, and all emotion fades away from her previously warm expression.

She looks like she just kicked a puppy.

"What is it, senpai?"

"Did you just call me, 'Senpai'?"

"Yes, I did. Your name is so weird, but good weird, not bad weird, like the type of weird that's so good weird, you can't forget that weird in your life, anyway, I can't shorten it. At all. 'Sen' sounds like a car's name, 'Neca' is like the name of a cartoon villain. So I took 'Sen' and added 'pai' for respect, y'know, since you're my Alpha and all."

She rolls her eyes at my explanation, a reluctant smile slowly splitting her face.

What? I thought it was pretty cool, okay?

"So . . . ?" I prompt once again, hoping to make her spill.

"Um, That's—uh . . . never mind," She adds quickly and turns around, making an escape.

At least tries to. Because, like the awesome fiancé I am, I reach forward and wrap and arm around her waist, making her squeak in surprise as her body crashes with mine, and she falls over my lap.

I wrap my other arm around her waist too, for good measure. This girl is very strong if you didn't notice already.

"What is it, Red?" I whisper, locking my eyes with hers.

Her breath hitches, and just like that, I've decided my own version of Seneca's short name.

"I'm 'Red' now?" She whispers, and I pinch her waist since that's the closest thing to my fingers.

"Ow, what was that for?" She glares playfully, reaching around and rubbing her skin.

"Don't. Change. The. Topic."

She sighs dramatically. "Okay. I'll admit it."

I wait patiently, giving her the time to tell it herself.

Two whole minutes pass by, and she doesn't utter one fucking syllable.

"Well?" I say finally, giving up.

"I'm so sorry, but I can't fully change my name after marriage." She blurts, slapping her hand over her mouth quickly, as she regards me with wide, saucer-like eyes.

"Duh. You're the Alpha. If you change your name fully to Seneca Rye, then the Pack's name will have to be changed too. I know that already." I roll my eyes at her, making her go completely still.

"You do?"

"Yes. And it's not like you won't add my name to yours, right?"

"Of course I'll add your name!" Her posture exudes absolute relief as she lets her shoulders loosen, smiling down at me — you know, from up, since she's straddling me and all, "I've decided on Seneca M. Rye. How does that sound?" She asks, waggling her eyebrows.

"Awesome, though it kind of ruins the effect. But, what the hell, I'll live with it." I shrug, smiling at her to reassure her that I'm completely fine with it. "Besides, I'm not very keen of my last name anyway. It connects me to a person I'd rather not think about." She opens her mouth to say something, but I cut her off, once again, "But, I'll have to mark you soon. Wouldn't want anyone having a misconception about whom you belong to."

She freezes once again, and I can see the temptation brewing beneath those dark irises, and her body's reaction is confirmation enough. The way her spine arches into mine a minuscule amount, the way her succulent breasts push up against me, and the way her arms around me tighten are dead giveaways too.

"You still want to be with me? After everything you know?" She whispers, her tone light in an attempt to hide her emotions. But, c'mon, give me some credit, because I can see right through it, and detect the vulnerability and uncertainty coating her words.

"Seneca," I let out an exasperated sigh. "Is it my fault that I was born? That Beta Xavier left my mother?"

"Unequivocally, no."

"Is it my fault that everyone hates me at school?"

"No one hates you, Cage. I'll have their heads—"

"Seneca." I interrupt in a hard voice, and she shuts up. "No." she adds when I look at her flatly.

"Then, it most definitely is not your fault that he decided to kill himself. He had issues, Red. He had lost his Mate, so his Wolf was probably screwed too—"

"See, that's what I'm telling! He lost his Mate because of ME!"

That stops me, "What happened?"

She sighs, "Can we brush our teeth first?"

I laugh.

+ + +

"My mother, Callum Armenta —yes, Callum is a boy's name, but my grandparents wanted a boy but got mum instead, whatever, I don't know the story clearly and yes, Callum Corp. is named after her — anyway, she belonged to the Kyler Pack. Was twenty-four, hadn't met her Mate, thought she didn't have one. Soon her desire to wait faded and she fell in love with her Alpha, Braxton Kyler; Daemon's father."

"Oh."

"Yeah," She takes a sip of her tea, looking up from above the rim of the cup, "So, they dated for two years I think, even if she was in love with him, her Wolf didn't allow her to let him mark her. He didn't mind, as long as she was there, he was okay with it. She even agreed to marry him."

"Wow,"

"Ha, and that's where Zuerien Mordecai—my great father, and ruthless Alpha—comes in. He went for some Pack business, met my mother, fell in love with his Mate at first sight. She was in love with Braxton, but all that faded away when her eyes met my father's, it seems. A very romantic couple they were. Alpha took my mother to our Pack—"

"You called your dad, 'Alpha'?!" I interrupt, shocked.

She looks at me, emotionless. "I was told to."

I shake my head in disbelief, wondering what kind of a whack-job her father was. I then realize that I'm not making things easy for her, and keep my thoughts to myself. I make a sweeping gesture with my hand, indicating her to go ahead.

"He brought her to our Pack, and Braxton threw a he-hissy fit. He couldn't do anything though, even at that time, our Pack was the most feared, and Braxton's wasn't very good. So he'd been quiet, and my mother and Alpha made the big mistake of underestimating him. Soon, they got married, and then the trouble started. I was born."

"Goddamnit, don't say that Red—"

"Don't say anything unless you know the full story." She snaps, her eyes two chips of ice. I will away the urge to flinch in hurt, and swallow, forcing my whining Wolf to shut the fùck up.

"I'm sorry," She says quickly, placing her now-empty mug down and reaching across the island to grab my hand in hers. She squeezes my fingers, but I can't bring myself to squeeze hers back. However, I let my hand remain in hers.

"Please, by all means, go ahead."

She nods but still looks regretful for snapping at me, "As I was saying, I was born, and they decided to throw a huge party to celebrate the birth of the future Alpha. They announced my name to all the Alphas and Lunas and Alephs in the party, I was told, boasting about how I will expand our Pack further, and be the strongest Alpha since my Mom had Beta blood and all."

"Hm. That, they were right about."

"That's when someone had screamed that said baby was missing from the cradle. Everyone had gone into a panic, and finally, they'd found Braxton in the boundary, holding me in one hand—" She shudders, "And laughing like a maniac. No one was there with him, he was alone."

Great, another whack-job.

"He demanded that Alpha and he should fight to death. The winner got to have my mother. He also taunted him that he knew that Alphas can't turn down challenges like those, but, in the off-chance that my father did turn it down, he wanted to threaten my life and make him agree."

Why do I feel like I want his blood all of a sudden?

'You're turning into a Vampire, Micajah. That's why.' Comes the sarcastic reply from my Wolf.

I nod, biting my tongue to prevent myself from putting my two cents in, and she continues. "Of course, Alpha agreed. They fought. And it was clear to the audience that Braxton was about to die, but my mother didn't want him to die. Maybe one part of her still loved him, but Beta Xavier claims that she didn't want his Pack to go Rogue. And just when Alpha was about to land the final blow, my mother jumped in, saving Braxton, getting clawed in the process."

"Fuck."

"Yes, fuck. She died that day, and Braxton—that bastard, was satisfied, if he didn't get to have her, no one did. And the blame fell on Alpha, so it was a double bonus."

I remain silent, not knowing what to say.

"Where do you come into all this?" I ask finally, looking at her with raised brows.

"If I weren't born, none of this would've happened." She says matter-o'-factly, making me grit my teeth in frustration.

"Now, that's the most stupid thing I've heard all night." I say in a patronizing tone, shaking my head at her.

That sets off something inside her. Fury is clear in the hard line of her mouth, the rigid set of her shoulders, and in the tight knot of her fingers.

"Don't call me stupid. I hate that fucking word; Stupid, stupid, stupid, S-T-U-P-I-D, STUPID, WHAT A STUPID WORD—"

"Seneca, Seneca, Seneca," I reach across the kitchen island grab her flailing wrists, holding them down, "I'm sorry, okay? I'll never use the 'S' word again." I exhale, thankful that she controlled her outburst.

She's breathing hard, panting actually, and she looks at me with doubt written all over her features.

"You promise?"

Hm, maybe there's a story behind that one. It can wait for another day. I've had too much story-hearing for 24 hours.

I release her hands and pull back, making her frown at me. I smile as I hop from the barstool and make my way around the island to her, jumping up to sit on the island as I pull her closer to me. "I promise."

She nods reluctantly, accepting my word, though the tension hasn't left her shoulders yet. "Now, Red. Let's talk about us. Tell me, what color decor would you like to have at our wedding? I personally think that red and white would look good."

"Ha! You wish, the bride gets to decide on all things that says 'wedding'. Don't even try to put your nosy nose into it." She teases with a smile, finally relaxing as she leans forward and pecks my nose.

"I thought you said my nose was nosy? Why'd you kiss it then, hm?" I ask, cocking one brow.

She punches my shoulder. Ouch. This girl needs to restrain her strength, "Of course your nose is nosy, but what's yours is mine. So, it's my nosy nose and I can kiss this nosy nose, because it's mine." She declares and leans forward, placing another kiss on my nose.

"You know, I lost you after the 'mine' part." I whisper in a voice clogged with need, and she smirks, hopping off the stool to walk forward and stand between the V of my legs.

"Yeah, me too. What I tried to explain was, you're mine and since you asked me to marry you and all, I'm not gonna share you with anyone. I think I'm going to lock you in my bedroom and bring you notes from school, yeah, and maybe I'll feed you if you're good to me—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I interrupt, rolling my eyes. "I'm yours, no going back. Now that it's been said and out of the way, I think we should move on to the sexy part." I say with a wink, and she wraps her arms around me, smirking even harder now.

I let my eyes fall close as I lean forward as well, my hands falling to her hips as our lips touch. Just then, there's a loud bang and something crashing and then a very familiar voice yelling,

"What's this I hear about a wedding?! And why the fuck haven't I been invited already?!"

I sigh in frustration, effectively cock-blocked, but I can't help but grin as Seneca turns pale, slowly pushing herself away from me, and turning to meet the thunderous gaze of my brother.

"Ezra, I—"

"If you hadn't accidentally let it slip into your thoughts, I don't think I would've been informed at all!"

"He just proposed—"

"Who else will give you away, huh? You should've told me as soon as you agreed!"

"But we just—"

Damn, this is better than any reality show I've ever watched.

"And you." He turns to me, pointing an accusing finger in my face as he glares. Uh-oh. "Just because we're brothers, don't think you can escape that easily. As a gentleman, you should've asked my permission to marry my sister!"

"Ew, if she's your sister, then she's my sister too and I don't even want to think—"

"Don't change the darned topic, Micajah! And yes, Seneca, I ain't calling him 'Aleph' anymore!"

Seneca rushes to explain that it's okay to call me by my name, since we're related and all, and I sigh, moving away from the duo as they hash it out, grabbing a pack of instant popcorn from one of the cupboards and putting it in a bowl.

I press the buttons for 2 minutes and close the oven, tapping my foot as I watch their encounter.

The oven beeps when it's done with my popcorn, and the sound makes them stop. Both of them turn to me with identical frowns marring their forehead.

"Did you just..." Beta Ezra trails off, "Make popcorn?!" Seneca screeches, completing his sentence, and I shrug innocently, turning around to grab my bowl from the oven.

Delicious buttery popcorn for me!

They glare harder when I pop a handful into my mouth, leaning back against the counter.

"Please, by all means, go ahead," I repeat my statement from earlier, and laugh, bolting to the door, when the two of them pounce on me, using my popcorn as a shield.

What? I'm not interested in threesomes, okay?

+ + +

So I saw this question in my Question paper during my Maths exam yesterday 👆🏼 and guess where my mind went?

Yep, u guessed right.

Wattpad has corrupted my innocence. :/

PLEASE DO,