___________

He stretched out his hand, but Grey and Ryker growled at him. He held up his hands in surrender and sat down in the seat next to Kali. He took her cup and sipped from it, smirking at me the entire time.

"Well, I'm Theo, nice to meet you." He said, moving the cup away from his lips to show me his white smile.

But I knew who he was. I knew he was the instant he locked eyes with me. He made my skin crawl, and feelings of nausea roll through me. He repulsed me.

"I'm...Holland." I mumbled, bringing my cup to my lips to take a sip. He just nodded his head.

I tried to focus on the conversation that was bouncing around among the four, but I was too wrapped up in the repulsivity that is Theo.

I know him. I remember him clearly. That whole night was a blur, but he was the only clear thing I remember.

"You look stressed. Do you want a drink?" I shuddered as he threw his head back and laughed, the sound travelling down my spine and making my head spin. I needed to get out of here, but I knew that I made any indication that something was wrong, Grey and Ryker would attack Theo.

How do I get out of here? Do I fake something? Like cramps? They know my period schedule, so let's see. What is today? The twelfth, and I get my periods on the fifteenth, thanks to birth control. Perfect timing.

"Grey, Ryker, can we leave, please? I have really bad cramps." I whined, pulling on Ryker's sleeve. Grey and Ryker looked at each other before Grey put his hand on my tummy. I whimpered and he sighed.

"Okay, let's go. It was nice meeting you." Grey said, standing up along with Ryker. I gave Kali a quick little smile before dashing out of Starbucks, the cold wind refreshing to my hot skin as I tried to calm down.

How even? Why even? Why is he her brother? Just why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it be any other person, but him?

"Theo seems like a great person." Ryker said, rolling his eyes as he slid into the car. How did I get into the car?

"Something just isn't right with him. There's something that we're missing." Grey agreed, starting the car. I cuddled into Ryker's side and grabbed Grey's free hand as he started to drive to Ryker's house.

"Can we go to my house? I wanna see my mom and dad." I mumbled into Ryker's shoulder. Grey hummed in acknowledgement and changed course.

But what I couldn't get out of my mind was Theo smirking at me.

"Just one little drink."

______________

I was laying on top of Ryker while Grey stroked my bare hips that were peaking out of my shirt. Grey sighed.

"Odin wants to talk to you Holland." My body tensed. Oh sugar, does he really need to? Like, is it urgent?

"Can...Ryker stay, with me? Like can Odin talk to me by himself without Levi?" I asked, really hoping that he will do whatever I want.

There was a long pause. "He said he can do that." I sighed in relief.

"Hello Holland." His deep, husky voice travelled down to my core, making me shudder in pleasure against Ryker. I felt Ryker's chest move up and down as he chuckled.

"Hi Odin. What's up?" Odin was still stroking my hips. I closed my eyes in content. I felt safe, and cozy.

"Why do you not feel safe with Levi and I? We were deeply wounded when you said those things." I bit my lip. I knew I would hurt their feelings.

"I don't know. I like...I don't really know you guys, yet you want to do all of these intimate things with me? Like I just found out about you guys. And you're really scary. Like, it took me years to be able to do intimate things with Grey and Ryker, you can't just expect me to immediately be open and confident with you two." My feelings just flew out of my mouth and swirled in the air.

Odin was silent for a while.

"I understand your feelings. I would like to apologize. And we will try to take it slow with you." I smiled.

"Good. I want to get to know you. So, tell me all about you."

"Well, I have waited three lifetimes to finally meet my true mate."

"Wait, what? I don't understand." I immediately cut him off. Wow, I should stop doing that.

"When a wolf does not find his mate during his first human life, and that human dies without finding his true mate, we wolves go back to the 'wolf pool' as Ryker kindly put it last time. And our wolves are recycled through humans until we find our true mate. I went through three of those cycles until I have finally met you, Holland." My cheeks were red. I was flattered, okay?

"So what happens when Grey dies?" My eyes welled with tears at even the thought of it.

"Both of us can finally rest in peace. Our soul is forever satisfied." That sounded so poetic, it made my heart swell.

"Okay, sorry. Continue your story."

"As I was saying, it took me three lifetimes until I finally found you. I knew it was going to have to share you, so never fret that I will leave because I never wanted to share you. I don't care that I have to share you, it does not bother me in the least.

"In my first lifetime, I was the highest ranking Alpha that ever was. I had control over almost every supernatural being. That is why I am so dominant; I was made to be this way. Although Levi is also Alpha, I am ranked higher than him because I was made this way. But the power that I had, felt so amazing, and I thought nothing could top that. Until I saw couples who were true mates, and an empty hole grew in my chest. I searched and searched for you, little one, to no avail. The grief was too much for me, and I died."

I was crying. He died because he didn't have me. I can't imagine what that would feel like, to have a gaping hole in your chest so painful that it causes your death. I just...

"In my second lifetime, I was a lower ranking Alpha, this time of only a large pack. There was still a feeling of power from my last lifetime, and it made my ego bigger than it should have been, but I couldn't cope with being a lower ranking Alpha. I didn't know how to adjust. My downfall in my second lifetime was due to my ego. I thought I was better than everyone else and they had had enough of me. One of my men, Kayden, challenged me for the position of Alpha, and I foolishly took it. And he ended up killing me."

I grabbed Odin's hand and squeezed it. I loved his honesty and humility.

"My last lifetime, my third one, is where I finally met Levi. He was in a young man named Hunter. Hunter was an Alpha, just like I, but he was Alpha of the second largest pack at the time, while I was Alpha of the largest pack. We were both searching for you, the same mate. We searched for you Holland in every crook and cranny imagined, but we didn't know that we only had to wait just one more lifetime until we could finally hold you. We both died together in that lifetime. We had gone to war against all of the rogues of the world, and as we were protecting the women and children of our packs, the last few dwindling rogues were trying to fight us, and their leader comes in from the sides, catching us off guard and instantly killing us both. The women and children were not harmed, someone came to our aid, but we were already dead."

Tears were streaming down my face at this point. Odin has gone through so much pain and suffering just to find me. Like, I must really be worth it if he is willing to die three times just to find me and be with me.

"And my fourth lifetime, which is now. I finally meet you. In the body of a five year old. The first instant when I held your hand, I wanted to mark you and let everyone know that you were mine, Holland. Just at the mere age of five, you held my heart.

"So, now you know my life." Odin finished, rubbing his thumb along the back of my hand, my hips cold and absent of his touch.

I sniffled before dragging Odin into Ryker, who jolted awake. Way to be my protector, dingus.

"I love you, Odin." He kissed my shoulder.

"I love you, Holland."

"I love you Ryker." I said, kissing his chest.

"And I love you beautiful." Ryker placed a kiss to my forehead, and I instantly fell asleep safe, cozy, and comfortable.

___________

Thursday

"Can I go to the bathroom?" I bursted out in the middle of class, my bladder about to burst with my words. I don't know why I always wait until the last second to go pee. It just seems like such a good idea.

"Um yeah me too." Ryker said, raising his hand.

The teacher, Mrs. Hayes, a mean old lady she is, slammed her hands down on the desk.

"Just as a warning, I have tenure. So I can say whatever I want. Now Holland you may go to the bathroom but Ryker, sit your ass down. I am tired of your shìt! Just because Holland goes to the bathroom does not mean you can go as well. And no Grey, you cannot either. Holland, go to the bathroom your damn self." She raised her eyebrows, as if asking us to question her. When no one said anything, she continues with the lesson.

I left the room to go pee. The urge to pee overcame any feeling of loneliness that I felt from not having Grey or Ryker next to me.

After I peed, I walked down to the hallway back to my classroom, but I was stopped. I was actually pushed against the wall, and was trapped there.

"Did you miss me, Holly?" I cringed at the nickname. I don't know why but I just really hated that nickname.

"Please get off of me, Theo." I said, trying to push him away from me. I really did not want to be interacting with him.

"Oh no, sweetie. I know you miss me. You can't tell me that you don't miss me after all the fun we had last time." I wanted to get away from him, and those faint memories.

"Having trouble remembering? Oh yeah, that drink did you good. Here, since you don't remember." He pushed on my temples, and a cold, icy feeling ran through my veins in my head as memories of that night flooded my mind from Theo's perspective.

I was stumbling around, barely holding myself up. But when I was pulled onto the dancefloor the beat held me up as I danced with Theo. His hands were on my waist, in my hair, his lips were on mine, and his hands were just traveling everywhere.

What made it worse was the second guy, a complete stranger, who started to dance behind me, pushing his crotch against my bottom. And it looked like I was enjoying it.

I wanted to puke, oh gosh did I want to puke.

The stranger put his hands under my dress, trying to get into my underwear. From my gasp I think he did, but before anything else could happen Grey and Ryker were there, pulling everyone apart.

Tears were streaming down my face. I was a complete slút that night. No wonder they were so mad at me. Oh gosh, why did I take that drink?

I shoved Theo away from me as he evilly laughed at my sadness.

"It's okay Holly. I know you enjoyed it, so you can't deny that. You saw it yourself. I will be here, incase you need a third Alpha to help you with your heat." He winked at me as he walked down the hall, laughing the entire way.

Wait, did he just say Alpha? And what even is a heat?

_________

-abbey