Blake

BLAKE POV: "Bloody hell, Cody?!" I abruptly get to my feet. I almost get wet when he trips over a piece of wood while carrying a bucket of water. Still, I follow Cody’s movements with feigned shock. "Sorry, bro. Hehe!" I had been watching him earlier. He was prancing around the well for over five minutes, but I blocked out his voice after all his nagging. "Ugh! Cody!" Not even a minute passes before he stumbles again, this time splashing water on my pants. "Cody!" "Hehe! Sorry!" Ugh! What a nuisance. I don’t know what has gotten into him, acting so reckless and annoying today. I glance at Cody since I haven’t heard a ruckus from him. Only to see him staring blankly into space. I watch him for a couple of minutes, thinking he’s just mindlinking. Yet, he’s not. "Cody? Are you alright?" No response. I walk closer. "Hey, Cody. What’s wrong?" Still, he remains frozen as I shrug his shoulder. "Cody, I swear if you—" "Waaah!!" "What the f**k?!" He screams so loud as he jolts right in front of me. "Hahaha!" "Seriously??" "Haha! Dude, you look so funny." "You’re not funny!" I grunt as I walk away, still hearing his laugh behind me. "Dude, if you’d only seen your face back there." "Oh, shut up, Cody!" He’s acting like a child, and it annoys the hell out of me again. In fact, he started annoying me the moment I came back earlier. He has this radar that detects whenever I’m here. Who wouldn’t get annoyed if he came unnoticed, then knocked on my door like there was a fire, slamming it shut? I normally don’t tell everyone when I visit, except Catleya. But that changed because of the decision I made. Catleya doesn’t know I’m here. I don’t want things to get more complicated between us. It’s better this way. But Cody always knows when I arrive. Once, he was already at the door waiting for me. I couldn’t even detect him. Perhaps I let my guard down, thinking no danger would come to Skye. I always visit here because of her. Anyway, what danger could this pack face when the lord of darkness, Osiris, has already been incarcerated by the Guardians? I glance at Cody, who’s still following me. That’s when I notice how skilled he is at hiding his presence, using it to scare or surprise people. But there are two people he can’t fool: Skye and Catleya. Women have skills we men don’t. Suppressing a laugh, I notice Cody looks like a piglet carrying the water containers. "Hurry, Cody. I need to go somewhere else." "Lend me a hand first." I squint at him. I’m sure this mongrel is planning something. "I have little time, Cody. You’ve already consumed an hour of my time with nonsense." He dragged me here to talk about his mate while filling containers. He whined about why the moon goddess was so hard on him. He’s been searching for his mate, but none has come. He kept repeating himself, so I blocked him out. "Dude, help me with this one. My sister will kill me if I don’t finish today." "That’s your problem, not mine. You should’ve done it before whining!" "Come on, Blake. Promise I won’t plague you about my mate." "Fine! You better keep your word." I grab one container and walk to the newly built wolf statue. There are five statues nearby, including the one closest to us. The place has a laid-back vibe, peaceful, with only the trees dancing to the wind. The nearest statue is just two hundred meters from Catleya’s backyard. As I walk, my thoughts drift to Catleya. She has her own house now, so does Cody. The difference is Cody chose to stay with his parents. He doesn’t want responsibilities, can’t take care of a house on his own, though omegas help. He loves staying with his parents just to annoy his dad. Cody isn’t ready to live alone. He can’t even take care of himself. That’s probably why the moon goddess hasn’t given him a mate. "Why are you doing this, anyway?" I ask, setting the bucket down. "My little sister wanted me to clean this statue she built. Unfortunately, I stained it with blood after a hunt last night. Believe me, this statue wasn’t here yesterday." "...Or maybe you just didn’t notice," I add. He grins, then suddenly gets serious. "This morning I woke up thinking it was my last day on earth. She screamed while gripping my hair! I thought my heart stopped." I snort, finding his reaction hilarious. "Now I’m here. I don’t want her to see the blood. She threatened me, you know!" "How many buckets will you need?" "Bro, my sister is fastidious. Maybe a dozen or more? As long as I finish before she comes back. Ugh, she’s scary when angry." Yeah… she is. I thought. She’s mad at me, too. Cody returns with another bucket, powder soap in one hand, sponges in the other. "Are you not gonna use a sprinkler hose? It’s easier." "No." "Why?" "Because you’re here. You’ve been gone a year, so we need to catch up." "I can’t help you this time." "What? You can’t be serious. Look at this!" "That’s your problem, Cody. I have to go." "Blake, Catleya will kill me if she sees this unfinished. She gave me an hour! Come on, dude!" "I can’t. You better start now, Cody." "Oh, for goddess’ sake!" "See ya later, Cody!" I holler, walking away. I still hear him complaining. He could just use a sprinkler hose, but he makes it harder for himself. I finally arrive at the Alpha and Luna’s house. At the sight of Skye, a smile spreads across my face. Wow! She’s changed a lot. "Hey, you’re getting more beautiful every time I visit." "Oh, my! Blake!!!" I chuckle when she jumps into my arms. Taken aback, I still hug her back. "Tone down your voice, Skye. I don’t want the raging bull to punch me—" The f**k! I silently endure the pain when Caspian twists my arm. I hadn’t even noticed him. Well, what should I expect? Everyone knows Caspian is overprotective of Skye. Possessive is the right word. "Caspian! Why did you do that?" Skye protests, but Caspian only pulls her away. "Well, nice to see you too, Caspian." I smirk, meeting his death glare. "I told you not to hug her back every time she does that!" Caspian’s annoyed voice makes me grin. "Well, alpha, that’s not how it works." I tease him, but it doesn’t end well. His threatening growl gives me goosebumps. I felt a sting when he used his alpha mode. "Babe…" My brow lifts as Skye’s voice calms him instantly. Just one touch and Caspian becomes lovesick. "Don’t do that next time, baby," he mewls. Ugh! For goddess’ sake! Give me a break. "So, are we cool now?" I interrupt, watching their sweetness make me want to puke. "It’s been a while, Blake…" Caspian sits casually, pulling Skye onto his lap, back in his intimidating alpha aura. "Yeah! It’s been a while, Blake. Gosh, how have you been?" Skye adds. "I’ve been good. Thanks." I sit across from them. "When did you arrive?" "Just this morning." "I see." Skye looks at Caspian. "Babe, why don’t we ask Blake to join the mating ball?" "Wait—a mating ball?" "Yep. This year we’re hosting it. Please come. We’ve invited many unmated wolves, including alphas from packs across the globe. I’m sure you’ll find your mate there." "I don’t need a mate, Skye." "Why not?" "I just don’t feel like having one." Maybe if it was you. I quickly dismiss that sinful thought. ‘You’re an i***t!’ says Madic, my wolf, through our link. ‘I know,’ I respond, ignoring him. Madic knows about my feelings for Skye. I was almost over her. But every time I return, my feelings grow again. "That’s ridiculous! Every wolf is eager to meet its mate. Give it a try, will you?" Skye insists. "You better agree now, Blake. You know she won’t stop until she gets the answer she wants," Caspian adds. And that’s actually true. Skye wouldn’t be the Luna of the Red Valley Moon Pack if she was just a useless being. In fact, she has a way of making everyone submit to whatever she commands. She’s also a well‑known Luna to all, even the Northern Werewolf Committee isn’t exempt. "Alright! I’ll go." I finally relent after staring into her eyes for a few seconds. "Yay! I can’t wait to see you there." Before I can respond to Skye, I hear Caspian asking about his sister. "Anyway, Blake, can you help my sister while you’re here? She’s taking care of the lodging inn and the clothes for the newly joined." Oh, hell no. I can’t. "Blake?" "I don’t think that’s a good idea, Caspian." "What do you mean?" "She probably doesn’t want to see me." After all the things I told her, I’m sure she already hates me.