Chapter 9: Cole

I don't know what I just did. I went on a date. I never date. After college, I had decided that I would never date. I know she is my mate, so I feel this pull towards her, but I also know that I should reject her and be done with it.

But I can't bring myself to do it. I keep falling more and more in love with her. When I kissed her, all my resolve of rejecting her just flew out of the window. She just tasted so good, and she fit in my arms perfectly. I just couldn't get enough of her.

Even after spending four hours with her, I want more. I need to stop this right now. I need to reject her. But, still, I went ahead and agreed to go to her contest. I can't wait to see her again. I feel as if Thursday is very far, and today it's only Tuesday.

I can get any girl for satisfying my sexual needs, the Higher-ups make sure of that, plus they will only decide who I will marry, then I should really reject Skylar, but the very idea of rejecting her revolting. A girl like Skylar, who is smart, generous, intelligent but beautiful and gorgeous at the same time, can not be found on an everyday basis, and the fact of the matter is that the moon goddess has paired me up with her for some reason. I want to fulfill that reason deep down, but I also know the harsh reality of bringing her into my world. I just can not do that to her.

I couldn't help but keep staring at her the entire time. Is this what it feels like to have a mate? Her dark brown hair reaches her tiny waist, her eyes in which I could drown and never come to the surface. And the dress, it just did something to me. The normal women I go out with have too much work done on themselves. Skylar has pure beauty. The dress was sleeveless, and it showed me that she was toned and lean, and probably she played some kind of sport, though that never came up in our conversation. Her smile was the best feature of her. It lights up the entire room, or at least I felt that.

I usually get bored when I have to sit and talk to a woman. My mind tends to get distracted. But today, I was captivated by whatever she was saying. I wanted to hear every single thing and not miss out on any detail.

Plus, I broke a lot of rules today with Skylar, one of them being that I did not reject her. Second, I held her hand. I don't usually do that. That is against my nature-given how I was brought up. But once I took her hand in mine, I just could not let go. Blake had gone to some corner of my mind where he was hiding because he was shy after the first few minutes of interaction, probably because even he knows that being with Skylar is a far-fetched dream for the both of us. The sooner he accepts it, the better it would do us so that we are able to reject Skylar with ease.

The third rule I broke was that I never kiss any girl, but Skylar, her puffy pink natural lips, were just calling out to me. Once I got a taste of her, I had to do it again. I usually just have sex with the girl I meet, never kiss the girl. Skylar is the first woman I have kissed in a very long time.

I was so consumed in my thoughts about Skylar that I missed the turn of my bungalow. I take a u-turn and drive back to the entrance gate.

"Welcome home, Mr. Weitzel." The guard says as he presses the button to allow me to pass through.

"Thank you, Adam."

"Are you going to go back to the office, sir?" Probably asking so that he can keep the door open accordingly, he knows that sometimes I return to the office after an hour's sleep.

"No, Adam. I am done for the day, although I might go for a run if anyone asks." Knowing my father, he can drop by anytime to check on me. Hence, I keep Adam informed. I have only a few select people I trust in the pack.

I needed the run so that Blake could stretch his legs and also to think of a plan to reject Skylar.

"Must have been a very special girl, sir," he says suddenly.

"Why do you think so, Adam?" I look at him with suspicion.

"Because I have never seen you smile like that before, sir. Hence I figured that it was a girl."

"Adam, you very well know the rules, and I don't break the rules. You know that too." I look at him straight in the eye to say the same. My father always told me that to lie. You need to have enough confidence to look into the person's eye and lie.

He bows his head in shame and says, "Apologies, sir, for assuming. I was just happy to see you happy for a change."

I dismiss him and drive up to my garage. After parking the car, I look into the rearview mirror to check if I am really smiling? I never let women affect me in this manner, and still, Skylar was breaking all my barriers and entering my heart at the speed of light.

The next day, I try to concentrate on making the presentation to be sent to the German government about our collaboration, but every time I try to concentrate, my mind drifts to the kiss with Skylar, and then I go back to remembering everything about the evening.

Blake has been quiet since yesterday, probably dreading the fact that we have to reject her. Finding a proper reason to reject her is something I am failing at doing. I keep looking for a loophole so that I can reject her based on that, but she is perfect from every angle and every aspect.

What infuriates me more is the fact that I am losing control with Skylar. My father taught me that we should always be in control of every situation, but with Skylar, I just seem to be losing every battle.

The worst part is even if she is made for me, my relation with her is forbidden because of the rules. I am exerting an immense amount of control in blocking every thought of mine because I know that keeping the mindlink open can be dangerous not only for me but for Skylar as well.

If anyone from the Higher-Up comes to know about the existence of my mate, they will not think twice before killing her and forcing me to mate with someone else. Plus, even if she is allowed in my world, I don't think I will be completely honest with her. She needs to be kept in the dark about my world for her own safety.

I also know for a fact that my parents will not accept her. My father will just pounce on her and kill her in a snap. She is a human, on top of that, she does not have a proper family name, neither does she have the money. Even if she is doing well for herself, she does not belong to a family, which will benefit the pack. So, I know I have to put a stop to this. I need to get away from her and reject her.

I make up my mind and decide to call her to end things between us. I will simply tell her that I am busy and will not be able to attend her contest, and if she texts or calls, I will keep telling her that I am traveling or busy with work. She will get the message eventually and stop calling me. Once that happens, I will just go to her place while she is sleeping and reject her. It would be simpler than doing it in person.

Yes, I know I am acting like a coward, but it is for the best. For both of us and especially her.

She picks her phone on the fourth ring and says, "Hey Cole, how are you? Please don't tell me that you are calling me to cancel on me for tomorrow. I have been working on giving a very stylish twist to my mom's recipe for you, especially, keeping in mind that you would want to eat a healthier version of it."

Now I can not tell her no, not after she went through all that trouble for me. Normally I can easily tell people no, then why can't I tell her no? It's such a simple word. When she said that she is putting so much effort into me, my heart just stopped. I never had anyone who would put in any effort for me. I was always the one putting effort into pleasing people.

Skylar was like a breath of fresh air, and I was not ready to let go of the fresh air just yet. I tell her, "Of course not. I was just calling because I wanted to hear your voice."

She laughs and says, "Thank you, I was actually thinking about you too. I actually wanted to call you and say that I have a surprise for you tomorrow at the contest."

"Really! A surprise? What is it?" I ask excitedly, Blake surfacing finally.

She says, "It won't be a surprise if I tell you what it is, right? So, you will come to know about it tomorrow."

"I can't wait for tomorrow. I'll see you soon Skylar, have a good day. Bye."

"Bye Cole, you have a good day too."

As soon as I put my phone down, my secretary beeps me and says, "Sir, Mr. Kevin Peterson is on the call. He is waiting for you at the rooftop for lunch which was supposed to start ten minutes ago."

"I completely forgot about that. I will be heading there now. Please inform him."

Kevin is my trainer. Every werewolf who is 17 years old will be assigned a mentor by the higher up so that the mentors can train us based on the rules of the Pack. My father felt that I was old enough before I turned into my wolf, and he assigned me a trainer at the age of 16—however, the monthly meetings about the missions, assignments, etc. I started attending when I was 18 years old.

I hate my father for this. He introduced me to a concept and the rules of the pack very early and ruined my childhood. Everyone my age was going to balls, attending prom, football games, visiting the ancients palace, meeting their mates, getting ready to mate and have kids.

My father and other pack members have committed terrible crimes. I have been to date given only three missions. Kevin is 50. He is married to one of the pack members and has twin daughters, who have been married into the pack itself.

Kevin has been away a lot, mostly enjoying his life banging random women all over the world. He owns a large chemical company. His work also keeps him busy because chemicals are the most beneficial for the pack. He has not mentored me a lot due to his work, which infuriates my father.

The trainers are supposed to teach us how to follow our missions and assignments in the human world. Following the missions is very easy in the werewolf world as the werewolves are actually easy to control with the amount of power we hold. The trainers are also there for psychological support in case someone needs help talking things out after what we do.

Because of Kevin's eccentric nature, my father has taken it upon himself to train me in a lot of things, like shutting off emotions, successfully completing assignments and missions so that one day even I can make a place for myself in the higher-ups, how to lie with ease, how to control our wolves and most importantly NEVER to QUESTION ANYONE in the pack, never to trust anyone, not even family.

The pack members all have their own set of things to do, and we can never question them upon their methods.

I reach the rooftop and see Kevin sitting at the bar. We all have rooftop restaurants only accessible to the pack at our office buildings. We need these for discussions and privacy.

"Kevin, I am so sorry for making you wait." Kevin is my height with a very rigid body. I guess being a member of the Royal pack does that to you over time. His body is also athletic since he is swimming, playing golf, or sailing whenever he travels. He does not like wearing formal clothes because he feels that they are not comfortable. He is the only member of the pack who feels so. The rest of us wear only suits and ties.

He waves his hand and says, "What are you sorry about? A young man is allowed to be at least thirty minutes late,, yet you are only fifteen minutes late. So please relax, or has your father tuckered you down so much that you are not allowed to be late as well?"

I ignore his jab at my father as what he is saying is correct, but then being brought up in a way makes you used to the system. "I apologize again. I should have remembered the time."

He clicks his fingers, and the waiter comes to set up our table and lay down the domes of food. No waiter is allowed during such meets. Hence the waiters keep the trays of food prepared and leave.

"Let's not allow the food to get cold. It's chicken, after all, and you know I hate chewy chicken." He says.

Kevin has a very simple food palate. He prefers his chicken cooked to perfection, along with his scotch and potato sticks. The other pack members prefer to have gourmet meals with ingredients difficult to find. It makes their dishes very expensive, and they do so just to show their position and money.

Whenever any pack member or the higher up has a party, Kevin always complains about the food. Since it is not made to his approval and he is not scared to voice his opinion. The pack members are always giving him dirty looks or look at him with annoyance. He does not mind as he has his own say, and he stands by it.

He is a bit of a rebel, and I respect that about him. He always tends to break the rules or bend them or even push the rules to their limits. Deep down, I am a rebel too, and my father keeps trying to get rid of that trait in me but has failed miserably. I still follow most of his rules but break a few, like not rejecting Skylar.

My father tried influencing the higher-ups to change my trainer as he is afraid that Kevin would make me more rebellious and would make me against his rules. But the higher-ups have not seen my rebellious side, and hence my father was warned about the same.

"So, Cole, what have you been up to in the past three months?" He asks, cutting into his chicken.

"I have been busy with work and lectures at Trident. Father makes me work eighteen hours a day and seven days a week."

The first time Kevin meets you, he will ask about your favorite meat and then get it specially prepared for you.

"You need to have other hobbies. Try taking up golfing or probably sailing. I can help you enter my yacht club if you want. You can use some tan, pretty boy."

"Kevin, you know my father does not approve of hobbies unless it would benefit the company. Sailing might be something he would approve of as we are now collaborating with the Germans and Golfing I am already training for. Apart from that, he would kick my ass."

Kevin laughs and says, "When will you take your life in your hands? When will you stop getting manipulated by your father? Zach needs to learn that you are a grown man and make your own decisions."

If my father would have heard Kevin say that, he would rip him apart in a second. He believes that no man can outgrow his father's authority. I have tried using the grown-up card a lot of times, but it never works. Instead, his wolf would surface and demand respect.

"Kevin, you have known my father since you were kids. You should know better than anyone else that no one challenges him. Even being the black legendary wolf does not have any effect on him."

"You need to pick your battles carefully, my boy. You should know which rule to break, which to bend and which to push to its limit and which to follow. It's the only way you can take a stand for yourself and also be in the good books of the higher-ups."

"You know how difficult it is with him, Kevin."

He takes a swing of his scotch and says, "So, do you have anyone special in your life?"

I laugh at his sudden change in topic. It's his typical self. He doesn't linger on a topic for long. No one is ever prepared for his sudden questions. Sometimes he would ask questions at an inappropriate time or even inappropriate questions in front of everyone. I don't mention Skylar. I can't trust anyone with this secret.

"A little birdie told me that you ran into Riley Hale." He says, wiping his mouth.

"Yes, I was out having dinner when I ran into her. But nothing happened. You know they would not be happy if something happened. But, who told you that?"

The Higher-ups have asked me to keep an eye out for the Hales, and it gives me a great opportunity to test my latest invention. His company officially is about chemicals, but creating special spy cams is his specialty and passion, which he follows on the side.

"So, did you receive the mind link for the follow-up meeting?" He asks, changing the topic again.

"Yes, what is this meeting about? I thought we discussed everything last time."

"The higher-ups are not happy with the slow process in the missions. They want results and hence the pressure." His face showing disgust and disappointment.

This is another reason I like Kevin. He is not afraid of his emotions and knows when to turn them on and to turn them off. It's like he has segregated his pack life and personal life. He gives me a ray of hope that if he can do it, then so can I.

"Kevin, my father mentioned some new rules for finishing the assignments and missions. Can you elaborate on that?"

"There is nothing to it. Just take the assignment, find a perfect prisoner for the job, delegate the job, follow up once the job is done, and kill the prisoner. Easy-peasy."

He is right. It is simple. Why does my father have to make everything so complicated?

"Cole, I will not teach you what every other trainer will. I will teach you things that they won't. You know that I am not the one to follow the rules. I fucking hate rules, but I also know that Zach would be furious if you broke the rules. He lives by those rules. But remember, promises and rules are meant to be broken."

"Kevin, they will kill you or at least torture you with wolfsbane if you break the rules."

"I never said to break them all. Like I told you earlier, pick your battles carefully. Know which rules can be broken but also know how you can cover up the broken rules without them finding out."

"Please teach me how to do that."

"The time for that is not right. Right now, you need to start by standing up for yourself. Start accepting the fact that your father is a fucking asshole who loves controlling you and your life. If you want to be strong enough to break the rules of the higher ups, start by breaking your father's hideous rules that never make sense to you."

I just stare at his openness. He continues, "Other trainers might not want their trainees to know empowerment, but I am here to teach you that. As individual wolves, we are nothing. We need to build that strength and power individually. Only then can we be strong for the pack. We are soldiers. We need to do what we are told. We are beaten down to the point where we forget who we are. It's really ironic, given the entire point of holding power. You need to be a fighter. You will get crushed by them if you do not. You will never be able to survive this life."

"You mean fighting the enemies? But aren't we given practice every day for that?"

"My boy, it's not just the human world you need to fight or the other packs or the rogues. You need to fight the entire pack. Trust no one. At any given point, anyone can be your biggest enemy. You need to be prepared to kill the enemy at any given point of time. If you don't, your wolf will start becoming a rogue with a pack. You need to keep that poor soul's humanity alive the feelings alive. I have seen people lose the battle between good and bad. I do not wish that for you. So tell me, Cole, do you want to learn to fight? Do you want to be strong?"

I am so inspired by his words that it takes me a minute to respond, "Yes, absolutely. I am ready to fight. I am ready to fight for my human side for my wolf. I don't want my wolf to lose his feelings and emotions. It's his emotions that make him special. Apart from him being a black wolf."

"Awesome, I will contact you to start your training. I will see you later. Enjoy the rest of the day Cole."

Saying that he gets up and leaves. I sit there processing his words, and the flicker of hope ignites in me. If Kevin is with me, then I can fight for Skylar too. I will make that happen.