Whose Right

"What are you doing with a witch anyways?"

"She's cool. Why? Is there something wrong with being friends with a witch?" I ask defensively, keeping my voice low. Addy seems enthralled with Taylor, and I hope the din of the cafeteria is enough to mask our sensitive conversation.

Unfortunately, omegas have superior hearing even among werewolves and one with a lot of opinions is sitting uncomfortably close, eavesdropping. "What's wrong with being friends with a witch? Really Cammy?" Tiffany scoffs. "I knew you didn't care about our customs, but even you can't be that dense. They're our enemies."

"Were our enemies," David corrects. Bless him. "But Tiffany's right." Wait- What? Never thought I'd hear those three words in a sentence together. "Witches are dangerous. They aren't like us."

"That's not what you said yesterday by the waterfall. You defended their culture. You said the warlocks knew how to be good team members."

"That's different. On the team we are learning how to be allies, not friends, so we can be prepared to fight together against threats to our forests. I didn't think you would bring one of them to hang out with us."

"Why does it matter? What's wrong with being different?" I'm getting a little agitated now and Ellie reaches across the table to soothe me by resting her hand on my arm.

"They don't have the same values as us, Cammy," David forges on.

"So?" I'm starting to realize that David's dislike of Addy goes beyond his initial jealousy and it's really starting to piss me off.

"So, what if they try to pressure you into doing something... immoral?"

"Seriously?" After all the times I've resisted Davy pressuring me to have sex, he is questioning MY resilience. "You're trying to defend my purity?"

The suggestion that Addy would ever put me in a similar position was just ridiculous, not to mention pretty judgemental. Just because a person likes to have multiple sex partners didn't mean they were out to convince everyone to have sex with them.

"Maybe we can talk about this in private later, guys?" Ellie says quietly, looking from me to Addy nervously.

"No, we won't be talking about this at all, now or later," I respond sharply, refusing to break eye contact with David. "You're acting like a total bigot and I'm really disappointed in you, right now." I know I'm letting my emotions get the better of me, but I can't seem to filter my words, anger bubbling inside of me. "You need a serious attitude adjustment and quick, because Addy is going to be eating with us from now on and tomorrow I'm going to invite her brother to join us too."

I pluck his arms from around my waist and scoot as far away from him as I can. I ignore the worried look from Ellie, the displeasure emanating from Tiffany, and, most of all, the pain in David's eyes, as I try to focus on Taylor and Addy's conversation which has devolved into the difference between CBD and THC.

I don't follow the conversation at all. Instead I hear Tiffany say to David, "Don't listen to that twink. I don't think you are a bigot."

"Don't talk about my mate like that ever again," David growls at Tiffany, startling me by the intensity in his voice. "If Cameron thinks I did something wrong, then- then I- he's probably right." My eyes snap to David, he still looks sad, but also a little hopeful.

Fuck, maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh on him. The tension in my shoulders melts and I feel my anger give way to a soft warm glow of affection.

David may be slow and may not think for himself much, always falling back on pack traditions and his conversative upbringing to guide his actions, but... he really tries for me. He has never denied me anything I've wanted, even when I know he disagrees, and is constantly trying to appease me. I really don't deserve him.

I don't deserve him, because, I realize, I don't love him. At least, not in the way he loves me. No matter how much he bends over backwards for me or how many compromises he makes, I can't ever return his love. I can't change for him, the way he changes for me.

Is it because of the mating bond? Maybe he can feel it and it's magic makes him want to please me. Maybe I just don't feel the same way, because I'm not yet sixteen.

My father once told me the mating bond changed him forever. It was two years ago, right after I cut my hair and I had a huge fight with Mom. I asked Dad how he could put up with Mom. I was surprised when he admitted that she can be a bit of a handful, but that didn't stop him from loving her. He told me he believed Mom was the greatest gift from the Moon Goddess, because she helped him be a better person. According to him, before meeting Mom, he was a pretty bit rebellious and only ever thought about himself. But when he saw her, he realized he would do anything for her and that helped him shape up, take his responsibilities seriously. He says he wouldn't be the Beta if it wasn't for Mom.

Would I be like that? Would finding my mate make me a completely different person? For some reason the thought reminds me of that old movie "The Stepford Wives". I shiver at the thought of being replaced by a clean-freak, baby-making robot.

If that is what mating is like, I'm honestly not sure I want a mate.

"You're completely whipped, Davy," Tiffany jeers. "You don't even realize how he's using you."

Her words sting, but ring true. I freeze, feeling ashamed and hurt, my thoughts a mess.

"Tiff! Why would you say that?!" Ellie scowls at her friend. Taylor and Addy have paused their conversation to listen to this showdown.

"What? We're all thinking it!" Tiffany doubles down. "Anyone within a mile can see how devoted Davy is, but Cammy doesn't even respect him as an Alpha, much less as a mate. And now I hear he is too busy to even support his boyfriend at the first game of the season. And what is he too busy doing? Shopping for his own birthday party," she scoffs.

All of us stare in stunned silence. I always knew Tiffany hated me, but I didn't think she had the guts to say anything to my face. Usually Tiffany's pettiness doesn't bother me, but right now I'm hearing too much truth in her words.

It's actually Addy who breaks the awkward tension. "Actually, Cam is going to the game. He's taking me and Alastair." Oh Goddess. Why, Addy?

"Right, because hanging out with you sluts is going to help his relationship with his 'Goddess-given mate'," Tiffany spits, putting air quotes around the bit about us being mates.

I finch, feeling completely exposed. She doesn't know, I have to remind myself. She doesn't know I've been having unfaithful thoughts about Alastair. She doesn't know how much I don't deserve David, how I can't give him what he wants, can't be a good submissive homemaker. I can't. I just can't.

"Tiffany, I think you should leave," David says darkly.