Why the hell was Tsuki always late?

He had a proclivity for tardiness, I knew that. His teachers would have been concerned if he wasn’t late at least once a week, and I was used to him showing up at least ten minutes late when we had plans. But it was getting excessive. For the past two weeks, Tsuki had been late for everything. And it wasn’t by ten minutes- it was half an hour, sometimes more.

I was very tolerant of my childhood friend, but it was a completely different matter when he was late to an official pack meeting.

Animosity was thick in the air as we waited- because no matter how much they would have loved to have the meeting without him, it was against pack law to have such a meeting without all members of the pack present. And maybe I was wrong, but I would have figured the beginning of transferring the pack into my power would have been important to him.

It had me seething, albeit for a different reason than the rest of the pack. The other wolves took it as an opening. Though most of them were turned away by the glare I gave them while waiting for my best friend, there was one girl who was never so easy to convince to back off.

“The nerve of that kid,” Brandy scoffed as she sat down next to me, flipping her long brown curls back over her shoulder.

I ground my teeth, hating that there was a part of me which enjoyed her company. It was those damned pheromones she gave off, the gift of an omega. If they could stop hating Tsuki for ten minutes, they’d get the same sense of comfort and well-being from him. Of course, the fact that he was male ruined everything.

Brandy didn’t seem to get the hint from my silence. “He’s always been a twit, but it seems even worse lately. He had the gall to actually hunt on the full moon- as if lowly scum like him isn’t lucky to even be allowed to run with us. Hanging all over you like pond-sucking scum. And now to be late to a meeting like this. You’d think if he really cared about you, he’d bother to at least show up on time, the selfish little brat.”

It shocked me to hear her words line up with my thoughts, and it made me feel guilty; if I was sharing feelings towards Tsuki with someone like Brandy, there was something wrong. “I’m sure he has a good reason,” I said, though there was doubt in my voice.

Brandy jumped on that without pause. “Oh, really? Like he had a good reason to be late to the pack dinner last Thursday? At least that was only ten minutes. It’s been nearly an hour and he still hasn’t bothered to show his face. Why do you even bother defending him?”

Her words earned a murmur of agreement from those close enough to hear us, and I could have throttled her. Quite literally, too, if it weren’t for her position in the pack. She had status as the current alpha’s daughter- but more than that, she was an omega. A female omega, a perfect specimen, with the pheromones, the good looks, and the reproductive system to match it.

That was the only difference between Brandy and Tsuki- their gender. But it put such an insurmountable gap between their standing in the pack. Brandy was invaluable in a society where men were few and far between, and in which the conception rate was incredibly low. Conception was almost guaranteed with an omega in heat, especially if they were paired with an alpha, or a child of the stars like me. Even absent an alpha, omegas could give birth to a dozen children before their bodies showed any wear. It was their gift, the ability to have children and the natural allure to ease along the process.

Tsuki was attractive, and he had stronger pheromones than Brandy by far. As far as the pack was concerned, it all went to waste. There was no point to an omega if they couldn’t birth children. In the past, it had been proved that it was impossible for a male omega to father children. With no ability to help produce the next generation, Tsuki was useless. Worse than useless, because his pheromones tempted male wolves even though he’d never hit his heat- and that was illegal, a death sentence for any who got involved. So they ostracized him, used him as a whipping post.

All because he was male.

My temper was getting hard to control as Brandy chattered on at my side about how awful Tsuki was. If he’d only been born female, she would have been kissing Tsuki’s feet. Hell, if he’d been born female, I would have staked a claim the moment we met. Though it was technically against the rules for an omega to be marked, bound to one man, an exception could be made for a child of the stars who would produce exceptional children. I would have marked Tsuki by the time we turned eighteen.

The thought sent a shock through my system. Was I really thinking about my childhood friend that way? If the pack knew my thoughts, they’d execute Tsuki in a second to make sure he didn’t corrupt me. Packs were quick to jump the gun on that after the disaster with the Cereus pack meant the loss of two children of the stars- on dead, and the other mated to a human male, an absolute disgrace of a werewolf. If I dared to even consider doing anything to Tsuki, it would be his death sentence.

I was so embroiled in the thoughts that I jumped when the doors slammed open, filling the room with the gentle scent of fresh rain. “Speak of the devil,” Brandy muttered, slicing a glare at the man panting as he pulled his hood down and shook water out of his hair.

“I am deeply sorry for being late,” Tsuki rattled out the words, though I could tell they were on autopilot. His eyes were slightly glazed over, and he seemed distracted. More than that, he was radiating powerful pheromones. His scent had never been so strong before, sweet and heady, and I had to fight every one of my instincts to stay seated.

Thankfully, I seemed to be the only one who could smell it past the rain. The pack gave him nothing but disdain as he took a seat on the far side of the room from where I sat next to Jeffrey Scott, the current pack leader.

The man who was giving Tsuki the darkest look. “I somehow doubt you are. If you are late again, I’ll take the time out of your hide,” he growled. A look of confusion passed over his face when Tsuki didn’t even flinch. The omega just shrugged, leaning back in his seat and disregarding all of us.

It worried me a little. At least he’d usually pay attention to me, if nobody else. But it was like I didn’t exist, and I wasn’t used to being ignored by my only friend.

I didn’t have time to puzzle over that for long; Jeffrey cleared his throat, and the soft murmur of voices came to an abrupt halt. “You all know why we are gathered here, and now that we are finally all here, was can start,” he said, and I felt anticipation fill the room. “Neo’s twenty-first birthday is in three weeks. As a child of the stars, it is his right to take a pack when he is of age. There are several throughout the country which have asked to have him, but as we raised him, it is our pack which has rights to first discussions. Will you agree to speak with me, with the pack as witness?”

“I agree,” I answered without pause. He was right that there were several packs which were clamoring for my attention, but I couldn’t dream of going to another. Not when Tsuki was here. “I’ll listen to your terms.”

“Good. They are very few.” Jeffery’s words didn’t just shock me; the pack stirred, soft whispers running rumors between them. “I know there is nothing we can do to convince you to sever the bond with the filth we were left by Haruka Takagi- I can grudgingly accept that, so long as he has no bearing on your decisions as to what is best for the pack as a whole. Can you promise to make no decisions based selfishly on the bastard child’s interest?”

I grimaced, flicking a glance at Tsuki; he was completely tuned out, staring at the ceiling above his head. If it weren’t for his scent filling the room I might have forgotten he was there at all. “I agree,” I said calmly, too pissed off at the way Tsuki was ignoring me to try to negotiate for looser terms.

Jeffrey looked surprised, but gave me a pleased smile. “Good. Then my only other term concerns your offspring. You know as well as I what the state of our pack is. We have fewer men than most packs already, and we are in desperate need of replenishing our ranks. I ask that you attempt to negotiate a blending with other packs in the area. And more importantly, I want you to strengthen the genes of our pack.

“Neo Maeda, if you wish to lead this pack, you must do so with a strong woman at your side. There is only one who can give you children worthy of your power. I give you not only permission, but demand that you mark my daughter as your own, seal her to you as an omega to a child of the stars, and give our pack the children it needs to carry on into the future.”

“Excuse me?” Brandy spoke up, disbelief thick in her voice; her father must not have said a word to her about it, and she looked as angry as I felt. “Father, this isn’t something you can make demands of!”

“It is, and it is non-negotiable. If you want this pack, Neo, it comes with marriage to my daughter. We need children, strong children, if this pack is going to survive.” Jeffery’s tone was firm, unforgiving, and I knew he wasn’t going to budge. If I didn’t agree, I would have to find a different pack to lead.

I cast a wild look to Tsuki, hoping for at least the strength to argue. But he was still lost in thought, his face slightly flushed as his scent grew stronger than ever. I could hardly think, because Tsuki had been my support in all of my major decisions up to that point. And he was ignoring me at such a vital time- I didn’t understand.

“I…” my voice cracked, and I dropped my gaze. “I have until my birthday to decide, correct?”

Jeffrey was silent for a long moment. “Yes. Three weeks, Neo Maeda. If you haven’t made your decision by then, I’ll assume you have no interest in leading this pack, and I will contact the other packs which seek your guidance to find you a better fit.”

The words curdled in my mind, unthinkable and painful. Jeffrey knew damn well the position he had just put me in. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t been prepared to have children, to sleep with women indiscriminately as the pack demanded- for the highest possibility of producing offspring. But binding an omega, binding the girl who had tormented Tsuki for years- or losing him completely? How was I supposed to decide?

“I understand.” The words came out droll and expressionless, and there was another stirring in the gathered pack. The night hadn’t gone the way anybody expected.

And though we’d been told to prepare to spend hours, Jeffrey stood up and clapped his hands together. “You have all witness these negotiations, and have bore witness. Be free to return to your nights.”

His signal released us, and Tsuki was the first one out the door. I raced after him, my heart in my throat as I caught his arm and dragged him out of the way of the rush of the pack as they headed for their homes. Some awareness finally came into his eyes as he looked up at me, rain splattering across his face.

“What was that in there?” My voice was harsh and rough, and he flinched back from me slightly.

“What was what? You know as well as I do I wasn’t welcome in that meeting. They don’t want me involved in any of this- why should I pay attention?” He turned his face away from me, but not before I saw the hint of guilt; at least he regretted turning his back on me.

“Tsuki” I hissed his name, leaning closer- and froze. The strength of his scent had masked it from me, at first, but something wasn’t right. There was another scent on him, one which wasn’t his own. Subtle, but strong, it was almost completely faded; if it were anybody but me, if I hadn’t known his scent as well as my own, I wouldn’t have noticed the foreign scent. “Tsuki… why were you late?”

He flinched again, and tugged at his arm in an attempt to break free of my grip. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry I delayed the meeting. But it seems like it went well enough anyway.”

“Went well enough?” I repeated, anger curling sharp and bright in the pit of my stomach. “Tsuki, don’t you realize what he did in there? God damn it, you’re acting strange. You have been for a week now. Where the hell were you before the meeting? Whose scent are you carrying that’s making you act like this?”

Tsuki gave a sort of startled gasp and pulled hard, wrenching himself away from me. He turned, not fast enough to hide his reddened face from me. “It’s none of your business,” he snapped.

I lunged forward, snatching his wrist again before he could make it more than a few steps away from me. “Tsuki,” I hushed his name, low and gentle, barely audible over the rain. “Talk to me. I don’t understand what’s going on with you.”

“Of course you don’t. How could you- we’re leagues apart. You’re a blessed child of the stars, taking over the pack in less than a month, and I’m a lowly omega. A whipping boy. How could you possibly understand anything?”Tsuki had never raised his voice with me, never gotten mad, but he was shouting at me then- and my heart clenched tightly in response, my breath hitching in my throat.

He seemed to realize he’d hurt me, because his voice was softer when he spoke again. “You have more important things to worry about than me, Neo. You’re never going to get anywhere if we keep clinging to each other like this. You can’t protect me and serve the pack’s best interest, and I can’t hide behind you forever. Focus on the pack, Neo. They need you.”

You need me, too… right? I bit back the words, knowing how pathetic they’d sound. “Tsuki, I- I don’t understand where this is all coming from. You’ve never talked like this before.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I’m starting to realize my place in this pack- and yours. I was stupid to think I could stay friends with the wolf who’s going to lead this pack. One day, you’ll think just like them, and I’ll be lucky to survive it.” Tsuki tugged again, insistent. “Let me go, Neo. You have class in the morning, and I’m sure my dad is worried with the rain.”

My fingers slipped away from his wrist, and he was moving the second I let him go, rushing away with his hood drawn up over his ink black hair. I watched him go, helpless to stop him when he was so determined. Even if I didn’t understand where he was getting this idea that my taking over the pack meant growing to hate him like the others did.

That scent…. Whoever he was spending time with, whoever had made him late, they had to be at fault. My anger stirred again in response to finding somebody to pin the blame on. Some foreign wolf was talking nonsense to Tsuki, and making him doubt me.

I was going to find that somebody- and I was going to make sure he knew never to go near Tsuki and fill his head with bullshit again.