Fated To My Lycan Stepbrothers
Chapter 167

"That was amazing." I nuzzled Kyle, weary from all his manhandling. This was the craziest I have seen of Kyle. I guess he must have been deprived of so much from me.

"Yeah, baby, you were amazing." Kyle spoke through the mental link.

"Fascinating." Zeke's hands dropped as he observed my flushed face.

"Confirmed enough?" I asked, shooting him a glare. "I told you that I am still trying to understand it. It's like our minds are connected, and we can communicate without speaking." I was lost on how to explain Kyle actually being in my head. It wasn't like our wolves, though similar, but his voice usually gave me peace. Zeke grinned. "That's powerful. It means we share a profound bond."

I raised an eyebrow. "We?"

He nodded, flashing me a sad smile. "I now know why it isn't working for me. But I won't tell you. If I tell you, you won't need to go for your training. I want you to train properly on how to use your powers."

I tilted my head in thought. He was quite correct. There was no need to blame him; I would be visiting Mrs. Lau to undo the evil curse I bestowed upon her. And I had a thousand questions to ask the woman I admired.

"She'll figure out how to control it and make the most of it." Kyle added. "But, Zeke, we need to discuss Baron. There's something brewing, and we believe he's planning something for the pack. The war is coming, and I know it.

The Alphas want to take over the wolf cove."

Zeke's expression turned serious. "What do you suspect?"

"Mrs. Lau," I interjected. "She could have information about Baron's plans. Once I undo..."

"We'll need to break that curse and get information from her. I'll gather the necessary resources. But for now, let's enjoy the rest of the day. It's my birthday, after all" Zeke's worried face returned to normal. He didn't seem angry about anything. If anything, he seemed eager to return to his party.

"Oh yes! My party." Kyle transformed into his wolf, leaving me and Zeke to tag along.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the forest, we walked back to the manor for the party.

Despite the uncertainties ahead, there was a sense of relief in me. My position with Kyle was secure, but with Zeke...

"The girls want a piece of you. I told them what to do to get you." I shrugged, like it didn't mean anything to me. My heart beat increased in tempo as I thought of what he would say next.

Instead, he burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the woods. "You told them what to do to get me? Naya, you're something else!"

I crossed my arms defensively. "What? You were angry a few minutes ago, and I thought you could use some distraction." This was a lame way of protecting myself from his ridiculous jabbing words and also a way to know what he was thinking. Being left out of the mating-mind-link bond was no joke, and he said he knew the reason why too. Why does he have to be so complicated?

"Really? And what, may I ask, did you tell them?" Zeke's eyes glinted with amusement as he looked at me. I almost shrank under the intensity of his gaze.

I felt the boldness rise inside of me, deciding to mess with him a bit. "Oh, just the usual-batt your eyelashes, laugh at your boring jokes. You know, the classic damsel in distress stuff."

"No, you are wrong." He quickly said,.

I frowned. "How?"

"It's not damsel in distress. It's a wolf in the stress." Zeke continued, laughing.

I facepalmed for actually taking him seriously. How dare he mock me? That isn't funny! Stop laughing!

"You're telling me you coached those girls on how to win me over? Naya, that's both hilarious and a little bit... possessive, don't you think?"

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Possessive? No, no. It's just, um, a deal thingy. I told them what they wanted in exchange for something else. I mean, you're my Alpha, and I wouldn't want any random girl taking you away." Zeke shook his head in bemusement. "You're something else. Jealous much?"

I scowled, trying to cover my embarrassment with my poker face. It doesn't always work, though. My blush always gave me away. "Jealous? As if. I just didn't want to see you make a fool of yourself with those girls."

A teasing glint replaced the darkness in Zeke's eyes. "You really think I'd fall for their tricks? Come on, you should know me better than that." He was subtly telling me that he already had a mate, which was me. I wasn't listening, nor did I want to know. I crossed my arms, attempting to look unbothered. "Well, forgive me for trying to protect my Alpha from unnecessary drama."

"You don't have to worry about that." Zeke's gaze softened, and he approached me with a smile. "I appreciate your concern, but I can handle myself."

My attempt to seem indifferent faltered as Zekes charm worked its magic. "Well, maybe I was just testing you too." He always knew what to say to put me off and mock me.

"you know, to see if you're truly committed to being the Alpha of this pack." I added a shrug for effect. After all, he once said I was his loyal subject.

"I'm committed-to the pack and to you."

Zeke chuckled, his hand ruffling my hair gently.

Before I could respond, Kyle, who had been silently enjoying the exchange, decided to slow down. "Well, I have to say, Naya, that was a bold move, trying to secure our attention for yourself."

glared at Kyle. He knew what happened, yet he followed in Zeke to tease me. I won't take it. "I was not securing his attention for myself." I almost tripped over nothing.

Zeke quickly placed a hand on my shoulder to steady me. "I appreciate the effort. But you know you don't have to worry about anyone stealing me away. I am already claimed."

My heart skipped a beat at his words. Claimed. The word resonated in my mind, and for a moment, I felt a warmth spreading through me.

We were quiet again.

"You do know that they would officially fight for me, right?" Zeke said it out of the blue.

That stopped me. "They would?" Do I not have an idea about all of these? Why do wolves have to fight for everything? Now I would have to fight for my man too. That was unfair.

"Being with Brooke, Emma, and Jinnah in a fight terrifies me. Those girls are huge! How do we even fight them?

They would not be as careful as a food fight over a boyfriend. They would actually test if we were capable of being Luna. Remember, most of their parents are in the high ranks. They will rip us apart and destroy us." Naya lamented

I swallowed, facing Zeke. " will handle it."

"It won't be a bully fight or anything you have seen. You saw the challenge right; they would fight to the death, and I would only watch you get ripped apart."

"Why won't you be allowed to save me?" I asked like a fool.

He shook his head. "I cannot, and neither can Kyle. It will ruin the purpose of the fight in the first place. The traditions say you have to fight for your position. The people of the pack will want to know if you are capable of fighting by my side during war."

I hated war. "War is coming?" I couldn't bear to imagine Wolf Cove being attacked by wicked packs. It would ruin the beauty of our pack. "Do I really have to fight?"

Zeke's expression turned serious, and he looked at me thoughtfully. He was thinking of something fast with the way his eyes almost went through my heart.

"Naya, will you be my mate?"

The question caught me off guard; coming from Him was a bit weird. It was what I wanted, but... I didn't want him to ask me because he thought of me as too weak to fight my schoolmates! "HI, it's too early to think about that." I stammered.

"You cannot think about it. I don't have the luxury for that. I am under pressure. The elders and pack want a strong mate. No doubt you are strong, but being Luna comes with its challenges. It's not just about the perks. There's responsibility and sometimes pain. Can you handle it?"

Panic spiked through me. The weight of such a decision felt too heavy, too soon. "I need time to think about it," I blurted out, suddenly feeling the need to escape.

Without waiting for a response, I rushed off into the woods, leaving Kyle and Zeke staring at each other in confusion.

"What just happened?" Kyle asked, bewildered.