40

Author’s P. O. V.
“Justin, run back here, you idiot,” Jizelle said as she screamed at the wolf who was already at the end of the river.
“Told ya I am the fastest,” He said as he changed to his human form behind the tree and quickly wore his track pants; changing naked in front of his best friend is a little weird for him.
“The fuck you are, you always cheat, bitch!” She said as she changed into her human form right in front of him as he closed his eyes.
“Ouch my eyes, Jizelle have some shame,” he said as she laughed and wore her dress that she kept there earlier.
“What shame in front of you? Nahhh” She said as he shook his head; she was a grown-up woman for fuck’s sake.
Suddenly they heard something at the back of their head as their eyes looked distant, ‘ come back you two,’
They sighed as they looked at each other; “Papa’s call,” they said at the same time as a smile broke on their lips.
Jizelle called his father papa too; they practically grew up together and knew everything about each other.
“Want another race?” he asked as she smirked.
“be ready to wash my laundry,” She said and started running already.
“You just did not do that Jiz,” He said as he started to run back home. As usual, Justin let Jizelle win; he never let her fall into the pit of her dark thoughts; considering her past.
“yey! I won you loser!” She said as Justin pulled her by her waist and spun her around like she weighed nothing; everyone on the ground looked at the two and smiled; these two were always like this.
“Enough you two!” They heard the alpha say as they stood straight as their heads snapped in the direction of the voice.
Alpha Axel nodded at them as they stood in a little more relaxed position.
“You called us, dad,” Justin said as he stood in front of his father; Gizelle on the side ran to axel’s arms and side-hugged him.
“hey papa,” she said as he smiled at her.
“Hi princess,” He said to her before he lovingly kissed her head. He saw her as his own and loved her much to Justin’s jealousy.
“You treat her like she is 5,” He murmured under his breath as they both looked at him.
“Is something burning papa?” Jizelle asked as she looked at Axel.
He nodded and pretended to smell something, “Something is burning no?” he said as if trying to figure out what was burning near them.
“Stop you both, it is not like my heart is actually burning and you two can smell it?” Justin groaned as Gizelle smirked at him.
“When did I say that?” Jizelle said as she shared hi-fi with Axel who was clearly enjoying annoying his son with the loss. His only son.
“Ha ha ha, you have been using the same line from yesterday,” Justin said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“Still you fell for it, little guy,” Axel said as Justin came to his side and shared a hug with him too.
“you looked tensed earlier, is there anything you wanted to tell me?” He asked as all three of them grew serious.
“ahh… that” he clicked his tongue as if it left a bad taste in his mouth, Justin and Gizelle were now tensed, what was it that took him to behave this way?
“It is the hunt night tonight, you are 36 already Justin,” Axel said as Justin shook his head; he was going to start the same discussion again.
Jizelle looked at the father-son duo who were almost similar but when it came to this? They were miles apart.
“Can we not do this now? I need a shower,” He said and without waiting for his father’s response, he walked inside the pack house as his father looked at his retreating figure.
Jizelle kept her hand on Alex’s shoulder as he put on a smile on his face that looked the least forced but She knew better. She could not read her father’s face but she could look behind the fake happy eyes.
He was… worried.
“You of all people do not need to be fake with at least papa,” she said as he looked at her.
“come let’s talk in my study,” Axel said as they walked into his study.
“What is it, papa?” She asked as axel put a birth certificate in front of her.
“she took it in her hand before she frowned, “ why are you showing me Justin’s birth certificate?” She asked as axel sat on the couch.
“It is not hard to tell but according to the book of our ancients, Justin is the one,” He said as the paper fell from Jizelle’s hands.
“What?” she could not believe what she was hearing.
“986, it has been 986 weeks from the day he became 18,” Axel said before he poured himself a drink.
“Either he gets a mate by the first ray of sun tomorrow morning or the day after tomorrow, I am announcing your mating ceremony in front of the pack,” Axel said as Jizelle shook her head.
“You can't do that to him, once we marry he will be bound to me till he dies,” she tried to make sense.
“and you will never reject him I know,” Axel said as he finished his drink in one go. It was not the easiest decision he made but as an alpha and a father he was bound to take some harsh decisions and this, was one of them.
Maybe the hardest one.
“he does not love me, papa,” she whispered as he took a deep breath.
“When loves becomes a threat to life, it is better to walk off than embrace it,” He said as Jizelle nodded. He was right.
“Before the start of the 987th week, he needs to get married,” Axel announced as Jizelle nodded.
It was probably the best.