CHAPTER 62: 62-FIGHTING FOR OUR MATES

Clementine:

"Why do only you guys get to make decisions for your lovers? Out of all the people Haiden should know, he should be the last one to complain. You were the one ready to risk your own life and stay behind in the North for someone you only met here," Ian snapped at Haiden, even though it was Yorick who was confronting him at the moment.

"You should understand my situation," Ian said.

I was kind of shocked and unable to even react because Ian was not the type who could love anyone but himself, so it came out of the blue. And the fact that we hadn’t even communicated to the point that we knew whether any of us had found our mates showed how poorly we were connecting, not like we should have.

"Then can you go next time?" Haiden asked, the urgency in his voice beginning to show. He unwrapped his arm from around my waist so he could get up and reach Ian’s bed. Ian also steadily got up, probably thinking Haiden was going to confront him or maybe force him into going with us.

"No," Ian replied, shaking his head.

"But you do know you won’t be able to go to your pack either if we don’t all agree, right? Like they said, the decision has to be unanimous. If we all want to go to the same pack, we go together. If we want to go separately, then we each go our own way. But no one can go to any pack unless everyone agrees. So if even one person wants to go with someone else, no one can go to their pack until we all make the same choice. We either go together, or we all go separately."

Troy wasn’t really good at explaining things. I could tell he was going in circles. But in the end, he managed to explain himself and the basic rules to us. Ian started to grunt. He took a few steps back, then a few to the side. His body language showed he was anxious and probably now thinking about how he would convince us to listen to him, especially after expressing his long-term issues with our situation.

"Okay, wait, guys. We’ll be able to go and stay in our packs for a full week, right?" Troy asked, and I gave him a nod. This was what they had later discussed with me.

"So how about we convince them to let us stay at one pack for three days, and then go to the other for four days?" Troy asked, and I began to give it some thought. However, I wished we had thought of it earlier, because now the deal had already been made, and I could tell the ringleaders weren’t very happy that we managed to get such a deal. I mean, they probably just wanted to punish us for even bringing up the idea of quitting.

"Wait a minute—you mean to say you guys are coming to stay in my pack?" Ian asked. As we began to nod, he started shaking his head.

"No," he said, stepping back.

"Wait, what’s the problem with us staying at your pack?" Troy asked. Even Yorick was now facing Ian with his hands on his waist. None of the alphas looked very happy with how Ian was treating them, and I understood why. He was making things so difficult for all of us.

"Why not?" Yorick also joined in.

"I just don’t want you guys in my pack. Why do I have to explain myself? Why? It’s my decision, and it’s final," he grunted.

"So you’d rather have us all go alone and never be in your pack then?" I snapped, finally, because I was getting so annoyed with Ian giving them all an attitude. Just because they were in need, he was now making things so difficult for them.

Ian stared at me for a minute, then finally rolled his eyes.

"Fine, we’ll go to your pack first. But after that, there’ll be no going to my pack, at least not together. Next time, when we have to go, we’ll all go back to our own packs alone. I don’t fucking want any of you in my pack."

He made it very clear, in a rude and sarcastic tone. It felt like he thought he was superior to all of us, and I didn’t blame the others for looking so upset. I mean, of course, we weren’t friends, none of us were, but it was still common courtesy not to act like we were enemies. Ian definitely made it clear that we could never get along with him.

"I blame you for this mess, Clementine," Troy suddenly taunted me, giving me a harsh look. But before I could ask what I had done wrong this time, he answered my questioning eyes.

"You should have pushed him harder under the Red Squad."

As he said that, Yorick and Haiden nodded, while Ian simply tilted his head to look at me. Every time he did that, he would close his eyes just slightly. And I hated to admit it, but he looked very sexy. But then his attitude was so terrible that I couldn’t help but wonder which poor she-wolf was fated to him, the one he was so desperate to go back and see. Poor girl must’ve thought she had finally escaped him, but little did she know he would be coming back.

I was just being bitter. He was such a bully and such an asshole.

"Now you guys agree?" I said to Troy, reminding them how harsh they’d been when I didn’t want Ian in our dorm room.

"Fine. Cute. Keep arguing. I’ll go back to my pack." As soon as Ian said that, Troy and I began stealing glances at Haiden because his harsh gaze fell on us.

"Ignore them. They’re just messing around. I appreciate you wanting to come with us, giving me a chance to be in her pack first."

I guessed Haiden was so helpless and vulnerable that he couldn’t even let his alpha ego get in the way of justice for his sister and mother. He had to act politely toward Ian, even when Ian was being such a douchebag in return.

"Cool. It would be better if they apologized," Ian pouted, shrugging his shoulders as if it would be that easy.

Both Troy and I clenched our jaws, shared a look, and then looked back at Ian.