The Game Of Quadruplet Mates
Chapter 17

I feel used.

I feel played.

And I know it's foolish to feel something like this after everything that happened with the Games, but stupidly, I was just hopeful that the Alpha chose me for good reasons.

Maybe he liked me.

Maybe he saw that I could be something.

Maybe he felt that, despite all the others, I was in some way pretty enough.

Good enough.

Not... not just because choosing me would annoy his enemies.

Not because choosing me would make a mockery of the A*sembly.

And there was no escaping now.

I was already on a plane bound for wherever their pack is, feeling uneasy and restless, too anxious about reaching the end of the journey and embarking on my new life. It was just a cherry on top that Ajax's claim has to add to my chaotic thoughts.

Would he give me away when we get there? Sell me to the highest bidder? Throw me out into the wilderness? He's a monster, right? That's what monsters do. He's supposed to be cruel and heartless and mean.

I pretended to sleep the entire flight. Goddess have mercy I was terrified, nearly peeing myself with every sudden bump and sound, but I refused to face Ajax. I refuse to see the man that only chose me to spite Konstantin and his Alpha.

Despite all my effort to avoid interaction with him, I still felt Ajax hovering around. He checked on me at least six times, his palm on my forehead, his fingers on my cheek, his hand on my shoulder... everything. He even wrapped a blanket around me. I ignored it all, my eyes closed shut and at one point pretended to snore.

He sat across from me the majority of the flight, his knees pressing on mine. I can hear him rifling through a stack of papers, his fingers skimming through the pages of whatever he's reading.

"Alpha," A voice spoke. "We're almost home. There are a few things I want to run by you in preparation for our arrival."

Not moving an inch, I feel him lean over me, his fingers grazing my neck before he pulls away. I hear him start to walk away until his footsteps can't be heard anymore.

I quietly counted to ten before opening my eyes and almost screamed when I saw Jeremy staring right at me from the next seat with a knowing look on his face. "You don't lie as well as you think," He says in a low whispering voice.

"I wasn't lying." I shot back, embarrassed at being caught.

He smirked, blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, so you weren't just pretending to sleep for the past five hours?

My eyes widened. "Shush, you."

"I'll call him." He threatens with a lifted eyebrow.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why? You're talking to me again? I thought I didn't exist anymore."

Jeremy drew back a little, his lips parted. "It's not like I wanted that to happen."

"Sure." I said dismissively, turning to face the window to watch the clouds. "Whatever you say."

We were so high above the sky, amongst fluffy clouds. If I put aside my fear, it's actually quite amazing and I can't help but smile.

"June," He calls me softly.

But I don't look back.

Time ticks away and then I realize that we're starting to descend. My stomach does a little flip and I melt into my seat, gripping the armrests tightly.

Jeremy stands from his seat, switching to the one Ajax occupied across from me. "There's nothing to worry about."

"What's happening?" I must have looked really pale because he leaned forward and patted my shoulder comfortingly. "Are we falling?"

"We're preparing to land. We're almost there." The Beta whispers quietly, a smile curving his lips. "See?"

He points out the window where the cloud thins and I start to see something in the distance. But what I truly didn't expect, was how soft Jeremy's expression went when he looked my way or how at ease I felt in his presence, even after what happened. Even after everything.

My fickle heart is quick to flutter, quick to forgive and easy to remember good memories... unforgettable memories.

I found so much sympathy in his baby blue eyes that I could scarcely look away. He seemed to chase away the doubts and fears by a glance alone, leaving behind only this unshakeable feeling of warmth and acceptance.

It was the oddest thing and a pity. If he really was standing up to claim me during the choosing... things could have been a little different.

We could have been different.

"There it is," Jeremy leaned closer, softly brushing my shoulder as he joined me in looking out the window. I neglected to move away, as he was a big man and I found that I liked it when he was close. There was a sense of safety and protection in the shadow of a powerful werewolf, of a man that I had such a good time with only a day ago, to the man I found so much comfort in. "That's your home now."

We looked silly, cramped against one tiny window but we stayed where we were, just like the time on the garden bench with mouths full of chocolates. With a sharp eye, Jeremy pointed the mountain out to me, helping me replace the tiny speck of black in a sea of green, a sight only a man like a Beta would be able to recognize from such a distance.

This fickle, fickle heart.

It was going to get us into trouble.

"What's it like?" I asked, just to get my mind off the fact we were falling quite quickly. "In your pack?"

"It is unlike any other." He gently tells me. "Do not worry or take offense if the pack is cold to you at first. The pack is not open to outsiders, even to the Alpha's mate. They won't be like the city pack was to you, but they will be a little distant until they get to know you."

My eyes glanced at where I guessed Ajax had gone to. "What is he like?"

Jeremy didn't have to take a minute to think about it. "A brother I never had."

A faraway look was on Jeremy's face, deep in thought.

He sucked in a breath and shrugged. "He's intolerant but loyal and protective to a fault."

Gesturing to the space between us, I couldn't help but smile sadly at my next question. "Is this what you meant by 'soon'?"

He looked like I had just punched him in the stomach, glancing back to see if anyone was listening. Everyone was either sleeping or not in their seats. When he deemed it safe, he sighed defeatedly. "Far from it. The farthest, June."

It was so innocent.

His words were simple, but put together in a way that made it something else.

Something deeper.

We did not say anything more.

But I know there is more to say.

The plane was going lower and lower, heading towards a flat land in the mountains. It's as if they made a home for themselves between two snow covered peaks... a valley. Tucked away and surrounded by the far reaching mountain slopes sits a long piece of land untouchable and unreachable to anyone else but them. It was almost unnoticeable if not for the lush nature and long, never-ending streams of rivers.

Far from what others call desolate, the nameless pack's home is more alive than anything I've ever seen before. The grass, the trees and wild flowers that bloomed were bursting with color and life. Covered in greenery, the meadows and forests that specked this enchanted land takes my breath away. It's as if this place is floating in the clouds, closer to heaven than the ground.

Coming from a pack where it was supposed to be for farming but only had barren and d e a d lands as far as the eyes can see, this place looks unreal.

Jeremy pulls away before I can compliment their home and returns to his previous seat like nothing happened. A few seconds after that, Ajax emerged from the stairs speaking to one of his men.

"Everything is already in order, Alpha." One of the men says before bowing low. "The house is ready-"

Ajax waves him away and when he looks up, his eyes immediately replace me. His expression softens at the sight of me, but maybe that was just my foolishness again. "You're awake."

I nodded because I did not know what to say to him.

I'm only his mate to spite Konstantin, right?

He didn't need me for anything else.

This doesn't go unnoticed by Ajax as he takes his seat across from me... the seat Jeremy was in not a few seconds ago. "Are you not feeling well? I can get a pack doctor for you?"

"I'm fine." The need to reassure Ajax is overwhelming, his worry stirring something inside me. I fought with myself to console him. The reality is, I do not fight for much in my life, but in this instance, where I am made a pawn by powerful men, it is just not something I want to let go so easily. I obviously have no choice in the matter and I should be thanking him for saving me from an unmated life- it just hurts right now. I had hoped... again.

It was hard to ignore the worry lines in his usual stone face. "You're obviously not fine, June. Who has upset you?"

You.

When I do not answer, he becomes quiet and he understands now. His eyes flickered to Jeremy who was stiffly sitting in his seat, and then to the rest of the people that were sitting in the upper compartment of the airplane.

"Leave." He commanded everyone in a booming tone that sent a shiver down my spine. "All of you."

They do not have to be told twice, rushing down the stairs like they were on fire. Jeremy was the only one that took his time, his inconspicuous eyes not meeting mine.

When it was just the two of us left, Ajax was suddenly on me. Out of his seat and hovering over me with hands caging my body to the seat, all I could see was narrowed amber eyes. He looked at me like he was memorizing my soul, the inner parts of me. His scent surrounds me then, the smell of him is wild and dangerous, reminding me that he was a powerful Alpha and he can have his way with me without any repercussions.

My heart leapt, a heady mixture of excitement and... and something else that made my skin prickle clouding my mind.

I felt small with him, but in a way, I liked it.

There was something alluring about Ajax being so much bigger than me, his entire body nearly engulfing mine.

"Is my little mate angry at me?" He growled low, his chest vibrating with each word he said.

With a hand on my chin, he forces me to look into his eyes and I'm left breathless by his stare. I felt the fire of his gaze on my skin and I wonder if I will ever return from the ashes.

"Tell me." His command towards me was akin to a sensual caress. It was so unlike his usual tone, which normally made anyone near him see a glimpse of d e a t h with how powerful it was. He's frowning now, the line between his brows pronounced. "Or would you rather speak to my Beta?"

His eyes turned black, dark with anger, dark with jealousy.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe.

And he sees this. I know he does.

He's smarter and more observant than I have given him credit for and that was my mistake because, of course, he is all of those things and more.

Ajax is a self made Alpha.

He didn't get where he is by being a fool.

"I'm not the type of man to share, June." He says in a deathly slow voice. Using his knee, he masterfully spreads my legs until I'm completely bared to him. "Are you my mate or are you Jeremy's?"

"Yours." I whispered, breathless and gasping, the sound like a wisp of smoke as I felt his knee pressing against my core. "I'm yours."

The growl that leaves his chest is possessive... agreeing. "Then tell me why you're upset with me."

My stomach was in knots from both fear and, oddly, desire. "You only chose me to make the city pack angry."

His dark eyes looked at me with a stare that I would remember for the rest of my life. "I have done many things to make them angry, but choosing you isn't one of them."

"But I heard," I managed, my pulse thumping.

His thumb goes to my lips, going over them in a gentle caress and effectively stopping me from saying another word. "I am sorry, June. I do not speak often, as you might have noticed, and I don't really care for idle chatter, but I see now that it has hurt you and I will correct what is said about you. About the city pack, our mating made them angry, yes, but that's not why I chose you, my sweet little mate. I had all the intention of spurning this ancient tradition, destroying it even. I was prepared to be mateless for the rest of my life... until I saw you and, for the very first time, the thought of being mateless and alone- I didn't want it anymore. One look and you changed my mind."

I let myself savor his words, my heart thumping against my chest all the while.

It was strange because I've heard him interact with his pack, with other people, and he's never like this to them. If he could, he would rather not say anything but here he was, taking the time to explain things to me even if he didn't need to.

Ajax doesn't owe me anything.

But he still gives me everything.

"It's because of my wet dress, wasn't it?" I quietly joked to ease the tension in the air.

But the tension only gets worse with his deep voice. "Your what?"

It was hard to piece together my thoughts with his tantalizing thumb still near my lips. "My dress was see through when I met you in your dark room."

He grinned, remembering as a bright glint of desire flashed before his eyes. "That's only a bonus."

I felt my cheeks burn as the thing in my chest started to flutter.

Fickle.

So fickle.

He started a fire inside of me, burning through me until there was nothing left.

"June," The Alpha's eyes were black as the darkest night. His breathing was ragged, it was as if he was an awakening beast, possessiveness deep in his veins, an animal scenting a hunt: me. "I want you."

His lips were so close to mine I could almost taste him. Betrayed by my own thoughts, I wondered what it would be like to be kissed by an all powerful Alpha. But then, I didn't have to wonder much longer for his lips came crashing down on mine in a kiss, or at least some approximation of it. More possession than anything else, Ajax's lips moved as if claiming me as his and only his, marking me in his own personal way by making sure I didn't forget the feel of him... the taste of him.

He bends me back, cradling my face and angling my head so as to open me up completely, coaxing me beneath sure fingers. The ever present feel of his knees on my core makes me forget about everything except how I want more of him.

A soft, hungry sound leaves my lips as I push my hips to meet his knees and it's followed by the Alpha's own quiet groan, pushing me further back into the seat until he is flush on top of me.

Ajax gives me a moment to breathe, releasing me only to continue his assault down the length of my throat, sucking, a hint of teeth- a lot of teeth, tongue flickering on my pulse until he makes it down to the base of my neck.

The feel of his tongue where marks are supposed to be placed shocks me like a bolt of electricity and I'm left gasping. The air surrounding us feels thick. The airplane warm. Sweltering, even. But wasn't it cold a few seconds ago?

His sharp teeth lingered, scraping and I could tell that he was tempted, he wanted it, marking me was so easy, it was already within his grasp... claiming me as his, to show it to Jeremy.

"We've landed, Alpha."

I jolted out of my seat, nearly slamming my head against Ajax's.

My face flushed red and my lips raw, I had all the intention of hiding myself and pretending like nothing had happened, but Ajax wasn't a shy man and he stayed where he was, right above me with his knees still between my legs- pressing against me, without even turning to face whoever came. He continued to stay in this very compromising position, unabashed and looking like he was ready to carry on as soon as possible.

"We'll follow." He says in a tone of finality, sounding annoyed at the interruption and sending whoever came away.

But it wasn't just whoever.

Because as I peeked through Ajax's muscular arms to see, my eyes locked with baby blue ones. For a moment and only for a moment, Jeremy had a look that I wish I had never seen. It's exactly what I must have looked like when he walked out of the Assembly when I got chosen by Ajax: hurt and betrayal.

It was gone so quickly that I wondered if I was just imagining it.

If there's one thing I'm sure of, Jeremy knew what he was doing when he came up here. Jeremy was either checking on me or he was here to stop whatever was happening.

Jeremy gets what he wants because as soon as he leaves, Ajax peels himself off me, not, of course, before placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Let's finish this later. I plan to be very thorough with you." His voice was deliciously husky and full of meaning that stirred my insides. "It's time I showed you your new home."