Chapter 4

"I see you there, don't know where you come from, unaware the stare from someone. Don't appear to care that I saw you, and I want you."

---

Kyle was miffed. It was his first day of school and here he was, lying in bed with a cold. What was the point in turning eighteen when he had to spend his birthday at home with a blocked nose?

He was apparently not the only miffed one, for Aiden barged into his room in a fit of rage. That Lupin was so incredibly emotional, and Kyle was always on the receiving end of his rants.

"Alpha Lupin, birthday boy, whatever, does it matter?" Aiden ran his fingers through his hair and started pacing. "I just don't understand. We meet after two years, two years and he won't even talk to me. I mean he does talk to me but- you know what I mean!"

Kyle shook his head to tell him that he did not know what Aiden meant and he huffed, taking a seat at the foot of Kyle's bed.

"Okay, so we met after school to talk and he was like- he was just so closed off and he wouldn't tell me anything at all, which I respect because we all have our problems to deal with but then I walked him home and he closed the door in my face!"

Kyle snorted.

"Well, he probably got sick of seeing that face of yours."

Aiden stared at him intently, clearly peeved by the comment.

"You know, he said the same thing too. You two should just form a "Pick On Aiden" club, or a ship, it doesn't really matter."

Kyle raised an eyebrow at him.

"You know, I still have no idea who you're talking about."

Aiden rolled his eyes and looked at Kyle the way one would look at an idiot.

"Nick! I'm talking about Nick. You know, the Nick Carter I've been wanting you to meet, the one who cannot sing to save a life but somehow got named after a Backstreet Boy?"

Ah. That Nick. Aiden talked about him so much Kyle would think he had a crush if it wasn't for the fact that Aiden was as straight as his non-existent As.

He nodded in understanding.

"And your childhood partner-in-crime just shut the door in your face? Huh, you probably grew uglier."

Aiden punched him in the leg, which was basically the only appendage he could reach where he was seated.

"Will you be serious? I mean, it's so worrying and like he used to be so happy and now he's so sad and I wanna help him but I can't because he won't talk to me."

Kyle shrugged. What did he expect? A lot could change in two years.

"Maybe if he doesn't want to talk about it, you should just give him time."

"I am giving him time! I just want my friend back. I didn't get to talk to Chris at all, either. I miss that dude."

Aiden was pouting at him now, as if waiting for Kyle to do something about his situation. It was hard to believe that a child like him was turning Beta in a few weeks. With a sarcastic Alpha and a childish Beta who was too enthusiastic for his own good, the pack was doomed.

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"I don't know, you're the Alpha Lupin!"

Kyle swore, the next person who called him that would be addressed as Lupin for the rest of his or her life. Honestly, the only good thing about them being called Lupins was that he could name his son Remus one day and make all the Harry Potter-related comments as he liked.

"And you're the Beta Lupin, your point is?"

---

Needless to say, Kyle was left alone in his room with a sore leg.

He trudged the school halls alongside his Beta, still a little miffed about his temporarily impaired sense of smell. If he didn't recover soon, he'd throw his reputation to the wind and touch every single student he met to check for tingles.

Aiden suddenly perked up, jogging over to a raven-haired boy, poking him in the back to get his attention. And Aiden wondered why people couldn't stand him.

"Nick! Good morning!"

Nick turned around to face Aiden while Kyle finally caught up to them. He took one look at Nick and it was as if he was dreaming. There was no way those eyes were natural, no way.

Or maybe Kyle was just jealous, because Nick had eyes so dark they stared into his soul, while Kyle had eyes the colour of pubic hair. In short, Nick made black eyes look cool, unlike Kyle who somehow inherited his mother's blond hair and his father's not-so-dark black eyes.

At least Kyle was taller?

"Hey Aiden."

Okay, this was so not fair. He had such a beautiful voice! It was so beautiful Nick could record ASMR videos with just nonstop cussing. Kyle couldn't stop staring at him as Aiden introduced them.

Nick glanced at Kyle for a second before looking away, and Kyle got the feeling that Nick didn't like him very much. He held out his hand anyway.

"Hi Nick, I'm Kyle, it's nice to meet you."

Nick, his name rolled off his tongue so easily, as if his voice was made to say his name.

Nick stared at his outstretched hand, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else, but eventually reached out his own to shake, only to jerk it back when their hands touched.

"What the hell? That was a pathetic excuse of a prank right there." Nick was glaring now as he rubbed his hand.

Kyle, on the other hand, was in shock. Never mind the fact that Nick now thought him to be a child who went around electrocuting others for the fun of it, Nick was his mate! It all clicked together, how he couldn't take his eyes off Nick after seeing him for the first time.

Were they really mates though, or was it just static? He had to make sure.

"Did you just sniff me? Aiden, are you sure your friend is human, not your dog pretending to be one?"

Oh right, Kyle couldn't smell.

Curse his weak immune system.

Aiden shrugged. "Sometimes I ask myself the same thing."

The bell eventually rang to signal the start of lessons, and throughout the walk to their classrooms, Kyle couldn't take his eyes off Nick.

He couldn't take his mind off Nick in class, either.