_ Cullen

"Who is Cullen?" Liam blinked at me.

I gripped the doorknob and mouthed. "My roommate." Before I broke the lock and…

… in we went.

Cullen had his tail out, wagging it and breaking his back to sensory music booming loudly. With a glass of wine in hand, he swayed his ass to the beat while his tail dangled along in the most hilarious way possible.

I couldn't help a smirk. "Cullen, what the hell?" I shouted just enough for him to hear me.

He spun around mid-air in a salsa step, looking like a startled deer. "Isleen!" he screeched, the volume way too louder than the music even. "You're back early! I thought I would need to come bail you out." Patted his chest thrice, "Thank God. And who's… mini-me?"

What the?!

Cullen was just unbelievable!

"Bail me, you say?" I dropped Liam's hand and threw a sofa pillow at Cullen who dodged it.

"Come on, girl." Cullen hissed. "It's not every day that one's friend gets arrested by the pack's soldiers."

I stood, hands akimbo. "Seriously, Cullen? What am I doing with someone like you around?!" I hollered, grabbed the remote, and clicked off the music. "Knock replacement's coming out of your paycheck, Cullen."

His jaw dropped. "The doorknob again? Did you break it again? What again this time?" he wailed, throwing his paws up in theatric melodrama.

I snorted. "Serves you right. Every weekend's not Christmas, Cullen. Grow up!"

"What else am I supposed to do after working all weekday and having the weekend to myself?"

"Getting a girlfriend, maybe?"

"Ewww. You know I'm gay. Now, I fear for the gender of whoever my mate will be."

"I'll pray to the Moon Goddess every morning for it to be a female."

"I hate you, Isleen!"

"Right back at ya!"

Liam coughed out shyly. "Ms. Isleen?"

It was a kind of 'Hey, I'm still here' thing.

I rubbed my temples. "Pardon me, Liam. This, Liam, is Cullen. My – colorful and annoying roommate." I gestured at Cullen.

Cullen approached Liam with his signature exaggerated swagger. "And you, young pup, must be — hmm, one of Isleen's students?"

I rolled my eyes. "Cullen, Liam lost his brother last night in the attack."

I saw Cullen froze. His carefreness immediately got replaced by genuine empathy. "Oh, Liam. I'm so sorry." He approached Liam gingerly with a soft voice.

Liam's wound seemed to have been punctured again. He could only nod, tears welling up his eyes. Well, he was a Wolf. He needed to learn to make peace with reality as it came.

'The way you need to make peace with your own reality, Isleen' a voice whispered in my head and I bit my bottom lip.

Not again. I didn't want to remember Gamma Rhett again.

Cullen probably didn't know what to do with Liam's tears as he gasped dramatically. "Alcohol! We need alcohol! Booze cures grief, right?"

Gosh. Cullen wasn't offering to feed the young boy Alcohol, was he?

I smacked his arm. "Get real, Cullen. And get lost. Let me talk to him."

"He was my only family, Ms. Isleen. We always promised we'd take care of each other." Liam, who didn't find Cullen's stupidity comical sniffed beside me.

My heart ached for Liam. I couldn't help but wonder if this was how Kylo would cry when he found out what had gone wrong with me and his Dad.

Argh. What was I thinking about again?

Cullen, probably sensing the shift in mood, awkwardly patted Liam's shoulder. "Hey, pup," he mumbled, his usual gaudiness subdued. "You're strong. Your brother would want you to be."

A flicker of anger from no source sparked in me.

Strong?

Who was Cullen to assess Liam's strength while I myself wallowed in indecision? When I couldn't even reject my boyfriend's Dad the instant I found out he was my mate?

Turmoil. I had been thrown in turmoil.

"Cullen, let me handle this," I snapped.

Cullen's eyes widened, the carefreeness completely gone. "Isleen, are you… alright?"

I forced a smile. "Fine. Just — tired. I'll take Liam with me. You do you."

Unoffended, he grinned. "Fine, fine. I was just trying to up. Don't bite, Wolfie." He winked at Liam, then sashayed away.

Liam stood up. "I'll just take my leave now, Ms. Isleen. I wouldn't want to be any — trouble."

Trouble? Liam, you are no trouble at all," I beamed even as I battled the twitching in my fingers.

The urge to reach for my phone – to dial Kylo's number and confess everything was insourmountable.

"Pay no attention to Cullen, Liam." I sighed at the boy. "I'm aware you stay with your brother alone. Do you have any other family around?"

The boy said he didn't. I told him I would speak to the neccessary authorities and see if I could accommodate him here.

Took him to my room before I left for the pack's library. As much as I wanted to get Gamma Rhett off my mind, I couldn't. It was probably because I hadn't come to a decision yet.

I would reject him. It was a taboo in our pack to reject one's mate but morally, wasn't it more of a taboo to be mated to your boyfriend's dad?

Just like my parents, I would forever remain on the lips of every Ravenwood pack's member.

I was barely out of the building when I stumbled on Kylo. The sight of him caused my heart to take a leap. I felt like a perso who had committed a crime.

But then, I didn't commit any. At least, not yet. Wait, why did I say that?

Why did I say 'Not yet'? I would never commit any crime against Kylo. He was the perfect boyfriend anyone would ever want.

"Hey, babe." He mused tenderly as he walked up to me and grabbed my hands.

I forced a smile. "Sorry I didn't wait up."

Kylo waved it off. "It's not your fault, babe. I know how my Dad can be. He probably gave you an ear aching lecture on why you shouldn't be with me."

I didn't know what to say. I made a croaky sound.

"Where are you headed though?" Kylo released my hands. "I'll go with you."

Hell no, Kylo. There was no way in hell that I'd let you follow me to the library and watch me read books on why we shouldn't be together. You really didn't know how much worse your Dad could be.

I am your Dad's mate, Kylo – when would I ever grow the balls to say this to you?