Chapter 4 Four

Jethro

The world around me stopped. The only thing I could see - the only thing that filled my mind - was the girl in my arms, her dainty silver eyes shining in anticipation.

Getting married to someone I didn't choose made my stomach acid rise. But this? My mate. My stepdaughter. The word stuck my throat like a bone.

I'd known she was my mate since Year 1. But I couldn't tell her. I couldn't even admit it to myself. So l let my wolf and I suffer through every heat in silence. Whenever she passed me in the hallway.

Whenever she smiled at someone else in the hallway, I got angry and vent out on my team. For her sake, I refused to take up the botany class's PE section. But every morning, I still saw her crossing the quad.

Her laugh carried across the grass. My hands ached to reach for her. But I couldn't, so I just stood there. Last week was bliss. My heat kicked again, I almost considered jerking off at the rink to calm myself, but she walked to me herself.

If only she knew how much I wanted to claim her that night, but managed to pacify myself by touching her for the first time. My wolf snarled inside me. Telling meto claim her. Fuck her. Ruin her in every way possible.

Make her ours alone. I could only grab the edge of the bench behind me and held on until she begged to leave.But now, she's 0.01 inches away from me. My game was coming up soon.

In my office, while my cheeks are still burning from her kiss. Did she even know what was going on with me right now? I agreed to this game so I could stay away from the 'wife' my mother picked for me.

A stepdaughter.

The sound of that made my stomach churn. - is the biggest twist I wasn't expecting. Seraph pulled away. "I.. I'm sorry if what I asked is too much. I was also shocked when she told me, "Heat crawled up in my chest. I wanted to look away. Slip back to the cold Coach she knew. But Damn! Why was it so hard?"

Coach I -"I stopped fighting it. I pulled her to me, bent my head and kissed her with all the hunger from the days I used to watch her in secret. This is wrong. She's my student. She's only 22 years old. But I don't care right now.

Seraph embraced me, her hand accidentally pulling off the shoulder pad. I didn't stop. My wolf longed for this since forever. Not wasting time, I lifted her off the floor, straight to my table, the kiss deepening with each click of our lips. I didn't want to stop. But I did. I gently leaned back and brushed a stray hair from her face.

"She's your mother. But I don't give a fuck, Seraph."

"But, Coach -"

"Jethro." I cut her off. She blinked quickly, holding back her tears. My chest tightened - the same tightness I'd felt every time I watched her cry from across the room, my feet glued to the floor, my hands useless at my sides.I pulled her closer and held her.."It's okay. You can cry."

The sound of the whistle came with the burst of her tears. I bit mylips, almost cursing whoever the Coach was out there for ruining this. Seraph didn't learn away, she sobbed into my chest.If only I could stop this unfortunate marriage.

Gracey was my close friend back at college, while my mum, her dance teacher, believed we're dating. Until she dropped out because she got pregnant by some village boy - the child who would become my mate.I had to leave the country three days after she put to bed - three days to my eighteenth birthday.

I never saw the child. I never knew who the child was - until now, crying in my arms twenty two years later. "Why do you want me to call the marriage off?" I asked when she looked up, still whimpering.

Seraph bit her lip and unlocked her phone. On the wallpaper, a man I seem to recognize was holding her, both of them smiling.

"He's—?"

"David Cross" she sniffed. "My dad. He died six months ago and Mum.." she stopped.I know what happened. "She's placed Dad's house up for lease. We're moving into your home. How can I live with my dad's picture, his ashes, his things right there? Why does she always snatch away my happiness?"

Seraph broke into tears again. "I can't call the marriage off."I confessed.

"But why?"

"My mother arranged the whole thing. She loved Gracey. Everyone thought we'd end up together. But your Dad -"I couldn't tell her that I once loved Gracey, back at college. It's better to leave it at this because Gracey was my past - before I knew anything.

And Seraph, her daughter was my present - after I knew everything. She got off the table, tears still stained her face. Her silver eyesglowed with raw determination.

"What are you-"

"Then I'll boycott the marriage!" She swallowed. "I'll make sure your mother sees the monster she's marrying to her son and get my Dad's house back."

Her words hit something in my chest. The whistles blew harder." I understand. Nobody can know about the mate bond."

"Mate Bond?" She smirked. "That's my fucking weapon."Then she walked out before I could stop her. I dropped weakly into the chair she'd sat in.

Things were about to get madder and tougher.

Can I ever fight this battle and win? My phone interrupted my thoughts as I arranged my gear.

That was my mum.

Good.

Target No. 1. My mother. "Alpha Boss Lady, what are your orders?" I teased her. This was mum's weak point - she loved being in control.