I scanned the hallway and made sure that no one was around before I went inside Ash's precious bedroom. I quietly made it inside and closed the door before I leaned on it and released the breath that i was holding with my eyes closed.

When i opened my eyes, my hand quickly touched the doorknob and started to have second thoughts.

Hush, Ash's very huge bulldog was standing defensively in front of me with his teeth barred and was scarily growling.

I can practically see all its teeth and even its huge balls that are almost touching the floor.

"Hush!" I said, placing my finger in my mouth, signaling him to keep quiet.

Instead of listening, he barked at me.

"Shut up, you ugly dog, or I'll make sure you'll be tomorrow's hotdog for breakfast!" I whispered threateningly.

It seems to get my message as it whimpered and crouched down, looking all cute and kind.

"Good. I might reconsider and give you some compliments later on. Just shut up and strictly no barking or you'll turn into some delicious-looking corndogs." I said, smiling to myself.

I looked around his tidy room and glanced at my wristwatch.

"Well, maybe you could help me instead. Their soccer practice will end in thirty minutes and they will probably be home in forty minutes tops."

I looked around again and decided to start on his closet. I opened it and took his clothes out and throw them on the floor. I decided to take the clothes on the lower part only and left everything else intact.

I turned to Hush and commanded, "You make yourself useful and chew or tear his clothes, Now!"

It whimpered but listened to what I said.

I continue trashing Ash's room for the next twenty minutes.

His study table, the things in his nightstand, and anything that Hush can reach and trash around.

Minutes later I sat down on the edge of his bed and looked around, feeling satisfied.

I smiled and was about to leave his room when I spotted his play station and some wires that are connected to his tv.

No, don't even think about it. My wolf said,

Why not? Did he also think of my feelings before? No, he didn't.

He thought it was cool and funny to be a loner and forever alone. He thought it was nice that my brother preferred playing with him here in his room than with his loner of a sister.

I said as I took the scissor on the floor and cut the wires in a messy way.

My dream must have triggered this emotion.

I actually accepted the fact that my female pack members don't want to be friends with me a long time ago. At first, I felt sad and pathetic. Who wouldn't if you can't even have even one single friend from your pack?

Sorry, not sorry Ash. Payback is like Carmen, a real bitch.

After cutting the wires, I glanced at my wrist-watch again and decided that it was enough. But my bladder decided to have her payback as well, so I peed on Ash's California king bed not so guiltily.

14 and 20, check!

I went out of his room and decided to go outside.

I took a few short walks before I decided to sit at the edge of the pack house's indoor pool while my feet are in the water. The guys will be here any moment now and I can't wait to see Ash explode. I actually have my phone ready to record his outburst.

"Haylee." I heard Cole say childishly before I felt a bear hug. "I miss you."

I chuckled and shoved him to the side. "You reek." I teased, scrunching my nose before covering it.

He raised his arm and sniffed his underarm, "I dunnot." He said, pouting. "Give me my hug now."

I stood up and gave him his hug. He quickly hugged me back and kissed my forehead.

"I'm so sorry for last night," he whispered, tightening his arms around me.

I frowned and look up at him, "What for?"

"Let's just say you got drunk and acted like a hormonal pregnant woman." He said, grinning.

I just laughed because I don't really recall what happened last night after I consume my second bottle of beer. And I'm not sure about the information that my wolf gave me because her words' credibility is often questionable. Not to mention she loves to tease and rile me up.

"Seriously babe, your mood swings last night gave me a whiplash and Ty got a bruise on his forehead." He added before chuckling.

"I don't think I can stomach my dinner later. This is disgusting, revolting and not to mention so wrong." I heard Ash said from behind me. The disgust in his voice was as obvious as his non-existent sense of humor.

I quickly ended the hug and turned to Ash with a frown, "what?"

"Same-sex relationship is forbidden in our culture, Lee, you of all people should know that."

I looked at him like he was some loon, "What the hell are you on about?"

"You and Cole are hugging like a couple. Don't really know which of you two is the gay one though." He said, shrugging.

Cole wrapped his arm around me and kissed my cheek soundly, "Of course I'm the gay one here. My Haylee wears the pants in this relationship, right babe?" He said proudly, grinning like a child during Christmas.

Before I can respond, Harley came into view and I think he heard what Cole said because he gave us a disapproving look and said, "Are you serious? You guys are best friends and not to mention you aren't mates, right? That's is just so wrong and I'm sure Dad wouldn't want Haylee dating someone who isn't her mate."

It's frowned upon and a huge no-no when a she-wolf date or is in a relationship with someone who isn't her mate. Apparently, the elders said that the moon goddess said and I quote,
"Women should only be with their destined special someone and no one else. They should wait for their soulmate, their lifetime partner. The person who they will surrender themselves into. Mind, body, and soul. They shall not be tainted and unpure."

But nowadays some she-wolves don't really care and believe in that anymore. They think that it's sexist and very unfair that it's okay for men to have their fun, have some flings and girlfriends while we women cannot. That's why some women don't wait for their mates just like Carmen. They do what they want even if they'll get disgusted looks from the elders and the people who still believe and practice that belief.

I, on the other hand, don't really care. I might even just die a virgin.

"I was just joking, chill bro," Cole said, chuckling. "I do love Haylee like a sister but if she turned out to be my mate, I'll worship her like how I worship the moon goddess."

"Well, you're obviously not her mate because if you were, she would have told you by now," Ash grumbled before he went inside the packhouse.

I quickly followed Ash to gauge his reaction to my masterpiece but when I was finally on the last step of the stairs, someone grabbed my arm. I turned and saw Damien who was looking at me suspiciously.

Where did he come from? He just appeared all of a sudden.

"Why are you looking so wicked and sneaky. Did you do something that I should know about, Hale?"

I grinned at him and shrugged, "As far as I'm concerned, I didn't do anything illegal."

We heard a loud bang come from Ash's room followed by some colorful words. The door to his room opened and he ushered a whimpering Hush out, in a not so gentle way might I add.

"You're lucky you did not do some very serious damage, you ugly dog. You'll be sleeping outside from now on." He said angrily before he closed the door again, not even bothering to glance at us.

A moment of silence occurred before Damien looked at me with a cute confused look.

"What the hell just happened?" Damien muttered to himself, scratching the back of his neck.

Oh, how adorable.

Oh, how adorable. My wolf mimicked sarcastically. More like adorevil! She added.

I don't know why but my wolf never really liked Damien.

"Do you have any idea what Hush did for him to finally get kicked out?" He asked me, breaking my thoughts.

I shrugged and smiled at him innocently, trying to hold back the laugh that is begging to break free.

My plan worked.

Hush ended up getting blamed which means I'll be safe from the payback that I am dreading.

Ash is cruel. He'll probably set a fire in my room and blame it on my clumsiness if he'll find out that I was the one who trashed his room and peed on his bed. Then I'll end up sleeping in the dog house with Hush.

He stared at me and quirked his left eyebrow, "You're the one who's behind this, aren't you?" He asked suspiciously.

There's really no point in denying it since Damien is really good at reading people so I just grinned at him.

"Holy shizz Hale, you are." He said. Disbelief can be seen in his eyes and can be heard in his voice. I don't know why though, I thought he already know.

"What did you do?" He asked,

I just shrugged, "Completing some task for my bucket list. I only have six days left now, you know."

He shook his head and tsked. "You're lucky I love you or else I'll be ratting you out. Now come on, let's go find out how King Kong is doing," he said before he walked to Ash's door and entered without even knocking.

I walked behind Damien and pretended to be clueless.

That video recording is, unfortunately, going to be forgotten. I said to myself as i saw the rage in Ash's face.

"What the hell happened here?" Damien asked, looking bewildered.

"Are you fvcking blind? Can't you fvcking see what that ugly stupid dog did to my stuff and my room?" Ash yelled,

As much as I don't want to, I feel guilty.

Poor Hush.

Damien scanned Ash's room and said, "Well, you're lucky these are just some unimportant stuff."

"Unimportant stuff?" Ash asked angrily before he stood up and pulled the wires that I cut and throw them in our direction. "He fvcking included that! You know how important those wires are! Now I can't play and even watch movies on my TV! I should've listened to mom and let Hush sleep in the dog house where he belonged."

Damien sent me a disapproving glance before he picked the wire up and frowned, inspecting it.

"I could fix this for you, you know," he mumbled,

"Great! Albert freaking Einstien wants to prove how smart he is again and make his older brother look oh-so-fvcking stupid! Just get the hell out and don't bother fixing that shite!" Ash screamed using his alpha tone.

I was about to say something when Damien squeezed my hand and dragged me outside Ash's room.

"Why did you just let him talk to you like that?" I asked,

Damien shrugged and said, "He's the Alpha."

I scoffed, "Technically, he still isn't and I don't think you should just swallow whatever he does just because he's the Alpha. You deserve some freaking respect not just as a huwolf but also as his brother. If it was you who came first, he wouldn't be the next Alpha."

▪️▪️▪️

"So, is anyone going to explain to me why Ash isn't here?" Alpha Braden asked loudly after clearing his throat and breaking the tensed silence.

Damien and I looked at each other awkwardly while the others squirmed in their seats.

"Damien?"

Damien cleared his throat and said, "I don't know where he is and why he is not here, Dad."

"Harley?" Alpha Braden asked, looking at my brother.

"I don't know where he is either, sir. He's blocking me so I cannot ask him where he is at the moment."

Alpha Braden frowned before he turned to me. And I gulped, loudly.

"What about you Haylee?" He asked me with an amused tone,

"I.."

"Haylee's with me the whole day, Dad. She doesn't know where Ash is." Damien interrupted, rolling his eyes at his father in an exaggerated fashion.

I inwardly sigh. If Damien didn't help me out, I know I'll end up rumbling and confessing my sins. The Alpha's tone may be amused but the look in his eyes said otherwise. It's like he's always sharpening his non-existent knife.

"Of course." Alpha Braden said curtly before he continued eating.

"So, baby girl, when are you planning to tell me about this trip to London?"

I frowned, how on earth did my mother know about the soccer camp?

I looked at my best friends with a questioning look but they both shrugged and shook their heads, denying my accusation.

"If I didn't hear Cole and Tyler talking about it earlier today I would never know, will I?" My mother said,

I looked at my best friends again who are now looking at me guiltily.

My mom hates it when I keep her in the dark.

"Of course you will, mom. Who else would sign my waiver? I was just trying to figure out how to ask you." I mumbled softly,

"Well, there's your dad who signs anything you give him without reading it as long as you're grinning." My mom said,

My father stuttered some excuse but I didn't really hear it because my wolf is screaming in my head. I looked up and found Ash staring at me. Weirdly I might add.

I raised an eyebrow at him and he returned the favor. His lips held amusement but his eyes held something I can't quite determine.

"Where have you been?"

Our staring match quickly ended as he looked at his father.

"Downtown." He said vaguely before he took the empty seat beside me.

My body quickly tensed because of the close proximity. My heart started beating so fast and my mouth dried.

While everyone was busy chatting among themselves, I shakily took the glass of water in front of me and gulped it all down.

"You okay there, Lee? You look nervous." Ash whispered in my ear while smirking, purposely brushing his hand in my leg.

The smirk on his lips spelled evil on them like he knows something I don't which is so unnerving.

Did he find out that I was the one who trashed his room?

I sniffed the air and smelled nothing but the normal scent of everyone at the table and the food. No smell of my stuff burning which means I am safe.

For now.

I looked at him and said nonchalantly, trying to ignore the after-effects of his touch. "Why would I be nervous? I'm just super thirsty, that's all."

His smirk turned into a full-blown smile but his eyes are looking at me mockingly, "You are a very good liar, Lee. Very very good liar."

The undertone in his voice sent shivers into my spine. And if it wasn't for Damien squeezing my hand, I would've shivered and will give Ash the reaction that he wants.

"You okay, bro?" Damien asked.

I know he just wants Ash's attention to be diverted.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ash asked mockingly, raising his left eyebrow.

I frowned at Ash. There is obviously something wrong.

The way he acts and answers, there's something so off about it.

"Well, with what happened to your room I expected you to be missing all night," Damien said with a shrug.

Ash laughed but I know it was faker than Carmen's boobs.

"Well, I realized those broken stuff were all replaceable but the one who broke them isn't." He said, giving me a little glance.

I swear my heart just stopped beating.