Just My Luck

6○ Diner Discussions

V E R Y A N

"You're his mate?" Xavier regained his composure after a fit of laughing and almost killing the waitress from his hysterics.

"Yes." Is all Landon said as if such a simple answer would satisfy Xavier.

"What an interesting turn of events," Xavier said. The menacing smile on his face scaring the apatite out of me.

Landon never took his eyes off me, even during Xavier's entertaining dramatics. His chest rose with my own breath and each shift of his eyes made me erratic. I wondered why he chose to tell Xavier now of all times. Saying such a thing to this man would mean soon the entire werewolf world would know that I am the mate to the dreadful Alpha Landon and my head will be on a platter on a dining table in front of an array of assholes that I've managed to piss off. What a life I have to live.

Landon finally took his gaze off me and I found myself unconsciously trying to catch his eyes.

"Xavier, no one must know," He said.

"Telling him that would just make the word spread faster," I scoffed, Xavier can never keep a secret. It's the first thing you learn about him.

Landon sighed and signaled towards the waitress who cleared the food that I forgot was in front of us. 

"Was this all you needed to say Xavier?" Landon said. He looked at me again, in his usual husk-of-a-person way. I wanted him to look away.

"You know, you should be more polite to your elders, kid." Xavier was never one to take disrespect from anyone, though he always taught his children to be disrespectful towards others.

"Shouldn't he?" I said. Two years is a big difference. I'm basically his superior yet I am being treated like trash. 

"Oh, right! Little Veryan is older but looks like his twelve year old brother standing next to him!" Xavier's fit of laughter began again. The years of me being scared of the old fart went out the window seeing Landon sitting across from me.

"Are you talking about my adult acne!? It's normal! But you're here looking like you survived through world war one. I shouldn't yell but I'm unsure if you can hear me old man!"

"What did you call me boy?! Old!? Fifty one isn't old kid! Have you forgotten your place?" Before Xavier could grab me, Landon pulled me into him. My body laid awkwardly across the table, but my sides that ached from the edge of the surface digging into me was disregarded as Landon drew me into his neck. 

Then he pushed me off, harshly, back into my chair.

"Da fuq dude?!" I yelled. My heart that beat one to many beats for Landon in that moment began to morph back its original form filled with the disdain I felt for him. 

His eyes looked away from me as he got up from his chair, "Xavier. It was a pleasure. Please don't come near me in the future unless it concerns business....Take Veryan with you." And with that he walked away, not even sparing a glance.

"Wait- What? Landon you son of a bitch!" He stopped in his tracks and turned around to me. 

"My mother was not a bitch." For once the emotion his face was decipherable. Anger. How I liked to see it on him.

"If she raised you to be like that, maybe she was." Xavier just sat and watched it play out with a smirk on his face.

He clenched his jaw and it seemed like twenty two years of anger seethed through him in that moment. Sure, I just signed my death sentence, but I enjoyed the way he glared and snarled at me. His anger was stimulating. In more ways than one.

"Keep your word this time and don't come near me ever again." The venom in his words stung me, but in that moment I realized that I may have been a masochist.

"Well, I don't wanna be near a son of a bitch like you Landon."

He looked like he was preparing to lunge at me, but decided otherwise. As much as I was looking foward to being tackled by him, I'd rather it be in a bedroom than in a greasy diner.

"Such sweet love birds we have here, but we really must be going, right Veryan?" Xavier finally intervened, and led me by the hand towards the door.

Landon's glaring eyes followed our hands.

"Since Landon doesn't seem to want you, maybe one of my sons will take you as theirs. Or maybe both of them? They seem to.... like you very much." He said the last part through clenched teeth. The idea of me getting with his sons was not an appealing one, neither to him nor me.

"All you have to do Landon is reject poor little Veryan." Xavier opened the door and our bodies were halfway out. The sun stung my face, but the light refracted off Landon in shimmery splendor as if it was his armor.

How pretty he'd be to me if only he wanted me. If only he wasn't such a piece of dried dog shit on the side of a gum stuck pavement that had been vomited on by toddlers.

"Just say the words Landon, you know you want to." Our bodies were now drenched in the stinging light and Xavier led me to his car.

"I, Landon-" My heartbeat became erratic. This was what I wanted. This is what I always asked for. But my wolf inside cried for him. Having a soul shared by two is a horror. Like having a body which craved someone but a mind that knew he was a poison. There was no way to predict which version of yourself would overcome the other. Even I didn't know which one I wanted to succeed.

"I, Landon Arriens-" These emotions were not mine. They were part of a bond that was cursed upon me. Like life. It is gift, they say. It was a gift I did not want.

"Say the words Landon. Finish what you started." Xavier unlocked his car. Landon was standing fully in the sunlight. Hair like needles of gold and his deep eyes uncertain.

"I, Landon Arriens, reject you-"

"Veryan Delvaux!" Shit!

"Oh, fuck no!" I screamed, "Torrez?!"