Undeniable (Undeniable series) (2 page)

“
I told you I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” I say annoyed with Marcus who has been bugging me all day. “You’re going to be 30 sooner than you think and you are no closer to finding a mate then I am,” I add.

“
You don’t know everything Gemma, maybe I have taken an interest in someone.” He says acting as if he was hurt by my statement and it makes me want to call him out.

“Then what is her name and you better not say Lily
.” I say hoping that it’s not her, but what else is there really.

He stares at me for a moment before we both bust out laughing. “Dang it Gemma you always do that
, can’t you just trust me.” He says wiping the moisture under his eye.

“Trust you, you just lied
,” I say smiling.

“Trust in my lies
,” he says in such a way that I can’t stay mad at him and the argument is over. That’s how it always is for us, always fighting but never actually ever mad with each other. When things get tough we know that we only truly have each other and it keeps me sane.

In our training we plan out new strategies or improve old one
s. Most people train with their teams but since Marcus and I are always together and not so much with a team we are allowed to train together, just the two of us. We make the perfect team since I take everything too seriously and Marcus not so much. If it were up to him we wouldn’t even have plans, just show up and do whatever needed to be done.

“This is a closed training session
,” I say when Riley walks in like he owns the place. He always walks in at least twice a week and I knew it would either be today or tomorrow that he would show his face again.

“
Is that how you greet your mate to be?” He mocks moving his hands out wide as he walks over to us with pride.  Marcus gives me a look of surprise.

“It’s not true
,” I say to Marcus shaking my head. Riley’s arms come around me at that moment picking me off the ground in a bear hug.

“I thought we had discussed this a few days ago
, in your room, when we were all alone.” He says kissing my neck and keeping my feet from touching the ground. His lips on my skin feel wrong, his strong arms around me feel wrong, just all of it seems wrong.

As
shifters we usually have a good sense of who our mates are and I just have never felt it with Riley. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, Sam and John are really the only couple in the last hundred years who were true mates. Never have I asked Riley if he thought we were true mates because he would either lie to me saying he felt it and that in my questioning it must make it true. Or he would say that it wasn’t a real thing and if I wanted to hear a lie all I would have to do is go to my brother.

“Gemma
was just saying how you-” I slap Marcus before he can say a word more.

“
Aww, so talking about me when I’m not even around.” Riley says smiling like he’s just heard the best news in the world.

“Don’t you have to get ready for the games or something that isn’t in this
gym?” I ask moving farther away from him and closer to Marcus, who is getting a kick out of this.

“
Oh that’s right, you want me to be serious about this because like we discussed
when
I win we will become mates.” He says and I want to kill him. “Well I better be off! Don’t want this god to fall,” he says amused and I’m so upset I laugh.

“You better go bro she’s doing
the ‘I’m about to blow’ laugh.” Marcus says trying to hold himself together.

“Good to know
,” Riley says acting as if he’s making a mental note. “Maybe you could tell me other helpful things since we are going to be family.” He says backing away when he sees my eyes.

Like all shifters when we are losing ourselves our eyes change from whatever color they normally are to where it looks as if a light glows beneath them. So both Marcus and I have the same eye color, dark blue, and when we are losing it
they go to this bright blue color which is unique. Most shifters have eye colors that are different shades of brown or green but we are the only two with the blue trait. We must have gotten it from our father.

“
Why do you give him such a hard time sis?” Marcus ask once Riley has really left.

“I don’t want to be with him
. Why is that so hard to understand?” I say folding my arms against my chest preparing myself for a fight.

“Is it becau
se of the man in your dreams?” He says with all seriousness and I swallow. Sometimes I wish I had never told him about that, but sometimes we can see each other’s dreams and Beau is always in my dreams. Just the thought of him makes me ache.

“I don’t know
?” I reply dropping my arms to my sides. “Can we not do this now?” I ask just wanting to get back to doing anything. I would even welcome Riley back if it meant that I didn’t have to talk about this anymore.

“No
, we can’t. I always let this kind of stuff slide, but you’ve been off lately and when you’re off we’re off. We have an important mission to do in a few days. Whatever it is just get it off your chest it always makes you feel better.” He says taking my hand and making me sit with him.

“This just isn’t how I wanted things to
end up with my life and at the same time just how I wanted them to be, do you get it?” I ask not really knowing how to say what I meant.

“No
, not at all,” he laughs and I know I must be sounding crazy.

“I wanted to be in a position of power and I know that in reality that would never happen
, but if I do mate with Riley it would be the next best thing. I would be able to really find out what happened to our mother and make them suffer as she had. Get revenge for the pack and all other shifters. Riley says he will end the hunters, but being with him the rest of my life is just not what I really saw for myself,” I huff. “I wonder sometimes if our mother really loved our father or if she was just with him to have a mate.” I toss my hands into the air and add, “I don’t know, it’s just all stressful and unplanned.” I say placing my face in my hands.

“
Life is never how we planned and who knows it might still be changing so just go with it.” He says and of course he would say that.

I smile up at him. “I love you
, but you give the worst advice,” I say hugging him to me. I’m in luck that he doesn’t bring up Beau again because I can’t lie and I don’t want to tell the truth about it either.

Riley

So far everything in my life is going great, better then I planned for myself, but
one
thing. A dirty blonde shifter with eye’s that reflect the sky is the
one
kink in my otherwise perfect chain.

Every day is a constant
battle to get her attention for more than a fleeting second. At first I really truly believed that it was just a game she played, but over the years that can’t be farther from the truth. She isn’t like any other female shifter I have ever encountered in my life time. Everything about her draws me in like a Venus flytrap, but unlike the trap she kills with a glance.

I don’t really understand why she is the way she is. Maybe it’s because Gemma and Marcus grew up without parents,
maybe it’s her job, I don’t know. Her standoff ways makes most men give up as soon as they start to pursue her, but not me. Maybe it’s because I’m a masochist and she’s a sadist, but that isn’t really true. The reason I keep at her is because in some rare brief moments I can see her drop her walls. Those moments are what I live for, hell even thrive for. In that glimpse of a moment I can see the real Gemma and what I see is breathtaking.

“Have you even been listening to anything I have been saying?” Pack master
s voice is raised an octave grabbing my attention and I try to shake all thoughts of blonde hair from my mind.

“Sorry,” is the only answer I can give.

“How many times have I caught you day dreaming like a child when I’m speaking to you. You need to grow up already. Don’t you know that the games are life and death?” He scolds me. “I could have given anyone else your slot but I gave it to you. Sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong decision.”

“No!” I say jumping to my feet quickly. “I mean no sir,” I say again, sitting back down and composing myself. My hands go across my chest to straighten my shirt. Part of the reason why I jump
ed at the opportunity of participating in the games was in the hopes to get Gemma. Of course I want to be pack master for my own personal reasons, but she was a great influence.

The idea came to
me when our pack master recommended I think about joining the games. At first I turned him down respectfully, referring to how my age was a reason I should wait. I could always wait until the opportunity came around again. It wasn’t brought up again until I overheard a conversation Gemma and the pack master were having.

Even through the door I could feel her disappoint
ment seep into me taking over every emotion I had.

“
So I can die for you but I don’t get a say.” Unfortunately I have seen her have this argument with him many times, but nothing comes from it. “It’s not fair,” she finally said sounding like a child.

“Gemma I don’t want to hear any more of this. You are at a very respectable rank, but because you are female this is as high
of a position as you can get,” he apologizes.

The door to his office slams open
bouncing off the wall as she storms out. Her eyes are glowing a fierce blue.

“Gemma,” I say standing trying to block her escape. Those eyes that kill look right at me almost as if seeing straig
ht through me. “Are you alright?” I ask and immediately I want to smack myself in the head for asking.

“D
oes it look like I’m alright?” She demands and I’m cursing myself a million times over.

“No,” I pause. “You know I’m here for you right? I will always be here for you.”

Her shoulders visibly relax as I watch her wall crash to the cold floor beneath our feet. The arctic glare that was in her eye is gone and I see for the first time tears form in her eyes. I do have to give her credit that I never saw one fall, just create a glass film that covers those beautiful eyes. 

Taking advantage of this rare moment, I quickly envelop her into my arms. Not once
does she pull away or fight me even as I run my hands across her back. I lay the side of my face against her soft hair and inhale her natural aroma. Her arms that were laying limply to her sides come around me and I’m in heaven.

A very loud throat cleari
ng is the only thing that pulls us away from each other. And just as her walls came down they are built right back up just as rapidly. I let the vise grip hold I have on her go and she gives me a halfhearted smile before leaving.

“This
way,” I hear the pack master order. I know he wants me to come into his office, so I do it backwards keeping my eyes on her very toned backside. She is almost out of sight when a slap on the side of my head receives my complete attention.

“
Do I have your attention now?” He hisses, his voice thick with sarcasm. Pointing at one of the very plush chairs across from his desk he wordlessly orders me to comply.

Sitting down I lean onto the side of the chair getting as comfortable as I can while not displaying
the bulge in my pants. My thoughts on that matter are not as mature as I would like. All I can think of is that when the situation is reverse, I’m going to make her pay for all the boners she has given me. She is going to beg me, plead with me, and scream for me when she becomes mine.

“I wanted to ask if you had changed your mind about the games. It would be rude of me to give it to someone else without giving you time to think about it. And it is a lot to think about,” he says rounding his desk. “
Status, women, the power. Every female shifter will want you as their mate just for being nominated. Your status in rank will improve and if you win,” he pauses watching as every word sinks in. “If you win the female you choose will have more power than any other female shifter. Hell she will have more power then she’ll know what to do with. That is if you wanted a strong mate.” He says knowing full well that I have been chasing Gemma for four years now. Everything he is saying revolves around Gemma. She is my greatest strength, but also my greatest weakness.

He circles to the other side of my
chair making me have to shift in my seat again to adjust myself. Damn her. “Our pack is the second largest in the world and with that a great amount of power. Think of all the honorable things you could accomplish,” and for a second it feels as if he wants me to sell my soul.

“So, what do you think?” He adds.

“I’ll do it,” I reply without a moment’s hesitation.

That was the moment I sealed my fate to the games.