Filed to story: Mated and Hated by My Brother’s Best Friend Book PDF Free by Anna Campbell
“We should have known,” his friend said. “After he threatened everyone to stay away from you.”
He. Did. What!?
I clenched my fists, ready to say something cutting, but before I could, a voice interrupted.
“Didn’t realize we were picking fights with first-years now.”
I turned, finding Max stepping into the space beside me, arms crossed, an easy smirk on his lips. But his eyes were sharp. Dangerous.
The males hesitated. Max wasn’t just a third-year-he was known. He was strong.
In the short span of time since we have been thrown out here, I realized that students steered clear of two persons. Max and Nate.
Unlike the Max who I met in my room, to everyone else, he was a nightmare. I soon learned that he, along with Nate, were the best in their year, if not the entire damn academy.
And apparently, one of them was willing to back me.
“I’d suggest finding a new hobby,” Max said, his tone light, but the warning was clear. “Before someone finds one for you.”
The males exchanged glances before scoffing and walking away, muttering under their breaths.
I let out a slow breath. “I could’ve handled that.”
Max chuckled. “Sure, but this was faster.”
“I can-“
“Seems like you need my help in more than just Pack Landscaping,” he said easily as I watched Ethan throw a punch to his opponent’s face that definitely broke his jaw.
“Eva is already training me,” I said simply, still watching my brother. Gosh, why didn’t I get some of those skills?
“Who do you think trained Eva?” he asked with a knowing smirk.
I snorted. “Eva’s ego would never allow one of her brothers to train her. She’s too focused on trying to prove you guys wrong.”
He threw back his head with a laugh, and I saw that he caught someone’s attention.
Nathaniel.
Standing near the sparring rings, watching.
He wasn’t smirking. He wasn’t relaxed. He was tense, his sharp blue eyes dark with something unreadable.
“That’s true,” Max said, bringing my attention back to him. “But not if you’re her favorite brother.” I couldn’t argue that.
“I’ll manage, thanks,” I dismissed, when I noticed that Nate was gone from the spot he had been in. “Plus, you don’t have time.”
“So eager to die are we?” he joked. “Don’t worry. I’ll make time.”
“She doesn’t need your help, Laker.” A voice said from behind me, and my back stiffened.
Shit.
I knew that voice. And I knew the malice behind his tone, too. We both swerved around, seeing Nate standing just a few feet away, his eyes narrowed in slits as he glared at Max.
But what surprised me was that Max mirrored his expression. There was definitely some tension there-tension that existed long before me. They were definitely enemies.
Great.
“Mind your own business, Nathaniel,” Max hissed in a tone that I didn’t even hear from him with the men he chased away earlier.
“She is my business,” Nate threw back just as harshly.
This could get really messy, real fast.
“Nate, please.” I met his eyes and saw the resolve, and Max stared between us for a while.
“Wait, he’s the other guy?” He scoffed. “Well this isn’t fucking fun anymore,” he mumbled that last part.
But Nate’s eyes were already blazing even more, if that was even possible.
“What the hell does he mean by other guy, Jiselle?”
Oh shit. He wasn’t my Alpha and we hadn’t accepted each other as mates. Yet, my wolf was already baring her neck to him at the very tone of his voice.
“It doesn’t matter to you,” Max said instead.
“Indoes because we’re-“
“Childhood friends,” I finished for him, glaring at Nate.
Wasn’t he the one who declared our mateship secrecy and basically told me in the hallway that I should avoid him? What the hell was his deal?
Nate’s jaw ticked, but he remained quiet as they continued glaring at each other, like a silent challenge. I caught Eva’s gaze from her sparring circle. and she shot me a worried look.
Thankfully, the instructor called Nate to his challenge, and I blew out a breath as he levelled Max with one final glare before walking off, not even sparing me a glance.
I didn’t know Max long… In fact, I didn’t know him at all. But, his usual playfulness was gone.
“You need better company, Jiselle,” he said in a tone that I wasn’t used to from him.
“He’s my brother’s best friend. We grew up in neighboring packs.”
Not that I owed him an explanation.
His jaw ticked once. Twice. Then he left.
Geesh, what was that about?
A little more than a few persons saw their little show, and now everyone thought for sure that I was too weak to defend myself.
I hated it. Hated how it made me feel like I was hiding behind stronger men.
A soft chuckle to my right made me turn.
Emari.
The she-wolf stood with her arms crossed, a slow, taunting smile spreading across her lips. “Well, well. The lost little pup has a whole pack protecting her.”
I rolled my shoulders, forcing myself to remain calm. “What do you want?”
Emari’s gaze flicked past me. “All three huh?” She taunted. “Is it Max?” Then she snapped her gaze to Ethan. “Or Ethan, though he’s a first year and kinda… never mind. He’s your brother, isn’t he? He’s the spitting image of you.” I didn’t answer. But then her gaze went to Nate, who was fighting in his ring like it was an effortless dance. Gosh, he was good. “Or is it Nathaniel?”
The moment she said his name, I felt it.
A shift.
And Emari noticed.
Her smile widened. “Oh. Oh. So he’s the one.”
My stomach clenched. I hated how easily Emari had read me. Hated that I had given anything away at all.
Emari stepped cowering her voice. “Do you know what happens to weaklings here?”
I refused to flinch. “Do you?”
Emari laughed, a sharp, delighted sound. Then, without warning, she stepped back and lifted her chin. “Spar with me.”
Silence fell between us.
My pulse thundered.
Emari’s challenge wasn’t just a challenge. It was a statement.
A way to put me in my place.
Nathaniel, who now had his opponent in a headlock, stared at us. Silent. Unmoving. His face unreadable.
I inhaled deeply.
And nodded.
“I accept.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I’d made a mistake.
But it was too late now.
*Jiselle
At the academy, challenges were sacred.
A wolf could kill you in a challenge, and it would not be punishable. Especially one that was asked for and the other wolf accepted-just like what I had done.
The moment my name was called alongside Emari’s for the next challenge, the air shifted. Conversations died, replaced by murmurs and knowing glances. This wasn’t just a fight. I hadn’t understood why. Wasn’t this just another challenge like the countless ones that have been happening? Did Ethan’s threat go this wide? Or, I want too conceited to think that it was all about me, but was this about Emari? Sure enough, with every step we look, eyes widened at Emari and then turned into pity with me.
What the hell had I just gotten myself into?
I barely had time to register the weight of my decision before Ethan’s opponent hit the ground with a sickening thud. A single, brutal punch had knocked him unconscious.
Ethan’s head snapped in my direction, his green eyes ablaze with fury. busied myself pulling my hair into a tight bun at the back of my head, not trusting Emari not to use it against me.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ethan’s voice was low, furious, as he stormed toward me.
I didn’t answer. Simply shrugged trying to seem unfazd.
“Jiselle.” His grip clamped down on my arm, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Have you lost your damn mind?”
“She asked. I accepted.” My voice was even, controlled, but inside, my nerves were tangled in knots.
“She’s a descendant of the Nightshade Bloodline.” His words hit like a punch, but the real shock was the realization in his face. “They are like legendary here at ATA.” Well that explained why she had walked in a week late after registration and acted like she owned the damn place.
But I hadn’t known-not that I would’ve cared.
Eva didn’t seem to have known either. Her eyes widened as she stood frozen a few feet away, from her freshly won match.
But this explained why Max knew her. Everyone here seemed to have known Emari. But Max seemed to have known her… personally.
I couldn’t help but wonder if they had… something. My stomach twisted, but I shoved the ridiculous jealousy away. It didn’t matter.
“Jiselle.” Ethan’s voice was dangerous. “She could kill you, and no one would stop her.”
“Then I’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t.” I pulled my arm free. “And stop coddling me. You’re making me look weak. And stop threatening every male wolf who looks at me.”
His nostrils flared, but before he could respond, I turned and stepped into the fighting circle with Emari.
The second I faced her, the world around me blurred into the background. It was just her and me.
Emari smirked, rolling her shoulders. “Brave. Stupid, but brave.”
I didn’t respond. From the intense looks on everyone’s faces, this told me that Emari was somehow unmatched-or maybe her family was.
And I was here… untrained and not even able to keep up with my year.
The instructor raised his hand. “Begin.”
Emari moved first, Fast.
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