Brother’s Best Friends Are My Mates novel Chapter 38

Lia

It was my first day of college and the guys were hovering. I looked over at Colby who leaned against the doorframe, frowning deeply.

Try as I might, I couldn’t ignore him. He was persistent, standing there and gazing at me with this worried expression on his face. Then the other guys showed up, all of them looking at me.

“Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I shot back, stuffing my water bottle into the side pocket of my bag.

He sighed softly, obviously exasperated by my comment, but I didn’t care. I was frustrated with this line of questioning. Why did they even have to question me about this anyway?

It was my first day of college. I wanted to enjoy it, to experience my first day on campus without worrying about my future mates being so overprotective and super involved in my life. They should calm down and let me live my life.

This is what they got to do!

“Because it’s your first day,” he said. “At college. Without us.”

“I went to high school without you.”

Colby frowned. “But Aspen High School wasn’t as big as the college.”

“It’s college, Colby,” I said, slinging the bag over my shoulder. “Not the Wild West.”

Rain snorted. “Might as well be. Do you have any idea what’s out there? Strangers. Alphas. Betas. People who-“

“-are just trying to get to class like I am,” I cut in. “Seriously, Rain, you’re pacing like I’m about to walk into a lion’s den.” “Feels like it,” he muttered, not stopping his back-and-forth.

“Lia,” Matt said, his voice calm but firm. “What if something happens?”

I turned to glare at him. “What do you think is going to happen? A meteor strikes the campus. A pack of wolves shows up and challenges me to a duel?”

“That’s not what I mean,” Matt said, frowning. “It’s… people. You don’t know who you’re going to meet.”

“I know they’re not going to eat me alive, Matt. That’s your job, right?” I said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

“You’re being dramatic,” Jesse said quietly, his tone as flat as ever. He didn’t even look at me, just kept his arms crossed and stared at the window.

I laughed sharply. “Me? Dramatic? That’s rich coming from you four. You’re acting like I’m heading off to war.” “We’re worried.”

“Don’t.” I held up a hand. “Don’t start with the ‘we’re just looking out for you’ speech. I’ve heard it. I’m over it.”

“We are looking out for you,” Rain snapped, finally stopping his pacing to glare at me. “Do you think we enjoy this? Watching you head off without us, surrounded by strangers who don’t know you? Don’t know who you belong to?”

“Belong to?” I snapped. “Rain, I don’t belong to anyone.’

“

“That’s not what I meant-“

“It’s exactly what you meant,” I said, cutting him off. “And let me make something clear: I’m not made of glass. I don’t need you to hover over me like some kind of overprotective bodyguard.” 1

Colby raised his hands and palms out. “Okay, Lia, take it easy. We’re just—”

“Worried,” I finished for him. “I know. I get it. But you’ve got to let me breathe.”

“What if someone approaches you?” Matt asked.

“What if someone talks to you?” Rain added.

“What if they touch you?” Jesse said, his voice was low but cutting.

“Oh my god,” I groaned. “You’re impossible.”

“Lia-“

“No, Matt,” I said, turning to face all of them. “This is my first day of college. My day. Not yours. Not ours. Mine. And I’m going to figure it out on my own. Got it?”

Rain opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.

“No. No more arguments. No hovering. No stalking. No ‘just checking in.’ I mean it.”

“Fine,” Rain muttered, his shoulders slumping.

“Good.” I adjusted my bag and headed for the door. “I’ll text you when I’m done. And if I so much as catch a hint of one of you following me, we’re going to have a problem.”

Colby smirked, leaning against the frame again. “Careful, Lia. That almost sounded like an alpha talking.”

I paused in the doorway, glancing back at him. “Keep pushing me, and I might just surprise you.”

With that, I walked out, shutting the door firmly behind me.

I couldn’t believe the guys were acting so crazy right now. After I graduated from high school, I thought everything was going to work out. Things had been going so well! But now that I was set to start at the local college, they were acting so clingy.

It was driving me insane and I hadn’t even started yet!

Simone pulled up in front of the house, waving me to her car. I cast a scowl back over my shoulder just in case the guys were still peeking out the window at me. Wouldn’t you know, they were!

“Why are the guys watching you from the window like weirdos?” Simone asked as I slipped inside.

I sighed. “They are being all strange and overprotective. It’s driving me insane.”

“Oh, they are just adjusting to their beautiful soon-to-be-mate being on a campus full of hot alphas and betas.”

“I doubt they are worried about the betas,” I muttered, still glaring at them until we pulled out of the driveway and away from the house. “Am I going to have to deal with this for the next few years? Because I’ll tell you right now I am not going to. They are going to be hearing from me if they keep this up!”

Simone snorted. “Oh, you are so going to rip them a new one. I want to be there when you do it. Please let me witness the beatdown you are going to give them with your words.”

Let me guess he made it sound like a warning. -S

Pretty much. “College is a great place to network, Lia, but remember who your real pack is.” -L.

That’s so Matt. What about Jesse? -S

He’s just lurking like always. He doesn’t say much, but his eyes follow me everywhere. It’s like he’s waiting for me to come home one day with some random alpha in tow. -L

They’re acting like you’re shopping for a new pack at school. -S

Right? Like I don’t already have four of them smothering me 24/7. -L

So what triggered the latest round of hovering? -S

I mentioned joining a study group. A study group, Simone. You’d think I said I was planning to move out and join an alpha commune. -L

Wow. What did they say? -S

Rain asked if there were “any alphas in the group,” Matt just grunted like he was preparing for war, and Colby casually suggested I “study at home” so they could help. -L

And Jesse? -S

Didn’t say a word. Just narrowed his eyes and nodded like, “We’ll allow this… for now.” -L.

I can’t. Are you sure they’re not secretly your dads? -S

At this point, it feels like it. Rain even packed me a lunch yesterday “just in case I got hungry.” -L

That’s… kind of sweet. -S

It was grilled chicken shaped like a heart. -L

Okay, that’s a bit much. Do you need me to come over and help you escape? -S

Yes, please. Bring snacks, caffeine, and maybe a shovel to dig me out of here. -L

On my way. And if they ask, tell them we’re studying… in a no-alpha zone. -S

You’re my hero. Hurry before Colby schedules another “family bonding” dinner. -L

I sighed to myself. Simone couldn’t be my buffer forever and it wasn’t a label I wanted to put on her at all. This was a position

I put on my brother and it had made our relationship awkward for a while.

It wasn’t something I wanted to happen between me and Simone.