He walks away, probably to find somebody else to torment. I set my plate of food down and grab a drink. When I get back to the table, Zane’s sitting in the chair next to mine. Slate, another pack member and friend, joins us a minute later. “You’re next,” I tell him after shoveling in several bites of food. He simply nods and goes back to eating, not much of a surprise there. Slate’s always quiet.
“You a little hungry?” Zane asks with a grin.
“Starved,” I manage in between bites.
“You all were trying to ditch me,” Quint says, dropping his plate of food onto the table next to Slate.
“No, we weren’t. You just were too busy flirting to realize we were already seated,” Zane says.
Quint grins. “Somebody’s gotta be the charming one at these events.”
“And that’s you?” I ask.
“Yep.” I shake my head at his antics and go back to eating. “Dude, you’re going to get sick eating that fast,” Quint says.
It takes me a moment to realize he’s talking to me. “I’m hungry.”
He laughs. “No kidding.”
“You’ll understand when you shift for the first time,” Zane adds. “It takes a ton out of you; I think I ate for a week straight.”
“Well, that’s nothing new for you,” Quint says and ducks when Zane throws something at him from off his plate. He tries to throw something in return, but I instinctively pluck it from the air. “Not fair. You two always team up,” Quint grumbles.
I ignore his fit and go back to eating. He’s not wrong; Zane and I have been as close as brothers our entire lives. I think it’s partly because we’re only a few weeks apart and our moms are close. It’s always been this way, and it will continue as I’ll be beta to Zane one day. He’s all fire and passion and leadership, while I’m calm and assessing and supportive. We work well together. Slate’s already been chosen as head enforcer, which is also the best choice. He's got a protective instinct a mile wide and a dark side he needs to be capable of being what we need in an enforcer. “I’ve got to refill my drink. Anybody else need a drink?”
“I do,” Quint says, handing me his cup.
I take it and make my way to the drink table. “Congratulations on your first shift, Reid,” Mrs. Blackwood says when I pass her.
“Thank you.”
Several pack mates stop me and congratulate me along the way. Finally, I make it to the drink table. I’m in the middle of pouring my drink when a scent slams into me. I stagger back a step and nearly drop my cup. My head whips up, trying to figure out what the scent is and where it’s coming from. My wolf rises to the surface, surprising me, and I nearly shift right on the spot. I wrestle him back down. It takes a minute to push him down enough that I can function. I start walking towards the scent and feel my fangs drop as I do. That’s not something I’m unfamiliar with. I’ve been able to do a partial shift for several years. As I move towards the other side of the yard, the scent gets stronger. My senses are on high alert, and my wolf growls inside me. There’s not a doubt in my mind about what’s happening. I’ve been told about this my entire life. I never understood how you would just “know” when you met your mate, but this scent that’s driving my wolf mad is a clear indication that this is exactly what is happening. So, when my wolf growls in my chest and sends me,Mate; I’m not the least bit surprised. Shocked it’s happening?Yes. Surprised that this is what it is?No. I can barely keep from running, but somehow, I manage to keep a cool head. The scent gets stronger, and I try to figure out who it’s coming from. Suddenly, the scent gets stronger and then...
“Reid, congratulations on your shift. I’m sorry I missed seeing your wolf. I just got back from a game.” My mind sort of short circuits as I stare down at Riley, Zane’s sister...Zane’s sister who is more than three years my junior. I feel my fangs, and horror whips through me. I stumble back a step. “Reid? Are you okay?”
She reaches out to touch me, but I take another step back and take a shallow breath through my mouth, not my nose. “Yeah. I’m good.” Then I turn on my heel and walk as fast as I can in the opposite direction. My wolf fights against me and almost causes me to shift. I manage to open the back door with hands that arepartially shifted. I stumble inside and try to make my way to my room.
“Reid?”
I hear my mom, but I keep going. I have to get away from here somehow. The only place I know to go is to my room. I close the door a little too hard and lean against it, trying to catch my breath. I bend over, regretting all the food I just ate. “Reid?” I recognize my dad’s voice. “Son, can I come in?” I debate a moment, but I know I need help. I’m barely restraining my wolf right now. He wants to go right outside and mark Riley. I dry heave and try to breathe. The door opens, “Reid, what is it?”
“Close the door,” I manage to get out. He does and then drops a hand on my back. “Are you sick? Was it something you ate?”
And then I tell him. “I found my mate.”
That hand on my back goes still. “Son, that’s amazing.” I can hear the confusion in his voice.
I stand to my full height then. “It’s Riley.” My words are barely a whisper. I watch as the knowledge hits him.
“Oh.”
I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Yeah.” I suck in another breath and grit my teeth. “I can barely control my wolf.”
Thatsnaps my dad to attention. “Keep a tight hold on him, Reid. You remind him that you’re the boss.” He looks me in the eye. “Obviously, you can’t bond with Riley yet.”
I snort. “No kidding. She turnsfifteenin a few months.” My father grimaces, and I know I’m in so much trouble. “Why would this happen to me?”
“Don’t say that, Son.” My father’s rebuke is swift. “Our mates are an incredible gift, and Riley will be too, just not yet.”
