AllFreeNovel
Share Us
1
CALEB
"Why are the lights off?" I grumble under my breath as I stumble through the front door. It's late, but not that late. Mom and Dad are usually up watching game shows on TV at this time of night. They would've texted me if they were going out.
They might have gone to bed early if Dad has a pack meeting in the morning that I forgot about. Still, would it have killed them to leave a light on for me? I squint through the semi-darkness and fumble for a light. The sun has long since set, and the light from the front porch is barely enough to see by.
Stifling a yawn, I close the door and lean against it for a second, finally taking a full breath after a crazy day. Work was hell, and there's nothing I want more than to drop into bed and sleep through the rest of the weekend. I don't want to think about anything or talk to anyone until Monday morning.
My fingers find the switch, and light floods the room.
"Surprise!"
The celebratory shout echoes off the walls as my parents and packmates spring from their hiding places around the living room. My muscles stiffen and adrenaline floods my veins at the shock. My wolf swells in my chest with almost enough force to push it out of hiding and into the house.
Luckily, I manage to keep it under control. Fear shifting is a sign of weakness that I'd never be able to live down. And I've already got enough problems to deal with.
Exhibit A, this birthday party I specifically said I didn't want.
I force an awkward smile as everyone begins to sing "Happy Birthday" in their usual off-kilter chorus. My mother is grinning with pride as she carries a big cake toward me from across the room. Twenty birthday candles glow in a merry ring around the top of the cake.
The words "Happy Birthday, Caleb" are written in icing with my mother's elegant cursive script. It looks like something out of a book.
It's all so perfect. Everything should be normal. But it's not. Because I'm still single, and my parents expect me to find a mate soon.
Everyone in my pack expects it.
Every year, the number of shifters shrinks. Packs are scattered and unorganized, and the constant threat of hunters has driven down birth rates. Who wants to have pups when they're worried about being captured or killed? The pressure to conform to the lifestyle of regular humans and just blend in with them is high. So high that more and more of us have taken human mates, diluting the bloodlines drastically.
Everyone's eyes bore into me as they finish their song.
Here goes nothing. I inhale deeply and blow out all the candles in one breath.
They're cheering, but not for me. None of them will say it aloud, but I'm the oldest unmated omega in our pack. And now that I’m no longer achild, I’m expected to finally take a mate and start contributing to the future of our people.
But I'm not ready yet.
Not because I don't want a mate. Far from it. I just haven't found the right guy. And, despite the hopeful glances from some of the unmated alphas cheering for me, there's no one here I can see myself with.
My gaze wanders around the room, hoping I may have missed Mr. Right in the crowd.
My mom’s dark hair shines under the soft glow of the fairy lights. She's smiling brightly as she hands me a glass filled with sparkling pink liquid. My dad is standing beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder. His smile is strained as he looks over at me, like he's trying to hide how much he worries.
A few of my packmates are sitting around the coffee table, talking in a low and hushed conversation. No one talks about mating. Or relationships. Or anything romantic. The only things people around here care about are work and gossip.
I take a sip of the sweet-and-fruity drink and grimace. It tastes nothing like alcohol. A hint of cinnamon lingers on my tongue. Curious, I look back at my parents and see them both staring at me.
Mom gives me a quick hug, and then pulls away. She reaches behind her back and pulls a little wooden box out of her pocket. She opens it up and presents me with two small bundles wrapped in gold foil.
Inside the wrapping paper is a silver necklace. The chain is attached to a black leather thong. In the center of the round, flat piece of metal is a large ruby carved into the shape of a heart. Around the edges of the gem are tiny diamonds that catch the light and sparkle.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart." Mom swallows hard, attempting to hold in her emotion.
She's never given me jewelry before. At least not something so elaborate. Staring down at the package, I can’t help but frown. It's beautiful and expensive…and obviously very old. I can sense the history as I turn it over in my hands.
There's meaning to this necklace. Meaning that stirs my wolf and puts me on guard.
This isn't a gift for me.
