"I guess it makes sense why he was so evasive now," I mumbled, thinking back to our conversation the night before.
Aunt Mara watched me, her expression a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Are you okay with this?" she asked gently.
"I mean... I don't know. I guess it doesn't really change the way I feel about him," I explained, trying to make sense of my feelings.
Aunt Mara nodded understandingly. "It's a big deal, being mated to the Alpha's son. It comes with a lot of expectations and responsibilities."
I groaned, feeling a weight settle over me. "I just wanted to get away from all the drama back home. Now it feels like I'm stepping into a whole new kind of drama here."
"I'm sorry, hun," Aunt Mara said softly, giving my shoulder a reassuring rub.
"Maybe you're wrong. Maybe it's a different Tyler," I reasoned hopefully. "I mean, there were like 4 packs here last night. He could have been from any of them."
"You're absolutely right," Aunt Mara said with a smile. "Now how about some breakfast?" she offered kindly before heading out to the kitchen.
I nodded, but my smile faltered. Any appetite I'd had was long gone now. I wanted to ask him about it, to put my mind at ease, but it didn't seem like the kind of thing you discuss over text message. In the end I decided to try not to get too worked up about it. But it was definitely going to be a topic of discussion when I saw him later.
I headed back to my room, both looking forward to and dreading his message. The light on my phone blinked impatiently.
2 messages....
Tyler:
Hearts already? I must have done something right last night š
Meet same place at 12 then? ā¤ļø
My heart fucking soared and any apprehension I'd had only moments ago was long forgotten when I saw that stupid heart.
Me:
See you there š
I let out a deep sigh and smiled like an idiot to myself.
The rest of the morning was a blur. I got dressed, trying to keep it casual, but I'll admit, I changed like 8 times... I ended up in a pair of black skinny jeans, my favorite closet staple after leggings and hoodies, and a vintage Iron Maiden t-shirt I'd found at a thrift shop back in Colorado.
After dressing I joined Aunt Mara for breakfast, but I still wasn't particularly hungry after the revelation of Tyler's potential Alpha status. I ended up picking at my food until Aunt Mara urged me to go and do something more constructive with my time... Like clean my room.
She was totally right, I'd turned the place into a pigsty since I'd been here. It wasn't fair to take advantage of her kindness, so with headphones on and music blaring, I got to cleaning up my room.
It was a lot of work, but with the music going, I managed to get into a groove and get things neat and tidy so that the place was livable once more.
Aunt Mara appeared in the doorway with an approving smile, waiting for me to pull my headphones off. "Looking good, hun," she sang my praises, leaning against the doorframe as her eyes scanned the room.
"Yeah, at least you can get to your treadmill now," I beamed, a little out of breath
"We'll find somewhere else to put it. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I know it's small..." she apologized. I could see her guilt and discomfort clear on her face.
"It's fine Aunt Mara. Really. I'm just so grateful to be here. Thank you," I reassured her, shooting her a thankful smile.
She returned my smile, relief flooding her features.
"So, do you have any plans for today? I thought maybe we could grab a coffee or something if you aren't busy?" She suggested.
"Thanks, but I've actually got plans to meet up with Tyler at 12:00," I replied, feeling a little guilty at having to decline her sweet offer.
"At 12:00? Honey, you'd better get going. You're going to be late," she said, looking at her watch.
I checked my phone. It was 11:50.
"Fuck!" I exclaimed panic surging through me. It was a 15 minute walk and I was undoubtedly going to be late. This was not the impression I wanted to make.
With urgency I ran a brush through my hair, then gave Aunt Mara a peck on the cheek.
"Thank you! Love you! See you later!" I yelled, running out the front door.
"Let me know your plans please!" she called out, obviously not wanting a repeat of the night before.
I raced out of the house, hurrying to meet Tyler, who was in all likelihood already waiting for me. If it hadn't been frowned upon to shift in the streets, I would have done it, desperate to get to him before he could think that I'd ditched him. Fortunately, one of the perks of turning 18 and shifting was enhanced abilities. One of those being extended endurance. And thank God for that, because running definitely hadn't been my strong suit before. It still wasn't now, at least not in my human form, but there definitely had been some improvement. I approached the park, clueless as to the time and how late I was as I jogged towards the restroom we'd met in the evening before. He was already there, impossible to miss with his tall frame and tousled brown hair. He saw me and smiled broadly. Then he started heading towards me, so I slowed my pace and tried to walk casually in his direction so that we could meet somewhere in the middle. "Hey," he said, still smiling. "I thought for a se
Tyler gave an understanding nod, then continued deeper into the forest with me close in tow. "You haven't asked me anything about being the future Alpha," he remarked after we'd been walking in silence for a bit. "I figured you'd tell me when you're ready," I replied with a shrug, having already made my decision in that regard. "Well... I guess there's a lot, and I know we need to talk about it. But can we just have this day not to think about it?" he asked, his tone almost pleading. "Sure," I replied, giving him a reassuring smile. "Whenever you're ready." He sighed, clearly relieved. "Thank you," he murmured with gratitude. As we continued deeper into the forest, the sounds from the park became a distant memory as they were replaced by wild birdsong and the buzz of bugs. The forest floor was carpeted with fallen leaves that crunched under our feet, adding to the symphony of nature. "Tell me about Colorado," Tyler suggested, as we meandered through an area with a nasty thorn b
The pond was calm and peaceful and the smell of rain lingered in the air, though I couldnāt see a cloud in the sky above us. Time passed and we sat in quiet content. When we spoke, the conversations ranged from favorite books to most useless skills, which was an interesting topic to say the least. The minutes seemed to slip by unnoticed when Tyler checked his phone and grumbled to himself, "Shit... I missed a briefing." "Oh shit... You gonna be in trouble?" I grimaced. "Hopefully not. Worth it if I am though," he replied with a mischievous smirk. I gave him a shy smile, a little flattered by the implication that I was worth getting in trouble for. "But we should probably start heading back. I'm supposed to be meeting up with Jess soon," he explained pulling himself to his feet and offering me his hand. I took it, eager to feel the warm buzz between us. He never let it go as we headed back toward the park, chatting about everything and nothing. When we finally made it back to
Tyler: I did it š What do you want to do later? I woke up to 2 messages from Tyler. I'd texted him the night before, just letting him know that I was thinking of him and I hoped things were going okay. He hadn't replied by the time I went to sleep, but in all fairness, he was busy with something pretty serious. To see his messages this morning filled me with a sense of relief, especially when he confirmed that he'd broken up with his girlfriend. I saw that message had come through last night, but I must have fallen asleep just before. Me: Hope it went ok. It's rainy today š Maybe we could watch a movie or something? The weather did put a bit of a damper on the day. Don't get me wrong, I loved the rain, but I was a bit stumped for ideas on what to do here. Seconds later I heard my message tone. Tyler: Great idea. I'll come pick you up in an hour. We can watch movies and chill at my place. Me: Perfect. See you soon. I hit panic stations. 1 HOUR?! I had over committed and
I stalked out the front door, my prior embarrassment dissipating to make way for irritation and annoyance. I saw his car parked just outside the garden gate and huffed, stomping my way toward it just as the first tiny raindrops began to fall from the sky. "Wait!" Tyler called, hurrying after me. I halted, my jaw clenched as I waited for him, the drizzle becoming more persistent. "I'm sorry," he apologized, taking my hand in his as he stopped in front of me. "I know you're mad. I'm sorry I was early. I didn't mean to embarrass you or anything, I was just excited to see you. I kinda hoped you might be ready," he explained, his self awareness taking me by surprise. He was excited to see me? How could I be mad about that? I sighed and rolled my eyes, not wanting to let him off the hook completely just yet, but in my heart, I'd already forgiven him ten times over. "I'm sorry," he repeated sincerely. "I'll make it up to you," he assured me. "How? Will you be watching movies in a towe
His words hung in the air, thick with implication and the weight of unspoken truths. The instant he said them, I knew it was true. The pull I'd felt this time hadn't been for Tyler, it had been for this other guy, his twin brother. "You never said you were twins?" I whispered, looking up at Tyler with surprise as I tried to wrap my head around this turn of events. "I didn't think to. I guess it's common knowledge around here, but I suppose I didn't really consider that you're not from around here. But wait... you're his mate?" he asked, needing me to clarify the life-altering fact I had simply glossed over. I wasn't sure what to say. It felt like we were in a Mexican Standoff, each of us shifting our gaze from one to the other, waiting for someone to say something. When I didn't reply, he looked to his brother for answers. "Ryder?" "Yeah, she's my mate," he said, his tone firm and unapologetic. "Kate?" Tyler said, looking back to me for confirmation. He didn't look angry or up
Tyler and Ryder remained under the awning, watching as we drove away. "What happened, honey?" Aunt Mara asked, her tone filled with worry and concern. I kept it together a moment longer, waiting until we were out on the street before I let go. I sobbed. It was as if I had sprung a leak the way the tears simply flowed from my eyes. "Honey? What's going on?! Did they hurt you?!" Aunt Mara pressed, obviously concerned now that I'd been the victim of some terrible act or something. I had to set the record straight. I couldn't have her thinking my mate... Wait, correction, my MATES were complete and utter reprobates. "No," I managed to choke out. "Nothing like that," I tried to assure her, but I'm pretty sure that the delivery was unconvincing. "Then why are you crying like this? What happened, Katelyn?" she urged desperately. I tried to take a deep breath, but it caught in my throat. I pressed on regardless, knowing that I needed to give her an explanation. "They're... They're bot
Ryder picked me up. He arrived in a huge black Hummer that probably would have blocked out the sun had there been any. I ran through the rain, clutching Tyler's jacket to me for warmth. I'd brought it with me to return it, but to be honest, it was also bringing me some level of comfort and I wasn't really sure how I was going to part with it. "If you'd waited two seconds I would have brought the umbrella," Ryder said, gesturing to the black umbrella he had in his hand as he sat in the driver's seat. "I'm fine, it wasn't so bad," I lied, trying to downplay the fact that I'd just run through what felt like a fucking tsunami and was absolutely soaked. I pulled my hood back and shook out my damp hair before I slumped against the seat. "So what have you guys decided?" I asked, giving Ryder a searching look as he pulled away. "We can all discuss it together when we're back at the house," he said firmly, clearly not wanting to divulge any of the details without his brother. I sighed, r