Author's note: This is from Sergio's point of view

- - -

I was not happy that the young master ordered dinner to be delivered from the nearby restaurant.

There is something about the young master's cooking that reminds me of the good old days, and I hoped to get a taste of it.

The young master was impatient, so as soon as we sat to eat, he went to the topic that brought the three of us together for a meal.

"Ash, I want you to tell me about your experience related to bonding with your wolf."

Ash's eyes opened wide. "My, what?"

The young master raised his hands. "Oh, sorry. I forgot the introduction. Since I'm with Serina, she told me about creatures and that you are a werewolf. I'm curious to find out how it feels to have another presence within you."

Ash glanced at me and I nodded for him to go ahead.

Ash told me that he suspects the young master is more than a human because they all clearly felt two Alpha auras clashing when the young master fought with Lazarus during Luca's birthday party, but I told the kid not to talk about it because the young master is not aware of creatures.

At my approval, Ash relaxed and spoke to the young master, "I see… What do you want to know?"

"Start from the beginning. How did you know that there is a wolf inside you?"

Ash had a thoughtful expression while chewing. "At first, it was like a feeling that something was off. Sometimes, I would get unreasonably angry or just start laughing like a maniac... sometimes we feel the same in which case our feelings amplify each other…"

The boy is chatty as-is, and this gave him more than half an hour of non-stop talking with brief stops only to shove food in his mouth.

"So, now you and your wolf are like best friends?", the young master asked Ash.

"Something like that. There are cases when we don't agree, but overall, I'm grateful to have him. Without my wolf, there are many things I wouldn't be able to experience."

"Like what?"

Ash pointed at his nose. "My sense of smell is sharp, but when I shift into my wolf form, it gets even better. I'm much faster and stronger, it gives me a feeling of experiencing the world through different eyes like I get a magnifying glass, and everything gets more intense. I can't wait to turn eighteen years old."

"What happens then?"

"For werewolves, that signifies maturity. Some old folks say I should shift into my wolf form on the first full moon after my eighteenth birthday so that I can soak in the power of the moon. It's something like a blessing that will empower me through the rest of my life."

The young master smirked. "You believe in that?"

Ash shrugged. "It can't hurt, can it? Besides, the next time I can get a free power boost is only if I find my mate."

"Mate?"

Ash nodded earnestly. "The Moon Goddess gifts us soulmates. They are our other half and when we meet, we recognize each other, and the bond is formed. After the mating ceremony, both mates get a boost in power."

I could see the young master's invisible wheels rolling as he took in this information. Was he thinking about Seraphina? Probably.

Well, I was glad that I was not part of this whole talk related to mates, and I disconnected mentally while focusing on the food in front of me.

- - -

Author's note: This is from Duke's point of view

- - -

Ash was explaining how his interaction with his wolf evolved, and I found the information fascinating and irrelevant at the same time.

Nothing sounded important for my case, but there might be some interesting bits hidden, so I listened intently in order not to miss anything.

And then Ash spoke about a power boost he will get once he finds his mate.

I knew that werewolves are power-crazy because their standing is determined by their strength. The more strength one has, the higher he (or she) can go.

Sergio explained during one of our previous conversations how werewolves can improve in strength with rigorous training, and some are lucky to have good genes as well, but I didn't know that one can get a power boost through a bond with a mate.

"Mate?", I asked, unsure what he means by it.

Ash nodded earnestly. "The Moon Goddess gifts us soulmates. They are our other half and when we meet, we recognize each other, and the bond is formed. After the mating ceremony, both mates get a boost in power."

Soulmates? Why no one told me that werewolves have soulmates? What does that even mean?

"When you say, mates…", I said, and I felt my mouth go dry. "What kind of a relationship is that?"

"Smitten. Love at first sight. Electric sparks when you touch.", Ash spoke dreamily. "It's addictive and impossible to resist."

Sergio was a clear example of how werewolves don't save themselves for marriage.

"What if you are already in a relationship when you meet your mate?", I asked reluctantly.

"It won't matter. When you recognize your mate, everyone else becomes irrelevant."

For some reason, Sergio was nodding absentmindedly, and I assumed that he approved of the food.

I felt the air around me becoming thinner. Why did it sound that once one finds his mate, he doesn't have a choice?

"How does that exactly work?"

Ash thought for a second before responding. "I'm not an expert on how it works, but I'm confident that without a wolf, one won't know if his mate is sitting next to him. Our wolves can sense each other, and they tell us who our mate is."

Wolves can sense each other? But what if the other one doesn't have a wolf?

My father was a werewolf, and my mother was a human. Does that mean that they were not mates, yet they were married and had me?

"Do mates need to be werewolves?"

Ash shook his head. "Not necessarily. Normally, that's the case, but some of us find mates among humans or other creatures."

OK. So maybe my father and mother were mates, but where does that leave me?

"Does Serina know about this?"

"About what?", Ash asked.

"About mates."

"Of course, she does.", Ash said earnestly and he became visibly uncomfortable. "The incident when Luca jumped on me in the forest at his birthday party was related to me and Zoe being together without confirming we are mates. Luca has a problem with it like I will spoil Zoe if we go beyond kissing. I mean… I like her and I think she is hot, but I like other girls also, so I'm not sure if she is my mate. But that doesn't mean I need to be a monk…"

It hit me like a ton of bricks. Serina is working on helping me awaken my wolf, knowing that there is a chance my wolf will not recognize her as his mate.

I love Serina to the Moon and back, but it seems that my wolf will have a mind of his own and maybe disagree with me.

What if that happens? What if my wolf identifies some random woman to be his mate?

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