“Then she got in her car and left.”

Noel finished telling my dad what had happened at the school parking lot with Keira. But only after the girls had told him about what had happened this morning too. After Keira left the four of them had bombarded me with questions. I told them I had no idea what that was about, but they didn’t believe me and decided to tell dad. The four of us were currently in my dad’s study, I was seated in a chair right in front of dad’s desk while the others stood behind me. My dad sat behind his desk and was now looking at me expectantly waiting for me to explain.

“Well?” His tone was calm and emotionless, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“Dad, I seriously don’t know what all that was about. Maybe she’s mad about last night, I mean me a human escaping from a bunch of werewolves, that’s gotta be embarrassing.”

“She practically shoved her tongue down your throat and you think it’s because she’s mad at you? Cora asked me skeptically.

It sounded stupid even to me, but I couldn’t really tell them what Keira really wanted, or the fact that a part of me thinks she might even be my mate.

“He could be right.” My father answers.

Wait? What?

“Really?” I asked dumbfounded.

Everyone looks to my father as he continues. “Female alphas are more aggressive than other werewolves, any slight towards them could trigger a need to reestablish dominance. Now this can be done with a fight or in this case a more sexual nature. When she found out your status as my son she probably opted for the latter. This all started after you escaped correct?” My father asks me.

My mind quickly flashes back to me and Keira in bed, she was clearly all over me even before I escaped.

“Wow, so I piss off a female and she wants to kill me but Caden pisses off a female and she wants to jump his bones, how is that fair.” I hear Noel complain.

I hear three different whacks followed by Noel saying ow, I guess the girls and Lucas must have hit Noel.

“Caden, you didn’t say or do anything before you escaped that might have set her off?” My father asked me again noticing my pause.

I quickly cool my expression, “Um...no, I mean I was pretty out of it at the time so I’m not sure.”

I don’t know why I was lying. For some reason I just couldn’t bring myself to tell the truth, I couldn’t stand the thought of them looking at me like I was crazy.

“Well for now don’t do anything, I’ll call alpha Keira and try to get a read on what she wants. So just avoid going out alone for now.”

“She made it pretty clear what she wants.” Noel snickered.

I hear another smack.

“Dude, this is serious.” Lucas chastises Noel.

“I’m being serious, why not just let her have him?” Noel asked.

“Because I’m not a human dildo and I’m not gonna drop-trou every time I piss someone off.” I answer annoyed.

“Nor would I ask anyone in my pack to do so, least of all my son.” My father responded. “Now go, the five of you are dismissed.” My father looks to me. “And don’t forget your still grounded for that stunt you pulled last night.”

“Don’t worry I’m not going anywhere.”

After the grilling in the study everyone went on like usual, well except for Lucas who was still hopelessly pining for Daniella, waiting to hear back from her. The girls decided to go on patrol with Claire and the others tonight while I was stuck in my room. After finishing my homework, I just laid in bed staring at the ceiling, unable to get Keira out of my head. Ever since we kissed every time I think about her my body starts to get that humming feeling again. But what’s really scaring me is the fact that I’m beginning to enjoy it. When I finally looked toward the window I see it’s dark out. I make a half assed attempt to get up but give up halfway and lay back down.

Jesus, what’s wrong with me? “Argh, this is stupid just stop thinking about her.” I chastise myself.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

I sit up as the door opens and see that it’s mom.

“Hey sweetie, just wanted to check to see how you were doing.”

She walks over and sits on the bed next to me

“Your father told me about your having lady troubles.” I can see her struggling to keep a straight face.

I laugh, “Yeah, I guess you could call it that.”

Leave it to mom to cheer me up, it felt good to laugh, relieve some of the tension I was feeling.

“You like her, don’t you?”

How does she do that, see right through me like that?

I let out a heavy sigh, “Yeah.”

No point in denying it, not to her anyway or myself for that matter.

“I’m sorry, this has got to be tough for you” She tries to comfort me.

“Does everybody else know too?” I ask dreading her answer.

She smiles at me, “No, the girls and you father are just worried about you, Noel wants you to use this opportunity to get laid, and Lucas is thinking about Daniella and not much else.” She chuckles at Lucas.

Relief washes over me.

“I’m surprised you’re not jumping for joy and trying to convince me she might be my mate.”

“Well I haven’t met her yet so there’s still time for that later.”

We both chuckle.

“Mom, why are you so adamant that I find my mate or that I even have one to begin with?” I sincerely ask her.

“Because some human floosy isn’t good enough for you.” She jokes.

“Mom come on.” I say rolling my eyes at her

She lets out a sigh and starts combing my hair with her fingers like when I was a kid.

“Well, there are two reasons. The main reason is because I want you to be happy, I want you to have and feel that love, there’s no greater joy than being with your mate. As your mother I want that for you.”

I smile, “And the other reason?”

My mother looks at me guiltily, “The second reason is a bit of selfishness on my part.”

She looks at me with a sad smile and I can already tell what she’s thinking.

“Your referring to the fact that human mates don’t age.” I tell her with a small smile.

She looks at me, not really surprised that I knew.

“If you found your mate then I wouldn’t have to watch my baby boy grow old and die. I wouldn’t have to secretly dread every time your birthday came around, knowing you’ve grown another year older.” She looks down sad and ashamed.

This is why I hate celebrating my birthday, it’s a harsh reminder that unlike the rest of my family my days are numbered. I’ve known for a while now that she felt this way, I hated to see her like this. I made peace with my mortality a long time ago, but I guess mom still hasn’t.

“Okay I get that, but why do you believe a male like me even has a mate out there somewhere?”

My mother gets a thoughtful look on her face.

“Hmmm, that’s a bit hard to explain. I just...feel it, I can’t explain it any other way. Since the moment I held you in my arms I just knew, like the Goddess herself told me.” My mother smiles as if remembering a cherished memory.

All werewolves believe in the Moon Goddess in some way, some more than others. My family was never overly religious, so it’s a bit surprising seeing my mother speak of the Goddess.

“Well if the Goddess told you who am I to argue.” I say jokingly to elevate the mood.

Mom rolls her eyes and nudges me, causing us both to laugh. It was nice talking to mom one on one like this, we hadn’t done it in a while. After all this talk about mates my mind begins to wander back to Keira again.

“Thinking about her.” She says breaking into my train of thought.

“Yeah. So how did you figure out I like Keira?”

“It was easy really, I just noticed you’d hadn’t mentioned Hannah even once these last two days since your run in with Keira.”

“Hannah!” She completely slipped my mind. I have no idea if she’s okay or where she’s at.

I jump up off the bed and dial her number, but it goes straight to voicemail. I begin pacing back and forth trying in vain to get a hold of her. Mom grabs my shoulders forcing me to look at her.

“Caden, calm down. Hannah is okay.” She reassures me, sitting me back down on the bed beside her. “She’s part of the group that left with Demetri, she’s fine.”

I sigh in relief.

Jesus, some friend I am. Mom was right, ever since I met Keira I haven’t thought about Hannah even once. Even though I’m happy I’m no longer pining after Hannah, I still feel like a dick for not worrying about a friend.

“Tell me about her.” She asks

“Mom, you know Hannah.”

“Don’t be smart, you know what I mean.” She chastises me.

“I honestly don’t know what to say, I barely know her.” Which is true, even after all these encounters I still don’t know anything about Keira.

“That’s because you’re over thinking it, close your eyes.”

Rolling my eyes, I do as she says.

“Know think about Keira and tell me about her. What is your gut telling you?”

I think about our run ins at school, I start saying the first things that pop in to my head, “

“She’s rude, demanding, stern, aggressive-“ Then I started say what I felt, “but also brave, honest, strong, mischievous.... beautiful...lonely, and we kissed I felt whole.”

I open my eyes surprised by what I just said, I guess I knew more than I thought. I turn to mom who’s looking at me with wide eyes and then screams.

“Mom! What’s wrong!?”

“They’ve been ambushed!” She yells.

That’s when I realize she wasn’t looking at me, she was seeing through the mental link what was happening to the others. An ambush, oh no the Alice and Cora! Me and mom race out of my room and head toward my father’s study. When we get there the rest of the wolves with the night off are already crowding the room waiting for their alpha to tell them what to do.

“Charles take four with you and go help the others, the rest of you will stay here on alert!” My father commands.

“Only five alpha, shouldn’t we send more warriors?” Will, a long-time pack member, questions in an agitated voice.

“Our warriors aren’t so weak, and we must be cautious. I’ve already received dozens of messages from other alphas requesting help, saying their territories are under attack. Make no mistake these aren’t some mindless rogues, this is a coordinated attack on all of us.”

My father’s words shock everyone into action, my mind goes to Keira. Her pack only recently moved in and they might not be ready for an attack. I quickly shake the thoughts out of my head, this isn’t the time for that I need to go with James to the clinic and be ready to help. This is my chance to prove my worth to my family and the pack.

As I follow James out the door my father’s hand stops me.

“No, you’re staying here.” My father orders.

“Dad I have to help James.” I plead with him.

“Not this time, I want you to here in the house where it’s safe.”

“Dad this is not my first attack I know what to do, I need to be at the clinic.” I try to persuade him.

“No, those were just mindless rogues and small pack skirmishes this is something else entirely. You need to stay here.” His voice now stern.

“But dad they were ambushed, there are going to need help, James is going to need me.” I try to make him understand.

“James has been doing this since before you were born, he doesn’t need you!” My father yells releasing his aura.

My father’s words wash over me like ice water, I’m unneeded, useless to the pack. My father walks away ending our conversation, I feel my mother’s hand on my shoulder.

“For now, go to your room, we’ll call you when everything has settled down.” She tells me in a soft voice and gently nudges me in the direction of my room.

Not able to do anything else, I do as I’m told and wait in my room for the killing to stop.