"Come visit as often as you can," my mother pleads with tears in her eyes.

She wraps her arms tightly around me and I return the gesture. I can't speak, I'm too afraid it will set off the flood of tears trying to escape my eyes, so I nod my head weakly at her in affirmation. We're standing in the doorway of my home, trying to make the most of this final moment together like this.

My bag is already in the car with Ash and Elm who are goofing off in the backseat, completely unfazed. My dad is driving us and my mom is staying home.

"Come on, Poppy, it's time to go. We can't be late," Ash yells out of the window.

I look behind me to see that the sun is already setting and we have an hour drive ahead of us. I give my mom one more squeeze and she slips a small paper bag into my hands.

"Use these if you need to relax or need help keeping yourself grounded. You're going to be just fine, my darling girl."

With a gentle nudge, she pushes me out of the doorway towards the car. Ash and Elm scream their I love you's at her and I hop into the passenger seat.

"How come Poppy gets shotgun?"

"Yeah, she's the youngest, we should have gotten first dibs."

I turn around in my seat to look at the two idiots behind me, trying to give them my best glare.

"You're only older than me by ten minutes, Ash. And you're only older by four, Elm. You morons can't pull seniority if we were born on the same day."

Willow was the oldest at twenty four years old. Basil came in second at twenty two. Ash, Elm, and I were triplets, but they still treated me like the baby of the family. I guess in a way I kind of was. Maybe it's because I'm the only girl or because I technically am the youngest, but I've always been a little spoiled and definitely over protected.

As much as they tease me, I know my brothers would do anything for me. In a way, I was kind of grateful they'd be at the festival tonight, too. If anything happened, it was comforting to know they'd be out there in the same forest as me, ready to defend me if it came down to it.

Of course, the idea of accidentally running into them naked sounded terrifying and the image of catching my brothers in unsavory positions sent shivers down my spine. It reminded me of what Elm said just a few days ago- something about me being half naked and getting it on with "some dude."

I giggled at Elm's complete lack of a filter, but he was kind of right. His poor mate had a handful waiting for them.

I was so lost in my thoughts, I hadn't even noticed we were pulling up to our location. We turned down a long dirt road that was surrounded by trees on either side. The road itself was lined with little fairy lights, each one a different shade of green, blue, or purple, dimly lighting the path ahead.

After a few minutes, we pull into a vast open field, bare except for the large wooden platform in the middle. Several Elders that I recognized were standing on it, and a few Alphas I didn't recognize stood beside them. They were handing out blindfolds to the other witches, but there were no young wolves in sight.

"Dad, shouldn't you be up there with them since you're an Alpha?"

Shit.

I had been so distracted by everything else, I forgot my dad would be staying for the evening as well to make sure everything went according to plan. He was the Alpha of the wolves who lived with our coven.

There weren't many of them- witches tended to go stay with their mate's packs. It was rare that wolves would come live in a coven of witches with their mates, but it did happen, just like with my dad. Those wolves still needed a pack to bond with, and of course that meant needing an Alpha to keep the order.

My dad had it pretty easy as far as being an Alpha went and didn't have too much responsibility given the size of his pack, but he did work closely with our elders.

Obviously he'd be here tonight.

My embarrassment spread knowing he'd be close by when I found my mate. Even worse, he'd have to see me in this god awful scrap of fabric I'm trying to pass as a dress.

"Yes, I'll be joining them," my dad responds, interrupting my internal meltdown. "We're still a little early, but Poppy needs to get her blindfold and I need to drop you boys off with the other wolves. Wouldn't want you sniffing out your mates before the night began," he winks at them from the rearview mirror.

He lets me get out near the platform and I grabbed my things before he drove off to wherever Ash and Elm needed to go. The nerves hit me full force and I notice I'm shaking. The paper bag my mom gave me rattles softly in my hand.

I had almost forgotten about it.

I open it up, curious about what it could be. Inside is several different herbal teas, handpicked from her own garden. There are a few crystals from her personal collection, as well as her personal journal full of spells and remedies that I suppose she decided to pass down to me, and a delicate silver ring with a heart shaped bloodstone in the middle.

I slip it on my ring finger, hoping it'll help me channel my mom's strength and courage. I take in a deep breath- the fall air is crisp and brimming with excited energy- and head up to the platform to get my blindfold.

The silk matches with my outfit perfectly, like they knew this is exactly what I'd be wearing. There's a high-pitched squeal behind me, a warning call to the long, gangly arms that wrap around my torso.

"This is so exciting! We're finally here! We finally get to meet our mates!" Lennon squeaks.

I turn around to face her, still wrapped in her hold. Her blindfold hangs loosely at her neck. It's bright red and lacy, just like her outfit.

"Where is your off button? We need to find it before you scare your mate away," I say cheekily, but I hug her back.

She ignores me. She's used to the snarky remarks from me by now.

Before I can process what's happening, Lennon pulls my coat down my shoulders to my wrists. I pull back to try and put it back on, but the action just causes it to fall to the ground.

"There's the sexy little witch we know and love!" She claps her hands together gleefully before giving me a small slap on the ass.

"Alright, ladies," Elder Chapman calls. "It's time to get in your places."