Michael
Pain and ache in my chest were what I was feeling. I convinced myself I was all right and in control, but deep down I knew I wasn't.
When I arrived at the gala, my inner lycan, Hael, was excited. He smelled our mate instantly. I felt trepidation because I didn't know who my mate would be.
I have been different ever since I was young. I felt less restricted by gender roles. Sometimes I felt more masculine, other days feminine. Some days I didn't identify with either side of the spectrum.
My mother encouraged me to express how I felt through my clothes. I dressed androgynously to support my feelings, but my father hated that part of me. To him, men could only play with guns and roughhousing. I was not the son he dreamed I'd be. He forced me into training early in life, and I became a warrior. I didn't want to be a warrior because I hated fighting, but I did and became one of the best in the class. He was so proud of me.
I excelled in everything I did, and I was celebrated in the pack, but I felt closed off.
We had finished talking to the investor when my alpha and friend, Ellis, turned to me. His face was serious,
" Why aren't you going to find your mate? I sense how uneasy you are,"
I exhaled and ran a hand through my hair.
" I - I can't right now. We need to talk to Blanca about the investment," I told him, looking for the Blanca Family heir through the crowd.
" Why aren't you finding your mate?" he asked again.
" I'm dreading it," I admitted.
" Why?"
" I'm afraid they won't accept me," I confessed. I was different. I was scared my mate would reject me because I was different. I didn't feel fixed on one gender in particular.
I was still discovering myself.
What if I didn't meet their needs for a partner?
" Michael, your mate will love you, and they will accept you," Ellis was sure of his words. I exhaled.
" Do you think my mate is male or female?"
" Wait, what? I thought you were only into men?" He was being playful.
My friends knew I was attracted to both genders.
" Okay, wish me luck," I hollered.
I followed the enticing scent.
Growing up, my mother told me that the first thing that would draw me closer to my mate would be their scent. The scent I loved in the world, hers was strawberry. Mine was the smell of old books with a mixture of chocolate. I loved it and I knew my mate would smell like that but a hundred times better.
I was getting close, but I lost the scent.
Was my mate hiding from me? I turned a corner when I heard a voice I didn't want to hear now of all days.
" Michael, my boy!"
I smiled tightly at my father. He was with his pals, and his new young wife, Raya. He paraded and bragged about her like a trophy after he and my mom finalized their divorce.
" Dad," I said, and pecked his wife's cheek. She smiled at me and greeted me warmly,
" Boys, you all know my son, Michael," His friends smiled and welcomed me.
" You seem worried. Where are you going?" I couldn't tell him. I sensed my mate.
He might want to meet them, and I was worried that if he was a man, he might start making cruel jokes about it that no one would find funny but him.
" Nowhere important."
" So, do you have a mate, son," Preach, my father's friend, asks.
" Not yet," I answered.
" Are you looking, or don't you want to?"
" A little bit of both," I chuckled.
" My granddaughter is an attractive and successful lawyer. You should meet her," My father's other friend said.
" I'm not looking for a relationship right now," I informed him politely.
" Oh, Shawl, you need to get your boy married to my granddaughter. She's a catch and would be a great business investment."
" My son is the catch. Do you see him?" Dad laughed.
" Every real man needs a beautiful woman by his arm. Look at your father. We are all jealous!" They laughed in agreement. Dad was enjoying this so much. Just the ego boost he needed.
" Well, don't force him, Preach. He's still young and is still searching, but the woman who will marry him sure will be lucky because the Krayton boys know how to spoil their women," Raya beamed in her thick Russian accent, showing off her diamond necklace and bracelet.
" Indeed," Dad concurred, kissing his wife. I groaned.
The men continued joking, and I excused myself. I followed the scent of my mate in the hallway. There was a silhouette of a person standing in the dark.
" Mate," I breathed the words.
" You found me," a beautiful voice said as they emerged from the lowly lit corner into the bright light.
My breath was caught in my chest. He was as tall as I was, with beautiful hazel eyes and black hair. His scent up closer was even stronger, and alluring unlike any other. This man was nothing but perfection.
Oh fuck. Dad would have a field day. My mate's thick eyebrows raised, and his lips twitched.
" Oh, fuck? Fuck, really?" The most handsome man I've ever seen bellowed, his tone an octave higher to show he was angry at me. I was speechless. He thought I meant him. I wanted to explain myself, but no sound came from my lips. He massaged his temples and exhaled sharply.
" It looks like I'm not the mate you wanted, so I'm just going to go," he exhaled, waving a hand in the air, " You broke my heart," He was a tad dramatic. I found him amusing, actually.
" Now, you find it funny, just wow, Mate," he sneered and brushed past me.
I grabbed his wrist, turned him towards me, and connected my lips to his. He froze for a moment but moved against me. I brought my hand to his waist and pulled him to me as I deepened the kiss.
Our hearts were racing as the kiss got intense and needy. I pushed him against the wall without breaking our kiss.
We both pulled away when we were out of air. Our lust-filled gaze locked on each other. I smirked at him, and he smiled at me,
" Why didn't you start with that?" he said out of breath.
" I enjoyed watching you," I husked, and he was red.
" Full disclosure. My friends say I'm a tad dramatic," he told me.
" I love it," I said, pulling him by his collar and planting another kiss on his lips.
" I'm Todd Walsh," he said.
" I'm Michael Krayton," I told him.
Todd was from a small pack in the Cotswolds, England. He came here to visit his sister who married a warrior the Grey lycan pack. I didn't know how long we stood there, but we were talking and bonding. I was basking in his light. He was cheerful and confident. And I was lost in his eyes as he spoke.
" Son?" I heard my father's voice. I turned slowly to see him approach us. My eyes moved to my mate, he seemed excited to see my father.
" Hey, I am looking for your mother. Have you seen her?" he asked.
" She's not my mother, Dad, for the hundredth time," I groaned.
" Who's this buddy of yours," he asked, and I froze. I froze like I did when I was sixteen, and he caught me in bed with my first boyfriend. Todd extended his hand to greet my father, seeing how quiet I was.
" Hi, I'm Todd, and I'm Michael's -"
" Friend! Friend," I panicked, and I knew instantly I fucked up.
' Yeah,' Hael concurred.