Nina arrives home, and I race downstairs for dinner, but only so I can see Nina. Leon, Seth, Amelia, and Mia cringe at the sight of my face.
My mother, Astrid, sits on my father’s lap and locks her eyes with mine. ‘Your father and I have been organizing your wolf ceremony. We have invited five different packs,’ she beams with delight and clasps her hands together. ‘I can’t believe my not-so-little boy will be eighteen soon, and you’ll have your wolf! Once you find your mate, you’ll then be able to become the Alpha. However, just in case your mate isn’t in this pack, I figured we would help you find her quicker by having as many unmated she-wolves present for the ceremony.’
‘Mum, are you for real?’ I say to her, feeling a little embarrassed.
‘Yes, I’m for real. I’m so excited for you! When I met your father while working at the diner, I didn’t even know werewolves existed and didn’t even know I was one. Your father entered the diner like he owned the place and kept talking about vanilla and cookies. Jim and I thought it was what he wanted to order, but it was my scent he was referring to. It’s funny now that I think about it. I even fled from your father when he said we were mates and had explained it all to me.’
‘You ran from dad when you found out he was your mate?’ I ask her incredulously.
‘Yep,’ she laughs.
My father, Ryker, shakes his head with a smile. ‘Your mother fled from me a few times, but before I knew it, she couldn’t get enough of me, and now look at us, nineteen years later,’ he grins and kisses her sweetly.
‘So true,’ Mum giggles when they part.
I bite my lip and gaze at my parents with a troubled look. ‘What if the she-wolf I want isn’t my mate? What if I want to choose my mate instead?’ I ask with seriousness.
The clash of cutlery rings as everyone drops their knives and forks. The colour from my parents' faces fades.
Everyone stops smiling and talking and stares at me instead.
‘Magnus,’ my mother says. ‘It’s frowned upon for a good reason, choosing a mate instead of accepting the mate the Moon Goddess blessed you with,’ she says.
‘But…’ I groan.
‘But, nothing,’ my mother frowns.
‘Mum!’ I argue.
‘She is right, son,’ my father says. ‘Choosing a mate instead of accepting the one the Moon Goddess blessed you with can cause many problems, not just for you but your entire family and for your true fated mate,’ he explains.
‘What if I don’t like my mate?’ I ask, worried at the thought.
My parents share a concerned glance, and then my father responds. ‘Why don’t you at least wait and find out who she is first?’ my father suggests.
‘But if I already like someone, wouldn’t it be easier to choose her?’
Everyone shares worried glances with thoughts that I’m referring to Claire to be my chosen mate.
My mother abruptly stands from my father’s lap. ‘It can be dangerous choosing a mate, Magnus, just please wait and find out who she is first,’ she pleads.
‘I don’t see what the big deal in choosing is,’ I reply stubbornly.
My mother locks eyes with mine, and for the first time, I can see a deep sadness in her eyes I’ve never seen before. ‘Magnus, choosing a mate takes her away from her true mate and your fated mate away from you. Is that fair to either of them? People die. People get hurt when you choose a mate. How do you think my mother died when I was a child and my grandfather and our entire pack at Mooncrest? Unless your mate has passed away and the she-wolf you like has also had her mate pass away, then it cannot happen,’ she says and storms from the room, leaving me in shock.
My eyes lock with my father’s with remorse. ’I did not know that… I didn’t mean to upset her,’ I tell him.
‘Your mother will be okay. She had a very rough past and only wants the best for you kids,’ my father assures me.
‘Great, now you upset Mum too,’ Josie sighs and crosses her arms.
‘Josie,’ I scowl.
‘Who else have you upset?’ Leon asks curiously.
The room falls silent. No one dares to answer, not even Nina herself.
I stand from my seat. ‘I’m going to bed,’ I reply, ascending the stairs before crash-landing onto my bed.
The dreaded sun hits my face. I don’t even remember falling asleep. It also happens to be Saturday. I’ve got Claire’s party tonight. Part of me wants to go, the other part doesn’t, but everyone will expect me there. I can’t find Nina anywhere on the packhouse grounds, and my gut tells me she’s probably with Moss. Disgruntled, I spend the day at the gym, keeping to myself, then shower and put on black jeans with the silver-grey shirt.
As I comb my hair, I notice in the mirror most of my swelling and bruising has gone down. Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door, and I find my mother on the other side.
‘Mum,’ I say surprised. ‘I’ve been meaning to talk to you. I’m sorry about what I said last night about choosing a mate. I never meant to hurt you,’ I tell her sincerely.
My mother nods, smiles, and embraces me with a tight, loving hug. She’s so small; she can barely reach around me. It's so cute watching as she tries to hug me with determination.
My mother takes a step back. ‘Magnus, I only want what is best for you. I love you so much, and you will always be my baby boy even as you stand here now like a giant,' she muses. 'Claire also rang and hopes you will arrive at her house soon to help her greet everyone.’
‘I guess I can head there now,’ I reply, and then, to my mother's surprise, I quickly wrap my arms around her, swing around with the greatest ease and hug her. 'And thanks, Mum. I love you too,' I tell her endearingly and gently place her down.
My mother smiles warmly. ‘You have a great night at the party and no more fights, okay?’ She muses.
‘I’ll try my best to behave, Mum,’ I tell her and kiss her forehead before waltzing downstairs.
My breath catches as I descend the stairs. Nina stands by the window near the front door, looking out. She has a red fitted dress that sits just above her knees with little black heels and a matching clutch purse. She looks incredibly beautiful. I take a step towards her.
‘Wow, Moss is a lucky man,’ Flint says as he and Josie swiftly approach Nina before me. Flint is wearing a white shirt tucked into suit pants, and May is wearing a black dress with straps. Flint sees my steel gaze on him and laughs nervously.
‘I’m assuming Moss will be here to pick you up any minute?’ Flint asks Nina.
‘Yep, any minute,’ she replies casually and smiles. ‘Moss is taking me out for dinner. Then we are going to Claire’s party afterwards,’ she informs us.
I want to punch the front door, but I know I will knock it off its hinges, and Mum and Dad would be furious. So, instead, I walk out the front door and do not say a word.
Flint and Josie run outside after me.
‘Aren’t you going to get a lift from Seth with us?’ Josie asks.
‘No thanks, I’ll walk. The fresh air will do me good,’ I state solemnly.