Music was blaring and kids were running wild having fun on the training field, while the parents and other pack members were all stood or sat chatting, having a drink. One bonus of not having kids meant I got to chill out with my beer and not have to run around after a kid who was misbehaving or running riot.
My poor friends were up and down out of their seats like bloody yo-yo’s for their kids right now for one thing or another.
“Hey” Ruby said as she approached. “How is my little nephew” she smiles at Lola, who is sat to my right.
Ruby is Lola’s cousin, and Esme’s sister, she moved here when they did after we helped the Werewolf Council close their pack. She is a sweet girl, and I find myself chatting to her quite often when I see her around the packhouse. I have to say I feel for her, knowing she lost her fated mate in a rogue attack at her former pack must have been hard. I don’t think you ever fully recover from losing your mate from what I hear. How she is still going I don’t know. I know her family have been a massive support.
“Ah he is doing good.” Lola smiles. “You wanting a cuddle? And I don’t mean with Jake” she winks at me.
Lola seems so much more comfortable and confident in herself now she is settled in. Motherhood seems to agree with her too. And being with her mate obviously being a good thing too. She just seemed to blossom, looking so much happier.
Ruby blushes. I chuckle. “I think Xavier would definitely be the better option for a cuddle, Ruby” I say, hoping to lessen her embarrassment, showing I know Lola is teasing.
Our friends are always teasing about us anytime we are together, though we are the only single ones left now, other than Luis, Lola’s brother, and considering he is Ruby’s cousin, that would be a bit weird. So it seems to be an ongoing joke that Ruby and I are interested in each other. I haven’t really looked at her like that, knowing she lost her fated mate, and knowing she would likely not be wanting another mate. I could be a friend, and I wanted my fated mate. I know I did, despite all the thoughts that kept invading my mind of late.
“Ooohhh I don’t know Jake gives good cuddles Ruby” Indie says with a chuckle.
I roll my eyes. Here we go again.
Dan looks to me with a grin. “You been nicking cuddles off my mate?!” he demands.
“Nah, she chases me for them” I grin back. “Gonna start charging her for them, I could make a bloody fortune, what with her and Lilah.” I wink at Lilah.
Lilah giggles. “Jakey! That’s meant to be a secret!”
Knox is laughing now. Meanwhile, Ruby looks completely lost. She should be used to this by now. She spends plenty of time with us as a group because of her cousin and sister being mates with our best friends. Yet each time conversations like this happen she looks confused. It makes me smile.
“Bet you wish Lola hadn’t asked, don’t you Rubes?” I grin at her.
She smiles at me, “Just a bit. Seems you get around a bit, Beta Jake” she says with a wink.
I laugh, “Oh yeah, giving hugs out to mated she-wolves of my best friends. I am known for it.” I grin. “Sadly. not for anything more exciting.”
Ruby blushes.
“You flirting with my sister J?” Esme says, wrapping her arms around my neck as she walks behind me “cos it looks like whatever you said made her go red.”
“No. Just talking.” I say.
“Dirty talking?” Gabe pipes up as he joins Esme, beers in hand.
Esme is now laughing. How has this conversation gone this way?! They always seem to manage to twist it, so it seems this way!
Sorry Ruby, I link her they seem to find it funny to go with this
No worries. She replies. You up for gaming again later?
We had recently been gaming on the consoles in the packhouse together. Ruby works in the packhouse cleaning and I had been working late in my office and she had been crashed in the lounge on the console after finishing work, playing on one of the games, I got chatting about the game as it was one I played at home and we ended up playing a few matches. I saw her a few more times later that week and I don’t know why, but I suggested a rematch. Since then, we have met up for a few matches.
I figured it was nice for her to have another friend in the pack. It was someone else for me to talk to that wasn’t with their mate. Something new, something different to do. Yeah, I game with the guys, but that is them talking about their mates, their family. Talking to Ruby is different right now. I guess I am still getting to know her, but also, she is getting to know me. But I feel she needs someone to listen. I want to help.
Plus, when all my friends are now busy with their mates, and all the work is done for the day, it beats sitting in my house on my own.
Yeah if you want to? I reply.
Usual time? She replies.
I simply nod to her with a smile. Still ignoring the jokes being aimed in our direction about us flirting or getting it on. Those jokes get boring after a while. There is definitely none of that going on. Not that I am aware of.
It makes me cringe with embarrassment any time one of them makes suggestions about Jake and I . Don’t get me wrong, he is a handsome guy, tall, muscly, I mean, he is a Beta at the end of the day and has some dreamy eyes, I have to say. But he is not my mate. I am not sure anyone would ever be the same as my mate. Nobody would ever live up to Seb.I know they are teasing, and considering he and I are the only singletons in the group other than Luis, who chooses not to spend that much time with us, much preferring to spend time with ladies around the pack, it is easy to tease us, and often we end up having to chat to one another when the others are all with their mates. But I don’t consider him more than a friend. I have not considered anyone more than a friend since Seb.Seb was my mate, my fated mate. I lost him and the pain from that has never gone away. I am not sure it ever will. I can’t ever imagine giving myself to someone else. I was his. Fated to him. Meant for him and nobody e
Cleo had loved her birthday but was now crashed out across my lap, her wispy, blond wavy hair hanging down my side. She looks the picture of sweetness when she is asleep. Such a terror when she is awake, I truly don’t know how a two-year-old can have an attitude, but I swear this one is all the drama and attitude of a teenager squashed into a miniature body.Yet everyone in the pack loves her, she is a little charmer like her big brother. She had been spoilt with gifts today, so no doubt when she got around to opening all of those our house would be full with all sorts of new things to find homes for.She was named after my late sister. And has the same blond hair as her, and is the spitting image of Lilah. She has her big blue eyes, which make it very hard to be angry at her when she is looking all big baby-eyed at me. And she knows it. She is damn clever for a little girl, I swear. I used to laugh at my dad for being manipulated by my sisters, well, that was when I wasn’t complainin
An early start this morning meant I was not in the best of moods, and was purely running off coffee. Lilah had joined me in the office today for this business meeting. It was a new potential client from overseas that Knox had lined up, one he had been interacting with for some time, building up business connections with, so all being well this meeting should be just finalising the details.From what I could gather, the business associate was Rose Cartwright from Black Forest Pack, just on the outer edges of Scotland. So she would no doubt be as tired as us from travelling, unless she had been staying here and adjusted to the time difference before the meeting. I am certain that we are able to get these deals completed today, and know that Lilah will be determined to do the same too.Knox had other business he had to attend to within the Pack today, so he was leaving this deal to me and Lilah to complete until the final stages and then he would come and speak with Miss Cartwright if sh
A delayed flight then a dump of a hotel is the last thing I need before a meeting. But clearly, things do not seem to be going my way.But I promised my father I would go and get this business deal completed and that is what I intend to do. It should not be too difficult, most of the deal has been discussed and dealt with online and over the telephone, so just the finalisations have to be done in person. And it meant I got to do a little bit of travelling, at the expense of my Dad, so I was most definitely not going to complain at that!Though he could have at least booked me a better seat on the plane. Sitting next to a screaming kid the whole way was not my idea of fun. Jeez I hate kids. Sick to death of that fucking baby by the time we got to the airport. Surely she could have just put a fucking bottle in it’s mouth or something to shut it up. Or just choose not to fly with it. Instead of torturing everyone else on the plane, having to listen to it wail incessantly for the entirety
“Ok, thank you for coming.” Lilah says, bringing the meeting to a close.Thank goddess that it has finally ended. The meeting had dragged on for a couple of hours, discussing all the minute details they needed to. And while that normally does not bother me, today I was most definitely distracted and wanted to go and speak to this girl.She had avoided any interaction with me throughout the meeting. Which had irritated me. Me being here in all honesty today was pointless. I would be explaining everything to Lilah later. But right now I am ready to blow a fucking gasket, I swear!But I have sat and been the professional that I am expected to be, providing all the papers needed, giving answers when needed, making drinks and just being present. Despite being otherwise occupied on other things. Now the meeting was over, I hoped to get a chance to speak to Rose. Hopefully, she will give me that chance. Surely she must want that too? I am potentially her mate after all?I look across to wher
I watched Jake stand in the doorway of the room as Rose walks down the corridor away from the conference room. She seemed quite happy to walk away from him, relieved almost, and like there was no issue in leaving her newly-fated mate. But Jake bless him, he looks confused and unsure right now. And to be honest, I can understand why. She did not give much away. She was a truly closed book. Hiding something, I am almost certain of that.Did she want him? But at a later time? There seemed to be no instant connection like there had been with Dan and Indie, or Manny and Lola. Or any fated mates I had seen meet. It seemed so bizarre. She seemed very standoffish. Or was she simply hiding it? Fighting it because she was scared? Simply because she did not expect it to happen like she had said? It just seems so odd. There seemed to be nothing from her whatsoever. Though she had infuriated me and I wanted to rip her apart. Being so disrespectful of me and of Jake too. That is not how you act to
I ruffled her hair, knowing it would have driven her crazy. Because that’s the good friend I am. I treat Lilah like a younger sister now, and have done since she came into my life all them years ago.She loves me for it, I am sure. The death stare she is giving me right now may say otherwise, and is something I can pretend I don’t see. She is a scary gal when she is moody and I don’t have Knox here to help me out today. So pissing her off may not be in my best interest. Though I am sure today I may have the sympathy card to play given what has just happened, so that could most definitely work in my favour at least!“You wanting a coffee or you heading home hunni?” I aimed for the nice angle, hoping she would be heading home as I really do not feel like chatting.As awful as that sounds, I just don't want to be sat chatting for ages with Lilah, and have her trying to dissect everything and look at every little detail, as the girls so often do. I know it would be meant in the most suppo
I got to the hotel, glad to finally rest. Today has been far from the straight forward day promised to me by my father when he asked me to come and represent the company for them. Meeting my fated mate had only added to the disaster. Luna Lilah seemed to think she had the right to get involved with it all, when I did not see how it is any of her business.If I was Jake’s mate, then surely that would be between myself and Jake. Not anything to do with his Luna and Alpha. Yet she seemed to take serious offense at me saying I was not able to be with him at the moment. Not to mention, I have a partner back home that he does not know about yet.I get undressed, stepping into the shower, ready to wash off the dirt of the flight and meeting too. I am assuming once Jake gets back to pack I will get a phone call and we can discuss all of this. It is practical to keep your fated mate as an option. I am aware of that, and I do intend to do that. It is not like my fated mate is all that ugly, or