Zara’s POV
“Mom doesn’t get home for another two hours and Dad won’t be back until tomorrow.” I giggle into the phone at my boyfriend Liam’s excitement. “What’s the surprise?”
“If I tell you, it’s not a surprise, Z. I’ll be over in ten minutes.” He hangs up before I can press him further.
I look at the phone for a second. My boyfriend will be here in nine minutes. I sprint upstairs, change my shirt, and pull my hair out of a ponytail, fluffing it out. I hastily apply my shiny lip gloss, then stand back and look at myself in the mirror.
The doorbell chimes, making me smile. Why does he bother? He knows I don’t lock it.
“Zara, it’s me!” Liam’s voice is like honey on a biscuit. I can never get enough. After the Mating Gathering tomorrow night, I’ll hear it as often as I want.
“Coming!” I check the mirror one last time before I run downstairs, but he’s already halfway up. He’s two stairs below me, so we are the same height. I give him a big grin and let myself fall forward. He easily catches me and I wrap my arms and legs around him with a kiss that makes me hum happily.
“You look amazing, Z. Come on.” He kisses my cheek and carries me up the stairs.
“We’re going to my bedroom?!” I squeal. He’s not allowed in my bedroom if my parents aren’t home.
“Yeah, so I can show you the surprise.” He murmurs into my ear, giving it a little nibble, dissolving all my worries.
“Okay, what’s this big surprise?” I give him a peck on the lips as he sits on my bed with me straddling his lap.
“I love you so much!” He gives me a deep kiss, then pulls a bottle of whiskey from behind his back. “I paid a guy to get it for me. Come on. Let’s have a drink!”
“L-Liam, we sh-shouldn’t…” I shake my head.
“We shouldn’t, but it won’t hurt anything either.” He sits me on the bed and grabs cups off the shelf above my mini refrigerator. He opens the bottle and fills the cups halfway with amber color liquid. I give him a hesitant smile when he hands me a cup, still grinning broadly.
The sharp smell makes my eyes water. “Liam, I can’t.”
“Come on, Z. Don’t be a downer.” He rolls his eyes and takes a sip that makes him cough. “Loosen up for once.”
I take a little sip and wince at the strong, bitter taste. Liam tips the bottom of my cup a little more, making me take a bigger drink. I cough at the fire in my throat and almost drop the cup.
He refills it, then does the same to his cup and raises it. “Here’s to being fated mates.”
“Cheers?” I choke out and take another sip. It goes down easier this time. I guess it doesn’t taste as bad as I thought. After a few more sips, I relax and we laugh together, talking about our future. An hour later, my fingers and nose feel fuzzy and I can’t stop laughing. I can’t really feel my tongue in my mouth, either.
“We need music!” I get up and turn on the radio so I can dance. My favorite song by Ben Abraham is playing. “Oh! Liam! Dance with me!”
“Of course, Z. Anything to hold you.” He wraps me in his muscular arms and runs his fingers through my hair. His hazel eyes glimmer with happiness while he rocks me back and forth.
I’m a little surprised when he yanks his head away and gives me a perplexed expression. He leans in close again, takes a deep breath against the crook of my neck, and pulls back. Now his confused stare has a hint of lust in it.
“What? Whiskey turned you on that much?” I giggle, raising my eyebrows at him.
“No. Your scent changed. I can’t tell exactly what it smells like but it’s… I don’t know. It’s intoxicating, Z.” Liam pulls me closer to his chest, burying his face into my neck one more time. “Is your wolf waking up?”
“Liam, don’t be weird.” I slap his arm playfully. “I feel the same as any other day. My birthday isn’t until Sunday. She’ll wake up at the Mating Gathering tomorrow at midnight.”
“Sorry, I just don’t wanna let you go.” He kisses my neck, nipping hard with his teeth, and squeezes my waist tightly.
“Ow! Liam, you’re hurting me!” I whine, trying to push his hands off of my waist. “Stop!”
A rumbling growl comes from his chest and one of his arms slides under my shirt, making my heart thump hard with panic. His wolf’s claws dig painfully into my skin.
“Liam! Please stop! STOP!” I push my hands hard against his chest. He finally takes the hint and stands back. His eyes are pitch black and his face is elongating. Dark gray fur sprouts from his skin as he transforms. His shirt tears at the seams as his chest grows deeper. He is shifting into wolf form in my bedroom?!
Tears blur my vision when I realize he is blocking me from running out of the room. “No! Liam, what are you doing?!”
He snarls and swipes at me, but I’m just out of his reach. My wolf hasn’t woken up yet, so I have no way of defending myself. Liam is too strong for me to fight. Besides, I have no training. When I was little, Dad told me if someone tried to kidnap me, I should bite them. So I clamp my mouth down on Liam’s paw and bite with as much force as I can manage. I feel his bones crunch in between my teeth before I let go.
Liam’s half-wolf form howls and crouches forward, cradling his paw. I don’t know what comes over me, but I lunge forward and bite his neck before he can recover. Liam arches back and throws me to the ground. He stops shifting and looks mostly human again, shaking his head like he’s coming out of a daze, and looks at me with wide, surprised eyes.
“I’m… I’m sorry, Zara. I… didn’t.” His wolf’s voice is gravelly as he backs away, looking flustered. “I’m sorry. I… I better go.”
Before I can stop him, he turns and bolts. I try to grab his hand, but he’s way too quick for me. He runs down the stairs, throws the front door open, and takes off.
“Liam, wait! I didn’t mean to-” I sprint to the porch. He’s already in his car, halfway down the driveway.
Liam has never tried to grab me like that. Sure, we’ve messed around before, but he’s never tried to force himself on me. If that is what alcohol does, I don’t want any part of it.
I run inside and grab my cell phone. His phone rings twice and goes to voicemail. He rejected my call? In six years, Liam has never rejected one of my calls. I wait for the tone and leave a message.
“Liam, please call me. I-I didn’t mean to push you away. It was just… You scared me.” I sigh. “Please call so we can talk.”
I’ll try texting him.
Zara: I’m sorry. I got scared. r u ok? Pls call me.
He doesn’t respond. I try to call him again, but it goes straight to voicemail. I make calls to several of our friends, but no one has heard from him.
“Zara? Are you okay?” Mom comes through the front door while I’m sending out text messages.
“No, Mom. I think Liam and I had a fight?” My lip trembles, trying to figure out why Liam would try to hurt me. “I don’t know what happened.”
“Oh, Sweetie,” Mom pulls me into a hug, “it’s going to be okay. Help me with dinner. Tell me what happened.”
How am I going to tell her without getting in trouble for drinking and making out with my boyfriend in my bedroom?
“Where are my favorite girls?” Dad surprises us when he throws open the front door, saving me from the awkward conversation with Mom.
He comes into the kitchen and stops short. He looks around and sniffs the air, then looks at me. There’s something complicated in Dad’s eyes until he shakes his head, the same way Liam did. I don’t think he notices I’m watching when he gives Mom a tentative glance. She turns her eyes away and almost looks disappointed. She clears her throat, then faces me like nothing’s wrong.
Dad reaches into his bag and hands me a gift box with a big smile. Mom stands next to him, trying to appear happy.
“I hope you don’t mind your gift early. You know how I am with surprises. Plus, with the Mating Gathering on your birthday, we probably won’t get to see you anyway.” Dad is still giving me an odd look, like he’s holding something back.
“You said no gifts because we need the money for the expenses my scholarship won’t cover.” I hold up the box and smile at them gratefully.
“Open it, Zara.” Dad waves at the box. Maybe it’s my imagination, but it seems like he’s having a difficult time looking me in the eye. “It’s not every day your little girl turns eighteen.”
I unwrap the box and gasp at the expensive laptop I showed Mom last month at the mall.
“They loaded all your first semester books into its memory.” Mom says.
“Oh, my Goddess. You guys, you’re the best!” Fat tears roll down my cheeks as I jump up and hug them. Dad’s back stiffens for a second, but he still picks me up when he hugs me like he always does and gives me a kiss on his cheek.
“We love you, Zara Zhade.” He says into my ear. “Don’t you ever forget that. You’ll always be our little girl.”
“I love you too, Dad.” I whisper in his ear with a smile. It makes me a little nervous that he’s talking like I’ll never see him again. “I’ll see you Sunday morning after the Mating Gathering.”
“Yeah, Honey, you have a good time and I’ll see you after. I have to get back to work now.” He kisses my forehead and gives Mom the same mysterious expression before he heads out the door.
“Mom, does Dad seem a little off to you?” I stare at the door once he’s gone.
“Well, after tomorrow, you’re going to be mated. He has to trust another wolf with your safety and happiness. That’s a big deal for him.” She squeezes my shoulders and sets my dinner in front of me. I nod, but the tone in her voice isn’t convincing.
When my best friend Sylvie turned eighteen, I took her to an amusement park with the tallest roller coaster in Oregon. She had a blast. I lost my voice, screaming in terror, but I did it for her. I made her promise to keep things low key for my birthday. She won’t tell me what she planned, but insists we need to do it the day before my birthday and promises I will love it. I try to stay as still as possible when I hear the door to my room creak open because I know what’s next. It’s the same every year. Three…… twwwoooo…... one…… “UMPH!” All my air gets pushed out when Sylvie pounces on my mountain of bedding. She laughs maniacally while she tries to tickle me through the blankets. “ZeeZee! I know you’re in there somewhere!” She squeals from outside my fortress. “We have so much to do today! GET UP!!” “Sylvie! Come on, you promised low key,” I groan from the bottom of the pile at her weight on top of me. The covers pull away and I’m uncomfortably close to Sylvie’s megawatt smile,
“What do you think your wolf will look like, Zara?” Sylvie turns around and asks, her brown eyes sparkling in the evening light. “Oh, I hadn’t even thought about it.” I put my finger to my lip, contemplating the idea. Mom’s wolf is dark russet brown and Dad’s wolf is a dark gray, “I guess she will be a dark color, but I’m not worried about that. I just want her to be nice.” “Don’t worry, Z. The Moon Goddess chooses the wolf that’s right for each of us.” Liam takes my hand and kisses it reassuringly. “Whatever she looks like, I’m sure she’ll be as beautiful as you.” My concerns about yesterday and this morning fade away as we get closer to Emerald Mountain pack territory. I can’t believe after six years of dating, we are finally on our way to our pack’s Mating Gathering to find out if we’re destined mates. There’s no way we’re not. I can’t imagine being with anyone other than Liam. “Z, in less than three hours, you’re gonna be eighteen. How does it fee
I look around, confused. Panic is building in my chest. People around us are finding their mates, smiling and laughing, but something seems off. The guys close to us put their noses in the air, then look toward Liam and I. There is an odd look on everyone’s faces as they hone in on me. “Mate,” Mark says from next to me. I turn and look at him, confused. He is looking at me with a mix of desire, anger, and confusion at his confession. “Mark, what are you talking about, babe? You’re my mate. Not Zara’s,” Sylvie tries to get his attention off of me, but he is staring me down, making me feel very self-conscious. I try to hide myself behind Liam. Next to Mark, several other guys look at us the same way. “Mate,” they murmur when they see me. All of them. The meadow grows quiet except for the sound of the male werewolves calling me their mate. I look beyond Liam and see that even Alpha Williams is calling me his mate. I shake my head, “No. What’s wrong with all of you?” Sylvie is tryin
Keller’s POV “Hey, Jensen. Ping my phone and send a car to my location. I think I got one with some potential.” I pull my car over and park. When I double check the rearview mirror, I can see the girl still sitting on the curb. “You sure?” Jensen asks with a sarcastic tone in his voice, making me roll my eyes. “Have I ever been wrong before?” I snarl into the phone at my oldest brother. “Hey, don’t get an attitude with me, you little shit." He snarls back. “I’m not sending out a car unless you’re sure.” “Send a car, asshole." I say, and hang up on him. I take a deep breath and frown internally. Now it’s time for the part I hate the most. It feels more slimy and disgusting every time. Secretly, I want to get out of the family business. I don’t know how I could even approach Dad with the subject. I step out of the Range Rover and smooth my clothes down before I approach the shabby-looking girl sitting on the curb. “Uh, hi. This is kinda a rough part of town. A-are you okay?” I sq
I pick up my phone and dial Dad. “Ah, Keller, my baby boy. Jensen said you hooked one already.” I can hear the pride in his voice when he picks up. “Two actually. They’re twins.” I correct him, feeling good about the acquisition. “Keep them together if you can. I sort of promised them.” “Twins!” He exclaims. “Haha! They’re way more valuable together than separate. Definitely keeping them together. Good job, son.” “Thanks, Dad.” I can’t help but smile at the rare compliment from my old man, even if I feel like a slimeball. “I’m putting a little extra in your account as we speak, and I want you to take the rest of the day off." He starts off happy, but his tone quickly changes. "But first, I have other things to discuss with you.” “What’s up, Dad?” There’s always a catch with my dad. “Mom and I have been talking. We decided it’s a good time for me to think about retirement.” He sounds serious now. “That means I’m most likely going to be handing the business over to Jensen if he ca
I stand up from the booth and walk toward her. “Guys, I-I’ll be right back.” Sam peeks over the top of the booth. “Oh man, is that chick okay?” Jasper says something too, but all I can hear is my heartbeat and Rocky losing his mind at the sight of our mate. The night manager, Lucy, is patting the girl’s hand, trying to comfort her. The girl’s eyes get wide with fear as I approach, and she tries to pull away. “No! Lucy, no! Don’t let him hurt me, please.” She backs away and sobs. I grab her by the upper arm before she can take off and lead her to the kitchen. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” I announce a little too loudly. “Lucy, can I take her to the back?” “Uh, y-yeah, that would probably be a good idea.” Lucy looks nervously at the other customers who are staring at the scene. “NO! PLEASE! DON’T HURT ME! PLEASE!” The girl claws my hand, trying to pull away. “I’ll pick up their tabs.” I point to the customers and drag the screaming girl into the kitchen. As I tow her along, I no
Fifteen minutes later, I pull up in front of a white house with blue shutters. There’s a silver car in the driveway as well as two sedans from the pack fleet. “Mom is here!” She sounds relieved and tries to open the door. “You stay in the car with Sam and Jasper for a minute, Zara.” I lock the doors before she can open it. “I need to have a word with your mom first.” I look in the rearview and watch Sam take a swig from a bottle of rum he found in the back seat and try to hand it to her. She shakes her head sadly at him and looks out the window at her house. I step out of the SUV and walk up to the house. I’ve never met a sigma who still has a family. How did they not know they were putting her in danger when they sent her to the Mating Gathering tonight? There are a couple of lights on even though it is after two-thirty a.m. I ring the doorbell and stand back. After a minute, a woman peeks her head through the skinny window beside the door, then cracks the door open an inch.
I pull into an empty shopping center parking lot so I can concentrate. “Ahh, I hate when he gets like this.” Jasper says into the back seat. “Give him a minute, Zara. He’ll have something brilliant to say soon.” I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, then get out of the car. I open the back door. “Zara, can I talk to you outside for a moment?” “Here?” She asks, looking around the empty parking lot. “What? Now you don’t trust me?” I put my hands on my hips. She tries to get out, but it’s a far drop to the ground for how little she is. Especially since she isn’t wearing shoes. “C-can you help me… Please?” “I could just put you in my pocket.” I smirk at her, holding out my hand. Sam, who usually laughs at my dumb jokes, is suspiciously quiet behind her. I look over and see him passed out, hugging the empty liquor bottle like a baby. Jasper is scrolling through his phone, pretending to ignore us. Zara slowly slips her hand into mine and lets me help her out of the car. “You don