Life Without You

Chapter 5 - Tommo

“You have told Lettie that you are coming right?” Frankie asks from the drivers seat of his car.

“No, he bloody well hasn’t. He still hasn’t decided if he is going to go in or if he’s just going to skulk around the grounds all night.” I reply for him, as he uncomfortably fidgets in the seat beside me.

“But your dad knows that you are coming right?” Frankie continues his questioning.

“Bren didn’t even know that he was coming until the car started moving. He only got ready because I refused to bring the gift he got for her if he didn’t. I told him that he didn’t have to come just to get ready in case he changed his mind and decided to come at the last minute.” I explain rather pleased with myself for completing a near impossible task yet again. I look over to my best friend and he is completely oblivious to the fact that we are talking about him, as he stares out of the window watching the world pass by. I pray to the moon goddess again, praying emphatically that I have done the right thing dragging him along tonight. They have to be mates though, and even if they’re not, Lettie would never let someone else mark her, and certainly not in front of Bren.

“Tell him Jace, the mate bond isn’t all it’s cracked up to be anyway, is it? No one likes being electrocuted every time they touch their girlfriend.” I say to Jace imploring him to back me up on this matter. Jace is the only one of us to find our fated mate so far. Not that he really talks about it very much, but that might have more to do with the fact that his mate is Frankie’s little sister, Daphne, than anything to do with not being happy with his mate. I’m almost certain he never thought about her romantically until five weeks ago when it was her 18th birthday party and they scented each other out. The three of us; me, Frankie and Jace had travelled back from the academy for the weekend for her party. Bren had been far too busy at the academy to make it apparently, and had stayed behind working. I suspect he was just avoiding going home in the hope that he wouldn’t see Daphne, incase she just so happened to be his mate and he had to reject her. No one wants to inflict that memory on someone on their 18th birthday, especially not one your best friend’s little sisters.

“It’s nothing like being electrocuted, you i***t. It’s different, it’s… nice.” He says looking from me to Frankie and then finally Bren.

“You see it’s only nice with your fated mate, what you and Lettie have is so much more than nice.” I reassure Bren whilst Jace shakes his head.

“Can’t you see I’m trying to help him out.” I shout through the mind link at Jace.

“Tommo is right. Everyone knows that you and Lettie are perfect together, you don’t need to scent her out to know that she is the one for you. Just don’t f**k about, walk into that ballroom with your head held high and sink Roman’s teeth into her neck. Making sure you claim what is yours in front of everyone.” It’s a bit dramatic but it seems to do the trick. Bren seems a little bit less nervous and the corners of his mouth curl up slightly as if they are trying to form a smile.

***

I thought we had finally talked some sense into Bren, but when we get to the Dark Moon pack he starts chickening out again. We meet up with Alpha Hayden, Luna Georgia and Daphne in the car park. Although Jace and Daphne haven’t marked each other yet, they are very clearly a couple, and I think it’s only a matter of time before they decide to make everything official. Anyway it appears that the pair of them want a bit of alone time so the rest of us walk into the pack house together. However, Bren refuses to go into the ballroom until we have all checked it out and made sure that Lettie isn’t with anyone else. I see the look on her face when she sees us and notices that everyone has made it there except Bren. I curse him out through the mind link again, making sure to emphasise just how alone and miserable she looks. A second later Bren strides confidently into the room and straight over to Lettie. His eyes are the eyes of Roman and I know that it can only mean one thing. My best friend is the biggest i***t there is and he has been worrying for nothing all this time. I can’t help the huge sigh of relief that washes over me as the pair of them engage in a game of tonsil tennis in the middle of the dance floor. I have been so engrossed in what is going on with Bren that I haven’t noticed that Frankie is no longer stood with us. As soon as I realise I look around the room and find him stalking his way over to a group of she-wolves. I’ve seen ‘the walk’ before. Jace did it, Bren just did it and Frankie is currently doing it. The walk that you do when you find your fated mate and everything else doesn’t exist anymore. The only thing that you can focus on is your mate. I look away from him and Bren awkwardly and decide it might not be a bad time for a quick catch up with my Alpha.

“It will be your turn soon enough.” He says reassuringly, completely misunderstanding my feelings, as I join him and Georgia at the side of a dance floor. I don’t think that I am ready for what they have just yet.

“I’m not in any rush.” I admit and he chuckles.

“Not like your father then.” He says, still chuckling.

“No, but with all due respect sir, that is a story I don’t need to hear more than once.”

“That’s such a shame, Georgia has never heard that story before.” Alpha Hayden says disappointedly.

“Then I will leave you to fill her in. I guess I will go get the details about the new recruit. Things look to be going well for Frankie, so I’ll find out what I can about her from her friends.” I say whilst walking over to the group of she-wolves.

“Hi, I’m Tommo, that suave gentleman of a werewolf over there is one of my closest friends, Frankie. Never Francis. Never call him that.” I say motioning towards him with my head as he kisses the she-wolf as if he is in a secret contest with Bren about who can kiss for the longest without coming up for air.

“Hi I’m Tiff, this is Lauren and your friends mate is Lydia.”

“Lovely to meet you.” I say as I offer my hand to the two she-wolves that aren’t currently busy. They both shake my hand and share a look between themselves. “So which pack are you from?”

“Shadowfax. So do you have a mate?” Tiff asks and her eyes stare at my bare mark spot that is half hidden by the collar of my shirt.

“Now, that is a very interesting question. I, like you, am a werewolf so I guess I do somewhere….” I start with my usual smart Alec reply, but she cuts me off mid sentence, obviously not impressed with my response.

“Oh goddess, what a shame, you’re one of those Alphas.” She says cringing.

“No, I’m definitely not one of those Alphas. I am the future Beta of the Silver Tides pack, my future Alpha is over there with his mate.” Their distain at me possibly wanting to wait for my mate is gone and they have an intrigued look on their faces now.

“So you’re the future Beta, that makes your friend here the future Gamma?” She asks surprised.

“Yep. Your friend?” I inquire.

“Gamma’s daughter, although she had been hoping to rank up a bit with her mate. We all just presumed he was the future Beta.”

“Fraid not. She doesn’t seem too bothered about that right now.” I say as I watch them break for a breath only to go straight back to it after one big gasp.

“No. I guess not. I’m the Alpha’s daughter, but I don’t mind ranking down for an evening.” Tiff says, and she steps closer towards me whilst running the tip of her tongue seductively across her lips.

“Great. I’m sure there are loads of unmated Betas and Gammas here tonight. Although I’m not one of those Alphas, I’m kinda one of those Betas.” I cringe at my own slight white lie. I’m not really waiting for my mate as such, I’m just not interested in what these two have to offer, and making out like I am waiting for my mate seems like the kindest way to let them know I’m definitely not interested in them.