Greenlake Mates

I could feel his eyes on me. Blue to green. His intense stare felt like an actual touch on my skin. I shuddered, repulsed. It might as well be a knife; it was that painful. His face hardened and he moved towards me. Automatically, I took a step back. He growled at my actions and fear swallowed me whole. The darkness surrounding us started to close in. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. My throat was closed, strangling me. He got closer to me. I couldn’t move. Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me. He got closer and as he did, he changed. Gone were the hard eyes that stared at me with anger and hatred. In its place were the kind eyes of the boy I grew up with, the one that taught me to tie my shoes and helped me with my homework. He reached up with gentle fingers and cupped my cheek. “You’re mine,” he murmured. I shook my head. No, I couldn’t belong to him. I didn’t belong to anyone. His hand moved from my cheek to my jaw, and then slid down my throat to the spot where my neck met my shoulder. His fingers danced on my skin there, causing sparks to ignite under his touch. I felt myself start to lean into the caress, enjoying the touch of someone else for the first time in years. He growled possessively and I jumped, startled, moving out of his reach as quickly as I could. I was frightened. “Mine,” he growled at me. I shook my head again. His eyes narrowed dangerously and I tensed, the impending sense of dread creeping up my spine once more. Our gazes crashed together. His eyes were a darker blue and angry. Mine were green and wide with fear. No, please, I silently begged him. Please don’t come for me. Please don’t touch me. He didn’t listen. He charged at me suddenly. I turned to run, to call for help, anything, but I was stuck. I could do nothing except watch with horror as he came barreling down on me. He overpowered me, took away my control. As I was knocked to the ground and the darkness consumed my sight, I finally let out a scream.   I woke up instantly, the scream that had exploded out of me still ringing in my ears. I struggled to take a breath, puffing for a minute before I was able to breathe deeply. My hand automatically went to my racing heart, as if it could calm the organ by touching it. A second later, that hand moved to my neck. I rubbed it, feeling it tingle. Once my body was under my control again, I sighed. Another nightmare. They used to happen all the time, but it had been a couple months since my last one. I knew this sudden change was triggered by my recent decision to go home. “It’s temporary,” I reminded myself. I was going back to my family for one month only, that’s it. Then it’s goodbye to Greenlake. I never wanted to go back there again. I moved five hours away from everyone I had ever known. It was for college, or at least, that is what I told them. My parents had been confused at first since we had never talked about me going to college so far away, but in the end, they had understood and let me go. I don’t talk to them very often; the pain of my past was too great. I knew that it hurt them, but the distance I put between us made dealing with their disappointment that much easier. Now that distance I had used as a shield to protect myself was about to be ripped away. I shook my head at my dramatic musings. I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself. I knew that going back would be a possibility one day, I had just hoped it would be further in the future. Besides, I had left a lot of loose ends back in Greenlake so in order to truly be free, I had to deal with those head-on. My heartbeat quickened at the thought of a particular loose end. He would be there this weekend. I would have to see him. Breathe, Dani, I reminded myself. I filled my lungs as best as I could with air and let it out slowly. I had no reason to be scared. It had been years since I last saw him. I wasn’t the same doe-eyed pup that had found trouble at the worst time in my life. I had grown and hardened. My tough skin was impenetrable now and that’s the way it was going to stay. He couldn’t hurt me. I checked the time and swore. Usually, I despised the idea of being late, but the past two days I had been dragging my feet, unwilling to pack for the long drive ahead of me. I had promised my mom I would be on the road no later than seven in the morning. It was 6:54 a.m. now and I still hadn’t packed. I grabbed a duffle bag and started throwing things in it, not caring what it was. Once it was full, I hopped in the shower and went through my morning routine. I decided to skip breakfast; my stomach was still in knots from my nightmare last night and so that saved me some time. I was on the road by 7:23 a.m. It was a five-hour drive from my apartment to my parents’ home, so I used that time to mentally prepare myself for what I was going to have to endure. My brother’s mating ceremony was going to be next week and my presence was mandatory. I had met Bethany a couple of weeks ago over video chat and she immediately asked me to join her party for the ceremony. All of my polite declines and excuses were no match for Beth. She was determined to include me and when I argued, she started to cry. It was a dirty, dirty trick but it worked. I reluctantly agreed to show up early and help out. My parents had been on the call as well and, amongst the cheers that caused me to roll my eyes, they informed me that there will be a party this weekend to celebrate the upcoming nuptials and now my homecoming. Through gritted teeth, I feigned excitement before bidding them goodnight. My parents were high ranking members of the pack, so I knew that my ‘homecoming’ was going to be blown out of proportion. My car ate up the distance in no time and I arrived shortly after noon. For the past hour, I felt like my heart was somewhere in the floorboard and dread flooded my veins. I continued to take deep breaths. Now that I was here, I couldn’t afford to lose my calm demeanor. Acting indifferent was important to me. I just had to get through this next month with my dignity intact and then I’ll feel better when I go back to my studio apartment far, far away from here. I drove up to my parents’ two-story beautiful ranch-style home and parked, but did not get out of my car. I stared at the white house with its huge porch, detached garage, and light blue door, the door that promised a warm welcome with my family. It had matching blue trim and two small gardens on either side of the walkway. My mother loved her gardens, even though she didn’t have much of a green thumb. Both sides were covered in a variety of flowers and plants, creating a riotous colorful effect that suited my mother perfectly. Despite the chaos of the flowers, both small gardens were trimmed back neatly and off the path that led to the front porch. The curved driveway made for easy access to the road. It was already filling up with cars. My mother loved this house. My dad had it built just for her shortly after they were mated. The outside was beautiful and charming while the inside was cozy and warm. Dad always said the house was like Mom herself. It had been twenty-five years of them in this house and they were still content in the one spot, still disgustingly in love. Well, that’s the mate bond for you. Once a werewolf finds their mate, that’s it for them. There is no one else and their affection for each other never dims. Swallowing the lump in my throat that had suddenly formed, I wiped my damp palms on my jeans and got out of the car. The walk up to the front door reminded me of one destined for the gallows, but I shook off that melodramatic thought as I reached the door. There I paused, debating on knocking or just walking in. This had been my home all my life until I left, but given the distance I’d placed between me and my family, both physically and emotionally, it didn’t feel right to just barge in. Before I could decide, the door swung open and I was swept inside by my benevolent mother. “My baby is home!” she cried, hugging me tightly. I tensed for a second before wrapping my arms around her, returning her hug. Her scent filled my nostrils. She smelled like sugar cookies and cider. To my horror, tears began to prick my eyes. I had no idea that I had missed her this much. She began to pull away, but I held her tighter, unable to let her go in that moment. My mom had been my best friend when I was a young pup. Anytime I felt down, all she had to do was look at my face before inviting me to the kitchen. There she would bake cookies while I talked her ear off about my problems. She was always sympathetic and patient, offering her wisdom when I needed it. I went to her for everything. At least I used to. There are some things I kept to myself, some things I never spoke out loud about. I never will. When I let go of my mom, she took a step back and looked me up and down. She was shorter than I was and plump. Her golden hair pulled back in a neat bun with tendrils that framed her face. Her bright green eyes were sharp, despite the wrinkles that lined her face. As she peered at me, she frowned. “My goddess,” she said. “You sure have lost an awful amount of weight. Are you eating properly, dear? You know, I don’t mind sending you those care packages I told you about-” “Mom, I’m fine,” I interrupted, shaking my head. “I’m doing just fine. You don’t have to worry.” Even as I said that, I knew that it was pointless. She was my mom, of course she worried about me. Despite the questions I could see in her eyes, Mom didn’t push the matter. Instead, she patted my arms a couple of times and welcomed me home. We walked through the living room as she caught me up on the progress for the party later. The food was prepped and cooking, tables and chairs were being delivered soon, and lights were ready to be strung in the backyard. “Brian and Beth are already here,” she continued. “I’ll have your brother fetch your things. Your father is in the kitchen cooking, so you need to go say hi to him before heading outside to help with the lights.” “Got it,” I told her. Normally, all this information she was giving me would have overwhelmed me, but I was trying to relax and be helpful. To survive this party- and the rest of the month- I would need to keep as low a profile as I could. Attention was already going to be on me with my (temporary) homecoming after being gone for so long. I really didn’t want to make matters worse. The plan was to show up and help out as much as I could. I would talk to others in the pack, be polite and cordial, and then when everyone was distracted with Brian and Bethany, I would simply fade into the background. It was as good a plan as any. I kissed my mom on the cheek and made my way to the kitchen. As soon as I opened the door, I saw my father standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot. I took a deep breath in. Hmm… homemade apple cider. My dad was an amazing chef and his apple cider was famous in town. He planned on retiring soon and handing the restaurant over to my brother, who spent the past couple years apprenticing under him. They both had the magic touch when it came to food while my mother was a better baker. I, on the other hand, had zero skill in the kitchen. It comes from having a house full of cooks that can make the food for me. I never had any interest in working for the restaurant, but thankfully it never bothered my parents. I was going to school instead to become a biologist. Dad turned around and froze when he saw me. I smiled and waved awkwardly. His returning smile was blinding. Before I could react, he was picking me up in a bear hug, squeezing me tightly until I could practically hear my bones crunch. “My daughter’s finally home!” he boomed. I winced, my sensitive hearing and proximity making his voice that much louder. Dad was always this way. He had a loud, commanding presence that filled up a room. This was a side effect of being a chef. “Dad,” I wheezed. He let me go and looked me over, similar to how Mom did. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. My dad was pretty tall at 6’5. My brother and I take after him in height and hair color. We all had jet black hair while my mom was blonde. Dad and Brian had brown eyes while I had my mom’s green eyes. Before he could comment on my appearance, I cleared my throat. “It’s great to see you, Dad.” “It’s good to see you too, Dani,” Dad responded, raising his eyebrow. “Considering it’s been a couple of years.” Uh-oh. “What are you talking about?” I laughed awkwardly, my voice sounding strange to my own ears. “We just saw each other a couple of days ago.” “That is over the phone and it’s not the same,” he pointed out. I stared at my shoes, unsure of what to say now. Dad sighed. He pulled me back in for a hug. “I am happy to see you.” “And I am happy you made cider,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. It worked. My dad let out a loud laugh and turned back to the stove. “I have a batch already cooled in the fridge, just waiting for you. Help yourself.” He didn’t have to tell me twice. I got into the fridge and poured myself a tall glass of that sweet cider. After my first glass, I poured another one while my dad shook his head at me. “Is Dani here yet?” I heard someone call from a different part of the house. It was my brother, Brian. A few seconds after hearing his voice, he walked into the kitchen. I grinned at him, putting my glass down. He hugged me quickly before stepping back and pulling someone else through the doorway. It was his mate, Bethany. She was a pretty thing, petite with glossy brown hair and dark brown eyes. She smiled up at me before pulling me down for a hug. “Hey guys!” I chirped excitedly. This was a huge milestone for my brother and I wanted him to have the best time possible. I loved my brother and even though it hasn’t been that long, I already loved Bethany like a sister. She was a perfect match for him. This was no surprise since the moon goddess rarely makes mistakes in matching werewolves. Still, I wanted them to know how happy I was for them both even though I wasn’t really happy with being home again. “Dani,” Brian greeted me. “It’s good to see you. Did you bring your bags in yet?” I shook my head at him. “I only have one bag and it’s still in my car,” I explained. Brian looked at me in surprise. “Why’d you only bring one bag? You are staying the whole month, aren’t you?” he asked softly, looking worried. I saw my dad tense up at the stove from the corner of my eye. “Of course, I’m staying,” I told everyone as soothingly as I could. As one, they all relaxed. Jeez. “I, um, forgot to pack until the last minute, so I just threw a whole bunch of stuff together in one bag. That’s what I get for procrastinating, I guess.” I laughed in a self-deprecating manner and shrugged. Brian grinned at me. “Well, if you find out you are missing anything, we can go shopping in town later,” Bethany offered. I smiled at her. “I’d like that, thank you,” I told her. To be honest, I hate shopping. It always gives me a headache and takes up too much time. However, I didn’t want to let her down. We hadn’t hung out together in person before and I knew it was important to her to feel like part of the family. Honestly, at this point, she was more family than I was. I banished that thought and put on a cheerful face before making my way to the backyard. Brian went to my car to get my bag and put it in my old room. I hadn’t gone upstairs quite yet. Outside, the yard was a flurry of activity. Pack members moved about, placing newly arrived tables and chairs in the directed spots. Some were setting up a stage while others were gathering dishes to set the tables. I was assigned to stringing lights, so that is what I did. After setting up lights so that the whole backyard could be seen from space, I moved to helping organize the tables and chairs. To the right of the tables was a platform for dancing and in the very front was the stage where the toasts were going to be given. Speakers were set up in that area along with a small table where a laptop sat to play music and a microphone with a stand in the middle of the stage. It was a couple of hours of busy work, but I was grateful for the distraction. With everyone busy getting the party ready, no one thought to come up to me to welcome me home. Once everything was set up, however, I was swarmed. I shook hands, hugged, and answered every question that was thrown my way about school, my apartment, my town, and worst of all, my love life. At twenty-three years old, I was one of the oldest in the pack that was not actively seeking to settle down with a mate and a pup on the way. Werewolves tend to mate and start a family early. I was one of the few werewolves who was horrified by the idea. Needless to say, it was an unpopular opinion to wait. “Hey, Dan!” Brian called from the back door. I excused myself from the group of older women who were lecturing me on the importance of finding a mate to join my brother. He grinned down at me with a knowing smirk. “How’s it going?” I rolled my eyes. “Our pack is so nosy,” I complained. Brian just laughed at me. I glared up at him in response. “Dani, you can’t blame them for being curious,” he pointed out. “We have a tight-knit pack and when one of our own takes off, it makes sense that the rest of the pack would be worried.” “They are not worried,” I scoffed. “They don’t care what I have been up to, really, just that I haven’t been mated with a litter surrounding me yet.” “A litter?” Brian scrunched up his nose. “That’s gross. Just because you’re part wolf doesn’t mean you’ll have a litter.” I laughed. This led to a debate on what constituted a litter. “Oh, shut up,” I told him. “Like you wouldn’t have a horde of pups with Bethany if you wanted.” Brian just grinned. I tilted my head up at him. He was different since he met his mate. A few years ago, before he shifted, he would have balked at the idea of having pups. Now that he was older with a mate of his own, he seemed… excited about the idea. “As soon as the mating ceremony is over,” he promised. “We will be coming back from our honeymoon with a pup on the way, I guarantee you.” I gagged, making Brian laugh. He pushed my shoulder in jest. “I’m really happy for you,” I told him, switching the subject. I really didn’t want to think about what my brother would be doing on his honeymoon. Gross. Brian smiled at me again, looking happier than I have ever seen him. “She’s great,” he whispered dreamily. “She is my whole world. I can’t believe I actually found her.” My heart throbbed, seeing my brother like this. He was so lovesick that it was adorable. “I like her,” I told him. I felt like it was important to let him know. Bethany fit like a glove into this family. Brian met her when he went back to culinary school after break. Bethany was working at the local library. Brian walked in one day after following a smell that called to him. As soon as they laid eyes on each other, they knew they were soulmates. It is how the mate bond works. When a werewolf sees their other half, their wolf calls out to the other. It is a spark that connects them as soon as their eyes meet. The smell of one’s mate is different from anyone else’s. Its uniqueness is what draws werewolves to their mates until they see them for the first time. Then the mate bond snaps into place, like a rubber band tied and stretched between two people. It is the most sacred thing to us. “She likes you too,” he responded. Then he looked at me from the side. “Hey, I thought you should know beforehand… Castian’s coming in today.” At his words, my scalp prickles. I tensed visibly before remembering that my brother was watching for my reaction, so I made myself relax. Taking a deep breath, I aimed for aloofness. “Oh, is he?” I laughed breathily. “I had no idea he was in town.” “Yeah, he’s here for the mating ceremony. I asked him to stand by me. He’s my best friend, you know? Has been since we were pups-” “Brian,” I stopped him, placing my hand on his arm. “You don’t have to explain yourself. I’m here for you, to celebrate you finding your mate. It’s only natural that other people you love be there as well.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. I did not want to see Castian. He was the same age as my brother, which was just a year older than me. Castian was my brother’s best friend. They were practically brothers, spending every day of their childhood together, getting into mischief. With those two joined at the hip, Castian had been over at my house all the time. I was just a year younger and followed them around. Any normal brother would have been annoyed by his little sister tagging along when he was hanging out with his friend. Not so with Brian. He made sure that any time he was out with a friend, they knew that I was to be included. For my brother, it was no big deal to have me there, but for me, it meant the world. A lot of Brian’s friends would complain about my presence, but one look from Brian silenced them. Castian was the only one that didn’t seem to mind. When Brian introduced us, I was seven years old and he was eight. They were going to go outside and jump on the trampoline and Brian said I should come along. Castian had raised his eyebrows at the declaration and I thought for sure that he was going to be upset. I had opened my mouth to decline the offer when Castian bent down and helped me with my shoes. He then held out his hand for me to take it and walked with me to the trampoline outside. Since that day, it was always the three of us. I had developed a crush on Castian quickly. He was nice, cute, and funny. I idolized him for a while, happy for any attention he would give me. Thinking about it now, I cringed at how obvious I had been. It must have been annoying to Castian for his friend’s little sister to pester him like I had. That had changed when I turned thirteen. I was older and making new friends of my own. I spent less and less time with Brian and Castian. They would still invite me to join with whatever they were doing, but more often than not, I would decline in favor of spending time with my own friends. Sometimes, I would still join the boys wherever they were going and it was like old times. Things changed again for me just two years later when I started to get bullied in school. There was a group of girls that were in love with Brian and Castian both. They didn’t like that I could hang out with them anytime I wanted. This led to me getting picked on. It was subtle at first. I would get shouldered in the hallway or excluded at the lunch table. Then it got bad. I refused to talk about it at the time, despite the pleas from my family and Castian. It was my problem, not theirs. The situation did not get any better and I began to isolate myself at home instead of going out. That is, until my eighteenth birthday. I shut down that line of thinking. Now was not the time to remember what happened that night. I rubbed my arms where goosebumps had formed, despite the warm summer air. Brian glanced at me worriedly. His wolf hearing must have picked up the increase in my heart rate. I took a deep breath to calm myself and pasted a smile on my face. Brian had no idea what had happened that night. He didn’t know about what Castian had done. I wanted to keep it that way. “Let’s go find your mate,” I suggested as cheerily as I could. Brian nodded, but a frown still marred his face. I looped my arm through his and turned him around so he wasn’t facing me. We walked back inside the house in search of Bethany. Brian immediately headed for the stairs. Part of being a mate is always knowing where your other half is. It was one of the creepiest traits of the mate bond in my opinion. I waited for Brian at the bottom of the stairs, but after several minutes, he didn’t come down. I shifted from foot to foot, wondering what was holding him up. Just then, my mom came in through the back doors, carrying a box of dishes. She stopped when she saw me. “Oh!” She smiled. “Dani, honey, I’m glad I found you. Do you think you could move your car into the garage? We have a lot of people coming over and we need room in the driveway.” I nodded at her. I had a feeling that Brian wasn’t going to come downstairs for a while, so I might as well make myself useful. I made my way through the living room and out the front door to where my car was parked in the driveway. Before I could reach it, though, a heavenly scent hit me like a ton of bricks. It smelled of rain, fresh soil, and mint. My head snapped up immediately. With laser-like focus, my gaze met his. Blue to green. My body froze and tensed all at once before I started to shiver. My breath left my lungs. Standing next to my car was Castian. He was staring at me with his wide blue eyes, his breath coming out in short pants as if he had been running. The action caused his shirt to stretch over his broad torso. He looked good. His dark hair was longer, touching the nape of his neck and hanging down to his bright blue eyes. With a square jaw and full lips, he was devastatingly handsome. His hand was resting on the roof of my car. I saw him take a deep breath in through his nose, his eyes never leaving mine. “Mate,” he growled. Oh f**k.