My Lost Spirit-Mate

6. Just a kiss ?

- “What the hell is happening in here ?!” I ask, shocked at the scene in front of me.

Well, at least now I know what my best friend was doing tonight, or rather who she was doing.

- “Hi Mack, you look gorgeous in that dress, I knew it would suit you so well, and the color, ah you’re…” Alice starts saying but I cut her right away.

- “Seriously, can you tell me what I’m seeing over here ?”

My brother is clearing his throat. They were kissing. Together. Kissing.

Why ?

I mean I know they liked each other when we were younger but William started to act like a douchebag with her a few years ago. And Alice was so hurt by that.

I witnessed her crying for months after he began wh*ring around, I was there for her the whole time, she complained for months and I know every time she saw him with someone new, she felt so bad. So why now ? Why were they kissing ? And hiding it on top of that ? It’s not like any of them were hiding conquests before !

- “Mack, I know it looks bad, it just happened like that, we saw each other tonight and there was an urge to…” Alice speaks but I notice that my brother is awfully quiet and looking at his shoes.

He seems embarrassed but I want to hear him say something. There was a reason why he stopped seeing Alice, he didn’t want to hurt her in any way, so what was he doing, playing with her tonight ? Was he embarrassed that I caught them or was there something else ?

- “William” I call him and he turns his head to me and stares at me for a full minute, but when he opens his mouth, I can see he doesn’t really want to talk about it.

- “I think we should go back to the party, everyone should be looking for us by now, we are the stars of the show after all.” And just like that, he leaves.

Without even looking at Alice, or excusing himself.

I want to slap him. I want to slap him hard. I really don’t get it.

I entered the room and they were kissing, it seemed passionate and I clearly interrupted something they were both enjoying. Even if I am not completely on board with the whole idea of them together, it is not my choice to make and the two of them know they could get hurt, like they were before.

But at least, William could have said something to defend his position, but instead he fled.

I look up to Alice, expecting a reaction of some sort but when our eyes meet, she just puts on a smile and says :

- “Yeah we should go back, I still have a few things to do before the cake arrives at midnight.”

I catch her hand before she tries to go through the door and ask her :

- “Are you okay ?”

- “I am fine, William just came in the kitchen to thank me for organizing the party tonight and … I don’t know, we stared at each other and for a second I felt like 4 years ago and I just wanted to kiss him, a lot. It felt like a need and a minute later we were making out. I have been restless when he is nearby, maybe the feelings I had before are amplified now because he is very close to his turn. I don’t know, it was so sudden.” she is telling me, a tear rolling on her cheek. Happy tear or sad tear ? I don’t even know anymore. This is a weird situation.

- “It’s okay honey, come here” I take her in my arms to hug her and she starts crying, letting go all her worries “William can be complicated but you know he always cared for you. Just, please, be careful okay ? He seems so lost sometimes with all the girls and the wait for the Turn, it will all make some sense soon.”

She hugs me tighter and thanking me, she dries her tears and goes to the door.

I know that Alice will turn in a few weeks and hopefully, her spirit will help her to heal and will be looking forward to finding her spirit-mate. But can Alice forget my brother and seek her happy ending ? Maybe she was really hooked all this time and she never get over it. Throughout the years, maybe it sort of amplified her feelings for William. Perhaps she was never over him, even though she dated a few other guys since then.

It’s clear I don’t think it is a good idea for them both to date or just flirt because they would both end up being hurt badly. And I REALLY don’t want to have to take care of their broken hearts afterwards. I guess we should wait and see.

When she leaves, this is the moment I notice that there is other people in the kitchen, and they probably heard the whole exchange.

Sh*t.

- “Thank you for your hard work, the food is amazing.” I tell them, awkwardly but trying to smile anyway. And then I leave the kitchen.

I storm into the living room where all the guests are gathered and when I enter, a few heads turn my way and I put a smile on my face.

I think they were expecting me…

I can see there is a stage in front of the huge white fireplace and with a microphone on her hand, Luna Mary is smiling at me with the Alpha and my father by her side.

My dad was always very elegant and discreet but tonight, he is wearing a beautiful red tux that makes his blue eyes - the same as mine - pop and in the crowd, a few woman are fixing him with lust, winking from time to time.

GOOD GOD that is not what I want to see.

- “Thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of our beloved Mackenzie and William, daughter and son of our Beta Henry. Come and join us my darlings.” That’s my queue to hop on the stage I guess. “May their Turns be as good and promising as they wish. I hope they will still be a part of this pack whatever happens.”

I know it is always difficult for a family to find out that the spirit of their child is not from the same kind of creature that they are. I remember that a few omegas of the Evergreen Forest Pack are from fairies or witches background. They were not rejected from their coven of witches and wizards or their hive of fairies, they just didn’t belong there anymore. Their new lifestyle and even their spirits need the company of people alike. It’s simple biology and survival.

And even if we all live in harmony, we have more chances to find our spirit-mates in the same creatures as us. Mixed couples are very rare, if nonexistent depending on the decade.

As I walk on the stage, I see a lot of faces smiling at me. I know they are all expecting to know what spirit I have. Same for William. I can see that he is not very comfortable and probably anxious to know for himself too.

- “As you know, the Turn ceremony is a very intimate one and this is why, for the next hour, our guests of honor are going to be locked in their rooms so they can enjoy it on their own.”

The Turn is, in fact, very private, and most of us rather like living it alone. We can never know which spirit is going to enter us so to avoid overwhelming embarrassing moments in front of a whole crowd, werewolves usually spend it quietly in a room or in the forest for very traditional people.

I look at the clock as my brother takes my arm and drags me to the staircase to go back to our respective bedrooms. It’s 11.50 pm. It’s time.