Best Friends to Mates

Chapter Ten

"Pryn, this is my mate."

Excitement coursed through me. My brother found his mate and Luna of our pack?

As his sister and a pack member, happiness flooded me. When the Alpha of your pack finds their mate and Luna, the entire pack usually is incredibly excited.

Chosen mates, especially for Alphas, are growing common these days. For an alpha to find their destined mate and rightful Luna to the pack, it is an incredibly joyous occasion.

"Levi! That's incredible!" I exclaimed excitedly. I quickly pulled Hazel into a tight hug, which she responded easily to. I could already sense that Hazel and I would become great friends.

After letting go of Hazel, I pulled my brother into a tight hug as well. I was beyond happy for my older brother. Finding your mate is an incredible feeling.

I felt such happiness from finding my own mate and learning that my brother found his and gaining our Luna.

Thatcher wrapped his arm around me once I pulled away from my brother.

The feeling of his arm around me sent tingles gliding across my body. I wasn't sure if I'd ever get used to the feeling of the mate bond. It was an incredible feeling.

"It truly is great to finally meet you, Pryntess. Your brother and family have told me so much about you. I can't wait to get to know you myself. I hope we can be friends!" Hazel gushed happily.

Her eyes gazed over to Levi, and I saw just how much love they shared for one another. It made my heart soar with happiness for my older brother.

"Oh, yes, I'd love to be friends! I'm so glad my brother found you." I replied back enthusiastically. I truly meant it, too. I just had the feeling that Hazel had a beautiful soul, and it excited me to think that she could hopefully be a close friend.

I didn't have any close girl friends, only a few acquaintances, besides Liana. I truly missed her and needed to text her as soon as possible.

I knew that she was going to be upset with me that I didn't message her as soon as I got home like she told me to. I was incredibly tired, and then I found out that my best friend was my mate.

Liana is going to flip her lid when she finds out that Thatcher is my destined mate. She was my shoulder to lean on when Thatcher stopped talking to me, and I could never repay her for being such an amazing friend.

My mother cleared her throat and smiled. I could see the pure happiness radiating from her. Both of her children had found their mates, which is something she has wanted for a long time.

"Now that we're all introduced, let's dig in! I didn't cook for hours for all this food to go to waste!" Mom teased, earning a few chuckles from everyone.

I took a seat beside Thatcher at the table. To my left, my father sat at the end of the table. My mother sat to his left while Levi and Hazel sat to my mother's left.

Titan sat at the other end of the table. To his left was Portia, and Talia sat between her mom and brother.

I had been completely confused about who the ninth place was for, but now it makes sense. Levi wanted to surprise me with his mate, and that is why Mother wouldn't tell me who it was set for.

Our families immediately dug into all of the delicious food my mom made. I glanced around the table at all of the men's plates and let out a small laugh. All four of them had enough food stacked on their plates to feed multiple people.

I wasn't understanding where all of the food was going to fit, but that was common for male wolves. Our wolves consume a lot of our energy, especially when we shift, and mostly for the males. The amount of energy their beasts consume makes them incredibly hungry.

For us females, our wolves are smaller. Though they still consume energy, it isn't nearly as much as the males, meaning that we don't have to eat as much to maintain our energy levels.

Everyone joked around, and the table was filled with a lot of happiness and laughter. It had been a long while since I was able to sit with the people I cared about most and enjoy myself.

Being gone for so long was incredibly hard on me. Although I am grateful for the girls I grew close to at the academy, it still wasn't the same as being with my family.

The ease I felt while being around my family and close friends was indescribable. My wolf was filled with happiness at being so close to our mate. His arm was wrapped around my shoulders again.

The warmth and tingles I felt from Thatcher's touch had my wolf purring like a cat. She loved all of the attention that we were getting from our mate and even whined for more. She wanted to claim what was ours, but I had to push her down.

It was too soon for us to claim one another yet. Although Thatcher and I have known each other, inside and out, our entire lives, it was still too early for us to take that next step.

To complete the marking process, we must mate, too. I definitely wasn't ready for that yet, and I knew that Thatcher understood.

I was still a virgin. I waited for my mate. Even though I knew that Thatcher definitely wasn't a virgin, and although it made me jealous, I couldn't be mad at him for it.

Thatcher didn't know that I would turn out to be his mate. Hell, none of us expected this.

Everyone finished breakfast, and Thatcher's family decided it was time they headed back home. Levi and Hazel left to go on a walk to get some time alone, and my parents had errands to run; leaving Thatcher and I completely alone in the house.

It wasn't as if it were the first time that my parents had left Thatcher and I alone here before, but it was completely different now.

Before, our parents knew that we would never risk our friendship by sleeping with one another; but now that we discovered that we were mates, it felt different to be alone.

Of course, our parents expect us to eventually mate, as it is normal for us wolves. I'm starting to think that is why everyone left all of a sudden, to give us privacy if we decided to mate and mark.

Thatcher and I headed up to my bedroom. He shut the door after following me into my room before plopping down onto my bed, laying his head in my lap.

It's definitely crazy to think back on all the times that Thatcher and I shared. All the memories we made together. When we do the same things now, it feels much more intimate; of course, because we are destined mates.