He is Number 4

4

Ashley

After my father made the introduction of me and my brother, the party began. So far it’s been good. I’ve been dancing with the girls on the cheer team. A couple of guys have also asked me to dance. I also haven’t seen Cai, which means our party won't get ruined.

My mom and dad call me and my brother. They hand us our presents and we eagerly open them. I screamed in excitement when I saw car keys and ran to the driveway. Sitting parked in the driveway is a beautiful red 64 ½ hardtop mustang. I walked up to it and ran my hand along the side and opened the front door to get into the driver's side. My brother went out to see his black 2018 charger. Our parents come to us smiling.

I jumped out and hugged both of them, “Thank you guys so much, I love you guys.” I said teary-eyed.

Kyle joined us in the group hug. My parents were the first ones to pull away. “Are you guys ready to learn how to find our mates?” they asked, smiling.

We nodded eagerly.

“Ok,” my mom started, wrapping her arm around my dad's waist, “you’re going to smell your favorite scent. To me, your father smells like coffee and vanilla.” she smiles up at him.

“And to me your mother smells like,” he puts his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. “Vanilla.” I smile at them, I wish I'd have a love like theirs.

“Once you find them, your wolf will state claim, if you touch them it almost feels like electricity.'' She smiles at us teary eyed. “If it happens, which I don't think it will, you both are absolutely amazing. If you get rejected, do not listen to your wolf. You will not die, but you will be in a lot of pain,” she looks down. “I was rejected once. Your dad is my second chance mate, and I wish he was my first mate.”

I hugged my mother to comfort her. I never knew she had been rejected before. I'm glad to know there's a second chance for us.

We walked back to the party and I walked up to the girls. “I know how to find my mate now,” I said nervously.

“Good!” they all said at once.

“Now you can find your forever,” Georgia says and gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.

I smile at them as I look around to see if I can pick up any scents. I smell a lot of axe and old spice. I hate that smell, it's like these boys bathe in it. I continue dancing with the girls waiting to pick up on something different.

Cai

I stood in the back of the yard close to the woods. This has been the only place where I feel like I can be safe. For the last hour my wolf has been fighting to take over, fighting to claim what’s his. I wonder if she knows yet. Although I feel like if she did then she would have tried to jump me, right?

“Yo 4 were going to the woods to drink, are you down? 2 and 3 are grabbing the shit.” Skyler asks, breaking me from my thoughts.

I nodded, following him to a clearing in the woods and sat on the wooden stump we placed there. Kyle and Jax show up with bottles and bottles of alcohol. I grabbed the handle of vodka and opened it, taking a large gulp. I relax as soon as the burn of the vodka goes down my throat.

“What's been up with you 4?” Skyler asks, using the nickname we came up with when I joined their group. “You’ve been on edge all day dude.” he takes a beer and starts drinking it.

“He's all pissed because Tayler stood him up, he needed to release some steam if you know what I mean.” Kyle laughed and nudged me with his elbow.

I glared at him, taking another large gulp of my vodka. I don't want to see her. I want the whole thing to blow over. If I have to avoid her, I f*****g will. I dont want to be f*****g tied down.

We continue drinking in the woods, then Kyle gets linked by his parents that it's time for cake. I will admit for them being the strongest, most brutal pack, his parents don't care what they do really.

We all stumble back to the party, “Guys. I'm drunk as fuck.” Skyler laughs.

“That's because you cant hold your alcohol 1.” I laughed at him holding him up. After drinking that handle, I feel a lot better.

When we get to the front of the crowd, I picked up on her scent. She smelled like strawberries and vanilla. I feel my wolf fighting for control. I grip on to the back of a chair trying to keep control, but I’m tipsy and he wants out. I can’t fight it anymore. I'm too drunk and he's winning.

“Mine!” he yells and runs towards her.

Ashley

Starting to feel sad, I walked over to the snack table. Georgia walks up and throws her arm over my shoulder. “Have you sniffed them out yet babe?” she asks, grabbing a cookie.

I shake my head, “Maybe they’re not here, they could be in a further pack that couldn’t make it.” I shrug, grabbing a glass of my grandma's favorite punch.

“Hey look at me,” she says, grabbing my hand. “Don't be so down! You're a catch babe. When you find them, it will be the most amazing experience.”

“Thanks babe, you're right.” I hugged her. “You know what's weird tho?” I asked.

“What?” She tilts her head slightly.

“My parents told me that my mate would have my favorite scent.” I tapped the side of my cup with my nail. “All day I have been smelling chocolate, I don't know if that means I’ve been around them all day or if maybe that's what he will smell like to me.”

Her smile grows as wide as her face, “Babe, that means you’ve been around them all day.”

I can feel my face pale. The only two people I’ve been around constantly all day are my brother and Cai. “This has to be some kind of sick joke.” I groaned and started walking away. “I need cake in my life, let's go.”

She nods excitedly. We walked over to my parents and asked them if we could cut the cake. "If we don't do it soon, I might go and just eat it all by myself.'' I laughed, telling my parents. They laughed and link my brother that it was time for cake.

I stand by the cake waiting for my brother when I catch the scent. It smells like chocolate. I looked around, trying to pinpoint where the smell might be coming from.

“Mate,” my wolf says.

“Well, welcome back. Where were you?” I questioned her.

“Talking to our mate.” she gets excited. “ He's coming closer, his scent is getting stronger.”

I continued to look around for any sign of people walking closer when I noticed my brother and his friends getting closer. f**k i was right, it's one of them. I watch them all for any possible signs. That's when I noticed it. Cai, he looks like he's struggling, his eyes keep going from his normal gray to the bright orange from his wolf trying to take control.

“Mate!” My wolf is very excited.

“No, this can not be happening.” I said.

“What don't you like mate?” she whimpers.

“No, he doesn't want commitment and f***s every girl in school.” I said, annoyed.

“He will change. I’ve talked to his wolf. His wolf promised me he would change,” she said hopeful.

Cai’s Wolf won the internal battle. His eyes were bright orange and he looked right at me. The whole world seemed to stop as he let out a loud growl, “mine!”.

I stood there frozen, in shock and fear. Fear that I will be stuck with an unfaithful mate, shocked that the moon goddess would do this to me. I watch him as he runs towards me.