Lunar Bonds: In Quarantine

*Pilar*  "What exactly is this place, Matt?" I ask, leaning forward in my seat, curious about where my cousin Emilia's boyfriend is taking us. "You mentioned your cousin lives here with three other guys. Is it some sort of exclusive gay club?"  He chuckles. "Not really, Pilar. To my knowledge none of them is gay. They're a pack, it is totally normal for wolves, you know. There's also a woman living with them, and they occasionally have visitors." I raise an eyebrow, my imagination running wild. I have had enough experiences with men to know that they can be scoundrels, and the werewolves seem worse, if anything, so I can't help but wonder about the dynamics in that house.  My cousin Nina and I live in Argentina, but we flew to Toronto to meet Emilia and her boyfriend, Matt. And apparently Emilie is his true destined mate. At least that is what he tells her.   Matt is a werewolf, something I thought was monsters of legends as a kid. About ten years ago the werewolves decided to reveal themselves to the world. Some people see them almost as celebrities, while others fear or hate them and rather see them locked up, or killed.  We have been on a road trip for the past three weeks, visiting various cities in the US and our next stop is the place where Matt's cousin Nick, also a werewolf, lives, a small pack near Austin, Texas.  "Pilar!" Emilia scolds me. "I've met both Nick and one of the other guys, Zay. They are really nice. Matt says the Alpha, Zayden, is one of the sweetest people he has ever met. Just be on your best behavior, okay?"  I roll my eyes. "Relax, Emilia. I'm not going to attack anyone. I just don't trust men easily, and I have good reasons for that."  Emilia sighs. "Just don't jump to conclusions or accuse anyone of anything."  "I won't," I reply, leaning back in my seat.  Bored, I take out my phone and start scrolling through my notifications. I had posted a picture from the gym last night, and it's already gathered quite a few comments. Some are from friends, but most are from men I don't know, either being sleazy or pretending to be sweet. I know how quickly those ‘sweet’ comments can turn anything but, though.  I also have a few private messages. The first one simply says ‘hi’, the second one compliments my beauty, and the third one is so crude that I block him immediately.  Part of me wants to stop posting pictures, but why should I let these men dictate what I do? I didn't do anything wrong.  I respond to the first two messages with a ‘hi’ and a ‘thank you’, already knowing where the conversation will lead. But part of me still hopes for a better outcome.  Both guys reply quickly. The one who complimented me asks where I live and if I'm married, while the other one asks what I'm doing. I sigh, knowing where this is going, but I answer honestly: ‘Argentina, no not married’ and ‘on a road trip’.  Five minutes later, I'm leaning back in my seat, feeling a mix of sadness and frustration. The ‘you're beautiful’ guy has just proposed to me, and the ‘hi’ guy sent me an inappropriate picture. These interactions leave me feeling empty and disheartened.  "Why do things like this hurt me?" I wonder aloud. Why do I keep hoping for a different outcome one day.  Nina puts her arm around me. "Forget them, Pilar. Those guys are idiots. Not all men are like that."  I shake my head, unconvinced. "But it seems like they are. All the men I have encountered are exactly like that." I turn to look out the window, trying to escape the disappointment that these interactions bring. *Zayden*  "Are the tents ready? My cousin and his mate should be arriving sometime today," Nick says, looking at Sherry.  She sighs. "You guys need to learn how to do things yourself, you know. But yes, the tents are ready."  "Thanks, sweetie." Nick grins and gives her a playful kiss on the cheek.  Sherry smacks him on the arm. "Don't get all alpha with me."  "Oh, I see what you did there, Sherry. Clever. I have to remember that." I grin and give her a thumbs up, making Nick glare at me, but then he grins too.  "So they're bringing like two of Emilia's cousins from Argentina, right?" LZ looks up from his phone. "Female cousins, right ?"  Nick chuckles. "Yeah, female cousins. Uhm, Nina and... Pillar... Pilah... something like that."  "Pilar, Nick. It's a Spanish name." I say. As always, I'm curious to meet new people, I met Nick's cousin Matt once in Canada, but I haven't met his mate, and none of us know her cousins.  "Oh, Pilar... yeah, that's what he said." Nick grins again. "Supposedly both pretty... models or something, I think."  LZ stands up, shaking his head. "Well, I'm out then."  "What do you mean?" I look at him.  He makes a motion with his hand like 'look at me.' "Models, Z... yeah, they're probably half a foot taller than me. So they will literally overlook me... totally."  "Aww, stop LZ. That shouldn't matter if you meet the right she-wolf or woman. Your mate will love you just the way you are." I tell him. I don't like to hear him put himself down.  "Thanks, but I doubt the right woman for me is some six-foot model. And that's totally okay." He gives me a smile. "Well, see ya. I have some pack duties to attend to."  Nick pours himself some coffee before looking at me. "So, are you excited to have new women joining the pack?"  "Why would I be excited? I mean, I'm always happy to meet new people, and I'm looking forward to seeing Matt again, but excited?" I get up from my chair.  "You're turning forty this year, Zay. You say you want a mate … a family." He looks at me, and I nod. "So, shouldn't you be... looking a little more seriously for... your mate?"  I make a face. "I know, Nick. But... searching for her seems wrong. I have to keep believing that she will come into my life when I least expect it."  "It might be the right approach... it might not." He shrugs. "If you change your mind, I know a really good matchmaker who also does wolves. Only high-quality clients, if you get tired of waiting for her to drop into your lap."  "Thanks, Nick, but... that's just not me." I tell him. "Well, see you later. I have some stuff to do at the pack office."